Ticket Price Increase - Feb 2014

[Pixie VaVoom]

If I were to re-new my annual pass I would be paying an extra $2.13 per month for each ticket. I had already sent a long letter to Disney about their raising prices of food, diminished quality of customer care, diminished quality of food, the cheapness of the merchandise, GAS passes, Mickeybands, FP(negative), and staff and management that just don't care anymore. Now the ticket prices up $25.55 for a renewal. The nail is really in the coffin!!!

Here I was foolish enough to think that I would have even gotten a response from WDW from my letter about their numerous changes that they have done recently. I may need to take the same letter and send it to Burbank to see if I can ruffle feathers up there since the WDW management doesn't care.

Can you give an address - I have a few choice opinions of my own that I would gladly share !!

 

[Pixie VaVoom]

I would personally have less of a problem with it if the cost increase was congruent with an enhanced guest experience. This has not proven to be true over the past ten years worth if food, ticket, parking price increases. Yes FLE was built but two rides and two dining venues do not distract me from the huge increase in the number of rooms they have added and the new bus hubs to accommodate their expectation of increased attendance. On our two most recent trips I have seen declines in the experience and that is why we will not be back anytime soon as we had planned but will rather sit back and see if value for our dollar returns or if they stay on this manifest destiny they have planned out...

Since they don't listen to our vosing with our dollars - I would LOVE to buy up just a boatload of Mickey decorated towels and have people just clog the Mainstreets with them - Or maybe the castle MOAT. Yes! We are throwing in the towel !! We won't be back!!

Well, that is a little bit nasty of a thing to do, so I won't - but it was fun to suppose. Instead I think that EVERYONE on the forum...on ANY forum, who feels that Disney admin is NOT paying attention to what the guests want, we should ALL write LETTERS, repeated letters, actual handwritten letters, that a human person will need to open. i guarantee that someone would notice if all of a sudden Disney had to allocate 6-10 CM's per day just to handle the hatemail. Put glitter or confetti in your letter - it gives them a magical day - and takes them longer to clean up, kind of like throwing the wooden shoes into the machinery !!

 

[Cesar R M]

amen to this.
You can seriously lose faith in humanity by reading the comments on sites like cnn.com

 

[Pixie VaVoom]

I am not dead yet, but this bronchitis really has me down so I won't be going back and forth today.

I just want to know how many of you have called WDW's switchboard and demanded to be (politely, of course) connected to Georgie K's office? Or to Phil Holmes (he has no power, but he is such a cretin, he deserves folks clogging his voicemail and making his secretaries crazy!) How about Meg Crofton?

How many have you emailed?

How many nasty comments have you placed on Disney's FB or Twitter?

How many of you will call tomorrow and harass (legally, of course) the Celebration Place social media cabal that pretends its buddies with Orange Bird loving, wall-carpet rubbing fanbois? That spins $hit like this because that's what they are paid (very little) to do. Why not get after Crazy Gary over Disco Yeti? He loves the parks just like you do, after all. Why not pounce on Dr. Blondie about all that tree removal? She is the mother of a young child. I'm sure she doesn't want him getting heatstroke because 500-pounders need wider walkways and Phil doesn't want to staff enough $8 an hour workers to use walkways that should be fine.

Threads like this are great ... great research for WDW ... BTW, @ParentsOf4 you could have posted your way into an accidental meeting with a high level TDO exec at that Jambo House Grand Villa with some of these posts. I think they'd really like to shut you up and there's nobody (to my knowledge anyway) that has personal animus towards you unlike myself (people either love me or hate me ... what can I say ... I am a Spirit of substance, most are not!) Future career spinning for the Mouse? Or just disappearing from MAGIC?

here is like me in the bathroom trying to cough up and spit all of this vile guck out of my lungs. Too little ... and not direct enough.

Also, local media ... we all know Jason Garcia is a waste of space, but why not fill up his voicemail on a Sunday? Why not send notes saying the Sentinel should be more hard-hitting and not letting Dewayne Bevil write PR pieces that state how amazing the food is at Be Our Guest?

Y'all never get your voices heard because you come off like a fly buzzing around the of a cow.

Sure, it's a Sunday and you can't expect to reach anyone (they don't work weekends, after all), but you can get started. And you can continue tomorrow ... and you can Tweet it to your pals.

