Ticket Price Increase

[CaptainJackNO]

Disney won't suffer one bit. The parks will be getting a record-setting influx of South American tour groups this summer (as mentioned in a different thread), more foreign visitors from much better economies than the U.S. I do not see WDW suffering one bit, despite any backlash against price hikes. The way I see it for me & my family, it is actually a good thing. If it was too affordable to go to WDW for a week...you'd be rubbing elbows with the not-so-pleasing (a.k.a. lower class) travelers whom I would much rather NOT be in line with, or having sleep in the resort room next to mine. As Pumbas mentioned in a different thread...it isn't a right to go to WDW. For people who cannot afford it...there are other alternatives for them to have fun with their families.

But despite the new increases, a trip to WDW is still very reasonable. You do not HAVE to stay on property, our ourchase expensive souvenirs. There are ways to cut back spending to help balance out admission costs.

I understand people's initial uproar after the increase announcement. But in time, the dust will settle, and folks will be planning trips & piling in the park gates like usual. It always happens that way. Looking at the popularity of the 4 theme parks...Disney made the right decision.

Wow.....That's pretty obnoxious. So, those who can afford less than you are less than desirable? Hmm? Glad some of you are not elitist or anything.

While I agree that a Disney trip is not a right, it is absurd to continue to raise prices at the rate Disney has considering the state the parks have been in as of late. When we were there this past Thanksgiving, the trash everywhere was horrendous. Now, I concede that this is among the busiest times of the year; however, Haunted Mansion had bottles, cups, food wrappers, and other trash strewn throughout the ride and NO cast member made one attempt to clean it up. That is unforgivable. Same as at Big Thunder. Trash everywhere.
I have been going to WDW since I was 6 and have been more than 15 times in my life. I am one of those long term, all in fans as many of you are and I have seen the decline in quality coupled with the rise in prices.
Price increases are a necessary part of business. I would never begrudge a company from making a profit. It is what allows us to enjoy WDW like we do. But, I stayed at Caribbean Beach this last trip, and while it was very beautiful, it was not worth 240 dollars a night.
In essence, I guess I expect a quality level to coincide with the price I am paying. I think you really see angst amongst many of us who have been with WDW through the long haul and wonder when WDW will balance out pricing and begin to repair the problems that exist.
I think, regardless of what some people on this board believe, that Disney realizes they have a strong repeater presence in the parks and realize that they (we) will continue to visit despite the price increases. I guess I would like a little more loyalty in exchange for the loyalty in exchange for the loyalty I have shown as a fan and frequent visitor. Maybe I am naive, as I am sure some of you will argue. But, annual price increases seems absurd. There are many entertainment options around my home, here, and they do not always increase prices annually.

 

[CaptainJackNO]

Agreed but this thread is specifically about ticket prices.

You cannot talk about ticket prices at WDW without talking about everything else that comes with it. For my family of three, six day park hoppers, alone, are (were) 900 bucks. While 20 or 30 bucks may not seem like alot, and it isn't in a vacuum. When you compare it to all the added expenses and other price hikes, it adds up really quickly.

This is a result of decisions being made by snotty baby boomer MBA's whose income is driven by profit margins. That's it. Are employee wages going up? Nope. Are more buses being added to transportation routes at the hotels? Nope. This is all stock price driven.

What worries me is with this economy, if today or tomorrow the bottom falls out, what is going to happen to WDW? Another price increase?

 

[Hakunamatata]

You cannot talk about ticket prices at WDW without talking about everything else that comes with it. For my family of three, six day park hoppers, alone, are (were) 900 bucks. While 20 or 30 bucks may not seem like alot, and it isn't in a vacuum. When you compare it to all the added expenses and other price hikes, it adds up really quickly.

This is a result of decisions being made by snotty baby boomer MBA's whose income is driven by profit margins. That's it. Are employee wages going up? Nope. Are more buses being added to transportation routes at the hotels? Nope. This is all stock price driven.

What worries me is with this economy, if today or tomorrow the bottom falls out, what is going to happen to WDW? Another price increase?

If those snotty baby boomer MBAs don't make good business decisions that keeps Disney a viable investment option for stockholders, there might not be a WDW, regardless of the economy.

