Are They TRYING to keep us away?

[beansmom]

With fewer discounts available and the price of tickets rising, Is Disney trying to keep the crowds away? You'd think, in this recessionary climate that they would be offering incentives to increase sales but it doesn't look that way to me.

Can anyone explain the logic? Or is it that since the economy is bad, they will just gouge the ones willing to pay the prices?

 

[Mustangdi]

Beansmom
I am just really bummed out with this price increase. We will be going in 2 weeks and I
was going to upgrade 5 day hopper to an AP.

All I can say is that they picked a fine time.
Now I don't know if I will do the upgrade or
not. I am really tired of all the cuts this
year, and now a price increase. What next?

 

[beansmom]

The bad thing is that I'm always telling friends who say they can't afford a WDW trip that with a little determination and planning it really is affordable. Boy, are they making a liar out of me!

I'm beginning to think it really is a once in a lifetime trip. I mean, I don't think the pass increase will sink my plans but add it to fewer room discounts, raising prices of everything else and it does seem a lot of $$ for a week of fun. Especially when I consider what other 'permanent' things that $5K will buy.

I'm sitting on 'last year's vacation money'---new furniture for the lving room and the kid always needs something. Sorry for the vent. Just frustrated.

 

[n2mm]

I'm going out on a limb here, but folks are acting like this is the first time WDW has increased prices. Gosh, they do it every year and people still find the money to flock to the parks. I don't like it one bit (mostly because I was there last month and could have purchased my friends and family their passes at the lower rate) but there is nothing we can do about it. OK, some could say, "I won't be going to WDW next year," but it won't be me. I noticed on the Disney site that the room rates actually stayed the same (for the values), dropped (for the moderates) and went both up and down for the Deluxes. I was thrilled that the room prices didn't go up in addition to the tickets. Which they usually do EACH and EVERY year. Heck, I stayed at CBR in 1989 for the high Regular season rate of $69. Then I became an AP holder in 1995--there were no discounts on rooms back then. Every now and then a Delux would be discounted 20% off during value season and sometimes a moderate would be 10% off, but never during Spring or Summer. You guys have it made. With mousesavers and sites like this and all of the discounts Disney is offering constantly no one should complain. Would you rather Disney not offer any discounts like they did a few years ago?? I doubt it. I had to make my husband get a job at as a Cast Member to get the discounts. Now talk about a slave driver! We love the CM discounts, but lately you guys get the rooms for almost what we get them for, something totally unheard of years ago.

 

[MrsPete]

Prices are going up because people continue to pay them! Supply and demand. Simple.

 

[beansmom]

Point taken, n2mm. I wasn't privy to all the history, only having become a disneyholic in 2000. I'm sure it's frustrating to hear me gripe when you know how good it is now. I feel the same way at work...I've been there 16 years and the newbies are all fresh faced and eager---been there, done that and the t-shirts shrink!

I am grateful for any and all discount I am able to get...even the ones I can't use.

I just wonder how the companies (mine included) can justify whining about loss of profits, etc when the CEO's get such huge checks. You can bet none of them kick any salary or bonuses back to the ailing corp---including the millionaire CEO of the corp I work for.

 

[idontknow]

My grumpy posts are due to the fact that this has been a year of "shhh, don't tell them until it is too late". This isn't a Disney thing for me. In Feb our work changed our insurance with less than a week's notice. (DH had surgery scheduled for over a month before the change for the week after the change, we were out of luck) Then in March they did it again with less than 12 hours notice. Then they decided not to pay us Holiday pay with only a 3 day notice. (they had payed us for over 10 years for the same holiday) Then they decided to close our work and remodel with a name change with only 4 days notice. (I'll take construction over what I do normally, though. ) Now the ticket thing with Disney. I agree, they can increase the prices whenever the like, I just think it is bad planning to do it now. I really don't think the changes to the DC are right, either. but, that's a vent I don't want to type out right now.

 

[jgates]

Can someone give me a little more detail of price increase?

Old vs. New?

 

[beansmom]

http://wdwig.com/hnews.htm

Gates,

Here's the link to deb's news page...all the dirty deed is described there.

