Surge Pricing Holding Up (Semi) Annual Increase ...

[GhostHost1000]

Demand-based pricing would help smooth the stigma of Disney's pricing being out of touch. There may be some bellyaching about one-day tickets during Christmas shooting up to $140, or up to $125 during the summer; but if that paves the way for $70 tickets during the slow season, it can always point to those offerings for cost-conscious travelers.

LOL.

What's this "slow season" you are referring to?

 

[BrerJon]

Then can someone explain why the parks are busier than ever and more expensive than ever? Just curious.

Orlando as a whole is becoming more and more popular while WDW has less and less to do to spread the crowds around evenly between the four parks, resulting in more people concentrated in less areas, add in Fastpass+ which keeps them on the streets and out of lines and it's a recipe for huge crowds, but it's due to social engineering not because the parks would score higher than ever on a hypothetical guest satisfaction report.

 

[ParentsOf4]

Then can someone explain why the parks are busier than ever and more expensive than ever? Just curious.

WDW is more crowded than ever because Disney is drawing from new markets (mainly South America) while the U.S. population continues to grow, with consumer confidence the best it's been in years. Furthermore, WDW historically has experienced a surge in attendance after the end of each recession because of pent-up demand. The effects of the last recession lingered for years, so there was a lot of pent-up demand.

Contributing to this is a new wave of parents who visited WDW as children during its boom years in the 1980s and 1990s, when WDW transitioned from a single theme park to a vacation destination. A generation later, these parents want to take their children to WDW.

Increased costs are a function of inflation along with what has been to date a careful pricing strategy designed to make annual increases only modestly higher than inflation, giving consumers time to adjust to the new norm without suffering complete sticker shock in any one year.

P.S. I also think the end of Las Vegas' attempt to become a family vacation destination has helped Orlando in general. At one time, Las Vegas was trying to sell itself to families. That campaign has ended, meaning Orlando has less competition for national vacation dollars.

 

[ryguy]

Disney over the last 10 years or so has no doubt made a push towards the international traveler. More than anything else I think this has effected crowds at Disney. The Disney guest has morphed quite a bit since the 1980's. Used to be white middle class America, now it's a melting pot of American, South Americans, Asian, and Europeans. Remember those slow times? That was based on American travel habitats. To Disney's credit they have filled in the gaps, really September is the only time Disney feels less crowded. Even than it has free dining which makes the restaurants packed.

DVC has also helped to create that "I need to come back every year" attitude. Amazingly Disney really hasn't created a reason to come back for the last 10 years, unless you count NFL, which is hardly a reason to return. Granted there are attractions on the horizon, but they are still far off. Guess the joke is on us.

 

[crispy]

Well, Disney price increases end up saving me money because I have started spending my vacation dollars elsewhere. We went to South Dakota last summer and to SeaWorld last fall. We did end up doing MNSSHP one night which was just about right. We didn't see the need to visit Epcot, AK, or DHS because there is nothing new or interesting to see. SeaWorld was a breath of fresh air for us. Nice rides, free front of the line access for staying at a partner hotel, and manageable crowds. Not to mention, a five day vacation there including tickets and hotel cost the same as one day at WDW.

 

[Lee]

Unfortunately, I have to agree. Florida just had over 105 Million guests and at least 62 Million of that was just in Orlando. I know that Disney could stand to build more rides but it wouldn't do much to offset long lines during peak times -- because new attractions attract more people, so it could have the opposite effect.

I don't mind the "more is more" concept. I just had an amazing trip at Disney and we rode everything once in a day and that was suffice. There were so many other things to see and do at Disney -- we just couldn't do it all.

Disney is the only theme park destination in the world that offers Fastpass for *free*. At all of the other parks like Cedar Point and Six Flags, if you want to ride more you have to pay more.

At Universal, you even have to pay extra to ride on Hogwarts. Just imagine if Disney charged people to take the monorail, which I wouldn't mind if they actually replaced all the monorails and fixed the beam. It is not fun being stuck on that monorail.

I got to Disney once a year for five or six days tops and it is more than suffice. Disney is forcing people who unrealistically want to make going to Disney a lifestyle, with multiples trips per year and whatnot to make some painful decisions. This group is not that valued and Disney is hitting them right in the pocket, in my opinion.

I don't think you understand...

Just to be clear, I wasn't referring to a Fastpass in my post.
I can understand limiting those to one per ride.

I was referring to your park ticket determining how often/how many times you would be allowed on an attraction.
For example: Basic Ticket, you get one ride on ToT. Next level up, two rides. Premium Magical Pass, all you can eat.
That is tiered pricing. The more you pay, the more you get to do.

It has nothing to do with locals or multi-visiting obsessed guests. It would effect every person, from the once a week to the once a decade visitor, that steps up to the ticket window and has to decide how many rides they can afford.

Look at it as a high-tech, more expensive version of the old ticket books.

I can hear it now...."Sorry sweetie, we can't meet the princess. We used up all our experiences and I don't have the money to get more. Maybe the dance party will be free..."

 

[Mike S]

I don't think you understand...

Just to be clear, I wasn't referring to a Fastpass in my post.
I can understand limiting those to one per ride.

