Kaboom! WDW ticket price increases, and it's not pretty...

[doconeill]

Per the Disney Parks Blog:

http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/walt-disney-world-resort-ticket-prices-2012/

Notable changes: 1-day base goes up $4 to $89; The per-day increment on the longer tickets went up from $8 to $10, and now starts after Day 5 - the 5th day increment is $12. Park hopping and WPFM are up $2 to $57.

The one new thing - getting Park Hopping AND WPFM on a ticket is now only $79.

Now here's the shocker: Annual Passes went up a TON: A standard Tourist AP is now $574 for both Adult and Child - that's a 10.6% increase for an adult, and a 16.7% increase for a child!

 

[Danibelle]

This seems extreme but I still think people will come. I don't know where the point is where people will just say no. 100, 200 for a 1 day. Not everyone comes for a week or buys an AP.

 

[SamSam]

Ack! Trying to decide what to do. DH's AP will need to be renewed at the start of our next trip (Sept.22)...I'm thinking Undercover Tourist 6 day Pass and use that to bridge up to renew his AP when we get there.

Mine is good until Jan., so I'm not sure if I will do anything with mine. Ugh, these increases are getting hard to stomach.

 

[doconeill]

I just noticed....I don't see anything about Annual Pass renewals at all...but I also don't see mention of the DVC AP price either, which is usually listed. Cheshire Figment will hopefully get the new rate card soon.

 

[Kimberle]

I had a feeling this would happen. Last week I ordered tickets for our trip next Spring from Undercover Tourist. I'm glad I did!

 

[Splat25]

I was waiting for this and just got DVC annual passes for the whole family. I ran the numbers based off the DVC current discount and we just saved $$$ by buying right now. Good thing I had my ducks in a row for this one....

The savings off last years annual pass:
New AP $100/adult $91/Child
Renewal AP: $45/adult $41/Child

We saved about $300 by buying now if those rates apply to the new prices for DVC.

 

[Phoenixblue]

We have been watching for this also. Bought tickets today to beat the Sunday price increase.

Seems Disney wanted to be priced over Universal.

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/business/os-disney-raises-ticket-prices-20120602,0,4517517.story

"A little more than a week after Universal Orlando raised its theme-park ticket prices, Walt Disney World followed — by boosting the price of its most basic ticket to $1 more than its smaller rival.
A one-day, single-park ticket to one of Disney World's four theme parks will now cost $89, an increase of 4.7 percent from the previous $85. The same ticket to a Universal Orlando theme park costs $88."

 

[simmons_m]

Just purchased our APs for our next trips (2 inside a 12 month period).
I imagine the 2013 price bump will be bigger with the opening of Fantasyland.

 

[ADP]

Well....I guess we knew it was coming.

Here are some of my thoughts:

1. The AP increase is the killer here. For our family who travels to WDW 2, 3, 4, and sometimes 5 times a year it's now harder to justify an AP (even if we are DVC members and get the DVC AP discount).

2. I believe there will be another ticket price hike for WDW before next June. Probably after phase 2 of Fantasyland opens later this year or early next year.

3. This increase won't stop people from going to the parks. What this, and future increases will do is prevent certain classes of families from going. As prices continue to creep up the lower income families will be shut out from the parks. It's a stratification affect at all income levels to a point when eventually only high affluent households will be able to afford to go. Middle income families are probably still ok, but at some point even middle income families will be shut out in the future.

We just renewed our APs for the year and I'm honestly considering buying another set of AP vouchers before the increase to use after our new APs expire next year to avoid the $165 price increase for 3 APs.

 

[KristEn87]

Well I'm really glad I have my AP this year and it's good until January, but I don't think I'll be renewing for next year even with the DVC discount. I still have 9 days left on a non expiring pass so at least I have those for next year. I'm thinking next year is going to be a DisneyLand year anyways and UGH on those prices! I'm super glad I bought my son a 10 day non expiring pass two increases ago! He'll be three in November so we bought it early knowing it would keep going up!

 

[Cheshire Figment]

There are still discounted prices for AP renewals, and there is still special pricing for DVC and Florida Residents. The ticket sticky will be updated shortly.

Also there is a change in upgrade procedures. If a ticket was full gate price prior to a price increase the difference will not be bridged. However, if the ticket was purchased other than at WDW the price difference will still be bridged.

And an interesting note is that a water park annual pass is less than the cost of two one-day water park tickets.

