Prices... sigh.

[mumto3girls]

My middle daughter and I each have one of those with 4 park hopper days left as well as water parks on that ticket plus some other old tickets with the water parks. We always bought the 10 day park hopper plus passes and used a few days at a time. The kids were always different because they came of age to need a ticket at different times, but we have puzzled for years how DH and I were not synced. I don’t recall either of us ever going to a Disney park without the other one in our adult lives. Anyways everyone has water parks and occasionally we make stopping at Disney and doing a water park day or two a part of another vacation. We also have done the after hours events a few times with separate ticketing hence the unused park days.

ETA: I forgot to quote @HeatherC who mentioned the unexpiring park tickets.

 

[leebee]

I 100% miss the non-expiring park tickets. We would buy as many days as we could afford, but usually we'd buy an 8-10 day ticket and stretch it out over 2 or 3 trips (usually in 2 years' time). The end of non-expiry tickets really was the beginning of the demise in value at Disney for us.

 

[Cannot_Wait_4Disney]

Remember the good old days with those wonderful non expiring tickets? We used to buy the 10 day pass to get like three trips out of them. We still have some old water park passes that are non expiring that we have yet to use.

We never got them. It was too much money to add on and we always went for longer stays. So if we didn't use a day or two, it wouldn't save us anything in the long run to not let them expire.

 

[Moliphino]

We never got them. It was too much money to add on and we always went for longer stays. So if we didn't use a day or two, it wouldn't save us anything in the long run to not let them expire.

It wasn't an add on, tickets just didn't expire.
They did eventually make it an add on.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

It wasn't an add on, tickets just didn't expire.
They did eventually make it an add on.

Yeah I have a ticket actually still from 1999 and we wrote "used" on it back then so we knew it had no more days left on it/wasn't valid any more

 

[BostonEd]

I'm going soon but someone else is paying. I simply cannot justify paying such a premium for something when I'm not getting what I paid for.

Well, *someone* is paying, and if you feel that strongly about the value, you shouldn't let them pay either. Unless you won a contest or something like that.

 

[Lord Manhammer]

Unless you won a contest or something like that.

It's sort of this scenario so I will be going. But frankly if someone wants to pay and wants the pleasure of my company that much, I won't deny them that privilege. There are many demands on my time and there's only one of me.

 

[lanejudy]

No option to do a 2 day base or 1 day PH if the original ticket was a 2day PH.

You shouldn't be locked into the same ticket type (as in base vs PH, # of days) -- just a ticket of equal or greater value. Sometimes if it's a little less you can convince them to give you a gift card refund.

 

[Cannot_Wait_4Disney]

It wasn't an add on, tickets just didn't expire.
They did eventually make it an add on.

Still wouldn't have helped us. We always stayed long enough that extra days were cheap and we'd use up our tickets.

 

[soccerdad72]

Remember the good old days with those wonderful non expiring tickets? We used to buy the 10 day pass to get like three trips out of them. We still have some old water park passes that are non expiring that we have yet to use.

A few years back, we had three of those passes with one day left over on them. We were in Orlando for a long weekend with another couple, so we decided to go to Epcot for a day. The ticket worker was really confused when we asked to buy 1 one-day non-hopper ticket (and we needed to exchange the remaining day on those other three passes for updated one day tickets). I don't think they'd been asked about a one day pass in a long time.

 

[DCLMP]

It amazes me with all the griping about inflation/economy, we're still hitting record numbers in shopping, etc. I'm going to venture that even with these price increases, Disney is probably seeing record attendance. Maybe I'm wrong.

@leebee I'm not sure what the value is anymore either as I feel a lot of the experience is degraded. If I didn't have access to Military Salute tickets, I'm not sure I'd be going again.

They do say debt is at an all-time high. Disney has been offering a lot of good resort discounts so maybe things aren't as good as we think. Are people staying offsite? We make a decent living and I have no interest in going. Someday if things improve, but not now.

 

[Minnie1222]

I still don't see the "degrading" value at Disney. The parks are as fun as ever, and they have more attractions now than pre-Covid. The place will be inundated with more guests if the prices are lowered, resulting in a real experiential degradation.

 

[PollyannaMom]

I still don't see the "degrading" value at Disney.

Ticket prices used to come with free FastPass, now they don't. Hotel stays used to come with Magical Express, now they don't. And so on. If I'm getting less for my money, it's less "value."

That said, money is actually not the top reason I haven't gone lately, complexity and reliance on technology are. I hate that as soon as I get comfortable with one system, there's a new one replacing it. And I don't want to be on my phone all day in the park, chasing the next ride. - I want to be present and feel like a kid.

I'm not saying I'll never go again. But I am hesitant right now.

 

[cabanafrau]

I still don't see the "degrading" value at Disney. The parks are as fun as ever, and they have more attractions now than pre-Covid. The place will be inundated with more guests if the prices are lowered, resulting in a real experiential degradation.

I'm curious if there was a FP system in place when you first toured WDW and were old enough to have real understanding of how you wanted to tour the parks? I'm struggling how to word the question not to make it sound rude or condescending, so I hope you'll accept that's not my intent. I'm simply curious if when someone started visiting and enjoying Disney impacts their preferences. My first visit was as a child in the first summertime period of operation with only MK. Returned as an adult with 3 parks and no FP. For me no FP is by far the superior experience, not even close.

