Disney Parks Adopt Seasonal Pricing on 1-Day Ticket

[John]

From Disney:

Disney Parks Adopt Seasonal Pricing on 1-Day Ticket

It’s an exciting time to visit Disney Parksas new fan favorites come to life at Disneyland® Resort and Walt Disney World® Resort.

New Star Wars experiences have already opened at both Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney World Resort. And this year, several new experiences are expected to open on both costs, such as the new Soarin’ Around the World at Disney California Adventure® Park and Epcot®, a “Frozen”-inspired musical at Disney California Adventure Park, new nighttime experiences at Disney’s Animal Kingdom® Theme Park, the Frozen Ever After attraction at Epcot and a new stage show at Magic Kingdom® Park.

We are committed to delivering on our Guests’ high expectations in the midst of unprecedented demand for our parks, particularly during peak visitation periods. That is why we continue to expand our parks with new attractions like those noted above, as well as entire new themed lands based on AVATAR, Star Wars and “Toy Story.”

It is also why we continue to look for ways to spread out visitation. So, beginning tomorrow, we are shifting to seasonal pricing for 1-Day tickets. It’s an approach that you are probably familiar with from many other areas, including sports, entertainment and travel.

How will it work? Each month is divided into value, regular and peak days with an 8-11 month calendar available for viewing online. Here’s an example, if your Clients plan their visit for September, they’ll have a variety of options, including many days in the value period, which will give them the opportunity to pay less for a 1-Day ticket. If they plan to visit during a peak period, like the winter holidays they will pay more. Purchasing a 1-Day ticket in a non-peak period, or choosing multi-day ticket and annual passes, will provide additional flexibility and value.

Seasonal pricing for a 1-Day ticket and price increases for multi-day tickets will go into effect at Disney Parks Sunday, Feb. 28, 2016.

In addition, although in the past 1-Day tickets for Walt Disney World Resort did not expire, 1-Day tickets sold on or after Sunday, Feb. 28 for Walt Disney World Resort will expire at the end of the next calendar year. For example, 1-day tickets sold in 2016 will expire on Dec. 31, 2017. The amount paid for an unused, expired ticket may be applied towards the purchase of a new ticket at the current price.

[Goofy4TheWorld]

Well, it could have been worse...

It's getting harder and harder for me to accept the complexity of a WDW vacation, and the future that we all know is coming (tiered multi-day tickets) makes me sad. :(

[BrerGnat]

Thankfully, I have never bought (and probably never will buy) a one day ticket. This won't affect planning for us in any way.

[Stu29573]

Wow, the Teacups don't even spin that much!

[John]

Thankfully, I have never bought (and probably never will buy) a one day ticket. This won't affect planning for us in any way.

Until they adopt it across the board, and you know that's coming. The only question is, will it be this year or next year...

[Crow]

Until they adopt it across the board, and you know that's coming. The only question is, will it be this year or next year...
im sure they will. never bought a one day either. but Im wondering if they will raise the multiday price soon anyway

[brad192]

Wow, the Teacups don't even spin that much!


Not only do they fail miserably at putting a positive spin on what essentially is another money grab, but snuck in the announcement of price increases for multi-day passes in the second to last paragraph.

Once again, corporate greed wins out. The old 10cc song "Wall Street Shuffle" is now running through my head...

[Stu29573]

Not only do they fail miserably at putting a positive spin on what essentially is another money grab, but snuck in the announcement of price increases for multi-day passes in the second to last paragraph.

Once again, corporate greed wins out. The old 10cc song "Wall Street Shuffle" is now running through my head...

Yep, just another company grabbin' the green. Emphasis on "just another company."

[Patricia]

Four-day tickets increased from $305 to $325 and 10-day passes increased from $365 to $400.

[Basket Mommy]

I don't like it, either, but it is on par with seasonal pricing for hotel rooms and dining. I might actually have a chance to enjoy Christmas Day at Disney if this thins things out any.

