Ticket Price Increase

[Badge]

I wanted to post a warning that ticket prices might be going up really soon. Normally whenever Disney raised the ticket prices, Universal, Sea World, and Bush Gardens follow within a week or less by increasing the prices.

Currently, a 7 day base ticket at Disney costs $247. After the price increase on the 12th, the same 7 day base ticket will cost $267...thats a $20 increase! The cost of the park hopper option seems to be going up $1 from $54 to $55.

While I hope Universal does not go insane like Disney does and increase ticket prices for 7 days by $20, but I would not rule anything out.

For a one day base ticket, the current Disney price is $82. After June 12, the price for the same ticket will be $85.

Disney is also increasing AP rates as well by $20.

If universal follows this same price increse model, the price of a 1 day, 1 park Universal ticket could increase from the $82 to $85 as well and the 7 day 2 park ticket (since they do not offer a 7 day one park ticket) could go up from $174.99 to $194.99. An AP could go from $219 to $239.

This is all just based on past history. Normally ticket prices go up in August and Universal normally increases their prices within 2 or 3 days. With this sudden shock of ticket prices increase on Sunday, I do not know if Universal had this planned. So, the Universal price increase could still happen in August, or it could not happen at all this year, or it could happen as early as Monday or Tuesday. I am not sure, so do not hold anything agaisnt me if you buy tickets now hoping to save money and the increase never happens! I just wanted to give people a warning that it COULD happen any time now that Disney is doing it!!! I also really hope they do not follow the Disneyland price increase where the AP went up an insane $40! Normaly ticket prices range from $5-30 in increase for Disneyland as well. The prices really seem to be getting out of hand. At what point will they stop increasing them?? It is to the point now (and has been for a while) where a family visiting the FL. area can not just come and visit the parks for one day becuase the tickets will cost a family of four after taxes over $400.

 

[angelmichelle]

They (WDW) must not believe in the little thing we're experiencing called The Recession..

Sigh.

 

[Badge]

They (WDW) must not believe in the little thing we're experiencing called The Recession..

Sigh.

I totally agree! Now would be an amazing time for Universal to LOWER ticket prices! They could really promote it well with Disney raising theirs to try and draw some people away from Disney and to the lower costing Universal. Of course, this is bussiness, and with the HUGE success that is HP, I have a feeling Universal will follow right along with Disney. That is why I wanted to give a warning that it could happen at anytime now.

 

[Metro West]

Since Disney raised their ticket prices Universal won't be far behind them.

 

[jpeppers]

I love the parks and will continue to go but $85 for one day is ridiculous. I bought a 1 day pass for the magic kingdom for my daughter this year because I still had 1 day on an old hopper, we were in the park for about 2 hours........what a rip off. It's a very good deal if you pla
n ahead and buy a 10 day pass but definitely not short trip friendly!

 

[Melanie230]

I don't know if Universal will raise their prices. It wasn't that long ago that it was $99 for a 7 day ticket. I think that US/IOA will hold firm for a while since the current price was just implemented a couple of years ago. But I could be way off base.

 

[Metro West]

I don't know if Universal will raise their prices. It wasn't that long ago that it was $99 for a 7 day ticket. I think that US/IOA will hold firm for a while since the current price was just implemented a couple of years ago. But I could be way off base.

Trust me...if one resort does it the others will follow. Before the end of the summer, Universal will have a price increase.

 

[Badge]

I don't know if Universal will raise their prices. It wasn't that long ago that it was $99 for a 7 day ticket. I think that US/IOA will hold firm for a while since the current price was just implemented a couple of years ago. But I could be way off base.

That $99 dollar rate was a special promo that was being offered. Granted, it was offered for awhile, but still.

Also, Universal increased their prices right along with Disney last August. It has happened for awhile now. Everytime Disney increases their prices, every other Orlando (or near Orlando) theme park increases it prices to basically match. If I owned one of these parks, I would not follow along. If I was making more than enough money to keep expanding the park at the current price point, I would keep it that way. Then, I would promote it like crazy that while others are increasing prices, I stayed the same and will give your family a better value. Of course, everybody has to copy Disney when it comes to the money side of the buisness.

I would be shocked if Universal did not increase its prices by June 19, which is a week after the Disney increase. I personally feel like the price increase will happen on Tuesday the 14th, but I am not 100% sure of that.

