Anyone else staggered by ticket prices?

[GatorChris]

Disneyland has been our go-to vacation since 2013. Not our only place, but the main place. It's become the family gathering place. I sent my oldest to college this semester, so we can't do our normal Fall Break trip. I was wanting to do Disneyland on Christmas break, which means more tourists but less APs.

But when I was looking at the prices, I felt some sticker shock. I realize prices go up - with Disney, ALL THE TIME. And with the inflation thang we all get to experience, all things are way up. It used to be a 5 day pass was well under $300, then it hovered around that price and then peaked above it just a little. Now it'll cost $415...and that's before the stupid, horrendous, lousy idea of paying for FP with Diaper-Genie+. Which if you don't get, you get to do like 6-8 rides on a busy day, so it's sorta a must during Christmas break.

Now I'm just looking at GetAwayToday for a quick 3-day trip with G+...at $430 a pop!!! I feel like I'm getting robbed. I mean, I guess it fits with the rest of my beloved home state. I get robbed in tax season, robbed at the pump, robbed at the 7Eleven. I really really really want to take my family on a trip to get us back on track after the college split. But sheesh! I can't see how I could possibly receive a decent return on value at that price point. By comparison, I could do 2 days at Universal, get a season pass at Knott's, a 1 day pass at Legoland and still have money left over vs a 3 day G+ pass.

Am I the only one this upset?

 

[Forevermarypoppins]

I'm with you!!!
I'm actually leaving tomorrow for DisneyWorld and there is the overwhelming sense of being nickled and dimed to the Nth degree.
I'm of the mindset to find the positives and once there, I'll feel wonderful. Once I'm home again, and the pixie dust settles we'll see how I feel about breaking the bank!

My biggest gripe is the LL/ILL. I'm not going to try it for at least a few days and if we feel like we can't do very much w/o it, maybe we'll spluge. IDK

 

[SteveH]

Disney's cash grab mentality drove me away from going. I totally understand inflation, but Disney was cash grabbing way before and it's only gotten worse. So we bailed on Disney's 50 and went to Hawaii instead - had a blast, so much we went back a year later and we're doing back in December. I just can't feed the Disney beast.

 

[WAstateDVCDaddy]

Ticket prices are crazy these days, but it is a matter of supply and demand. Too many people want to go, so one of the levers Disney is using is ticket pricing. Granted, it’s a very self serving lever, but they couldn’t do it if they didn’t have too many people who want to go.

I don’t necessarily have an issue with the ticket prices - on a per hour basis, I spend far more at an arcade, or the movies these days ($25 for a 2 hour IMAX showing). My head is spinning from all of the associated costs. We’re leaving for WDW on Friday, and it’s close to $1500 per day for our family of 3. Im thinking a trip to London or Paris (with a required stop at the PETROSSIAN counter at Harrod’s) will be a cheaper alternative for our next trip.

 

[MMays]

10000% upset, just spent over $2k on 4 - 4 day park hoppers with genie +. Had some savings booking the tickets 3rd party but still hit the wallet hard!

 

[ParkHopper1]

I don't really mind the higher ticket prices but I am absolutely disgusted by all the upsells and Gene+ things you pretty much have to buy now to have a decent experience.

I love things like the WOC dessert packages that are COMPLETELY optional to seeing the show but when you have to pay to to be in a standby line or but a dining package the magic is ruined.

 

[Chili327]

I don't really mind the higher ticket prices but I am absolutely disgusted by all the upsells and Gene+ things you pretty much have to buy now to have a decent experience.

I love things like the WOC dessert packages that are COMPLETELY optional to seeing the show but when you have to pay to to be in a standby line or but a dining package the magic is ruined.

Never bought Genie+ & probably never will. I don't even really notice... Hotel prices are what gets me turned off.

 

[Butterfly123]

When my kids were younger we would go to Disneyland every year. When they got older, starting college age, our trips to spend family time together meant going up the coast and spending time at beaches, or hiking in the redwoods. Much more economical trips, but still lots of fun and, dare I say, more relaxing. We still go to Disneyland as a family, even though they are all young adults now, but now its every few years. We have a wonderful time, and while the prices are always going up, it don't bother me so much. The prices, with the upsells for every little thing, made it not feasible for us to continue with such frequent trips.

 

[twodogs]

It seems no one likes the higher prices (including me) but then seemingly most people (on these boards, in this thread, in the world in general) are still going to Disney (at least Land) and paying the prices. Folks might not like it, but until they stop taking these trips at all, why would Disney lower prices? If the demand is there, and the supply is less than demand, the price will go up (and I expect it to go up even further actually). So if folks really don't like the prices, they need to vote with their wallet like @SteveH did, and take a different vacation. If enough do that, demand drops and prices will likely float back down.

 

[Smugpugmug]

The high ticket prices are why I'm choosing not to go to Disneyland right now. It's the tickets plus the flights, car service to/from airport, hotel, Genie+/ILL, etc. I also want to go during Halloween so add on Oogie Boogie tickets if I'm lucky enough to have the privilege of buying them. Right now I feel like I would rather spend that money going on an international trip rather than southern California. However, I know it's all about supply and demand and someone else is happy to take my place.