[waymickey]

Am I missing something? Doesn't the article say multiple day ticket increases go in affect Today? Also I find this hard to take. Many families do not take vacations when their children have school, and some can only go on vacations at certain times of the year. Most of the time those times are the most crowded or peak days. As a teacher this affects me a great deal and while I accept the crowds since it is my only choice of when I can go. I do not accept the price increase on those crowded days. I am paying more to go tot he park when it is the most crowded. :mad:

[joonyer]

Disney is one of the last in the theme park business to do this kind of pricing. I'm actually surprised it hasn't happened sooner. You pay for for a movie ticket at 8:00 pm than you do for the 3:00 afternoon matinee. At many restaurants, you pay less for a meal at lunchtime than you do for the same basic food at dinnertime. Not much different about this. I don't like it, but its hardly shocking. We are all used to paying a lot more for hotel rooms during peak demand times, not only at Disney but at most resorts everywhere.

[waymickey]

Disney is one of the last in the theme park business to do this kind of pricing. I'm actually surprised it hasn't happened sooner. You pay for for a movie ticket at 8:00 pm than you do for the 3:00 afternoon matinee. At many restaurants, you pay less for a meal at lunchtime than you do for the same basic food at dinnertime. Not much different about this. I don't like it, but its hardly shocking. We are all used to paying a lot more for hotel rooms during peak demand times, not only at Disney but at most resorts everywhere.

Those comparisons are not quite the same. This is for a day not time of day. Now anyone that is already paying a higher price for resorts at busy times are also paying a higher price to enter the park and most likely wait in longer lines and get on less. IMHO Disney is looking to increase their $$$ by making a one day ticket cost more persuading people to buy a multi day ticket. But wait those prices went up too. Busier day, longer lines for everything, & higher prices. DHS with most of it being closed soon and parks closing earlier. I find it hard to justify the price. I love Disney but I may be priced out now. 125 dollars to get into a park. Three guaranteed experiences. Construction closing many things. Park hours cut back. Equals one unhappy family.

[ChipNDale79]

Those comparisons are not quite the same. This is for a day not time of day. Now anyone that is already paying a higher price for resorts at busy times are also paying a higher price to enter the park and most likely wait in longer lines and get on less. IMHO Disney is looking to increase their $$$ by making a one day ticket cost more persuading people to buy a multi day ticket. But wait those prices went up too. Busier day, longer lines for everything, & higher prices. DHS with most of it being closed soon and parks closing earlier. I find it hard to justify the price. I love Disney but I may be priced out now. 125 dollars to get into a park. Three guaranteed experiences. Construction closing many things. Park hours cut back. Equals one unhappy family.


I posted this on another board earlier today, it shares my thoughts on it:

So here is my take on all of this, sure its not a huge increase over the course of an entire vacation, however the gradual increase every year on everything is starting to add up. I still agree that a Disney vacation is in fact a reasonable vacation compared to other options. However, as Disney increases prices and cuts spending on other things, so does my family. We live 8 hours away, so historically when we go on vacation from Saturday to Saturday, we’ll purchase the 8 day hopper and we’ll leave right after work on Friday, get a cheap hotel room in Orlando Friday night and spend the entire day in the parks on Saturday. We’ll buy breakfast, lunch, and dinner in the parks that day and probably spend more money. At the end of our trip, instead of packing up and leaving early Saturday morning, we’ll use the 8th day to head to MK for Crystal Palace breakfast and hit a few rides before leaving.


As they continue to increase prices, I can’t justify buying the 8 day park hopper for a Saturday to Saturday trip anymore, it makes more sense for us to bump those back to a 6 day park hopper. Now we’ll get up at a decent time on Saturday morning and head down, check into the hotel, and head over to Disney Springs for dinner. We’ll also get up on departure day and just pack up and head out. It’s a 1 ½ day park loss for us, and less money we’ll spend in the parks, so in the end it’ll actually save us a little money.


These trips are tight for us, but we can afford them, I am starting to have a hard time with the business practice of how things are being handled and am really starting to get a sour taste in my mouth with things. After going 7 times in a 5 year span, we took 3 years off as our kids were born, we took them in 2014 and 2015, with the plans to take 2016 off and head back down for 2017 and 2018. The talk this weekend at our house was to maybe skip 2017 all together as well, with the cost increases, cuts while record profits are being made, and all of the construction going on, we may sit out until 2018 or 2019.


