Ticket Price Increase

[RSoxNo1]

Yes Premier passes have gone up to $749 (up $49)

Any idea on the renewal rate?

 

[wm49rs]

Any idea on the renewal rate?

It may be getting to the point of it just being cheaper to keep renewing my (regular) APs.....:shrug:

 

[RobertRaine]

Any idea on the renewal rate?

I have heard that the Premier passes do not have a "renewal" rate. Mine is up Mid-October. Hopefully Disney will not raise prices again before then

 

[misterID]

Nothing to justify it? Have you noticed fuel and food prices? That's reason enough for gas stations and grocery stores to raise prices and since Disney cant create them out of pixie dust they have to adjust somewhere.

No offense, but that's a load... And no, all you TDOites, I'm not saying WDW doesn't have a lot of operating costs, they do... But they can afford it.

WDW is raising prices because they can. They can getwaway with it. If attendance has basically stayed the same over the years, and it's obvious they're not too concerned about raising attendance, just keeping it the same, the best way to make more money is to raise prices. You know, they are a business and I can't really blame them there.

Again, if people decided not to go, that they weren't going to pay higher prices, they'd stop. I just don't see that happening. People will still pay, so WDW will keep doing it. Simple as that.

DLR is the only place where I see high prices are worth it, because they're actually expanding and making their park better... And they actually care about their parks. Right now, at this point, considering ticket prices, AK is a rip off. EPCOT is half theme park, half outdoor mall; one shuttered pavillion, an Imagination attraction I skip because it's awful, and a M:S attraction I skip because I just don't dig it. The only thing that appeals to me there is SSE and that's just one real attraction. I'm not paying these prices to just walk around and enjoy the ambiance. DHS is too small with not enough for your family to do together, though I still really like it. WDW's whole appeal are the different parks. Why spend money on a park hopper for that?

Really, I don't mind paying more when there is more to do in the parks. Right now, those 2 things are way apart. If they did announce something big that got me excited, I'd definitely change my mind.

 

[WDWFigment]

I have heard that the Premier passes do not have a "renewal" rate. Mine is up Mid-October. Hopefully Disney will not raise prices again before then

I heard the same.

When we purchased DLR APs in April, it was cheaper for us to just buy the Deluxe AP with DVC discount (which has some block-out dates, but none that affected us) and a WDW AP with DVC discount than to buy the Premier AP.

Now mind you, we saved ~$130 (I think) in DVC discounts, and we don't need water park days, etc., offered by the Premier AP, but my point is that the Premier AP isn't the best deal for everyone.

 

[Duckberg]

Disney DIALING For DOLLARS

The US dollar is getting very weak compared to other currencies and that's the reason foreigners are going to Disney in large numbers. I think Disney is raising their prices knowing very well that the mix of foreigners to American's in their parks is going to lean to wards foreigners for many years to come.

Looks like Disney is looking for 1st timers @ WDW from outside the USA. They sure are not striking many positive vibes with the repeat visitors that post here :brick:

 

[njDizFan]

Those people are eager to come, not jaded and spend large amounts of money. Business is business why wouldn't you go for them?? It will put lower income American's out of the game but they will be replaced by people who spend more per head. The other thing is places like Brazil are pretty crappy for the most part so Disney looks very impressive to them.

Seriously?

 

[Computer Magic]

Disney lives and breathes by guest surveys, and year after year, people doing those surveys indicate they think they had good value for their ticket. This tells Disney that it's OK to up the price. Until guest surveys indicate otherwise, they will keep rising.

I think that is because guest see thier young children having a good time so that is priceless to them. Its the marketing magic of Disney. Disney pulls the strings of the heart and that is family with little kids. People like us here are a minority a small blimp on the radar.

 

[DisneyNut2007]

I'm flipping WDW off right now...wish they could see it. Another year, another increase...and this time 3 bucks more on a single day ticket? Are you kidding me? so basically it's more than $90 after taxes for ONE DAY at a park??? Insane. I have a vacation week in a little over a week and planned to spend three of the days at WDW, two at Universal, and one at Busch Gardens. Now I don't even know if I want to spend the money to go to Disney at all. Maybe I'll just save towards later this year when I go to California again. Good job TDO...once again my money is heading to the other coast since you keep ripping us off.

