Disney raises ticket price

[Big_Katuna]

$99 for the big park.

[RGar974417]

WE took our 2 grandkids to Disney in October and stayed in Ft Wilderness for 4 nights.We had the park hopper passes and went to Hoop De Do Revue,and got the princess package for our grand daughter.It cost us almost $4,000 for the whole trip including the above plus meals,gas and 2 camp grounds on the way down and 2 on the way back.The last time we were there was 30 years ago when our kids were young.I figure once every 30 years I can afford it.

[michigansandzil]

Gonzo42 wrote:
Couple of years ago we took one of our granddaughters to Dizzy World in Florida for a week. We hit every one of the parks, and on the last day hit two of them again to see a few things we had missed the first time.

All together it cost me about $3000, and that didn't include the air fare from California.

WOW!!

For 3 grand this summer I plan on camping 11 times, including 7 days in the Smokies, 5 days in DC, 7 days on the beach of Lake Michigan and 5 days on the sand dunes (not including 7 other local camping sessions). We'll see civil war battlefields, national parks, museums, fur trader forts, and go to aquariums and even an amusement park. My kids certainly aren't missing out on anything.

Maybe this is why I've never been motivated to go to Disney. I would have to sacrifice all of those vacations for 1 week long trip to Disney. This is basically the statement I make to people that go to Disney once every year but can't figure out how I manage to afford to go camping so much. Crazy! It's nice we all get to make our own choices though. To each their own.

[mileshuff]

For those that are not aware, you can now only get 3 fast passes per day and thats only for a single park. If you park hop you won't get any fast passes for the other park(s). You can however go online days before and pick what ride you want and what time to ride. A pain to have to pre-schedule and not being able to get more FP's when park hopping is lousy!

[djsamuel]

delosholly wrote:
However, what I wanted to comment about was someone referencing the condition of WDW when they were there. This is hard to believe, that WDW was in poor condition.

One of the reasons we love going to WDW over other parks is the effort they put into keeping everything in tip-top shape, from the plants to the streets. I have not witnessed peeling paint or broken fixtures... anything. Just look at the drive in along the roads to get to the parking lots... everything manicured. Sure, they might have some building/construction going on (like the current FantasyLand area), but those are to be expected from a park that is always trying to improve and give more to their customers.

I agree. We were there this weekend and still looks good. Sometimes it gets dirty, or maintenance seems to fall behind, but there are also a lot more people coming through than in past years and it gets more difficult to keep. Plus as others have said, they are a business and need to watch what they spend. They do recognize the need to keep things nice and provide a quality experience; but at times they will fall short because it is so difficult.

[Gonzo42]

One of our biggest gripes is that they don't seem to limit how many people get into the park. Lines for some attractions are 3 hours long. Even with the fast pass (and you can only get one at a time). There's lotsa waiting. You need to find the fast pass dispenser locations as quickly as you can.

Food and drink costs are astronomical to say the least. We always take some sandwiches and plenty of water in my backpack, but that can't cover all meals.

Get yourself maps of the parks and plan your day before you get there, getting preferences from every single person in your group or somebody will have a rotten time.

[delosholly]

My wife and I have been to WDW many times, usually staying at Ft. Wilderness when we have our RV.
Yes, a one day price is high, but as has been pointed out by others, the multiday passes are a better buy.

However, what I wanted to comment about was someone referencing the condition of WDW when they were there. This is hard to believe, that WDW was in poor condition.

One of the reasons we love going to WDW over other parks is the effort they put into keeping everything in tip-top shape, from the plants to the streets. I have not witnessed peeling paint or broken fixtures... anything. Just look at the drive in along the roads to get to the parking lots... everything manicured. Sure, they might have some building/construction going on (like the current FantasyLand area), but those are to be expected from a park that is always trying to improve and give more to their customers.

We always figure the cost as a cost-per-hour. If you stay a 9 hour day in one of the Lands, then the cost is around $10/hour. That is not much different than going to see a movie without buying popcorn and a soda.

I encourage everyone to visit WDW, but I do recommend buying the multiday parkhopper tickets so that you get the most for your money.

That is my 2.5 cents worth.

[Crowe]

Expensive, yes. One of the best family experiences ever, yes. Seeing Disney through my kids eyes was a highlight of being a dad.

The longer packages break down to be cheaper per day.

Bingo. One could VERY reasonably argue that what all of us spend on RVs plus all the associated costs is ridiculous as well. And some of you reading this will gladly spend a few hundred dollars to go to the races, a ball game or whatever because it suits YOU. I agree these places are pricey and if you can't afford it, you can't afford it. However, penalizing a child on principle is just not right. Been to Disney 4 times-once with just the hubby, 3 times with my son. Wouldn't trade one second of the laughter, smiles and fun we had even if it meant having thousands more in the bank. Those thousands won't ever bring me the joy and happiness watching my son hug Mickey has.

Remember the saying from "Hello Dolly". It goes something like "Money is like manure. It doesn't do any good unless you spread it around".