You don't need anyone else. This is the info age and much of what you desire is at your fingertips.

Start doing it and stop wasting time about it. Remember, the issue isn't Disney raising prices. It's Disney gouging the consumer and offering less for the money than ever before at higher prices. Again, look at WDW's pricing from say 1971-1999. Look at inflation. Look at what you got for your money. Now, compare ... and also compare to say UNI and even other Disney resorts around the world. Do you know how inexpensive it is to visit HKDL? ... OR TDR?

Sorry you have the bronchitis. Try some Hot tea with mint, lemon or orange. it is a natural expectorant and helps clear the gunk. i was a preemie in the 60's and i too get bronchitis a LOT. and believe me when a woman of my ' stature' gets a 'chest' cold...it is nothing to fool around with. Get better soon and try sleeping propped in a recliner chair. it helps me some.

 

[ParentsOf4]

Some numbers @ParentsOf4 might find interesting:

- In 2012, Orlando attracted 57 million visitors in total, only 4 million of which came from outside the US (with Canadians making up a quarter of that and Brits and Brazilians making up the next largest foreign visitors). Business travellers made up 10 million in total. The same year, Magic Kingdom had 17.5 million visitors

- Annual Hotel occupancy in the LBV area was 78.3% in 2013, higher than any other Orlando "area". The ADR was $112.82. RevPar was $88.34. http://corporate.visitorlando.com/research-and-statistics/ also provides monthly and weekly information of this kind.

What does this information have to do with anything? I'm sure he'll eventually figure something out, but it's interesting stuff to read and freely published for all to see.

What interested me about the Visit Orlando numbers were hotel occupancy trends.

The earliest data they had readily available was from 2009. The Orlando area occupancy rate was at 59.5% in 2009. That number was up to 71.0% in 2013.

It’s a completely different story at WDW. The Disney occupancy rate was 87% in 2009. That number was 79% in 2013.

The other interesting tidbit was that the average daily rate in metro Orlando was $102/night in 2013, $113 per night at Lake Buena Vista which included such high priced hotels such as the Waldorf-Astoria, Swan, Dolphin, Wyndham Bonnet Creek, and Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress.

At Disney, Per Room Guest Spending was $267. Disney’s number included hotel food and merchandise spending. Still, WDW's average rate probably was $100/night more than some expensive local hotels, and that includes about 40% of WDW's hotel rooms which are at "Value" Resorts. WDW's rooms are really expensive for their market.

These trends feed into the narrative that vacationers continue to visit WDW but increasingly are staying elsewhere in order to afford WDW’s skyrocketing ticket prices.

Yes, “guests” are being priced out of complete WDW vacations and the first thing WDW is losing is hotel stays.

I hope you’re paying attention Disney.

A rubber wristband is not going to reverse the trend if “guests” simply cannot afford your prices.

But you keep raising those prices anyway. I’m sure it’s the right business strategy.

 

[John]

What interested me about the Visit Orlando numbers were hotel occupancy trends.

The earliest data they had readily available was from 2009. The Orlando area occupancy rate was at 59.5% in 2009. That number was up to 71.0% in 2013.

It’s a completely different story at WDW. The Disney occupancy rate was 87% in 2009. That number was 79% in 2013.

The other interesting tidbit was that the average daily rate in metro Orlando was $102/night in 2013.

At Disney, Per Room Guest Spending was $267. Disney’s number included hotel food and merchandise spending. WDW’s actual room rate probably was closer to $200/night.

Taking into account WDW’s rate plus their incredibly large inventory of rooms, non-WDW hotels in the Orlando area charged about $74/night.

These trends feed into the narrative that vacationers continue to visit WDW but increasingly are staying elsewhere in order to afford WDW’s skyrocketing ticket prices.

Yes, “guests” are being priced out of complete WDW vacations and the first thing WDW is losing is hotel stays.

I hope you’re paying attention Disney.

A rubber wristband is not going to reverse the trend if “guests” simply cannot afford your prices.

But you keep raising those prices anyway. I’m sure it’s the right business strategy.

