Ticket price increase

[beer dave]

I am not looking forward to the tiered pricing. I think it might be a real cluster until they/we figure out how it actually works, kind of like FP+, but maybe not as bad, I hope.

They will probably off set the highest ticket price with the high resort season, having them overlap by a week or so at the beginning of the highest resort season. Then change the highest dinning pricing dates to lap into the tail end of the high resort season, and add another high dinning time to lap into the first week of the highest ticket pricing, creating a sort of mid, high, low, mid, high mid high low flow for the busiest times...... and set up accordingly with the off season.... so no one can figure out what to do. Then give fee dinning on the third week of every month following a full moon during high season, and the first weekend of every month with an R in it.

 

[soniam]

They will probably off set the highest ticket price with the high resort season, having them overlap by a week or so at the beginning of the highest resort season. Then change the highest dinning pricing dates to lap into the tail end of the high resort season, and add another high dinning time to lap into the first week of the highest ticket pricing, creating a sort of mid, high, low, mid, high mid high low flow for the busiest times...... and set up accordingly with the off season.... so no one can figure out what to do. Then give fee dinning on the third week of every month following a full moon during high season, and the first weekend of every month with an R in it.

You forgot that you will also have to use a decoder ring or your magic amulet to figure out what your tickets will cost.

 

[MommaBerd]

If you add tiered ticket prices to tiered resort prices and even tiered buffet prices.... that could add up to a substantial difference between going in a peak season and going in a discounted off season.

But yeah people will go, when they can go - kids out of school, holidays... There has always been a difference in cost between these times.

I don't know...I do think that it will have an impact on the crowd levels. After all, isn't this one of the reasons for doing this? All those "peak" charges DO add up, and this may be where Disney "prices out" the middle class. Those families that can ONLY go during the peak times just may no longer be able to afford it OR will look at the cost of going and decide to spend their vacation dollars somewhere else.
We are fortunate that we can travel at other times. I really hate it for those folks who can't. But given the number of "here now, crowd levels are crazy" posts lately, what else can Disney do? Because I don't think it is all about Disney profits; I think that they are also concerned about Guest experience - which, I know, ultimately leads back to more money, but at least we would be happier about giving them our money!

 

[beer dave]

You forgot that you will also have to use a decoder ring or your magic amulet to figure out what your tickets will cost.

Thanks. Both which you will receive via lottery......based on length of stay and birth month.

 

[MommaBerd]

Sorry - double post

 

[Where'sPiglet?]

Argh. I'm going in a couple of weeks and have a 5 day base ticket and want to add a single day to it, making it a 6 day base ticket. There are two other people in my traveling party, and they only want the 5 days. I was hoping to add the single day upon arrival so only my ticket would be affected, and it'd be about $10.

Now? Not so sure how much that is going to cost me. It might be cheaper to add a single day ticket to all 3 tickets, meaning it would cost me $30 extra. Not sure if $30 now is cheaper than the mystery price hike, since I do not know when or how much it will be. Sigh.

 

[crazy4wdw]

Mouse Savers has posted on 11/23/1915 that another ticket price is coming soon.

P T Barnum is working overtime.

This info has been posted on Mousesavers for at least a month. They've just changed the date to 11/23. There's been a lot of speculation that Disney would change to the tiered tickets prior to the Thanksgiving holiday. That didn't happen so now everyone's speculating that the next ticket price change will come before Christmas.

Argh. I'm going in a couple of weeks and have a 5 day base ticket and want to add a single day to it, making it a 6 day base ticket. There are two other people in my traveling party, and they only want the 5 days. I was hoping to add the single day upon arrival so only my ticket would be affected, and it'd be about $10.

Now? Not so sure how much that is going to cost me. It might be cheaper to add a single day ticket to all 3 tickets, meaning it would cost me $30 extra. Not sure if $30 now is cheaper than the mystery price hike, since I do not know when or how much it will be. Sigh.

If you plan on adding any days to your ticket, you should use the ticket first, then add whatever days you need. If there has been a price increase since you purchased the ticket, Disney will charge you the difference between what you paid for the ticket and the amount of the increase plus the cost of adding days. Use the ticket first and then you'll only be charged the extra $10 per day.

 

[lockedoutlogic]

I don't think it will affect the HIGH crowd levels at all. You might see level 10 crowds go to level 9.8. Or Level 9 crowds go to 8.9. Not enough to notice. But I DO think the tiered pricing will attract more people during the cheaper times, effectively eliminating the small crowd advantage that currently exists by going those times of the year.

Yes, there are plenty of people who can ONLY go at certain times of the year. But there are also plenty of people who have never been, and could go other times, but choose summer or Christmas simply because it is most convenient. They don't know all of the pros and cons of the peak seasons, weather, ect. But now they go to book their vacation, and they see it will be 40% cheaper for them to go in September than in July.

I would agree...except that they have largely already eliminated low crowd seasons after 20 years of working on it.

And I can 100% tell with my own ears that it was a strategic plan of action pre dating CMB and continued...quite skillfully

 

[lockedoutlogic]

I am not looking forward to the tiered pricing. I think it might be a real cluster until they/we figure out how it actually works, kind of like FP+, but maybe not as bad, I hope.

I don't think it will be a cluster...

I think it's gonna result in a massive kick to the wallet Over the course of the rollout to full plan...probably several years for that.

 

[Planogirl]

I'm just glad that we are going next month and everything is paid for. I have no desire to again figure out something new. I feel cranky just thinking about it.

 

[Josh Hendy]

I am not looking forward to the tiered pricing. I think it might be a real cluster until they/we figure out how it actually works, kind of like FP+, but maybe not as bad, I hope.