 

[CJR]

But just for the record, where else can you go for less than $275/person for a week?(Besides of course another Disney property) and still get equal value

It depends how valuable you think Disney is. Value is different for every person. If a person likes HP and Spiderman, but nothing Disney (weird, I know), they might find IoA a better park than any of Disney's. That's not common for most people, but I'm just using it as an example of how we value Disney more than others do. As much as I love Disney, you probably value it more than I do. I don't really think it's worth that much in a week for two of the four parks. But let's say a sports game, a concert (Taylor Swift all the way), see a movie in theaters, Las Vegas Casino's, ...cough... Universal ...cough..., NASA, Hollywood (see a show get filmed, it's a lot of fun and it's FREE!), go see the museums at Washington DC (and take a tour of the White House), among others.

The answer to your question is left to opinions. I think both of Universal's parks are better than DAK and DHS, but that's my opinion and I personally know people who would disagree with me. You can go to places and have a great time without having to spend a lot of money. Of course you have to be into things like "history" to enjoy Washington DC, for example, but my family is and it was A LOT of fun. It was also a lot cheaper than going to Disney since most of the stuff we did was free. Albeit, our hotel wasn't as nice as a room at the Contemporary. It still worked for us. Our hotel wasn't as expensive either.

Every year there are all of these posts complaining about Disney's price increases but all throughout the year it seems the parks are fuller than ever. This obviously means Disney has not reached the point of being overpriced just yet, and I imagine they won't reach that point ever, barring a sudden nationwide economic collapse. I am sure they have a ton of economist-type people working on determining the proper price levels all the time.

And they do use prices for crowd control too. Can you imagine if they started a new campaign and advertised heavily saying all admission prices will be lowered say 40% for the next year? Heck let's add room rates to the 40% discount too. Do you think the parks are full NOW? They would be overrun and it would not be a pleasant experience for the staff or the guests.

I agree with all of this. I guess I just get irritated because Disney raises their prices, but they do it so slowly. I think (average) people would pay up to $100 a day for a ticket to the Magic Kingdom. I think that's their peak. We'll see because in about five years, they'll either have hit that mark or will be close to it.

It's also left to perception because I know for a fact the prices turn SOME people away, but A LOT of people still find Disney worth the value. I would say MAJORITY, but as busy as Disney is, it only gets a small sample of the world's population.

The parks are often full which makes me wonder how many of them paid full price for their passes. In all honesty, I never have. Have you? I know some people do because my dad did when he came out to visit me.

 

[Motorpro]

Why is it that the people who show they stay at the Deluxe hotels are the ones who cry the most about a $3.00 increase?

 

[xdan0920]

I have no problem with ticket price increases. Just reinvest the money into the parks. Namely maintenance. If they do that, I'll gladly pay the extra money.

 

[Malvito]

I find this thread fascinating because it takes me back to watching Michael Crichton's 70's dystopian SF/horror movie, Westworld. In this movie, the robot/animatronic-attended park cost the patrons $1000 per day. Of course, as those of us who have seen the movie will recall, the robots/animatronics all ended up killing off the patrons.

Which makes me wonder: if the prices eventually go high enough, will WDW experience a 70's dystopian attack of the animatronics? (An event forseen, somewhat, in Ridley Pearson's first Kingdom Keepers book ... )

 

[njDizFan]

It depends how valuable you think Disney is. Value is different for every person. If a person likes HP and Spiderman, but nothing Disney (weird, I know), they might find IoA a better park than any of Disney's. That's not common for most people, but I'm just using it as an example of how we value Disney more than others do. As much as I love Disney, you probably value it more than I do. I don't really think it's worth that much in a week for two of the four parks. But let's say a sports game, a concert (Taylor Swift all the way), see a movie in theaters, Las Vegas Casino's, ...cough... Universal ...cough..., NASA, Hollywood (see a show get filmed, it's a lot of fun and it's FREE!), go see the museums at Washington DC (and take a tour of the White House), among others.

The answer to your question is left to opinions. I think both of Universal's parks are better than DAK and DHS, but that's my opinion and I personally know people who would disagree with me. You can go to places and have a great time without having to spend a lot of money. Of course you have to be into things like "history" to enjoy Washington DC, for example, but my family is and it was A LOT of fun. It was also a lot cheaper than going to Disney since most of the stuff we did was free. Albeit, our hotel wasn't as nice as a room at the Contemporary. It still worked for us. Our hotel wasn't as expensive either.



