2018 Price Increases

[Nole95]

We are a family that likes to travel other places (Europe, National Parks, etc), but we also love to travel to Disney. With the price increases and cutback in recent years, our trips to Disney have been cut down to a couple days here and there. We have not done any 5-7 night trips as a family since 2013.

DW and I ran Dopey this year, but we left the kids at home. I do not see us going back before 2020 at the earliest. We can take longer trips to other places where our expenses will be less or just the same as what Disney is now charging.

However, as long as people keep packing the place, they will keep raising rates.

 

[mshanson3121]

We can take longer trips to other places where our expenses will be less or just the same as what Disney is now charging.

Definitely. We're taking an 8 night vacation to NH and VT, staying in a great townhouse, visiting 2 theme parks, a nature center, going river tubing, and to a mountain/aerial adventure park for $2000, all inclusive from gas to food to lodging and tickets. Compare that to $2150 for nothing but 4 day Disney tickets for our family of 4...

 

[Redcon1]

I agree with you on all this.

Someone else suggested that one price increase shouldn't price anyone out (and if it does you don't belong here) - I disagree. Because many people do have that threshold, that tipping point, where it just finally reaches that point where you can no longer afford it/justify it. There are many people in the world, and even some here, myself included, where yes, that extra $200-300 does finally make or break whether you go or not. Especially when you've already scrimped and cut back and saved as much as you can.

And when that happens, whether it's because you financially can no longer do it, or whether you can no longer justify it, it's disappointing and frustrating for sure. And as you said, it's only natural that people will come here to complain and commiserate with others who feel the same way.

That said, I wonder when people complain.... are they really that upset that they can't go to Disney, or just more upset at the whole idea of what Disney is doing/becoming? For me, it's the latter. Their greed is ruining the fantasy.

For those who go once a year or more, sure, it's not a big jump, but for others who may only return, say every three to five years, it is a BIG increase from the previous visit.

Something they may not have expected to rise so much as compared to other "products", may come as a shock leading to vacationing elsewhere.

Now whether Disney cares or not if these "half-decaders" return is another story.

 

[mshanson3121]

For those who go once a year or more, sure, it's not a big jump, but for others who may only return, say every three to five years, it is a BIG increase from the previous visit.

Something they may not have expected to rise so much as compared to other "products", may come as a shock leading to vacationing elsewhere.

Now whether Disney cares or not if these "half-decaders" return is another story.

Good point. We went in 2015, and bought our tickets before the February increase. We paid $1300 US for 5 day tickets. That price is now $1660. That's quite an increase for many people! And as a Canadian, when you factor in the difference in exchange, it works out to approx. a $500 increase in ticket costs. And what will it be in 2020 (when we had hoped to go back), after they tier the multi-day tickets (we can only go in summer, so ouch for us), and of course raise the prices a couple more times thanks to SWG etc? I fully expect the summer time, 5-day ticket cost by 2020 to be $2000+ US for a family of 4.

 

[manning]

The Orlando Sentinel has this information posted in their article on the ticket price increase:

"Disney is also planning to sell date-specific one-day and multi-day tickets with prices posted in advance later this year as part of its strategy to help even out crowds. More details were not immediately available."

“Given the small percentage of guests that purchase a one-day ticket at Walt Disney World, extending pre-published, date-specific pricing to multi-day tickets will further advance our efforts to spread attendance throughout the year and ensure all guests have a magical experience no matter when they visit,” Finger’s statement said.


Appears that tiered ticket pricing for mulit-day tickets is coming in the very near future.

Have no idea but:

parent one: What specific dates do we want to go into the park. We need to decide now (assume 180 planning window)

Parent two: I don't we have to figure out our ADR dates.

What's next ABR (restroom)? Predict that at 180 days out.LOL

 

[manning]

What's that saying "often time greed spoils a good thing?

I think a small percentage of population are real high income earners

I think Disney figured out how to reduce attendance. really reduce.

