# The magic's too expensive: Disney is pricing out loyal customers



## DrQ (Jun 20, 2021)

*'The magic's too expensive': Disney is 'pricing out loyal customers' by targeting more affluent families with $800 hotel rooms and $100 sandwiches despite having no fireworks or parades since COVID*

*A Disney vacation will now set a family of four back more than $6,000*
*The average annual income in America now stands at $68,703 - or $5,725 each month - meaning a visit to the 'happiest place on earth' is out of reach for many *
*The hefty price tag comes despite pandemic-related restrictions squeezing some of the magic out of the experience*
*Firework displays, shows and the iconic character parades have gone*
*Instead of slashing the prices to make up for the disappointment, costs have continued to climb *
*Since it reopened in April, Disneyland has focused on premium add-ons like an extra charge on the new Spider-Man ride to ensure a higher score*
*It is also now offering a $100 supersized sandwich at its new Avengers Campus*
*The cheapest hotel room in Disneyland in July is $463, with some costing $800 *









						How greedy Disneyland is pricing out its most loyal customers
					

A Disney vacation will now set a family of four back more than $6,000 for just five days, while the average annual income in America now stands at $68,703 - or $5,725 each month.




					www.dailymail.co.uk


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## am1 (Jun 20, 2021)

The great equalizer.  Only way to keep crowds at bay.  As long as people keep paying.


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## simpsontruckdriver (Jun 20, 2021)

am1 said:


> The great equalizer.  Only way to keep crowds at bay.  As long as people keep paying.


A few years ago, Disney said they would raise prices for that reason: diminish demand. Well, that has not worked! People will gladly max out their credit cards or take out loans to come to Walt Disney World.

TS


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## bbodb1 (Jun 20, 2021)

They can make the economic argument to justify their pricing all they want but the larger reason a lot of people no longer consider Disney for their vacations is who wants to spend the overwhelming majority of their vacation day(s) standing in lines for hours to enjoy rides that last a handful of minutes?  The 'happiest place on Earth' or the 'longest wait on Earth'?  And to this point:



simpsontruckdriver said:


> A few years ago, Disney said they would raise prices for that reason: diminish demand. Well, that has not worked! People will gladly max out their credit cards or take out loans to come to Walt Disney World.
> 
> TS



..I wonder how many people max out their cards, then file bankruptcy.....


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## mdurette (Jun 20, 2021)

We are what some would call a "Disney Family" and I am an insanely frugal traveler.  Those 2 things CLASH like you would not believe.    DH and DD could spend every single vacation with the mouse and I (the vacation planner) won't allow it, there is more in the world to see.

I have "almost" given up going on Disney cruises.   We do have one booked for next year, but over the last few years we have switched over to RCCL.

But, we still head to Disney so I do my best to make it as cost effective as possible.   Points for flights, TS for resort, backpack with snacks and water for the day, buying discounted Disney gift cards whenever I can.   Even with that all that, Disney trips are  still our most expensive vacations of the year.


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## bogey21 (Jun 20, 2021)

I'm so glad my kids were Disney age back in the 80s when we found it reasonably affordable for our family of 5.  One year we even found it cost effective to buy a comprehensive package from Disney which included staying at their Contemporary Hotel.  Heaven knows what that week at Disney would cost us today...

George


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## elaine (Jun 20, 2021)

And Disney’s timeshare (DVC) pricing went UP during covid! Even resales increased 20%+.
Wdw Hotels/tickets are a lot more now! We used to do the packages also. And used to buy non-expiring tickets. No more. And no annual passes-who knows if they’ll come back??I just shelled out $500/kid for a 4 day base ticket for wdw parks that closed 3-4 hours earlier than in prior years. I think that Military and FL still get decent middle class friendly ticket prices.
However, still worth it to us-my young adult kids all had a fabulous time and a great bonding time for them. If you stay offsite and eat some meals in, it’s within the range of other vacations Imho. Skiing is $100/day for tickets plus rentals. Hotels/food/activities for family 5 in a city (likely 2 rooms) adds up.
Our trip cost about $3.5k including Rci/annual TS fee, not including transport (drove). The lines were long but they loved it. They lucked out and got the Star Wars boarding passes-lots were shut out.