I agree with all of this. I guess I just get irritated because Disney raises their prices, but they do it so slowly. I think (average) people would pay up to $100 a day for a ticket to the Magic Kingdom. I think that's their peak. We'll see because in about five years, they'll either have hit that mark or will be close to it.

It's also left to perception because I know for a fact the prices turn SOME people away, but A LOT of people still find Disney worth the value. I would say MAJORITY, but as busy as Disney is, it only gets a small sample of the world's population.

The parks are often full which makes me wonder how many of them paid full price for their passes. In all honesty, I never have. Have you? I know some people do because my dad did when he came out to visit me.

I agree in some parts. The value of anything is a perception only the individual can define or evaluate. And in no way am I an apologist for TDO or the TWDC. I agree sometimes the bottom line holds too much value in today's corporate landscape.

But for me, I enjoy all 4 parks. I can easily spend 12 hours a day in each park(except DAK of course because it closes early) for 7 full days and still feel like I didn't get to see it all. So, $275 for 80-100 hours of entertainment is worth it for me.

For your examples, I also agree there are a ton of thiongs to do which are free or cheap. DC tours, parks, museums(been to dozens around the country), strolling the streets of NYC...whatever your fancy. But are these going to hold your interest as a vacation destination for a week?

As far as other things, I've been to a Broadway play recently and a NY Yankee game, and for 3 hours I blew $100/person just on tickets. Ticket to Taylor Swift, what would that run($50??), sure it's great entertainment for 2 hours but again far from cheap. So for 1/3 or 1/5 the price of a whole week's vacation(tickets only) I can see a concert or ballgame.

Value is in the eye of the beholder.

 

[Jasper Dale]

when i was a little boy, i dreamed of going to Walt Disney World. when my wife and i took our first trip there in 2001, it was everything that i dreamed of and more.

.....and then we started going back. and then once a year wasn't enough, we wanted to go twice a year. somewhere along the way, i think many of us have forgotten that for most people, going to Disney World is a super huge big deal which they get to do once, maybe twice in a lifetime.

and yes, i'm grumpy that the economy is crummy and that we can't go to Florida this year and that the costs increase year after year. however, even "with" the price increases, WDW is affordable for almost anyone in the USA if they plan and save for the trip.

sure, for many people, it might take years of saving for that once in a lifetime trip. many of us treat WDW like it is a "second home" and kinda feel like Disney "owes" us our yearly time at the park. but they are a business and they run the parks to turn a profit.

personally, i do not find the current prices all that bad. i want the parks to continue to make money so that when we DO have the money to go back again, it will be worth the months of saving for it.

the problem isn't with Disney, it is with our own personal financial situations. if the economy doesn't improve, many of us will no longer be able to have our yearly WDW "fix". it seems to me that we should all be thankful that we have been able to go as many times as we have.

no one can take my memories from me. and Disney is not "mean" for raising prices and turning a profit. it's not their fault i don't have the money to go this year.

 

[puntagordabob]

Disney won't suffer one bit. The parks will be getting a record-setting influx of South American tour groups this summer (as mentioned in a different thread), more foreign visitors from much better economies than the U.S. I do not see WDW suffering one bit, despite any backlash against price hikes. The way I see it for me & my family, it is actually a good thing. If it was too affordable to go to WDW for a week...you'd be rubbing elbows with the not-so-pleasing (a.k.a. lower class) travelers whom I would much rather NOT be in line with, or having sleep in the resort room next to mine. As Pumbas mentioned in a different thread...it isn't a right to go to WDW. For people who cannot afford it...there are other alternatives for them to have fun with their families.

Wow dude... If I have a choice between standing in line next to someone with the attitude you are describing in your post thinking they are all superior and such versus someone who is the poorest person in North America, Ill take the latter...Heck Ill even buy their lunch!

I also don't like the way Disney attractions now end in souvenier shops. The lesser parks use to do this. I was shocked when Disney sank to their level. We always called them stick me stores..

Even as a little kid I remember it being this way at quite a few locations in WDW.... of course Im old now and my memory could be going lol

again.. Walt's quote.. there will always be 10 cent coffee at DisneyLand.. meaning that the place will be for every one and not the rich.. and arrogant..

I think Walt was saying that his hope was that Disneyland was for everyone...young, old, rich, poor.....EVERYONE.

I'm interested in what Disney does to proclaim they are "American".

