$85 for a ticket, these are the glory days!

[michsig]

It's called inflation. Been around a while, even before MYW. It's also not a Disney-exclusive.

exactly!

 

[Doogan]

I don't think Disney has raised prices enough. As crowded as the parks are now compared to years ago, I'd say they need to raise prices more. Let me put it this way, "Would you be willing to pay an extra $20/day if it meant there were 25% fewer people on any given day?" I think I would pay extra for lower crowds. It won't happen, because they want bodies in the park so they can sell more food, souvenirs, etc., but I wish it would.

 

[scion5220]

From the Wikipedia article on Bob Iger:

"Compensation

While CEO of Walt Disney in 2009, Iger earned total compensation of $29,028,362, which included a base salary of $2,038,462, a cash bonus of $9,260,000, stock awards of $6,336,509 and option awards of $8,308,647.[10] Iger earned a $13.5 million bonus in 2010, which was a 45.4% increase from 2009.[11]"

I wonder what his 2011 bonus will be. Care to share that data?

That is ONE executive and the TOP executive at that.

Why don't you do a comparison of his salary to the overall revenue of the corporation as a whole and compare that to some smaller corporations before you amp up your ire meter.

 

[Disney_Princess83]

Disney wouldn't do that, because as you mentioned, the more tickets they sell, the make more money on food, drinks, gifts ect. Besides, that would be pricing people out of the park and I hope as many people as possible, especially children, get to experience the Disney Magic.

I don't think Disney has raised prices enough. As crowded as the parks are now compared to years ago, I'd say they need to raise prices more. Let me put it this way, "Would you be willing to pay an extra $20/day if it meant there were 25% fewer people on any given day?" I think I would pay extra for lower crowds. It won't happen, because they want bodies in the park so they can sell more food, souvenirs, etc., but I wish it would.

 

[Kidztheater]

Ok, here is how I rationalize the cost of tickets at WDW:

I am a theater person. I live in NYC, I work professionally as a theater director.

Tickets to a 3 hour Broadway Show (such as The Lion King) are $120 for orchestra seats. All Broadway shows are over $100 for most seats in the house.

Even as a devout Broadway lover, all things considered (without travel expenses, since I don't pay them for Broadway), I would RATHER spend my $85 for a FULL DAY in MK than $120 for The Lion King or Mary Poppins.

Just spend a little time pricing a trip to NYC with flights, food, hotel and Broadway shows each day and you'll quickly see that WDW is SO MUCH cheaper. You think Value resorts are expensive, try pricing a "cheap hotel chain" like Quality Inn in NYC. The minimum rates are $199!!


Really, deep down inside I know WDW is expensive, but this is how I personally rationalize it because it is SO MUCH cheaper than a trip to see Broadway shows!

 

[chartle]

Just spend a little time pricing a trip to NYC with flights, food, hotel and Broadway shows each day and you'll quickly see that WDW is SO MUCH cheaper. You think Value resorts are expensive, try pricing a "cheap hotel chain" like Quality Inn in NYC. The minimum rates are $199!!

I've been trying to come up with a DC trip and stay at a hotel near ANY metro stop. My head spins when I see $350 for the Sunday, $450 for weekday.

I think we may, and I'm not kidding, stay in a yurt in a campground* for $80 a night with a bus stop that can get us to the metro.

* Just so you know we are campers so not a big deal just didn't want to pack all the gear and also wanted a real bed.

 

[fairyprincess88]

I've been trying to come up with a DC trip and stay at a hotel near ANY metro stop. My head spins when I see $350 for the Sunday, $450 for weekday.

I think we may, and I'm not kidding, stay in a yurt in a campground* for $80 a night with a bus stop that can get us to the metro.

* Just so you know we are campers so not a big deal just didn't want to pack all the gear and also wanted a real bed.

Or just stay over the bridge in Arlington. Tons of very nice hotels right near metro stops(most take about 15 minutes to get into DC) for less than $150 a night. I travel a lot to DC and always stay in Arlington. There is a Hilton one block from a metro station in Arlington with a table service, room service, free Starbucks coffee in the lobby and free wifi that I usually get for $120 or less a night depending on season.

