Ticket Price increase

[Tekneek]

There is only one reason ANYONE is in business....thats to make as much money as they can.

Not actually true across the board, but for corporations (excluding non-profit corporations) the size of Disney that is certainly the rule. I know plenty of people that are in business for intrinsic reasons and the financial aspect is merely to keep bills paid and doors open. Their financial planning is all about staying in the black only, not to move further and further into the black every year.

[manutd1]

Not actually true across the board, but for corporations (excluding non-profit corporations) the size of Disney that is certainly the rule. I know plenty of people that are in business for intrinsic reasons and the financial aspect is merely to keep bills paid and doors open. Their financial planning is all about staying in the black only, not to move further and further into the black every year.

I hope my mutual funds don't have those businesses in them
I guess if you are talking about a SMALL business, I could see what you mean..but I know so many small business owners and it takes so much of their time JUST to stay in the black...( mostly due to high tax and unnecessary regulations)That it almost makes it not worth doing it vs working a normal job.
When you can go put a car together for Honda...across the street and make the same as owning a coffee shop...and work a lot less...there is no reason to own the coffee shop.
There is this "bistro" that the last 2 owners did just that..
But as for Disney, I have no complaints...The movies are great and the parks are as good as ever. If not better..I know this is all ones opinion.

[Tekneek]

That it almost makes it not worth doing it vs working a normal job.

I've been lucky to know, and work for, lots of people that try to put every extra penny back into the business. It is a very different experience working for corporations with thousands of employees. The largest bonuses I've ever had, as well as pay increases, came from small enterprises that weren't trying to funnel profits to Wall Street investors or even larger parent corps. That's the capitalism I believe in, but I suppose it takes all kinds to make the world go 'round.

[manutd1]

I've been lucky to know, and work for, lots of people that try to put every extra penny back into the business. It is a very different experience working for corporations with thousands of employees. The largest bonuses I've ever had, as well as pay increases, came from small enterprises that weren't trying to funnel profits to Wall Street investors or even larger parent corps. That's the capitalism I believe in, but I suppose it takes all kinds to make the world go 'round.

Agreed..

[Tekneek]

Not sure if this was reported earlier in the thread (I did not see it when looking through), but water parks were not folded into the park hoppers by default (you still have to buy the Water Park & More option). However, the 1-day Water Park ticket does allow you to hop between the 2 parks.

[WiltonJohn]

Ugh... hum............ that money "going back into the business" is going to increase the net value of the business for when the time comes to close the business and sell it (or its assets) ...... thereby giving the owners of the business the "big kick" at the end of the long term.

It is all the 'same deal' in the long game... just the timeframe and details of who gets it changes. Management decision about how to best use cashflow toward growing the business.

Yes, Disney's prices have gone up....... but have you looked at most everything else? (Except for oil....... which is being kept artificially low at the moment as a tactic to put high cost production operations out of business... and then it will go back up.)

best,

...................john

[Tekneek]

My only real point was that disgruntlement about the price increases usually ends up at people wishing Disney was interested in more than just shaking everyone down for the most amount of money possible. Once I set that aside, and accepted that they really just do want to separate everyone from as much cash as possible while spending the least, the rampant price increases and bizarre budget cuts/reductions/customer service declines/etc stopped bothering me as much as they used to.

With that perspective, we need not wring our hands over this at all. If they have priced a WDW visit out of your budget, remind yourself that it is just business and they care about getting the maximum amount of money (not whether your family has the means to visit).

[williamslattery]

There is only one reason ANYONE is in business....thats to make as much money as they can. There is no other reason to be in business.
Since D.l. opened it was all about making money. Remember, the e ticket rides took more tickets..so the more money a guest had..the more rides they could ride. Disney has always been capitalistic in that, the more $$ you had...the more you could play. Especially so, back in the day when you had to buy x amount of tickets per ride. I don't see the bubble bursting in any of our lifetimes. This past year we went to both DL and WDW...just had a fabulous time..the parks and attractions are as good if not better than ever. I understand some folks loathe the price increases...but there is so many ways to off set that. Shouldn't really be an issue for anyone who reasonable can afford to go in the first place.

I don't mind the cost increase itself but, for the cost, I resent having to book rides months in advance and 90 minute wait times! The cost is a non-issue as long as you can access all the attractions in a reasonable time and without being turned away.

[DizneyFreak2002]

My only real point was that disgruntlement about the price increases usually ends up at people wishing Disney was interested in more than just shaking everyone down for the most amount of money possible. Once I set that aside, and accepted that they really just do want to separate everyone from as much cash as possible while spending the least, the rampant price increases and bizarre budget cuts/reductions/customer service declines/etc stopped bothering me as much as they used to.

