Price gouging

[kathy884]

As most of you I love Disney. I have been coming to the parks and staying at the resort for 14 years. But the latest decisions being made by Disney‘s corporate entity about charging for parking at the resort and increasing parking at TTC is just petty greed on their part. I’m curious as to when they will feel that enough money is enough. My hope is they will again make Disney just a little more affordable for those of us who love it as much as we do. I know there will not be a response from Disney on this. But I would like to know how my fellow Disney lovers feel, because I am upset about those issues as well as ticket increases and increases in food items. They are really really starting to bring me down about my whole experience. If you read all of this then thanks for allowing me to vent!!

Supply and demand - more people out there than ever with money to spend and Disney is a business that makes money for stock holders and employs lots of people (many who really don't make much too). I've for many years just done the one thing that still seems worth it to me, a one day park admission to the MK on an occasional mini Orlando budget trip that is offsite. Onsite accommodations, table service food or food for more than the occasional counter service meal at the park, and extras like parties, special seatings, etc. are things I've been skipping for years now (just haven't made the cut for us as a good value for our limited vacation dollars). I still like the vibe of the parks though (The parks are really fun!) and a park admission, while expensive is a splurge similar in cost to a concert ticket, broadway show, or special tour or adventure outing and still worth it to me. I'm a budget traveler when it comes to Orlando and spend most of my vacation dollars at other destinations.

Sounds like you have loved your onsite vacations and are super disappointed at how expensive things are becoming. Vacations are a fun and frivolous luxury and every year with what my budget is, I make those calls as to what sounds the best for us. Some things that sound cool when I add up the cost, just don't make the list. Sometimes if I still really want to go to a pricey place, but it doesn't fit the budget well, I do a shorter, more modest trip with fewer extras. I have no idea if anything like this would be appealing to you or not. It's something, though, that has worked for us.

 

[slpeters]

It's certainly not gouging. I mean I spent the first 47 years of my life not going to Disney and I'm just fine. Then I went last Fall for the first time and had such a great experience that I've already got two more trips planned--and one to Disneyland because, well, I've never done that either.

The fact of the matter is that the two major complaints about WDW on this board are that it's too expensive and it's too crowded. So somehow these charitable Disney execs are supposed to make it cheaper, retain quality and yet, somehow, have fewer people opt to go. I'm sorry that just can't be done. It's interesting the issue of demand with this sort of thing--Disney is quite possibly the only company that I do business with where I've actually thought to myself, hmmm... I wonder if it would actually be better for me if they charged more. I'm not saying it would be, but unlike with other things I buy, I'm not entirely certain it wouldn't be...

 

[piccolopat]

Disney is a business, not a charity or a non-profit. They raise prices to cover the cost of facility improvements as well as routine costs like maintenance, insurance, utilities, payroll and advertising. They also raise prices so they can provide attractive returns for their investors and shareholders. For every person that is priced out, there will be other people that will come. Many people that say they are priced out are really just saying that they are choosing to spend their money in different ways. I personally don't see the point of spending the high prices that many spend on Apple phones, oversized SUVs that are replaced long before they have no more useful life, and homes that are larger than what a family really needs. Each of us has our own priorities when it comes to spending on our "wants". For us, we choose to spend our money on occasional Disney trips and save money by keeping our cars and phones far longer than others. We don't see the value in the high priced dessert and special seasonal parties and so we don't go to them, but we understand others do enjoy those experiences. We don't see the value of DVC because of the hassles using, banking, borrowing or renting points, trying to get the reservations you want at 11 and 7 months without needing to waitlist, walk or split the reservation, and the substandard conditions of the rooms in between renovation, all of which we've read about on these boards. We also understand that many families love their DVC ownership anyway. In the end, it all comes down to consumer choice. Disney will only stop raising prices when people stop spending money on their products.

 

[MillauFr]

So somehow these charitable Disney execs are supposed to make it cheaper, retain quality and yet, somehow, have fewer people opt to go. I'm sorry that just can't be done.

That is probably the two biggest complaints that Disney gets. The problem is just like traffic congestion. You can't have a booming economy and have free flowing traffic at rush hour. The only way to eliminate the crowds is to have a poor economy. I don't think that is a good trade off.

 

[mom to minnie&mickey]

OP, I agree with you that the price increases have gotten out of hand. Our family went to Ireland this year for vacation instead of WDW, & for much less than the cost of a WDW vacation I might add. Also, I think @Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina just may have convinced us that our next Orlando theme park destination will be SW & Aquatica!

I have been following her trip reports for some years now. She is so generous with the information/tips she provides and, beyond that, they are a fun read! Thanks Gina!

 

[MrsPete]

When people stop handing over their money!

This is the answer. Prices will stop increasing when people stop paying; that is, Disney monitors who's buying /at what price, and when people stop paying, Disney will stop increasing prices. Catch-22? Yeah.

The two things I really mind /see as unfair:

- Doing away with the non-expiry tickets. That was a way for people to save -- not big, but a little -- and it encouraged people to go ahead and buy tickets, which allowed Disney to hold onto their money possibly for years before they were used. Canceling that small thing seems mean.
- The new idea of charging onsite guests for parking. Seems downright cheap to charge for parking when the guest has already paid a premium for a room.

I feel your pain. They had a pretzel with cheese I wanted it was seven bucks I had to pass !!

Now that sounds like me.

... I think Disney is showing remarkable restraint in the price increases ...

I can't agree with that.

 

[manning]

I don't imagine you are upsetting anyone. There are A LOT of things families would like to do that they don't have the money for. That's life, you can be sad for them but I save my empathy of people in real need (like not enough food or a place to live.) There is real poverty in this country and the world.

