So I wonder if all the theme parks jump on board when there's a price hike on ticket, will any (Disney) look at this and what their value prices/perks, and lower the prices? Probably not but if they want people to stay on site and spend money, and will be losing people to UNI, eventually maybe the prices will have to come down. They can't keep rising as they have been. People can't afford them and they can't turn every hotel into DVC. I can't imagine them doing it with the values.
Uni is keeping in lockstep with WDW's one-day ticket but that's a special case. No one's going to lower the price of the one-day ticket. There's no need to.
The one-day ticket buyer (and there are a lot of them) arrive at the gate having already paid for parking and pretty much committed to that theme park for that day. They haven't planned ahead (at least not carefully) and nearly always are going to pay the price, whatever the price.
It's the multiday ticket that shows real pricing strategy. Let's consider the hopper ticket.
2-day WDW vs. Uni
$237 vs. $176
3-day WDW vs. Uni
$323 vs. $186
4-day WDW vs. Uni
$354 vs. $196
AP WDW vs. Uni
$634 vs. $280
Step away from the one-day ticket and the two resorts are priced nothing alike.
At WDW, the problem isn't getting guests into Value Resorts. WDW's Value Resorts are crowded. The badly mispriced "value" Family Suites aside, AOA was built because WDW needed it.
Disney's problem is getting guests to pay for WDW's grossly overpriced Deluxe and Moderate Resorts.
DVC is not the answer. In fact, it's one of WDW's long-term financial problems. (But that's for another post.)
The solution to WDW's hotel woes are in the theme parks.
WDW's Deluxe and Moderate Resorts were crowded when the theme parks were exciting and dynamic. They were crowded when those with discriminating tastes and the financial means to be selective with their vacation choices picked WDW because it was the
best place to vacation. This is not a "WDW vs. Universal" debate. This is a WDW vs. Hawaii, Atlantis, or Europe debate.
WDW's staleness and reduced quality has not gone unnoticed among a discerning, trendy, jet-set crowd. WDW's status has plummeted among the country club elite.
We love WDW (and hate what's happening to it) because we remember happier times spent over years and even decades. We are devoted to WDW, good or bad.
However, most WDW vacationers don't feel that way. For them, WDW is just that, a vacation.
Among the Honey Boo Boo crowd, a stay in a Value Resort or even offsite is the best vacation they can afford. WDW is attracting them. WDW's theme parks are crowded.
However, as a premium vacation, WDW no longer is the sparking example it once was. WDW no longer is as competitive among big spenders. In the battle for the vacation dollars of the nation's top earners, WDW is losing.
@WDW1974 has written it many times but it's worth repeating. Corporate Disney
has Walmarted WDW.