With that perspective, we need not wring our hands over this at all. If they have priced a WDW visit out of your budget, remind yourself that it is just business and they care about getting the maximum amount of money (not whether your family has the means to visit).

Funny thing is, I didn't see any posts of disgruntlement over the price increase, this year... I think people have tired of complaining cause no matter what, Disney will keep raising prices cause they can... Expect Universal to follow soon too...

My issue is the price keeps increasing but the offerings and experience decrease...

[Melanie]

I don't mind the cost increase itself but, for the cost, I resent having to book rides months in advance and 90 minute wait times! The cost is a non-issue as long as you can access all the attractions in a reasonable time and without being turned away.

Agreed! And this is exactly the point we made last night while taping our latest podcast, when talking about the ticket price increase. I don't mind the cost as long as we could have the experience we had even three years ago.

BTW, welcome to INTERCOT!!!

[texas211]

Funny thing is, I didn't see any posts of disgruntlement over the price increase, this year... I think people have tired of complaining cause no matter what, Disney will keep raising prices cause they can... Expect Universal to follow soon too...

My issue is the price keeps increasing but the offerings and experience decrease...

Amen.. I think that sums it up right there.

[Tekneek]

My issue is the price keeps increasing but the offerings and experience decrease...

That is part of the same pattern. I say you should expect more price increases and more cutbacks until there is a material decline in revenues and/or attendance. Disney does not care what any of us think about it.

I am surprised at how many people still throw untold amounts of money at Disney, but I guess they know their market better than I do. Suppose there are plenty of more increases and budget slashes left before people go somewhere else.

[williamslattery]

Agreed! And this is exactly the point we made last night while taping our latest podcast, when talking about the ticket price increase. I don't mind the cost as long as we could have the experience we had even three years ago.

BTW, welcome to INTERCOT!!!

Yup! Especially when you are bringing young children (8 yrs & 6 yrs). Waiting for extending times, or not being able to go on a ride, ruins the "magic" for them and possibly prevents them from becoming longtime WDW visitors like we are/were (33 yrs for me).

[GMRO]

Agreed! And this is exactly the point we made last night while taping our latest podcast, when talking about the ticket price increase. I don't mind the cost as long as we could have the experience we had even three years ago.

BTW, welcome to INTERCOT!!!

Yea 3 to 5 years ago!!! Lately it's been a labor of love to try and have fun there at all - no matter what price.

I do like the RFID bands and new technology but I loath FP+ and the app nonsense. Pre-planning stinks!

I've always said Disney found a way to sell and market the feeling of "MAGIC". IMO now they are trying to over-control MAGIC or micro manage it to an infinite degree. Pretty soon they will lose control of it all together.

Not a fan of the direction they are headed at all...

[manutd1]

I don't mind the cost increase itself but, for the cost, I resent having to book rides months in advance and 90 minute wait times! The cost is a non-issue as long as you can access all the attractions in a reasonable time and without being turned away.

You book rides 2 months in advance if you stay on property.....A huge amount of folks love that ability. And, you can still use FP+ in the parks as you did the old system once those are used....as we have and will. I have never waited close to 90 min for any ride ever... Will good PLANNING one doesn't have to. Heck, just get at the park at opening.
Besides...long ago say, 1980-92. 90 min wait times was the norm for a lot of attractions. For the money...one can ride way more attractions now..than in the past.
P.s. and any ride you book in advance.....you won't have anywhere close to a 90 min. wait time....not sure what you mean there.

I think the problem folks have with any of this "planning" stuff...is they either over plan or just have bad time management skills...I dont know...I am as about as far from Einstein as you can get....but Disney planning and execution of that is EASY...Really, embarrassingly easy.

[The Hitchhiking Ghost]

You book rides 2 months in advance if you stay on property.....A huge amount of folks love that ability. And, you can still use FP+ in the parks as you did the old system once those are used....as we have and will. I have never waited close to 90 min for any ride ever... Will good PLANNING one doesn't have to. Heck, just get at the park at opening.
Besides...long ago say, 1980-92. 90 min wait times was the norm for a lot of attractions. For the money...one can ride way more attractions now..than in the past.
P.s. and any ride you book in advance.....you won't have anywhere close to a 90 min. wait time....not sure what you mean there.

I think the problem folks have with any of this "planning" stuff...is they either over plan or just have bad time management skills...I dont know...I am as about as far from Einstein as you can get....but Disney planning and execution of that is EASY...Really, embarrassingly easy.