 

[doconeill]

There are still discounted prices for AP renewals, and there is still special pricing for DVC and Florida Residents. The ticket sticky will be updated shortly.

Also there is a change in upgrade procedures. If a ticket was full gate price prior to a price increase the difference will not be bridged. However, if the ticket was purchased other than at WDW the price difference will still be bridged.

And an interesting note is that a water park annual pass is less than the cost of two one-day water park tickets.

Ooh...that's interesting. So if I bought an 8-day ticket in a package or at the gate at the current price, and then added a day whether I used it first or not, I now have to pay the $10 + the price increase in the 8-day ($23)? OUCH.

 

[kbelle8995]

I am going to see if I can downsize to a seasonal pass. It is less that the AP pass but will it be enough of a savings to be worth it. The dates work. I will cross that bridge when I come to it. In the meantime research research.

 

[lugnut33]

Just picked up our 3 AP's we needed for the middle of June. Glad I got them before the increase. These will allow us to go in June, Nov. and December.

 

[txvjc]

I am going to see if I can downsize to a seasonal pass. It is less that the AP pass but will it be enough of a savings to be worth it. The dates work. I will cross that bridge when I come to it. In the meantime research research.

I think we are going to end up doing the same thing...between the price increase and the fact that the AP now costs the same if its for a child or adult is going to stretch the budget a little more than I want it too, even if we are on the payment plan...

 

[ukwildcat]

Just bought our Fl APs. Total savings buying today vs Sunday was $408. This was 2 adult and 3 children APs.

 

[Fastpaks]

We are done. I have toyed back and forth on getting 10 day no exp for a year or two, but I can't justify the cost anymore. While I agree that lower income families are going to slowly be squeezed out, I can tell you we are not. With the other costs associated traveling to Florida, its just not worth the money for us anymore. IF I lived in FL or was within in a 10-12 hour drive to Florida, I would consider the AP and likely still be going.

 

[PeterPan09]

Well....I guess we knew it was coming.

Here are some of my thoughts:

1. The AP increase is the killer here. For our family who travels to WDW 2, 3, 4, and sometimes 5 times a year it's now harder to justify an AP (even if we are DVC members and get the DVC AP discount).

2. I believe there will be another ticket price hike for WDW before next June. Probably after phase 2 of Fantasyland opens later this year or early next year.

3. This increase won't stop people from going to the parks. What this, and future increases will do is prevent certain classes of families from going. As prices continue to creep up the lower income families will be shut out from the parks. It's a stratification affect at all income levels to a point when eventually only high affluent households will be able to afford to go. Middle income families are probably still ok, but at some point even middle income families will be shut out in the future.

We just renewed our APs for the year and I'm honestly considering buying another set of AP vouchers before the increase to use after our new APs expire next year to avoid the $165 price increase for 3 APs.

Re: #3-that's how Disney was back before the days of readily available credit. When we first went back in 72, credit cards were brand new and not many people had them. Dad worked 2 jobs and Mom worked outside the home so we could have vacations at Disney. Of course, the early 70's were also the last years of decent income growth for the middle and working classes. Income hasn't grown, but credit became more readily available-which is what led to the credit crash, IMHO. Banks kept letting people have more credit, even though all the numbers proved that the majority of workers were actually making LESS money every year to pay it off. (even though most of those working people didn't realize it) It was only a matter of time before everything went BOOM, and the mortgage crisis was the fuse.

It is going to be very hard to sustain the vast enterprise that is Disney theme parks if the largest number of working people in the country do not have the income required to go there. A few wealthy folks at the top is not going to keep 4 theme parks, 2 water parks and ALL those resorts running. Yes, our foreign visitors do a great job (Hello Brazil!) and that will work for a while-but I am really concerned about the long term future if things don't change.

 

[disney david]

There are still discounted prices for AP renewals, and there is still special pricing for DVC and Florida Residents. The ticket sticky will be updated shortly.

Also there is a change in upgrade procedures. If a ticket was full gate price prior to a price increase the difference will not be bridged. However, if the ticket was purchased other than at WDW the price difference will still be bridged.

And an interesting note is that a water park annual pass is less than the cost of two one-day water park tickets.

I havE a question for you and sorry if it been asked before but if I buy an annual pass before the increase could I apply that towards a premier pass. And it do since I won't in Disney soon will I have to pay the diff of the price increase befits I could apply it towards the other pass.

 

[*NikkiBell*]

Honestly for me, the way I see it is: It is what it is. I expected it and also expect an increase once Fantasyland is done. However, this will not stop me from going.