Tiered tickets based on season?

[Splashboat]

If this happens, how do you think it will affect the DVC AP and PAP?

http://www.wdwmagic.com/other/magic...ng-prices-based-on-season-survey-says-yes.htm

Gallery: Bronze, Silver and Gold ticketing levels survey
Based on a recent survey sent out to guests via email, it appears that Disney is at least considering introducing a tiered ticket price based on season.

Using a Gold, Silver and Bronze tiering system, the calendar year is split into three tiers, each with their own price.

• Gold tickets are valid any day of the year.
• Silver tickets are valid most days of the year except for peak and holiday weeks.
• Bronze tickets are valid only during off-peak weekdays.

• Multi-day tickets crossing two or more seasons must be purchased at the highest season’s price.
• Guests visiting on a day that is currently blocked out on their ticket can upgrade to a higher-season ticket.

As part of the survey, Disney included a pricing structure and calendar indicating when each tier applies.

 

[JimMIA]

It seems to me that an AP is an AP and a PAP is a PAP. I don't see any logic to them not being honored, if that's your point.

Could they use a new seasonal pricing scheme to increase the price of the "Gold" AP's...sure they could. They'll raise the price to all the traffic will bear whether they use seasonal pricing or not.

 

[JimMIA]

Incidentally, using "dynamic pricing" based on demand is nothing new. Many Major League Baseball teams will charge you double the normal price to see your team play the Yankees or an intense division rival like Cubs/Cards. With sophisticated computer systems, they can respond very quickly to fluctuations in supply and demand.

If they do this, Disney is in good company...but way behind the curve.

 

[ldo]

there are already tiered passes in So Cal and France. I assume they would honor all existing AP and phase in the new ones.

 

[DISNEYSC]

I would actually like this system since it might help reduce some of the crowds in the busy seasons. I would like it even better if it they'd lower the cost of the less crowded times to give a break to those who might not be able to afford to go during busy peaks. We'd probably be in the most expensive periods because of our kid's school calendar but I'd pay more for a less crowded experience.

FWIW- The Press is calling this "surge pricing" but from what I can see, it seems more like what Disney is currently doing with DVC points than the type of dynamic pricing model that bids up the price based on real time demand (ie- Uber).

 

[ldo]

I think it will have little effect on crowds. Mk regularly closes for capacity a few days every Christmas and Easter week. Some families (like us) can only travel then. For those, adding a few hundred dollars to a trip that also included lodging, food, airline tickets will not change vacationing habits. If MK goes from 80K people to 65K people, it's still very crowded. It could make locals or persons with more flexibility go at lower times, but I think many already do that to avoid the crowds, pay lower airfare, lower rooms rates--I know I would.

 

[disneynutz]

I would actually like this system since it might help reduce some of the crowds in the busy seasons. I would like it even better if it they'd lower the cost of the less crowded times to give a break to those who might not be able to afford to go during busy peaks. We'd probably be in the most expensive periods because of our kid's school calendar but I'd pay more for a less crowded experience.

FWIW- The Press is calling this "surge pricing" but from what I can see, it seems more like what Disney is currently doing with DVC points than the type of dynamic pricing model that bids up the price based on real time demand (ie- Uber).

Disney would never make changes that will reduce attendance, if anything they makes changes to increase attendance all year long and increase prices during the busiest seasons.

Bill

 

[JWG]

The big issues for me on this are:
- The shared pricing model essentially revealed that current pricing is bronze, so it means a significant price increase on gold dates and a notable price increase on silver dates
- The way the calendar works, it's likely your visit will cross into different admission tiers, so you'll have to buy the higher priced package for the length of stay or lose the benefit of added days by buying tickets in smaller day increments to fit the tier
- I don't want to pay more to do less, so I understand the point is to incent people to go in the lesser busy times, but really that's more driven by when someone CAN go (in my opinion). We have a school aged child, we go during their breaks, not because we wouldn't prefer to go the week of Labor Day. While this pricing works for capacity controlled things such as a cruise where you're paying more due to high interest and similar ability to do things.

I don't feel capacity control works the same way at Disney. Given they only hit true phased closings 2-3 days a year, this just means I pay more to stand in longer lines. I do like Universals Express pass concept where you pay more or less for the express (front of line) pass based on how busy it is. That to me makes sense (assuming they control the quantity of said passes so those lines remain truly short).

