Latest: Disney World Raises Ticket Prices

Originally Posted By Doobie

This topic is for Discussion of <a href="http://www.LaughingPlace.com/Latest.asp?I1=ID&I2=1300" target="_blank">The Latest: Latest: Disney World Raises Ticket Prices</a>

 

Originally Posted By mouseoears

I’m lucky if I get a 5% raise each year at work, and yet over the past two years alone, Disney World ticket prices have jumped from $55 to $67 for a one day ticket! That’s a 22% price hike in just those two years; I don’t know how other families are doing it! Other than gas, what else has gone up 22% in the past two years? My family used to make two trips a year to Disney World, this past May we decided not to go because of gas prices and there were no good deals to be had on Disney hotels like there had been in the past. Between their price hikes on the tickets, parking and hotels; combined with rising gas prices, a weekend trip that just a few years ago used to cost my family of five between $200 to $250, now will cost a minimum of $400 and that is before one meal is even purchased! We can barely afford one trip at those prices let alone two!!

 

Originally Posted By vbdad55

<<Other than gas, what else has gone up 22% in the past two years?<

although largely regional and varying --

by me - western burbs of Chicago

natural gas up 52% last winter and 70% over last 2 year

electricity up 11% this year and 21% last 2 years

nationwide groceries up 8.4% ( Purdue study )- over last 2 years

so couple that with gasoline prices and everything that drives end costs up has been up a lot- which is why the price increase doesn;t surprise me.

the Cubs and Sox both raised ticket prices here over 15% - and both now have 'tiered' prices- where some games cost twice as much as others ) like if you want to see a good team come in ) - so another form of being able to gouge you. Imagine if Disney doubled it's ticket prices for summer when many peoople bring their kids...

So I don't understand the outrage over this..yes I know it costs more...but look at the world around us...this is not news unique to them by any stretch.

Do I wish the price would remain flat - sure....but look around, that's not happening anywhere.


btw 5% per year for an increase pretty good over the last few years..ahead of national average.

 

Originally Posted By vbdad55

and expect another 20 cents per gallon ASAP on the news this morning with BP shutting down Alaska's biggest pipeline as they are stunned by the fact that a metal pipe must rust in certain spots in the wet and cold..

 

Originally Posted By gurgitoy2

The problem is that yeah, all of the prices are increasing for everything, so cost of living is going up, but people are generally making the same or less than they did before. It can't keep on like this without the economy hurting because people aren't able to afford basic things.

 

Originally Posted By davewasbaloo

And yet the companies are making money hand over fist. I can't believe the average increase in salaries in the UK is 2.34% p.a. but cost of living is ballooning. And at the same time, PLCs are posting record profits.

But I am still not surprised nor annoyed at WDW for hiking their tickets.

 

Originally Posted By gurgitoy2

These WDW prices are a little bit high though. $67 to get into a park, and then if I want to see a dinner show like Hoop-de-doo Revuew, it's another $60 or so. If I had kids, I'd go insane! That's just a lot of money for a vacation to WDW. I had a friend just go to Cancun for a week and he got an all-inclusive deal with airfare, hotel, and food for $650. Try doing that at WDW for a week.

 

Originally Posted By davewasbaloo

Funny - I see people spend more on a trip to the seaside here in the UK than we often spend going 3000 miles to WDW.

 

Originally Posted By davewasbaloo

Then again, the exchange rate is heading to $2 a £ now.

 

Originally Posted By vbdad55

< It can't keep on like this without the economy hurting because people aren't able to afford basic things.<

don't disagree here...but WDWis the least of our economic issues


<These WDW prices are a little bit high though. $67 to get into a park, and then if I want to see a dinner show like Hoop-de-doo Revuew, it's another $60 or so. If I had kids, I'd go insane! That's just a lot of money for a vacation to WDW. I had a friend just go to Cancun for a week and he got an all-inclusive deal with airfare, hotel, and food for $650. Try doing that at WDW for a week.<

again here come the comparisons with another country...

try taking the kids to Cancun and tell them their vacation is sitting on a beach for 7 days...heck try telling me that...

completely different kind of experience -- I can go to a cottage on a lake in Wisconsin for even less- but how is that comparable entertainment ?

Have you priced any broadway type play lately ? Decent seats for any sporting event ? Musesum prices ? Heck $56 for 6 Flags by me....just bought tickets for a Big ten college football game by me later this year ... $65 per seat for 3 hours.....

$67/day still very reasonable for what you get....

Summerfest in Milwaukee -- like $30 to enter than you pay again for 'premium' concerts....kind of like the Hoop De Doo review ( which includes a meal btw) -

I am not saying I am thrilled withany increase...but look around at other costs, still way in line.

 

Originally Posted By Jim in Merced CA

<the Cubs and Sox both raised ticket prices here over 15%>

Given the Cubs absolutely abysmal season this year, they ought to consider giving rebates to watch games.