I understand cost increases and the need for them, we did the math, and from our Honeymoon in 2008 to this summer, the exact same vacation sees a 31% increase in price. I honestly haven’t seen a 31% increase in experience or inflation. We're a family of 4 that has a a moderate income, I'm starting to feel that we're no longer Disney's target audience.

[PopPhan]

Reading through some of this, it looks like the multi-day tickets are going up by the same amount as in previous years -- $5/day for the first 4 - 5 days and about $3-$4/day after that. The big changes are in the single-day tickets.

Who purchases single-day tickets? "Locals" and cruise-line visitors with a stopover in Port Canaveral. Who else? (This is an actual question, not a sarcastic statement!!)

So, what it sounds like is Disney is trying to lessen the crush on the parks in the busier times from the local clientele, making it a bit easier on the extended stay visitors. In essence, a "blackout period" (OK, more like grey!) for locals and cruisers.

[joonyer]

Those comparisons are not quite the same. This is for a day not time of day.

True, but my point was that we are all used to prices for entertainment and lodging to be higher when demand is higher (whether its the time of day or the time of year). I'm not happy about it either; as a consumer, I wish movie tickets and hotel prices were the same all the time. But it is not realistic to expect that. I like college football, and on home game weekends, All the hotels in my college town charge three times their normal rates with a three-night minimum and every room in town is booked a year in advance. I don't like it, so I don't stay overnight, but they sell out every room available for miles around. So a lot of other people obviously think it's worth the money.

Disney is in the same position. They have found themselves (or gotten there in purpose, i should say) in the enviable position of being able to sell as much as they have of something (entertainment) at prices that many find too much to bear. Yet others willingly take those disappointed buyers' places. Until that changes, expect more price increases. Disney didn't invent this concept. It's basic economics. And they are taking advantage of it. As a result, we'll be voting with our wallets, and going to WDW less often. I'm sure some other family will take our place.

[brad817]

True, but my point was that we are all used to prices for entertainment and lodging to be higher when demand is higher (whether its the time of day or the time of year). I'm not happy about it either; as a consumer, I wish movie tickets and hotel prices were the same all the time. But it is not realistic to expect that. I like college football, and on home game weekends, All the hotels in my college town charge three times their normal rates with a three-night minimum and every room in town is booked a year in advance. I don't like it, so I don't stay overnight, but they sell out every room available for miles around. So a lot of other people obviously think it's worth the money.

Disney is in the same position. They have found themselves (or gotten there in purpose, i should say) in the enviable position of being able to sell as much as they have of something (entertainment) at prices that many find too much to bear. Yet others willingly take those disappointed buyers' places. Until that changes, expect more price increases. Disney didn't invent this concept. It's basic economics. And they are taking advantage of it. As a result, we'll be voting with our wallets, and going to WDW less often. I'm sure some other family will take our place.

Exactly. I guess I understand some frustration and knee jerk reactions, but quite frankly Disney should raise prices more. It's supply and demand. Yes, they have raised prices at a MUCH higher rate than inflation. They also continue to have MUCH higher attendance than in the past. The prices are well in line with what the market will bear.

[Stu29573]

New York Post lead story...
"Disney is screwing American Families."

[DonaldDuck1117]

So far it doesn't affect my wife and I, and I doubt this affects many at Disney World. I would love to see how many single day tickets they sell at DW. My guess is not many. Now Disneyland is completely different. I bet they sell a ton of single dayers out there. Different crowd.

I know the day of seasonal pricing is coming for multi day tickets. That's when I'll feel it.

Disney is clearly going after the wealthy and won't lose sleep over losing the middle class. Sad, but true :-/

[wjdoc]

Try AAA if you had terrible timing like I did and needed to get tickets yesterday or today. When I went to get tickets at the local Disney store yesterday and today, their system is still not up and running. But when I went to AAA, they didn't know anything about the prices changing. Saved a ton over what the Disney parks website was quoting me under the new system. I'm sure this is very short lived until Disney can get their system updated, but it worked today.