We were just down there about 3 weeks ago. Nothing sadder than seeing thousands of people, at the happiest place on earth, all walking to and from staring down at their smartphones because we all need to see what the wait times are and if we can do something better.

I'm an uber planner and while I will admit there is upside to booking FP+ in advance, I would argue there is much more downside. One main one is quite simply, rides that never used to have wait times, now do, because people are forced to using the FP+ system on the ride. If you were a true planner, you preferred the old system as you could get more out of it. Our last day at the MK, we couldn't get a FP for Anna and Elsa until 10:00pms. It was great, we only waited 10 minutes, if that, to get in and see them, instead of the 90 minute average. Problem was, we had no opportunity between 2:00pm and 10:00pm to get or use a FP, so we basically lost out in between and because our 3rd FP wasn't until 10:00 we basically were blocked out of using a 4th or 5th FP.

I will say this, have to schedule park days around ADRs is one thing, having to schedule park days now around ride times really impacted the experience in a negative way.

To the original post of price hikes, always amazes me that they have so much shut down or blocked off with construction (so in effect offering less) but end up charging more. Again, being down there and seeing all the recent construction, or in the case of DHS ride closures, it seems like a terrible time to do a price hike.

[manutd1]

We were just down there about 3 weeks ago. Nothing sadder than seeing thousands of people, at the happiest place on earth, all walking to and from staring down at their smartphones because we all need to see what the wait times are and if we can do something better.

I'm an uber planner and while I will admit there is upside to booking FP+ in advance, I would argue there is much more downside. One main one is quite simply, rides that never used to have wait times, now do, because people are forced to using the FP+ system on the ride. If you were a true planner, you preferred the old system as you could get more out of it. Our last day at the MK, we couldn't get a FP for Anna and Elsa until 10:00pms. It was great, we only waited 10 minutes, if that, to get in and see them, instead of the 90 minute average. Problem was, we had no opportunity between 2:00pm and 10:00pm to get or use a FP, so we basically lost out in between and because our 3rd FP wasn't until 10:00 we basically were blocked out of using a 4th or 5th FP.

I will say this, have to schedule park days around ADRs is one thing, having to schedule park days now around ride times really impacted the experience in a negative way.

To the original post of price hikes, always amazes me that they have so much shut down or blocked off with construction (so in effect offering less) but end up charging more. Again, being down there and seeing all the recent construction, or in the case of DHS ride closures, it seems like a terrible time to do a price hike.

I never really payed attention to folks and the i phones...But i will say this...We don't use the app for the 4th on fast pass. We just goto the kiosk. for some reason...i like doing that way. Not that its the best way.......just my way.
As for you 10pm 3rd FP. I haven't encountered that. When I booked 60 days out....the latest FP was 4 pm. So then as soon as 4 i got one for 530..as soon as 530 I got one for 7 pm and then like 10 pm. I used 6 that day i think.....which was about how many i used with the old system. The key is not to use one for say..7 dwarfs mine ride. Eliminate the need for one by simply riding that as soon as park opens...we did that 3 days...most we waited was 20 min. FP+ can be worked..one just has to choose wisely and read forums to understand how to use it wisely.
In the end,..Some folks will not like FP+ and it will be difficult for them because they have a preconceived notion about it....I love FP+. so for us..its great. YMMV

[DizneyFreak2002]

I never really payed attention to folks and the i phones...But i will say this...We don't use the app for the 4th on fast pass. We just goto the kiosk. for some reason...i like doing that way. Not that its the best way.......just my way.

You realize the kiosks will be going away eventually right? And the only way to get that 4th FP is though the app...

Magical place on earth has become drone city... How many times are people getting injured because their heads are down looking at their phones? Now this is the only way to do a Disney theme park in WDW... Looking down at your phone instead of taking in the sights and surroundings in WDW...

[RunDMV]

I am surprised at how many people still throw untold amounts of money at Disney, but I guess they know their market better than I do. Suppose there are plenty of more increases and budget slashes left before people go somewhere else.

I think that is because there are enough one-time visitors (those who pay the ever rising prices without the historical context in loss of service) who spare no expense for that once in a lifetime trip. they are easily replacing the repeat guest who stopped returning.

Disney could care less if you come back as long as someone is coming.

[Melanie]

You realize the kiosks will be going away eventually right? And the only way to get that 4th FP is though the app...

Uh, when did that change? I thought you HAD to go to the kiosk for the additional FPs?????