AP prices rise again

[granmanh603]

Prices just went up in Oct and now the DVC Gold is up $90 to $699 from $609 the last increase in Oct. And if I remember they raised them last Feb too. Wow they really care about us don't they. Bleeding us dry.

 

[disneymagicRN]

Ugh, I'm sad. I was just about to buy some passes...always a day late and now almost $300 dollars short...lol.

 

[Olaf]

That is a huge increase. I guess they can get away with it, supply and demand, but it feels greedy. They're pricing the middle class right out of the parks.

 

[Mickey of the Villages]

I watched a vlog this past weekend about the new Surfside Hotel at Universal. It has rooms during "Value" season for $73/nt on a 7-night stay. And then today I see this price increase. I grew up with Disney vacations as a once-in-a-childhood vacation and somehow they have become annual vacations for many or even more frequent than that for some (including me). It appears to me now that Disney is becoming the premium brand (Riviera is selling at $210/point) and Universal is becoming the more accessible brand. I believe that Disney has the bit in its mouth now and the price increases will continue as a tool to lower park census. On the way it will separate folks into haves and have-nots.

 

[jerseyduke]

I watched a vlog this past weekend about the new Surfside Hotel at Universal. It has rooms during "Value" season for $73/nt on a 7-night stay. And then today I see this price increase. I grew up with Disney vacations as a once-in-a-childhood vacation and somehow they have become annual vacations for many or even more frequent than that for some (including me). It appears to me now that Disney is becoming the premium brand (Riviera is selling at $210/point) and Universal is becoming the more accessible brand. I believe that Disney has the bit in its mouth now and the price increases will continue as a tool to lower park census. On the way it will separate folks into haves and have-nots.

Riviera is not 210 a point - might want to check that.

I totally get why ppl are upset about the price increases, no one wants to spend more.
However, comparing the Endless Summer resort at Universal to the Riviera is not even apples to oranges. Endless Summer = All stars. And for 7 nights? Universal takes 3 days to do everything - including volcano bay. And remember there are no free fast passes at Universal. (My sister went with a family of 5 , and her last trip she booked a room at portifino bay just for the express passes - she was at her DVC room)

I have stayed at Avetura - cool rooms - pool is a joke. Saphire Falls, which is really nice. Universal does have some nice hotels, but they still are not cheap.
I have a trip planned in September. A park hopper for it would be 526$ That is actually more than I payed for my Gold Pass for this year! It is cheaper than my renewal rate for next year. (Gold is good enough for me)

It is the regular tickets that blow my mind.

Again, not happy about the increase.

 

[DebbieB]

As a DVC blue card member, you can buy a Gold AP for $690 plus tax. Non-blue card out of state is $1,119 for a Platinum AP. Saving $420 plus tax. That's huge, I don't know what I would do if I had to pay almost $1200 with tax. When people say where are the DVC perks, take a look at that, that Gold AP availability is a big perk. When I bought in 1999, there was no DVC AP discount.

 

[crvetter]

Riviera is selling at $210/point

Still selling for 188 with incentives for current and new members. Though the incentives got a cut a week or so ago.

 

[DebbieB]

Prices just went up in Oct and now the DVC Gold is up $90 to $699 from $609 the last increase in Oct. And if I remember they raised them last Feb too. Wow they really care about us don't they. Bleeding us dry.

I was looking back, just regular tickets increased in February. Last AP increase was 10/16/2018.

 

[Deb & Bill]

I'm just glad we are Florida Residents now and can purchase the weekday ticket. We don't need to go summers or Christmas or Easter and Sat and Sun are just too busy.

 

[granmanh603]

I totally get why ppl are upset about the price increases, no one wants to spend more.
However, comparing the Endless Summer resort at Universal to the Riviera is not even apples to oranges. Endless Summer = All stars. And for 7 nights? Universal takes 3 days to do everything - including volcano bay. And remember there are no free fast passes at Universal. (My sister went with a family of 5 , and her last trip she booked a room at portifino bay just for the express passes - she was at her DVC room)

I have stayed at Avetura - cool rooms - pool is a joke. Saphire Falls, which is really nice. Universal does have some nice hotels, but they still are not cheap.
I have a trip planned in September. A park hopper for it would be 526$ That is actually more than I payed for my Gold Pass for this year! It is cheaper than my renewal rate for next year. (Gold is good enough for me)

It is the regular tickets that blow my mind.

Again, not happy about the increase.

I paid $609 last Oct for my Gold. and the gold renewal now up too I think the chart said $600.

 

[jerseyduke]

(SNIP) Sat and Sun are just too busy. (SNIP)

Bingo!

Some weekends, even during the "slow" times are unbearable.

 

[jerseyduke]

I paid $609 last Oct for my Gold. and the gold renewal now up too I think the chart said $600.

I should have said my gold renewal. Last year, my gold renewal was basically the same as what I paid for a 4 day park hopped in Feb of this year.

My point is just that even with the price increase, AP people get some good deals, I get 340+ days for the about same price others pay for a week.

Those are the tickets that blow my mind

 

[DisBuckMan]

Riviera is not 210 a point - might want to check that.