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## CPNY (Jun 20, 2021)

Im always envious of the people sitting on the curbs along the walk ways eating their homemade sandwiches. I always say, NEXT TIME I’m bringing the cooler. Next time I am!! It actually helps I’ve been doing keto so it will be helpful to bring my own wraps. I didn’t find many low carb options last time. 

Will they allow canned beverages into the park? I know they allow water bottles. Wouldn’t mind some of my zero carb alcoholic kombucha!


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## Brett (Jun 21, 2021)

DrQ said:


> *'The magic's too expensive': Disney is 'pricing out loyal customers' by targeting more affluent families with $800 hotel rooms and $100 sandwiches despite having no fireworks or parades since COVID*
> 
> *A Disney vacation will now set a family of four back more than $6,000*
> *The average annual income in America now stands at $68,703 - or $5,725 each month - meaning a visit to the 'happiest place on earth' is out of reach for many *
> ...



Or maybe their "dynamic pricing" model is just making loyal Disney customers pay more

https://www.wsj.com/articles/disney-tests-pricing-power-at-theme-parks-1529331115


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## BingoBangoBongo (Jun 21, 2021)

The author lost me at $800 hotel rooms and $100 sandwiches.


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## Big Matt (Jun 21, 2021)

BingoBangoBongo said:


> The author lost me at $800 hotel rooms and $100 sandwiches.


Go on line and look at the prices.  You will be stunned.  I looked this morning for the beginning of November  Rooms at their mid-tier resorts are over $350.  A studio at Saratoga Springs is over $450.  Grand Floridian is $2890 for a 2Br suite.  I don't know about the sandwiches.


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## TravelTime (Jun 21, 2021)

We just completed 2 weeks in Orlando. We visited all the Disney parks (Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, Epcot, Hollywood Studios, Blizzard Beach), Universal (Universal Studios, Islands of Adventure and Volcano Bay) and SeaWorld and Aquatica. I thought Disney provided the best value for the dollar. At Universal, the lines were so long that without an Express Pass, you could barely do any rides. The Express Pass cost almost $300 per person per day on top of park admission. At least at Disney, they manage the crowds and lines much better.


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## dioxide45 (Jun 21, 2021)

The $100 sandwich is certainly an outlier. That said, food is way too expensive IMO. We have Silver Florida Resident APs, and if it wasn't for that, there would be no Disney World for us. Food at the parks is mainly limited to $2 popcorn refills (we use the same bucket we bought in January) and Starbucks. Surprisingly Starbucks isn't that much more in the parks as it is to go through a regular Starbucks off property. There might be a Dole Whip in there for DW every now and then. We once went to Pizzafari and two personal pizzas with a small salad and we shared a large drink was over $30. We have looked at Tables in Wonderland and it seems that perhaps, just maybe, that discount might make their table service restaurants somewhat competitive on price as many off site options. That said, we usually eat off site or cook in the unit. But food everywhere is getting so expensive, so it isn't just Disney.


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## BingoBangoBongo (Jun 21, 2021)

Big Matt said:


> Go on line and look at the prices.  You will be stunned.  I looked this morning for the beginning of November  Rooms at their mid-tier resorts are over $350.  A studio at Saratoga Springs is over $450.  Grand Floridian is $2890 for a 2Br suite.  I don't know about the sandwiches.



I’m not surprised at all that a “cheap” room at Disney might be $463 or that one might cost $800 less than a month from now during a peak travel period as personal travel is going through the roof.  Its really no surprise that you can pay $100 to feed 6-8 people at Disney.  It’s the author’s sensationalism that lost me.


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## Limace (Jun 21, 2021)

TravelTime said:


> We just completed 2 weeks in Orlando. We visited all the Disney parks (Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, Epcot, Hollywood Studios, Blizzard Beach), Universal (Universal Studios, Islands of Adventure and Volcano Bay) and SeaWorld and Aquatica. I thought Disney provided the best value for the dollar. At Universal, the lines were so long that without an Express Pass, you could barely do any rides. The Express Pass cost almost $300 per person per day on top of park admission. At least at Disney, they manage the crowds and lines much better.



But at universal you can stay at a deluxe hotel-we paid under $300 a night for the Hard Rock in May-which is a five minute walk from the parks, and get free express passes for everyone on your room reservation. Universal is so much easier to plan and navigate than Disney imho. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## mbinpa (Jun 21, 2021)

Like everything else in a capitalistic system the market will determine if the product is too expensive.  

