Originally Posted By MPierce A round of minature golf at WDW just went up a couple of bucks, and the price of a Mickey bar just went up seventy-five cents. No telling how many othere little price increases just happened. I'm sure we can find reason to justify all of those also.
Originally Posted By sjhym33 The parking lot is one of those sore points for me. I have no problem paying for parking but I geel that $14 in a theme parks lot, which they own and there are no other options is ridiculous. Not to mention that the past 4 times I have parked at EPCOT they were running one tram during the morning rush.
Originally Posted By dizneed I learned a couple of years ago that there is an average of 11,000 cars in the parking lots per day, at 2 extra dollars per car that adds up. The same service (or less) for more money. Times are tough, we can't always afford to appease.
Originally Posted By Goofyernmost Wake up...if they don't charge it in the parking lot they will add it on to the price of the tickets. Comparing 1970's prices with today is just silly. Tell me what didn't go up drastically during that time period. In the 80's it was $1.00 to park. So what? When I went to college a semester of full courses was just a little over $500.00. Now that won't even buy you 3 credits. Comparing to past times is fruitless at best. It is what the public can afford and will pay that counts. Since no one is forced at gunpoint to go to a Disney theme park then I would have to assume that they went voluntarily. When the price gets beyond what they can afford or are willing to pay, they will stop. Simple economics. If they don't pay it the price will drop. And why, oh why, would anyone that doesn't pay for parking complain about the prices going up. I don't like liver so I don't care if it goes to $3000.00 per pound. The common complaint heard on the boards is, they aren't making enough improvements, spending enough money yet in the same breath we think that the prices should be the same as they were 30 years ago. No, it's not defending any company. It is the way it is economically for any company. Complain if you like but without those companies you don't have places like WDW to go too. The streets are littered with companies that didn't make it because they were afraid to raise prices. If you don't think what you have to offer is of value, neither will anyone else.
Originally Posted By vbdad55 A round of minature golf at WDW just went up a couple of bucks, and the price of a Mickey bar just went up seventy-five cents. No telling how many othere little price increases just happened. I'm sure we can find reason to justify all of those also. my property taxes went up double digit % for the 4th year in a row in a market where homes are depreciting ( and I'm in my home for 20 years) - where do I complain ? show me something that isn't a little more than the last time you went there. Show me a sports team not raising prices every year - and re swizzling how their 'tier' their tickets - and now paying $8 - $9 for a beer at a hockey game etc. I ain't happy about it @ WDW - but it is everywhere right now. Candy bars can't get much smaller and yet stay the same price or go up. Every movie today comes out in 3D so they can nail you for the extra $2-$3 -- I do the gorcery shopping in our house ( always have) - and I can tell you we are all being nickle and dimed to death on everything
Originally Posted By vbdad55 I learned a couple of years ago that there is an average of 11,000 cars in the parking lots per day, at 2 extra dollars per car that adds up. The same service (or less) for more money. Times are tough, we can't always afford to appease -------- but again I am sure a higher % of those cars are no pay ( AP-DVC -onsite etc) - than even 5 years ago. so the math doesn't work
Originally Posted By vbdad55 When I went to college a semester of full courses was just a little over $500.00. Now that won't even buy you 3 credits. having just had a kid finish college- and another to start in a few years- I can tell you $500 won't buy books for 2 -3 classes - I agree on the rising prices-- if it was ONLY the Mouse raising prices every 6 months on everything the place would already be shuttered. The Mouse also pays more for gas / groceries/ electric/ gas - etc just like you and I. It's an economy spinning out of control- the Mouse is but another player
Originally Posted By FerretAfros "I can tell you $500 won't buy books for 2 -3 classes" Heck, last fall I had a single book for a class with a sticker price of $625. We did get a pretty good discount through the teacher (around $125), but there was still the actual text book for the class as well. And this was for a standard civil engineering steel design class that's an undergraduate requirement. I don't even want to think about what all my books (and that pesky tuition) have cost over the past few years.
Originally Posted By Goofyernmost >>>the price of a Mickey bar just went up seventy-five cents.<<< OMG...now they have gone too far. Parking is one thing but an absolute staple of life? That's price gouging. I cannot survive without my Mickey Bar. Unfair! Heads will roll for this one. I don't know what else to say. It's a terrorist conspiracy. Deprive me of my Mickey Bar and you have taken away my will to go on. I am headed to a corner to curl up and whimper. How can they? It's just plain greed. Other than pay the 60K plus stepford, ever smiling, ever friendly, ever doormatted, by Disney policy, CM's...what could they be using that money for? I'll bet they are still paying off Eisner. I'm hiring a lawyer!
