Universal Follows WDW Lead, Increases Prices

[Ed]

From today's Orlando Sentinel...

Universal raises ticket prices

By Jason Garcia, Orlando Sentinel
August 7, 2010

On the same day it reported its first attendance gain in more than two years, Universal Orlando also announced it is raising ticket prices.

Universal said it is increasing the base price of a one-day, one-park pass to $82 — matching a price increase announced earlier this week by Walt Disney World.

The two-park resort, which is enjoying a surge in popularity with the opening of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, will also tack on an extra $5 to most of its multiday ticket options, including base tickets and park-to-park passes that include admission to both Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure on the same day. Online ticket prices, which are generally about $10 cheaper, will also rise.

But Universal said it will not hike the price of one of its most popular ticket options: Two-day, park-to-park passes, which will remain priced at $145. And in a move that could help it make further inroads with locals, Universal will also leave prices for Florida-resident, online-only tickets unchanged.

Annual prices will not change, either.

The new ticket prices will take effect tomorrow (8/8/10).

"Our goal is to continue to deliver on our promise of great entertainment at a great value, all while keeping an eye on the marketplace," Universal spokesman Tom Schroder said. "We also listen to our guests and they tell us we are doing a great job at delivering value. In fact, 94 percent of our guests say we deliver good to excellent value for their entertainment dollar."

Universal ticket-price increases*:

Base tickets:

1-day: $79 to $82 (+3.8 percent)

2-day: $119.99 to $124.99 (+4.2 percent)

3-day: $134.99 to $139.99 (+3.7 percent)

4-day: $144.99 to $149.99 (+3.5 percent)

Park-to-park tickets:

1-day: $109 to $112 (+2.8 percent)

2-day: $144.99 (unchanged)

3-day: $149.99 to $154.99 (+3.3 percent)

4-day: $154.99 to $159.99 (+3.2 percent)

*Prices are for tickets purchased at the gate. Online prices are generally $10 cheaper per ticket.

[DizneyFreak2002]

Greedy, greedy greedy... Oh wait... That is ony Disney when they raise prices..

Now, who didn't see this coming... One land who won't see these crowds after the summer, and bam!!! raise prices... Attendance will level off and be back to 2009 levels in 2011...

[Tekneek]

As someone else mentioned in a related thread, you need to look at the way prices have climbed since 2005.

[John]

Greedy, greedy greedy... Oh wait... That is ony Disney when they raise prices..

Now, who didn't see this coming... One land who won't see these crowds after the summer, and bam!!! raise prices... Attendance will level off and be back to 2009 levels in 2011...

Huh? Not sure what your point is here.

If you think that attendance at IOA is going down next year, I think you are sorely mistaken and are underestimating the draw power the new attraction has - plus the fact that the final two movies are due. I think the crowds will be there well into next year and if Universal is smart, they will keep the expansion going.

Anyway, the general point being made in most of the ticket price threads is that the cost of tickets has far outpaced inflation. We did a study on that last year and the average one day ticket price if it had merely kept up with inflation would be in the mid 50 dollar range - but disney and universal have decided to charge premium money to gain entrance to their parks.

And we keep paying the price...

[Tekneek]

And we keep paying the price...

We've cut back from what we had once intended to do. 2 trips a year, which we had intended to do, turned into every other year, and now will be, at best, 1 trip every 3 years (and that is far from a lock). I can't speak for others, but from the calculating I have done they would have made a lot more money off of getting us down there more often. They went a different direction, instead.

[John]

Guarantee you they have done the math on both of those scenerios and chose what made more money....

[Tekneek]

Guarantee you they have done the math on both of those scenerios and chose what made more money....

Sure they did. I'm just saying we would've probably spent more money total if the prices had not jumped so much, factoring in meals and merchandise. When the value for the buck began to drop, in our eyes, we backed off. Originally, to every other year, but then to every 3 years. It was easier to accept the Disney increases, because of the quantity of experiences available, than Universal trying to keep pace with them (although Universal was known to massively discount park tickets here and there over the years).

[NJGIRL]

Universal's tickets just went up in Jan 2010 a considerable amount so this increase is really uncalled for.