Originally Posted By Dr Hans Reinhardt Yes. At this point the admission increases just don't make sense for me. I've been to Disneyland, WDW and DLP enough times that I don't have to go as often, and the current prices have hit a point where I actually have to stop and think "Is this really worth it?". Years ago going to DLR from the Bay Area was a simple and relatively affordable proposition. Given the modest cost it was easy to put up with the crowds, mediocre food, long lines, strollers running over my feet, screaming babies, etc, but with these rates Disney has crept into the crazy zone. Sure, they've added a lot of amazing things and improved the place over the years, but the overall value diminishes with every price increase.
Originally Posted By Dr Hans Reinhardt Take a look at this USA Today article on DL's price increases over the years starting in the 1980s. Notice how steep the increases have been since the early 2000s. <a href="http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/business/2013/06/01/disney-theme-park-stocks/2343753/" target="_blank">http://www.usatoday.com/story/...2343753/</a>
Originally Posted By CuriousConstance I'll admit last years ticket price jump really hurt. It was well above and beyond inflation. This year though, it's really only increased a tiny bit, less than inflation really. Everything tends to increase with inflation, you just don't see big advertising and announcements when the price of a loaf of bread is higher than it use to be.
Originally Posted By CuriousConstance I'm not going to lie and say that price increases aren't hard for us, it's hard enough getting the money together. But for me the value is still very good. Our local, quaint but crappy amusement park has a total of 4 rides that adults can get on. 4. That's it. And that's including the bumper cars. And while we love it cause it's cute and a quaint place, there is no "show" or quality about anything there. Their AA's are enough to give you nightmares. And there is nothing remarkable about anything there. It costs $34.50 for an adult to enter and ride unlimited times. When we go to DL, and get 5 day tickets, it's about $53 per day. When you compare the two in terms of quantity and quality, it's not comparable. But yet, it only less than $20 per day more. Everything you do now a days costs a lot of money. If DL is no longer worth it for you to spend money on that is one thing, but I think it's a mistake to say it's not still a value or at least comparable to anything else even remotely like it. And in my opinion it's the best of it's kind so nothing else really can even compare. (for me anyway).
Originally Posted By Dr Hans Reinhardt "Everything tends to increase with inflation, you just don't see big advertising and announcements when the price of a loaf of bread is higher than it use to be. " Everyone has to eat, but repeat trips to DL or WDW is a frivolous luxury.
Originally Posted By Yookeroo "Yes. At this point the admission increases just don't make sense for me. I've been to Disneyland, WDW and DLP enough times that I don't have to go as often, and the current prices have hit a point where I actually have to stop and think 'Is this really worth it?'. Years ago going to DLR from the Bay Area was a simple and relatively affordable proposition. Given the modest cost it was easy to put up with the crowds, mediocre food, long lines, strollers running over my feet, screaming babies, etc, but with these rates Disney has crept into the crazy zone." I get that they've price you out. Everyone has a point where it's not worth it. But why is that the "crazy zone"? The demand is still there.
Originally Posted By Dr Hans Reinhardt If charging nearly &100 for a day at DL isn't crazy to you then I don't know what to say.
Originally Posted By CuriousConstance Again, let me overemphasize the fact that I don't enjoy paying the higher prices. My salary probably increases somewhere between 3-5% with my yearly small raise. And 3-5% isn't very much when you make under $20 an hour to begin with. BUT my point is Disney isn't far off from everything else now a days. Disney is charging what you can expect to pay for similar experiences anywhere else. The fact that their prices have increased so much over the last five years proves that they have an over crowding problem, and keeping prices stagnant will only enhance the problem.
Originally Posted By CuriousConstance I certainly get how it's not worth it for you Hans and SPP. I can see how it's not worth it to people at any price point, let alone the prices you have to pay now. It's just what is important to you, and it seems Disney won't have any problem finding plenty of people who still find the value in going to the parks even if they have to pay a bit more this year.
Originally Posted By CuriousConstance I'm going to save all my posts, so next year when they raise prices again, I can save some keystrokes.
Originally Posted By Yookeroo "If charging nearly &100 for a day at DL isn't crazy to you then I don't know what to say." It's supply & demand. Not sure how that's crazy. And how many people buy just one day tickets? More so at DL than at WDW, but there's still a significant number who don't do this. "Disney is charging what you can expect to pay for similar experiences anywhere else." I'm spending more than $100/day for Coachella tickets. Are they crazy to charge that much?