Originally Posted By CarolinaDisneyDad <<<It is what the public can afford and will pay that counts. Since no one is forced at gunpoint to go to a Disney theme park then I would have to assume that they went voluntarily>>> But the public is speaking and no one is listening. They aren't willing to pay these amounts. That's why the only way Disney can fill their space is with deep discounting. Everyone acts like it will be a sudden thing when the public reacts but it isn't. It's a family here a family there until over time the trend is noticed. By the time it shows up on a graph it is too late.
Originally Posted By vbdad55 ^^^^^^^^^^^^ they will not be immune to the severe downturn in the economy. Quite frankly they have fared best than many others...so far. I agree there is a 'tipping point' and once crossed- hard to come back--but constant "I want more e-tickets"- and no price inceases in an economy where all of Disney's costs are going up also is really silly. No more than a movie theatre is going to let you in for $2 - or someone is going to sell you a Corvette for $20K etc...
Originally Posted By sjhym33 There was an article in the Orlando Sentinel recently about the long term effects of discounting that Disney has been doing and the watering down of the brand. I think at some point they are going to have to bite the bullit and not discount rooms the way they have or they will always be in the cycle of discounts.
Originally Posted By vbdad55 ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ this is true --look no further than the 'rebate' system for American cars that started 20 years ago. Eventually no one wanted - or expected to pay full price and it cheapened ( real or not) the perceived value of the vehicle. They have never recovered.
Originally Posted By wahooskipper I don't really have a problem with the increase so much as the timing of it. Why wait until the demand drops? (Summer is gone and we are heading into a slower period.) No new attractions are opening. I think it is easier to swallow if there seems to be a reason to increase.
Originally Posted By brotherdave I think the reason they did it is that they needed to make up their shortfalls from lower attendance elsewhere. Besides, how many people after travelling hundreds or thousands of miles would not go to the parks if the parking rate went up? Not many, that's for sure. Parking fees are one of the 'guaranteed' fees that a park has. Yes, people will grumble about it, but, let's face it, it won't stop them from coming. I wouldn't be surprised that parking is $25 in five years or so! Guest satisfaction or value - forget it. Corporate greed is in vogue everywhere.
Originally Posted By dshyates There are 2 ways to deal with slumping attendence. lower prices to encourage MORE visitors or raise prices to make up for the smaller numbers.Disney feels they have a core audience that will come no matter what. So they just wring more out of the faithful. They don't care that all that hits the news cycles is "Disney raises prices again" because their core is bullit proof. Yes it will discourage some, but their core audience will still come.
Originally Posted By davewasbaloo My concern of the business model for the last few years is not price increases. As you guys say, there are many things you will pony up if you are travelling and paying these costs. It's the cuts in quality, service, hours and entertainment. I would happily part with my money for a tradition (e.g. quality) Disney experience. Sadly, this is not the case anymore. WDW and DLP in particular hardly compete in the quality stakes much any more. Almost everything of real quality were designed or built over 10 years ago. But even if they doubled prices and returned to the quality I fell in love with, I would find a way to get there. They could practically give it away, and I still do not feel the compulsion to hand over the money for air fare and the trouble of getting there. Disney's loss. Sadly though, my quality stand will probably be obfiscated by the economy.
Originally Posted By Jim in Merced CA <Parking fees are one of the 'guaranteed' fees that a park has. Yes, people will grumble about it, but, let's face it, it won't stop them from coming. I wouldn't be surprised that parking is $25 in five years or so! Guest satisfaction or value - forget it. Corporate greed is in vogue everywhere.> Absolutely true about corporate greed, brotherdave. And it is definitely 'in vogue' as you wrote. I read here all the time 'Disney is in business to make money.' No wonder everyone is willing to pay $2.75 for a bottle of Coca-Cola (they're a sponsor remember?), and $14 for parking, and $10 for a crappy breakfast at the 'lower rate' hotel. Afterall -- *sniff* -- Disney needs to make money.
Originally Posted By MPierce >>>the price of a Mickey bar just went up seventy-five cents.<<< >> OMG...now they have gone too far. Parking is one thing but an absolute staple of life? That's price gouging. I cannot survive without my Mickey Bar. Unfair! Heads will roll for this one. I don't know what else to say. It's a terrorist conspiracy. Deprive me of my Mickey Bar and you have taken away my will to go on. I am headed to a corner to curl up and whimper. How can they? It's just plain greed. Other than pay the 60K plus stepford, ever smiling, ever friendly, ever doormatted, by Disney policy, CM's...what could they be using that money for? I'll bet they are still paying off Eisner. I'm hiring a lawyer! << I'm sorry you have taken this so hard Goofyernmost. I thought a 27% increase in a product was worth mentioning along with the other increases. Had I know it was going to traumatize you so badly I wouldn't have brought it up. I take comfort in the fact that you have already justified these price increases in your head, as well as any other action Disney might take in the future.
