Anyone else staggered by ticket prices?

[Geemo]

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.

Disney has allowed SoCal residents the privilege in lower ticket prices for years.
With both special daily pass tickets and selective annual passes.

It's about time Disney makes ALL ticket/pass prices the same for ALL guests regardless of where you live.

Because of Disney's discriminating ticket prices and the current state of affairs in the parks I no longer choose to be a MK holder. I uses to fly down up to 5times a year, now I have only been once since the covid lift.

 

[AndrewC]

Disney has allowed SoCal residents the privilege in lower ticket prices for years.
With both special daily pass tickets and selective annual passes.

It's about time Disney makes ALL ticket/pass prices the same for ALL guests regardless of where you live.

Because of Disney's discriminating ticket prices and the current state of affairs in the parks I no longer choose to be a MK holder. I uses to fly down up to 5times a year, now I have only been once since the covid lift.

I mean I get being “self serving” and Disney having some low(er) cost tickets for SoCal people, but I think they need to be *extremely* restrictive in when they are offered. Just slow times of year, more so than now (honestly I don’t really know when they are offered right now.)

I’m not entirely against it in a February Mon-Wed or something, but they clearly have strong demand still and don’t really need to drum up more business, or actually risk affecting customer satisfaction for non-locals (and probably locals, but they can just get used to it and come back the next day etc).

 

[greeneyedchick]

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.

Or they could extend their hours. They used to be open 8am-1am when crowds were this high. But that would cost Disney money, so they won't do it.

 

[AndrewC]

Or they could extend their hours. They used to be open 8am-1am when crowds were this high. But that would cost Disney money, so they won't do it.

Not sure an extra hour would do that much…

 

[tlovesdis]

Friendly reminder to stay on the topic and not veer off or be antagonistic to others! This thread is being monitored so please stay on the topic! Thanks!

 

[JerrodDragon89]

I want the ppl filling my soda cup to be a teenager making some money. A teenager that doesn't have to pay rent yet.

Welcome to America where we have too many people and at one end we have adults that can't pay rent and go into debt and on the other hand we have people who like Iger can make horrible business decisions like Disney Plus and now having to Buy Hulu along with over paying for Fox....and they get insane benefits and pay.

We are talking about Disney, if you want to talk about fast food then go to reddit to debate that but this is about Disneyland. They have raised ticket prices in larger margins today then ever before, limit the amount of guests that come in parks so they can staff less, are redoing rides many times instead of creating New attractions, selling drinks at 20+ bucks each, selling out special events at 120-200 dollars, now selling Fast Passes along with 20-25 bucks for per rides like ROTRS Fast Pass, have raised food prices every year along with Soda which they basically get for free.

All while they barley if not at all raise pay for CM, they can't pay maintenance people a fair wage so they retire or can't staff up for what they need so the Dragon burns down and rides break down more then ever. CM also used to be able to just park and get into Disneyland in a snap now its a resort and many have to wadte 20-40 minutes of their time not being paid as they get to work and leave and this is not counting what ever their commute is this is because employee parking is not close for most employees and while Disneyland used to pay everyone enough money to pay for rent or a house now they can't even through they up sell more now then ever before

I'm sorry but please defend not paying the Cast who makes the park work and are the magic keeping the place together are being paid fairly?

 

[HerzerHerrick]

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?

It's also all supply and demand. If half of ya'll would stop going they would lower the price for the rest of us lol.

 

[Lumpy1106]

Remember when Disneyland let you get in for free on your birthday? I think it was part of the "Year of a Million Dreams" promotion. Those were the days...

 

[Lumpy1106]

It's also all supply and demand. If half of ya'll would stop going they would lower the price for the rest of us lol.

There's a lot of truth to this. Spend any amount of time in Orange County and you'll see that there is a sense that you are entitled to go to Disneyland whenever you want - for a price. Disney has long tried to find a price point where people would stop buying the APs but one doesn't seem to exist. Sorry to say, but COVID provided Disney with the opportunity to put a brake on the AP sales. You can see what that did to the day-ticket price. It's very hard to believe, but the crowds are not as bad as they were pre-COVID for that reason.