 

[disneydreamer1980]

I was on a travel site earlier today and I noticed that for the price of our last Disney trip, we could’ve done a real African safari, a trip to Australia or Europe...insane

 

[TheMaxRebo]

I was on a travel site earlier today and I noticed that for the price of our last Disney trip, we could’ve done a real African safari, a trip to Australia or Europe...insane

Including airfare? That is usually the bigger cost to get overseas - once there you can do a lot for rather cheap if you plan right

 

[disneydreamer1980]

Including airfare? That is usually the bigger cost to get overseas - once there you can do a lot for rather cheap if you plan right

Yes, these were packages that included airfare. I knew Disney was expensive, but I never realized how expensive it is compared to other vacations... if that makes any sense

 

[DisneyStarWisher]

My question is about the possibility of the tiered multi-day tickets. My family will be going to WDW in 2019, probably over Thanksgiving break or right before Christmas. Not sure yet as my DS21 graduates this May and a lot will depend on his job and when he can get off. He needs a 2-day PH, and his GF needs a 3-day PH. If I go ahead and buy their tickets now, it appears they will expire at the end of 2019. Since I would be buying them before the possibility of a tiered multi-day ticket becomes a reality, wouldn't Disney have to honor them for whatever dates we choose next year? I just don't want to get them and then this goes into effect and Disney says now you have to go through the pain of upgrading. I know no one knows for sure, but just wondering if anyone else has thought this.

 

[mshanson3121]

My question is about the possibility of the tiered multi-day tickets. My family will be going to WDW in 2019, probably over Thanksgiving break or right before Christmas. Not sure yet as my DS21 graduates this May and a lot will depend on his job and when he can get off. He needs a 2-day PH, and his GF needs a 3-day PH. If I go ahead and buy their tickets now, it appears they will expire at the end of 2019. Since I would be buying them before the possibility of a tiered multi-day ticket becomes a reality, wouldn't Disney have to honor them for whatever dates we choose next year? I just don't want to get them and then this goes into effect and Disney says now you have to go through the pain of upgrading. I know no one knows for sure, but just wondering if anyone else has thought this.

No one can answer that for sure. Normally Disney honors prior tickets as is, based on the conditions at the time of purchase. but honestly I can see them only honoring them for Value or Regular season, not Peak. Or making you pay the difference for Peak. It's hard to say.

 

[crazy4wdw]

My question is about the possibility of the tiered multi-day tickets. My family will be going to WDW in 2019, probably over Thanksgiving break or right before Christmas. Not sure yet as my DS21 graduates this May and a lot will depend on his job and when he can get off. He needs a 2-day PH, and his GF needs a 3-day PH. If I go ahead and buy their tickets now, it appears they will expire at the end of 2019. Since I would be buying them before the possibility of a tiered multi-day ticket becomes a reality, wouldn't Disney have to honor them for whatever dates we choose next year? I just don't want to get them and then this goes into effect and Disney says now you have to go through the pain of upgrading. I know no one knows for sure, but just wondering if anyone else has thought this.

Disney has a good track record of accepting older theme park tickets and the entitlements which were in effect when the ticket was purchased. Several years go, I found several partially used tickets I had purchased when Animal Kingdom opened. These were 6 day all-in-one tickets that Disney had discontinued years ago. They honored the tickets which also included admissions to the water parks even thought the tickets were almost 20 years old. I also found several tickets that just had water park admissions left on them. Disney honored these tickets also.

 

[DisneyStarWisher]

No one can answer that for sure. Normally Disney honors prior tickets as is, based on the conditions at the time of purchase. but honestly I can see them only honoring them for Value or Regular season, not Peak. Or making you pay the difference for Peak. It's hard to say.

Disney has a good track record of accepting older theme park tickets and the entitlements which were in effect when the ticket was purchased. Several years go, I found several partially used tickets I had purchased when Animal Kingdom opened. These were 6 day all-in-one tickets that Disney had discontinued years ago. They honored the tickets which also included admissions to the water parks even thought the tickets were almost 20 years old. I also found several tickets that just had water park admissions left on them. Disney honored these tickets also.

