Disney Premier Passport - Outrageous Cost?

[Pacolovestacos]

So I'm planning to visit DL and DW (possibly twice) this year. Went to check the prices on the Premier Passport and almost choked on my own tongue after I saw a price tag of $1,400+.

Uh Disney, what?

 

[MillauFr]

So I'm planning to visit DL and DW (possibly twice) this year. Went to check the prices on the Premier Passport and almost choked on my own tongue after I saw a price tag of $1,400+.

Uh Disney, what?

No reason to pay the $1,400. Just buy multi-day park hoppers when you go.

 

[Pacolovestacos]

No reason to pay the $1,400. Just buy multi-day park hoppers when you go.

I added up the cost of all 3 trip tickets and it came out significantly less than the $1,400. That's why I don't get that price tag.

 

[sonnyjane]

So I'm planning to visit DL and DW (possibly twice) this year. Went to check the prices on the Premier Passport and almost choked on my own tongue after I saw a price tag of $1,400+.

Uh Disney, what?

The price isn't outrageous for people that utilize it enough. It's a great deal for people that visit both parks regularly (as in much more than three times).

 

[MillauFr]

With the crowding problems they really need to start restricting the unlimited annual passes. They are already starting to do this at Disneyland.

 

[dina444444]

This pass has a value to it when you are a local to one of the parks and take a vacation to the other where your park ticket cost would exceed the cost of the upgrade. That ended up being the case for me in 2016. I am a Disneyland local and made two week long trips to Disney World last year. So for me the upgraded portion of pass was paid for after the first trip when I added up the cost of a 7 day park hopper and the discount I got on my hotel room from the AP.

 

[Turn the Page]

The $1400 price covers 365 days worth of admission to 6 theme parks and 2 water parks.

The season passes at our local ski hill are $760 for adults and the resort is only open for 2 1/2 to 3 months a year. Season passes at larger resorts out west routinely run over $1000 and they aren't always open much longer than our local hill. I would say $1400 for 6 parks and 2 water parks for an entire year to be a bargain.

Sure, for your purposes it would be more expensive but for others it is a downright steal.

 

[RedAngie]

If I intended to go at least 28 days (at $50 per), that might be a value to me. But there's no way I'd use it that much. Apparently many people do visit enough to make it worthwhile for them.

 

[Erzengel]

I'd have to make at least spend 20 different days to make a $1,400 worthwhile to me.

 

[wilkeliza]

It is really used for people who have a reason to go to both sets of parks more then one or two times a year. I have friends who are local to Orlando but then go out to Disneyland for the runDisney events. It makes sense for them to have the premier since they do 2-3 Disney land trips a year and are at WDW almost every other day. Same for the Disneyland locals who come out to WDW for 2-3 extended trips. Once you buy a couple 3 day tickets and are local to the other park the price starts to even out.

 

[Diznygrl]

And to think, when the pass debuted in 2010 it only cost $700.

 

[mikedoyleblogger]

So I'm planning to visit DL and DW (possibly twice) this year. Went to check the prices on the Premier Passport and almost choked on my own tongue after I saw a price tag of $1,400+.

Uh Disney, what?

We had Premiers in 2013 when they were around $850. At that price point, it was worth it. We did WDW once and DLR twice that year. But at $1,400, you're almost paying full price for both a WDW and a DLR AP. It's not worth it unless you're going to spend at least 10 days on both coasts (and actually probably longer than that at DLR.) Dining discounts--which are universal at DLR and better now at WDW--will help. But really, at $1,400 you're probably better off getting a WDW AP and multi-day hoppers for your DLR trips.

 

[mikedoyleblogger]

I added up the cost of all 3 trip tickets and it came out significantly less than the $1,400. That's why I don't get that price tag.

See below.

With the crowding problems they really need to start restricting the unlimited annual passes. They are already starting to do this at Disneyland.

WDW does not and cannot have the same problem that DLR does, because there are far fewer local APs at WDW than at DLR--because there are about 14 million fewer locals in day-tripping distance.

The $1400 price covers 365 days worth of admission to 6 theme parks and 2 water parks.

The season passes at our local ski hill are $760 for adults and the resort is only open for 2 1/2 to 3 months a year. Season passes at larger resorts out west routinely run over $1000 and they aren't always open much longer than our local hill. I would say $1400 for 6 parks and 2 water parks for an entire year to be a bargain.

Sure, for your purposes it would be more expensive but for others it is a downright steal.

You don't know the history of the passes. It is absolutely not a "downright steal" for anyone except Disney, when the pass price rises 60% in less than three years. Disney raised the Premier that steeply to match the 75% rise in DLR Premium APs (which were renamed Signature Plus APs) as a strategy to get fewer people to buy both passes and help uncrowd DLR, which had a problem with overcrowding due to the popularity of APs with the locals who make up the majority of visitors. (Disney also eliminated most Southern California resident passes at the time of the price increases.) This price point frankly was deliberately set to be a painful one, and makes no financial sense unless you plan to spend around a month in the parks, which is almost no one except, as @wilkeliza noted, heavily visiting Orlando or Anaheim locals who plan to visit the opposite coast.