[RVcrazy]

To us, Disney is special. It is worth the cost. Our kids are taking their kids now & it's just as special to them. Have you tried to spend a day at a State fair lately & maybe catch a concert? Talk about pricey for not much!

[Dog_Folks]

valhalla360 wrote:
Good for disney. Glad to see they are doing well.

Remember, they aren't a charity or entitlement. They are buisness and the purpose of a buisness is to make money. This is not the new downfall of America it's been that way since the first stoneage guy traded a sharp rock for a haunch of meat.

Absolutely correct. Disney is a business and has every right to maximize profits. I don't think anyone here is disputing that.

Most posters here are just complaining about rising costs of our entertainment.

Complaining about rising costs be it Disney or a haunch of meat, is also as old as the stone age.

[valhalla360]

Good for disney. Glad to see they are doing well.

Remember, they aren't a charity or entitlement. They are buisness and the purpose of a buisness is to make money. This is not the new downfall of America it's been that way since the first stoneage guy traded a sharp rock for a haunch of meat.

[dieharder]

Disney raises prices 10-15% every year, never fails. Which is why, the first time we went about 6 years ago, we bought 7 day tickets which never expire. Considering the price increase over that time and the cost we paid to get the 'no expiry' option, we'll be way ahead when we go back to use our last 3 days, which should be in a couple of years.

[Gonzo42]

Couple of years ago we took one of our granddaughters to Dizzy World in Florida for a week. We hit every one of the parks, and on the last day hit two of them again to see a few things we had missed the first time.

All together it cost me about $3000, and that didn't include the air fare from California.

Originally it was just the vacation for the two of us. Later it sort of turned into her vacation.

[mileshuff]

Disney has little interest in people wanting to go to the parks for only 1 day. They want to make it a destination resort where people stay 3-5+ days.

At Disney World for instance, a 1 day pass is $99 but a 9 day ticket is $344 or just $38 a day. We just came back from a full week long vacation there. Had a great time and a very good value. Transportation from airport to Disneyworld was free and no rental car was needed our entire trip since Disney has their own transportation system.

That said, I agree its too expensive to go for just 1 day and its also way too expensive and over crowded to bother going over holidays or school break periods.

[djsamuel]

joe b. wrote:
To tag on to the above, what the market will bare has become the world wide economy, not just North America.. We were at the Mouse Land about three weeks back and while waiting for the grandsons to get off a ride, started talking to another guy waiting. He told me he was from Columbia and brought his family up to WDW a couple of times a year, with winter visits ending with going from WDW to Colorado for a week on the ski slopes. He went on to comment as to how great it made his family feel to be somewhere having fun and feeling safe. In Columbia, he and his family never went anywhere without armed bodyguards, for fear of kidnapping, etc. Money didn't appear to be a major concern of his, and I didn't feel I knew him well enough to ask him what line of work he did. LOL
Visitors from other countries are a major part of the crowd on any given day at the Disney parks.
While the prices may keep some from going, the park never seems to lack for visitors. We all have to prioritize how we spend our disposable incomes. I know couples that spend more a year for cigarets than we do for the 5 annual tickets. We all have to decide how to fund our vices, be it RVs, cars, entertainments, booze, smokes, etc.

While I don't like price increases any better than any ony else, it seems to be a fact of life that it is going to happen. In the last 10 years our RV fuel costs for our Alaska trips have gone from just over $2,000 to over $5,000 for the same amount of fuel purchased. So to try and keep the overal costs about the same, we cut back on other costs involved in the trip.

Great post. I think while the growing crowds mean a lot of money, I think Disney also worries that if it gets too bad, they'll lose more repeat visitors than they would lose to price increases. There are so many factors that get looked at, many more than I know. The foreign tourists are a huge factor as well, as you noted.

[joe_b_]

To tag on to the above, what the market will bare has become the world wide economy, not just North America.. We were at the Mouse Land about three weeks back and while waiting for the grandsons to get off a ride, started talking to another guy waiting. He told me he was from Columbia and brought his family up to WDW a couple of times a year, with winter visits ending with going from WDW to Colorado for a week on the ski slopes. He went on to comment as to how great it made his family feel to be somewhere having fun and feeling safe. In Columbia, he and his family never went anywhere without armed bodyguards, for fear of kidnapping, etc. Money didn't appear to be a major concern of his, and I didn't feel I knew him well enough to ask him what line of work he did. LOL
Visitors from other countries are a major part of the crowd on any given day at the Disney parks.
While the prices may keep some from going, the park never seems to lack for visitors. We all have to prioritize how we spend our disposable incomes. I know couples that spend more a year for cigarets than we do for the 5 annual tickets. We all have to decide how to fund our vices, be it RVs, cars, entertainments, booze, smokes, etc.

While I don't like price increases any better than any ony else, it seems to be a fact of life that it is going to happen. In the last 10 years our RV fuel costs for our Alaska trips have gone from just over $2,000 to over $5,000 for the same amount of fuel purchased. So to try and keep the overal costs about the same, we cut back on other costs involved in the trip.