Out of control WDW ticket prices

[flynnibus]

probably because as the USD dollar real value decreases (Gov. pretty much owing everyone money) , the production moving to china.. the real value of the country monetary levels go down( despite huge billionaire gains of the big corps.. but these big wins only help a minuscule percentage.)
hence why companies are giving less money for more work to employees. this leads into less expending by employees.. and less money circulating.. which means higher inflation.
But then.... I'm no expert in economy to really describe most of what's going or or to understand it.

The CPI is supposed to measure that change by sampling key product prices. The CPI is supposed to be the RESULT of things like you mentioned... but what I was saying it is (IMO) a very poor indication of actual prices I see and come across in my 'consumer life'

 

[flynnibus]

Funny...

people say prices are out of control... some respond 'nah...'

So you quantify what the price increases really are.. same people go 'so what..'

Typical head in sand..

 

[FettFan]

To which I say '"So what?". Disney is a luxury item, not a necessity. It's only factor is what the market will bear and considering that attendance keeps going up, it does not look like they have reached the breaking point yet.

I would typically agree with you....but the problem lies in that while we are seeing ticket prices rise, we are also seeing a general decline in park quality (broken attraction effects, general disrepair of attractions and facilities, downgrading the night parade by scrapping Spectromagic in favor of 40-year-old MSEP) coupled with an insane amount of spending for crap that the parks do not really need. (MyMagic+, FastPass+, DVC-only hotel expansions)

And when you factor in the fact that their "expansions" have been lackluster at the most*, and I would argue that Disney vacations are not exactly "luxury" anymore.


*Fantasyland Expansion is kind of a joke, if you think about it. All that room to work with and the only things they had planned originally were the Little Mermaid Omnimovier, an extra Dumbo Spinner, the Rapunzel crappers, and a buttload of meet-and greets. Sure, they tacked on the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train after the fact, but they did it at the expense of Snow White's Scary Adventures, which was promptly shut down to make way for another meet-and-greet location.
Read my lips: Meet-and-greets are CHEAP, LAZY, and UNIMAGINATIVE. Just because they gave Enchanted Tales with Belle a little bit of fancy window dressing and a few animatronics does not mean they made a quality attraction. They took a pig and slathered it with perfume and lipstick.
Just IMAGINE what could have been had they used the same effects for a bona fide Beauty and the Beast dark ride.

 

[Disvillain63]

I have had many more problems @ WDW than at Six Flags parks in the past. Many guest in WDW just seem to feel entitled, are pushy and very confrontational. Probably because they are spending a small fortune to take the family on vacation for a once in a lifetime experience at the Busiest Place on Earth. Manhattan during rush hour is less busy than the MK on most days. Then forget it when you visit when the Pop Warner stuff is going on or the cheerleading competitions. These teens running around WDW unsupervised is downright irritating. Did it once not knowing what it would be like and I would not bring a young child to WDW again during Pop Warner in December. Maybe I am racist.

Might be the difference of the area surrounding your Six Flags...but we've stayed at the All-Stars during cheer season and dance season...never had a problem with the teens. Yes, they are a bit loud at times, but they're kids. They would quiet down when asked.

 

[Voxel]

No one has ever said it's a right, I completely agree... but some things don't have to be typed. It is the sentiment that is behind these posts that shows the type of self-entitlement people have these days. The Walt Disney Company plays in the open market, it charges what the market will bare.

The idea of "pillaging pockets" is a talking point, it's moot, it's a fallacy...

Amen. Heck if anyone is pillaging pockets people should look at Comcast who charges around 80bucks a month for 50mbs internet speeds while Paris pays around $30 for 100mbs. (In fact we are no where near the best in the world for internet cost). But we are open market and these products are in demand and people will pay.

 

[Disvillain63]

Man, don't try to use a Flash Pass in Six Flags LA, you will be surrounded by gang member/just out of prison type guys speaking in spanish (I'm Mexican) and saying why the… you cut in line, we have been doing the line for X hours…bla,bla,bla.

Back then was in 2007, I think that FP was new because of what the people say.

And when it was time to exit the park, Six Flags, uses cops to help.

Same in Atlanta...

 

[ddbowdoin]

Funny...

people say prices are out of control... some respond 'nah...'