While Disney would like to think of it's loyal customers as 'family', they are still just consumers.  The price will go up as long as people are willing to pay.  If that means that only really rich folks go to Disney then so be it.  If the revenue slows, the price will come down.

Walt wanted to keep Disney available to everyone but as shareholders look for better returns the corporate leadership will do what they can to maximize income.

It's a bummer for the average family with a love for Disney, but if the rich family is willing to overpay, the price will continue go up.


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## TUGBrian (Jun 21, 2021)

Know two families camping at ft wilderness this past week, even they made the unusual comment of the prices seemingly very high to what they were used to.  and they brought their own hotels with them!


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## emeryjre (Jun 21, 2021)

Most people did not travel for 15 months.  So they have a surplus of travel money for this year.  The real test of high prices will come next year when there are no more stimulus checks and people have spent the surplus travel money.  This is happening not only at Disney, but many travel locations.


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## bbodb1 (Jun 21, 2021)

Wait - what???



TravelTime said:


> We just completed 2 weeks in Orlando. We visited all the Disney parks (Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, Epcot, Hollywood Studios, Blizzard Beach), Universal (Universal Studios, Islands of Adventure and Volcano Bay) and SeaWorld and Aquatica. I thought Disney provided the best value for the dollar. *At Universal, the lines were so long that without an Express Pass, you could barely do any rides. The Express Pass cost almost $300 per person per day on top of park admission*. At least at Disney, they manage the crowds and lines much better.



We haven't been to Universal Studios in quite some time and when we last went, they had whatever they called Fast Pass back then.  
You are saying to get what used to be given free with their Fast Pass, you now have to pay for it, @TravelTime ?


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## dioxide45 (Jun 21, 2021)

bbodb1 said:


> Wait - what???
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I don't recall Express Pass at Universal ever being free. Disney always offered Fast Passes for free, but never at Universal that I can recall. If they did, it has been at least 15 years.


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## bbodb1 (Jun 21, 2021)

dioxide45 said:


> I don't recall Express Pass at Universal ever being free. Disney always offered Fast Passes for free, but never at Universal that I can recall. If they did, it has been at least 15 years.


Wow - now that I think about it, it may have been more than 15 years ago when we last visited Universal Studios..where has the time gone?


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## TravelTime (Jun 21, 2021)

It’s interesting that Universal includes its express passes with a $300 hotel stay. It makes more sense to book a hotel room simply for the Express Pass and early admission to the parks. However, even the Express lines were long at Universal.

I just looked at prices for the cheapest room at the Hard Rock in July and it was an average of $575 + tax for 4 guests in one room. So it is comparable to Disney but at least you can get a studio with kitchenette for that price at Disney.

Universal also uses dynamic pricing. The express passes start at $59 during low season and were close to $300 in June. Now that I know the express passes are included with a room, I would just book a room at Universal in the cheapest room just to get the passes but I doubt I would stay there since we like to stay in our timeshares.


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## TimeshareTraveller (Jun 21, 2021)

We passed on going to Universal this year though the family knows that Mom is dying to get to the Harry Potter world or whatever it's called there. We had one graduation this year that occurred in person and there were 3,000 people in the stadium watching 500 kids graduate. The sheer overwhelming presence of that many people without masks on drained everyone and after the graduation ceremony and lunch, we all came home and slept for hours.  I think it takes the brain some time to get used to processing faces without masks again. It was utterly exhausting.

We planned for Universal, but after that graduation it hit me that we couldn't keep up with a full day at a theme park. It was going to cost roughly $2000 for 3 adults to spend two days park-hopping at Universal with the front-of-the-line pass that was "as many times as you want."  Disney wasn't even on the table as they didn't have reservations available until late July. 

We went to SeaWorld's Discovery Cove with the dolphin encounter instead. Bought the package that allowed free parking and a 14-day pass into Busch Gardens Tampa, SeaWorld, and Aquatica. We had a lot of trouble using it effectively because my daughter and I kept getting first stages of heat exhaustion on many days. It was still about $1500 for 3 people, but the value seemed better. 

I think all of the theme parks are going to struggle with surviving as more people are earning less and having to spend more on survival costs like food and rent.


