2018 Price Increases

[fla4fun]

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

I don't necessarily agree, because everyone's threshold is going to be different. For example, let's say one family goes to MK and rides 10 attractions and another family rides 15. The family that rides 15 attractions will feel they got a better value, even if they paid slightly more for their ticket. Or think about it another way - if the ticket was $150 for both, family A paid $15 per attraction and family B paid $10 per attraction, which will also cause them to feel differently about value. Then you have to also factor in what percentage of each family's income that ticket price represents and what they would spend that money on if they didn't spend it at Disney.

I do budget for an increase to my AP every year, and so far (knocking on wood) the actual increase has not exceeded what I've budgeted for. I don't go to movies or other entertainment that involves a fee - Disney is my entertainment. I go enough days that my per day cost is reasonable (that can also vary by family). So for me, right now, I still feel the AP has "value". But if my circumstances changed, like a new job with less PTO where I couldn't go as often, then it becomes less of a value. If it's a new job making less money, it becomes a luxury that is no longer affordable.

Personally, I think Disney's target customer is not someone who would frequent the DIS. I don't think Disney wants them to be that well informed, if they have any say in the matter. I think they want them to be green as grass, naïve, and to only believe what Disney has to say on any subject. That's the only way to get the customers to fully participate in all the upsells and not complain about the costs. They can't know any better.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

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.

I very much agree to this - and that is why I have always felt a bigger concern is some of the negative feelings out there about declining CM service or parks with overflowing garbage cans or attractions that aren't working right, etc. .... when something is truly seen as a superior product people are willing to pay for it (obviously not everyone can afford it but those that can are willing to pay for) - what they don't want to do is over-pay for an average experience.

And that word of mouth is huge - people have an impression of a Disney vacation from the commercials, etc. and if their neighbors come back and say it was even better than imagined vs eh, it was alright but kinda pricey and over crowded is going to have a big impact on what priority level they put on saving up for a trip for themselves

 

[tlmadden73]

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

LOL .. I didn't mean I would go blindly. If prices continue to go up at this pace (5-10% a YEAR) .. eventually they will price me out .. or I will simply go less or for fewer days. I will find less value in my dollar spent.

My point is everything has a price -- I may not LIKE that price (I mean who wouldn't want to pay less for everything), but that price is what the company feels their product is worth. We have a choice of paying that price or not. Whether we think the price is "too high" or not, is irrelevant. It is what it is. If I still want to enjoy that product, I pay that price. We pay for price increases all the time without much notice or complaint .. cable prices keep going up, the price of the Big Mac is double from what it was "back in my day" .. etc.

My point was that I just evaluate what that price (compared to other things in my life) means to me and my family and make a decision on if that price is "worth" it. So the price

Arguably some .. these constant price increase are not worth it. That's not Disney's fault. They charge what they think the market will bear.

I can afford to buy a $1500 washing machine, but I don't value the features that comes with that cost (I don't think I need built-in wifi so it can alert my smartphone when the laundry is done), so I will get one for half the cost (or less).

I value having a dedicated guest room in my house for when the grandparents visit, so I am buying a new house and paying more for my monthly mortgage.

I could probably afford a short stay at the Grand Floridian, but I don't value the accommodations you get a Deluxe resort for the cost they charge, so I choose to stay at a value for a longer stay.

Etc.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

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.

I very much agree with this - the only concern I would have, as a shareholder, is what does this due to the Disney Brand and to the next generation of park guests. In the past it was viewed as going to Walt Disney World was something every American should do and can do (I am generalizing/paraphrasing, but I think a sentiment like that was out there) so *most* Americans had it in their head to consider a trip and try to get there, etc. If now a larger percentage of the population sees it as "that's for the 1%ers, not me" then at some point that may catch up to Disney

I am not saying they are there yet or anything, but I do sometimes wonder if they look long term enough or are they too focused on just the next quarter

 

[dlavender]

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.

This is the double edged sword they are wielding.