So you quantify what the price increases really are.. same people go 'so what..'

Typical head in sand..

and in what world are prices supposed to be in relation to income... that's the point I am making, no one is disagreeing with the numbers being presented but it's the point of complaining. They owe us NOTHING.

 

[luv]

It is getting more expensive, but everything is these days. We may not get to go this year because we need a new heating system for our house , and some other house fixer-uppers. Hopefully though we can save $$$. I do know now that unfortunately if we want to go to WDW we must budget for it and stay off site. The ticket prices aren't really the problem to me, it's the resort stays. I have to save over $5,000 to stay at a resort that I like ( unfortunately deluxe-spoiled). That's only for 6 nights and 7 days, driving, no dining plan, no discounts/deals, and a 4 day ticket ( no park hopper or extras). Oh the agony!

Beth, leave the Disney property. I know you love the bubble, but it'll be okay.

Gaylord Palms, while not the nicest hotel in Orlando, is nicer than anything Disney has. And it's like 90 seconds from the Disney property, on a road that almost never has any traffic issues (Osceola Parkway, which runs all the way through Disney to the AKL.)

You could also get a nice suite, with separate bedrooms (and bathrooms) for you and the boys, as well as a full kitchen, living room, dining area, private balcony (or patio) and a washer/dryer (you don't have to use it, but they come n handy sometimes)...within minutes of Disney. It'll be nicer, much more stress-free and cost less than a Disney mod.

The bubble is great! But it's so much better offsite. And it's cheaper.

Just advice, not criticism.

 

[NintendoDS]

A regular Six Flags Great Adventure Season Pass is $80. ($75 when buying 4 or more.) Only the Gold Season Pass is $105. ($85 when buying 4 or more.) Both include admission to their water park and all Six Flags throughout the country.

A WDW Annual Pass with water parks is $699!

And a Disney Premier Passport for admission to both WDW and DLR? $979.

Six Flags is not in the same league as Disney and doesn't pretend to be.

I couldn't believe the pricing for Great Adventure passes this year. If the passes were bought in September and October they had a promotion where a Gold Pass was $68 if you bought 2 more more. I also bought the dining pass for $75. Less than $150 total for unlimited park access, free parking and 2 meals every time I go the park this season. As you said they aren't in the same league as Disney but I just can't get over that if there were a way to add the dining plan for 1 day at Disney, a 1 day Magic Kingdom ticket with Quick Service Dining is almost the same price as the Great Adventure Gold Pass with Season Dining.

 

[luv]

No one has ever said it's a right, I completely agree... but some things don't have to be typed. It is the sentiment that is behind these posts that shows the type of self-entitlement people have these days. The Walt Disney Company plays in the open market, it charges what the market will bare.

The idea of "pillaging pockets" is a talking point, it's moot, it's a fallacy...

Disney charges too much. The hotels are over-priced.

Rather than lowering the prices, they've decided to implement wristbands, thinking that will get people back in there, paying those prices.

Forget customer entitlement. Think "self-preservation."

The idea that Disney can just keep charging more and offering less and people will keep on paying is stupid. Even Disney is starting to see the error of that logic. Sadly, they think they can sucker people back in.

We fans are kind of easily-suckerable, but I don't think these magical wristbands will be the occupancy-raising lever Disney hoped they would.

We will see.

 

[Voxel]

Disney charges too much. The hotels are over-priced.

Rather than lowering the prices, they've decided to implement wristbands, thinking that will get people back in there, paying those prices.

Forget customer entitlement. Think "self-preservation."

The idea that Disney can just keep charging more and offering less and people will keep on paying is stupid. Even Disney is starting to see the error of that logic. Sadly, they think they can sucker people back in.

We fans are kind of easily-suckerable, but I don't think these magical wristbands will be the occupancy-raising lever Disney hoped they would.

We will see.

Yet Disney Parks had the record attendance last year which shows that the prices aren't too high. People are paying. Economics, its a b#$@%.

 

[luv]

Yet Disney Parks had the record attendance last year which shows that the prices aren't too high. People are paying. Economics, its a b#$@%.

The hotel occupancy is way too low. People aren't paying it.

Over-priced doesn't mean "expensive." It means that you're charging more than people are willing to pay.