 

[chartle]

Or just stay over the bridge in Arlington. Tons of very nice hotels right near metro stops(most take about 15 minutes to get into DC) for less than $150 a night. I travel a lot to DC and always stay in Arlington. There is a Hilton one block from a metro station in Arlington with a table service, room service, free Starbucks coffee in the lobby and free wifi that I usually get for $120 or less a night depending on season.

Thanks I've been trying to find a travel forum with as much traffic as the DIS and have found no luck. All my searches take me to forums that some of their latest posts are from years ago.

Trip adviser is the closest I can find but it laid out really weird.

 

[Jobie]

It really does not make sense to be in a tizzy about prices for WDW. If they were too expensive, people would not go. As long as they are making money at the current prices, they will remain the same. The only way prices will come down (or better discounts come out) is if their numbers come down. It is simple economics.


Going to Disney World is not a right, it is a privilege. I wish I could afford to go every year, but with my current financial standing, I cannot. That's why I save and am happy when I am able to go. Shoot, the last time I was on property I did not have enough money to visit the parks, so I spent a day resort hoping. It was a lot of fun.

The point is, Disney is a business. Even though price hikes stink, it is a fact of business.

 

[KSDisneyDad]

Thanks I've been trying to find a travel forum with as much traffic as the DIS and have found no luck. All my searches take me to forums that some of their latest posts are from years ago.

Trip adviser is the closest I can find but it laid out really weird.

Interesting post for this thread.

I think it speaks volumes for the "value" of Disney.

 

[flicx]

From the Wikipedia article on Bob Iger:

"Compensation

While CEO of Walt Disney in 2009, Iger earned total compensation of $29,028,362, which included a base salary of $2,038,462, a cash bonus of $9,260,000, stock awards of $6,336,509 and option awards of $8,308,647.[10] Iger earned a $13.5 million bonus in 2010, which was a 45.4% increase from 2009.[11]"

I wonder what his 2011 bonus will be. Care to share that data?

29 million dollars,that literally turns my stomach.There is alot of the reason why the ticket increases are needed!

 

[torinsmom]

I've been trying to come up with a DC trip and stay at a hotel near ANY metro stop. My head spins when I see $350 for the Sunday, $450 for weekday.

I think we may, and I'm not kidding, stay in a yurt in a campground* for $80 a night with a bus stop that can get us to the metro.

* Just so you know we are campers so not a big deal just didn't want to pack all the gear and also wanted a real bed.

We used Priceline and got a hotel right by the metro for $90/night. We bid on 3*+ hotels in the Georgetown area. Rack rate for that hotel(Marriott Wardman Park) was over $300/night. We parked at the Ballston Parking garage in Arlington and metro'd in as parking was $30/day at the Marriott and only $8/day at the parking garage. We ended up staying another night and PL'd again--got a Hilton or Hyatt(can't remember) in Arlington for $80/night. So there are good deals to be had. This was in summer too.

 

[larryz]

His total compensation would have been made from 341,510 tickets, assuming they were $85 each.

Or just TWO MVMCP's....

 

[larryz]

That is ONE executive and the TOP executive at that.

Why don't you do a comparison of his salary to the overall revenue of the corporation as a whole and compare that to some smaller corporations before you amp up your ire meter.

Fish rot from the head.

I'd rather compare his salary to the salaries/benefits paid the vast majority of his employees.

Let's see -- 24 million to 24 thousand. Sound fair to you?

It doesn't to me, especially when that hotel maid, ticket seller, ride operator or food service worker has more direct effect on customer satisfaction than does Iger.

I contend they wouldn't need to raise prices so frequently if they paid Iger and his management team salaries more in line with the value they actually add to the company.

 

[KSDisneyDad]

29 million dollars,that literally turns my stomach.There is alot of the reason why the ticket increases are needed!

And to think that Iger wasn't even Disney's highest paid employee. That honor went to Johnny Depp (aka Captain Jack Sparrow). It was rumored that he made anywhere from $33 to $56 million for Pirates 4 and nearly $300 million for all 4 movies.