I was referring to your park ticket determining how often/how many times you would be allowed on an attraction.
For example: Basic Ticket, you get one ride on ToT. Next level up, two rides. Premium Magical Pass, all you can eat.
That is tiered pricing. The more you pay, the more you get to do.

It has nothing to do with locals or multi-visiting obsessed guests. It would effect every person, from the once a week to the once a decade visitor, that steps up to the ticket window and has to decide how many rides they can afford.

Look at it as a high-tech, more expensive version of the old ticket books.

I can hear it now...."Sorry sweetie, we can't meet the princess. We used up all our experiences and I don't have the money to get more. Maybe the dance party will be free..."

And that will be when I stop going. It's terrible but I can see them making brand new rides cost more "experiences." Do you want one ride on the Star Wars E Ticket or 1 ride on ToT and RnRC each? Want to ride both Star Wars rides? Cough up even more dough.

It's really easy to think like Disney in this case.

 

[the.dreamfinder]

I don't think you understand...

Just to be clear, I wasn't referring to a Fastpass in my post.
I can understand limiting those to one per ride.

I was referring to your park ticket determining how often/how many times you would be allowed on an attraction.
For example: Basic Ticket, you get one ride on ToT. Next level up, two rides. Premium Magical Pass, all you can eat.
That is tiered pricing. The more you pay, the more you get to do.

It has nothing to do with locals or multi-visiting obsessed guests. It would effect every person, from the once a week to the once a decade visitor, that steps up to the ticket window and has to decide how many rides they can afford.

Look at it as a high-tech, more expensive version of the old ticket books.

I can hear it now...."Sorry sweetie, we can't meet the princess. We used up all our experiences and I don't have the money to get more. Maybe the dance party will be free..."

Will there be a mechanism for guests to buy additional rides during the day, the Disney theme park equivalent to in-app purchasing?

 

[Lee]

Will there be a mechanism for guests to buy additional rides during the day, the Disney theme park equivalent to in-app purchasing?

Certainly.
No way they would ignore that revenue stream.

 

[danv3]

I don't think you understand...

Just to be clear, I wasn't referring to a Fastpass in my post.
I can understand limiting those to one per ride.

I was referring to your park ticket determining how often/how many times you would be allowed on an attraction.
For example: Basic Ticket, you get one ride on ToT. Next level up, two rides. Premium Magical Pass, all you can eat.
That is tiered pricing. The more you pay, the more you get to do.

It has nothing to do with locals or multi-visiting obsessed guests. It would effect every person, from the once a week to the once a decade visitor, that steps up to the ticket window and has to decide how many rides they can afford.

Look at it as a high-tech, more expensive version of the old ticket books.

I can hear it now...."Sorry sweetie, we can't meet the princess. We used up all our experiences and I don't have the money to get more. Maybe the dance party will be free..."

Dislike.

 

[wm49rs]

I don't think you understand...

Just to be clear, I wasn't referring to a Fastpass in my post.
I can understand limiting those to one per ride.

I was referring to your park ticket determining how often/how many times you would be allowed on an attraction.
For example: Basic Ticket, you get one ride on ToT. Next level up, two rides. Premium Magical Pass, all you can eat.
That is tiered pricing. The more you pay, the more you get to do.

It has nothing to do with locals or multi-visiting obsessed guests. It would effect every person, from the once a week to the once a decade visitor, that steps up to the ticket window and has to decide how many rides they can afford.

Look at it as a high-tech, more expensive version of the old ticket books.

I can hear it now...."Sorry sweetie, we can't meet the princess. We used up all our experiences and I don't have the money to get more. Maybe the dance party will be free..."

She understood. She's just paid to say otherwise....

 

[MerlinTheGoat]

@Lee Will the limitation on how many times you can ride something also apply to annual passes? I assume so, but I wanted to know for sure.

 

[GiveMeTheMusic]

Certainly.
No way they would ignore that revenue stream.

Is this a near future implementation? Are they seriously considering this? Because if so...LOL.

 

[Crazydisneyfanluke]

The could be testing the in app purchasing with the addition of the in-park mobile shopping they added to MDE.

 

[PhotoDave219]

Look at it as a high-tech, more expensive version of the old ticket books.

I can hear it now...."Sorry sweetie, we can't meet the princess. We used up all our experiences and I don't have the money to get more. Maybe the dance party will be free..."

That sums things up perfectly.

 

[bhg469]

That sums things up perfectly.

And still I'm sure the dingbat will think it's a great idea.

 

[PhotoDave219]

And still I'm sure the dingbat will think it's a great idea.

It would be a fine idea if it cost $55 to get into MK, not $125

 

[bhg469]

It would be a fine idea if it cost $55 to get into MK, not $125

I agree 100% I've always said they would make bank on people just wanting to take part in the parks but a sub 100 dollar ticket is never coming back.

 

[PhotoDave219]

I agree 100% I've always said they would make bank on people just wanting to take part in the parks but a sub 100 dollar ticket is never coming back.

Its 85% profits and margins and has the 15% added side bonus of crowd control.

If it was 2005 pricing, could you imagine how filled the parks would be?

 

[John]

Hey at least they found a way to deal with capacity......I think the backlash from this would be unprecedented.