Cluster is right. In the proposed schedule I saw, I think there are very few or possibly zero full weeks of bronze, or of any solid color. How the heck do you buy a 7 day pass which you can use in a 14 day period, if you (and Disney) don't know when you are going to activate it (use it for the first time) and which exact days you are going to use it? Do they want you to buy it with a pre-authorized credit card purchase for the maximum possible (all gold day) amount, and then promise you that they will deduct from you "only" the levels on the actual days you visited? Will they force you to commit to exactly which days you're going to visit the parks, and which days you will be resting, shopping, and so on? Probably up to 180 days in advance?

Then there are the intangible issues involving the perception of fairness. How do you sell someone a "discounted" multiday pass, if the first day costs 'X' dollars, the 2nd day costs an extra 'Y' dollars, additional days cost 'Z' dollars ... when the "days" that you happen to use the tickets have different prices? How do you morally justify charging someone the same "gold" day price for the MK which has 25 attractions and will probably be truly crowded, and the AK which has only about 10 attractions and may not be crowded at all? And which will have shorter hours and might even close early for a private event? When a park has EMH on a gold day then what, is it platinum? Is a bronze day with EMH really a silver day for resort guests, and an iron day (or something) for non resort guests? And how do you justify charging people more for a crowded day, when a crowded day really means that you're getting fewer rides and having a less enjoyable experience? In a way, you're selling them less park for more money.

The more you think about it, the more you can see the hassle and confusion this will cause Disney and its customers. The only way that I think they can handle this is by not selling anyone a ticket unless the exact days are specified in advance, so they can tell you how much it costs. And you won't be able to change the days unless you come to them and pull out your credit card so they can adjust the price according to your whims (or the weather or a million other reasons).

If these guys spent even 1/2 of the time and money designing and building new rides that they spend trying to come up with more and more complicated and expensive Magic Your Way! [TM] innovations ...

 

[manning]

1915? lol I wish we had 1915 prices

Good grief, that's what I get not proof reading before hitting the send button. But hey I'm only off by 100 years LOL

 

[wareagle57]

I would agree...except that they have largely already eliminated low crowd seasons after 20 years of working on it.

And I can 100% tell with my own ears that it was a strategic plan of action pre dating CMB and continued...quite skillfully

Yes and no. There is no debating the fact that the gap has narrowed greatly. But there is still a pretty huge difference in September, October, Early December, January, February and the 9s and 10s of Christmas, Spring Break, and Summer. We're also talking about a 15 year build up post 9/11 which crippled attendance. It's hard to argue that WDW was in it's hay-day in the late 90s. Since 9/11 it's been a slow but constant rise to what we are seeing now. 15 years is a long time.

 

[lockedoutlogic]

You forgot that you will also have to use a decoder ring or your magic amulet to figure out what your tickets will cost.

Be sure to drink your ovaltine

 

[lockedoutlogic]

Yes and no. There is no debating the fact that the gap has narrowed greatly. But there is still a pretty huge difference in September, October, Early December, January, February and the 9s and 10s of Christmas, Spring Break, and Summer. We're also talking about a 15 year build up post 9/11 which crippled attendance. It's hard to argue that WDW was in it's hay-day in the late 90s. Since 9/11 it's been a slow but constant rise to what we are seeing now. 15 years is a long time.

I have recently (last 2-3 years) experience both summer and spring break and the crowds are not more difficult to manage than the "off season" times we have visited.

And if you go during Christmas...you are "out cha mind"

The gap has narrowed "greatly" in my observations.

 

[Planogirl]

I have recently (last 2-3 years) experience both summer and spring break and the crowds are not more difficult to manage than the "off season" times we have visited.

And if you go during Christmas...you are "out cha mind"

The gap has narrowed "greatly" in my observations.

We went last during a Spring Break and I couldn't see any appreciable difference. We will be going during the week before Christmas week and I'm expecting the worst and hoping that I'm wrong.

 

[lockedoutlogic]

You know...I was thinking about the annual pass changes today (randomly)...

One of the "benefits" that people were quick to point out was "well now you get photopass/whatever it's called...so it's really a wash"

Question...wouldn't that only make sense if you're a party of one?

 

[Josh Hendy]

One of the "benefits" that people were quick to point out was "well now you get photopass/whatever it's called...so it's really a wash"

Question...wouldn't that only make sense if you're a party of one?

They've finally done something to address the solo repeat traveler Disney photo addict market.

 

[Keels]

You know...I was thinking about the annual pass changes today (randomly)...

One of the "benefits" that people were quick to point out was "well now you get photopass/whatever it's called...so it's really a wash"

Question...wouldn't that only make sense if you're a party of one?

Pretty much exactly. When I got my Platinum pass I didn't have a "OH YEAH! I GET PICTURES NOW!" response - it was more like "OK, well, I've got the Platinum pass, so the rest of y'all just get Weekday Select because you don't need the other stuff and the price difference between that and Gold would be a total waste".

Disney sure does think highly of its PP product though, which other than ride photos I thought the pictures were mediocre to average at best. It's definitely not something I'd ever pay OOP for, especially at that price and with the extremely low expectations I have for the product.

 

[lockedoutlogic]

Pretty much exactly. When I got my Platinum pass I didn't have a "OH YEAH! I GET PICTURES NOW!" response - it was more like "OK, well, I've got the Platinum pass, so the rest of y'all just get Weekday Select because you don't need the other stuff and the price difference between that and Gold would be a total waste".

Disney sure does think highly of its PP product though, which other than ride photos I thought the pictures were mediocre to average at best. It's definitely not something I'd ever pay OOP for, especially at that price and with the extremely low expectations I have for the product.

Which works for Florida resident - where you have other options anyway...

And exactly nobody else