Parks and Resort Prices

[wee-haggis]

There is no doubt that attendance has dropped at both the parks and the resorts.
Unfortunately it seems that the Disney powers have decided that by raising the pass,ticket and hotel rates is the only way to increase their profit line.
I'm afraid that this will only have the opposite effect.
You don't have to be a rocket scientist to figure out that when attendance is down ,the only way to entise customers back is by dropping the rates to a reasonable level allowing a larger percentage of the population to be able to afford to visit.
I think the corporate greed mentallity is taking over the boardroom of a once compasionate,fair and understanding corporation.
Walt would be turning over in his grave.

 

[wdwfan22]

Who said attendance was down?

 

[wee-haggis]

ABC News, New York Times and various WDW Websites

 

[The Mom]

Instead of being really, really, crowded, it's just really crowded! Seriously, I went last November, because I'd heard that attendance was way, way, down. If that was down, I never want to be there when it's up! I went again in February (NOT Spring break or a holiday weekend!) and it was the same thing...too many people jammed in Fantasy Land....I was looking for tiggrl...a lost cause...I ended up leaving after a couple of hours.

I've been going for years, and remember an "off" season when you could just about walk onto every ride. I haven't seen those aparse crowds in years, and certainly not lately. Perhaps I've just been unlucky...I'm going next week; I'll let you know.

 

[wee-haggis]

I was there the second week of October last year and we did'nt line up for anything more than 15mins.
Our previous visit 3 years earlier, 45mins to 1 hr was not uncommon.

 

[TURKEY]

Originally posted by wee-haggis
I was there the second week of October last year and we did'nt line up for anything more than 15mins.
Our previous visit 3 years earlier, 45mins to 1 hr was not uncommon.

Gee, less than a month after September 11th. I would think crowds would be down.

I don't think Disney has raised any resort prices yet, and tickets by maybe 2 dollars (but I don't think they have??).

What numbers do you see being used and how much of an increase has their been in ticket and resort prices?

 

[Talsonic]

I think prices are down.

I hold before me the January, 2001 WDW ticket price list and the January, 2002 WDW ticket price list and they are identical. As for resort prices I never really pay any attention to the "rack rates" because they are fictional. In over 20 years of visitation I have always found significant discounts in resort prices. Also, in my experience, the discounts this year are deeper than last year. Also, WDW has run several discount ticket promotions this year.

 

[AkiraRaptor]

Yep, same here. Our trip this year for Oct is less than last year. The discounts are just better. Last year it was AKL savanna view, this year AKL conseige, and we are paying less that last year.

BTW, we did the first week of Oct last year, and while it was lighter than normal traffic than other years, I'd hardly say it was walk on everywhere. We still waited at almost every attraction, and we had to get fast passes for a few cos' the lines where in the :45-1:00 hour range.

Even most of our PS reservasion we had to wait a bit 10-15 min or so. It was pretty much the same old Disney, but the airport was deff. empty. Strange too, it was like a ghost town there.

Now, most rides that had a double line, were only operating on 1, but overall, the crowds were about average for an October visit.

Universal, Seaworld and Discovery Cove were crowded too (exspecially Seaworld).

People starting cancelling there trips the week after us? Dunno, but it was certainly not empty.

 

[Holly]

I'm hoping against hope that attendance will be down ... WAY down during Thanksgiving since that's when we're traveling.

I doubt it, but a girl can dream anyway.

 

[wdwfan22]

This summer attendance has been just about normal

 

[lamarvenoy]

Florida is a tourist state and relies on tourist money through trickle down. 911 messed up the travel buisness and in the process just about every industry in FL has been hurt, the economy is bouncing back and tourists are coming back so have no fear, in a few monthes we will be back to normal.