Ticket Prices Going Up 2/12/17 ~ New Pricing Page 8>>>

[tlmadden73]

Definitely seems like a good time to buy up the last of the tickets that don't have an expiration date if you can afford it. Pre-buying at least one future vacation doesn't seem like a bad bet, considering you save around $40-50/multi-day ticket and probably at least $15 per year with the inevitable price increases in 2018 and 2019 (how do they NOT increases prices when they have TWO new lands opening up in DHS considering they've been raising the prices the last few years with nothing substantially new).

I just bought 5 day physical tickets (non-hoppers) on UT for myself, wife and son (as my daughter will be free until October of 2019). (Probably could got them SLIGHTLY cheaper elsewhere, but I have used UT before and trust them).

Thus far we've been doing short 2-day trips with my 10-day non-expiration tickets I bought back in 2012. So after our short March trip this year, my wife and I will have 4 days left on those tickets (which cost me about $75/day/person) and my son will have 8 days left on his.

If I use these 5-day tickets in 2019 for our first "big" trip, that is potentially TWO more price increases that I will be hedging against (on top of saving $40-50/ticket for the current price jump).

I can see why they got rid of the old non-expiring tickets and want to now have ALL tickets have an expiration (to use) date on them.
They probably figured too many people were buying tickets ahead of time to use years later to save against the price increases.
It doesn't seem like a coincidence that the opt to get rid of tickets that don't expire and have the biggest price increases year after year after year.

 

[Robo]

There's a lot to be weighed in that.
(Not the least of which is tying up a LOT of money NOW.)

I do the same thing at the gas pump trying to guess on which day at which time they will raise the price,
so I can fill up the tank the the "old rate." **

But, heck, I just have to buy a tank at the new price next week, anyway.

Some good. Some bad.
Take your pick.


** I/m particularly aware of that right now as I filled up my car tank YESTERDAY at $1.99.9 a gallon.
And TODAY, I see the prices at $2.19.9 a gallon.
BTW, that price comparison is nearly the same rise as many WDW tickets went up.
About 10% .

Whoa!

I still have to fill up NEXT week, and I'll betcha it's gonna be closer to $2.19 than $1.99.

 

[tlmadden73]

Based on numbers though attendance is down. This should make the parks less crowded in theory.

That should be a good thing for those who can afford to go to Disney (even if they have to cut a day out of their vacation to afford the higher prices).

That's why I don't understand about the people who complain about price hikes.

Let's say Disney decided to LOWER prices (wouldn't we all love that) . .imagine how crowded the parks would be as people rush to take advantage of the lower prices. So would that lower price be worth it if you can only get only 2/3 of the rides you used to when ticket prices were higher?

There's a lot to be weighed in that.
(Not the least of which is tying up a LOT of money NOW.)

I do the same thing at the gas pump trying to guess on which day at which time they will raise the price,
so I can fill up the tank the the "old rate." **

But, heck, I just have to buy a tank at the new price next week, anyway.

Some good. Some bad.
Take your pick.

True enough, I'm not saying you should go crazy and pre-buy every WDW for the rest of your life now (Because if you can afford to do that .. then you can probably afford to just pay increased prices anyway! Heh).

But definitely seems worth it to pre-buy for your NEXT vacation now if you have the cash on hand (and understandably not a lot of people do).
Since savings rate are so horribly low .. spending $1000 now to save 5-10%(or more) for a future purchase is better than stashing that money in a savings account that maybe makes you 1% interest.

Besides .. there is nothing like going on a vacation and knowing it is already paid for! That's a mental vacation!

 

[Day-Day]

Based on numbers though attendance is down. This should make the parks less crowded in theory.

...

True about attendance being down; especially last summer. There is probably more to it than just increased Disney prices though. Brazil's economy and strong US dollar knocked down international visitors plus some folks may have put off visiting waiting on park upgrades. Over the past few years, attendance has increased (of course some of that was due to the inverse; strong Brazil economy and weaker dollar brought in more international visitors).

The costs to customers has an impact as well. The attendance in the summer was down but the parks have been more crowded during off-season. Promotions for reduced resort prices and other packages draw in more visitors during the off-season. Disney probably wants to balance out the attendance because the parks were getting too crowded during the summer months.

Looks like Disney may be able to lower attendance and still make more profit with their higher prices.

 

[Robo]

Looks like Disney may be able to lower attendance and still make more profit with their higher prices.

Works like a charm...

until something...

"HAPPENS!"