[dlpmikki]

I'm going to have to buy a 1 day ticket for the first time this year. For some reason (I'm in the UK) every time I try to go to the US ticket site I get redirected to the UK where I can only buy 7 day tickets. Can someone tell me what season May 10th will be for Epcot so I can have an idea of what it will cost if I can't buy it in advance? Thanks!

[PopPhan]

I'm going to have to buy a 1 day ticket for the first time this year. For some reason (I'm in the UK) every time I try to go to the US ticket site I get redirected to the UK where I can only buy 7 day tickets. Can someone tell me what season May 10th will be for Epcot so I can have an idea of what it will cost if I can't buy it in advance? Thanks!

Mikki,

On the WDW website, the price for a 1-day ticket on May 10, 2016 will be: MK ==> $110.00 + tax; EP | AK | DHS ==> $102.00 + tax.

Hope this helps you.

[dlpmikki]

Mikki,

On the WDW website, the price for a 1-day ticket on May 10, 2016 will be: MK ==> $110.00 + tax; EP | AK | DHS ==> $102.00 + tax.

Hope this helps you.

Thanks!

[Mendelson]

Someone asked who buys one-day tickets. A few years ago I had a work trip at one of the DS-area non-Disney hotels. My wife and son and I went for one day and it really galled me to pay those one-day prices, which I'd never done before. Time was you could at least buy a longer ticket and add the no expiration and at the end of the day you make out, but that's no longer (from what I recall).

I posted elsewhere about a short trip to Tampa we took recently. It was just cost-prohibitive to go to WDW for one day, given the cost of one-day tickets.

[TheVBs]

We know a handful of other families who regularly go to FL to visit family and will buy one day tickets to MK. I imagine that some of them won't be doing that anymore.

We've never bought a single day ticket. We've looked at single day tickets for other attractions in the area and have always passed because of the prices. Our typical trip to WDW is 10 days, so we've always bought the multi day tickets.

[WiltonJohn]

Lets see here.......... WDW...... one of the "premier" theme parks in America, if not the world. Magic Kingdom $110.00 per day. Others... $102.

Oh... looking at last year's 1 day prices for skiing for a single day at some of the better resorts in America Vail - $160 Aspen $129 Breckenridge $145 Deer Valley $120 Park City $ 115.


Play golf? .... Pebble Beach $495 Spanish Bay $270


Disney is not so "out of line" for a one day, same day, kind of purchase. And like the ski areas and golf resorts, buy multi-day passes ...and lodging packages... the price goes down. For the same reasons... incentives to stay longer and spend more (overall).

Not saying it is not expensive entertainment. Just saying..... they are a for profit business in the entertainment field. The whole "pixie dust in one's eyes" argument that pops up sometimes when people say that they like Disney, well.... that stuff works both ways; believing that Disney should have low-ish prices because they are ... well... DISNEY for crying out loud...... this also is a "pixie dust" viewpoint.

It is a for profit business... in pricing line with other venues. Not off in la-la land.

YES... the pricing will be pricing some folks out of the market. That is a function of other forces in the US/world as paychecks are impacted relative to the costs of things. Political stuff that we can't get into here. Sad.... yeah.

best,

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

[Tekneek]

I wonder how many people considering WDW are also comparing it to Aspen. I don't know any of those people.

[JerseyDad]

New York Post lead story...
"Disney is screwing American Families."

....read that article ...and then took a 'trip' over here to see the reaction, or lack thereof.

....is it their 'right' to raise prices knowing there will be higher attendance at those times ....sure.

....is it their 'right' to raise prices at a rate that outpaces the rate of inflation ...sure.

....is it some people's 'right' to think "well, I never do single day trips ...so I'm not impacted" ....sure

....it's my 'right' to also notice that Disney suspended all their "deals" when 'Jersey Week' occurred, just in time for our customary get away to WDW (because time allowed for it ...when we had kids in school here in NJ) ......you bet I noticed.


