Don't shoot the messenger.
DH got his hands on the press-release copy of the Unoffical Guide to WDW 2011. Too many are saying the same thing......I have to agree with the following...sorry it's so long......
Quote:
In the era of ever-shrinking margins, we understand that Disney needs to continually find ways to increase profits, especially with the theme parks constituting a large share of Disney's operating revenue. When things go south for corporate Disney, it's always the theme parks and we, the guests, who are burdened with making up the shortfall.
To put increases in perspective, Disney's price hikes have far outpaced those in almost every other sector of the US economy. For example, the price of a one-day, one-park ticket has jumped more than 44%, and the price of a child's four-day Park Hopper has increased 39%. In comparison, the hourly wage of the average American worker has risen only 14%, and consumer prices have increased only 9% during the same period.
Disney seems to be employing an "all the market can bear pricing strategy that has become substantially more aggressive in the past few years. We think they'll probably continue to boost prices aggressively until there's an angry backlash and attendance starts to decline. If this happens, Disney will loose more in hotel, food-and-beverage, and retail revenue than it will gain from higher admission prices.
Disney his hoping that guests will regard the increases in admission rices as relatively minor compared with the cost of the WDW vacation overall. No matter how you shake it up, however, the runaway price hikes leave a bad taste in your mouth. Walt Disney World was not conceived as an exclusive playground for the rich".
AMEN Unofficial Guide 2011