MisterID---
Your observations, although possibly accurate, have no relevance.
It costs the same for someone to go to UNI or DL instead of WDW. The exact same. So you can't accuse WDW of chasing those people away because of cost. If they're trading a day at WDW to go to UNI instead, that visitor is actually paying more because they're not benefitting from multi-day savings, and hence not being chased away by price. And if they're going to DL instead, or taking a Disney cruise, guess who is still getting their money?
Bob is dead right. A die hard Disney fan will spend whatever it takes to go somewhere they consider "priceless" (These message board comments are IDENTICAL to the ones made 10 years ago when Disney raised their prices over $50. In hindsight, those predicting WDW's bankruptcy were a bit over-dramatic)
Those truly deterred from a Disney vacation because the ticket price increases $5 or $20 are not the type of big-spending tourists the company hopes to attract. They are truly not going to lose that person who claims "I spend hundreds on souvenirs, hotels, and food" over a price hike the equivalent of an appetizer at dinner or a Hitchhiking Ghost t-shirt (and to those who say "I'll just have less money to buy those things", guess who's now got your money upfront instead of waiting for you to go into a restaurant or gift shop?)
Even if Disney sees the a slight drop in attendance (due to chasing off those few visitors right on the economic fringe who can't tolerate the slight price increase) the company has certainly made up for the loss by the higher revenue being brought in by the countless others who paid their price hike.
Quite frankly, if you are someone who is on that economic fringe that is truly hurt by these price increases, then you shouldn't be spending your last pennies on robotic pirates and sweaty dudes dressed up as mice. Your financial priorities need to be elsewhere.
For others who are not a churro away from the poor house but are still upset by the price increases (but not so upset to give up WDW for a cheaper destination), it's OK to be frustrated. But don't accuse Disney of being "greedy". Disney is being American, benefiting from the free-market capitalism that made this nation great. YOU are being the "greedy" one if you think Disney should give away its valuable product. They don't owe you anything.
If you feel Disney is making itself out-of-reach of the average customer, what's your suggestion? Keep prices exactly as they are for the next decade? They are many who find it unaffordable now. So should Disney drop its admission to 1980's prices, making itself accessible to a wider audience? I'm not quite sure you want to be standing in that 5 hour Space Mountain line next to the group of foul-mouthed teens whose parents bought them cheap AP's to use as babysitters, while Crackhead Bill from the rehab clinic picks through the overflowing trash can looking for cigarette butts to smoke, all the while trying to listen to the queue music over the chanting from that enormous group of Brazillian tourists who can not only afford to have a cheap vacation thanks to the exchange rate, but can now bring all their other relatives now that it's even cheaper to visit WDW?????????????
I'd love to go to Hawaii. I can't afford it right now. I'm not angry at the airlines and the hotel operators for being "greedy" and making the trip out of my price range (even though they're obviously doing well with the tourists who can afford a Hawaiian vacation). Hopefully when I do get a chance to go (after my other financial priorities are taken care of) I know the price of a Luau feast on Waikikii Beach will be outrageously expensive. But I'm going to pay it because they've got a product that has value to me.
Your observations, although possibly accurate, have no relevance.
It costs the same for someone to go to UNI or DL instead of WDW. The exact same. So you can't accuse WDW of chasing those people away because of cost. If they're trading a day at WDW to go to UNI instead, that visitor is actually paying more because they're not benefitting from multi-day savings, and hence not being chased away by price. And if they're going to DL instead, or taking a Disney cruise, guess who is still getting their money?
Bob is dead right. A die hard Disney fan will spend whatever it takes to go somewhere they consider "priceless" (These message board comments are IDENTICAL to the ones made 10 years ago when Disney raised their prices over $50. In hindsight, those predicting WDW's bankruptcy were a bit over-dramatic)
Those truly deterred from a Disney vacation because the ticket price increases $5 or $20 are not the type of big-spending tourists the company hopes to attract. They are truly not going to lose that person who claims "I spend hundreds on souvenirs, hotels, and food" over a price hike the equivalent of an appetizer at dinner or a Hitchhiking Ghost t-shirt (and to those who say "I'll just have less money to buy those things", guess who's now got your money upfront instead of waiting for you to go into a restaurant or gift shop?)
Even if Disney sees the a slight drop in attendance (due to chasing off those few visitors right on the economic fringe who can't tolerate the slight price increase) the company has certainly made up for the loss by the higher revenue being brought in by the countless others who paid their price hike.
Quite frankly, if you are someone who is on that economic fringe that is truly hurt by these price increases, then you shouldn't be spending your last pennies on robotic pirates and sweaty dudes dressed up as mice. Your financial priorities need to be elsewhere.
For others who are not a churro away from the poor house but are still upset by the price increases (but not so upset to give up WDW for a cheaper destination), it's OK to be frustrated. But don't accuse Disney of being "greedy". Disney is being American, benefiting from the free-market capitalism that made this nation great. YOU are being the "greedy" one if you think Disney should give away its valuable product. They don't owe you anything.
If you feel Disney is making itself out-of-reach of the average customer, what's your suggestion? Keep prices exactly as they are for the next decade? They are many who find it unaffordable now. So should Disney drop its admission to 1980's prices, making itself accessible to a wider audience? I'm not quite sure you want to be standing in that 5 hour Space Mountain line next to the group of foul-mouthed teens whose parents bought them cheap AP's to use as babysitters, while Crackhead Bill from the rehab clinic picks through the overflowing trash can looking for cigarette butts to smoke, all the while trying to listen to the queue music over the chanting from that enormous group of Brazillian tourists who can not only afford to have a cheap vacation thanks to the exchange rate, but can now bring all their other relatives now that it's even cheaper to visit WDW?????????????
I'd love to go to Hawaii. I can't afford it right now. I'm not angry at the airlines and the hotel operators for being "greedy" and making the trip out of my price range (even though they're obviously doing well with the tourists who can afford a Hawaiian vacation). Hopefully when I do get a chance to go (after my other financial priorities are taken care of) I know the price of a Luau feast on Waikikii Beach will be outrageously expensive. But I'm going to pay it because they've got a product that has value to me.