 

[bryanb]

Attendance. This is the frustrating thing about price increases. People hate price increases, but the parks are still enormously crowded. They don't seem to really be driving business away in any meaningful way. Maybe a little drop last year, but that only tells Disney that the strategy of increasing prices is still working to increase revenue.

If that's not enough, then there are all the people who are demanding more and more expensive premium services. VIP tours. Dessert and champagne parties. Special hours in the Magic Kingdom with limited lines. Extra magic doohickies in extra magic colors. Purchases with purchases. Premium parking. Dining plans that lock you into full-service sit down meals throughout your vacation. Don't get me wrong. I love many of these things too. But they can't come up with new ideas fast enough, before people are clamoring, "Disney take more of my money please!"

And the hotels. They keep increasing the hotel room rates, especially the Deluxe ones. And yet those hotel rooms are booked for the majority of the year. And it seems that increasing those prices does nothing to curb demand.

 

[michelle06]

Booked trip just before the price increase. Went to Disney website and priced same vacation with same criteria and got the exact same price today after the price increase! Wonder what gives? I did this separately as if a new booking so computer did not know of my previous booked trip (not logged on or anything). Curious why the package price is the same with no increase?

 

[Robo]

Booked trip just before the price increase. Went to Disney website and priced same vacation with same criteria and got the exact same price today after the price increase! Wonder what gives? I did this separately as if a new booking so computer did not know of my previous booked trip (not logged on or anything). Curious why the package price is the same with no increase?

IF you are booking the tickets as part of the resort package,
it is very likely that the resort pkg. has not increased the ticket prices yet.

The resort reservation department has its own "supply" of tickets that are "purchased" in bulk (similar to the way that the authorized ticket resellers do.)
If they are selling tickets from "old stock," they don't need to raise the prices just yet.
(But, at least, will do so soon.)

 

[randumb0]

I think value is different for everyone. We bought our last APs in October 2015. Had planned a year off with renewal October 2017 because even a year ago we were starting to get uncomfortable with the cost. So even with the ten dollar hike, we've been uncomfortable for a while with the value. Dh figures we come in at about $220 per visit. He asks, "What do I get for that $220". His answer is crowds, maybe 7-10 rides, the hassle of security and rude guests. He places more value on a ball game, movie, etc because they involve something novel to him and a whole lot less hassle. His idea of value may be different from yours. I do know while I love Disney more than he does the numbers associated with an AP purchase literally cause me discomfort. It is sooooo much money. Perhaps it's just time to hit the parks every now and then and to keep costs down that way. My days of spending many days a year inside a Disney park are probably over. That last ten dollars put me over the edge.

It just all depends on the number of times you go. I'm there a good 40x's a year (sometimes just to go to a restaurant) so it's still a good value to me

 

[tlmadden73]

Attendance. This is the frustrating thing about price increases. People hate price increases, but the parks are still enormously crowded. They don't seem to really be driving business away in any meaningful way. Maybe a little drop last year, but that only tells Disney that the strategy of increasing prices is still working to increase revenue.

If that's not enough, then there are all the people who are demanding more and more expensive premium services. VIP tours. Dessert and champagne parties. Special hours in the Magic Kingdom with limited lines. Extra magic doohickies in extra magic colors. Purchases with purchases. Premium parking. Dining plans that lock you into full-service sit down meals throughout your vacation. Don't get me wrong. I love many of these things too. But they can't come up with new ideas fast enough, before people are clamoring, "Disney take more of my money please!"

And the hotels. They keep increasing the hotel room rates, especially the Deluxe ones. And yet those hotel rooms are booked for the majority of the year. And it seems that increasing those prices does nothing to curb demand.

That is shocking, but it is the reason Disney feels they can just continue to raise prices.

... .because there are TONS of people who are willing to pay premium prices for Deluxe resorts, pay $100/day, pay $30+ dollars a meal, AND book an extra party or experience on top of that. That's the customers they want .. the "whales" (to use a term from the mobile game industry) and they will continue to cater to them. And let's face it . .these people who spend a lot of money don't want to be paying this money and waiting in long, sweaty lines, so if the park is crowded, the whales are happier and probably spending more money then your typical family of 4 who is staying offsite, packed their lunch and just going to MK for one day.

And there will be more. I guarantee there will be "special" magic hour events for Pandora, Star Wars and Toy Story lands .. just like there is in Fantasyland right now. (I mean . why not? People are paying it).
We already have express buses .. maybe next they will have "VIP" shuttle service where just family gets picked up at your resort . .and taken directly into the park .. skipping security and lines.

