Great explanation for Price Hike

[WillCAD]

Local residents would be a different situation.

I wonder how many folks from elsewhere across the country have AP's for Universal and Seaworld compared to folks, like me, who buy AP's for WDW every year or couple of years.

I live in Baltimore.

I have a Universal AP. I don't have a WDW AP (although I have in the past, I just didn't renew it when it expired).

At $99, a Uni AP renewal is cheap enough to make it a great deal, even if I only get to the Uni parks for 2 days a year.

Someone earlier in the thread said something like "Disney has the market conered when it comes to emotions." I certainly agree with that - but it's my head that makes financial decisions, not my heart. Others do it differently, but even when I go to a place that I love as much as WDW, I always look at the practical financial ellements of the trip first, and the emotional, warm-fuzzy aspects after the trip is paid for.

Nothing is more emotional than being too broke to go to WDW because you didn't think ahead last year.

 

[damo]

Local residents would be a different situation.

I wonder how many folks from elsewhere across the country have AP's for Universal and Seaworld compared to folks, like me, who buy AP's for WDW every year or couple of years.

I've never had Disney AP's but have had Universal AP's for about the last 7 years. I'm from Canada. To our family, the Universal vacation is much cheaper and much more enjoyable.

 

[DISNEYDUET]

We live in Virginia and have both a WDW AP and a Busch Gardens platinum pass. The BG pass gets us into every Anheizer Busch theme park in the US (excluding Discovery cove) for 2 years. The pass was around $250. We went to Seaworld this past June (first time I had been in 10 years) and I have to say we were NOT impressed!! The place was dirty and the food was expensive! No one working seemed very happy to be there. We got the same feeling at IOA and US. I also feel the clientele was different from the Disney parks. Lots of kids (12-18 y.o.) running around cussing, cutting in line, and generally being rude. But that is another topic for another thread!

 

[Mom of Sleepy Bashful and BabyDoc]

Interesting article.

In our family, we wanted WDW AP's last year so we could do a couple of trips in a year and make it a little more economical. We would never think about Univ. or IOA AP's. We've done Univ............won't go there again, not our cup of tea. When the kids get older, we might try IOA, but I don't feel the need for more than two days there and then we'd be done.

The mouse is definitely the draw for us to Orlando. That, and the nice timeshares we can rent for cheap.

 

[hamlet35_2000]

No one working seemed very happy to be there. We got the same feeling at IOA and US. I also feel the clientele was different from the Disney parks. Lots of kids (12-18 y.o.) running around cussing, cutting in line, and generally being rude. But that is another topic for another thread!

This was our experience at Universal...enjoyed it, but I don't ever have to go back. It was not like Disney where everything was clean and everyone was nice (for the majority) and I feel the need to go back again as soon as I am gone. I believe its the emotions that Disney evokes, but it's also because Disney jsut does it better than any of the other parks.

 

[MickeynMinnie]

ticket mania is running a deal... Disney 4+2 Day Adult 10+ Expiry Hopper
Gate Price $263.06
Special with 2 Days Free
You get a 6 Day Expiry Hopper (Value $269.45)
for 250.00
there are some other deals as well... go check it out!

 

[Teresa Pitman]

My family has been to Universal twice and to WDW more than a dozen times. I think what the article meant (perhaps) about Universal not being a "multi-day" place is that most people don't feel the same desire to go back to the park repeatedly on one visit. When we've gone to Universal, it's been a day in each park and that's it. But last fall, for example, we stayed at WDW for almost two weeks and spent a couple of days in each park - and three in MK (had my two grandchildren along). There just seems to be more to see and do at WDW - it's more than rides, more than shows.

Teresa

 

[rkujay]

It's never a good idea to go head to head against the Mouse. (Well, let's say it's USUALLY not a good idea. Pixar didn't do too badly!)

Last summer, our original plan was to spend 5 days at WDW with our arrival day, a short day, going to Sea World. Then MYW made it possible for me to add a 6th WDW day for a few bucks more v. Sea World for $150+. No brainer: we spent all 6 days at WDW and -0- at Sea World.

But, I'll also add that for my family WDW is THE draw to Orlando. The other parks have always been 2nd tier parks to us. But that's just because we LOVE all things Disney and it really has nothing to do with Sea World or Universal themselves.

