bcrook
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jun 26, 2008
I don't want them to lower prices. I want them to take their profits and reinvest it back in the park so that the customer experience justifies the higher cost.
It would sure take the sting out of it....
I don't want them to lower prices. I want them to take their profits and reinvest it back in the park so that the customer experience justifies the higher cost.
Maybe not, but the parks are sufficiently crowded. One might be able to argue that with price increases, Disney has been successful in managing the size of the crowds to a reasonable level.
Given the choice, everyone would love to pay less money. But do I really want to stand in elbow-to-elbow throngs of people and endure even longer wait times? Would the money I save really be worth the pain? How much do people want Disney to reduce their prices? Enough so that 10% more people will go? 30% more?
It's still flights that are the killer for us.
Currently the cheapest direct flight to MCO we can get is coming in just over $4K for 2 adults, in economy. That's more than the cost of accommodation at CSR for 14 nights with free QSDP, 14 day tickets, memory maker and a $200 gift card. Ridiculous.
Flights would kill us too. We are a family of 7, we never fly anywhere, it's just not feasible. So instead we make sure we go places where we can drive. Our summer vacation this year took us all over the us. We logged 5,500 miles on our trip. It's unfortunate that airfare is so expensive because that means our trips are limited to the continental US. It would be nice if we could travel overseas with our children but that's not the reality. I'm not sure that's anyone's fault, no one is gouging, it is just what it is.
To be honest, I think British Airways and Virgin do gouge a bit. The same flight costs less than half during school term time.
I wish DLP was a better choice for us as travel would be much cheaper with flights/Eurostar/driving all being an option, but comparatively they don't seem to have much to offer compared to WDW.
Well thought out post.Price gouging happens because it is a factor of the market. When the market will no longer pay the prices, the prices go down. You can see this with Disney merchandise that is moved to outlets stores after not selling in the parks. You can see this in the numerous threads where members are "downsizing" their vacations, going less frequently, waiting for new attractions before booking etc.
I have been guilty of purchasing a "Pirates of the Caribbean" sweatshirt just because I was cold (not the girly one about Jack Sparrow but the guy one with "Dead Men Tell No Tales"). However, I don't buy the merchandise normally. I don't buy water or soda. I choose few snacks. I do most of my adult beverages using alcohol I bring with me and refillable mug mixers. I also chose to stay at a Value Resort instead of my favorite Beach Club when the price got out of reach.
The more people who economize, the lower the prices will get. However, due to crowds, there is now a huge market for the "upcharge" event or experience. Disney knows what it is doing. The general guest? Not so much.
Sites like this can do a great service for economy minded guests. We can help people find a spot to watch the parade without paying an upcharge. We can recommend fireworks watching areas. We can suggest good counter service restaurants. We can steer guests to less expensive options for Disney branded shirts (got the cutest Frozen tank from Hot Topic with free shipping...Anna liked it).
When the market changes from the novice Disney traveler to the informed Disney traveler because they feel they are being priced out, then prices will change. Unless WDW sees a decrease in guests, guest satisfaction, re-bookings etc...price increases will continue to exceed inflation.
Well thought out post.
It seems to me the more Disney applies the heat on prices to find the breaking point, the more we should discuss it.
It seems counterproductive as consumers to just "take it" or even applaud the strategy.
Thank you, I knew there was something about this with the tour.Oswalt the rabbit was by contract owned by the theater owner as soon as he showed them....a fancy contract legally stole Oswald from Walt which is why Disney is so protective of there character properties.
When Disney Inc started buying land they used 5 or 6 fake companies to keep the prices from soaring to $2500 a acre. Disney owned the fake companies.
Btw....Disney recently bought Oswald back.
AKK
I do not feel mine was disrespectful either. It was simply more on the snarky side.
You are correct, they do have a bearing but my point was contextually different than how it came out in my post. I do not feel that any other park is even remotely on par with Disney. The others ride on the coat tails of WDW and the overall experience is different. In other words, there is no comparison to be made.
Disney does their best to find the bottom of every pocket and purse that walks through the door. They're not alone but in the past, at least the quality of what you received for your money was something worth paying for.
That in my opinion is no longer the way it is.
To be honest, I think British Airways and Virgin do gouge a bit. The same flight costs less than half during school term time.
I wish DLP was a better choice for us as travel would be much cheaper with flights/Eurostar/driving all being an option, but comparatively they don't seem to have much to offer compared to WDW.
Agreed. We have visited many tourist places over the years...and not one of them had great bargains on food or hotels...in fact we just came back from a tour of Utah Natl. Parks.....oh my the hotel prices near those are HIGH.(hurray for campgrounds,not Disney one tho)It's a tourist attraction with prices that reflect that.
Huh? A discount = a lower price = less profit than if they had sold the item at full price. so yes, it does equal lowering prices.Applying a discount does not equal cutting prices.
You don't think a discussion of how expensive things are at a vacation destination is appropriate for planning? It is one of the most important topics when reviewing restaurants, hotels and attractions on sites like Tripadvisor. How much did it cost?, was the value there? Are there an appropriate amount of attractions for the ticket cost? How many rides can you get in per day? Is the buffet food worth the $50.00 charge? Turkey Legs are how much? $10.00 for a poncho.
yes,they are very high. But they tend to be on par with,say big City pricing for most things.....so for someone like me, it's cheaper to buy dinner at Disney than in NYC (average) but for someone from say,a small midwestern town, it can be a horrible shock. That said, I am cheap,and I find bargains whether in Disney or NYC... but it is pricey. There are a lot of things we DON'T buy at Disney just b/c of the price. my DH will NOT buy a beer on property on principle. He will go off property if he wants one,it's just one of his things.
So that being said, I wonder what is the better business model. The Walmart approach where profit margins are lower but they sell "way" more product or the Disney approach, where they sell less product with a higher profit per item. And for anyone who would take issue with my Walmart example, people of good means still seek bargains. Costco comes to mind immediately. Costco offers products in bulk for a cheaper price per unit than the average retailer. As they are a company on the rise it is clear they have "happy customers". Sure Disney can get away with charging what they do. But how many people walk away feeling they got a good value for their money?
I agree HP could have had a whole park. I still could see HP expanding. I hope it does. but I disagree with the idea of spreading things out as much as WDW does. Spreading attractions overly far from each other is one of the things I dislike about WDW's approach. MK is about right, Epcot is spread way too thin. Currently, HS has tons of wasted space, and it makes the park seem a bit trashy/ugly to us.But I prefer 4 parks even if they have fewer attractions.
HP could have been its own park. But now we applaud US for adding so many attractions INSIDE the 2 existing parks. But if they had made a 3rd park (like WDW did with DHS) things would be looking a little thin over there as well. But I would still prefer 3 parks, because they would offer some sort of ticket that covers those parks at a discount..
Another great option if you only visit WDW a few times a year is to figure the monthly cost of owning an AP, and the value of renewing vs. letting it expire then buying a new one 4 months later.DVC AP is another one on here. For those going one week each year, just go one week earlier the next year and 2 trips are covered for $250 each including hopping. In affect, and AP is then $250 per year.