One day just not worth it

[Mississippian]

I'm headed out to California in a couple of days, and I had planned to spend a day at Disneyland with my teen daughter. I just decided against it.

A one-day tickets is roughly $100. A park hopper for one day costs $155. I'm just not willing to do it.

I had wanted my daughter to see (and for me to see again) the Matterhorn and some other rides that exist only at Disneyland, but I'm just not going to spend $300 for a single day at an amusement park.

I understand that Disney is trying to encourage multi-day visits by pricing second and subsequent days much lower than a single day ticket. But some of us can't visit for multiple days. How I wish they would go back to the days of a cheap park admission and A-E tickets. I know they are only doing what is most profitable for the corporation, but they can do it without me.

 

[mom2rtk]

Actually, I don't think the second day really is much of a price break.

I would go and pass on the hoppers and do one day at DL (making it $200 instead of $300). There's a lot of classic stuff in there they don't have in the MK.

We were in Florida this summer and I spend $315 for the 3 of us to spend 1 day in the Magic Kingdom. I feel like we got our money's worth out of it. I think I would feel even more like I got value from one day at DLR.

Of course, I would stay open to close and take no breaks, but you can usually do that in California without all that humidity.

 

[jeffg4]

There are many other threads on this site about how to obtain discounted tickets, but I'm with you...$300 for 2 people for one day at an amusement park is insane.

 

[Angrose]

Some people pay $300+ for two people to go to a sporting event or a Broadway show. Those events only last a few hours. You would get a WHOLE DAY at Disneyland, that's 16 hours of quality entertainment you can't find anywhere else

 

[jeffg4]

Some people pay $300+ for two people to go to a sporting event or a Broadway show. Those events only last a few hours. You would get a WHOLE DAY at Disneyland, that's 16 hours of quality entertainment you can't find anywhere else

Good point - it's all relative, isn't it? How much is that one day worth to you?

 

[kylie71]

Case in Point........ Country Music entertainer, Kenny Chesney at Lake Tahoe last night.... $199.00 for bleacher seat's, $400 and up per ticket for anything else!! For a 2 hour concert (maybe) not including parking, and beer, or whatever........

Its all relative in what matters to YOU, and how you choose to spend your money.
DLR open to close, I dare say, is a better value, at least to me....

My 2 cents.... a long Disneyland goer since 1976.

--Lori

 

[kylie71]

I'm headed out to California in a couple of days, and I had planned to spend a day at Disneyland with my teen daughter. I just decided against it.

A one-day tickets is roughly $100. A park hopper for one day costs $155. I'm just not willing to do it.

I had wanted my daughter to see (and for me to see again) the Matterhorn and some other rides that exist only at Disneyland, but I'm just not going to spend $300 for a single day at an amusement park.

I understand that Disney is trying to encourage multi-day visits by pricing second and subsequent days much lower than a single day ticket. But some of us can't visit for multiple days. How I wish they would go back to the days of a cheap park admission and A-E tickets. I know they are only doing what is most profitable for the corporation, but they can do it without me.

and........... they won't miss you.

 

[Indiana Scott]

Actually, I don't think the second day really is much of a price break.

I would go and pass on the hoppers and do one day at DL (making it $200 instead of $300). There's a lot of classic stuff in there they don't have in the MK.

We were in Florida this summer and I spend $315 for the 3 of us to spend 1 day in the Magic Kingdom. I feel like we got our money's worth out of it. I think I would feel even more like I got value from one day at DLR.

Of course, I would stay open to close and take no breaks, but you can usually do that in California without all that humidity.

I think this is great advice and you and your daughter will hardly miss CA with only 1 day.

 

[mom2rtk]

I think this is great advice and you and your daughter will hardly miss CA with only 1 day.

I think hoppers for a first 1 day visit would just be frustrating. You can't do it all in both parks in 1 day, so I why not save the money and do one park thoroughly.

 

[Mississippian]

and........... they won't miss you.

No, they certainly won't. But at some point the ticket prices will reach the point that enough people make the same decision I did, and then we will be missed.

I don't begrudge them their business decision, and perhaps at some point I'll make it to Disneyland again. But it will be on a multi-day trip, which I suppose is what they want.

 

[mom2rtk]

No, they certainly won't. But at some point the ticket prices will reach the point that enough people make the same decision I did, and then we will be missed.