 

[Turn the Page]

You don't know the history of the passes. It is absolutely not a "downright steal" for anyone except Disney, when the pass price rises 60% in less than three years. Disney raised the Premier that steeply to match the 75% rise in DLR Premium APs (which were renamed Signature Plus APs) as a strategy to get fewer people to buy both passes and help uncrowd DLR, which had a problem with overcrowding due to the popularity of APs with the locals who make up the majority of visitors. (Disney also eliminated most Southern California resident passes at the time of the price increases.) This price point frankly was deliberately set to be a painful one, and makes no financial sense unless you plan to spend around a month in the parks, which is almost no one except, as @wilkeliza noted, heavily visiting Orlando or Anaheim locals who plan to visit the opposite coast.

What difference does it make if I know the history of AP's or not? I can do math. If you plan to spend 52 days a year in the parks, which is once a week if you're local or dividing those 52 days up into longer visits, it costs less than $27 per day to go to the park. With one day ticket prices right around $100 I consider $27 to be a steal.

How much Disney has raised the price in recent years is totally irrelevant. Was it a better deal in the past than it is today? Yes. Most things are. But I am also confident that the deal was the same when the price was lower. It is only a good deal if you are going to use it enough.

Interestingly enough I am capable of determining if something is worth it without knowing how much it used to cost. I'm kooky like that.

 

[mom2rtk]

And to think, when the pass debuted in 2010 it only cost $700.

I had no idea. That's absolutely insane. And isn't it time for another round of increases? Am I mistaken or were the last AP increases in late 2015?

 

[mikedoyleblogger]

What difference does it make if I know the history of AP's or not? I can do math. If you plan to spend 52 days a year in the parks, which is once a week if you're local or dividing those 52 days up into longer visits, it costs less than $27 per day to go to the park. With one day ticket prices right around $100 I consider $27 to be a steal.

How much Disney has raised the price in recent years is totally irrelevant. Was it a better deal in the past than it is today? Yes. Most things are. But I am also confident that the deal was the same when the price was lower. It is only a good deal if you are going to use it enough.

Interestingly enough I am capable of determining if something is worth it without knowing how much it used to cost. I'm kooky like that.

As I said, it means you're incorrect about your contention that the pass is a bargain at its current pricing level. Neither was the deal "the same" at the previous pricing level, when I clearly stated it involved comparison with a different DLR AP itself at a different price point. Nor did I leave out addressing that at the current price point the pass would be most likely of use to locals. So part of your response simply re-states what I said in the first place, and the rest of your response still remains incorrect, no matter how gratuitously obnoxious you want to be, or how much you may think that being obnoxious makes you correct. This may come as a surprise to you, but it just makes you obnoxious.

I had no idea. That's absolutely insane. And isn't it time for another round of increases? Am I mistaken or were the last AP increases in late 2015?

Yes, I think they increase the Premier yearly along with the increases in Anaheim and Orlando.

 

[Turn the Page]

As I said, it means you're incorrect about your contention that the pass is a bargain at its current pricing level. Neither was the deal "the same" at the previous pricing level, when I clearly stated it involved comparison with a different DLR AP itself at a different price point. Nor did I leave out addressing that at the current price point the pass would be most likely of use to locals. So part of your response simply re-states what I said in the first place, and the rest of your response still remains incorrect, no matter how gratuitously obnoxious you want to be, or how much you may think that being obnoxious makes you correct. This may come as a surprise to you, but it just makes you obnoxious.

Wow. Ok then. I hope you enjoy your upcoming trips and figure out whatever pass situation works best for you.

ETA: Nevermind, I thought you were the OP. You clearly know more than everyone else here so continue on.

 

[longboard55]

They have always been about $350 over the highest pass price/ The problem is Disneyland really jacked up their premium pass price, because of crowd control. There were many social club groups spending every weekend at the parks. At the week after Christmas was just a mess. They make sense if you already have a premium pass and you want to go to WDW, we have done that a few times

 

[cabanafrau]

While recent price increases have been steep and it is a big ticket item, fortunately it's also a luxury, not a necessity.

 

[ZippityBoy]

I'm with Turn the Page on this one. Purchasing the Premier Pass has been our go-to as we like to frequent both Anaheim and Orlando Parks on a regular basis. Since we go to the Parks at most any time of year, the Premier Pass makes a lot of sense. And now that Disneyland has gone to tiered pricing for the busiest times of year (namely Summer and Christmas/New Years) the Premier Pass becomes a greater bargain. As our jobs allow for a copious amount of vacation leave and the ability to request said time off in excess of a year in advance, we are blessed to be able to spend a ton of time in the Parks. Let's be certain that as fans of All Things Disney, we realize that it is not an inexpensive endeavor. Knowing that and coupled with trying to save $ anywhere we can, the Premier Pass helps us accomplish that. We have set up our Premier Passes to expire each July 4th. Barring any price increases between now and Independence Day, the current Premier Pass renewal will be $1485.76 tax included. We have trips to DL planned in July 2017 (9 days) and June 2018 (13 days) and to WDW in November 2017 (15 days) and March 2018 (15 days). At 52 days that averages out to $28.57 per day. We can stomach that cost per day. By comparison, purchasing a DL Signature Pass (Christmas and New Years blocked out) at $849.00 AND a WDW Platinum Pass (no block out days or water park entrance) at $829.64, the total for both would be $1678.64. That's nearly a $200 savings. Easy decision which route to go. As mentioned previously, we are in a position to travel to the Parks frequently so it works well for us. As an aside, we NEVER stay on property and we rent a compact car. Staying in Kissimmee versus Orlando proper makes driving to The World a snap, plus we can go off property to eat (much more cheaply) and back to the Park were visiting that day (with the exception of the Magic Kingdom). That's how we save money. Food for thought....