That's kind of what I figured. My DSs are still using NE tickets bought in 2008. My DH and I are using NE tickets bought right before they discontinued them. We have had zero problems using them. I think I will keep an eye out for the next price increase and make my decision then. I just don't understand why they would sell tickets right now that are good through the end of next year and then later announce that next year there will be seasons for multi-day tickets. I can understand if they start it at the beginning of 2020 but not earlier.

 

[ArwenMarie]

Roughly $100 dollars a day per person up to four days, ugh. With 4 people in the family, that's $400 to walk in. That feels like a real psychological threshold to me.

I remember when we first went with the family back in 2011, the tickets for a week were about $1000. That *felt* ok to me at the time. Those same tickets are now $1700.

Is that a big jump? Can I afford it? I don't know. But I do know that *feels* like a lot more money.

Anyway, the point of my post is that luxury purchases, like vacations, are driven by feelings. Whether or not a person can afford the actual uptick.

 

[MommaBerd]

Soap box warning!

I cringe every time the word “greed” is used when Disney does anything that involves charging guests (more) money. Disney is a publicly traded company which means that it has a fiduciary responsibility to its shareholders to earn a profit. (Gasp! Another bad word!)

Can you stay off-site at accommodations you can afford and still enjoy Disney? Yes. Can you bring your food to the park so that you do not have to buy park food? Yes - which is HIGHLY unheard of. That all still seems reasonable to me. It may not be the vacation of your dreams, but if your goal is to go to WDW and enjoy the parks with your family, it still can be done reasonably. When Disney raises tickets by $25, then I/you have to find somewhere to not spend $25 at Disney.

The fact is that it is all about the choices WE make and WE prioritize. Before we could afford to go to Disney, we DIDN’T GO TO DISNEY. It was that simple. But, I didn’t regard Disney as a greedy corporation because it was priced too high for us. The first time we went to Disney, I worked hard to find ways to save - we did stay off-site, brought our own food, did not pay for any extras, etc. and we had a wonderful trip.

I understand it is difficult to enjoy something and then realize it’s gotten too expensive to continue enjoying. I’ll give you a very simple example: When the kids were little, we loved going to a Mexican restaurant around here. We probably went once or twice a month, sometimes more. But, over the years, the kids started getting older and didn’t want to order off the kids’ menu anymore, and the restaurant really raised the prices - and the food wasn’t AS good. We were paying $80+ for a mediocre Mexican dinner. So, we stopped going. We miss going there, and we’ll go every once-and-awhile. We were essentially priced out. But, I didn’t go around saying the Mexican restaurant was GREEDY!

In fact, I venture to say that we don’t call many companies GREEDY when they raise prices. It’s just we don’t always notice the subtle price increases because we buy the item/product/service so regularly. But when you only buy a ticket once in two-three years, the increase really stands out.

The real question is does the meal/experience/vacation still hold value for you - the oft-asked question, “Is it worth it?” And you are the only one who can answer that question. Is it “worth it” to have to save a little more, make different choices, wait a little longer? If it is, then that is what you do. If it isn’t, then you refocus on other vacation plans, which may not be Disney, but will be AWESOME. Because you are on vacation. With your family. And you didn’t have to “give” more money to a “greedy” corporation.

 

[mom2rtk]

I agree with you on all this.

Someone else suggested that one price increase shouldn't price anyone out (and if it does you don't belong here) - I disagree. Because many people do have that threshold, that tipping point, where it just finally reaches that point where you can no longer afford it/justify it. There are many people in the world, and even some here, myself included, where yes, that extra $200-300 does finally make or break whether you go or not. Especially when you've already scrimped and cut back and saved as much as you can.

And when that happens, whether it's because you financially can no longer do it, or whether you can no longer justify it, it's disappointing and frustrating for sure. And as you said, it's only natural that people will come here to complain and commiserate with others who feel the same way.