'If the Cubs make it to the 3rd inning without the game being a runaway, everyone gets a free hot dog.'

 

Originally Posted By Goofyernmost

< It can't keep on like this without the economy hurting because people aren't able to afford basic things.<

don't disagree here...but WDWis the least of our economic issues
_______________________________________

Exactamundo...If people would get as upset about the cost of necessities as they have about WDW's one day rate, things would change.

Tell me for example how we can be paying so much for gas when the oil companies are showing historic profits. Tell me that isn't stealing from the public. In the meantime WDW goes up and it's the end of the universe as we know it.

I've said it before and I'll say it again Disney can increase prices for however long it takes to reach the point where people cannot come up with the money or see the value. The public won't go hungry or cold because WDW prices went up, they just won't go to Disney.

Far bigger and more important issue lie out there to be corrected.

 

Originally Posted By vbdad55

<Given the Cubs absolutely abysmal season this year, they ought to consider giving rebates to watch games.

'If the Cubs make it to the 3rd inning without the game being a runaway, everyone gets a free hot dog.'<

as a lifelong cub fan, no arguments from me..

 

Originally Posted By mouseoears

It’s true energy costs have gone up at a staggering rate, vbdad55 makes valid points about that. His comments too on the entertainment dollar, the Cubs and White Sox, are great points too in that the Cubs, like Disney, have a fanatical fan base that would seemingly pay anything to see a game. And the Sox just won the World Series, that almost always leads to an increase in ticket prices the following year just because they can. I am also sure Disney World is not hurting at all with their attendance, I have heard it is up this year over last. I’m just commenting on the fact that they just had a $3.25 price hike on January 1st, and now here comes another $4.00. That’s a lot for me in seven months. I do have to agree with the other comments though, for my money, yes, if I am able to plunk down the $60-$70 (times five in my case) for a day at a park, it sure as heck is going to be at Disney World and not Sea World, Universal Studios or Busch Gardens.

 

Originally Posted By davewasbaloo

But I do agree that it makes it hard for a family. It's a shame Disney doesn't do a family ticket. But given Families are the key consumers, why would they?

I do know that we would do 1 US resort and 5 Europe trips a year before kids. Now we do maybe 1 - 2 DLP trips a year, and the US every 3 years or so due to the overall increase in costs.

A $28 increase for a family of 4 in one year is a cheap meal's worth of increase.

 

Originally Posted By vbdad55

again - that is for a daily ticket - many fewer people travel there for one day -- the impact is much less on 10 day hoppers , in fact that prices someone listed here had one option flat

 

Originally Posted By mouseoears

<don't disagree here...but WDWis the least of our economic issues>

But it is Disney fan website, not Wall Street weekly board, but you are right, the law of economics is purely the supply and demand or the willingness of consumers to find a value in the price they pay for something. So if Disney keeps raising their prices and consumers keep going, you can’t fault them, it’s plain economics.

<how we can be paying so much for gas when the oil companies are showing historic profits. Tell me that isn't stealing from the public.>

No, it isn’t stealing from the public… again, it’s economics. There have been plenty of years when they didn’t make profits anywhere near this, or when they lost money, when oil was much lower and people like me, all over Houston lost their jobs and homes… everything… I couldn’t find a job in my industry for two years. Nobody shed a tear for the companies back then. But then again, this is a Disney fan website.

 

Originally Posted By DVC_dad

Glad my AP's is good till next March...all 6 of em.

 

Originally Posted By ChiMike

>>the Cubs and Sox both raised ticket prices here over 15% - and both now have 'tiered' prices- where some games cost twice as much as others ) like if you want to see a good team come in ) - so another form of being able to gouge you. Imagine if Disney doubled it's ticket prices for summer when many peoople bring their kids...<<

The 15% is nothing. We have had full season tickets to the White Sox for over 18 years, the Sox price jump over that 18 years is more than Disney's admission increase over the same period. Can't blame Jerry though, if we want to win, we have to pay.

I pay $38.00 per person just for a seat for a 2.5 hour game. WDW for a full day is a steal compared to that. I almost would love to see WDW adopt the tiered structure too. No reason summer and holiday admission cost more when more things are operating and staffing is heavier.

I actually applaud the WDW price increase and hope more come for AP prices over the next 2 years. I wouldn't be surprised at all to see another increase in the late winter. I actually picked up a few 10 day no exp. hoppers on Saturday to fend off that malicious $10 or whatever increase. I think it is a good thing for WDW to increase their gate revenue.

The one thing that I haven't seen mentioned is that DVC members just had their benefit reduced. And that they will probably have less a benefit in the future. Since AP prices are raised, the DVC discount amounts to a smaller % off. It will continue to be a smaller % off until Disney gives members a % off instead of a flat price discount.

 

Originally Posted By ChiMike

>>The 15% is nothing.<<

I didn't flesh that thought out. For example in 2001 the same seat was $18.00, now it is $38.00.