old lady
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Mar 15, 2007
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-disneyland-prices-20151005-htmlstory.html
Do you agree or not?
Do you agree or not?
As far as "greed" goes, we all try to find a way to make more money. I'm trying to get more money from my company all the time. Why? Not because I'm greedy. Because I want to have more for vacations, more for college funds, more to give to my church, and more to keep the wolf outside my door.
Except when you have more people to buy for. So that extra $300 is all of a sudden an extra $1500. That's not easy to swallow.I guess I always viewed the annual pass as one of those things that always was quite expensive and, just like most things, gets more expensive over time. Yes I get that going from $700 something to just over $1K is a big increase but averaged over a year it really isn't that much. I guess, right or wrong, I figure if you could afford to shell out $700+ you can shell out $1K.
Now on to AP's. They seem to me to be a great bargain, even with the price increases, when you compare them with the cost of tickets. I'm surprised they don't charge even more! They could, and I think that would be fair considering the cost of their regular tickets.
The APs really are a good deal. I was trying to explain this to my mother, but she doesn't get it. She said why don't you just buy tickets each year and go once a year. Essentially our idea is buying Deluxe APs every other year or so. To us that means we can go once per year for a better deal, but she didn't understand it...
Cost for 2 adult and 2 child 5-day park hoppers (at current prices) $1228.
Cost for 4 Deluxe APs is $2396.
She says you're paying twice as much. I say no, because it is the cost of 2 annual trips. $1228 X 2 years = $2456. And that would assume the price of the 5-day hoppers didn't increase from one year to the next, which they always do.
Add to that the Deluxe APs have 10% discounts on most food and 15% discount on most merchandise. And, because we do live within a long drive, we can technically go more than the two times. It really is a good deal if you can go for two vacations in the 365 days.
Disneyland's attendance has increased every year, in spite of skyrocketing ticket prices. People are attending because the product is so phenomenal. There is SO much to do and experience at the Disneyland Resort parks! Demand is so phenomenal that the walkways are overflowing with people, navigation between lands is crowded, wait times are high, parking structures are often maxing out. All of these problems contribute to diminishing customer satisfaction. Guests complaints about being miserable are growing louder and more frequent. How can Disney fix the crowd problem? They can either make the parks less magical so people won't come, or they can increase ticket and Annual Pass prices to the point where fewer people can afford unlimited access to a premium vacation destination.
The perception that Disneyland should be accessible at any and all moments was never the point of an Annual Pass. APs were originally offered to help fill days when tourist traffic was historically low. But the popularity of both the AP *and* the fan base of the Disney Parks has evolved into something that has turned a premium vacation destination into a place people frequent after school or work. Maybe Disney execs are right to use financial tactics to scale back premium AP membership. Yes! They want to solve the complaints arising over crowding issue! They want that top tier membership to shrink! They want AP members, but they want them to have blackout dates! Maybe consumer expectations should be adjusted and more people should perceive Disneyland and DCA as a premium vacation destination and visit less often with limited APs, in return making each future visit an experience more special. (dons flame suit)
I don't think that Legoland, Knott's, or Universal offers amazing weekend fireworks like Disneyland, or shows and parades that rival Fantasmic! and Paint the Night, or the sheer number of rides and attractions accessible to the ticket holder and Annual Pass holder. People can do Universal in a day or two, but it takes at least five days to really experience Disneyland and DCA. All those other parks are neat and exciting, but they are nowhere near the same caliber as the Disneyland Resort.
In the past and into the future, we guests are getting our money's worth. Disney Parks has invested back into the park system with Carsland, DCA, new parades, World of Color, and plans to expand with Star Wars and Marvel. Disney IS investing in its company and its parks, even if we grouse about how we have to pay for it. I don't *want* to pay more, but in the end I'm willing to pay more if it keeps improving the park experience.
Kittyskyfish I couldn't agree with you more. In fact, I'm sure most of us would pay even more to be able to access less crowded times or have "front of the line" passes. They increase because the demand demands it !People are attending because the product is so phenomenal
I don't think that Legoland, Knott's, or Universal offers amazing weekend fireworks like Disneyland, or shows and parades that rival Fantasmic! and Paint the Night, or the sheer number of rides and attractions accessible to the ticket holder and Annual Pass holder. People can do Universal in a day or two, but it takes at least five days to really experience Disneyland and DCA. All those other parks are neat and exciting, but they are nowhere near the same caliber as the Disneyland Resort.