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## stslc (Jun 22, 2021)

I convinced my kids long ago that Disney parks were not worth the $$$$ for a long wait in line for a 60 second ride and we've since opted for what I consider "real" experiences.  We are now in Mexico where we'll scuba dive two days for less than the price of a day at The Most Costly Place on Earth.  Taco dinner $3.25.  The 8 day trip including air will be about half what it would cost to drive to Disney and stay onsite.


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## Limace (Jun 22, 2021)

TravelTime said:


> It’s interesting that Universal includes its express passes with a $300 hotel stay. It makes more sense to book a hotel room simply for the Express Pass and early admission to the parks. However, even the Express lines were long at Universal.
> 
> I just looked at prices for the cheapest room at the Hard Rock in July and it was an average of $575 + tax for 4 guests in one room. So it is comparable to Disney but at least you can get a studio with kitchenette for that price at Disney.
> 
> Universal also uses dynamic pricing. The express passes start at $59 during low season and were close to $300 in June. Now that I know the express passes are included with a room, I would just book a room at Universal in the cheapest room just to get the passes but I doubt I would stay there since we like to stay in our timeshares.



Ah, but universal often has heavily discounted annual pass holder rates. You don’t need to purchase or show your AP until sometime during your stay-and the seasonally AP was maybe $30 more thank our 3 day park to Park ticket. So we paid $269 or so for a room at Hard Rock and had free Express Passes for everyone in our room. 

I do love staying in a timeshare unit too-we did Bonnet Creek and Animal Kingdom 2 bedrooms on this trip-but I loooove being able to easily walk to and from the parks (one of many reasons I much prefer Disneyland to WDW). 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Rolltydr (Jun 22, 2021)

This thread reminds me of the old Yogi Berra line about a popular restaurant, “Nobody wants to eat there. It’s too crowded.”


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## Superchief (Jun 22, 2021)

We were fortunate to enjoy our early Royal Palms ownership years at Disney World prior to Michael Eisner's leadership. We still have a few days left from multi-passes that we bought before they changed their policies. We plan to use them up and that will be the end of Disney for us. It used to be a place for families to enjoy a few days of fantasy, but there is little enjoyment today.


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## jmhpsu93 (Jun 22, 2021)

TravelTime said:


> We just completed 2 weeks in Orlando. We visited all the Disney parks (Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, Epcot, Hollywood Studios, Blizzard Beach), Universal (Universal Studios, Islands of Adventure and Volcano Bay) and SeaWorld and Aquatica. I thought Disney provided the best value for the dollar. At Universal, the lines were so long that without an Express Pass, you could barely do any rides. The Express Pass cost almost $300 per person per day on top of park admission. At least at Disney, they manage the crowds and lines much better.


Totally depends on what time you go to Universal.  We have season passes and walked right on most of the rides early in the morning (my daughter and I were the only two people on the first car on Escape from Gringots one morning).  The two big draws there now are the Hagrid's ride and Velocicoaster, and they fill up their lines really quickly.  You get past 11 AM at either Universal then yes I'd agree wtih you.  

We bailed on Disney about five years ago, as over $100/day/pp admission, plus parking, plus, plus, etc. was ridiculous.  Our per visit cost on Universal is about $30/day, plus we get free parking.  I'd still like to get back to Disney for all the new stuff but I need to sell my house first.


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## am1 (Jun 22, 2021)

Did 19 days at Disney a few years ago using a Florida resident cheap annual pass.  Free parking. Stayed at bonnet creek and would only go for lunch or dinner.  Since our kids were three we got six fast passes each.  That and a few small kid rides and we were ready to head back to bonnet creek.


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## mbh (Jun 25, 2021)

This topic comes up regularly on TUG as Disney is always raising their prices. It's called capitalism. No one has to go to Disney.


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## silentg (Jun 25, 2021)

We gave up our annual pass when the pandemic hit. Not planning to go back any more. We have seen everything and went regularly for years. No little kids anymore,so we go other places, now that we are retired. Still Iove our timeshare vacations!


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## cindi (Jun 26, 2021)

In my mind, they are also devaluing their timeshares. No more fast passes, so the advantage of staying on site for the extra window on those is gone. They are stopping the bus from the airport to the resorts, so that perk is gone. Far as I can tell, the discounted annual pass is a thing of the past. Way too many take aways with no no add ons.


