Ticket prices to increase AGAIN??

[Figments Friend]

I just like the shifty eyes... lol

I have seen first hand how Disney does business with itself and I can tell you it is really messed up, haha. After what I have seen it is hard to believe that the Parks and Resorts line of business would allow its money to be used by another line. Corporate Disney makes the bulk of its money licensing its intellectual property, not through Parks and Resorts (although they do push the products). The Parks and Resorts line of business does not make the bulk of its money from tickets. That is a common misconception; rather they make their money from merchandising and food. Hence the gift shop at every exit and a place to purchase food almost as close as the next trash can on the path. Look at Magic Kingdom, you can buy food and merchandise as soon as you enter, when you enter the main street loop area, main street, the branches of main street, the lands, the rides, more shops, more carts. In the bigger picture Disney relies more on you buying an ice cream and a t-shirt then they do you buying a park ticket (which is why after a handful of days on your MYW ticket it almost feels like you aren’t paying for some days. Because once they have that base amount, any extra is just that, extra.

The parks and resorts are like a theatrical release of a motion picture. The only reason a motion picture is released in a theatre is to promote the DVD sales and the sale of the merchandising that goes with the film. Cars is a prime example of Disney synergy in motion. The parks are the same. They parks promote the movies, television assets, characters, etc... that are later sold as merchandise with in turn makes more money and also works as advertising.

So in the long run, the bloated division would in my mind be the merchandising, licensing and distribution line of business.

Very well said Blizz....

Excellent and intelligent post! Bravo!

:sohappy:

 

[rcsnyder1]

I just called Disney about Price Increase

I just called 1-407-WDisney and asked about Florida Resident Annual Passes. We are going to get them in January, but if they were going to go up in price, I would get them now to save some money. The operator told me that there are no plans to raise prices. She said that they would have been told by now, if prices were being raised in January. I have been looking on this site for the last several months almost every day. I am a totaly Disney freak. I have noticed that there are alot of people on here that spread rumors that have no basis. It's too bad people do this.

 

[Blizz]

Very well said Blizz....

Excellent and intelligent post! Bravo!

:sohappy:

Thank you.

 

[unkadug]

I just called 1-407-WDisney and asked about Florida Resident Annual Passes. We are going to get them in January, but if they were going to go up in price, I would get them now to save some money. The operator told me that there are no plans to raise prices. She said that they would have been told by now, if prices were being raised in January. I have been looking on this site for the last several months almost every day. I am a totaly Disney freak. I have noticed that there are alot of people on here that spread rumors that have no basis. It's too bad people do this.

True, but it's a constant source of amusement! :lol:

BTW - welcome aboard :wave:

 

[mousermerf]

I just called 1-407-WDisney and asked about Florida Resident Annual Passes. We are going to get them in January, but if they were going to go up in price, I would get them now to save some money. The operator told me that there are no plans to raise prices. She said that they would have been told by now, if prices were being raised in January. I have been looking on this site for the last several months almost every day. I am a totaly Disney freak. I have noticed that there are alot of people on here that spread rumors that have no basis. It's too bad people do this.

Sorry, that's wrong.

Changing ticket prices in the computer system that Reservations uses takes a whopping 10minutes or so. It's like a simple renetry of data on a spreadsheet.

They hit "update" and the entire system magically has new prices. If they "feel" like it, then they also go around updating the supporting pages that the CMs use to talk to Guests with - typically they just send out an all-call update (like the scrolling updates that Steve has the main wdwmagic page - a little blurb) and then update the supporting media over the next few days.

The reservations CMs know next to nothing in advance. They are trained to tell you only what is on the screen and what it says at that moment - they are forbidden to speculate - that actually can cost them their jobs.

In that CM's case, she lost a sale. If that call ahd been recorded and her telling you not to purchase had been overheard by quality monitoring, she'd of been shown the door. The fact that ticket prices can go up at any time is selling point trained to reservations agents.

Lazy reservations agents during peak periods have all of their points/quotas however and don't want to fill out the complicated data needed to send you a AP-renewal. It's a lot of data entry for little return-on-investment of their time for point/quota.

That's the truth. *steps off soapbox*

 

[SpenceMan01]

Things that are inevitable in life: Death, Taxes and the New Years WDW price increase. Get used to it.

We've got our honeymoon coming up in January. I bought the tickets this time LAST YEAR because I knew that there will be a price increase on or shortly after the first of the year.

Regardless of whether it's warranted or not, this news certainly shouldn't come as a surprise.

 

[DisneyJoe]

Changing ticket prices in the computer system that Reservations uses takes a whopping 10 minutes or so. It's like a simple renetry of data on a spreadsheet.

You would think so, wouldn't you? Everytime Disney does a computer update for a new special, etc, it always seems to to takes days to work out all the issues....

 

[Disneyfanman]

I guess I am numb to all of this. The really big increase, for me, was the change to Magic Your Way. Because I only visit a few days per year, I always buy multiple day (now extra) hoppers with (now extra) the non-expiration feature. The increase for me was like 25%. So whatever they do now seems really small. And, by the way, I am still going. A day at the parks is still a bargain considering what you get.

