Demand based ticket pricing

olecow · Oct 5, 2015

Disney is looking at pricing tickets based on park traffic at particular times during the year.

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/disney-looks-at-cheaper-off-peak-tickets-for-theme-parks-2015-10-05

rteetz · Oct 5, 2015

olecow said:
Disney is looking at pricing tickets based on park traffic at particular times during the year.

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/disney-looks-at-cheaper-off-peak-tickets-for-theme-parks-2015-10-05

I really don't think it would be cheaper off peak tickets. It would start at the current price and then during peak times the price would increase. This topic has been all over the Disney community after a survey a few months or so ago surfaced about it. With the recent change in annual passe I wouldn't be surprised if it happens sooner than later.

wareagle57 · Oct 5, 2015

I purchased a 4 day park hopper last week, from Disney. I am planning to upgrade to an AP when I get there. Or...I was before this weekend. I still probably will though. If ticket prices do go up before my trip, will I be able to bridge from whatever the price of a 4 day park hopper is on the day I go (assuming I enter the park at least once first with my park hopper), or will I have to pay the difference from what I paid for the tickets originally?

kenny · Oct 5, 2015

Not sure. Under the old model yes but if they put in tiers your ticket is not a tier ticket. You may get stuck paying the full price diff not the bridge like the old days

only hope · Oct 6, 2015

I think the effect of this would be that every day is 30+mn wait for just about anything. Instead of crazy busy days and less busy (what used to be slow) days, all days would have large crowds. People would opt to go on the cheaper days, thus spreading out the crowds more evenly throughout the week/month, making every day busy. Not fun. We want to be able to visit the parks on lower crowd days without waiting 20mn or more for just about everything.

Josh Hendy · Oct 6, 2015

I'm not sure the crowds would be spread out. Certain days are heavier than others at WDW, but if say on a Saturday the MK is packed and AK is much less so, is it really a gold day at AK? Is it fair that someone at DHS who will wait for 90 minutes every single day for TSMM and walk on Star Tours over and over again, should have to pay more to do the exact same thing on certain days than on other days? Because Main Street USA and the castle forecourt are more jammed during and after the fireworks on certain days?

One of the things that bothers me about this is that Disney can already handle different crowd levels on different days, by increasing or decreasing the number of staff, opening or closing duplicate ride tracks, adding or removing ride vehicles, adjusting park hours, adding or deleting EMH, opening or closing seasonal attractions, putting on more or fewer live shows, parades, fireworks, etc. Disney CAN handle the crowds this way, and ALREADY DOES handle crowds this way. When crowds are heavy they spend more to handle the crowds, and they make their profit on volume. When crowds are light they cut spending and make more money on each guest because they're spending less.

Aside from the day to day, week to week and month to month strategies for handling crowds, I hear that there are still overcrowding issues in the parks ... well mostly in ONE OF the parks. Which just happens to have around 2 to 3 times more rides and other headline attractions than any of the other parks. Gee ... do you think they could balance the crowds across the theme parks by actually completing or restoring the other three until they're up to, say, about 2/3 as interesting and fun than the MK? Instead of being about 1/2 or even 1/3 as interesting?

Since Disney can, and DOES handle varying crowds throughout the year, and does so extremely profitably, and they COULD address any remaining overcrowding issues by building more attractions at "every non MK park", I'm going to state definitively that this has NOTHING to do with easing crowds and improving guest experience, and EVERYTHING to do with slipping the public another price increase.

The new WDW business model is like a cruise line that mated with a condo flipping scheme.

middlechild · Oct 6, 2015

Demand pricing means I have to choose between missing school days for my two boys for cheap Disney or brave summer for expensive ones. I do believe school would win, we would not go and have not yet gone during summer due to cost. This change in pricing does little to price my family out, we were priced out long ago...

lockedoutlogic · Oct 6, 2015

only hope said:
I think the effect of this would be that every day is 30+mn wait for just about anything. Instead of crazy busy days and less busy (what used to be slow) days, all days would have large crowds. People would opt to go on the cheaper days, thus spreading out the crowds more evenly throughout the week/month, making every day busy. Not fun. We want to be able to visit the parks on lower crowd days without waiting 20mn or more for just about everything.