You, sir, are an idiot!

You know that TDO-slams are against the law!

 

[TP2000]

the major reason that Brazillions can come to Disney, is that their gas is priced at less then a dollar, because they converted to sugar Beet ethanol.. and since there are so many less drivers in Brazil then there are here.. it was an easy conversion.. so the average person has more money to spend..

Brazilions do not buy OPEC Oil.. they don't have to..

Gas is certainly cheaper in Brazil, and they just discovered that massive oil reserve with Billions of barrels ready to be tapped and sold. But you've lost me on the cheap price of gas allowing Brazillians to go to WDW en masse.

Brazil is a country with a lot of people, many of whom living below what Americans would consider the poverty line. They do have a middle class of a few tens of millions, and apparently their parents send their teenagers on cheap charter tours to WDW. The Brazillian tour groups aren't staying in the Grand Floridian, dining at the California Grill, and buying limited edition art in the fancy gift shops. They are staying at the Budgetel in Kissimmee, dining communally at Tomorrowland Terrace, and picking out some t-shirts or a hat as a souvenir.

A quick comparison of Brazil and the United States of America

United States
Population: 308 Million
2010 GDP: 14.6 Trillion Dollars
Average Income: $47,600

Brazil
Population: 190 Million
2010 GDP: 2.1 Trillion Dollars
Average Income: $10,800

There are certainly some wealthy Brazillians, but overall it's a growing country of modest means that has made great strides to minimize the rampant poverty most of the population lived in during the 19th and 20th centuries. It's impact on WDW consists mainly of cheap charter tours for teenagers and young people; a demographic that can certainly make themselves known in a crowded queue, but that don't spend a lot of money per person in comparison to other demographic groups from North America.

 

[alphac2005]

Brazil is a country with a lot of people, many of whom living below what Americans would consider the poverty line. They do have a middle class of a few tens of millions, and apparently their parents send their teenagers on cheap charter tours to WDW. The Brazillian tour groups aren't staying in the Grand Floridian, dining at the California Grill, and buying limited edition art in the fancy gift shops. They are staying at the Budgetel in Kissimmee, dining communally at Tomorrowland Terrace, and picking out some t-shirts or a hat as a souvenir.

It's funny that you say that as we were at the Grand Floridian last week for our vacation and there was actually a very large Brazilian group staying there.

 

[Master Yoda]

It's funny that you say that as we were at the Grand Floridian last week for our vacation and there was actually a very large Brazilian group staying there.

It is a simple exception to the rule. The vast majority of the tour groups will operate on a lowest cost food and accommodation possible scenario.

 

[jakeman]

I look at all this from a different perspective....

Apr 2010 to Apr 2011 Annual Headline inflation: 3.2%
WDW price Increases:
One Day - 3.5%
AP - 4%

All of this is just fine, as long as one is not running a company that claims to be "Patriotic". However - making that claim, then DRIVING inflation (as opposed to responding to it) smacks of hypocrisy. WDW should really do one of two things....

1) Drop the "We are as American as Mom & Apple Pie" line (you are not - you are right up there with Exxon).
2) Take note of US Headline Inflation, and RESPOND to it, rather than DRIVE it.

Currently? I hate to say that WDW is part of the PROBLEM - not a Patriotic driver of SOLUTIONS.

Now - will I pay the increased prices? Absolutely. But Sandy and I are fairly well off... what about the folks with four kids to feed, bad jobs, and a car that never gets over 1/2 full?

It's just my opinion - but I believe WDW Management needs to go back & ask "What would Walt Do?".

If you are paying these prices wouldn't you also be driving inflation by providing justification for it? Therefore, wouldn't that make you as unpatriotic as Disney?

Also, if you have four kids to feed, bad job, and can't afford to put gas in your car you shouldn't be going to Disney.

