WDW Ticket Prices Going up....AGAIN!!!!

[chefmanny]

From Orlando Sentinel

Disney bumps single day tickets to near $60



By Sean Mussenden
Sentinel Staff Writer

December 2, 2004, 12:10 PM EST

Walt Disney World announced a change in the way tourists buy tickets to its theme parks this morning, while installing the largest increase in the price of a single-day ticket in more than a decade and a half.

Disney executives designed the "Magic Your Way" ticket package plan to keep tourists on Disney property longer, through a series of deep discounts for extended stays. For example, guests purchasing a seven- day ticket that allows one theme park visit per day would cost half as much per day as a single-day ticket.

As part of the plan, the pre-tax price of a one-day ticket rose for the second time this year to $59.75, a $5 increase. In March, the company increased the price of a single-day ticket by $2.75 to $54.75. Since last year, the price of a single-day ticket has gone up 15 percent, the largest yearly increase at least since 1989.

Florida residents will receive a 10 percent discount on single-day tickets or they may exchange a full-price ticket for a multi-park pass. The changes take effect Jan 2.
Copyright © 2004, Orlando Sentinel

 

[Miss Jasmine]

I see the article touched on it, but here is some more info for Florida Residents

Special Savings for Florida Residents
Now It's 'Magic Your Way' at Walt Disney World Resort: New Tickets Let Guests Customize Their Dream Vacation


LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (Dec. 2, 2004) -- Disney today announced an innovative new ticket plan -- "Magic Your Way" -- that allows Walt Disney World guests to create their own tickets for a customized vacation.

Starting Jan. 2, guests at Walt Disney World Resort will be able to purchase tickets to the various theme parks, attractions and other entertainment offerings that are tailored to the length of their vacation and the interests of their group -- and allow them to save more per day based on their length of stay.

And every day of the year, Florida residents can customize their tickets with new savings created just for them.

"Whether ordering a computer, a car or a cup of coffee, people want things customized to fit their individual needs," said Walt Disney World President Al Weiss. "And now Walt Disney World guests will have that same ability to customize their dream vacation, creating the ticket that is just right for them."

And because "Magic Your Way" tickets offer savings that increase with the length of stay, a weeklong Walt Disney World vacation becomes even more affordable.

"Recent research shows that longer vacations are high on the wish list for families," Weiss said. "With so much to see and do at Walt Disney World, guests want to take a week to experience it all, at their own pace. With this new plan they can -- and at more affordable prices that reward more leisurely stays.

"Simply put," he said, "the more you play, the less you pay per day."

Under this new program, a family of four will be able to enjoy a six-night/seven-day Walt Disney World vacation -- including a stay at an on-property Disney hotel with theme park tickets -- for as little as $1,500.

Florida Residents Find New Values

The "Magic Your Way" ticket plan also includes special values for Florida residents who sometimes make shorter but more frequent visits.

Residents can choose from three savings options:

A third day free with the purchase of a two-day ticket.
Or 10 percent savings on a one-day base ticket.
Or free "Park Hopper" option added to a full-price one-day ticket.
"This is our way of thanking our home-state neighbors for their years of loyalty," Weiss said. "Floridians told us what they wanted, so we're giving them more flexibility and options that fit the way they visit Walt Disney World."

With the 10 percent discount the ticket come out less than it is now and Florida Resident's are the ones who usually buy a one day one park ticket.

 

[minnieluvzmickey]

I was looking at the new tickets on mousesavers and maybe I didn't read it correctly but it looks to my like all the tickets now will expire 14 days after first use unless you pay $10 extra to make them last forever.....is that right?

All the prices seem to be going up up up!!!!!!!

 

[chefmanny]

Florida residents usually buy annual or seasonal!

 

[Miss Jasmine]

You would be surprised how many people only go there once in a while. I am always amazed when people say I haven't been there since 1980-something. I almost fall over. They all think DH and I are strange because we have APs. There has been a rash of people where I work going to WDW, only because we qualified for the Hurricane Hero free park hoppers.

 

[NCDisneyMom]

I was looking at the new tickets on mousesavers and maybe I didn't read it correctly but it looks to my like all the tickets now will expire 14 days after first use unless you pay $10 extra to make them last forever.....is that right?

This is exactly how I understand it to be.

Diana

 

[civileng68]

This is nothing more than an attempt to force people to buy park hoppers. Why? Because if you dont use all of the days now they are useable at any time, and if you dont go back, Disney still gets the money for it. This is common business practice. They are trying to corrall everyone to one or two major forms of tickets.

 

[llij]

Gosh, glad I purchased our AP's for this next year! I need to explore this new ticket thing though!!