A recent example....I recently paid nearly 40.00 per person to visit "Star Trek the Experience" in Las Vegas. It was a fun and creative 1 hour experience. The quality of the exibit approaches the best single attraction at Disney. But it was 1 hour! Not exactly what I would call a good deal.

Disney would be worth 150.00 a day. Not that I want them to charge that, and they would be inaccessible to many, and my visits would be far less frequent. But it's a value at 71.00 (Current one day one park pass).

 

[MainSt1993]

I guess what I'm trying to say is;...if you could cut ticket prices during the slow season by 1/3 normal price,...and,..that attracted 1/3 more more people to the parks...then you break even. However, you now have more people inside the park that you normally would have in the slow season...and they spend more $$ when they are inside. = more profit for Disney.

Ticket prices are only part of the equasion. More people inside the parks means more consumption of goods and services on that end of the equasion.

More people inside = more money for Disney. Even if you attract them with lower ticket prices.

Yes / No?

CT

Eh...it's a double-edged sword. When I worked on the left coast, we dreaded the SoCal resident discount days, as there were a noticable amount of malcontents and ne’er-do-wells in the park. From shoplifting, to fights, to grafiti, all the problems increased when the prices went down. So the question becomes, from a business standpoint, is it worth the headaches?

 

[DisneyMusician2]

There may be an "undesirable" element in any area, but no child should be denied the chance to see a Disney Theme Park. If giving some hometown discounts is what it takes, then so be it. Get some extra security on duty and go for it!

 

[unkadug]

There may be an "undesirable" element in any area, but no child should be denied the chance to see a Disney Theme Park. If giving some hometown discounts is what it takes, then so be it. Get some extra security on duty and go for it!

While your sentiments are noble, Disney is NOT a charity.

Visiting a theme park is a privilege NOT a right. :wave:

 

[Hakunamatata]

There may be an "undesirable" element in any area, but no child should be denied the chance to see a Disney Theme Park. If giving some hometown discounts is what it takes, then so be it. Get some extra security on duty and go for it!

I have to disagree. Disney is not a government program. It has owners (stockholders) who expect a return on their money, not a write off for the charitable giving section of their income tax return. I am sure Disney already does a considerable amount of charity work. Lets not turn the Disney theme parks into Six Flags, run down and mostly staffed with people who could care less that they are there.

 

[Captain Chaos]

I am still debating what to do. I don't want to buy the tickets right now, but, if there is an increase on Monday, then I am buying by Sunday. I just wish we would have some sort of advance notice. Didn't Disney annouce like a week prior to the last two increases that there would be an increase? We are only 3 days frmo January 1 with no announcement yet, so maybe there will not be an increase.

 

[CJR]

But it's a value at 71.00 (Current one day one park pass).

I disagree, the other places also over charge. Entertainment in general is way too expensive. The only price I am really satisfied with is that of DVD's. I feel ripped off on concerts, shows, movies (At theaters), CD's/Music, and a trip to WDW. Why? Because they are the reason for the proposed minimum wage increase. Not that they are the source, but that's what we spend our money on. I make $5.25 an hour right now at my school, if the theater increases the ticket price from $7.25 to $7.50 that's at least one less movie I'm going to see in a year. All the increase does is make me visit less because my income does not increase at the same rate.

Disney increases out of proportion with the economy. We do not get raises at 5% each year. Also the price increases to get into the parks are just the beginning. It costs more to get to the parks, to eat at the parks, to sleep at the parks, to by merchandise at the parks and we still make the same amount of money that we did before all these increases came. This equals the phrase "I can't afford it."

I live in the midwest and here, Silver Dollar City is the place to go. They charge about $40 for a one day ticket. Going off of that, Disney's $70 seems worth it. My point is, how high will it go? Where's the stopping point. I'm not making more money to pay for this so eventually, I will be forced to quit going. It goes way beyond the price of getting in to the parks. Think about it, what isn't more expensive now compared to 5 years ago. The only thing I can think of is electronics. All of these businesses need to figure out a stopping point.

All I'm saying is a company that talks about magic and making wishes come true kills off some wishes of kids who always wanted to go there, but never could because they charge too much. The same thing goes for all the concerts, shows, and movies that we all know an love. When should the increases stop? Disney should figure the increased prices of everything else into their park increase because that also comes into effect when going on vacation. Oh yeah, don't get me started on taxes, those also increase. So in the end, it won't be the park increase that will keep people away, it will be everything else they increase while they're at it.

A hotel costs more, a flight costs more, gasoline costs more, food costs more, merchandise costs the same (But tax on that merchandise costs more), and I'm sure I'm missing a few things. Considering this happens yearly, that 5% increase is a lot more that 5%. We spend more money than just entering the parks. That's actually a small number compared to what we spend on everything else. Sorry for my rant, but I wanted to make sure I got my point across. Everything really costs more than it should these days.

 

[Hakunamatata]

All I'm saying is a company that talks about magic and making wishes come true kills off some wishes of kids who always wanted to go there, but never could because they charge too much.