Other than the Hall of Presidents and a pavilion at Epcot, I'm having a hard time coming up with anything.
]

Have you ever seen the Water Pageant? Main Street Electrical Parade? The flag raising ceremony at DLR or MK? Know that the Shades of Green Resort was essentially given the mission to serve the Armed Forces of the USA so they could come to WDW? The special rates for the US military personnel? Any shirts with the US flag on them (one with Mickey that I have been wanting comes to mind!!!)? The Disney company art designed for quite a number of air squadron, military units, etc WW2 and beyond? (Did you know the menacing teeth on the famous Flying Tigers volunteer squadron was actually designed by Walt Disney?), the propoganda films the Disney company made for the US govt? Main Street USA? I have only listed a short group here.... historicaly the Disney Company has always been as Patriotic as American Pie... its a fact that can not be easily dismissed and I can not see any reason anyone would dispute this.

I have no problem with ticket price increases. Just reinvest the money into the parks. Namely maintenance. If they do that, I'll gladly pay the extra money.

I agree... if the increase is making WDW a better "Plussing" experience for everyone then a price increase is just fine with me... if it is simply going to profits and not Plussing the resort then THAT is a problem.

 

[jakeman]

Have you ever seen the Water Pageant? Main Street Electrical Parade? The flag raising ceremony at DLR or MK? Know that the Shades of Green Resort was essentially given the mission to serve the Armed Forces of the USA so they could come to WDW? The special rates for the US military personnel? Any shirts with the US flag on them (one with Mickey that I have been wanting comes to mind!!!)? The Disney company art designed for quite a number of air squadron, military units, etc WW2 and beyond? (Did you know the menacing teeth on the famous Flying Tigers volunteer squadron was actually designed by Walt Disney?), the propoganda films the Disney company made for the US govt? Main Street USA? I have only listed a short group here.... historicaly the Disney Company has always been as Patriotic as American Pie... its a fact that can not be easily dismissed and I can not see any reason anyone would dispute this.

I think you are missing the point because you are busy splitting hairs.

It is a fallacy to claim that Disney is unpatriotic for raising prices. That just doesn't make sense. That is the crux of the argument.

Additionally, just because Disney panders (not necessarily in a bad way) to the nation they are in doesn't mean the company is especially patriotic.

They celebrate important holidays in their parks around the world. Bastille Day in France would be the first that comes to mind.

Let's not forget since we are reaching historically here that the War Department basically took over the studios during WWII for propaganda purposes and Walt Disney World was opened near the time of the bicentennial, when the whole nation was especially patriotic.

I'm not saying that they don't celebrate or avoid displays of nationalism, just that it isn't a cornerstone of their marketing that Trotsky seems to think it is.

 

[Wilt Dasney]

Isn't making as much money as you can practically considered a patriotic obligation to a lot of people? :lol:

 

[puntagordabob]

I think you are missing the point because you are busy splitting hairs.

It is a fallacy to claim that Disney is unpatriotic for raising prices. That just doesn't make sense. That is the crux of the argument.

Additionally, just because Disney panders (not necessarily in a bad way) to the nation they are in doesn't mean the company is especially patriotic.
.

My reference to the "Patriotic" portion was only regarding the patriotic portion of one of the previous posts.

My point is valid....especially if you factor in the very well documented fact that Walt Disney himself was super patriotic... the foundation and philosophy upon which the Walt Disney company was built upon contains this.... For the record Walt Disney was paid for his ww2 films...and no matter what context of govt involvement there it is still on record that Walt Disney went way over and above during WW2 in creating the many artwork designs for the many squadrons and military units...and refused to accept any money for doing so....

So unless the arguement is to be made that the post-Walt execs have completely abandoned Walt's core values then the Walt Disney company is patriotic....and since manyt of the items I listed were from Walt's day or soon after his death for the most part, perhaps the experts among us could make that arguement.

So during Walt's lifetime and soon after it my conclusion is right on target....but as we approach the current day of the Walt Disney Company all I can say is I simply do not know, but I would like to think the answer is still yes!!!

 

[njDizFan]

^^^Mostly agree here. I always thought of the disney company(park and film) as one that touted 50's era family values, nationalism, patriotism, and to a certain level Christianity.

In spite of this I still go and enjoy WDW a great deal.:lookaroun

 

[Scuttle]

I think the most legit beef that people can have is the equality amongst the single day tickets.

