Will we see the same AP increase at WDW someday?

[Mouseaholic!!!]

Premium AP at DisneyLAND will go up $150.00.....no typo. DH saw the release today when he returned to work from our WDW trip.

I know WDW has a different AP demographic. Do you think it could happen here.

I was BLESSED to marry a wonderful man with a wonderful silver pass but our DVC friends all have AP's and $150.00 is a serious increase for one year.

Thoughts?

 

[ekutzbach2]

I think the $150 per pass increase is crazy. Not sure if we are going to renew our pass. I do know that people will just accept the price increase... kinda like the ever growing gas prices.

 

[ASteelersMidget]

They will keep upping the prices until one of these few things happens

1) People stop going because of price
2) Disney thinks they have enough profits
3) The world ends

with the third option being the most likely of the three

 

[lockedoutlogic]

they will keep upping the prices until one of these few things happens

1) people stop going because of price
2) disney thinks they have enough profits
3) the world ends

with the third option being the most likely of the three

x2

 

[lockedoutlogic]

I think the $150 per pass increase is crazy. Not sure if we are going to renew our pass. I do know that people will just accept the price increase... kinda like the ever growing gas prices.

Disneys tactics...along with most other consumer product companies over the last year...have been inline with the myth of the "good economy"

"we gave stuff to you cheap when it was bad...now we want our money back"

Not only is that what's wrong in a consumer society...it put too much faith in stock markets and people running out of unemployment benefits as economic indicators. I think everyone is living in a lie right now...my opinion.

WDW and universal and sea world will all announce ticket increases practically in conjunction soon...but I don't think it will be on the disneyland level.

The stupidity of the move in California is that ripped off the consumer by building an embarrassing low quality park...and now they want to be subsidized to fix it by the same consumers.

MDWW

 

[Figment632]

I guess they are trying to pay for Carsland.

 

[Cheshire Figment]

DLR actually has a lot more Annual Passholders than WDW has.

And also a lot of "free-running" teens who come without their parents. These are the ones who spend almost no money while there and are the ones that they are trying to cut back on. At least at WDW most of the Passholders travel and are getting rooms and meals.

 

[Polydweller]

As Cheshire Figment say, DLR has a far higher percentage of AP holders and apparently the price increase is intended to reduce the numbers of these. DLR is much more a single day visit park for the locals rather than a destination resort like WDW. The high number of APs actually hurts the bottom line at DLR.

The business motivation is really not applicable to WDW and it would be a real surprise to see the same size increase at WDW.

 

[Michael623]

That increase is incredible, I look at it this way:

WDW AP $552.74-$100 (DVC)=$452.74 for 365 days with Free parking, 4 parks

VS

DL AP $469-$20 (DVC)=$449 for 315 days and pay parking, 2 parks
or
DL AP $649-$20 (DVC)=$629 for 365 days with Free parking, 2 parks

Dear I say that the WDW AP almost seems like a bargain? I plan to visit DL twice in a year and planned to buy an AP but at these prices I'll probably just go with hoppers. Yikes!

 

[mjstaceyuofm]

Agreed on the different demographics. I have some friends in SoCal and that's the M.O. out there. They'll grab their kids after-school and head on over to the park for just a few hours to hang out, ride a ride or two, etc. It's just something you do out there if you live close. The AP holders eat up a lot of space in the parks and while they buy their annual passes, there's not that same contingent of AP holders like in WDW that are DVC members, come down for 20 or so days in spurts over the course of the year and spend more money than the DL AP day-trippers.

I think they talked about it on some of the podcasts this week, speculation being that they're trying to cut down on the spend-nothing, park-filling crowd that makes no money for Disney.

 

[rodkenrich]

,

 

[lockedoutlogic]

Agreed on the different demographics. I have some friends in SoCal and that's the M.O. out there. They'll grab their kids after-school and head on over to the park for just a few hours to hang out, ride a ride or two, etc. It's just something you do out there if you live close. The AP holders eat up a lot of space in the parks and while they buy their annual passes, there's not that same contingent of AP holders like in WDW that are DVC members, come down for 20 or so days in spurts over the course of the year and spend more money than the DL AP day-trippers.

I think they talked about it on some of the podcasts this week, speculation being that they're trying to cut down on the spend-nothing, park-filling crowd that makes no money for Disney.

that is sheer stupidity...paying customers are paying customers.

If they think (and i'd bet the soy farm they do) that if they thin out the "deadbeat spend nothing" locals and think it will be replaced by a high earning, 5 days excursion, high spending clientele like they enjoy in WDW...they've got another thing coming, sister...

Disneyland has had the same basic operation philosophy for 55 years...but i love these "wheel reinvention" initiatives thought up by accountants.

maybe they're are think ahead to when they have a second park out there...

2002

 

[crocko]

From some blogs I have been following, looks like this is based (not only the all-powerful dollar) but the fact that attendance/parking is getting to levels that DL has not experienced previously.

With the opening of CarsLand, they are expecting some attendances this summer that would have been considered pie-in-the-sky in the past. Parking has become a huge issue as well.
While I don't like seeing AP'ers getting ripped with this increase, it is definitely an economics equation for Disney. High attendance is wonderful, but there is a limit on how much can be handled. Along with that, it seems to be true that AP'ers spend less and bring more cars (maybe 2 people/car vs. 4-5/car from tourists).

