New 2013 WDW Ticket Prices

[Tom]

Even though I have a Disney Visa, I hardly ever use it. I get a better return on my regular CC. I do use it to pay for a Disney trip for anything related and traceable to Disney, but, otherwise, it just collects dust.

Us too. We stopped using our Disney Visa a few years ago and got a Chase Freedom instead. With the year-round 1% and quarterly 5% (on certain things), it does wonders for our trip budgets.

But it's going to take more than that to absorb these perpetual ticket hikes.

 

[lego606]

Really now? That's interesting. So they're just licensing from Disney? I would imagine then, that other than that - Disney makes no money off that park either? Didn't realize that.

That's why Cast tickets and even Gold Main Entrance Passes aren't valid there

 

[midwest_mice]

Us too. We stopped using our Disney Visa a few years ago and got a Chase Freedom instead. With the year-round 1% and quarterly 5% (on certain things), it does wonders for our trip budgets.

But it's going to take more than that to absorb these perpetual ticket hikes.

We haven't used our Disney Visa for quite some time either. Other cards do have better perks. With these ever increasing price hikes it is making it really hard anymore to justify just one trip a year. Luckily we got the Premium annual pass last year that DVC had a great deal on, pretty much boiled down to buy one get one free. So we'll use it 3 times to make it worth the money. On the flip side, after it expires we plan to look to see if anything big is planned for 2015 and beyond before making any long range plans.

 

[RSoxNo1]

Bits and pieces of FLE opened in June and July too, but you may be right, the 3-4% may be a bit too high. If the MK numbers would have been up 1 to 2% or so without FLE anyway they would only need a bump of about 2% from FLE which is about 300K guests. If the bulk of it was open for roughly 90 days that's an additional 3,000 guests a day during that time. No clue if that really makes sense or not, but they will most likely get a bump from FLE. It may not be sustained growth with people returning each year to do it, but people were excited to see something new and showed up to experience it.

When the numbers come out on Tuesday I will be the first to post a message admitting My guess was way off if the MK numbers are flat or down on the year.

You're not being defiant about it, it was more a question on my part.

 

[George]

This finally gives me the motivation I needed to dust off ye olde counterfeit press.

 

[Joshua&CalebDad]

Oaky, I don't really have anything to add except, Holy Crap! 384 replies in under 48 hours. I can tell people are passionate about rising ticket prices.

 

[Goofyernmost]

Us too. We stopped using our Disney Visa a few years ago and got a Chase Freedom instead. With the year-round 1% and quarterly 5% (on certain things), it does wonders for our trip budgets.

Same here...same "other" card as well. Love it when they have the 5% for gas. I usually apply my points to pay for my hotel when I travel. Stay off site so it is more doable.

 

[FigmentJedi]

 

[tnmowgli]

Yes, the monorail between Bob Iger's estate and pool house.

Sad but true.

 

[The Incredible Schmulk]

In twenty pages, I can't be the only one who thinks that the announcement was insulting, right? I mean, it's their company, and they can make the ticket prices $1000 a day, for all I care. But here's a translation of how this came off to me, as I read it:
Actual Quote:

As we’ve heard from many of our guests, the quality entertainment and attractions and the memorable moments created by our cast make a Disney theme park experience a great value. There’s something for everyone at Disney Parks to make a magical vacation memory.

How It Reads:

We at Disney realize that your nostalgia is important to you, so we have decided to capitalize on those feelings, and once again increase our rates just enough not to drive you away. It took us months to determine just the right percentage increase to balance your anger and apathy so that it turns to eventual defeat. You should congratulate us! Seriously, where else are you going to go?

 

[Glasgow]

On the one hand, yes, the prices are frustratingly high. We all want to experience the Magic as often as possible and for a fair amount - they are starting to cater only to the high-end spenders. We all knew it was coming, its not a surprise.

On the other hand, we cannot just forget that Disney is a business. I can't begrudge them their right to capitalism. They have workers, salaries, CoL increases, insurance, healthcare, etc., all of the same issues of a normal company, and many more to boot. Sure, we all complain about the executive salaries and what not but if you were in an executive position at Disney would you turn down an enormous salary or bonus based on principle? I suspect that you would not. We can all get caught up in the fantasy (isn't that the point?!) but as far as the bottom line is concerned, everyone wants their cut, from CMs all the way up to the top, just like a normal business.

Moral issues aside, Disney operates like any other publicly owned company and while disappointing to us fervent fans, they'll continue to do so until we stop giving them our discretionary dollars. Period. The whole situation is sad more than anything, I think

 

[ulto22]

I moved to orlando for the summer for an internship and planned on getting a Disney AP, but after going through prices, I ended up with a Universal Pass and couldn't be happier.