 

[wizards8507]

If you are paying these prices wouldn't you also be driving inflation by providing justification for it? Therefore, wouldn't that make you as unpatriotic as Disney?

Also, if you have four kids to feed, bad job, and can't afford to put gas in your car you shouldn't be going to Disney.

Ding ding ding ding ding.

 

[CJR]

Disney lives and breathes by guest surveys, and year after year, people doing those surveys indicate they think they had good value for their ticket. This tells Disney that it's OK to up the price. Until guest surveys indicate otherwise, they will keep rising.

This is the truth. The sad part is that by the time surveys show dissatisfaction, it will be too late. Reputations take years to build and minutes to destroy. As soon as word of mouth goes around that Disney's an expensive joke, people will slowly stop coming.

A couple years ago, I defended Disney against some students who were trash talking. Really though, if people come back home and don't have nice things to say, it will discourage others from going there. That was when I realized that people really are starting to say negative things about Walt Disney World. At some point, the dissatisfaction will become overwhelming.

The company seems to be moving in the right direction in terms of its additions (ST2, FLE, etc), but they can't forget about the older attractions (SSE, WoL, UoE, Soarin, TGM, CBJ, BLT, etc). If guests are expected to pay for the best quality, that is what they should get.

Disney needs to realize this and I hope they do. I didn't renew my passes this year because I was dissatisfied with the parks. I got to ride ST2 on the last day of my pass and it was amazing, but I figured one ride's not worth renewal. I'm hurting financially right now and I just can't justify spending that kind of money right now especially on a product I'm beginning to have increasingly negative opinions on.

 

[wizards8507]

As soon as word of mouth goes around that Disney's an expensive joke, people will slowly stop coming.

Are you kidding me? Are you people seriously that delusional?

 

[CJR]

Are you kidding me? Are you people seriously that delusional?

You people? Did you read my post? That's what the people I heard said. I defended Disney. If people start coming home saying that, the people who hear it won't want to go.

Disney is sending people home dissatisfied right now. That's not good.

 

[menamechris]

Are you kidding me? Are you people seriously that delusional?

Do you have a constructive thought to go along with that?

 

[wizards8507]

Do you have a constructive thought to go along with that?

Sure. I said it a couple of days ago.

Exactly. Which is why people around here who do nothing but complain about declining quality and increasing prices have absolutely nothing to about. If they thing they're not getting a good value, they need to stop booking that vacation. If enough people have the same attitude, that's when prices drop (in the form of discounts).

Raising the rack rates and offering discounts is a brilliant form of price discrimination (sounds bad, but it's perfect business sense). Consider the following scenario:

Joe is willing to pay $4.00 for a box of Cheerios.
Sally is willing to pay $3.00 for a box of Cheerios.
Cheerios cost the grocery store $1.00 per box.

If the store charges $3.00 per box, they sell a box to Joe and Sally and generate $6.00 in revenue and $4.00 in profit.

If the store charges $4.00 per box, they sell a box to Joe only, generating $4.00 in revenue and $3.00 in profit.

If the store charges $4.00 but offers a $1.00 Off coupon, they sell one box to Joe at $4.00 and one box to Sally at $3.00, generating $7.00 in revenue and $5.00 in profit.

This is exactly the way discounts at WDW work. They know that some people are willing to pay the rack rate, so they raise prices to maximize the revenue from those people. In order to not completely drive away the people who think the rack rate is above the appropriate value, they offer discounts. This will only change when A) The rack rate is so high that nobody will pay it or B) Enough people figure out that they can wait long enough and eventually discounts will roll around.

 

[jakeman]

This is the truth. The sad part is that by the time surveys show dissatisfaction, it will be too late.

Not necessarily.

I get a survey every time I return from Disney. I answer honestly and am probably harsher there than I am around here.

Some surveys I've had great trips; sometimes they are just okay.

So if they are performing this somewhat real time evaluation consistently then they probably have a general idea of what is going on.

I should clarify that the surveys I've been asked to take are quality based and do not contain some of the leading questions that other Disney surveys have been known to contain.