Wait, $165 a person for tickets???

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

1-day at just about anywhere will be a lot higher than one would want. While the initial cost to other amusement parks or theme parks in the U.S. may be lower than Universal (for the purposes of comparison) they pretty much share the same characteristic that a 1 day is usually significantly higher in cost than multi-days (I'm sure there are ones that don't but just speaking as a generality).

 

[andyw715]

I still say that for what you get, a WDW or Universal ticket is worth it. I compare this with some other "entertainment/carnival/theme park" options.

For instance. Water parks - even our local water park is $35 to get in. Sure a one day ticket to Universal is 4x that price, but there is way more than 4x the number of attractions offered at Universal.
Colonial Williamsburg is around $70 day.

Value is very subjective - but I still think the value offered by these theme parks is high.

People say its expensive but I don't think they've done the proper comparison to other offerings.

Also do they do real money comparisons of the vacations they take to baseline what they spend?

in 2015 we spent $124 person/day for our WDW trip 8 days
in 2015 we spent $101 person/day for Discovery Cove, Sea World, Clearwater marina. 9 days
in 2016 we spend $41 person/day to drive from NC to TX to visit my sister. - 15 days

 

[mjhtvchick]

I always do all four parks in one day, I have been many times and just hit on what I am interested in.

that being said I agree it is comparable - really the reason they price it this way it so you spend more days - a 5 day ticket is 294 and at that point Ill get get a season pass for 284

Wow! I can't imagine even attempting that...my family would disown me if I even suggested it!

 

[Not My Fault!]

Several times a year we buy $100-$200 seats to concerts, and that's for 4 hours of entertainment. $165 doesn't seem out of line with that expectation. Having said that, though, yeah the whole point of the pricing of park tickets is to encourage a multi-day visit or annual pass purchase.

This is a good point...in fact I started thinking about other things I'd be inclined to spend $165 on, and concerts did come to mind, along with a nice evening out (dinner/drinks/uber/whatever...).

Yes, it's a lot of money (and they do provide plenty of incentives to buy multiple days for incremental increases), it nevertheless needs to be put in the context of getting 8 hours +/- of pretty high end entertainment.

 

[embracejg]

The prices are what they are. Yes, we'd all like them to be cheaper, but people are willing to pay those prices. That's capitalism.

At least Universal's annual passes remain affordable to non-Florida residents. I decided to get one when I was taking a work trip in June (made 2 night time visits), I'm coming again for 3 days next month and will likely squeeze in a weekend trip next year. Since it was about the same as 3-day pass, it was more than worth it. Disney's annual pass for being out of state would require me to visit 8-9 times before it paid off.

 

[keishashadow]

The ticket prices can take your breath away. However, It's a business not a charity. Both parks charge what the market will bear, hopefully reinvesting profits back into the park.

You can easily expect park tix to rise 10% if not more per year for both U & WDW.

 

[bumbershoot]

At least Universal's annual passes remain affordable to non-Florida residents.

Not to me. We cancelled ours because while before it was ok to skip a year but keep the passes, the last price increase made that not possible.


The overall market might bear it, but not necessarily the same people who talked up Uni and made more people try it...

 

[jdrum3]

A one-day lift ticket at Mountains in Colorado are over $100. Vail was around $175 if you walk up to the window last year and they are only open from 9-5. I think "entertainment" prices are going up across the board because they know people will pay. Universal is trying to get out of the shadow of a "one-day while I'm at Disney" kind of attitude and promote their own vacation packages. Everyone wants you there multiple days including the ski resorts out west. They know why you are there and they are unique experiences.

 

[PoohIsHome]

We paid the one day Uni ticket prices in Dec '15 and did it gladly. Our son had broken his ankle in 3 places in the first football game of his JV season. We drove to FL the day after Christmas to spend time with my parents. On the 27th we were up early and at Universal to experience Diagon Alley for the first time.

Having just gotten out of the orthopedic boot, DS was only able to last long enough to do DA and Hogsmeade but that was fine for us. Expensive, yes. Worth every penny, you bet.

 

[damo]

I guess nobody here golfs on vacation.

 

[keishashadow]

I guess nobody here golfs on vacation.

The parks are the reason we typicaly visit MCO

To each their own. I Golf only when necessary to make a foresome for the family, but not on vacation unless Myrtle Beachwhere there is a myramid of low priced courses. Humidity & heat rules it out for me in general in FL most times i visit anyway.

 

[tony67]

Wow! I can't imagine even attempting that...my family would disown me if I even suggested it!

That is why I go on my own and leave them home.....

The prices are what they are. Yes, we'd all like them to be cheaper, but people are willing to pay those prices. That's capitalism.