 

[Luv2Roam]

Agree on much of the above. I think we all expected the usual increases at the start of the year. Those were the norm, and what people expected.
Does this mean their usual first of the year increase will still come around too?
And in the wake of constant eliminations of perks, I think they are just hurting themselves more and more on a daily basis it seems. It's like they are purposely seeing what they can do to drive people away, rather than encourage guests to return more often.
I think they may have a rude awakening approaching. They think the parks are empty and hurting now. Just wait...
Parades are cut, fireworks are cut, hours are cut, prices increase, and etc! All to keep ABC afloat...
Many of you would be interested in reading the News and Rumors board....
I too use to instigate others to travel to WDW. But can't say that I think that now is a good time for WDW, although I STILL Love to go there. But after January, I am planning on taking a wait and see approach for future trips.

 

[beansmom]

"Isn't it ironic?" as Alanis would say.

The very same day I started this debate, I decided to buy an AP even though I live halfway across the country! So obviously, nothing is keeping me away after all.

 

[DiznEeyore]

What's interesting to me (and I cannot remember where I read this, but it was very recently) is that the man who took over for Walt when he died was terrified to raise ticket prices at the park for fear the public would think they were "a bunch of crooks". Now THAT'S ironic.

 

[C.Ann]

I think most people expect a yearly increase in ticket prices..

What they DON'T expect is to pay MORE for LESS..

I think blaming the "economy" for Disney's low attendance is a crock.. The more likely explanation is that people are getting tired of spending their hard earned vacation dollars for less and less and are either limiting their vacations to WDW to once every several years (as opposed to the once a year trip) or they are simply going elsewhere..

Disney is playing Russian roulette.. "How much can we cut before the customers won't come back anymore?" They're already seeing a partial answer.. Wake up Disney! Offer people a reason to come - NOT numerous reasons to stay away...

 

[tink2dw]

I think the timing is interesting! 3 days before 9/11?? How strange??

 

[disvaclub92]

I feel my real dilemma is - that if I only had known at least a few months in advance of the price increase - I could have prepared myself saved and bought prior to the increase. That is why I am upset - and of course it is not going to stop me from coming.

 

[SnowWitch]

I can claim I participated in the DIsney exposure of at 3 dozen people and the absolute addiction of Disney of about half of those. And to be honest I'm starting to feel guilty. Last summer I helped three families plan their FIRST trip to DIsney, they all decided to stay on-site because of the great perks. Well as we all know by the time these people arrived in Dec the perks were long gone. This summer my best friend and I have been planning our Dec trip, she hasn't been in 3 years and just finished nursing school so money is still tight. What a great present from Disney price increases. I'm a little disgusted. I love Disney, we are vacation club members bu this is getting ridiculous. When we reach Disney soil in Dec it will be for the first time in a year and a half. Previously we had been visiting 2-4 times a year but I felt customer service was less than what I expected for my money. I'm on a wait and see bases. I can handle shorter hours if the lines are short, I can handle increased prices if the quality is still there. If its not I can vacation elsewhere which is what I've done the last year and half!

 

[singitalto]

This increase just pushed me over my budget. So instead of upgrading my 4 day hopper pluses(that I bought the last time the increased was"rumored") to AP's . I will just be adding a day or two!!

Oh well think of the thousands of dollars I saved NOT going to Disney 4 times in a year like I did the first time I got AP's!!!

 

[beansmom]

The more I think about it...the less unhappy I am about the challenges we are being thrown.

Ya know, Six Flags is about $45 per day per person and it's not even in the same league as WDW...AND they have the nerve to charge..(I hope you're sitting down) $20 for their version of the Fast Pass thingy! It's true...so still, Disney is a better deal!

 

[disvaclub92]

beansmom,

I saw those Q-bots (Six Flags version of Fast Pass) - what a waste of money - someone bought them last week - it was an overcast day, Labor Day Weekend, and the park was dead - what were they thinking.

I cannot believe they charge for fast pass at Six Flags.

 

[crisi]

Keep in mind that Disney's costs can be expected to increase every year as well.

They are particularly hard hit by increases in energy costs. And because they are so employee intense, any increase to employee costs (increase in costs of medical benefits) can hit them really hard as well.

Since these costs are spread over every park ticket they sell and are relatively fixed (they can cut energy costs by shortening park hours or employee costs by laying off employees - both which we've seen happen over the past year, but are hard decisions to make), if the park attendance goes down, the profit they make on each ticket is reduced - until the theme parks don't turn a profit and then they won't be there.

Around here I pay $8 to go to a movie for 90 minutes. We recently paid $50 a ticket to go see Cirque de Soliel when it was in town. We pay $20 to go to a baseball game. Disney's prices seem to be in line with our other entertainment options.