Price Increase June 12th

[AgentC]

Not sure if this should go here or in theme parts, but Disney just announced on Twitter that prices are increasing on June 12th.

There is an article on the Disney blog.

[WDWfanatic742]

Price Increase Post

New Prices

Looks like about a three dollar increase per day across the board for all MYW tickets, with a dollar increase for Park Hopper and the Water Park & Fun add-on's...

[Tekneek]

This is happening a couple of months earlier than usual, isn't it?

[Melanie]

This is happening a couple of months earlier than usual, isn't it?

Yeah, typically it's a fall thing I thought.

[Ed]

Here's the info from the Orlando Sentinel ~~

Disney raising ticket prices for second time in less than a year

By Jason Garcia, Orlando Sentinel
June 11, 2011

Walt Disney World announced Friday that it is raising ticket prices — by more than 10 percent in at least one case — in the resort's second round of price increases in less than a year.

Effective Sunday, the base price of a one-day ticket will rise from $82 to $85 before tax, an increase of 3.7 percent.

Prices will rise more steeply on longer-term passes. The price of a five-day ticket — one of Disney World's best-selling ticket options — will jump 5.9 percent, from $237 to $251.

The price of a seven-day pass will jump 8.1 percent to $267. A 10-day pass will soar 11.1 percent to $291.

In addition, the price of adding a "park hopper" feature to a pass — allowing visits to multiple Disney theme parks in a single day — will inch up from $54 to $55 for all multi-day ticket options. The feature will cost an extra $35 for a single-day ticket.

Annual-pass prices will rise between 2 percent and 3.9 percent, depending on the type of pass.

The increases come three weeks after Disney World opened a revamped version of its popular Star Tours ride in Disney's Hollywood Studios. It is the only major attraction the resort is adding in 2011.

Prices will also rise at Disneyland in Anaheim, Calif.

A Disney spokesman defended the price increases, which come as the resort continues trying to wean travelers off the steep discounts it used to keep its parks full during the recession. Disney last raised ticket prices in August 2010, when for the first time it boosted the price of a base ticket above $80.

"Our research tells us that nearly all of our guests agree that a Disney theme-park experience is a strong value," spokesman Bryan Malenius said.

Other theme-park operators are also trying to reduce their use of discounts, despite a still-soft economy. SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment recently stopped selling popular "Fun Cards" — which allowed visitors to SeaWorld Orlando or Busch Gardens Tampa Bay to buy a one-day ticket and keep coming back for the rest of the year — in hopes of steering customers into pricier annual passes.

Disney's move could trigger a round of price increases at SeaWorld and Universal Orlando, as the parks have historically raised prices in concert. A spokesman for SeaWorld Orlando said Friday the park had no plans to raise prices at this time. A spokeswoman for Universal Orlando said the resort doesn't discuss pricing strategy.

A full list of Disney ticket-price increases:

•1-day: $82 to $85 (+3.7 percent)

•2-day: $162 to $168 (+3.7 percent)

•3-day: $224 to 232 (+3.6 percent)

•4-day: $232 to $243 (+4.7 percent)

•5-day: $237 to $251 (+5.9 percent)

•6-day: $242 to 259 (+7 percent)

•7-day: $247 to 267 (+8.1 percent)

•10-day: $262 to $291 (+11.1 percent)

•"Park hopper" or water-park admission added to a multi-day pass: $54 to $55 (+1.9 percent)

Annual-pass price increases:

•Premium (incl. water parks, etc.), non-resident: $629 to $649 (+3.2%)

•Regular, non-resident: $499 to $519 (+4%)

•Premium, Florida resident: $499 to $509 (+2%)

•Regular, Florida resident: $379 to $389 (+2.6%)

•Seasonal, Florida resident: $259 to $269 (+3.9%)
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[DizneyFreak2002]

And Disney wonders why people call them greedy???

[Polynesian Dweller]

I would like to invite all those who trashed Disney for raising it's prices to return to comment on Universal raising it's prices by as much as 14% today. The one day Universal price is now the same as Disney's $85 and the three day went to $159 from $139. So the question is, does this make Universal as greedy as Disney or is Disney the only greedy company?