Ticket prices used to come with free FastPass, now they don't. Hotel stays used to come with Magical Express, now they don't. And so on. If I'm getting less for my money, it's less "value."

That said, money is actually not the top reason I haven't gone lately, complexity and reliance on technology are. I hate that as soon as I get comfortable with one system, there's a new one replacing it. And I don't want to be on my phone all day in the park, chasing the next ride. - I want to be present and feel like a kid.

I'm not saying I'll never go again. But I am hesitant right now.

Yep, for us it boils down to no longer being allowed to wander, partaking of whatever we come across on a whim. More than once in the past I've received comments back insisting it's entirely possible to do that today. No, no, it's not. Today that means bypassing multiple attractions because we aren't signed up for the queue or spending the day waiting in fairly long lines for a few attractions (actually not sure standby is even available anymore without signing up?). No desire to sit around a theme park, "enjoying the ambiance", while convincing myself it's oh so beautiful and fun amongst immense crowds. There are actually many, many places around the world with far more beautiful surroundings I can enjoy more comfortably (and more affordably) than a theme park. Zero desire to spend a theme park vacation frustrated and chasing opportunities on our phones to visit attractions we've paid to partake in. All the shops essentially hawk the same soulless merchandise. No matter the price point I expect to sit down to dine on overall mass-produced foods in crowded, overstimulating environments of pretty basic comfort levels at best. As I write they're crushing the last bits of ambiance we loved at our favorite resort.

Our complaints didn't really spring from pricing, although we have zero desire of plunking down the current costs of a visit. For us it was the loss of ability to deliver the Disney Difference. After ten years of waiting for course correction to what appeals for us, we've accepted those days are over. There's obviously plenty of people who enjoy the current version, so it's clearly an us problem.

 

[fla4fun]

I'm curious if there was a FP system in place when you first toured WDW and were old enough to have real understanding of how you wanted to tour the parks? I'm struggling how to word the question not to make it sound rude or condescending, so I hope you'll accept that's not my intent. I'm simply curious if when someone started visiting and enjoying Disney impacts their preferences. My first visit was as a child in the first summertime period of operation with only MK. Returned as an adult with 3 parks and no FP. For me no FP is by far the superior experience, not even close.

I have also been visiting since the first year WDW opened. However, I have also been going every year since then (multiple times per year once I was an adult). Out of all the different waiting to ride options Disney has used, my preference is FP+. I felt that gave me the most relaxed and enjoyable time in the parks. I liked having the ability to schedule three attractions in advance, and then being more spontaneous the rest of the day. I only have two or three must do attractions in each park, so I was guaranteed to get on my favorites if I planned correctly. I don’t like waiting in long lines, not those 1971 lines or the 2024 lines, but I will not pay to bypass them as I feel it’s a cash grab. So I miss that sweet spot where I could ride my favorites without waiting and without paying a fortune for the privilege.

 

[cabanafrau]

I have also been visiting since the first year WDW opened. However, I have also been going every year since then (multiple times per year once I was an adult). Out of all the different waiting to ride options Disney has used, my preference is FP+. I felt that gave me the most relaxed and enjoyable time in the parks. I liked having the ability to schedule three attractions in advance, and then being more spontaneous the rest of the day. I only have two or three must do attractions in each park, so I was guaranteed to get on my favorites if I planned correctly. I don’t like waiting in long lines, not those 1971 lines or the 2024 lines, but I will not pay to bypass them as I feel it’s a cash grab. So I miss that sweet spot where I could ride my favorites without waiting and without paying a fortune for the privilege.

I think the disparities in our volume of visits alone makes it unlikely we would have a lot of common ground about touring WDW. I've only visited a handful of times, plus a couple more at DLR. We enjoyed visiting Disney very much and would have liked to return again, but not with the increased crowds, capacity that hasn't kept pace and the need for FP/planning in the current incarnation. We were never going to be the annual visitor, more like every five to seven years, likely inconsequential to Disney anyway.

 

[Minnie1222]

I'm curious if there was a FP system in place when you first toured WDW and were old enough to have real understanding of how you wanted to tour the parks? I'm struggling how to word the question not to make it sound rude or condescending, so I hope you'll accept that's not my intent. I'm simply curious if when someone started visiting and enjoying Disney impacts their preferences. My first visit was as a child in the first summertime period of operation with only MK. Returned as an adult with 3 parks and no FP. For me no FP is by far the superior experience, not even close.

I'm old enough to remember the ticket booklet and the very long wait at both Disneyland and WDW Magic Kingdom for my then favorite ride Space Mountain. I don't think I can go back to pre-Genie+/iLL era.

 

[Cannot_Wait_4Disney]

I'm curious if there was a FP system in place when you first toured WDW and were old enough to have real understanding of how you wanted to tour the parks? I'm struggling how to word the question not to make it sound rude or condescending, so I hope you'll accept that's not my intent. I'm simply curious if when someone started visiting and enjoying Disney impacts their preferences. My first visit was as a child in the first summertime period of operation with only MK. Returned as an adult with 3 parks and no FP. For me no FP is by far the superior experience, not even close.