Let me guess...his pay was somehow justifiable. Pirates 4 did gross $1.0 billion worldwide, or about 1/38 of Disney's total revenues.

And the shareholders made about $4.0 billion last year as a group. Perhaps they too should just accept a lower return so Disney World can be more affordable to everyone. Don't worry about that 401(k) balance as long as corporations don't make too much profit.

 

[KSDisneyDad]

Fish rot from the head.

I'd rather compare his salary to the salaries/benefits paid the vast majority of his employees.

Let's see -- 24 million to 24 thousand. Sound fair to you?

It doesn't to me, especially when that hotel maid, ticket seller, ride operator or food service worker has more direct effect on customer satisfaction than does Iger.

I contend they wouldn't need to raise prices so frequently if they paid Iger and his management team salaries more in line with the value they actually add to the company.

Do you really think ticket prices correlate to executive salaries? Ticket prices have absolutely nothing to do with supply and demand, competition and other economic factors.

Assuming Iger made $29 million last year too, that's less than 7/10 of one percent of the total net income of the Company. I doubt if prices would have changed a bit had his compensation been $1 million or $100 million. The Walt Disney Company is so much more than just theme parks.

This whole side discussion is getting a bit extreme IMO. Is this Occupy Wall Street or the DIS? If you feel so strongly, please boycott Disney as they made too much money last year instead of lowering ticket prices.

 

[flicx]

And to think that Iger wasn't even Disney's highest paid employee. That honor went to Johnny Depp (aka Captain Jack Sparrow). It was rumored that he made anywhere from $33 to $56 million for Pirates 4 and nearly $300 million for all 4 movies.

Let me guess...his pay was somehow justifiable. Pirates 4 did gross $1.0 billion worldwide, or about 1/38 of Disney's total revenues.

And the shareholders made about $4.0 billion last year as a group. Perhaps they too should just accept a lower return so Disney World can be more affordable to everyone. Don't worry about that 401(k) balance as long as corporations don't make too much profit.

You really gonna defend a 29 million dollar salary? As far as the Depp comparison,really, grow up. The talent difference between Iger and Depp is mind boggling! Lets also not forget Depp isn't on the payroll he is a temporary employee,not the same at all and you know it!

 

[flicx]

Assuming Iger made $29 million last year too, that's less than 7/10 of one percent of the total net income of the Company. I doubt if prices would have changed a bit had his compensation been $1 million or $100 million.

I'm beginning to think you work for the government.This is the kind of misdirection they try to pull too."Hey its only 7/10 of one percent!" Sounds so meaningless doesn't it. 29 million for one ceo is way way out of hand,and each and every one of these over expenditures affect the overall price of things.

 

[mesaboy2]

You really gonna defend a 29 million dollar salary? As far as the Depp comparison,really, grow up. The talent difference between Iger and Depp is mind boggling! Lets also not forget Depp isn't on the payroll he is a temporary employee,not the same at all and you know it!

How exactly do you compare the talents of a business executive and an actor? You really can't, so I'm guessing you will justify the salary of the one you like more. Hmm, I wonder who that could be? Strong argument there.

They are both paid a mind-boggling amount of money, and both of them "earned it" by becoming very good at what they do and using that to maximum advantage. That's how it's supposed to work around these parts.

 

[larryz]

Do you really think ticket prices correlate to executive salaries? Ticket prices have absolutely nothing to do with supply and demand, competition and other economic factors.

Assuming Iger made $29 million last year too, that's less than 7/10 of one percent of the total net income of the Company. I doubt if prices would have changed a bit had his compensation been $1 million or $100 million. The Walt Disney Company is so much more than just theme parks.

So, do the math on the $20k salary, Calky, and tell me how many zeroes go after that decimal point...

I don't mind Disney making money -- I'm a shareholder -- but I think people should be paid what they're worth, not what they can bilk a company for.

I'm all for people paying reasonable ticket prices, but I agree with PP that they're quickly making WDW an elusive experience for what's left of the middle class in America.