Ticket Prices going up on August 5th.

[wizards8507]

Maybe you're sheltered from the effects of this economy, or maybe you make enough money where the difference between $4k or $5k doesn't matter, but people with families and moderate incomes are definitely feeling the pinch.

I don't see any reason to make this about my personal finances but allow me to defend myself.

I'm a college student who worked my butt off in high school to get a full scholarship to a school that I never would have been able to afford. Once at said University, I further worked my butt off to become the senior manager of the only 24-hour restaurant on campus and obtain an internship with one of the top companies in the world. My finances, bills, and all other expenses are my own responsibility. I've gone to Walt Disney World on my own dime each of the past three years, not because I've complained and whined about prices, but because I worked hard and saved my money. "Families with moderate incomes," as you describe them, will have my genuine sympathy when they're cutting frills and still struggling to get by. But cable TV, high-speed internet, movie tickets, eating out, and yes, even Walt Disney World vacations, are luxuries, not needs. If you don't like Disney's pricing model, then make your DOLLAR heard. Don't demonize the company by making it seem like they're denying "families with moderate incomes" their basic human rights.

 

[Tom]

I don't see any reason to make this about my personal finances but allow me to defend myself.

I'm a college student who worked my butt off in high school to get a full scholarship to a school that I never would have been able to afford. Once at said University, I further worked my butt off to become the senior manager of the only 24-hour restaurant on campus and obtain an internship with one of the top companies in the world. My finances, bills, and all other expenses are my own responsibility. I've gone to Walt Disney World on my own dime each of the past three years, not because I've complained and whined about prices, but because I worked hard and saved my money. "Families with moderate incomes," as you describe them, will have my genuine sympathy when they're cutting frills and still struggling to get by. But cable TV, high-speed internet, movie tickets, eating out, and yes, even Walt Disney World vacations, are luxuries, not needs. If you don't like Disney's pricing model, then make your DOLLAR heard. Don't demonize the company by making it seem like they're denying "families with moderate incomes" their basic human rights.

Very perfectly said.

Notre Dame, eh? Just a few miles north of me, here in Indy

 

[wizards8507]

Very perfectly said.

Notre Dame, eh? Just a few miles north of me, here in Indy

Yeah, working in Chicago at the McDonald's HQ for the summer. Back to campus next week.

 

[Tom]

Yeah, working in Chicago at the McDonald's HQ for the summer. Back to campus next week.

I'm a Boilermaker, but I'll still :wave: and say "good luck" anyway :lol:

Congrats on the scholarship - you got yourself into a mighty fine institution there.

 

[Lucky]

Obviously Disney has the right to increase prices, and we don't have a right to cheap WDW vacations.

But some business decisions can increase profits in the short run at the expense of profits in the long run. Sometimes corporate execs looking only toward their next job try to produce impressive-looking numbers in the short run, even when it hurts the company in the long run. I'm not sure if this is what's happening here, but when they raise prices at double or triple the inflation rate for several years in a row it starts to look like someone has decided to convert a lot of customer loyalty into quick cash.

 

[jakeman]

1. People do buy one day tickets. Weekenders. People traveling for business. I know it's not the best value, but that's not the point.

I traveled for business for 8 years. Never once did I have enough time to go to Disney for the day, regardless of the cost.

As someone who now supervises those in my previous position, I would very seriously question their work ethic if they found time to go to a theme park during the day.

While I can't speak for everyone or every industry, I also feel confident that this is true about a vast majority of the drug development industry.

 

[PhilharMagician]

You HAVE been getting that adjustment. First of all, nobody buys a one-day ticket. Second, free dining and room discounts are a buffer against diminished demand. If the economy thrives and people are shelling out the bucks, then Disney has the high prices in place to capitalize. If the market slows, they offer incentive programs to bring guests into the parks. It's foolproof.

There would not be a one day ticket if nobody bought one.

You say I have been getting that adjustment. I am not quite understanding that. Anyway you are correct that the company offsets the slow growth with discounts like free dining and discount rooms. The problem with that thinking is that 5 years ago those discounted rates were also about 40% lower. If you go back about 8 months ago Robert Iger said in a press release that WDC was going to start pulling back on the discounts. That has not quite worked yet. In fact the discounts were slow to come out this spring and finally the flood gates opened with free dining all the way up till the week before Christmas. In order for Disney to compensate for the discount driven tourist it seems that they are ramping up their prices and keeping the discounts available to continue to draw the dollar wise vacationer.