Yep, for us it boils down to no longer being allowed to wander, partaking of whatever we come across on a whim. More than once in the past I've received comments back insisting it's entirely possible to do that today. No, no, it's not. Today that means bypassing multiple attractions because we aren't signed up for the queue or spending the day waiting in fairly long lines for a few attractions (actually not sure standby is even available anymore without signing up?). No desire to sit around a theme park, "enjoying the ambiance", while convincing myself it's oh so beautiful and fun amongst immense crowds. There are actually many, many places around the world with far more beautiful surroundings I can enjoy more comfortably (and more affordably) than a theme park. Zero desire to spend a theme park vacation frustrated and chasing opportunities on our phones to visit attractions we've paid to partake in. All the shops essentially hawk the same soulless merchandise. No matter the price point I expect to sit down to dine on overall mass-produced foods in crowded, overstimulating environments of pretty basic comfort levels at best. As I write they're crushing the last bits of ambiance we loved at our favorite resort.

Our complaints didn't really spring from pricing, although we have zero desire of plunking down the current costs of a visit. For us it was the loss of ability to deliver the Disney Difference. After ten years of waiting for course correction to what appeals for us, we've accepted those days are over. There's obviously plenty of people who enjoy the current version, so it's clearly an us problem.

It certainly is possible to do that if you show up before they open. If you don't, your choices will be limited. But things have always been like that at Disney. Show up early, get ahead of the surge, know what rides to hop on right away vs those that can wait a few minutes vs those that can wait until the afternoon. As someone that knows how to get around down there, to me, all these changes over the years have caused is a change in strategy. It's still the same game. And he who does his homework wins. Just the same as it has always been. I'm sorry for those that want to sleep in, show up at the park and the first time they do any planning is when they block the entrance under the RR bridge at 11, and open their map. And the first thing they decide to do? .... Breakfast at the most popular place in the park!!! HAHA. They're not going to have the best of times. But again, that has always been true. The system is a bit more complicated than it needs to be. That's about my only complaint.

Ticket prices used to come with free FastPass, now they don't. Hotel stays used to come with Magical Express, now they don't. And so on. If I'm getting less for my money, it's less "value."

That said, money is actually not the top reason I haven't gone lately, complexity and reliance on technology are. I hate that as soon as I get comfortable with one system, there's a new one replacing it. And I don't want to be on my phone all day in the park, chasing the next ride. - I want to be present and feel like a kid.

I'm not saying I'll never go again. But I am hesitant right now.

I'd rather book on my phone than have to run all the way across the park to get fast passes from the machine. And though I am not really that kosher with having to pay for fastpass either, we must admit standard fastpass lost them money. People didn't go shopping or eating while waiting like it was designed to encourage. So now we have to pay for it. Thank Universal and all those other parks that made boku bucks off their similar stuff by charging for it. We all knew it was a matter of time before Disney said, why not? As for magical express we never used it. Didn't need it. We drive. Then we have the car to go off site to eat when we want to and we're not captive.

 

[Lord Manhammer]

I still don't see the "degrading" value at Disney. The parks are as fun as ever, and they have more attractions now than pre-Covid. The place will be inundated with more guests if the prices are lowered, resulting in a real experiential degradation.

Ah, yes, the AMEX/Delta approach. Amex recently changed its qualifications for entrance into the Centurion Lounges, including requiring a $USD75k spend on the Plat or holding the Centurion Card. Mainly they did this to reduce overcrowding in their lounges which I was fine with but MAN were many cardholders mad, especially given the Plat's high AF. And since the Centurion Lounge is seen as a Premium experience for a certain group of people, they adopted that strategy. The thing to ask then is Disney a "Centurion Card" level experience? Is that what they want? Is that what WE want? It seems Disney is really trying to create this premium product but by taking so many things away (certain attractions, parades, nickel and diming, etc) it feels like they are trying to sell me a Camry that's disguised as a Porsche. A Camry is nice, but it sure as hell ain't a Porsche. That's why I just can't get behind paying for it right now. If I'm going to spend the money for a Porsche or Club access or whatever, that's what I want, not some watered down substitute.

 

[Moliphino]

I have also been visiting since the first year WDW opened. However, I have also been going every year since then (multiple times per year once I was an adult). Out of all the different waiting to ride options Disney has used, my preference is FP+. I felt that gave me the most relaxed and enjoyable time in the parks. I liked having the ability to schedule three attractions in advance, and then being more spontaneous the rest of the day. I only have two or three must do attractions in each park, so I was guaranteed to get on my favorites if I planned correctly. I don’t like waiting in long lines, not those 1971 lines or the 2024 lines, but I will not pay to bypass them as I feel it’s a cash grab. So I miss that sweet spot where I could ride my favorites without waiting and without paying a fortune for the privilege.

We went in '93, '95, then at least once a year from '98 to 2021. Fastpass+ was my absolute favorite. It worked so well for people who don't want to wake up at the crack of dawn and rope drop.