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## presley (Jun 26, 2021)

It's been my experience that whenever they raise their admission/annual passes, there's a lot of outrage posted online and lots of diehard fans saying they won't go back. Then, I see all their trip reports a few months later. Disney people will go to Disney. It doesn't matter how much it costs. They may visit less often or they may figure out different places to stay/eat, but they will continue to go to Disney. We took a huge break of almost 2 years once. First visit back, we were figuring out how to buy annual passes and discussing how often we could come back.


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## jaimewu (Jun 26, 2021)

I take my marching band to Disney World every 4 years. In 2004, it cost each person $800 including airfare, hotel offsite on 192, a 3 day “Magic Music Days” park hopper (it was only $99 because we performed in a parade for them!) and meal vouchers for food. The next trip (2008) I priced out All Star Music, and it was only $900, so we have stayed on property every time since. 2012 was $1050 and 2016 was $1300, but we upgraded to Caribbean Beach that year. In 2019, when I priced out our (doomed by COVID) April 2020 trip, it came in at $1600, and that was with going back to All Star Music! The kids got refunded everything, even though we were only 2 weeks away from our trip when it was canceled, so we are planning to go to Disney in 2022…. But with no Disney Magical Express, and with how cost prohibitive everything is there, I think we might go back to the good ol’ Comfort Inn Westgate. It’s a real shame. It used to be that Disney was accessible to the middle class, but I can’t expect the families in our Title 1 school to be able to fundraise a $2000 trip. I wish I could bring them all to our TS resort. They would love it!


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## CPNY (Jun 26, 2021)

I remember reading a while back that Universals goal was to add more hotel rooms and become a “destination” rather than a “side piece” to Disney. 

It seems that the express pass has become increasingly more expensive for those not staying at a premiere universal hotel. Many of The top tier hotel rooms come with fast passes which makes The price of the room worth it.  I rarely buy the EP, I just try to go during non peak times. If I find myself there on a busy day, I’m ok with people watching and enjoying food and beverages for the day. 

My advice is simple: if you’re looking to really enjoy universal with limited wait times, go during the orlando informer meetup. This year the December weekend sold out in 3 hours! A week later they added two more weekends. It’s absolutely worth the price. It includes entry and unlimited food. Most attractions are a walk on. Tickets are limited so expect around 10,000 people between both parks.


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## CPNY (Jun 26, 2021)

cindi said:


> In my mind, they are also devaluing their timeshares. No more fast passes, so the advantage of staying on site for the extra window on those is gone. They are stopping the bus from the airport to the resorts, so that perk is gone. Far as I can tell, the discounted annual pass is a thing of the past. Way too many take aways with no no add ons.



Fast passes may be gone now, but are they gone forever? I’m sure they are working on a different system. I expect Disney to introduce a new FP “product”, why give away something for free when people will pay? Many People won’t be happy about it, but they will pay anyway. I’d gladly pay for FP’s to top attractions without staying on site.


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## TravelTime (Jun 26, 2021)

jmhpsu93 said:


> Totally depends on what time you go to Universal.  We have season passes and walked right on most of the rides early in the morning (my daughter and I were the only two people on the first car on Escape from Gringots one morning).  The two big draws there now are the Hagrid's ride and Velocicoaster, and they fill up their lines really quickly.  You get past 11 AM at either Universal then yes I'd agree wtih you.
> 
> We bailed on Disney about five years ago, as over $100/day/pp admission, plus parking, plus, plus, etc. was ridiculous.  Our per visit cost on Universal is about $30/day, plus we get free parking.  I'd still like to get back to Disney for all the new stuff but I need to sell my house first.



For non-pass holders like us, Universal is as expensive as Disney. We paid over $100 per day for park admission and parking charges that were the same as Disney. We did not buy the Express pass because it was almost $300 extra per person and the express lines still had a wait but not nearly as long as the regular rides. We arrived on day at about 12 noon and could only get 3 rides in. We went the next day at park opening and we got about 4 rides in before 11 am and another 3 rides after that. It was nuts and so crowded.


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## Vkothari916 (Jun 26, 2021)

BingoBangoBongo said:


> The author lost me at $800 hotel rooms and $100 sandwiches.