If you are upping the price, you have to up the experience.

You can't charge more, then expect people to be ok with experiencing less. (looking at you, FP+)

I'd be fine if since 2013, we got 100% more to match the 100% increase.

We are getting more now, but its after the increase.

And good luck getting on anything new with your $800 AP...You'll need a 60+5 hotel reservation, or a CL room with a paid FP, or to purchase a special ticket....

 

[mshanson3121]

I very much agree with this - the only concern I would have, as a shareholder, is what does this due to the Disney Brand and to the next generation of park guests. In the past it was viewed as going to Walt Disney World was something every American should do and can do (I am generalizing/paraphrasing, but I think a sentiment like that was out there) so *most* Americans had it in their head to consider a trip and try to get there, etc. If now a larger percentage of the population sees it as "that's for the 1%ers, not me" then at some point that may catch up to Disney

I am not saying they are there yet or anything, but I do sometimes wonder if they look long term enough or are they too focused on just the next quarter

I very much agree with this. And I think they're pretty close to being there. I know a LOT of families through friends, family, work, DH etc... Well enough to know when/where they travel. I've had Disney conversations with most of them. Of those, only 2 have gone to Disney. And only another 1 or 2 are seriously considering it. The rest? Either would like to but can't afford it, or (most) just aren't even interested because of how expensive it is and they don't think it's worth the money. And their demographics are varied. Some are low to low middle like us, but others have more affluent wealth. But the sentiments are the same regardless of income. The only ones who have gone/are considering it though, were those in the solid middle to upper middle class. Families with a near 6 figure, or 6 figure household income.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

If you are upping the price, you have to up the experience.

Couldn't agree more with this - what am I getting for my 50%+ plus increase in prices since 2010? Now I know if you go way back the increases are distorted because, to be honest, ticket prices were way under market value until Eisner took over ... but even in more recent years, 8% increases ever year add up

And it is great we are getting new lands and attractions, but they've cut Traditions so you see a lot of reports of lesser CM experiences, food quality in many of the nicer restaurants has gone down, etc. - so in some ways not even keeping the level you had

 

[Lee Matthews]

For me value is not the amount of attractions I do but the overall feeling from the experience in the park.

If I'm able to go around the park without over crowding, go on rides without lines of over 20 mins or see a parade and firework show without getting trampled on, then I'm happy to pay a little more.

I think Disney sees this and are trying to thin out the parks.

 

[tlmadden73]

I very much agree with this. And I think they're pretty close to being there. I know a LOT of families through friends, family, work, DH etc... Well enough to know when/where they travel. I've had Disney conversations with most of them. Of those, only 2 have gone to Disney. And only another 1 or 2 are seriously considering it. The rest? Either would like to but can't afford it, or (most) just aren't even interested because of how expensive it is and they don't think it's worth the money. And their demographics are varied. Some are low to low middle like us, but others have more affluent wealth. But the sentiments are the same regardless of income. The only ones who have gone/are considering it though, were those in the solid middle to upper middle class. Families with a near 6 figure, or 6 figure household income.

I think some don't realize there is a different Disney experience for all. They think it is like a cruise and it is just "crazy expensive". The problem with a Disney Vacation is it often comes with one giant pricetag rather than other vacations were everything is a separate purchase (hotel, food, trips to aquariums or doing go-carts, etc.)

It just all depends on what you want to DO with your vacation and how LONG you want it to be. That determines the cost.

Not everyone can (or should) be able to afford the same experience.

I've been going on 4 nights, 2 park day vacations for the past few years. Mainly because I didn't want to push it with a toddler (ages 2,3 and then 4 on 3 trips), year old. The trips were very affordable mainly because the trips were short and splitting the cost of accommodations (offsite condo). We eat breakfast in the rooms, pack our lunches, but because of that we splurged and ate a character meal in the parks. I am going for quantity over quality and am averaging a short trip every 18 months since my son was 2.

