Rumor - WDW changing to flexible ticket pricing

[reddog21]

And I don't agree with it and many things like car rentals through Costco, refundable hotel rates I can cancel and rebook. There is no option like that when theme parks do it and they rarely go down anyway they are trying to make more money off of those that wait last min to buy basically. There is no need for it bottom line. Date based tickets is bad enough but at least you know no matter when you buy its the same price.

Dynamic pricing can work in both way's it's not always paying more at the last minute. I have scored great deals on flights/hotels waiting for the last minute you just have to a gambling person and be prepared to pay if it doesn't work out in your favor. I do agree that for flights/car/hotel you can have multiple reservations and cancel whichever one(s) are the most expensive which is a benefit you don't get with entertainment type tickets.

Disney tends to set the standard in ticket pricing, so if they go dynamic, it's only a matter of time before everyone else follows. It only took Universal two years after Disney to adopt date-specific pricing, and now almost all theme parks have it

 

[SL6827]

Disney lowering the ticket prices last minute, . That ain't gonna happen.

 

[Turn the Page]

Do you guys remember when tickets never expired and were a flat rate per day no matter the date you used them?

Man, those were the days.

I guess I will have to start stalking MDE like I do the airlines to jump on prices I like.

 

[crazy4wdw]

Do you guys remember when tickets never expired and were a flat rate per day no matter the date you used them?

Man, those were the days.

I guess I will have to start stalking MDE like I do the airlines to jump on prices I like.

Yes, I do! You could purchase a 10 day park hopper and use it over two trips, three trips, etc

Also when resort hotel rates were the same, all year long, no matter when you traveled.

 

[emilymad]

Dynamic pricing can work in both way's it's not always paying more at the last minute. I have scored great deals on flights/hotels waiting for the last minute you just have to a gambling person and be prepared to pay if it doesn't work out in your favor. I do agree that for flights/car/hotel you can have multiple reservations and cancel whichever one(s) are the most expensive which is a benefit you don't get with entertainment type tickets.

Disney tends to set the standard in ticket pricing, so if they go dynamic, it's only a matter of time before everyone else follows. It only took Universal two years after Disney to adopt date-specific pricing, and now almost all theme parks have it

This is true dynamic pricing. I am guessing we get a Disney version where the prices only go up.

 

[SL6827]

This is true dynamic pricing. I am guessing we get a Disney version where the prices only go up.

Up is the only way it will go.

 

[reddog21]

Up is the only way it will go.

I don't entirely agree.....nor disagree. Disney makes most of there money off park tickets if you projected x millions on a particular day and the closer you get your not getting anyware near that I don't think Disney would let potential revenue go by not discounting tickets.

It's no different from how Universal uses dynamic pricing on their Express Pass. I have seen it extremely cheap the day of or even the day before certain days. I have also seen it skyrocket on other days.

 

[SL6827]

I don't entirely agree.....nor disagree. Disney makes most of there money off park tickets if you projected x millions on a particular day and the closer you get your not getting anyware near that I don't think Disney would let potential revenue go by not discounting tickets.

It's no different from how Universal uses dynamic pricing on their Express Pass. I have seen it extremely cheap the day of or even the day before certain days. I have also seen it skyrocket on other days.

Hmmmm, interesting to think about then.

 

[New Mouse]

I don't entirely agree.....nor disagree. Disney makes most of there money off park tickets if you projected x millions on a particular day and the closer you get your not getting anyware near that I don't think Disney would let potential revenue go by not discounting tickets.

It's no different from how Universal uses dynamic pricing on their Express Pass. I have seen it extremely cheap the day of or even the day before certain days. I have also seen it skyrocket on other days.

How many people would really be watching for Disney tickets to drop last minute before deciding to go or not? This is solely to lock people in early.

 

[SL6827]

How many people would really be watching for Disney tickets to drop last minute before deciding to go or not? This is solely to lock people in early.

Most likely.

 

[HopperFan]

Regarding Disney Hotels ... it would be no different than other hotels. You can always cancel. BUT if it happens with tickets it would surely lock more people in unless they are fine with not knowing a definite ticket price until they are ready to buy.
.

Just wait till your groceries goes this route.

Multiple grocery brands including Walmart are adding digital price tags that will allow them to change prices any given moment. When "accused' of now having dynamic or surge pricing option with these tags they of course said they were not ... it was to let them lower prices quicker. My Walmart is now one of our pricier stores.

No doubt it will be coming, especially as their wholesale prices start to be impacted by tariffs, transportation costs and lack of farm employees.

 

[jade1]

How many people would really be watching for Disney tickets to drop last minute before deciding to go or not? This is solely to lock people in earcan't.

Maybe locals that don't have AP?

 

[HopperFan]

Maybe locals that don't have AP?

YUP and I would say regional folks that can hop in the car and be there in maybe 8 hours or less. I have taken several trips to Disney deciding a week out. 7ish hours, grab a hotel room for a few nights. I know folks that will hop on a plane ~ I think there are more spontaneous folks than people realize.

 

[reddog21]

This is solely to lock people in early.

Your comment falls squarely inline with the pychology of pricing. It's a pretty interesting topic on how people perceive demand pricing or pricing in general. Like all things pychological there's no right or wrong answer but definitely interesting.

I'll reserve my judgement until we get some true data around pricing. If you go by just the Universal express model, deals can be had if your willing to play the last minute game.

 

[Mirabell Rose]

Do you guys remember when tickets never expired and were a flat rate per day no matter the date you used them?

Man, those were the days.

I guess I will have to start stalking MDE like I do the airlines to jump on prices I like.

Yes. I do. If I had money back then I should have invested in a huge stack of those.

 

[Cogswel_Cogs]

The only issue I had last trip to Universal was the flexible pricing on the express pass. It figures if Disney was to copy something it'd be the annoying thing.

 

[jennypenny]

Thanks! It sounds as if, for those of us who are DVC members and have to plan our vacations 7-11 months out, this may not be so bad. Unless "closer" means something like less than a year out.

It's helpful that DVCers plan far enough out to take advantage of potentially lower pricing. OTOH, it means giving Disney the money months beforehand. We're taking all of our adult kids and their SOs in January. With dynamic pricing it makes sense to buy the tickets now, but do I really want to give Disney over $3K *nine* months early? This feels like nothing more than a cash advance to Disney, with a side benefit to them of potentially evening out attendance at the parks.

 

[Cogswel_Cogs]

And it is easy to see why Universal did it.
Assuming like other people I did want an express pass every day. And assuming others like myself did not really notice that when you choose only one day of express pass you actually have to pick a day or it defaults to one.
So now comes time to use and everybody want to use it on a nicer day or or just didn't realize they had chosen a day and have to change it. Only now you are given credit for the $ you spent but Real time pricing means they are going to slam you with the last minute cost which 9 out ten if not more is higher. I am sure they saw all this movement of days and said wait there's money to be made here.