						Disneyland is selling a supersize $100 sandwich. Here's what's in it
					

Hear us out: It's actually not a bad deal.




					www.google.com


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## arcsinx (Jun 26, 2021)

At the end of the day, the goal of any company is NOT to ensure as many people as possible get to experience your services (which may be a happy side-effect of the main goal). The main goal is to make as much money as possible. Especially with inflation and employee wages rising across the nation, the push is on squeezing as much money out as possible.

Think about it like this. Let's take 3 really oversimplified scenarios where we just consider park admission ticket revenue. 

Park A:  Starts off with admitting 100 people per day at $100 ticket prices. This park follows this (overly) simple rule: For every $2 the ticket price rises, 1 less person will pay to enter the park.

Park B: Starts off with admitting 2500 people per day at $75 ticket prices. This park follows this (overly) simple rule: For every $5 the ticket price rises, 100 less people will pay to enter the park.

Park C: Starts off with admitting 12,500 people per day at $150 ticket prices. This park follows this (overly) simple rule: For every $15 the ticket price rises, 700 fewer people will pay to enter the park.

In this (overly) simplified scenarios, where should each park price tickets to maximize revenue? (If you want to figure this out, pause and ponder. Otherwise keep reading.)

Park A would have maximum ticket admission revenue of $11,250 by pricing their tickets at $150, where 75 people would pay to enter.

Park B would have a maximum ticket admission revenue of $200,000 by pricing their tickets at $100, where 2,000 people would pay to enter. 

Park C would have a maximum ticket admission revenue of  $2,037,063.32  by pricing their tickets at $208.93, where 9,750 people would pay to enter. 

In each scenario, the Parks had a reduction in loyal customers that were willing to pay the increased rates: 25% in Park A, 20% in Park B, and 22% in Park C. In each scenario, a large number of customers would be upset, but enough paying customers exist to maximize revenue. 

If Disney can double ticket prices and keep half the customers, they keep ticket revenues the same with an improved waiting experience. Can't blame them for that.


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## metzel (Jun 26, 2021)

It's been overpriced for decades.  I'd mush rather go skiing or to a National Park!


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## Luanne (Jun 26, 2021)

I love Disneyland (Disney World not so much).  I have said recently, and often, I'm so glad we went to Disneyland starting in the 1950's after they opened.  Totally different experience than today.


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## geekette (Jun 26, 2021)

mbh said:


> This topic comes up regularly on TUG as Disney is always raising their prices. It's called capitalism. No one has to go to Disney.


and some of us never have been and likely will never go.

People like what they like, but I never quite got the whole "magic" thing.   I'd rather blow dough on a deep sea fishing boat charter.


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## CPNY (Jun 26, 2021)

arcsinx said:


> Especially with inflation and employee wages rising across the nation, the push is on squeezing as much money out as possible.



Excellent point. With universal increasing wages, prices will rise. 









						Universal increases starting pay to $15 an hour, first major Orlando theme park to do it
					

Universal Orlando employees are getting raises next month with starting pay jumping to $15 an hour, the company said Thursday, calling it the largest single wage increase ever made by the theme park.




					www.orlandosentinel.com


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## geekette (Jun 26, 2021)

Luanne said:


> I love Disneyland (Disney World not so much).  I have said recently, and often, I'm so glad we went to Disneyland starting in the 1950's after they opened.  Totally different experience than today.


I would have liked that.


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## joestein (Jun 26, 2021)

TravelTime said:


> We just completed 2 weeks in Orlando. We visited all the Disney parks (Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, Epcot, Hollywood Studios, Blizzard Beach), Universal (Universal Studios, Islands of Adventure and Volcano Bay) and SeaWorld and Aquatica. I thought Disney provided the best value for the dollar. At Universal, the lines were so long that without an Express Pass, you could barely do any rides. The Express Pass cost almost $300 per person per day on top of park admission. At least at Disney, they manage the crowds and lines much better.



If you stay at the one of the three original hotels - you get express pass free.

The hotels rooms can usually be had for $300.   That would provide express passes for free for the whole family.


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## joestein (Jun 26, 2021)

TravelTime said:


> It’s interesting that Universal includes its express passes with a $300 hotel stay. It makes more sense to book a hotel room simply for the Express Pass and early admission to the parks. However, even the Express lines were long at Universal.
> 
> I just looked at prices for the cheapest room at the Hard Rock in July and it was an average of $575 + tax for 4 guests in one room. So it is comparable to Disney but at least you can get a studio with kitchenette for that price at Disney.
> 
> Universal also uses dynamic pricing. The express passes start at $59 during low season and were close to $300 in June. Now that I know the express passes are included with a room, I would just book a room at Universal in the cheapest room just to get the passes but I doubt I would stay there since we like to stay in our timeshares.