There are other styles of Disney goers:

There is the local - buy an annual pass, go once a week or so.
There is the go every other year, 4-5 days, stay in a value resort or offsite hotel and maybe include other experiences with it (Sea World, Universal)
There is the "once in a lifetime" week long trip where you go all out because you are never coming back again (my Sister is planning a trip like that I think).
There is the get an annual pass, go every year, stay in the purchased DVC resort, go for 10+ days and do multiple hard ticket events and parties.

There is QUITE a different pricetag to all these ways to enjoy WDW and I don't think people who never been don't understand that. Disney has done a great job marketing that you "NEED" to go for a long trip .. "NEED" to stay in their hotels and "NEED" to go to every park at least one day.

Now that I have a second child and the first one is older, we may go longer, stay in moderates (and thus be a lot more expensive).
I'd love to do a lot of things I read about on here, and maybe someday I will open the wallet a lot wider to do so. But until, then .. I choose short and sweet Disney vacations.

 

[ArwenMarie]

This is the double edged sword they are wielding.

If you are upping the price, you have to up the experience.

You can't charge more, then expect people to be ok with experiencing less. (looking at you, FP+)

I'd be fine if since 2013, we got 100% more to match the 100% increase.

We are getting more now, but its after the increase.

And good luck getting on anything new with your $800 AP...You'll need a 60+5 hotel reservation, or a CL room with a paid FP, or to purchase a special ticket....

Very true.

Which AP is $800 now? We had them a few years ago for one year...I think they were $500 a piece and that was out-of-state

 

[mshanson3121]

I think some don't realize there is a different Disney experience for all. They think it is like a cruise and it is just "crazy expensive". The problem with a Disney Vacation is it often comes with one giant pricetag rather than other vacations were everything is a separate purchase (hotel, food, trips to aquariums or doing go-carts, etc.)

It just all depends on what you want to DO with your vacation and how LONG you want it to be. That determines the cost.

Not everyone can (or should) be able to afford the same experience.

I've been going on 4 nights, 2 park day vacations for the past few years. Mainly because I didn't want to push it with a toddler (ages 2,3 and then 4 on 3 trips), year old. The trips were very affordable mainly because the trips were short and splitting the cost of accommodations (offsite condo). We eat breakfast in the rooms, pack our lunches, but because of that we splurged and ate a character meal in the parks. I am going for quantity over quality and am averaging a short trip every 18 months since my son was 2.

There are other styles of Disney goers:

There is the local - buy an annual pass, go once a week or so.
There is the go every other year, 4-5 days, stay in a value resort or offsite hotel and maybe include other experiences with it (Sea World, Universal)
There is the "once in a lifetime" week long trip where you go all out because you are never coming back again (my Sister is planning a trip like that I think).
There is the get an annual pass, go every year, stay in the purchased DVC resort, go for 10+ days and do multiple hard ticket events and parties.

There is QUITE a different pricetag to all these ways to enjoy WDW and I don't think people who never been don't understand that. Disney has done a great job marketing that you "NEED" to go for a long trip .. "NEED" to stay in their hotels and "NEED" to go to every park at least one day.

Now that I have a second child and the first one is older, we may go longer, stay in moderates (and thus be a lot more expensive).
I'd love to do a lot of things I read about on here, and maybe someday I will open the wallet a lot wider to do so. But until, then .. I choose short and sweet Disney vacations.

While I agree there are different levels of "diing Disney", they are getting to the point where many people can't afford even the "cheapest" Disney vacation, or, just can't justify the cost. It's $900 US for a family of 4 to spend two days at Disney. And that is tickets only - NOTHING else. That is insane. We have taken 3 days get aways that included lodging, tickets to smaller parks, gas etc for that price. And THAT is what the general population is starting to realize - they can do a lot more with their money, see other places etc...

But hey, that's what Disney wants. They want the 1% with their deep pockets, who won't bat an eye at the ticket prices, who are going to splurge on hard ticket events, buy souvenirs, dining plans etc... Best of both worlds for them - less/evened out crowds, more money.