I couldn't agree more, not only are they losing the room rate they are losing the "per room spending" A double whammy. They lose their captive audience. Hence the mouse arrest bands. The toothpaste is out of the tube as far as the hotel rates go. Iger promised to reduce discounts that has not happened. Those discounts are even not enough anymore. The bands are a move to try and reverse the trend. Almost every Disney banner on my computer is a "stay closer to the Magic" Disney is excellent in the projection business. They seen the writing on the wall long before any of us did. They also decided to hedge their losses with DVC, another way to recapture the audience. As said this is all a sort term plan.

I don't believe they are done building DVC after Poly. I don't think as long as Iger is in office they will ever be done. They need to keep the printing presses running. They need to feed the beast. They are in a vicious cycle right now. Avatarland? Nothing has been built on this vanity project yet. In park attractions is not on anyones priority list.

BTW the upcoming negotiations with CMs are going to be very interesting. Somehow they are going to try and dismiss the wonderful earnings report and say they don't have the money. If Obama is successful in getting a raise in the national minimum wage .....I predict in the next calendar year from this point there will be a total of three ticket price increases.

 

[PrincessNelly_NJ]

I couldn't agree more, not only are they losing the room rate they are losing the "per room spending" A double whammy. They lose their captive audience. Hence the mouse arrest bands. The toothpaste is out of the tube as far as the hotel rates go. Iger promised to reduce discounts that has not happened. Those discounts are even not enough anymore. The bands are a move to try and reverse the trend. Almost every Disney banner on my computer is a "stay closer to the Magic" Disney is excellent in the projection business. They seen the writing on the wall long before any of us did. They also decided to hedge their losses with DVC, another way to recapture the audience. As said this is all a sort term plan.

I don't believe they are done building DVC after Poly. I don't think as long as Iger is in office they will ever be done. They need to keep the printing presses running. They need to feed the beast. They are in a vicious cycle right now. Avatarland? Nothing has been built on this vanity project yet. In park attractions is not on anyones priority list.

BTW the upcoming negotiations with CMs are going to be very interesting. Somehow they are going to try and dismiss the wonderful earnings report and say they don't have the money. If Obama is successful in getting a raise in the national minimum wage raise.....I predict in the next calendar year from this point there will be a total of three ticket price increases.

But where else could they add DVC?

 

[John]

Beats me.....Maybe they revisit FT. Wilderness. Maybe an expansion of an existing one. Beach club? Yacht Club? Maybe a entirely new resort? A DVC resort? They have what 47 sq. miles of property?

 

[ParentsOf4]

Beats me.....Maybe they revisit FT. Wilderness. Maybe an expansion of an existing one. Beach club? Yacht Club? Maybe a entirely new resort? A DVC resort? They have what 47 sq. miles of property?

Sites discussed for the next DVC include the old River Country (next to Ft. Wilderness), next to Epcot with a private entrance into the World Showcase, and on the ground that once was prepared for the Venetian Resort, between the Contemporary and the TTC.

This postcard from before the opening of MK gives some idea of its location. The Polynesian is on the left and the Magic Kingdom is on the right.

 

[ford91exploder]

I like this very much!

 

[ford91exploder]

Since they don't listen to our vosing with our dollars - I would LOVE to buy up just a boatload of Mickey decorated towels and have people just clog the Mainstreets with them - Or maybe the castle MOAT. Yes! We are throwing in the towel !! We won't be back!!

Well, that is a little bit nasty of a thing to do, so I won't - but it was fun to suppose. Instead I think that EVERYONE on the forum...on ANY forum, who feels that Disney admin is NOT paying attention to what the guests want, we should ALL write LETTERS, repeated letters, actual handwritten letters, that a human person will need to open. i guarantee that someone would notice if all of a sudden Disney had to allocate 6-10 CM's per day just to handle the hatemail. Put glitter or confetti in your letter - it gives them a magical day - and takes them longer to clean up, kind of like throwing the wooden shoes into the machinery !!

You are making the assumption that Disney would actually open the letters instead of simply discarding them...

 

[SpectroMan93]

Soon WDW will only be affordable to the upper class, which it appears is what Disney is going for. I mean, from a business standpoint, they would probably rather have 5,000 high-income families than 10,000 middle/low-income families in the parks. Looks like I'll be enjoying Disney from my laptop for awhile.