The problem with this comment is that it assumes that the Disney Co. exists to create magic for people. That is a falacy. The Disney Co. exists to make money for its stockholders. They do that by creating a magical, memorable experience for guests who have the opportunity or ability to visit their parks, reguardless of how they got there.

Disney does a significant amount of charity work. They do not exist to be a charitable organization.

 

[Master Yoda]

I disagree, the other places also over charge. Entertainment in general is way too expensive. The only price I am really satisfied with is that of DVD's. I feel ripped off on concerts, shows, movies (At theaters), CD's/Music, and a trip to WDW. Why? Because they are the reason for the proposed minimum wage increase. Not that they are the source, but that's what we spend our money on. I make $5.25 an hour right now at my school, if the theater increases the ticket price from $7.25 to $7.50 that's at least one less movie I'm going to see in a year. All the increase does is make me visit less because my income does not increase at the same rate.

Disney increases out of proportion with the economy. We do not get raises at 5% each year. Also the price increases to get into the parks are just the beginning. It costs more to get to the parks, to eat at the parks, to sleep at the parks, to by merchandise at the parks and we still make the same amount of money that we did before all these increases came. This equals the phrase "I can't afford it."

I live in the midwest and here, Silver Dollar City is the place to go. They charge about $40 for a one day ticket. Going off of that, Disney's $70 seems worth it. My point is, how high will it go? Where's the stopping point. I'm not making more money to pay for this so eventually, I will be forced to quit going. It goes way beyond the price of getting in to the parks. Think about it, what isn't more expensive now compared to 5 years ago. The only thing I can think of is electronics. All of these businesses need to figure out a stopping point.
All I'm saying is a company that talks about magic and making wishes come true kills off some wishes of kids who always wanted to go there, but never could because they charge too much. The same thing goes for all the concerts, shows, and movies that we all know an love. When should the increases stop? Disney should figure the increased prices of everything else into their park increase because that also comes into effect when going on vacation. Oh yeah, don't get me started on taxes, those also increase. So in the end, it won't be the park increase that will keep people away, it will be everything else they increase while they're at it.

A hotel costs more, a flight costs more, gasoline costs more, food costs more, merchandise costs the same (But tax on that merchandise costs more), and I'm sure I'm missing a few things. Considering this happens yearly, that 5% increase is a lot more that 5%. We spend more money than just entering the parks. That's actually a small number compared to what we spend on everything else. Sorry for my rant, but I wanted to make sure I got my point across. Everything really costs more than it should these days.

They will. They will price things as high as the market will bear. Every business does this. Once the tickets are priced to that point the increases will slow down. Right now they keep increasing ticket prices and attendance keeps on rising so we have yet to hit that point.

 

[TP2000]

Disney does a significant amount of charity work. They do not exist to be a charitable organization.

Bravo! :sohappy:

Disney is a private company working within the great American Free Enterprise system. When will Disney stop raising ticket prices? Ticket prices will stop rising when customers show an unwillingness to buy the Disney product they are selling at that price level.

The Parks are packed this week on both Coasts; see the multiple threads on closed turnstiles at Animal Kingdom, Magic Kingdom, etc. Yesterday they had to stop selling tickets to both Disneyland and DCA because there were simply too many people trying to get in the gates and the parks were beyond full.

At the exit of the Mr. Lincoln show at Disneyland is a big plaque Walt had installed there in 1965. It says "AMERICAS FIFTH FREEDOM - FREE ENTERPRISE". Walt was a kindly man who loved children and brought untold happiness and wealth to those who worked for his private company. But he also knew he had to make a buck at the end of the day. Walt did not run a charity.

American Free Enterprise prices products and services at a level the market can bear, and Disney is doing that now with theme park ticket prices, just as they always have. If Walt Disney World is now too expensive for you, then Silver Dollar City is callin' your name! Lucky for you that you have the luxury and privelege to be an American and you can choose from a wide range of options what to spend your leisure dollars on.

 

[Captain Chaos]

Every price increase alienates a portion of the people who would visit Disney. Does this stop them from totally visiting WDW? Maybe some but not all. Instead of going 3 times a year, people may cut down to 1 once a year. And the people who go once a year, may go once every 2 or 3 years. However, sooner or later the middle class wil lbe excluded from the parks because, as prices increase, salaries stay stagnant, and middle class families will never be able to afford a trip to Disney. I love Disney, and I am fortune enought o afford to go every year, but I would also celebrate the day that Disney suffers because of their greed.

 

[Hakunamatata]

I love Disney, and I am fortune enought o afford to go every year, but I would also celebrate the day that Disney suffers because of their greed.

Wow. That is a really closed minded statement. I think you are under the assumption that all the monies from ticket prices are pure profit. That is not the case. You comment is also insensitive to the 55,000 plus people that Disney employ's just in Orlando alone. When/if Disney starts suffering, a significant portion of those people will lose their jobs.

I hope you were not serious.....

 

[PacMan2006]

I just saw from discount orlando tickets that prices are set to increase yet again on 1/1/07. I couldnt find out how much they would go up but it just seems like they are increasing the price frequently. It is getting very hard to take a family of 6 there and I hope this trend does not continue!

I would imagine it's probably hard to take a family of six ANYWHERE. Even to the movies, let along WDW.