I totally get why ppl are upset about the price increases, no one wants to spend more.
However, comparing the Endless Summer resort at Universal to the Riviera is not even apples to oranges. Endless Summer = All stars. And for 7 nights? Universal takes 3 days to do everything - including volcano bay. And remember there are no free fast passes at Universal. (My sister went with a family of 5 , and her last trip she booked a room at portifino bay just for the express passes - she was at her DVC room)

I have stayed at Avetura - cool rooms - pool is a joke. Saphire Falls, which is really nice. Universal does have some nice hotels, but they still are not cheap.
I have a trip planned in September. A park hopper for it would be 526$ That is actually more than I payed for my Gold Pass for this year! It is cheaper than my renewal rate for next year. (Gold is good enough for me)

It is the regular tickets that blow my mind.

Again, not happy about the increase.

We are DVC and AP holders at Disney, as well as AP holders at Universal. I've always been extremely pro-Disney over Universal. But it's changing.

When you compare apples to apples in the resorts, Universal is winning the battle. They are brighter, cleaner, newer, and simply just better. The only real advantages for Disney over Universal are balconies at Deluxe resorts and the ability to charge back to your room (which we never do anyway).

We regularly stay at Portofino Bay/Hard Rock Hotel/Royal Pacific for $179-209/night, and that gives the three of us unlimited Express Passes for the parks for two days. Any of those three hotels are as nice/nicer than any of Disney's hotels. You cannot stay at any of Disney's deluxe hotels for anywhere close to that amount.

 

[jerseyduke]

When you compare apples to apples in the resorts, Universal is winning the battle. They are brighter, cleaner, newer, and simply just better. The only real advantages for Disney over Universal are balconies at Deluxe resorts and the ability to charge back to your room (which we never do anyway).

We regularly stay at Portofino Bay/Hard Rock Hotel/Royal Pacific for $179-209/night, and that gives the three of us unlimited Express Passes for the parks for two days. Any of those three hotels are as nice/nicer than any of Disney's hotels. You cannot stay at any of Disney's deluxe hotels for anywhere close to that amount.

No doubt Disney charges a premium for their rooms. Universal's hotels are very nice - probably nicer than Disneys. Lowes is no slouch..

What I really want to know is how are you getting those hotels for those prices....please...not kidding...let me know. I never see things anywhere near those prices, and would love to be able to get them.

 

[DisBuckMan]

What I really want to know is how are you getting those hotels for those prices....please...not kidding...let me know. I never see things anywhere near those prices, and would love to be able to get them.

Are you an Annual Passholder at Universal? Royal Pacific is regularly $179-189 in the fall, winter, and spring Sundays-Thursdays. All of the 3 premiums can be had during that time for under $250/night.

We were at Royal Pacific for one night two weeks ago (checked in 6/2, checked out 6/3) and our rate was $209/night. When we checked in, they told us they had a convention going, and needed more standard rooms. They upgraded us to a "parlor suite" and gave us a rate of $99 for that night. So ended up with a large credit on our card. The parlor suite was a very large room...only drawback was there wasn't a real bed...just a pullout. They brought us a rollaway bed for our son for free.

We've stayed there probably 30-40 nights over the past several years. I think the highest rate we've ever paid per night was $264 at Hard Rock...using the AP rate, of course.

 

[tb1972]

What is the renewal price? There's usually a discount for renewals vs. purchasing a brand new AP.

 

[ScubaCat]

What is the renewal price? There's usually a discount for renewals vs. purchasing a brand new AP.

https://disneyvacationclub.disney.go.com/discounts-perks-offers/ticket-tour/walt-disney-world-pass/

 

[tb1972]

https://disneyvacationclub.disney.go.com/discounts-perks-offers/ticket-tour/walt-disney-world-pass/

Thank you. I cannot recall exactly what the gold DVC renewal rate was - maybe $550? So we're looking at a substantial increase.

 

[Ms.Minnie]

I just checked and the cost for a gold annual price is $699 verses $1,119 for non-DVC or FL residence, that is a huge difference. We are taking our daughter and her family (husband and two children over 3) in January. Eventually we plan to leave our DVC's to our children, I'm wondering if it would be a good idea to add them to our contracts now so they could benefit from the lower priced annual passes. How would that work? Can they be listed on our contract and have a different home address?

 

[Dean Marino]

I should have said my gold renewal. Last year, my gold renewal was basically the same as what I paid for a 4 day park hopped in Feb of this year.

My point is just that even with the price increase, AP people get some good deals, I get 340+ days for the about same price others pay for a week.

Those are the tickets that blow my mind

Let's put this in perspective...

A 7 day Park Hopper, 1 person, with TAX = 574.42, with an APR 20 2020 start date...
https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/admission/tickets/theme-parks-with-park-hopper/
DVC GOLD AP prices - WITH TAX (see enclosure)
http://allears.net/walt-disney-world/wdw-planning/walt-disney-world-ticket-prices/#four

So here is the deal: 2 people once per year - let's calculate the Delta:

632.61x2 - 574.42x2 = 116.38. ONCE per year? GP Renewal is not worth it. Buy Park Hopper Tickets.

Now, let's do 2 people, TWICE per year:

632.61x2 - 574.42x4 = 1265.22- 2297.68 = -1032.46. GP Renewal saves $1032.46

Now, that's just a Gold AP RENEWAL. But the methodology can be applied to all AP vs PH calculations. Situation pretty much remains the same: As DVC Members, we need to go twice per year to secure significant savings with an AP.

YOUR family can run the same calculation, based on your family's situation. But DO include TAX. The larger the principle? The larger the TAX.