 

[Chili327]

Welcome to America where we have too many people and at one end we have adults that can't pay rent and go into debt and on the
other hand we have people who like Iger can make horrible business decisions like Disney Plus and now having to Buy Hulu along with over paying for Fox....and they get insane benefits and pay.

I'm sorry but please defend not paying the Cast who makes the park work and are the magic keeping the place together are being paid fairly?

This... and it isn't just Disney. Its the way we do things here, & it needs to change sooner than later.

 

[StarlitNight05]

Disneyland is expensive. You can go to Knott's, or Universal, or a lot of other places that cater to that kind of crowd for a whole lot less money and have a great time.

Those places have cool things. But is it Disney cool? No.

Disney is so popular because it's amazing. It can entertain you for days and still have more that you didn't experience. It has history, nostalgia, and top-notch creativity. It has a dedicated fan base because it offers outstanding entertainment that isn't rivaled by other venues, at least not yet. Keeping it fresh, fun, exciting, beautiful, etc is expensive. I can't say whether or not the cost is justified, and I'm just as bummed by rising ticket prices as anyone, but it's disingenuous to want everything pristine and fully staffed and workers that have a living wage and good benefits and then decry the high cost of the ticket.

I'd much rather go to Disneyland than a ball game or a concert, which aren't exactly cheap.

I would like to see some changes (for instance, I really dislike the Genie+ model and the dining reservation system), but there have always been things I'd change if it were up to me.

Another thing with DLR is that the tickets are mainly overpriced if you're only going for a day.

Exactly! With prices of things today, Disneyland is somewhat of a bargain. For example, I wanted to see a concert recently, but the price of the tickets were insane...about $400 a piece. I get much more from a day at Disneyland than a few hours at a concert (and even so, the price of one day at DL is much cheaper).

 

[TeamRiley]

The only answer to the dilema you mention, is to have much much higher prices a the Parks. Which really wont work.
Some quick numbers off Google:
Total Disney Employees - 223,000
Average Salary - $44,000
Average Executive Compensation - $215,000
Now lets got crazy and say that there are at least 100 people that make over $1,000,000, and 20 people that make an average of $20,000,000.
If we take ALL of that executive money, and divide it among the 223,000 Employees, each person gets a raise of $2242.
I agree the Big Wigs make too much money, but even if they didn't make any money, the average Disney salary could never be sustained at $60,000 unless prices skyrocket. If prices did go that high, attendance would plummit as would revenue. What is your solution? I don't have a good one.

 

[longtimedisneylurker]

The only answer to the dilema you mention, is to have much much higher prices a the Parks. Which really wont work.
Some quick numbers off Google:
Total Disney Employees - 223,000
Average Salary - $44,000
Average Executive Compensation - $215,000
Now lets got crazy and say that there are at least 100 people that make over $1,000,000, and 20 people that make an average of $20,000,000.
If we take ALL of that executive money, and divide it among the 223,000 Employees, each person gets a raise of $2242.
I agree the Big Wigs make too much money, but even if they didn't make any money, the average Disney salary could never be sustained at $60,000 unless prices skyrocket. If prices did go that high, attendance would plummit as would revenue. What is your solution? I don't have a good one.

Aren't the figures you are quoting before the lets get crazy part numbers for the entire Disney company? I believe Disneyland Resort employee numbers are closer to 30,000-34,000 and average salary is lower than your stated $44,000. Also, just looking at what the higher ups make isn't really enough. The billions of dollars per year of profit that the theme parks generate are of more interest than executive salaries alone. Some of why enough of those billions aren't being reinvested in the parks in the form of salary, maintenance, and expansion is there has been more interest in generating profits for Wall Street and bolstering lesser performing divisions of the Disney company as a whole. I don't have any great words of wisdom, but it seems to me, of course, that some of that money could be put back into salary etc. for those who actually make the park a success, and most of the profit from the parks division would still be there to show. But that's not how corporate America works.