....and ....it's also the 'right' of people to be genuinely upset ....not only because they feel that they are being raked over the proverbial coals ....or that their window of opportunity to go to WDW (when affordable) ...is quickly being closed ....but ...in my case ...it seems that the "bang for the buck" is quickly diminishing, given all the changes at WDW ...that are not completely for the better (at the moment).

[BrerGnat]

Well, this is just us, but going to Disney (Land and World) are trips we can mostly guarantee a good time overall. Our kids have autism and going to "new" places is always a gamble, and often very stressful for everyone. Disney is our vacation comfort zone. We might not go every year, but it will always be there when we need a fun vacation. As such, we will find a way to make it happen. As prices go up, we adjust other things in our life so that it isn't out of reach.

We feel the same way about the DCL cruises. They are at a point where I WISH we could do one yearly, but we just can't, so we're doing without until we can save up the money for another one. We could do a "cheaper" cruise on another line, but we KNOW our kids like DCL and know it will work for them. I can't say the same for another line right now and I'm not willing to gamble to the tune of a few thousand dollars.

The bottom line is, vacations are a luxury expense. If it is really important to you, you find a way to fit it in the budget. I expect Disney to raise prices every year. Just means a few less dinners out over the course of a year for us to make up the difference.

[Hammer]

Lets see here.......... WDW...... one of the "premier" theme parks in America, if not the world. Magic Kingdom $110.00 per day. Others... $102.

Oh... looking at last year's 1 day prices for skiing for a single day at some of the better resorts in America Vail - $160 Aspen $129 Breckenridge $145 Deer Valley $120 Park City $ 115.


Play golf? .... Pebble Beach $495 Spanish Bay $270


Disney is not so "out of line" for a one day, same day, kind of purchase. And like the ski areas and golf resorts, buy multi-day passes ...and lodging packages... the price goes down. For the same reasons... incentives to stay longer and spend more (overall).

Not saying it is not expensive entertainment. Just saying..... they are a for profit business in the entertainment field. The whole "pixie dust in one's eyes" argument that pops up sometimes when people say that they like Disney, well.... that stuff works both ways; believing that Disney should have low-ish prices because they are ... well... DISNEY for crying out loud...... this also is a "pixie dust" viewpoint.

It is a for profit business... in pricing line with other venues. Not off in la-la land.

YES... the pricing will be pricing some folks out of the market. That is a function of other forces in the US/world as paychecks are impacted relative to the costs of things. Political stuff that we can't get into here. Sad.... yeah.

best,

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




The bottom line is, vacations are a luxury expense. If it is really important to you, you find a way to fit it in the budget. I expect Disney to raise prices every year. Just means a few less dinners out over the course of a year for us to make up the difference.

Natalie is right, being able to go away on vacation is a luxury, not a right. No vacation destination, including Disney, has any sort of obligation to keep prices at the same level. When I was young, my parents were just starting in their careers or finishing their degree (in the case of my Dad), so money was tight and being able to go to WDW for the day was a treat and we lived 90 minutes away! There were things that were of a higher priority to them, like sending me to Catholic school and investing for my college education. A few years after my sister was born (we are 9 years apart) we moved to Philadelphia with both my parents obtaining much better paying jobs, so there was extra disposable income for week long vacations, but I try to always remember that earlier time so I don't forget that vacations aren't an automatic thing.

[mgmnut]

Try AAA if you had terrible timing like I did and needed to get tickets yesterday or today. When I went to get tickets at the local Disney store yesterday and today, their system is still not up and running. But when I went to AAA, they didn't know anything about the prices changing. Saved a ton over what the Disney parks website was quoting me under the new system. I'm sure this is very short lived until Disney can get their system updated, but it worked today.

I just bought my 7 day park hoppers from "The Official Ticket Center" sponsor and saved almost 240.00 total over purchasing directly from Disney. Disney nickle and dimes you and it starts to add up, but we still always end up going back anyways.