The hotels are over-priced. Their solution is wristbands. (Okay, I'm just repeating myself.)

I'm sorry that we disagree and respect your right to state things as you see them. I don't want to argue.

 

[Voxel]

The hotel occupancy is way too low. People aren't paying it.

Over-priced doesn't mean "expensive." It means that you're charging more than people are willing to pay.

The hotels are over-priced. Their solution is wristbands. (Okay, I'm just repeating myself.)

I'm sorry that we disagree and respect your right to state things as you see them. I don't want to argue.

No problem. My intention is not to argue, I am just looking at it from Disney's point of view. I agree that the hotels are expensive and I was hoping for a year of saving as the next promotion which introduced a ton of hotel discounts(50% or more).

 

[ParentsOf4]

Yet Disney Parks had the record attendance last year which shows that the prices aren't too high. People are paying. Economics, its a b#$@%.

Domestic WDW attendance has been declining for years.

WDW has been filling in the gap by offering some outstanding discounts to international guests.

Just offer us those discounts our brethren in the U.K. and Brazil receive and I think a lot less of us would be complaining about prices.

 

[networkpro]

What don't you want to expose your family to? I love how everyone is tip-toeing around it in fear of being racially insensitive. Just say it and get out of your system.

Nope, its not ethnicity, its more an expression of different social norms and expectations of appropriate behavior while in public places. Just like cheerleaders and large groups of foreign visitors chanting all around the park bring complaints, those who behave badly in public are to be avoided.

 

[Animaniac93-98]

A premium annual pass to DLP costs 199 euros (about $278 USD, tax included), but an annual pass for both parks at TDR will set you back $784 USD. A premium pass at Hong Kong Disneyland is $325 USD.

Even in Disney's world, prices vary dramatically.

 

[Animaniac93-98]

It should also be noted that Disney's current ticket strategy is to discourage one-day vists and hype the "value" of a multi-day pass/vacation, especially if you stay on site. I don't think anyone would argue a one-day pass at MK now is a fair price, but most don't pay for it (though a sizable amount still do).

 

[kittybubbles]

WDW's price increases pushed me out when they took away the child's price for a FL resident pass. The 'regular' increase on top of the jump for her ticket caused me to determine it was no longer a good enough value for my family. So I do believe their ticket prices are out of control.

But, I do not think there is a good way to show how Disney got to this point as pricing has changed too much over the years.

I feel the cost of a one day ticket is set to give you a sense of value on another option. If I know I hope to visit once a quarter for three days, I might think $600 is a bargain compared to $1200 for 12 one day $100 tickets.

I think the real reason for the cost of the one day ticket is to push you to a three day + ticket and more days get cheaper for more days so that you see more value in WDW to the point where five days is better than three Disney and two UNI days.

To me, all this started when they made a big jump and hid it behind 'options'. Park hoping became an add on (if I recall correctly it was included with a three day or more ticket). Tickets use to never expire, now they seemed to have really upped the cost for a 'no expiration' option so I do not chose a 10 day hoper w no expiration option instead of buying an AP to make sure I use my days in 12 months.

Hotel prices went from a few 'seasonal' rates to 'Monday after a Sunday season' (or whatever they call the tons of seasons they have now). For my family, we live around 3 hours away, so it is still a trip and we would stay up there...but the the hotels started having Friday and Saturday rates that were higher than the other days of the week...somehow, every year, it seemed the hotel night cost more than the last time even if the discount was a higher rate.

So for now for my family, enough was enough.

Another point about the original post. Isn't DCL a part of P&R? My only point there is it is hard to compare investment/profits if they had to buy ships and then profits (today) include the rewards of that 'spending'

 

[LaughingGravy]

I am curious to what the curve of ticket prices is to compared to the rise in C level exec pay/benefits.

 

[luv]

Nope, its not ethnicity, its more an expression of different social norms and expectations of appropriate behavior while in public places. Just like cheerleaders and large groups of foreign visitors chanting all around the park bring complaints, those who behave badly in public are to be avoided.

He's not talking ethnicity. He's talking race. Or he was. It seems he doesn't wish to expound on how he came to the conclusion it was based on race or what he thought people should be saying if they weren't so darn scared of "racial insensitivity."

I'm sure we'd all love to hear more about it.