 

[luv]

Here's my take...

"You fans are suckers who will pay us whatever we charge no matter how much we take out. The more we get right now, the bigger out bonuses are. We don't care about the future of the company. We just want to make as much money as possible. So just shut up. We don't care. You're going to pay is no matter what."

Sadly, this will work out well for the guys in charge. They'll get theirs.

 

[Zummi Gummi]

On the one hand, yes, the prices are frustratingly high. We all want to experience the Magic as often as possible and for a fair amount - they are starting to cater only to the high-end spenders. We all knew it was coming, its not a surprise.

On the other hand, we cannot just forget that Disney is a business. I can't begrudge them their right to capitalism. They have workers, salaries, CoL increases, insurance, healthcare, etc., all of the same issues of a normal company, and many more to boot. Sure, we all complain about the executive salaries and what not but if you were in an executive position at Disney would you turn down an enormous salary or bonus based on principle? I suspect that you would not. We can all get caught up in the fantasy (isn't that the point?!) but as far as the bottom line is concerned, everyone wants their cut, from CMs all the way up to the top, just like a normal business.

Moral issues aside, Disney operates like any other publicly owned company and while disappointing to us fervent fans, they'll continue to do so until we stop giving them our discretionary dollars. Period. The whole situation is sad more than anything, I think

You don't really think any front line CM's will see one cent of this increase, do you?

 

[dadddio]

The one place that they do indeed gouge the public is for hotel rooms. There is not any possible way to justify those rates. None! The parks are just reasons to get you to stay in a resort, those are cheap, it's everything else that is over the top. That includes meals.

Those rates are super easy to justify. People are willing to pay them. If people are willing to pay the high prices, how could they justify NOT charging them accordingly?

 

[dadddio]

I'm pretty sure that their goal is not to increase attendance at WDW (MK in particular) but to increase the average profit per guest (see MM+ and Nextgen project). If the prices reverted back to 1983 level adjusted for inflation (or $32 as quoted above) maybe the MK would get 25 million visitors a year but the lines would be ridiculous and the infrastructure would be stretched beyond its breaking point. ...

You make a great point. At some point, you cannot expect to increase profits by simply increasing the number of guests who visit a park. At that point, it makes sense to raise the ticket prices to create the required profit increase. It would be interesting to see if this change depresses the number of single-day tickets purchased for MK appreciably.

 

[dadddio]

Then how else do you explain the gap in attendance between MK and the other parks? People still buy one-day, one-park tickets to "Disney World", go to MK, and then move on to something else in Florida.

That's one scenario. Here's another: A family spends five days at WDW. Two days at MK and one day each at the other parks.

 

[Epcotian]

Personally, they had already priced me out of visiting as frequently as I want to. I now go to WDW less often (every four years instead of every other year). I bought tickets for next year as soon as I saw Universal's price increase.

Sit-down meals and character dining? I've been priced out of those for several years now.

I still love WDW, but have come to accept the fact that it has to continue to be less and less a part of my life.

I'm not angry at WDW. The prices are what they are because they can get it. They can't get it from me as often as they could ten years ago, but I still feel fortunate to be able to afford to go as often as we do, even if I can't afford to go as often as we used to.

 

[PhotoDave219]

On the one hand, yes, the prices are frustratingly high. We all want to experience the Magic as often as possible and for a fair amount - they are starting to cater only to the high-end spenders. We all knew it was coming, its not a surprise.

On the other hand, we cannot just forget that Disney is a business. I can't begrudge them their right to capitalism. They have workers, salaries, CoL increases, insurance, healthcare, etc., all of the same issues of a normal company, and many more to boot. Sure, we all complain about the executive salaries and what not but if you were in an executive position at Disney would you turn down an enormous salary or bonus based on principle? I suspect that you would not. We can all get caught up in the fantasy (isn't that the point?!) but as far as the bottom line is concerned, everyone wants their cut, from CMs all the way up to the top, just like a normal business.

Moral issues aside, Disney operates like any other publicly owned company and while disappointing to us fervent fans, they'll continue to do so until we stop giving them our discretionary dollars. Period. The whole situation is sad more than anything, I think

The CMs are not getting a raise or any CoL adjustments.

This is all about profit margins and wall street, pure and simple.

 

[GoofGoof]

The CMs are not getting a raise or any CoL adjustments.

This is all about profit margins and wall street, pure and simple.

Maybe not front line CMs, but I bet the cubicle dwellers get a raise and definitely the guys with actual offices. Plus health insurance costs are up. None of that adds up to 7% so you are correct that most will go to the bottom line. Year over year per guest spending will be up again when the 10K comes out. That's the real name of the game.