WDW Ticket Prices

[networkpro]

I'm not trying to invalidate @ParentsOf4's arguments in spite of all of your attempts to imply causality. I'm just observing that what was paid in 1971 for admission verses what is currently charged is for a different mixture of entertainment and in cases different technologies. They are not equal.

 

[flynnibus]

The CPI is one way of measuring inflation.

What's your point, caller?

That cpi is a stupid point of comparison on individual products and doesnt say much of value.

 

[Lucky]

I'm not trying to invalidate @ParentsOf4's arguments in spite of all of your attempts to imply causality. I'm just observing that what was paid in 1971 for admission verses what is currently charged is for a different mixture of entertainment and in cases different technologies. They are not equal.

Ok, it's more understandable when you put it that way, without all the irrelevant stuff about quantitative easing and the money supply.

 

[mj2v]

Based on crowds, they can jack up the price a whole bunch. Here it is end of January, and the parks are packed. Now, packed is a relative term, but in our 20+ years living in orlando and usually having annual passes to at least one of the main park companies every year, I know what crowds should look like, and it is far busier than it was historically.

 

[DManRightHere]

I've heard that the one day ticket is one of THE MOST popular tickets for WDW, Is this correct?

I believe so.While a one day ticket is the worst value, it is still the cheapest ticket.

 

[RSoxNo1]

Whether a movie theater has 2 screens or 20 screens, there are only so many movies I can see in a day.

The Magic Kingdom has become a multiday park, meaning a multiday ticket is needed. Most Guests have to visit the Magic Kingdom more than once to experience all of its attractions.

Since the opening of Splash Mountain in 1992, the number of attractions at the Magic Kingdom has remained fairly constant. That hasn't stopped Disney from tripling the price of a 1-day ticket since then.

Eisner's price increases were understandable because content was added. Up through 1998, WDW investment levels were huge. This simply has not been the case in the 21st Century.

Apparently you don't consider the DJ dance parties that cheapen Disney and Pixar's intellectual property as additions.

 

[Figment2005]

People that have followed me posting on this site or others recognize that I'm typically not an apologist. But one thing that isn't represented here is how undervalued a Disney ticket was previously. Yes, the prices are too high right now, but they were undervalued for so long, they had no choice but to have the price increase at a rate faster than the median household income.

That is a valid point. If Disney did not increase their prices the way that they do then we would most likely be talking about how even more crowded the parks are. It really is a no win situation for us fans because it would either be expensive and tolerable (most of the year) crowds, or cheap and intolerable crowd wise.

 

[Figment2005]

Speaking of scalping. How do those shady booths on 192 stay open selling discount tickets in the era of Magicbands.

They don't, they are slowly disappearing.

 

[erasure fan1]

Based on crowds, they can jack up the price a whole bunch. Here it is end of January, and the parks are packed. Now, packed is a relative term, but in our 20+ years living in orlando and usually having annual passes to at least one of the main park companies every year, I know what crowds should look like, and it is far busier than it was historically.

Exactly, you can bet we are nowhere close to the end of price increases. As far as I can tell, the tipping point could be $20 or $30 a day out.

 

[JimboJones123]

Based on crowds, they can jack up the price a whole bunch. Here it is end of January, and the parks are packed. Now, packed is a relative term, but in our 20+ years living in orlando and usually having annual passes to at least one of the main park companies every year, I know what crowds should look like, and it is far busier than it was historically.

And this is the key. They could easily throw another $10 on the top of prices to start bringing down the crowds. It wouldn't bother me a bit.

 

[flynnibus]

That is a valid point. If Disney did not increase their prices the way that they do then we would most likely be talking about how even more crowded the parks are. It really is a no win situation for us fans because it would either be expensive and tolerable (most of the year) crowds, or cheap and intolerable crowd wise.

Not really

Disney would simply stop handing out 30% discounts... that would cut down on crowds
Or Disney could stop handing out free dining... that would cut down on crowds
Or Disney could stop pumping events to cling onto their parks... that would cut down on the crowds
I don't know of anyone who said "wow, lets goto Disney, they didn't raise prices last month!"

If someone had to save up to goto Disney at 2014 prices... not having a price increase the next year isn't going to make Disney suddenly more affordable to them.

 

[flynnibus]

You guys act like Disney is using pricing as a crowd control measure at WDW... they aren't.

With the left hand they are pumping the park's with people through events, on-site sporting events, etc to drive attendance anyway they can.. while with the right hand they are squeezing youto pay for tickets while you are there (who wants to goto the WDW marathon and not visit the parks?).