If Single day tickets are $85 the belief by us fans is that the Magic Kingdom is worth $85 but the Animal Kingdom isn't. I think a better way to look at it would be that the Magic Kingdom is worth $100 and the Animal Kingdom is worth $70. I wouldn't oppose to a breakdown of single day tickets with a comparable model:

Magic Kingdom $100
Epcot $90
Hollywood Studios $80
Animal Kingdom $70

I like where your heads at! I've been thinking about something similar to this for a while now. And it's not even an issue of the amount of attractions it's the hours. 85 dollars for 9-5 at AK. Really!!!?

 

[Tom]

I think the most legit beef that people can have is the equality amongst the single day tickets.

If Single day tickets are $85 the belief by us fans is that the Magic Kingdom is worth $85 but the Animal Kingdom isn't. I think a better way to look at it would be that the Magic Kingdom is worth $100 and the Animal Kingdom is worth $70. I wouldn't oppose to a breakdown of single day tickets with a comparable model:

Magic Kingdom $100
Epcot $90
Hollywood Studios $80
Animal Kingdom $70

You are exactly right - excellent analogy.

The one major flaw, and the reason Disney wouldn't do this, is because they'd be outright admitting the inferiority of certain parks compared to others. It's obvious to us devoted fans that your ranking system above is completely accurate (and that says a lot, given your fondness of AK!), but unfortunately, Disney would never admit that AK is worth less than the other three. That would be negative PR within the company - and not a good business model to follow.

They really decreased the value of the multi-day ticket this go-around, but it still encourages you to buy more days, stay longer, and experience more of what you want to see over a longer period of time, thus letting each guest weigh the value of each park at their own discretion.

 

[Scuttle]

You are exactly right - excellent analogy.

The one major flaw, and the reason Disney wouldn't do this, is because they'd be outright admitting the inferiority of certain parks compared to others. It's obvious to us devoted fans that your ranking system above is completely accurate (and that says a lot, given your fondness of AK!), but unfortunately, Disney would never admit that AK is worth less than the other three. That would be negative PR within the company - and not a good business model to follow.

They really decreased the value of the multi-day ticket this go-around, but it still encourages you to buy more days, stay longer, and experience more of what you want to see over a longer period of time, thus letting each guest weigh the value of each park at their own discretion.

I'm not buying this. TDO use to rank every attraction. Did that mean they were admitting some rides are better than others? I agree it would be bad pr, but werent the ticket booklets bad pr to?

 

[Tom]

I'm not buying this. TDO use to rank every attraction. Did that mean they were admitting some rides are better than others? I agree it would be bad pr, but werent the ticket booklets bad pr to?

Yes, but I would put the rides in a different category than the parks. Today, they don't care if you ride Big Thunder but skip Dumbo. It doesn't make them more or less revenue if you choose to skip attractions.

But, if people realize that AK is a vastly inferior theme park, it will start to hurt AK's revenue (and since each park's revenue is most assuredly tracked as individual profit centers in the back-end accounting, this could be disastrous). Given that they spent millions of dollars in the beginning with the whole "Not a Zoo" campaign, they'd never back peddle and admit that one theme park is an A-ticket while another is a E-ticket.

 

[Enderikari]

Never watched Southwest's reality show "Airline" eh? After seeing how terrible their customer service was and how unsatisfied the customers were in every episode (why Southwest even allowed the show to air is beyond me) I will never fly on that airline.

Besides, film any company's Guest Services for a month and edit it for content, and you can make *any* company appear like a cesspool. I would love to see filming at City Hall in the Magic Kingdom, for people who demand their money back on their tickets because there isn't a water park inside the Magic Kingdom, or guests who want to get the autograph book (that was given to them for free) refunded, or the mass chaos of a cancelled parade. I bet there are a few people who go home dissatisfied, and showing just those guests would make Disney look like Six Flags.

 

[The Mom]

Never watched Southwest's reality show "Airline" eh? After seeing how terrible their customer service was and how unsatisfied the customers were in every episode (why Southwest even allowed the show to air is beyond me) I will never fly on that airline.

It's all in the eye of the beholder.

I was disgusted by the terrible behavior of the customers, and felt sorry for the employees for having to put up with frequently drunk, or clueless, or self-centered people all the time. (and their families - who sends sick old incompetent people on a flight alone?)

But I also vowed that I would try to avoid Southwest if possible.