That said, I wonder when people complain.... are they really that upset that they can't go to Disney, or just more upset at the whole idea of what Disney is doing/becoming? For me, it's the latter. Their greed is ruining the fantasy.

I agree. If one price increase should never price anyone out, then nobody would ever be priced out. Because the increases come one at a time. Eventually it's "one increase" that does everybody in, right?

And for some it's not even about being able to afford it any longer. For many, it's about crossing the line where they no longer feel they get enough value for the investment. And that point comes after "one increase" as well.

Those price hikes all happen "one increase" at a time. And they are really adding up.

 

[dlavender]

I agree. If one price increase should never price anyone out, then nobody would ever be priced out. Because the increases come one at a time. Eventually it's "one increase" that does everybody in, right?

And for some it's not even about being able to afford it any longer. For many, it's about crossing the line where they no longer feel they get enough value for the investment. And that point comes after "one increase" as well.

Those price hikes all happen "one increase" at a time. And they are really adding up.

We've pretty much hit our threshold. Last year was our first year springing for the AP with no blackouts. Cost us a cool $4k for our family of 5. We are getting our use, but I don't feel that we underpaid. The extra $300 that that pass will cost us is a deal breaker. We will enjoy our passes until they expire, then it will be a while until we get another AP, if ever. We may just do a FL resident 4 day pass in the future (if such a thing continues to exist).

They priced us out of table service, priced us off site, and now they've priced us out of our AP's. I guess we will wait for them to "need" us again, and offer up some heavy discounts.

 

[tlmadden73]

$100/day/person IS shocking .. but it is a pretty unique experience compared to other theme parks.

Price means nothing .. you have to figure out (as a family) if you get (in value) what you pay for.

What is a Disney vacation valued to you? When you look at the entertainment value you get for that $100/day/person .. that is pretty high value for 12 hours of unique theming and attractions that you will NOT find at your local Six Flags theme park for $60/day. Get a wristband at your local county fair? $20/person for a few rickety rides that they will enjoy for an hour or so. Go to the movies with your family and get some concessions? You spend $50 for just 2 hours of entertainment.

For me, I value it (mainly because I can drive there) to the point I am thinking of getting an AP. EVEN after the price increase.

That being said, I just think Disney will start to see people cut back on their Disney vacations (which is maybe what they want to help reduce costs). If the vacation you took last year now costs hundreds of dollars extra (due to not only rising tickets, but rising hotel and food costs), then maybe you cut a day. Maybe you stay off-site. Maybe you eat quick-service instead of table service now.
But then again . .prices have gone up steadily every year and people (including myself!) keep coming back for more! LOL>

Disney is not so greedy that they want people paying $100/day .. come to an overly crowded park .. and have a bad experience (and share that bad experience with friends/family). Those people will not come back, they will tell their friends that Disney is "not worth the money" and then they won't come either.
They could easily keep prices the same or lower prices, but that would potentially increase demand and make the parks more crowded.

Raising prices due to supply/demand is not greedy, it just makes sense.

 

[ArwenMarie]

Back to talking about feeeeeelings

I think that people have a gut instinct as to when they are getting ripped off and when something is worth it. $400 for my little family to walk into a park? I'm going to have a lot of feelings. And yeah, I'm going to be counting the attractions we did and if it was worth it.

Walking around a themed park isn't going to do it for me. I can go walk around many unique towns and cities for free if I want to go for a walk.

Everyone's math is going to be different but it's not always about whether you can afford it.

One thing that is hard to stomach, for me, is the price difference between the tourist tickets and the Florida APs, if you go on a per-day basis for some average number of days. The tourists are getting gouged beyond belief at this point.

 

[mom2rtk]

Price means nothing .. you have to figure out (as a family) if you get (in value) what you pay for.

I think that officially classifies you as Disney's "target customer". Let's just hope there are enough of you.