Interesting article, Disney may have finally exceeded the price people will pay

[tvguy]

https://www.ocregister.com/2019/08/13/have-disneyland-fans-finally-reached-their-limit/

 

[Pooh2]

Ayup. I think we are getting to that point as well. We bought our first (and probably last) annual pass the week before the price shot up. The price of food shocks with each meal and snack!
We got decent room prices for summer with AP discount but the rooms in Nov and Dec are beyond our budget so far. We've made wonderful memories at Disney but there are lots of other places to visit that are much more affordable.

 

[L&Lfan]

I’ve heard Galaxy’s Edge referred to as a shopping mall with a video game attraction. No wonder folks are staying away for whatever reasons.

 

[clutter]

I can't open the link (ad blocker is on), but isn't the drop in attendance similar to the drop in tourism from overseas in general? China has been the largest dropoff, but all tourism from overseas has dropped quite a bit.

 

[msjprincess]

I think the prices are insane. If we didn't own DVC I don't think we'd be going back for awhile. Even with DVC the ticket and food prices are crazy. We have a trip planned for next year. We normally get park hopper+ tickets. This time we're only getting base tickets. That will save us $500. For the first time ever we're not planning on any table service meals. I just can't justify spending almost $300 for my family of 5 to eat at a buffet.

I was looking at moderate in the October, it was over $300 a night. That's just crazy

 

[wgeo]

I've seen variations on this article all over for the past month. I sure wish Disney was cheaper, of course, but I'm not sure overall this is bad for disney.

The article says "But not even Disney can keep winning forever. With this dip in attendance, Disney might now finally have discovered that ceiling beyond which it no longer can keep raising prices without consequences. " And I disagree with that. Disney DID win. They had fewer people in the parks, which means lower staffing costs and yet they still made more money than before. Disney doesn't care what the attendance number is as much as they care about their profit. They'll do whatever it takes to make more money.

 

[RamblingMad]

Universal is a better value. But it’s still expensive. The prices are high enough to put the majority of people into debt to go.

 

[Praying Colonel]

I can't open the link (ad blocker is on), but isn't the drop in attendance similar to the drop in tourism from overseas in general? China has been the largest dropoff, but all tourism from overseas has dropped quite a bit.

It's an op-ed that doesn't address the issue @clutter raises. The writer opines DLR park attendance dropped because "fans want to see either lower prices or more new attractions in return," but doesn't cite any sources for that. Of course, there could be 1 or more other factors at play, such as reduced tourism overall.

The article also notes that DLR made more money last quarter in spite of reduced attendance, so I'm not sure this is the tipping point the author hopes it is.

 

[wenrob]

It’s behind a paywall so I can’t read it.

We didn’t go this year because we thought crowds would be insane because of Galaxy’s Edge. Hearing that wasn’t the case I came pretty close to heading down half a dozen times.

That said, we plan to visit in the Fall. Usually I don’t hesitate to buy an AP for myself but I’m trying to figure out if it’s really worth it. In the past if I got two trips, I felt it evened out but now it would have to be a minimum of three and should be four to even out for me. That’s a lot of extra hotel rooms and food and while I love the place I think it would “Disney” me out. My older DD straight opted not to get one this year. She’s had a regular AP since she was 15/16. That she finds it too much speaks volumes.

 

[Bella the Ball 360]

I was unable to access the article. I will search for it on the web..
We just returned from our trip on Sunday.
I agree WHY do they need to charge the exorbitant prices and then whack you with a 25.00 a day parking fee? OMG!! The reason, they want to keep all the money on site but then again ....they charge you to park on site too? Why? They do not want you to EVER be able to leave if possible so it discourages car rental!

We have some non expiring tickets to use up( they hate us because we beat the system and are literally getting in for prices from five years ago; so as a value they have now gotten rid of non expiring too) And you are NOTHING if not staying on site. I called guest services when I had a problem with at Animal Kingdom after hours (too long to go into) the FIRST words out of the cm's mouth were "Are you staying on property?" HOW is that pertinent to the problem I was having at the park? I sent a letter of complaint which I am guessing ended up in the virtual circular file because I was not staying in the park.

Not to mention all the construction going on. A friend is going with her 5 year old this week and paying 10K for her first visit, it is kind of unfair that she will have to have her experience lessened because of the construction of which she knew nothing when she booked and is only aware of it because I told her.

Do not get me wrong I still love most of WDW but many of their attraction decisions have been for the worst. It's not like the newer rides are all that fantastic. Yes Flight of Passage is good but it is in reality Soarin' on steroids! Navi River is a waste of time. Most of the newer rides are rollercoasters or made up of movie screens on a loop. I am betting that the M&M Run Away Railroad will not hold a candle to GMR.

My husband coined a phrase when referring to Disney and it has held true for at least the last 8 years.
" If it's a value be sure to get it when you are there because next year the price will go up substantially or it will not longer exist!"
Bottom line they are aiming demographically for the highest income visitor but I do not think they understand that the money is in volume and loyalty. That is why places like Nordstrum's and Sak's are struggling and places like Marshalls, TJ's and Target are not! Nothing is more insulting than some of the "specials" they run when you cost them out they are often not specials at all!