They are squeezing those they have convinced to go through the gates... not shaping demand with prices. The prices are still 'what can we get away with'

 

[sjhym333]

Disney knows and I agree that if you throw another $10 on top of current prices it will not start to bring the crowds down. When someone is paying thousands for a vacation that $10 is meaningless. I think it affects locals more then anyone but Disney points to their Florida resident ticket specials. Increased prices are just a way of life.

 

[asianway]

Not really

Disney would simply stop handing out 30% discounts... that would cut down on crowds
Or Disney could stop handing out free dining... that would cut down on crowds
Or Disney could stop pumping events to cling onto their parks... that would cut down on the crowds
I don't know of anyone who said "wow, lets goto Disney, they didn't raise prices last month!"

If someone had to save up to goto Disney at 2014 prices... not having a price increase the next year isn't going to make Disney suddenly more affordable to them.

Problem is the new touring mentality that MYW brought on. In the 90s, I would hoard those precious days on the hopper and do as much as I could those days, now you have the extra days they tack on the end at $4, $5 a pop with ten or fourteen day tickets. Now you have some people buying a ten day pass, spending most of them at MK, seeing fireworks, parades, E tickets multiple times through the course of a vacation where once should be enough. Part of the lifestyler mentality.

Also APs are priced too low or need a cap on admits.

What's DLs highest number of days? 5? Tokyo is 4.

 

[flynnibus]

Problem is the new touring mentality that MYW brought on

DL's is lower because of them trying to fight the resale of unused days. The AP bum rush doesn't seem to be as much of a problem in WDW as it is in DL where the percentage of AP holders is out of wack on certain days and they can't avoid the bum rush on days of interest. WDW lacks that (sans maybe the DHS villians thing). So IMO the WDW AP thing is more about what kind of upsell discounting you want to offer.. and less about frequency or people who live there all the time.

The MYW impact I mentioned earlier in the thread..

Where if all along they had just kept to simple ticketing that wasnt so manipulative and hence didnt need such long durations, and discounting to make it practical.... They could keep their saintly image and both disney and the customer would be happy.

Longer stays I don't have an issue with... what is messy is the idea you need to be in a park every day. It used to be resorts with theme parks... now it's theme parks with some place to sleep/eat.

The shell game is getting absurd.

 

[ford91exploder]

DL's is lower because of them trying to fight the resale of unused days. The AP bum rush doesn't seem to be as much of a problem in WDW as it is in DL where the percentage of AP holders is out of wack on certain days and they can't avoid the bum rush on days of interest. WDW lacks that (sans maybe the DHS villians thing). So IMO the WDW AP thing is more about what kind of upsell discounting you want to offer.. and less about frequency or people who live there all the time.

The MYW impact I mentioned earlier in the thread..


Longer stays I don't have an issue with... what is messy is the idea you need to be in a park every day. It used to be resorts with theme parks... now it's theme parks with some place to sleep/eat.

The shell game is getting absurd.

Exactly and I've always been more of the use the resort and VISIT the theme park for a total experience type of WDW visitor. I'm DVC but I'm finding fewer and fewer reasons why I want to be in an overcrowded park, Meritt Island is great for a few days of birding etc.

 

[ford91exploder]

That cpi is a stupid point of comparison on individual products and doesnt say much of value.

Especially since it has been jiggered to make it look better.

 

[ford91exploder]

It must be because of when I was born, but even if it was 1971 I can't imagine $9.25 not being viewed as incredibly cheap

Think of it like this a gallon of regular gas was $0.36 so 9.25 was a LOT of money back then.

 

[JimboJones123]

You guys act like Disney is using pricing as a crowd control measure at WDW... they aren't.

With the left hand they are pumping the park's with people through events, on-site sporting events, etc to drive attendance anyway they can.. while with the right hand they are squeezing youto pay for tickets while you are there (who wants to goto the WDW marathon and not visit the parks?).

They are squeezing those they have convinced to go through the gates... not shaping demand with prices. The prices are still 'what can we get away with'

They aren't. And it is causing customer service issues. Has for years.

Increased price would level revenue, decrease people in the parks and increase guest satisfaction.

If the revenue stays level, why not raise prices to help with crowd control?

 

[JimboJones123]

DL's is lower because of them trying to fight the resale of unused days. The AP bum rush doesn't seem to be as much of a problem in WDW as it is in DL where the percentage of AP holders is out of wack on certain days and they can't avoid the bum rush on days of interest. WDW lacks that (sans maybe the DHS villians thing). So IMO the WDW AP thing is more about what kind of upsell discounting you want to offer.. and less about frequency or people who live there all the time.

The MYW impact I mentioned earlier in the thread..


Longer stays I don't have an issue with... what is messy is the idea you need to be in a park every day. It used to be resorts with theme parks... now it's theme parks with some place to sleep/eat.

The shell game is getting absurd.

Friday and Saturday nights are avoid at all costs at DL.