 

[starlite_]

It seems no one likes the higher prices (including me) but then seemingly most people (on these boards, in this thread, in the world in general) are still going to Disney (at least Land) and paying the prices. Folks might not like it, but until they stop taking these trips at all, why would Disney lower prices? If the demand is there, and the supply is less than demand, the price will go up (and I expect it to go up even further actually). So if folks really don't like the prices, they need to vote with their wallet like @SteveH did, and take a different vacation. If enough do that, demand drops and prices will likely float back down.

This. Is it expensive? Yes. Do I care? No. Everything is expensive, going to get groceries and getting the same items becomes more expensive every month. Why wouldn't a luxury vacation rise in prize as well?

 

[Chili327]

It seems no one likes the higher prices (including me) but then seemingly most people (on these boards, in this thread, in the world in general) are still going to Disney (at least Land) and paying the prices. Folks might not like it, but until they stop taking these trips at all, why would Disney lower prices? If the demand is there, and the supply is less than demand, the price will go up (and I expect it to go up even further actually). So if folks really don't like the prices, they need to vote with their wallet like @SteveH did, and take a different vacation. If enough do that, demand drops and prices will likely float back down.

As with everything... I'm always amazed a place like McDonalds or other fast food still exist. lol

 

[JerrodDragon89]

Sadly Disney can charge these prices because people keep paying for them

I used to have an AP and now AP prices are a joke, I can get USH and Sea World AP with all the perks for like half the price of Disneyland AP.

 

[Lumpy1106]

I just watched Molly on the Mammoth YouTube feed. She stayed at Riviera and showed the prices for lunch. Hey! Not bad - that's less than I paid for lunch last weekend in Santa Barbara.

Doesn't make it right. Genie+ has to go. I can live with the Disney inflation on the ticket prices but G+ is the one final slap-in-the-face and it's messing up all the standby lines. Nobody should have to wait more than an hour to ride even the second-tier rides.

 

[Chili327]

Doesn't make it right. Genie+ has to go. I can live with the Disney inflation on the ticket prices but G+ is the one final slap-in-the-face and it's messing up all the standby lines. Nobody should have to wait more than an hour to ride even the second-tier rides.

Or raise it up so high that it actually gives them a real advantage over just a shorter line.

If Genie+ was $99 it would mean ZERO wait for them, & the rest of us would be regular standby, similar to no genie+ at all, but they would still get their extra income from the Club 33 folks.

 

[LeiaOfAlderaan]

I’m not thrilled about it but I wouldn’t say I’m outraged or considering not going. Our 5 day park hoppers with Genie+ for our upcoming trip were $566 each. That is a lot of money but when I break it down, I think $113.20 per person per day is worth it for the amount of enjoyment we get.

Here’s a tip about Get Away Today: if you’re going to buy from them, first go to Disney tourist blog and use the link from their site. Lots of other sites will have a link to GAT but I’ve found you get a lower price through Disney tourist blog. They used to be even cheaper than undercover tourist, although I think they’re the same now. Anyways, I would either buy from UT or make sure you’re getting the best price from GAT before buying. With these prices any little bit helps!

 

[AndrewC]

Have you seen one day prices? Over $200 for October. Say you're a four hour drive from Disney or something and just want to get up early on Saturday to take the kids and then drive home around 9pm or something... three teens and two adults and one day is $1,000 just to enter the parks.

That said, I kind of wish they would bump the prices another 25% or something, and REALLY wish they would bump the local SoCal prices or really limited those tickets or something. Disney is all about making money, but I would love if the crowds weren't so crushing. Until they can get more square footage, there's two options; huge crowds with guest satisfaction going down, or disappointed guests because they can't afford to go yearly, or every other year, or (sadly) at all. I know it's the unpopular opinion and I've had people yelling at me online before about it, but I would rather save for a couple years for a big blow out vs being able to afford it with cheaper prices and just wall to wall people.

But hey, $60 billion over the next 10 years to expand parks and experiences and stuff. Maybe the Disney Forward stuff is more real than a lot of people here think.

 

[TeamRiley]

It is not just a cash grab by Disney (though I don't deny it is happening), it is partially crowd control, partially inflation, and there is also an element of paying emplyees. They can't get anyone to work there. They have to start paying more. Not every job in the world is supposed to be the kind of job that will deliver a "living wage". But right now everyone seems to think that every job should be.

 

[starlite_]

It is not just a cash grab by Disney (though I don't deny it is happening), it is partially crowd control, partially inflation, and there is also an element of paying emplyees. They can't get anyone to work there. They have to start paying more. Not every job in the world is supposed to be the kind of job that will deliver a "living wage". But right now everyone seems to think that every job should be.

If a business can't pay living wages then that business should not exist.

 

[TeamRiley]

If a business can't pay living wages then that business should not exist.

So you are saying that pretty much every fast food restaurant in America should either double their prices or close up shop?