 

[PoohJen]

arrgghhh, what to do, what to do? I need to buy 5 one day tix...but then saw the 3 day tix at Costco were like what? around $130? But I wasn't planning to stay 3 days (we can stay close by with family)...but I like torturing myself to the last minute...but to have to spend even $15 more would irk me ($3 x 5 tix)...not happy about $82/day as it is... I bet I will go ahead this week and buy my 5 one day tix, to avoid potential increase, cuz that's just the way I am!

 

[Travel Mum]

Does Universal give a few days warning like Disney did or is it instant? If they give warning, where does it get posted?

 

[Tikitoi]

Where is the best place to buy US/IOA tickets. Best as far as cheapest...

 

[Mom3girls]

arrgghhh, what to do, what to do? I need to buy 5 one day tix...but then saw the 3 day tix at Costco were like what? around $130? But I wasn't planning to stay 3 days (we can stay close by with family)...but I like torturing myself to the last minute...but to have to spend even $15 more would irk me ($3 x 5 tix)...not happy about $82/day as it is... I bet I will go ahead this week and buy my 5 one day tix, to avoid potential increase, cuz that's just the way I am!

I'm pretty sure I read somewhere that the Costco 3 day tickets don't expire. You could use the one day this trip and save the other days for another trip. Might be worth looking into...

 

[Kalyino]

I do want to point out that minimum wage did go up, and people like me need to be paid. So that might have something to do with why the price has gone up.

 

[Metro West]

I'm pretty sure I read somewhere that the Costco 3 day tickets don't expire. You could use the one day this trip and save the other days for another trip. Might be worth looking into...

I thought I saw someone post those tickets expired in 2013 or 2014 but there is an expiration date.

 

[DCTooTall]

I could also point out that with NBCUniversal buying out Blackstone's 1/2 of the park, that the ticket increase going into the peak summer season could really help their bottom line....

...which would ultimately help stockholders who might be nervous because of the purchase price cash outlay.

 

[damo]

I thought I saw someone post those tickets expired in 2013 or 2014 but there is an expiration date.

Yes, you are correct. The expiry date is printed on the tickets.

 

[Badge]

I do want to point out that minimum wage did go up, and people like me need to be paid. So that might have something to do with why the price has gone up.

True, but your minimum wage did not go up $4 like the tickets did (that would be a nice pay raise though!). Disney and Universal make a ton of money at the current price point. I am 100% sure that they are never worried about paying the employees. They simply increase the prices becuase they can and they know people will keep paying to come. 2 or 3 families of four eating at the 3 Broomsticks (around $30-$40 a family) will make Universal enough money to cover your wages for the DAY (even taking away the cost of food to Universal). Those 2 or 3 familes were waited on all at the same time, so in a matter of maybe 2 minutes, Universal had you pay for a the day already done. Now, that was only one restaurant. Think about the insane prices of bottles of water. I am sure those bottles cost Universal MAYBE $.25 cents each and they sell them for more than $2.00.

Universal could lower ticket prices and still make more than enough money to cover paying employees

EDIT:

I wanted to see just how much a place like 3 Broomsticks might make an hour. This is ALL GUESSING, but I tried to be reasonable.

If 3 Broomsticks can serve 150 familes and hour (thats just over 2 families a minute which I think a low) and if each family is a family of 4 (2 adults 2 teens) and they spend around $40 a family ($10 a person), 3 Broomsticks makes $6000 an hour! If it is a long day at IOA (9am - 9pm) thats roughly $72,000 a DAY. Universal is open 365 days a year, which means under these conditions, Universal makes $26,280,000.00 a YEAR. $28 Million in ONE year for ONE place to eat! Even if they spend $1 million on the cost of food (which I HIGHLY doubt) they still make $27 million. If they pay most employees $8.00 an hour, Universal made enough money to pay 3,375,000 hours of work. If each person works an 8 hour shift, they made enough money to pay 421,875 people for one year of running one restaurant. As you can see, Universal makes more than enough money to pay its employees. Heck, minimum wage could be $20 an hour and they would still make money. While the cost to one family does not seem like that much ($40 for a meal is about normal for a family that size), Universal handles 100's of families everyday, so their profit is insane becuase you know they get all their food in bulk discounts so they do not pay much for it.