Will the increases bring a reduction in AP holders...sounds like it might and that may be the equation Disney is looking for. If the place is getting so popular that it is becoming over-packed (which let's be honest....most visitors would rather the parks NOT be over-packed on the particular day that you visit) then it makes sense (yes, for the enjoyment of the guest) to scale back attendance numbers...and supply/demand says that the cost of doing so is price increases.

If the demand for time at Disneyland/DCA has become so high, then it makes complete sense that prices will increase.

My prediction is that Disney will find that it sees a sizeable leap in revenues from this. I predict that the AP renewal rate will not take a significant dip.

 

[quikah]

I think they talked about it on some of the podcasts this week, speculation being that they're trying to cut down on the spend-nothing, park-filling crowd that makes no money for Disney.

If this is there intention I hope it works. Our trip in early Dec last year was borderline miserable some days due to the crowds. We will most likely keep our trips to WDW unless this improves.

 

[Cheshire Figment]

..but i love these "wheel reinvention" initiatives thought up by accountants.

They are not thought up by the Accountants. They are thought up by manager-types who have Master of Business Administration Degrees.

An MBA knows how to "manage", just as a teacher with a degree in education knows how to teach.

Unfortunately over my career I have seen managers who do not know or understand what they are managing, just as I have seen educators who know how to teach but do not understand the subject they are teaching.

And I have had tax clients who had (or were going to be) MBAs, They knew how to manage, but they could not do their own income tax returns because in addition to not understanding the rues, they did not understand the numbers.

Mike (A proud (retired) CPA who never even tried for a MBA)

 

[mjstaceyuofm]

that is sheer stupidity...paying customers are paying customers.

If they think (and i'd bet the soy farm they do) that if they thin out the "deadbeat spend nothing" locals and think it will be replaced by a high earning, 5 days excursion, high spending clientele like they enjoy in WDW...they've got another thing coming, sister...

Disneyland has had the same basic operation philosophy for 55 years...but i love these "wheel reinvention" initiatives thought up by accountants.

maybe they're are think ahead to when they have a second park out there...

2002

I profess no defense or agreement with/of Disney management on the subject. ;-) Just telling you what I know some of my friends do and what I've heard/read. I just wish our park(s) out east would get a bit more attention every once in a while. When you think about it, this new Fantasyland Expansion is really just some more space with not a whole lot of gain:

We're plus 1/2 a ride with the "double-dumbo"
We're net-sum-zero with the snow-white attraction
We're plus-one on the Little Mermaid
We're plus-one on a restaurant
Barnstormer, Casey Jr. waterworks, and the train station - no change
Oh yeah, another meet and greet too.

So one and a half new rides and a restaurant. I'll take it, but I think they can and should do more.

 

[lockedoutlogic]

I profess no defense or agreement with/of Disney management on the subject. ;-) Just telling you what I know some of my friends do and what I've heard/read. I just wish our park(s) out east would get a bit more attention every once in a while. When you think about it, this new Fantasyland Expansion is really just some more space with not a whole lot of gain:

We're plus 1/2 a ride with the "double-dumbo"
We're net-sum-zero with the snow-white attraction
We're plus-one on the Little Mermaid
We're plus-one on a restaurant
Barnstormer, Casey Jr. waterworks, and the train station - no change
Oh yeah, another meet and greet too.

So one and a half new rides and a restaurant. I'll take it, but I think they can and should do more.

wholeheartedly agree....

but we know that disneyland gets more love because the suits can see it outside their windows in between the dwarves and that imagineering is close by...as is pixar - which has creative control on all new building activities.

So they are always going to get the love...even if they generate a fraction of the WDW complex.

But as far as fantasyland....i agree with you wholeheartedly...its way more smoke than fires.
And i don't trust them to even follow through on the snow white ride. ( gift shop there instead seems more prudent...)

This seems to be a good time to point out that many of those who defend disney's "big investments in orlando" are not looking at this realistically.

We have what will amount to a scaled down fantasyland reinvestment...an avatar expansion that hardly anyone thinks will ever be built...the "reinvisioning of pleasure island" completely halted...and new cruiseships that have nothing to do with WDW...all on a ridiculous timeframe.

WDW is still neglected...fancy pricetags aside...they need to keep reinvesting/inventing is a constant...
it will never end and also cannot be neglected.

That's the way it is...and its not being done to the level it needs to be.

that's my opinion...but i say it with alot of love

 

[crocko]

And i don't trust them to even follow through on the snow white ride. ( gift shop there instead seems more prudent...)

What does this mean?

They have already started on the Snow White ride construction....very visible and progress is being made daily from all the daily picture blogs I have been following.

 

[DCTooTall]

What does this mean?

They have already started on the Snow White ride construction....very visible and progress is being made daily from all the daily picture blogs I have been following.

I'm thinking he's thinking about the Meet & Greet going into the existing Snow White Ride location.

Honestly, I can see them following thru....


....It's much easier to stick the princess Gift Shop at the exit and have it sell stuff after meeting the princesses in question.

 

[crocko]

In that case, I believe we have another case of the DISboards over-cynicism.

Why wouldn't they follow-through on the Meet'N'Greet (and duh, there will probably be merchandising connected). They now have a Princess Meet'n'Greet that will be located only yards away from the Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boutique...this has to be a perfect scenario in Disney's mind.