You are comparing a studio at the budget motel at disney vs the top end at universal.


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## jehb2 (Jun 26, 2021)

One year we went to Disney World (1 week) and Hawaii (2 weeks) in the same year.  The Hawaii vacation was cheaper.


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## TravelTime (Jun 26, 2021)

joestein said:


> You are comparing a studio at the budget motel at disney vs the top end at universal.



No I was comparing a studio at Disney to a hotel room at Universal.


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## TravelTime (Jun 26, 2021)

joestein said:


> If you stay at the one of the three original hotels - you get express pass free.
> 
> The hotels rooms can usually be had for $300.   That would provide express passes for free for the whole family.



Not during “high” season. The least expensive hotel room at Universal is close to $600 during the summer.


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## joestein (Jun 26, 2021)

TravelTime said:


> For non-pass holders like us, Universal is as expensive as Disney. We paid over $100 per day for park admission and parking charges that were the same as Disney. We did not buy the Express pass because it was almost $300 extra per person and the express lines still had a wait but not nearly as long as the regular rides. We arrived on day at about 12 noon and could only get 3 rides in. We went the next day at park opening and we got about 4 rides in before 11 am and another 3 rides after that. It was nuts and so crowded.



We went a few years ago.  Stayed at the Royal Polynesian Hotel (or whatever they call it).   Got the free express passes.   We thought it was a rather reasonable vacation.    

At this time, people have an itch to travel and a lot of stimulus money.     Next year will be a different story.    We were going to go to Universal in late August, but decided to skip it this year.    We can easily afford to go, but try to enjoy vacations that provide some value for our dollar.    Sometimes we spend a lot for vacations, but we are always looking for value for our dollars.

We decided to try a week a Myrtle Beach instead.  Hoping to rent a week in late August for Marriot Ocean Watch at Grand Dunes and combine with a few days at in-laws.

Joe


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## joestein (Jun 26, 2021)

TravelTime said:


> Not during “high” season. The least expensive hotel room at Universal is close to $600 during the summer.



How long in advance did you try to book?    Here is a room for the late week in August we were considering.  $274/night.  I do see the pricing for July - but July is just a few days away.


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## joestein (Jun 26, 2021)

TravelTime said:


> No I was comparing a studio at Disney to a hotel room at Universal.



Which resort is the studio in?


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## dioxide45 (Jun 26, 2021)

jehb2 said:


> One year we went to Disney World (1 week) and Hawaii (2 weeks) in the same year.  The Hawaii vacation was cheaper.


I recently spoke to another Tugger while on vacation. Their experience was just the opposite. They indicated that they were able to go to Orlando for two weeks for what it cost for their airfare to Hawaii.


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## jehb2 (Jun 26, 2021)

dioxide45 said:


> I recently spoke to another Tugger while on vacation. Their experience was just the opposite. They indicated that they were able to go to Orlando for two weeks for what it cost for their airfare to Hawaii.



Did they go to Orlando for 2 weeks or Disney World for 2 full weeks.  I went to Florida for a week (not Disney World) and it was one of the cheapest vacations I ever had.


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## Cyberc (Jun 27, 2021)

We are from Europe and Disney fans. Pre COVID we normally went twice (sometimes more) within 12 months to maximize the value of our gold AP.  We haven’t been since COVID but are looking forward to go as soon as we are allowed.

the total cost of a Disney vacation is not bad. We use our TS and either book a DVC resort or use our DVC points to book it. If we are only doing Disney we don’t get a car but if we are staying for 14 days we normally don’t stay with Disney for all and then we get a car.

Disney can be expensive but if you opt not to eat all meals with Disney then it’s way cheaper. We go to a publix with Uber and buy what we need. At the end of the day when I sum up all expenses it’s roughly the same as taking a vacation in Europe, but way more fun.

Regards.