 

[Chili327]

Exactly! With prices of things today, Disneyland is somewhat of a bargain. For example, I wanted to see a concert recently, but the price of the tickets were insane...about $400 a piece. I get much more from a day at Disneyland than a few hours at a concert (and even so, the price of one day at DL is much cheaper).

A football game is up there too, for even less time spent.

What is your solution? I don't have a good one.

No one has the answer.

 

[starlite_]

Aren't the figures you are quoting before the lets get crazy part numbers for the entire Disney company? I believe Disneyland Resort employee numbers are closer to 30,000-34,000 and average salary is lower than your stated $44,000. Also, just looking at what the higher ups make isn't really enough. The billions of dollars per year of profit that the theme parks generate are of more interest than executive salaries alone. Some of why enough of those billions aren't being reinvested in the parks in the form of salary, maintenance, and expansion is there has been more interest in generating profits for Wall Street and bolstering lesser performing divisions of the Disney company as a whole. I don't have any great words of wisdom, but it seems to me, of course, that some of that money could be put back into salary etc. for those who actually make the park a success, and most of the profit from the parks division would still be there to show. But that's not how corporate America works.

This. It is easy to say "It's too expensive to pay ppl" "Where will the money come from?" "Well, if we pay ppl what their labor is worth then prices will be insane!!" The money is there. In every ticket, every popcorn bucket, every shirt that has a 4x markup minimum, every pair of $40 minnie ears , every soda filled. It's there. It's just going elsewhere.

 

[Chili327]

This. It is easy to say "It's too expensive to pay ppl" "Where will the money come from?" "Well, if we pay ppl what their labor is worth then prices will be insane!!" The money is there. In every ticket, every popcorn bucket, every shirt that has a 4x markup minimum, every pair of $40 minnie ears , every soda filled. It's there. It's just going elsewhere.

Also, we are paying more in taxes to subsidize these employees (healthcare, etc) that don't make enough to live, so would we rather pay for them with our taxes, or maybe the CEO could help them out a little.. i mean they do make them their salary.

 

[SOCALMouseMommy]

There's a lot of truth to this. Spend any amount of time in Orange County and you'll see that there is a sense that you are entitled to go to Disneyland whenever you want - for a price. Disney has long tried to find a price point where people would stop buying the APs but one doesn't seem to exist. Sorry to say, but COVID provided Disney with the opportunity to put a brake on the AP sales. You can see what that did to the day-ticket price. It's very hard to believe, but the crowds are not as bad as they were pre-COVID for that reason.

What makes you believe that? I don’t think Disney wants anyone to stop buying APs. The amount of money they must make on them is mind boggling.

 

[DontSpamMe]

It only took me a few trips to realize how much I was getting ripped off as a day ticket purchaser at Disneyland. There is no value for the cost. We rolled over our 3 day hopper to a flex pass on our 3rd visit and haven't looked back.

As an annual pass holder I can walk away after a sub par day in the parks (there have been several) with a shrug of the shoulders and a comment of "at least I didn't pay full price for that mess."

So I have empathy for those that feel they are over paying.

 

[Tinkaboo]

Since we’re all into the math now…I just calculated my park time…$9.17 an hour so far. Can’t find better entertainment for that price anywhere. Mind you, that’s PARK time only, no food, no souvenirs,etc. as that is totally at the discretion of the individual visitor. Jerry Seinfeld was $75 per hour! Disney is a bargain for me!

 

[starlite_]

Since we’re all into the math now…I just calculated my park time…$9.17 an hour so far. Can’t find better entertainment for that price anywhere. Mind you, that’s PARK time only, no food, no souvenirs,etc. as that is totally at the discretion of the individual visitor. Jerry Seinfeld was $75 per hour! Disney is a bargain for me!

I genuinely love this. My philosophy for buying almost anything non essential is similar. How many times do I need to use this 100$ bag for it to make sense? Will I use it 100 times? That's just 1$ per use.