 

[dlavender]

Very true.

Which AP is $800 now? We had them a few years ago for one year...I think they were $500 a piece and that was out-of-state

It's the Platinum Plus, I believe. It includes the water parks, and does not have black out dates.

 

[Scifidiner]

I'm curious, we don't have kids, what does it cost to go to WDW for a family of four (kids 6 & 8 y/o) for 4 days/5 nights at a moderate priced on site resort?
My wife and I went last year for that time period at PO FQ & I know we spent well north of $3000.00.

 

[rteetz]

I'm curious, we don't have kids, what does it cost to go to WDW for a family of four (kids 6 & 8 y/o) for 4 days/5 nights at a moderate priced on site resort?
My wife and I went last year for that time period at PO FQ & I know we spent well north of $3000.00.

It would depend on the time of year.

I just priced June at CBR for four. It would be $2750 for four nights five days not including flights or food. This is with a park hopper.

 

[Scifidiner]

It would depend on the time of year.

I just priced June at CBR for four. It would be $2750 for four nights five days not including flights or food. This is with a park hopper.

Thanks, let's say mid-summer, just a realistic guestimate including food, souvenirs and incidentals.

 

[mshanson3121]

I'm curious, we don't have kids, what does it cost to go to WDW for a family of four (kids 6 & 8 y/o) for 4 days/5 nights at a moderate priced on site resort?
My wife and I went last year for that time period at PO FQ & I know we spent well north of $3000.00.

For us, going in a lower season at POR for 5 nights, 4 day basic tickets is $3000. That is room and tickets only. Add $700 for food (quick service only), another $1000 to get there (coming from the Northeast), and about $300 spending, and you're at $5000 US. Change that to an All Star resort and it would be around $4500 (assuming no discounts).

 

[disneydreamer1980]

My last trip, we stayed at a”value” resort (ASMu family suite) for the first time ever, and our trip with tickets, lodging and free dining still cost almost $8000 for my family of 6 ( really seven, but baby was free). That’s insane to me. I am lucky that we are in a financial position to take trips like this every year, but I understand that many folks are not, which really upsets me because Walt wanted his parks to be a place for all families to have fun together, not just the well off. I know many people on here say that average working people can afford Disney, but I just don’t see how. I Think Disney’s ultimate goal is to price out all but the top spenders, then squeeze them dry.

 

[Krandor]

I take a little exception to the idea that the price increases are all greed and not something walt would have done. Like it or not there is a reality to the situation and a problem that needs a solution.

The big problem is that the parks are getting too crowded especially during peak times. Unfortunatly the best way to thin the crowds is to raise prices unless they wanted to do something like a lottery or somethere. There is also a need to try to try to average the crowds more through the year hense sesional pricing. It isn't to try to gouge people during peak times. It is more to get some people to decide that instead of july maybe we can go in march and save some money. I totally understand some people can only come in peak times and it will make it more expensive BUT if they can get 20% of the people who would come in July to go another time then the people who do come in July while they would be paying more would have shorter lines and a less crowded part and a better experience overall. I do a lot of rundisney and those were put there not so much to make money on the race but to bring people to the parks/hotels/restaurants during slower times. Trying to get people to come at non-peak times is not new.

Naturally some people will be priced out and that sucks. I've been priced out of things. I used to go to a few Atlanta Falcons games a year but with the new stadium and PSLs and all that stuff I don't anymore. Could I? yes however I don't find it worth it at the prices they are at now.

If they put he prices at a level where every family could come the parks would be so crowded nobody would enjoy themselves. When I went to do dopey after the 5k I went to MK and did my fastpasses but then around 2-3 it was so crowded I wasn't enjoying myself and went back to the hotel to get ready for the 10k. Lines we too long and it wasn't enjoyable to me at that point.