Just so I am not totally negative, we ate at Les Halles when normally we eat at Chef's d'France. I had quiche, lobster bisque, creme brulee, a meringue(huge) and my husband got a ham and cheese sandwich on a French bread...the cost $28.00!!! If we ate at Les Chef's it would be well over $110 for lunch...for much of the same food. What the HECK it was a value....how did that happen? Oh and they give free tap water, my guess is so they can keep up the urban legend, "nobody dies on Disney Property"

Bottom line they are making bad decisions and it is very scary to me because I see the WDW I have known and loved being eroded by a bunch of Ebeneezer Scrooges who in IMHO care only about their bonuses.

 

[Brett Wyman]

Mr. Recession is walking up the front lawn about now. He'll be knocking on the front door in the next couple of years. Should be a good time to visit WDW if you still can.

I’ve heard Galaxy’s Edge referred to as a shopping mall with a video game attraction. No wonder folks are staying away for whatever reasons.

Disney majorly miscalculated the launch in multiple areas. The worst being launching without the signature attraction. And greed was the reason why.

 

[MrsBooch]

Mr. Recession is walking up the front loan about now. He'll be knocking on the front door in the next couple of years. Should be a good time to visit WDW if you still can.

I was just about to post this - this is more indicative of the impending recession than it is of increased prices. Recreational things will begin to be cut from the family budget first - it's on the horizon and probably already started.

 

[Hikergirl]

We made the decision a few years ago that Disney has out priced the value we get from going there.
It doesn't surprise me that enough other people feel that way that they are seeing a drop in attendance.

 

[RedAngie]

I've seen variations on this article all over for the past month. I sure wish Disney was cheaper, of course, but I'm not sure overall this is bad for disney.

The article says "But not even Disney can keep winning forever. With this dip in attendance, Disney might now finally have discovered that ceiling beyond which it no longer can keep raising prices without consequences. " And I disagree with that. Disney DID win. They had fewer people in the parks, which means lower staffing costs and yet they still made more money than before. Disney doesn't care what the attendance number is as much as they care about their profit. They'll do whatever it takes to make more money.

The amount each visitor spends is a more important factor than raw attendance, and like you said, that figure is increasing.

 

[RedAngie]

We made the decision a few years ago that Disney has out priced the value we get from going there.
It doesn't surprise me that enough other people feel that way that they are seeing a drop in attendance.

Same here. I doubt I'll ever go on a "WDW vacation" ever again. But I still might be willing to go for a day at the so-called value price.

 

[Darcy03231]

We stopped our yearly trips about 5 years ago. At that point I wasn't seeing the value for the money. We still go, but as an add-on to another vacation. Last time was in 2017 when DH wanted to see Pandora. We tacked a couple of days onto a cruise and spent 3 nights/2 days in the parks. We decided that was perfect for us. We had a car so ate a big breakfast and dinner off-site. We stayed at AKL so it was a pretty easy drive to several restaurants. We had breakfast at Cracker Barrel every morning. My husband was in heaven!

 

[Sabeking]

We bought annual passes for the first time this year before the price increase. We did a 9 day trip in June and were going to do 3 more trips before the passes were up. We recently decided that we are now only doing one more before next spring due to costs. It’s out of control. We have been 17 times over a period of 15 years and have decided after these passes expire we are done for good. Not only the price increase but the crowd increase just doesn’t seem worth it anymore. We live a few hours from the coast and have vacation property there. We have finally decided next year to build a home on that property and spend most of our weekends and vacation time relaxing!

 

[morgan98]

I know this is a Disney board, but this doesn't surprise me at all. I have actually been on the boards since the late 1990s although I didn't post much back then. From then through the early 2000's, I thought the parks were nice, they had new attractions, things were clean, the hotels, nice. Heck, even the food could be good at certain restaurants - this was all way before free dining.

For the record, I am currently 49.

Then, I didn't go tot he parks for several years, with the exception of a couple of day visits when visiting my MIL. However, I have been going for work to attend our annual partner meeting for the past few years and again in 10 days. We alternate between the Grand Floridian and the Yacht Club. All I can say is even though the company is paying, I am really not wowed by much anymore. Quite frankly, the Marriott in South Park in Charlotte has more comfortable and less dated rooms, in my opinion. Things just seem stale. I feel this way about the parks too.

We regularly go to Italy. My summer vacation there per night with fabulous food and wine was a fraction of the cost of going to Disney.

I know others continue to love it and go often. I am just explaining how I feel and I guess I can see how it may have lost it's luster for others too.

 

[Distinkt]

I don't think the cost of admission is wholly to blame in the drop in attendance. I have been hesitant to plan another trip (to WDW) because all of the windows for Fast Passes and dining reservations and the price of accommodations have made me dread the planning. I love it there, but fussing with Magic Bands and all the linking of tickets and reservations, etc. is just getting to be too much for a vacation. There are so many layers of planning that it takes the fun and flexibility out of the trip. Now, maybe my husband and family would feel differently because they are not in charge of the arrangements, but at some point I would like to be able to just relax and enjoy the vacation without having to worry about missing some ride or meal or predetermined activity.

 

[usnuzuloose]

I got priced out a long time ago.