 

[BrianD]

This is nothing more than an attempt to force people to buy park hoppers. Why? Because if you dont use all of the days now they are useable at any time, and if you dont go back, Disney still gets the money for it. This is common business practice. They are trying to corrall everyone to one or two major forms of tickets.

I actually think it's more of an attempt to keep guests in the parks longer, so that they will spend money there. For example, if a family was planning a 5 day trip to WDW, but they see that for just $6 more they can get two more park days, then they might go for the seven days. Disney's not losing any money by offering the extra 2 days for just $6, because the family would have gone home anyway, having only paid for a 5 day vacation. Now they have them in the parks (& hotels) for two more days, spending more money.

On the other hand, as a consumer, I like it, because it is giving you much more flexibility in the type of ticket you want to pay for.

 

[civileng68]

I actually think it's more of an attempt to keep guests in the parks longer, so that they will spend money there. For example, if a family was planning a 5 day trip to WDW, but they see that for just $6 more they can get two more park days, then they might go for the seven days. Disney's not losing any money by offering the extra 2 days for just $6, because the family would have gone home anyway, having only paid for a 5 day vacation. Now they have them in the parks (& hotels) for two more days, spending more money.

On the other hand, as a consumer, I like it, because it is giving you much more flexibility in the type of ticket you want to pay for.

Good point.

 

[Shannon G]

I actually think it's more of an attempt to keep guests in the parks longer, so that they will spend money there. For example, if a family was planning a 5 day trip to WDW, but they see that for just $6 more they can get two more park days, then they might go for the seven days. Disney's not losing any money by offering the extra 2 days for just $6, because the family would have gone home anyway, having only paid for a 5 day vacation. Now they have them in the parks (& hotels) for two more days, spending more money.

On the other hand, as a consumer, I like it, because it is giving you much more flexibility in the type of ticket you want to pay for.

But, might it also discourage certain people from returning at a later date? For example, our last trip was cut short due to a family emergency, so we have park days and plus features that we did not get a chance to use. I figure okay, we'll go back on another trip and use those days later. Now, my temptation might be to grab some family as they're coming in and say "here, have two free park days - they're only going to be wasted otherwise" and give them our remaining days. Kind of like people do with unused Fastpasses. Then, I might be less likely to plan another trip, since I don't have those park days that I've a;ready paid for just sitting there. I realize you can pay for the tickets to never expire, but in that situation I would not have paid the extra because we fully intended to stay and use up our passes.

I'm sure the tickets will say they are nontransferable, but in reality there is no practical way to Disney to monitor or prevent this. (Please, no flames on the nontransferability of tickets - I'm just suggesting what people may do with unused days they otherwise would have saved & used on another trip).

 

[Safari Steve]

This is not in any way an attempt to sell more park hoppers or make a one-size fits-all ticket, quite the opposite, actually. The Park Hopper tickets that are currently available are going away forever Jan 1. If you want to visit one park per day for 4 days and also want to visit DisneyQuest and a water park (a ticket that is not currently available to the general public) you will pay less than the current price for a 4-Day park hopper and admission to DQ and TL. This is actually an attempt to offer much more flexibility and *not* corrall everyone into one or two types of ticket.

Also coming soon, more tickets will be impossible to transfer ownership on. That's not a policy change at all, just an improvement of enforcement of decades-old existing guidelines.

 

[SyracuseWolvrine]

Edit: Information contained in my original post may have been inaccurate. As a CM, I don't want to spread misinformation, so the text has been removed.

 

[ufgator]

I'm a FL resident and we always 4 or 5 day park hoppers. We don't buy annual or seasonal because I don't know when we'll be able to go and we usually don't plan that far in advance - we make 3 day weekend getaways -and we love that they don't expire.

Are they still doing park hopper passes that never expire? Will the tickets we have now not be good next year? If they're going to do away with the park hoppers, should we buy more when we go in a few weeks? Thank you!

 

[Safari Steve]

Any and all unused valid tickets will continue to be valid, the current ticket offerings will no longer be available for purchase after Jan 1. It will be possible to purchase tickets that do not expire, and it will be possible to purchase park hopper tickets. It will also be possible to purchase tickets that include theme parks and water park/disneyquest/pleasure island admission. None of those options will be required, however. There are going to be special year-round offers for FL residents, including a 3-day ticket for the price of a 2-day ticket (which will be valid for 6 months) and a one day park hopper ticket for the price of a one-day, one park ticket. I wouldn't stockpile park hoppers, but what you do is none of my business. Read the press release for all of the information and I think that might help to clear up some confusion.

 

[Poohbear123]

Sounds good for us Fl. Residents!