Even Disney Is Worried About the High Cost of a Disney Vacation

[mom2rtk]

I love that this thread is ongoing while news has been released saying Disney is considering moving to dynamic pricing. Doesn't really FEEL like Disney is all that worried about the high price of a Disney trip.

 

[dreamer17555]

I love that this thread is ongoing while news has been released saying Disney is considering moving to dynamic pricing. Doesn't really FEEL like Disney is all that worried about the high price of a Disney trip.

Doesn't Disney already have semi dynamic pricing? Tickets and LL passes are higher priced at busy times of year?

 

[HokieRaven5]

Doesn't Disney already have semi dynamic pricing? Tickets and LL passes are higher priced at busy times of year?

Current pricing dynamics are based on estimated demand by Disney. This would be more airline model, where as the parks fill up on a given date the price of the ticket for that day increases.

 

[RivShore]

And in other travel news, the Empire State Building has moved to dynamic type priced - it could now cost over $100 for a few hour tour. I said way back when in this thread, that it was not at all useful to look at Disney price increases in a vacuum when the same thing and worse is happening everywhere in this over-traveled world we live in. Also see Venice - doubling it's visitor tax, dozens of places putting reservation systems in place, etc, etc. How is travel inflation and complications only a Disney problem? Please explain?

 

[mom2rtk]

And in other travel news, the Empire State Building has moved to dynamic type priced - it could now cost over $100 for a few hour tour. I said way back when in this thread, that it was not at all useful to look at Disney price increases in a vacuum when the same thing and worse is happening everywhere in this over-traveled world we live in. Also see Venice - doubling it's visitor tax, dozens of places putting reservation systems in place, etc, etc. How is travel inflation and complications only a Disney problem? Please explain?

Nobody said it's only a Disney problem. I don't care about those places. I'm so tired of "But they're doing it too!"

 

[New Mouse]

Nobody said it's only a Disney problem. I don't care about those places. I'm so tired of "But they're doing it too!"

Disney used to be leaders in many aspects of the industry and now they've fallen in line with everyone else.

 

[RivShore]

Nobody said it's only a Disney problem. I don't care about those places. I'm so tired of "But they're doing it too!"

But it speaks to the economic reality of travel today - supply and demand is literately an economic law, you can't fight it and if you try to, it never ends well.

Let's say Disney decides to revise all pricing so the average middle class family would have no problem affording an annual trip - what will happen - the first thing I would see happening is a mad scramble to book as soon as dates are released (that everyone here will hate and complain about) and then a secondary market for pre-booked Disney vacations will spring up on ebay and they will be auctioned off to the highest bidders...and your right back where you started. You just can't fight the law of supply and demand. Only a change in taste (Disney completely falls out of favor) or a recession that causes a demand shock will move the needle.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Also see Venice - doubling it's visitor tax, dozens of places putting reservation systems in place, etc, etc. How is travel inflation and complications only a Disney problem? Please explain?

Anti-tourism measures are of a whole different conversation. The measures involve taxes levied on hotels,cruise ship passengers, port bans or limitations and moving ports away from city centers, prohibiting airbnbs and the like, visitor caps like the Acropolis, etc. Japan struggles with locals not necessarily agreeing with charging one price for locals and another for tourists. In certain areas measures are done primarily to try and preserve rent prices and home availability.

FWIW Venice locals do not and did not agree with the tourist tax and feel the turnstiles to get in make it feel like an amusement park i.e. an insult to their place.

In the interest of conversation most measures are done to combat too much people in a highly localized area and follows specific to them trends. As it pertains to this thread many of these places are at risk of ecological and historical physical damage from too many people. We've been talking about Disney and pricing, profits and value for years on the DIS and respectfully isn't related to "but whatabout this place"

 

[RivShore]

But Disney started its dynamic pricing to level off crowds that were impacting customer satisfaction, for the reasons you stated - too many people in the area. It;s not that different. So again, i ask what would a much more affordable WDW look like today? They already have trouble satisfying demand so what do you think a lower price point would do? AK was absolutely packed this morning mainly because the other parks were more packed, now lower the cost 50% to allow everyone to afford it and what happens?

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

But Disney started its dynamic pricing to level off crowds that were impacting customer satisfaction, for the reasons you stated - too many people in the area. It;s not that different. So again, i ask what would a much more affordable WDW look like today? They already have trouble satisfying demand so what do you think a lower price point would do? AK was absolutely packed this morning mainly because the other parks were more packed, now lower the cost 50% to allow everyone to afford it and what happens?

Because anti-tourism measure are different, unless you're trying to say Disney is doing things to be anti-tourist. There's specific goals in mind for these places that do not overlap. I'm not negating your whole argument just saying anti-tourism is not the same thing

 

[lowlight]

But Disney started its dynamic pricing to level off crowds that were impacting customer satisfaction, for the reasons you stated - too many people in the area

That is what they said, but do you truly believe it?

 

[clarker99]

Nobody said it's only a Disney problem. I don't care about those places. I'm so tired of "But they're doing it too!"