I do not have a problem with a business making money. This country is built on capitalism and without profit and growth it will fail.

Going to Disney is definately a luxury and a luxury that I hope I can continue to afford well into the future. Unfortunately I am not sure about that. With the cost of my vacations going up at nearly 8% per year that is a tough trend to follow. At some point there will have to be a correction. Who knows when, but it will happen when enough people reach the limit of their financial abilities to visit. The attendance will drop drasctically like the stock market did last year.

Disney also did not put out the discounts because of attendance drops, it was to keep it growing during a economic downturn. Over the past 4 years Disney has continued to grow each year.

MK attendance
2006 16,640,000
2007 17,060,000
2008 17,063,000
2009 17,233,000

Total Disney Theme Park attendance
2006 112,500,000
2007 116,500,000
2008 118,000,000
2009 119,100,000

In 2009 the US economy basically lost traction and declined. WDC raised prices and the numbers finished higher. :hammer: Maybe I am missing something.

There is a great breakdown of ticket pricing in Screamscape. He goes into pricing for all major theme parks in the US and it is amazing that the parks in Orlando are demanding at a minimum of $25.00 more per 1 day ticket with Busch Gardens Williamsburg being the only exception at $21.00 less than a WDW one day.

Enough rambling. Back to your regularly scheduled thread.



Added info:

Numbers in millions

Revenues:

Media Networks $4,729 $3,961 +19%
Parks and Resorts $2,831 $2,751 +3%
Studio Entertainment $1,639 $1,261 +30%
Consumer Products $606 $510 +19%
Interactive Media $197 $113 +74%

Segment operating income (loss):
Media Networks $1,885 $1,319 +43%
Parks and Resorts $477 $521 -(8)%
Studio Entertainment $123 ($12) nm
Consumer Products $117 $96 +22%
Interactive Media ($65) ($75) +13%

Looking at these numbers that were just released for Q3 the parks are not doing that well. The overall revenues are up for the parks, but income is off by 8%. A lot of this could be tied with monies being spent on DCA rebuilding, WDW's Fantasyland expansion or Hong Kong Disneylands expansion. WDC has been saying for quite a while now that attendance in the parks has been very good but guest spending is down considerable. This cannot have anything to do with guests spending the wad just to get there to stay and play then have nothing left to buy souveniers or spend on other luxurys.

 

[JasonCajun]

I traveled for business for 8 years. Never once did I have enough time to go to Disney for the day, regardless of the cost.

As someone who now supervises those in my previous position, I would very seriously question their work ethic if they found time to go to a theme park during the day.

While I can't speak for everyone or every industry, I also feel confident that this is true about a vast majority of the drug development industry.

My work ethic is fine. I have only went when I had a morning meeting and my flight went out the next day, so I had that afternoon/evening to play. My boss knew about it and certainly didn't have a problem with it.

 

[JasonCajun]

I don't see any reason to make this about my personal finances but allow me to defend myself.

I'm a college student who worked my butt off in high school to get a full scholarship to a school that I never would have been able to afford. Once at said University, I further worked my butt off to become the senior manager of the only 24-hour restaurant on campus and obtain an internship with one of the top companies in the world. My finances, bills, and all other expenses are my own responsibility. I've gone to Walt Disney World on my own dime each of the past three years, not because I've complained and whined about prices, but because I worked hard and saved my money. "Families with moderate incomes," as you describe them, will have my genuine sympathy when they're cutting frills and still struggling to get by. But cable TV, high-speed internet, movie tickets, eating out, and yes, even Walt Disney World vacations, are luxuries, not needs. If you don't like Disney's pricing model, then make your DOLLAR heard. Don't demonize the company by making it seem like they're denying "families with moderate incomes" their basic human rights.

Fully understand that going to Disney World is not a right. However, it's pretty short sighted of Disney to bump up their prices when it's on the edge of being affordable for middle class America. Nowhere have I said that Disney is denying anyone their basic human rights, but thanks for putting words in my mouth once again.

I certainly plan on making my voice heard with my dollar. It's the wonderful thing about free market capitalism. They have the right to raise prices, and I have the right to not spend my money there. I've been on week long WDW vacations almost 20 times and plan on spending my vacation money elsewhere. Maybe there are others like me, maybe not.

You are to be commended for working your way through college. So did I. Get married, get a mortgage, and have a family and see how difficult it is.