I just look at myself .. I've gone on several short trips since 2010 .. a few with my young son .. stayed at Pop Century last time and had a blast (even though it was only a 2 park day trip).
Well, I'm hooked .. I want one of my future trips to be in a Moderate Resort .. for a longer period of time . . and maybe do a "special" event because of the great experience I had the previous times.

Heck .. as I stated above . .I just pre-bought 5-day tickets (which won't expire) .. so I am pretty much locked in to a longer trip sometime in the future .. no matter what the prices are .

 

[cindyfan]

I apologize upfront if this has been asked and answered...... can't seem to figure it out.... not asking about "expired or non-expired" just a ticket bought from UT....
But..... So if I have a 5 day hopper and use one day, then decide to upgrade to an AP .... Will they only charge me the difference between the current gate price and the current AP price??? Once you've used a day they won't just give you credit for the price you paid?? right??

 

[Robo]

1. if I have a 5 day hopper and use one day, then decide to upgrade to an AP .... Will they only charge me the difference between the current gate price and the current AP price???
2. Once you've used a day they won't just give you credit for the price you paid?? right??

1. Yes. The difference between the current gate price of a 5-day hopper and the current AP price.

2. It doesn't matter if you have not used the ticket, or have used any or ALL of the "days,"
you will get credit for the current gate price of a NEW ticket of the same kind that you started with.
This can be done up to (but no later than) ON the same day that you use the last "day" on the original ticket.
Your new AP will have a start-date of the same date that you first used the original ticket.

 

[cindyfan]

1. Yes. The difference between the current gate price of a 5-day hopper and the current AP price.

2. It doesn't matter if you have not used the ticket, or have used any or ALL of the "days,"
you will get credit for the current gate price of a NEW ticket of the same kind that you started with.
This can be done up to (but no later than) ON the same day that you use the last "day" on the original ticket.
Your new AP will have a start-date of the same date that you first used the original ticket.

Perfect.... that's what I thought.... just wanted to verify! Appreciate the info!

 

[jmmess]

1. Yes. The difference between the current gate price of a 5-day hopper and the current AP price.

2. It doesn't matter if you have not used the ticket, or have used any or ALL of the "days,"
you will get credit for the current gate price of a NEW ticket of the same kind that you started with.
This can be done up to (but no later than) ON the same day that you use the last "day" on the original ticket.
Your new AP will have a start-date of the same date that you first used the original ticket.

This is where I am getting stuck, the CM wouldn't bridge from the current gate price of a new ticket with my pre-bought ticket. He said the system wouldn't let him do it, because it was not purchased at Disney.

 

[Missyrose]

Based on numbers though attendance is down. This should make the parks less crowded in theory.

In theory, yes. But in addition to raising prices, Disney has also been finding ways to cut costs -- which often means cutting staffing and lowering ride capacity when there are fewer people in the parks. So even if there are fewer people, wait times are up, lines for food are up, so it feels just as crowded as before.

 

[SUSIEQ]

This is where I am getting stuck, the CM wouldn't bridge from the current gate price of a new ticket with my pre-bought ticket. He said the system wouldn't let him do it, because it was not purchased at Disney.

I'm hoping the next CM you approach will be able to do it with no problems. Please keep us updated. Good Luck!!!

 

[jmmess]

I'm hoping the next CM you approach will be able to do it with no problems. Please keep us updated. Good Luck!!!

Me too! Will definitelily give an update. Hoping Robo or ravenclawtrekkie might have a tip that will help make it work.

 

[cindyfan]

This is where I am getting stuck, the CM wouldn't bridge from the current gate price of a new ticket with my pre-bought ticket. He said the system wouldn't let him do it, because it was not purchased at Disney.

?? Just curious.... exactly what kind of ticket do you have? Base? Hopper? Non-expiring? And what type of AP were you trying to upgrade to? It just makes me think that it's not that you didn't buy from Disney, but that the type of ticket is what can't be bridged??? Not sure??

 

[cindyfan]

I'm so sorry if this has been answered..... I think it has, but can't find the page.... maybe someone can pin-point the page.....
If I purchase an e-ticket from UT, do I have to link it to my MDE right away? And what if it is intended for use next year vs this year since I already have AP? Is this where I should create another identity? (maybe use my middle name?) I know the answer is here somewhere.... sorry just can't find it

 

[jmmess]

?? Just curious.... exactly what kind of ticket do you have? Base? Hopper? Non-expiring? And what type of AP were you trying to upgrade to? It just makes me think that it's not that you didn't buy from Disney, but that the type of ticket is what can't be bridged??? Not sure??

It's a 7 Day PH from UT (4+3 free no expiration).