We have passes to Busch/Seaworld, Universal, and Disney. We live 10 miles from Busch Gardens. Haven't been there in about two years (except once to ride Sheikra...Wow! 250 feet straight down), They do not enforce their no smoking rule whatsoever. Haven't been to Seaworld in 5 years (Folks, believe me, once you've done it...). Universal is "second tier" as someone said.
The Disney experience, whatever it is to you, is the best entertainment dollar of its type...period. A few years ago they decided to position their resorts pricewise to the local competition. Why stay off property? Now the Disney Dining Experience...what a bargain for these annual passholders! Although we can afford to stay wherever we wish, we still think the deluxe resorts are overly pricey, so we stay at the moderates. We are very lucky to have such a fun place to go here in central Florida. Don't get me wrong, we love the beaches and weather and all else we have here as well, but we really enjoy WDW.

 

[Amity 3]

We have passes to Busch/Seaworld, Universal, and Disney. We live 10 miles from Busch Gardens. Haven't been there in about two years (except once to ride Sheikra...Wow! 250 feet straight down), They do not enforce their no smoking rule whatsoever. Haven't been to Seaworld in 5 years (Folks, believe me, once you've done it...). Universal is "second tier" as someone said.
The Disney experience, whatever it is to you, is the best entertainment dollar of its type...period. A few years ago they decided to position their resorts pricewise to the local competition. Why stay off property? Now the Disney Dining Experience...what a bargain for these annual passholders! Although we can afford to stay wherever we wish, we still think the deluxe resorts are overly pricey, so we stay at the moderates. We are very lucky to have such a fun place to go here in central Florida. Don't get me wrong, we love the beaches and weather and all else we have here as well, but we really enjoy WDW.

we live in Brandon as well, so we love the proximity to all of the parks.

why would you be passholders to BG/SW and Universal if you never go and consider them 2nd tier parks?

 

[ntsammy5]

It worked for me. We wanted to at least spend a day at Sea World on this upcoming trip (and had planned to stay offsite again). Between ME and the free dining, how could we NOT spend the entire trip at Disney?! They got us hook, line and sinker...which is a good thing for everyone!

YUP. It wasn't an accident that free DDP came out during historically weak attendance times. No more people will come to Orlando, but WDW will get a bigger share of those who do come. Great marketing.

 

[Friendly Frog]

Well the mouse sure knew how to get us. I love Universal, and quite frankly think the rides feel more current or high tech. ( but this is another story for another thread) but last year, and this coming trip in Sept. no Universal for us. I think the biggest reason is DME. The money saved on a rental car really makes a difference in the budget. Then add on free dinning and that is a package that is hard to beat!

Also Universal needs a value hotel on site!

 

[TDC Nala]

You can throw DME in the mix also.

Not to mention the Disney dining plan.

 

[Cool-Beans]

I agree with that, Disney owns the market when it comes to emotions. it's the quintessential family destination.

I love the Universal parks and do not consider them second to Disney at all; but, Disney has my heart.

On the flip side, all four kids, their cousins and friends, my BIL and DH prefer Universal. Everyone I know who takes their kids to both comes back and says the kids preferred Universal.

When these kids who were lucky enought to do both grow up, I wonder if they won't want to take their kids? Things that make you go "hmmm."

 

[rkujay]

we live in Brandon as well, so we love the proximity to all of the parks.

why would you be passholders to BG/SW and Universal if you never go and consider them 2nd tier parks?

Frankly, when our out of town guests come here it's just easier to have passes available. But now that you mention it, it is renewal time for Busch.

 

[Amity 3]

I love the Universal parks and do not consider them second to Disney at all; but, Disney has my heart.

On the flip side, all four kids, their cousins and friends, my BIL and DH prefer Universal. Everyone I know who takes their kids to both comes back and says the kids preferred Universal.

When these kids who were lucky enought to do both grow up, I wonder if they won't want to take their kids? Things that make you go "hmmm."

Disney's got our hearts as well, I don't think that will ever change. the only park my daughter wants to go to anymore is the MK, with stops at MGM for the TOT and Fantasmic. it's kind of disheartening to be honest.

all of her friends have AP's for Busch Gardens/Sea World, most have at least Power Passes for Universal. she's the only one with an AP for WDW. the other parks help families out, they have monthly payments for their AP's if you want to go that route. WDW offers nothing like that.

she's out of the princess phase and into the coasters and thrill rides now, just like the Universal commercial proclaims, but she's still a sucker for Cinderella.