Right on! Most people make the linear assumption and don't realize it is a curve, with diminishing returns involved, hence the curve. At some point it tracks back downward. My comment is extremely over-simplified, but holds true
At some point the additional guest does not equate to additional customer spending money, or more specifically, does not equate to spending the same amount of money......
You sound as if you have an Economic background (I'm not being sarcastic)?
Well done!
The APs are the issue with crowding of the Parks. Raising the ticket prices would do little to reduce the crowds.......the Economics of it are the Demand Curve is set, and has little if anything to do with Supply. The problem is more Micro, than Macro. In the Disney Attendance specific Macro, there are several Demand Curves in play. They would include AP Demand, Multi-Day, Single Day, International, etc....
The Price Elasticity would dictate what happens when the price is changed. Any change in price would result in a change the QUANTITY DEMANDED.....a movement along the existing Demand Curve, not move the Demand Curve.
Looking at all non-AP ticket sales, it appears Disney is operating on the Demand Curve where the price is Inelastic. There in lies the issue. When the price is Inelastic, you can increase the price without an inverse movement of the Quantity Demanded. So, Disney could raise the ticket prices, and not only not see a reduction in Quantity Demanded, but the continued increasing crowds. This is horrifying to think the current relationship with raising price and quantity demanded is a Direct Relationship, as they both move in the same direction. At some point prices would reach peak, and the relationship would become inverse, as higher prices would result in less ticket sales (this is the Law of Diminishing Returns). At this point the Price would be Elastic, and the Guest could expect less price volatility. When Price is Elastic, an increase in price would result in a decrease in Quantity Demanded.....we are nowhere near that part of the Curve.
One last note on Diminishing Returns........if Disney reached the point where a price increase reduced the quantity demanded, it would still be feasible, and quite likely the Revenue, AND Income form that next group of higher paying guests would not reduce......still more people buying tickets....
This was greatly over-simplified and was specific to Non-AP tickets sales......Disney is not really a place to attempt to apply any Economic principles or theory.....