You and most every other frequent visitor...
Honestly, our wants are no longer the concern of twdc

Eoghann · Oct 6, 2015

Let's be clear, this is not being done for the customer's benefit nor will there be "reduced price" tickets in the (brief) off seasons.

What they're really saying is that when demand is high we can charge you extra... so we will.

The difference between this and say picking your seats at a concert is that you do have a real choice then, whereas many people cannot easily move their vacation out of the summer season (due to school etc.)

lockedoutlogic · Oct 6, 2015

Eoghann said:
Let's be clear, this is not being done for the customer's benefit nor will there be "reduced price" tickets in the (brief) off seasons.

What they're really saying is that when demand is high we can charge you extra... so we will.

The difference between this and say picking your seats at a concert is that you do have a real choice then, whereas many people cannot easily move their vacation out of the summer season (due to school etc.)

I agree 100% well said.

Is it a scum move? Yes...without out a doubt. But it's also 100% justified and understandable from a business standpoint...especially in light of recent losses. Absolutely.

If they did in fact rush a DHS announcement to try and stop the stock bleeding...then why wouldn't they turn the gun back on all of us?

Was there a way to stop some or all of this? Yes...but you had to look at the whole picture.

And those who are undoubtedly watching the 22 free dining or "any news on discounts?" Threads for a 7 day gratification.

It was always about the regular prices...never the discounts. In all things. Sometimes...when you can tell the future...that even sucks.

And we aren't done yet, baby. Not until the Dow falls and the layoffs at banks and the post office begin.

Eoghann · Oct 6, 2015

lockedoutlogic said:
I agree 100% well said.

Is it a scum move? Yes...without out a doubt. But it's also 100% justified and understandable from a business standpoint...especially in light of recent losses. Absolutely.

If they did in fact rush a DHS announcement to try and stop the stock bleeding...then why wouldn't they turn the gun back on all of us?

Was there a way to stop some or all of this? Yes...but you had to look at the whole picture.

And those who are undoubtedly watching the 22 free dining or "any news on discounts?" Threads for a 7 day gratification.

It was always about the regular prices...never the discounts. In all things. Sometimes...when you can tell the future...that even sucks.

And we aren't done yet, baby. Not until the Dow falls and the layoffs at banks and the post office begin.

They are somewhat protected by the fact that such a large portion of their visitors are "every 3 years or less". Those people don't notice the price increases in teh way more frequent visitors do, nor do they realize half the animatronics in Pirates were broken until last week. That masks a lot of sins. I don't think we've hit the upper limit of what people will stand yet. However, if they do go too far and turn people away, it will be very hard to get them back. Once a regular breaks their habit, it stays broken.

But these days looking more than 12 months ahead in business is frowned on. You have to focus on the quarterly results. So squeeze out those extra dollars now and worry about the rest later.

OldsDr · Oct 6, 2015

All of this talk convinced me to book a room and Tickets last night for next Aug, I am not even sure I will be able to go. But, my gut tells me they have to do something major to the regular tickets to make the Passes more attractive.

OldsDr · Oct 6, 2015

Eoghann said:
They are somewhat protected by the fact that such a large portion of their visitors are "every 3 years or less". Those people don't notice the price increases in teh way more frequent visitors do, nor do they realize half the animatronics in Pirates were broken until last week. That masks a lot of sins. I don't think we've hit the upper limit of what people will stand yet. However, if they do go too far and turn people away, it will be very hard to get them back. Once a regular breaks their habit, it stays broken.

But these days looking more than 12 months ahead in business is frowned on. You have to focus on the quarterly results. So squeeze out those extra dollars now and worry about the rest later.

I am one who broke the habit. If my trip above does not get canceled it will be the first time since 1994 that I have gone more than a year without a visit. this one will be a 3 year break.

Eoghann · Oct 6, 2015

OldsDr said:
All of this talk convinced me to book a room and Tickets last night for next Aug, I am not even sure I will be able to go. But, my gut tells me they have to do something major to the regular tickets to make the Passes more attractive.

On the basic one day ticket they've been averaging a $3 - $4 increase every year (and didn't they do two increases last year?). I'd say that's your baseline minimum.