I go at least twice a year always for rundisney races. I'm single so not trying to pay for a family of 4 and I'm able to make it fairly affordable for me but my disney trip is different then others especially if you only go once every 4-5 years. I Drive down, I stay at value report, I often do the non-PH tickets, Don't really do ADR sit down restaurants. I'm happy doing my races, grabbing something at food court or QS, and going to the parks and riding fun rides. Still doesn't make it cheap but there are ways to keep some costs down. I know with kids and stuff it gets more complicated since they are going to want to do character meals and stuff like that but there are ways to trim money if you want to.

I saw one post in a facebook group recently about a single mom who was taking her child to disney but didn't have the extra money for park tickets and was planning out some of the free or low cost things to do outside of the parks. Even though park tickets were out of reach she still wanted to take her child on a disney vacation. I admire that. That is doing the best you can with what you have.

Anyway, my overall point is the price hikes are not just about trying to make more money. They do have a purpose to try to thin the crowds out some and spread them out some. It is often said you can sometimes lower the price on something and sell more of them and make more money. That is great if you can make as much as you want. Disney parks have a set capacity though and it makes it tougher. It does suck and I feel fore people who can't or don't want to pay the new rates. We each have to decide what is important to us in terms of how to spend our money.

That being said if they are going to increase rates and try to thin crowds they need to make sure they provide a great experience to those that can and do come. At these prices if you provide a sub-par experience people will decide it isn't worth the money anymore. So that is their challenge - to make sure that people's visits remain magical.

 

[MommaBerd]

I very much agree with this - the only concern I would have, as a shareholder, is what does this due to the Disney Brand and to the next generation of park guests. In the past it was viewed as going to Walt Disney World was something every American should do and can do (I am generalizing/paraphrasing, but I think a sentiment like that was out there) so *most* Americans had it in their head to consider a trip and try to get there, etc. If now a larger percentage of the population sees it as "that's for the 1%ers, not me" then at some point that may catch up to Disney

I am not saying they are there yet or anything, but I do sometimes wonder if they look long term enough or are they too focused on just the next quarter

I think they do look ahead. I think they know that Millennials want “unique” and “experiences” which is part of the reason I think we see so many of the upsells and add-ons. I also think that’s why SW:GE is going to be more immersive and experiential. I also hope that the next generation doesn’t feel like certain experiences are ONLY for the 1%. To me, that’s a form of fatalism and that would be very sad for our society overall...

As for the family rite of passage to go to Disney World...I think it depends on the area in which you live maybe? Sorry to generalize, but I feel like it may be the sentiment more in the northern and midwestern states than here in the south?

However, in response to a later post you wrote, I agree that if the guest service declines (or continues to decline) THAT will be the real death knell. And that is the line in the sand for me. It plays heavily into my personal “worth it” equation.

For those who have said that Walt would not have wanted this, my question for you, is how *would* Walt have handled our current reality? If prices remain “low” the parks become unbearably crowded...I would guess that people have more vacation than back then, more disposable income than back then, transportation is less expensive...what would the solution be? If you were in charge, what would you do differently, keeping in mind all the different factors involved?

And I’ll go back to my opening statement regarding Disney being a public company. If the parks don’t make money, what happens? If you have a business unit that isn’t profitable, what happens? I would *love* for Disney Parks to have been a privately-held company. But I suspect if they were, we would not see the same Parks we have today.

Finally, for the record, I don’t like that prices are going up; I don’t like that the improvements haven’t kept pace with the increases. I will consider the costs and determine if a Disney vacation still holds value to me (spoiler: It does!), but I am not going to call Disney “greedy” for raising their ticket prices.

 

[ChipnDale79]

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.

There's something to be said for that increase every year, that over time it does make it to where people can't go. The cost of our honeymoon at disney just 10 years ago has now doubled.

So sure, an extra $100-$300 if you can't afford that, then i can see why some people would say you shouldn't be going, but multiply that every year, and at some point that number just gets so inflated i can understand other people's tipping points.

I really hope that made sense what i was trying to say.