[mrte62]

Been following this thread as well as the one started by DisneyFreak on the ongoing cuts..... just one guys observation:

My family grew up seeing the East Coast via camping. Our first trip to WDW in 1973, the cost per night at Fort Wilderness was $12.50 per night. My father almost cancelled the trip because the most expensive place we had ever stayed was $6 per night for a full hook up site. My mom worked her magic and away we went with Magic Key Card in hand. He always said that our week at FW was the best camping experience we had ever had - and we went back two more times. The higher price was okay - we had gotten true value for the money.

Fast forward to the present. My DW and I are blessed with good careers and were able to take our four kids and splurge when we went. Again, we always found value for the extra money we spent. We have enjoyed going to the Food & Wine Festival every other year and pretty much enjoying our week and the special events we purchased. Once again we found value for the extra cost.

That changed with our 2014 October trip to run the Tower of Terror 10 Miler. Something was noticeably different. FP+ was too much of hassle. Lines were in places that we had never seen them before. Everything seemed so crowded. Prices for food and special events seemed to have skyrocketed. MNSSHP was so oversold that it was a waste of money. I listen to the Disney earnings calls. Getting as much money out of every guest is the goal. What has been done to the IT workers is appalling.

Yea, I know "Disney is a business." But those of us who don't agree with their business model, can be disappointed and vocal about it. Sorry, but IMHO, Disney theme park management is currently not currently engaged in bet practices.....

I have posted before that I am one of those who appreciates people like DisneyFreak .... I want to know the good, the bad and the ugly.... it is my money and I want as much information as possible ... do we go to WDW and if we do go what can we expect?

Will we go back? Most likely. As often? Probably not. And from some people on the boards and those I know, that seems to be a growing trend.

[Tekneek]

It is a misconception that an un-favorable opinion of the way Disney operates means you feel entitled to a luxury vacation.

[Stu29573]

It is a misconception that an un-favorable opinion of the way Disney operates means you feel entitled to a luxury vacation.

I do feel entitled to value for my hard earned money....as should everyone. It has become impossible to justify the expense not because I'm entitled to the vacation, but because that value has slipped too much, in my opinion. Its difficult to see how people can argue that point, but they try....

[Basket Mommy]

I have kids in private school. These are kids whose parents (most of them) have money to put them in private school (some are on scholarship). The school is K-8th grade, so every year the 8th graders are the "graduates" and take an end-of-the-year trip to Orlando. A parent takes on the planning. This year I contacted the parent in charge to offer help planning if they were going to Disney (the kids are always given the choice between Disney and Universal). Last year the kids chose Universal, and I was happy, because my son was in 8th grade and we've NEVER gone there, but he's always wanted to. I have no desire, really. Anyhow, the mom told me that she'd called group ticket sales at Disney (before price increases) and they couldn't get the tickets for the same price as Universal. They usually go for 4 days and stay in rental homes, eating breakfast and dinner there, so all she's comparing is 4-day tix at both parks. It made me sad, because from now on the kids will probably always choose Universal strictly for cost reasons because parents balk at the cost of this trip. On the upside, it's one less school group y'all have to put up with. ; )

[RunDMV]

I wonder how many people considering WDW are also comparing it to Aspen. I don't know any of those people.

Some people defend Disney at all costs. Even if the defense is silly.

A cool siggy so I can be different from everyone on the net

......................RunDMV

[TheVBs]

Well, like others have pointed out, no one can tell you whether you're getting value for your money or not. We have never been disappointed with a WDW vacation or felt like our money wasn't well spent there. For us, it's been a guaranteed good time and we always walk away with great memories.

The people I really feel for are the first timers. They don't know if it will be worth the money until they try it. We run into the same dilemma with Universal. We would love to just try it for a day, but when I look at one day prices, I balk. I end up asking myself, am I sure we're going to have a good time? No one wants to part with that money and have a ****** day. It's a gamble. So there have got to be people looking the same way at a day in the MK.

I think the comparisons to ski resorts and golfing are valid if you really are taking those vacations. We all vacation differently and we have to weigh the costs of one trip over another. There isn't really an apples to apples comparison to Disney.

[ChipNDale79]

Exactly. I guess I understand some frustration and knee jerk reactions, but quite frankly Disney should raise prices more. It's supply and demand. Yes, they have raised prices at a MUCH higher rate than inflation. They also continue to have MUCH higher attendance than in the past. The prices are well in line with what the market will bear.