Originally Posted By Dr Hans Reinhardt "Why is it not crazy that Universal is charging the same thing?" Nothing screams rip-off to me more than the new up-charge for a single day ticket to the MK at WDW. I don't pay close attention to Universal, but now that you mention it the cost of their single day admission ticket in Florida is as equally steep and unfairly priced as what Disney is charging. "Disney is charging what you can expect to pay for similar experiences anywhere else." See, this is where I disagree. It used to be that Disney was priced appropriately, however the rate and frequency of the increases has escalated in past decade or so. The graph in post 22 proves it. The article in that link states: >> The theme parks business at Disney, the gold standard for the industry, was a major driver of profit and growth during the recently reported first quarter. Revenue at Disney's Parks and Resorts unit jumped 14% at the theme parks unit, making Disney one of the few companies going beyond cost cutting to find the growth that investors are craving. But higher prices, too, helped by pushing operating income up 73% for the segment.<< So there you have it in a nutshell. Disney's P&R division's revenue growth has largely been driven by continuous price increases. That's all fine and dandy, but it's pretty obvious that Disney's been milking it for all it's worth.
Originally Posted By CuriousConstance I'm buying 5 day one park per day, so my ticket is $53 per day. That's cheap when you consider the alternative. Like my local park with the 4 adult rides is $35 for one day and they are open for six hours a day, or my family to go see a 3d movie and buy some popcorn would be approaching $75. It's all in what's worth it to you. I'm not making that point that it is worth it to everyone, but it's still not that bad of a deal. One ticket to see Cirque de Soleil at my local venue is approaching $100 for good seats. The freakin county fair costs $6 PER ride for my kids to ride silly 60 second crappy kid rides. It's nuts. Every you do now you can expect to shell out a lot of money.
Originally Posted By Dr Hans Reinhardt "It's supply & demand. Not sure how that's crazy." I call it crazy, maybe you call it something else. My opinion, whether you agree or not, doesn't require any detailed or elaborate explanation. "I'm spending more than $100/day for Coachella tickets. Are they crazy to charge that much?" C'mon. You can't compare the cost of a music festival to a theme park resort where adults are covering their admission, accommodations, meals, souvenirs and transportation, AND their kids' too.
Originally Posted By CuriousConstance ""Disney is charging what you can expect to pay for similar experiences anywhere else." See, this is where I disagree." How can you disagree? You just said that Universal is the same cost! lol
Originally Posted By CuriousConstance Hans, has it really been almost a YEAR since you went to DL???????!!!
Originally Posted By Dr Hans Reinhardt "I'm buying 5 day one park per day, so my ticket is $53 per day." You're staying for 5 days, so now that's 5 days of meals and 5 days of accommodations. Disney will more than make up what was lost by from discounting each day's admission by your spending over your 5 day stay. "That's cheap when you consider the alternative. Like my local park with the 4 adult rides is $35 for one day and they are open for six hours a day, or my family to go see a 3d movie and buy some popcorn would be approaching $75." Let's just say you lived near Anaheim or Orlando and wanted to take your kids to one of the Magic Kingdoms for the day. It would cost you and your family $356 just to walk in the gate at Disneyland, and even more if you're in Florida. Now throw in some popcorn, a few souvenirs, and meals and the cost of a one day visit one of the parks with two kids is likely to hit $500. I dunno, maybe I'm just getting old and remember a time when these places were much more affordable.
Originally Posted By hopemax > I'm spending more than $100/day for Coachella tickets. Are they crazy to charge that much? < But Coachella and other music and sporting events are "one night only." You can't go on a different night and get the same experience. Obviously, there are differences that happen on theme park trips, but a ride on Pirates of the Caribbean on May 4th is the same experience as a ride on November 15th. We talk about supply and demand. Supply for Coachella is however many tickets are sold. So if it's 5000, that's all there is. Supply for a theme park is like 50,000 a day x 365 days year x however many years.
Originally Posted By sjhym333 I think the reason that theme park ticket increases seem high and "crazy" is that for places such as WDW it isn't just the cost of the tickets. Unlike a concert or sporting event, which most likely happens close to home and is a one day thing, to go to WDW or Universal Florida you most likely had to fly, get a rental car, get a room, eat, etc. I think it feels more expensive because every aspect of the trip has also increased. Personally I can't tell you if the price for a WDW ticket is priced correctly. I do agree with Hans in that there was a time when you could consider Disney a better deal, but in face there are obviously 10's of thousands of people who pay for the Disney experience every week. It really is an individual thing. Personally I don't understand why someone would drive a car that costs almost as much as my house, but there are people who do. For me...my Premium AP expires this week. I had decided not to renew, then went back and forth during this past week. In fact, had Disney's change over to the new AP's had not happened I would have renewed online, but the change over will not allow me to do that requiring a trip to the parks or to call Disney IT who has a "work around" that they can use if I needed them to. The increase in price was the thing that made me decide not to renew...actually it was the increase plus what I perceive as something that is no longer a value to me because there haven't been any major changes in any of the parks that would entice me to renew. Now that's me. Lots of people feel differently. Good for them. They can spend their money any way they wish