There is whole lot of misunderstanding the economics of the world (and Capitalism) in this statement.

 

[RivShore]

That is what they said, but do you truly believe it?

It's not that much of a leap to believe it - think about what their dynamic pricing did, it raised the price of historically busy days to cause less people to go on those days, and kept low prices on historically slow days, enticing more people to go on those days. How are these basic economic principles not to be believed?

 

[RivShore]

Because anti-tourism measure are different, unless you're trying to say Disney is doing things to be anti-tourist. There's specific goals in mind for these places that do not overlap. I'm not negating your whole argument just saying anti-tourism is not the same thing

I get it - the motivations are very different but the underlying economic changes (like price increases) and barriers to entry (like reservations) are the same. That is all I was trying to say.

 

[LAS2AMS]

Disney used to be leaders in many aspects of the industry and now they've fallen in line with everyone else.

Only in Fantasyland was Disney ever a leader. They’ve always been a follower.

The users saying “I don’t care about the travel industry besides Disney. I want things to remain the same” are fools.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

I get it - the motivations are very different but the underlying economic changes (like price increases) and barriers to entry (like reservations) are the same. That is all I was trying to say.

IMO they aren't because the motivations behind it are different and how they are doing it is different (in most but not all ways). You're the one who asked why is Disney any different, they aren't trying to control rent prices or home availability, they aren't trying to reduce damage done to the waters or to historical items. They aren't trying to mitigate overwhelming towns not meant to handle the influx.

FTR I'm speaking to anti-tourism such that you mention Venice tax as an example.

Disney's motivations lie more in money as the general overreaching reason, good or bad. It's not in the same league as what some other places are doing, hence why you'll see others be more critical. However I also agree with a PP at some point pointing to other places gets old especially because people can end up agreeing that it's equally annoying how other places price things or do things even if they aren't specifically listing off all the places that annoy them.

 

[LAS2AMS]

IMO they aren't because the motivations behind it are different and how they are doing it is different (in most but not all ways). You're the one who asked why is Disney any different, they aren't trying to control rent prices or home availability, they aren't trying to reduce damage done to the waters or to historical items. They aren't trying to mitigate overwhelming towns not meant to handle the influx.

FTR I'm speaking to anti-tourism such that you mention Venice tax as an example.

Disney's motivations lie more in money as the general overreaching reason, good or bad. It's not in the same league as what some other places are doing, hence why you'll see others be more critical. However I also agree with a PP at some point pointing to other places gets old especially because people can end up agreeing that it's equally annoying how other places price things or do things even if they aren't specifically listing off all the places that annoy them.

Except that Disney had never been an innovator/ leader. Disneyland came into existence only because Walt saw the success of Knott’s Berry Farm. Walter Knott gave him complete access to the park in which Disney and his team based the design of Disneyland on (what worked, what didn’t, what guests expected, etc.)

Later, Disney abandoned ticket books in favor of inclusive admission after the completion increasingly did so.

Other park operators introduced equivalents of Fast Pass first, and even started charging for them… but backed down due to backlash (but later started charging). Disney heavily studied this.

Numerous parks around the country have changed largely to dynamic, date-specific pricing. Disney has only gotten its feet wet… but it’s coming. Saying “I don’t care, I don’t want things to change” is just foolhardy. Disney wasn’t in position to deploy such technology in the past. Now they are.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Except that Disney had never been an innovator/ leader.

Saying “I don’t care, I don’t want things to change” is just foolhardy.

What in the what? You're going in an entirely different conversation here. I mentioned multiple times I was talking about the poster's examples that were about anti-tourism (in relation to them asking what makes Disney so different).

Respectfully this seems to be near and dear to you in terms of topics but I'm not interested in going down the path you appear to be going on.

 

[LAS2AMS]

What in the what? You're going in an entirely different conversation here. I mentioned multiple times I was talking about the poster's examples that were about anti-tourism (in relation to them asking what makes Disney so different).

Respectfully this seems to be near and dear to you in terms of topics but I'm not interested in going down the path you appear to be going on.

It’s not “near and dear,” your post is just hard to follow. My apologies.

 

[greeneyedchick]

But Disney started its dynamic pricing to level off crowds that were impacting customer satisfaction, for the reasons you stated - too many people in the area. It;s not that different. So again, i ask what would a much more affordable WDW look like today? They already have trouble satisfying demand so what do you think a lower price point would do? AK was absolutely packed this morning mainly because the other parks were more packed, now lower the cost 50% to allow everyone to afford it and what happens?

I'm not sure Disney needs to go back to being more affordable. What they need to do is add value. When the parks are crowded, Disney needs to ensure that they have the maximum amount of cast members working to run continuous busses and shuttles and have all of the rides running at maxmium capacity. In addition, they need to be having a large number of cast members working in food service to accomodate all of the counter service meals. They need to have lots of "streetmosphere" and character greetings. 2 parades a day, longer hours....Basically, the need to provide enough entertainment and service to spread out the crowds. Instead, I feel like Disney has the crowds but has cut costs and park park hours wherever possible., which makes the parks feel more crowded than they did in the past.