The problem with this is that it's a short term view point. Long term, it hurts their reputation and makes them look greedy. Yes this will help them gain profits in a short time frame, but it makes me wonder how this will effect return trips in the future. Parks and Resorts have seen down times before, usually because of a bad economy, so people don't always fork over money to head to WDW. At some point they will stop going, and what kind of damage will it do?

[RunDMV]

The problem with this is that it's a short term view point. Long term, it hurts their reputation and makes them look greedy. Yes this will help them gain profits in a short time frame, but it makes me wonder how this will effect return trips in the future. Parks and Resorts have seen down times before, usually because of a bad economy, so people don't always fork over money to head to WDW. At some point they will stop going, and what kind of damage will it do? That is because CEOs are short term. Stay a few years, maximize profits without concern for the long term. leave with a pocket full of gold. rinse and repeat.

[ChipNDale79]

That is because CEOs are short term. Stay a few years, maximize profits without concern for the long term. leave with a pocket full of gold. rinse and repeat.

Yup, it's what Wall Street demands these days.

[Terra]

Some people defend Disney at all costs. Even if the defense is silly.

A cool siggy so I can be different from everyone on the net

......................RunDMV
And some people are continually negative and never have one good thing to say at all costs, even when it's silly. Works both ways.


Well, like others have pointed out, no one can tell you whether you're getting value for your money or not. We have never been disappointed with a WDW vacation or felt like our money wasn't well spent there. For us, it's been a guaranteed good time and we always walk away with great memories.

The people I really feel for are the first timers. They don't know if it will be worth the money until they try it. We run into the same dilemma with Universal. We would love to just try it for a day, but when I look at one day prices, I balk. I end up asking myself, am I sure we're going to have a good time? No one wants to part with that money and have a ****** day. It's a gamble. So there have got to be people looking the same way at a day in the MK.

I think the comparisons to ski resorts and golfing are valid if you really are taking those vacations. We all vacation differently and we have to weigh the costs of one trip over another. There isn't really an apples to apples comparison to Disney.

Yes this. And lets be honest, whether we agree or like it or not, there are always going to be people and/or times where they can't afford vacations period.
I just started staying home again one month ago because of my oldest son and everything that is going on medically. Made more sense money wise then taking lots of days off, being in danger of losing my job all the time, etc.
Can we afford for me to be home? Yes! Does that mean we can continue to the live the same lifestyle? No.
We've made sacrifies which I am fine with because my son comes first.
One of those is Disney. I let my boys AP passes expire and did not renew them. I've still got mine but not sure I'll renew at expiration time.
So the reality is that currently we can't afford Disney, or I should say. It is not a prudent choice and would be a waste of resources right now. Many are in my shoes. Many people never get to do things like that.
I've never been able to afford to go overseas and visit my mother and step father. It's not in our budget. It's just life. There will always be things that people can't afford and that's OK. I mean sure I wish it wasn't that way, but it's the way of the world, the way of business.
Eventually if they see crowds are getting really low years from now, maybe they will lower prices. But truly, it IS price and demand.

That said, when we were going often, like once or twice a month [and I mean for the last 15 years], I have always gotten my money's worth. Just a personal view of value to dollar.

[Kaps]

I hope disney follows these threads. As a frequent visitor they are pricing me right towards another vacation. Universal is getting very competitive and they are getting better with the attractions. We all know disney is better in most areas but is it worth the price gouging very year. Busch garden offers packages with universal and they have not raised the prices on them as far as I know, instead they made it more attractive to skip disney. I have also visited there Williamsburg location and can say that they are less than half the price and my kids enjoyed it. Again no themes like disney but lately the only theme they seem to care about is how to open our wallets more and spin it off as beneficial to their patrons. Spread out the visitation, yeah right so when that happens they will raise the prices in the off season as well. They will tell it is because it is getting to crowded for our patrons again and off season will be priced out. Follow the bouncing ball of corporate head spinning. Sorry just how i feel and i am sure many others do as well.