[UCJen]

I would like to invite all those who trashed Disney for raising it's prices to return to comment on Universal raising it's prices by as much as 14% today. The one day Universal price is now the same as Disney's $85 and the three day went to $159 from $139. So the question is, does this make Universal as greedy as Disney or is Disney the only greedy company?

Ok, Sure!

Honestly, I don't care what Universal charges. They could charge $100/day for all I care. Why? Because I have no interest in going there. I'm not going to show indignation about things in which I have no interest.

I understand these are businesses and not philanthropic organizations and it seems for the time being, these prices are fairly inelastic.

I have already clearly enumerated in this thread why I am seeing diminishing value in a trip to Disney, all of which I feel are highly valid.

I have no problem paying top whack for a premium product, but quality at WDW has been sliding for a long time and I am getting tired of admiring the emperor's new clothes.

[DizneyFreak2002]

I would like to invite all those who trashed Disney for raising it's prices to return to comment on Universal raising it's prices by as much as 14% today. The one day Universal price is now the same as Disney's $85 and the three day went to $159 from $139. So the question is, does this make Universal as greedy as Disney or is Disney the only greedy company?

Not going to defend Universal as I started a thread calling it monkey see, monkey do... However, if you buy your Universal tickets online, you now get a $20.00 discount instead of $10.00, which means that three day $159 ticket is still $139.00. Oh, and they did NOT raise prices on annual passes.... Something Disney would NEVER EVER consider doing...

So, while Universal is being greedy, they aren't being AS GREEDY as Disney is...

[DizneyRox]

It's been a number of years since I've been to Universal, so I'm a little off on what to expect. However, I maintain that IOA is THE best themed park in Central Florida. Hulk is one of the best coasters, SpiderMan I think still takes the cake on best ride. And from what I can remember, they are constantly upgrading, building.

Disney on the other hand seems to be constantly taking away. Although, the Fantasyland Expansion is nice, it's a few years late and can be thought of as reactionary to Harry Potter Land.

$85 a ticket anywhere though is a tough sell for me.

You can compare it all you want to other entertainment options, but a lot of those don't impact me either. I'm not interested in paying $100+ for a ball game, I'm not interested in 90+ for skiing. Heck, I won't even pay $12.50 for a movie, I just don't think it's worth it.

There will be a point where a choice will be made on what to do with my entertainment dollar, and I don't mind walking away. I'm pretty spiteful that way. Disney is quickly approaching that threshold. Universal might be there as well, but I need to see for myself, which might come sooner than later. I think our next trip to Central Florida will be a Universal/Sea World type trip.

And to clarify, it's NOT about greed, it's about value. As mentioned, I don't mind spending money, in fact I enjoy it, that's why I make it. But you need to earn it, I don't enjoy being turned upside down and shaken until the last nickel hits the ground and spins to a stop.

[Ian]

For the purposes of my response I was focused solely on comparing Disney to others competing in their space.

If you want to talk about today's Disney competing against the Disney of 20 years ago, that's a different topic entirely IMO.

[Scar]

To quote Gordon Gekko... "Greed, for lack of a better word, is good".

Honestly, the fact that Disney raised is prices a couple of bucks won't affect (or is it effect ) my decision to go one bit. There are way too many other factors to weigh than to worry about three dollars a day.

Now that being said, it's probably not the best PR move in this economy.

And put me in the “couldn’t care less about Universal” camp. It could be free and I might still not go.

[DizneyRox]

If you want to talk about today's Disney competing against the Disney of 20 years ago, that's a different topic entirely IMO.

See, I don't think it is a different topic... That IS my comparison. I get that prices go up, each year I get more money, etc. There's a significant difference in what I was making in the early days at Disney than now. There's probably 2-3 times more discretionary income now than there was in 1999. But I went like 5 times between 1999 and 2000, it was an outstanding value back then.

In 2001 we dropped over $30K on a Disney Wedding, because frankly it was a good value! We would have gotten nothing even remotely close to what we got at Disney for what we spent. 10 years later, we're spending our anniversary on a cruise.

Soon it'll be one year since I set foot in a park, and I don't have any plans on my calendar (with DVC I can and usually do plan 11 months out).

Why is that?