Now the multi-day tickets are a much better deal, but that also makes them target for a greater increase.

lockedoutlogic · Oct 6, 2015

Eoghann said:
On the basic one day ticket they've been averaging a $3 - $4 increase every year (and didn't they do two increases last year?). I'd say that's your baseline minimum.

Now the multi-day tickets are a much better deal, but that also makes them target for a greater increase.

I think it's safe to say that that pattern isn't on deck.

I'm typically the last to believe rumors...but the "pricing survey" they sent out is as good as truth. In fact...it was probably low. In May they could "afford" to leave a Wednesday in September alone...now I don't think they will. I'm expecting 10,25, 30-35 bump on single days and a commensurate with multidays.

And I think they know it's gonna get a ton of bad press/blowback.

How I'd play it? Change the script a little...announce in November a January increase...there allowing anger to subside, drive a huge advance purchase number to bail out the stock...then have it die before its accepted as the "new normal"

And it would work.

lockedoutlogic · Oct 6, 2015

OldsDr said:
I am one who broke the habit. If my trip above does not get canceled it will be the first time since 1994 that I have gone more than a year without a visit. this one will be a 3 year break.

Same boat...recently finished up a pass and was going to an "every other year" pattern...

But honestly I've been charged with planning a multi family trip next June/July and I'm at about 80% leaning towards canning that.

That would be 13+ months since the last trip...even if I do go through with it...and that is the first over a year gap since college for me.

Went much quicker with infants and 2 in almost under 2.

It is what it is...actually what they've made it to be at this point.

DizFanFamily · Oct 6, 2015

This is what the ski industry has done for decades now. If you want to go ski on a Saturday, you will pay more for your lift ticket than on a Tuesday. If you buy an annual pass, you have to pay more to get "all access". While my pocketbook does not like the approach, it unfortunately is the standard. I am surprised Disney did not jump on this sooner. (note, I no longer ski, but I am not yet ready to give up Disney)

lockedoutlogic · Oct 6, 2015

Apples to grapefruits

wareagle57 · Oct 6, 2015

wareagle57 said:
I purchased a 4 day park hopper last week, from Disney. I am planning to upgrade to an AP when I get there. Or...I was before this weekend. I still probably will though. If ticket prices do go up before my trip, will I be able to bridge from whatever the price of a 4 day park hopper is on the day I go (assuming I enter the park at least once first with my park hopper), or will I have to pay the difference from what I paid for the tickets originally?

I would assume entering the park would lock me into whatever the price for that specific day is.

My question however was simply about if bridging was possible with tickets purchased FROM Disney. I know the trick is for people who buy discounted tickets from undercover tourist and others. If you buy it directly from Disney, I thought they might have a record of exactly what you paid for it and it wouldn't work.

DizFanFamily · Oct 6, 2015

lockedoutlogic said:
Apples to grapefruits

I don't post often, but read along enough...so I will bite.
I am not sure I understand your perspective. I live in ski country - so I am more like the Disney local, who would typically buy a season pass, and go multiple times through out the year. Sometimes I would make day trips, and sometimes stay up there (as the traffic is beyond horrible driving back). At pretty much every ski resort a single day pass is over $100, and while I may be able to get discounts, the only way to make it feasible is to buy an annual pass. Like Disney, the annual ski pass has multiple options/levels, each with its own pricing that goes with it. But no matter which way you go, skiing is cheaper on the less crowded days (ie when people should be at work and school - and note, due to having kids to deal with and a job, I no longer ski).
We also have our destination skiiers - those that come here for various locations around the country/world, who do not have the flexibility to come just when the prices are cheaper. And the most popular times, Christmas, Thanksgiving, and long weekends are the most expensive to ski, both for lodging and lift tickets (and I wouldn't be surprised if the restaurants and bars charged more too, although I haven't tried to track this). I can relate to those destination skiiers, as that is me coming to Disney - I find a time that will work for my family to get away for a week, and I book a trip, with cost not being my primary concern (cost is a concern, but I am experienced enough to not be shocked at the total cost). If I have the option between multiple week, I am more likely to book my vacation based on the projected crowd calendars and wait times vs what the ticket price is for that week.

Don't get me wrong, neither option is an "affordable" family vacation - and that is why we have chosen Disney for our annual vacation over skiing.

Demand based ticket pricing

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