 

[copcarguyp71]

Since they don't listen to our vosing with our dollars - I would LOVE to buy up just a boatload of Mickey decorated towels and have people just clog the Mainstreets with them - Or maybe the castle MOAT. Yes! We are throwing in the towel !! We won't be back!!

Well, that is a little bit nasty of a thing to do, so I won't - but it was fun to suppose. Instead I think that EVERYONE on the forum...on ANY forum, who feels that Disney admin is NOT paying attention to what the guests want, we should ALL write LETTERS, repeated letters, actual handwritten letters, that a human person will need to open. i guarantee that someone would notice if all of a sudden Disney had to allocate 6-10 CM's per day just to handle the hatemail. Put glitter or confetti in your letter - it gives them a magical day - and takes them longer to clean up, kind of like throwing the wooden shoes into the machinery !!

Letters have been written (2) and canned responses received back. Until their bottom line drops they will not listen and quite frankly I do not think they care one bit about a few Disney zealots (like us) who have our noses out of joint. I will not be back until 2017 at the very earliest so I will watch with great wonder to see if they do a courtesy flush on the dump they are taking on those of us who got them where they are today.

EDIT: I received my MY MAGIC+ mailer today via USPS...summarily deposited into the most convenient and nearest circular file repository.

 

[GoofGoof]

But where else could they add DVC?

Most of the Poly DVC is converting hotel rooms to DVC. They could easily convert a 2nd or 3rd longhouse. They could really do this at every deluxe resort. Add another Bay Lake Tower in the place of the surviving garden wing. Take a floor or section of rooms at Grand Floridian or BC or YC and convert them. The rumors are that occupancy at the deluxe resorts is particularly suffering. If you remove rooms from hotel inventory that solves your occupancy problem and you get the added benefit of "sharing" some of your common area costs with DVC owners.

 

[GoofGoof]

Soon WDW will only be affordable to the upper class, which it appears is what Disney is going for. I mean, from a business standpoint, they would probably rather have 5,000 high-income families than 10,000 middle/low-income families in the parks. Looks like I'll be enjoying Disney from my laptop for awhile.

Isn't that the case already? It's already not affordable to middle class families. That doesn't stop people from whipping out their Disney Visa and charging their $7,000 vacation that they can't afford. If you are charging it anyway $7,500 or $8,000 isn't going to cause a lot of people to skip it. That is what they are banking on. It's the same way Lexus or BWM sells cars. If they were only going to market to people who could really afford their cars the market would be too limited.

 

[Captain Chaos]

Oh look Disney increased the price of their WDW theme park tickets... In other news, the sun rose in the East and set in the West today, and will do the same tomorrow, and then again the next day, and the next, etc etc etc.

 

[PrincessNelly_NJ]

Most of the Poly DVC is converting hotel rooms to DVC. They could easily convert a 2nd or 3rd longhouse. They could really do this at every deluxe resort. Add another Bay Lake Tower in the place of the surviving garden wing. Take a floor or section of rooms at Grand Floridian or BC or YC and convert them. The rumors are that occupancy at the deluxe resorts is particularly suffering. If you remove rooms from hotel inventory that solves your occupancy problem and you get the added benefit of "sharing" some of your common area costs with DVC owners.

Are that many people buying into DVC these days? How well has the VGF been selling? I guess from a visitor stand point, it seems wasteful to keep building DVC properties when a few of them could use some serious updating. But from a business stand point I see what it offers them.

 

[Andrew C]

Are that many people buying into DVC these days? How well has the VGF been selling? I guess from a visitor stand point, it seems wasteful to keep building DVC properties when a few of them could use some serious updating. But from a business stand point I see what it offers them.

I plan on buying into DVC probably about 2 years from now.

 

[PrincessNelly_NJ]

Beats me.....Maybe they revisit FT. Wilderness. Maybe an expansion of an existing one. Beach club? Yacht Club? Maybe a entirely new resort? A DVC resort? They have what 47 sq. miles of property?

I believe the Yacht Club is the only deluxe without DVC now that Poly is getting DVC. So that could be next.

 

[PrincessNelly_NJ]

I plan on buying into DVC probably about 2 years from now.

That's great. I was only asking because prior to opening, I heard people many people mention that they felt the value was decreasing in DVC. And that the VGF didn't appeal to them. I hear a ton of people are waiting to buying Poly DVC though.