At least Universal's annual passes remain affordable to non-Florida residents. I decided to get one when I was taking a work trip in June (made 2 night time visits), I'm coming again for 3 days next month and will likely squeeze in a weekend trip next year. Since it was about the same as 3-day pass, it was more than worth it. Disney's annual pass for being out of state would require me to visit 8-9 times before it paid off.

Yup - I used to buy the Disney AP when you would get 40%-50% room discounts and the price was not much more than a 7 day ticket. I would go 2-3 times a year and it was well worth it. I would not even consider it now.

To be fair - at that same time the Universal Power Pass AP was $99 - its gone up quite a bit - but I feel as if Universal has improved enough to warrant it.= and I feel Disney has been going downhill in the same period.

In the end I find the Universal seasonal Pass well worth it (for me) - I get two 9 day trips out of it each year during HHN - it also saves me on the HHn tickets both years - so in the end it is quite a savings in my case

 

[embracejg]

In the end I find the Universal seasonal Pass well worth it (for me) - I get two 9 day trips out of it each year during HHN - it also saves me on the HHn tickets both years - so in the end it is quite a savings in my case

Same pass that I have. Don't mind the blackout dates because those are times I wouldn't want to deal with the crowds anyway.

Not to me. We cancelled ours because while before it was ok to skip a year but keep the passes, the last price increase made that not possible.


The overall market might bear it, but not necessarily the same people who talked up Uni and made more people try it...

I'm not trying to be mean. No one here would argue against the prices being cheaper. It's easy to tell you not to take it personally---it is a capitalistic business after all---but that's only good until that one price increase which crosses the line for someone in making it unaffordable. Then you understandably feel personally slighted.

I will, however, defend Universal's affordability as a multi-day resort over WDW, which sickens me with its catering to the have and have-mores. This mentality dates back to the early Eisner days and to me, the outrageous costs attached to some hotels and especially DVC seem totally against Walt's vision for the parks.

 

[SteveMP]

Yeah I was taken back as well, thought I had clicked on APs or something. Since our US Hollywood APs were around $100 at Costco(think they are up to $119 now). Insanity, you have to be a 1%er to go to theme parks now.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Yeah I was taken back as well, thought I had clicked on APs or something. Since our US Hollywood APs were around $100 at Costco(think they are up to $119 now). Insanity, you have to be a 1%er to go to theme parks now.

What's the non-Costco rate though? Like what's the cost of the Universal Hollywood AP that you have if you bought straight from Universal?

 

[SteveMP]

What's the non-Costco rate though? Like what's the cost of the Universal Hollywood AP that you have if you bought straight from Universal?

CA neighbor $129, Silver $169. So for 1 day at USO you could get 250 days at USH.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

CA neighbor $129, Silver $169. So for 1 day at USO you could get 250 days at USH.

Gotcha. I was more thinking it's hard to compare discount retailers since their cost is lower (I love Costco personally) in terms of AP. But aside from that APs are an excellent value if you can utilize them and 1-day passes are a terrible value-intentionally. But can totally understand how irritating it can be to see the cost difference.

As far as comparison between the two parks..they don't offer the same things though. Hollywood just got Harry Potter 1 1/2 years ago whereas Orlando has had that for over 7 years now with the newest addition for over 3 years now. And if you notice when Hollwood got Harry Potter last year they raised the ticket prices just before that part of the park opened.

 

[SteveMP]

Gotcha. I was more thinking it's hard to compare discount retailers since their cost is lower (I love Costco personally) in terms of AP. But aside from that APs are an excellent value if you can utilize them and 1-day passes are a terrible value-intentionally. But can totally understand how irritating it can be to see the cost difference.

As far as comparison between the two parks..they don't offer the same things though. Hollywood just got Harry Potter 1 1/2 years ago whereas Orlando has had that for over 7 years now with the newest addition for over 3 years now. And if you notice when Hollwood got Harry Potter last year they raised the ticket prices just before that part of the park opened.

Yeah I understand. Its just a HUGE chunk of change for the average person. And pretty overwhelming for a family of 4, when you are talking around $700 with tax for a single day!!
We still payed last month as a once in a lifetime type of deal. Even though I go to orlando for work conferences, they priced themselves out of me going every year.

Yeah when they announced the actual opening of HP the APs at costco went from $89 to $109 overnight, then now $119.

 

[Clemson Bama Fan]

I guess nobody here golfs on vacation.

My son and I play Disney's Palm, Disney's Magnolia and Disney's LBV every year. Expensive = yes. Worth it = absolutely. Played TPC Southwind here in Memphis yesterday. Comparable price to Disney and worth it as well. I guess worth it or too expensive is as individual as what people enjoy doing on vacation.

 

[wookiebeck]

I guess nobody here golfs on vacation.

I play Disc Golf. Fastest growing sport in the world. Very inexpensive to get started. And that might be why it is taking off the way it is.

Played at a beautiful course less then 5 miles from Uni many times.