I don't begrudge them their business decision, and perhaps at some point I'll make it to Disneyland again. But it will be on a multi-day trip, which I suppose is what they want.

Not TOO many days though. As they will only sell you up to a 5 day ticket unless you want an AP.

 

[bfost87]

But at some point the ticket prices will reach the point that enough people make the same decision I did.

Very unlikely given what we know about annual attendance... Prices keep going up, and so does annual attendance. The price of a ticket has gone up approx $50 over the past 10 years, and annual attendance has also risen (generally) every year. In that same 10 year span, the annual attendance has also risen by more than 3.3 million guests.

Like others have said, it's all about what someone perceives the value of one day in the park.

 

[kylie71]

Mods: Please move this to the main Disneyland Planning page, as its a planning topic... I would be interested to see more traffic on this thread.

Thank You,

--Lori

 

[DizMe]

I agree with you. I actually don't mind ticket price increases considering the popularity of the resort, but it does make me sad to see a 1-day ticket go out of the reach of many families, including mine. I recognize that it's all calculated to push people into multi-day or annual pass territory but that isn't always an option.

I also don't agree with the "compared to a sports game or concert" logic. So what if a concert or a baseball game costs more? That doesn't alter the fact that Disneyland used to be something a family of 5 could afford to do for 1 day, and it wasn't even that long ago. It's not that the company isn't making enough money and needs the added income. Sure, all of those venues will get that money from enough people to send high-fives around the board table, but it isn't without diminishing something else.

 

[3Gsandme]

Honestly, I think you would find DL is a pretty good value for that one day ticket. I won't tell you how to spend your money, but if you're willing to show up early and stay late, you can do a LOT of the park. Not everything, but a good solid chunk.

 

[jaymesmom617]

My family of 6 did one day during Spring Break after doing a cruise. We did DL only. 6 PHs were just under $600. I think it was totally worth it. We arrived right at opening. We used our FPs well and by 5pm we had done all of the E ticket rides plus most of FL (PP and Matterhorn were closed), Pirates, HM, ST, Buzz, Pooh, ect. We then started re-riding some of our faves. We also watch Fantasmic! B/c this wasn't a "big" DL trip we didn't buy souvenirs and we only ate CS meals. We stayed off site for 2 evenings. Not bad for only one day during a peak time!

 

[Indiana Scott]

Honestly, I think you would find DL is a pretty good value for that one day ticket. I won't tell you how to spend your money, but if you're willing to show up early and stay late, you can do a LOT of the park. Not everything, but a good solid chunk.

It's kinda scary but DLR is a decent deal.
Try taking a vacation in Hawaii or some other popular destination and it counts up fast. Disney starts looking like a bargain.

 

[HydroGuy]

Look, DLR is expensive entertainment. But it is a deal compared to other entertainment options as other have mentioned.

I will add...

Ski pass in Colorado - one day is about $100 for 7 hours of opening time.
Broncos game football tickets - usually at least $200 to get nose bleed seats and $300 for a decent seat - game lasts 3 hours
Broadway show tickets for top shows like Wicked, Jersey Boys, Lion King, usually $200-300 for a decent seat, for a 2-3 hour show

One can continue but premium entertainment like Disney offers costs a lot of money. On a per hour basis it is really a deal compared to other options. But that does not make it cheap.

Finally, what some more "cost effective" parks found out (like Magic Mountain in SoCal) is that if they lower the price too far they can end up with some undesirable guests like gang members which led to guest violence. The higher prices tend to minimize this.

 

[VandVsmama]

I totally understand! It can be really frustrating when you've had your heart set on going and then it turns out that you can't go.

I also second the suggestions to consider just a 1-park ticket. That's what we did in June. We just went to Disneyland (no DCA) for one day. Gave our kids the option of doing that or having a traditional birthday party back home and they chose Disneyland instead. We made the most of it, though! Got there at park opening and left just after 11pm and had a ton of fun. We even went on Star Tours twice and Pirates of the Caribbean 3 times!

 

[alopez926]

If it's any consolation, I spent $500 for my daughter and I to visit Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure in Orlando for 1 day. We both loved it and I felt it was worth it to have the express passes. Would I do that again...absolutely, if money were no object. I'm a single mom...I can't splurge like that regularly! But once was great!