 

[ldo]

If WDw ever goes to a pay for express pass, like Univ. ($70+PP at peak times), that will end our visits. We will likely get 1 more annual pass next year and then be done for a while. They will have to grandfather in old (still valid) tickets, so maybe I will stock up on a few more if they announce the tiers. Elaine

 

[TheDisneyNurse]

My florida resident annual pass is near $600 with tax. That should entitle me to visit whenever the heck I want. I would be extremely angry with Disney if they decide to add blackout dates to my already expensive AP, and require me to make a larger purchase in order to be able to truly visit whenever I want. Give me a break.

 

[jscottnc]

I wonder if Disney is at long last seeing some push back on ticket prices. Could you bring up attendance (say 50%) by reducing ticket prices by 10-20% during low capacity periods?

Hmmm. Looking at the proposed price charts, it seems like Disney would like to maximize returns where the demand is least elastic. That said, tiered pricing seems like a quick path to guest dissatisfaction, particularly for those that straddle seasons. I think tiered pricing is just a tool to measure how much Disney could raise prices in the next round. Note that the Bronse price is the current rate.

 

[JimC]

This appears to be a logical extension of tiered pricing already in place at Disney - hotels (seasonal and weekend/weekday) and food (premium dates and discount black out dates). They already have tiered pricing for Florida resident APs - regular and seasonal pass options and I believe they have similar options in CA.

If FL's attendance is primarily driven by school calendars and holiday schedules, will their proposed tiered pricing shift demand all that much? Or does this simply give them greater ticket pricing flexibility, likely to yield higher overall revenue and ticket prices more closely aligned with operating hours (longer during peak periods)?

Let's just hope they do not follow airlines, other hotels or worse yet toll roads, where there are no published rates and established discounts, just computer driven revenue management algorithms determining prices in real time.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

I think this is about maximizing on the busy seasons. Most don't choose the busy times because they enjoy the crowds, they choose them because it's that time or no time.

DL has passes with blackout days and they also did very large increases on pass prices a couple of years ago. I don't think they've seen any reduction on attendance because of that. Disney is just continuing to see how far they can push the prices, and though I don't like it I'd have to say that they've seen no reason not to do so. People keep coming and paying.

 

[Splashboat]

They already have tiered pricing for Florida resident APs - regular and seasonal pass options and I believe they have similar options in CA.

I am wondering if they will apply this to the DVC AP discount. It appears as though this could be the next step. Maybe low point season will be a higher ticket price season.

 

[skier_pete]

I am not as torqued up about this as many. My biggest complaint is if they charge me extra for Friday, Saturday and Sunday, and then throw a stupid MNSSHP/MVMCP on Friday and Sunday night, meaning I have to pay extra money for shorter park hours.

I am not sure that it effects APs at all, but I wouldn't feel totally bad if they instituted a seasonal AP similar to the ones in California. Since we never go in peak season, it might avail us to have a lower price when we ever get APs again.

 

[DenLo]

I think only the restricted APs for locals would be affected by the tiered system. In fact they might have APs based on tier. But DVC APs are not restricted for dates.

 

[JWG]

I think only the restricted APs for locals would be affected by the tiered system. In fact they might have APs based on tier. But DVC APs are not restricted for dates.

...yet...

 

[rlovew]

APs for Florida residents are already in tiered basis by seasons- you can buy a weekday pass with blackout dates during busy times, a seasonal pass with blackouts during certain times, or a full AP that allows you to visit- the weekday seasonal is like a bronze, the seasonal is like a silver and the regular one is like a gold.

 

[JimMIA]

Some of the information above on Florida Resident APs is incorrect.

My understanding of our passes is as follows:

• 3-4 Day Passes* -- One park per day; 3 day for $201.29; 4 day for $222.59, with both amounts applicable to AP upgrades. Hopping can be added for about $25 per pass. These passes expire 6 months from first use or 12/17/2015, whichever comes first, and have blackout dates for Easter, the entire summer school vacation period (except the last week this year for us!), and Christmas - New Years.
• Seasonal Weekday Passes* -- Hoppers good year-round but only on weekdays, with the same blackout periods. $239.63
• Seasonal Passes* -- Hoppers good year-round, with the same blackout periods. $350.39.
• *None of the above passes include free parking.
• Florida Annual Pass & Florida PAP -- Hoppers, good year-round, including free parking. I double-checked the WDW Florida Resident page -- there are NO blackout dates with the Florida APs. They're the same as the DVC APs, and the same price.

Also -- to me, the presence of blackout dates is not a tiered-pricing model determined by season. It's simply an exclusion of certain dates in return for a discounted price, which Disney has done for many years. Nothing new.

 

[JimMIA]

So, rather than a change in pricing for DVC based on season, the info in OP's first post would simply be an extension of most of the Florida Resident discounts to everyone.

And then they'll raise the prices!