Don't be sad for me. I have survived life happily without doing expensive things. Like my aunt said "we were poor but did not no it. We had a roof over our heads and food on the table" we found ways to entertain ourselves. Another aunt married well and would come to visit once a year. She said this was the happiest time she ever had.

 

[kydisneyfans]

OP, I agree with you that the price increases have gotten out of hand. Our family went to Ireland this year for vacation instead of WDW, & for much less than the cost of a WDW vacation I might add. Also, I think @Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina just may have convinced us that our next Orlando theme park destination will be SW & Aquatica!

I was pleasantly surprised at how little our Scotland/Ireland trip cost over the summer.

 

[kymom99]

Realistically speaking, yes the economy has improved. And yes Disney is adding new attractions and lodging that attract guests. But just because the parks and rooms are full doesn't mean people are ok with paying more. I'm willing to bet there are more people than we can imagine who are going into debt to be able to bring their families to Disney. I put some of the blame on social media, as pointed out by someone else. We all want to give our families the experiences other people are giving theirs. That's not just vacations, but includes houses, cars, weddings, all that stuff. Nothing is private anymore.

 

[VictoriaT]

The economy is not going to crash. Sure some air will come out of the balloon but it is not going to deflate. The economy in our area hasn't turned negative since the early 1970s. There are currently 60 tower cranes building new skyscrapers in the city. Even if things slowed down and half of the new building projects stopped that is still 30 tower cranes building new billion dollar skyscrapers. Things would be growing faster if we could hire enough workers. Many people here are wishing for an economic collapse but it isn't going to happen.

Have you been to Detroit? Please send business our way!

 

[Lewisc]

Disney is a business, not a charity or a non-profit. They raise prices to cover the cost of facility improvements as well as routine costs like maintenance, insurance, utilities, payroll and advertising. They also raise prices so they can provide attractive returns for their investors and shareholders. .

People who complain about prices, crowds and price gouging are really looking to vent. Disney is going to do whatever it thinks is good for Disney.

Obviously Disney is a business. All of your points are valid. Some people have an issue, again nothing we can do, about $$$ costs in WDW being used to offset bad business decisions. I'm talking specifically about the money pit ESPN has become. Years ago one poster suggested Disney corporate looks at the theme parks as a kind of ATM machine. You need more money raise prices.

My issue isn't with the prices (OK some issue) but Disney always charged top $ but did everything they could to give a top product. Reducing EMH to 3/4 an hour rubs me the wrong way. The number of extra cost events in the parks limits the ability of Disney to expand hours to help handle crowds.

 

[disneymagicgirl]

Do you all work for Disney ???

No but I am a stockholder who appreciates capitalism and understands that life isn’t fair so not everyone can do everything they want.

 

[disneymagicgirl]

I loved the deals of 2008/2009 and the few years surrounding that. We stayed at CBR on the 4/3 deal with DDP for about $2800 for 7 nights. Plus a $200 gift card. Did free dining for a week for about $2500 at a moderate. Those were the days.

I know deals will probably never be that good again.

Yeesss! That buy4/get3 was the best! We did akl that year. Parks were empty. So wonderful.

 

[cruiser21]

I love first growth Bordeaux wine. I wish they would drop prices down to $100 a bottle so I could afford it every now and then. After it crossed $100 25 years ago I stopped buying. I thought the price would peak but no. The price is up over $1000 a bottle now and more popular than ever. Just like Disney. In 10 years you will be kicking your self for not going in 2018 when the prices of the rooms were under $500 per night, an annual pass was less than $1,000, a meal for a family of 4 was less than $200. In 10 years from now they will be charging $1,200 per night at the values, the annual passes will be $2,500, and a meal for a family of 4 will be around $500.

The average household income in this country has been pretty flat. I have no idea how families afford it.

 

[Donna3271]

No but I am a stockholder who appreciates capitalism and understands that life isn’t fair so not everyone can do everything they want.

AGREED. I cosign this.

My husband has been buying Disney stock since he is 8 years old. We are 7 figure shareholders. Supply and demand rules the market.

 

[afan]

The average household income in this country has been pretty flat. I have no idea how families afford it.

If they aren't going into debt they are giving up other things to vacation, working 2nd jobs, selling stuff they don't need, doing things like swagbucks or working deals to save every penny they can. It's what a lot of people on this board do which is why we'er here, to share ideas and save every penny we can.

 

[cruiser21]

If they aren't going into debt they are giving up other things to vacation, working 2nd jobs, selling stuff they don't need, doing things like swagbucks or working deals to save every penny they can. It's what a lot of people on this board do which is why we'er here, to share ideas and save every penny we can.

People on here aren’t the average family.

 

[afan]

People on here aren’t the average family.

But there are a lot of families that aren't on here that do the same thing. This may be a small group out of everyone that goes to Disney but it's still a reflection of the overall population that goes to Disney. There are those that scrimp and save to go once every few years and those that don't shy away from spending 10k on a week there. They may be on other Disney forums, facebook or not at all but they're still there.

I also don't think there's a such thing as an average Disney family or just an average family any more. Also Disney sees family as anyone that visits the parks. I'm going with a friend in less than two weeks, we aren't family in that sense, plus the way we both pay for it is drastically different.

 

[Buzzsgramma]

I would be interested to know...what the Skyliner cost is?? Any reports...
Also some years ago I was reading an article on Disney World..Land...it stated that in order to control crowds....the prices would be raised...at first I thought ..really ? but i am now seeing that happen........

 

[MillauFr]

The average household income in this country has been pretty flat. I have no idea how families afford it.

Upper income families are doing extremely well in this economy. They are the ones affording Disney.