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## swditz (Jun 27, 2021)

Another option for universal may be to book a room at their new endless summer hotels. They do not offer the fast pass but do provide early admission. They run @ $130/night in summer. This at least will get guests on popular rides with a shorter wait time.   They are very close by at The old wet and wild water park location.


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## Limace (Jun 27, 2021)

Universal-always look for pass holder rates at their deluxe hotels, as I mentioned above. Here’s the link: https://www.universalorlando.com/web/en/us/tickets-packages/annual-passes/hotel-offers

Rates tend to be released a few months ahead, for a month or two at a time. If your dates aren’t available, keep checking. You do not need to have an annual pass to book-you just need to have one member of your party present one during your stay. The cheapest AP can often be just a few bucks more than two or three day passes. These hotels include unlimited EP for everyone in your room every day of your stay. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## TravelTime (Jun 27, 2021)

joestein said:


> Which resort is the studio in?



Rates for 1 night on Friday, January 21

Hotel room on site at Universal with no kitchenette or balcony

Universal/Hard Rock Cafe
$389 for a basic hotel room
$479 for a deluxe room

Universal/Loews Portofino Hotel
$416 for basic hotel room
$476 for deluxe hotel room

This is not an apples to apples comparison because these rooms are Disney’s deluxe villas and these are studio rooms and not basic hotel rooms but here are the Disney prices for the same date:

A studio with kitchenette and balcony at a Deluxe Resort at Disney:
Saratoga Springs $421 
Animal Kingdom $416
Cooper Creek $416

Now if I compare to the moderate hotel rooms at Disney that are probably more comparable to a basic hotel room at Universal, Disney is actually cheaper:

Caribbean Beach Resort (right next to Hollywood Studios) $255
Coronado Springs $239

Disney also have Value Resorts that are under $200 a night for this date.

So my point is that Disney is not more expensive than Universal for the same dates.


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## pedro47 (Jun 27, 2021)

Please compare a seven (7) days with Disney with the following cruise lines:
Royal Caribbean,  NCL, Carnival,  and Celebrity...
A seven (7) days Disney's cruise is much more.

Disney is very Expensive.


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## TravelTime (Jun 27, 2021)

pedro47 said:


> Please compare a seven (7) days with Disney with the following cruise lines:
> Royal Caribbean,  NCL, Carnival,  and Celebrity...
> A seven (7) days Disney's cruise is much more.
> 
> Disney is very Expensive.



I actually have been comparing pricing. We are going on a Disney cruise in a 1 BR concierge class in January. It is expensive. It is $18K for 4 people but it is very large with a double balcony. Over 600 sf total. I have never been on a Disney cruise so I do not yet know the quality compared to other cruise lines. 

With kids, I can’t find a better cruise line. Also when I compare getting a 1 BR suite in concierge class on other cruise lines, they are all super expensive. I do not know if I would rate Disney Cruise Line above or below Royal Caribbean, Celebrity, etc. For sure, it is not comparable to Carnaval, which is a budget cruise line. For concierge type suites, Disney is priced in between the mass market ships and the luxury lines.

Also keep in mind that the staterooms and suites on Disney do tend to be larger than on the other mass market cruise lines and even some of the luxury cruise lines. Some of the luxury cruise lines I like only allow up to 3 people in a cabin so I would need to get two cabins. Plus I would not squeeze 3-4 people into a small cabin even if it were an option.

With kids, there are 2 things I like better about Disney than the other cruise lines. One is the Disney shows are geared toward kids and families. Everyone else tends to have broadway type shows. The other is the kid’s club is not separated by age. They go from age 3-12. This is important to me because then my daughters can do activities together.

Besides Disney, it appears that Royal Caribbean’s Symphony of the Seas is the most kid oriented. It has the Ultimate Family Suite. But once again, the kids program is divided from 3-5, 6-8, and 9-12. And the shows are geared toward adults. That said, I would consider this ship because it is very family friendly.

Update:
Just priced out the Ultimate Family Suite on Royal Caribbean’s Symphony of the Seas for January 2023 and it’s over $32,000. I looked at January because that is the cheapest month to travel on Disney. We are paying half that for the 1 BR concierge suite on Disney.


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## pedro47 (Jun 27, 2021)

We do liked Disney Cruise Lines especially their aft cabins and their private island. Loved their bedrooms setups and their bathroom (very large).
The major plus for us. I feel the children on Disney are well supervise and are safe. IMHO.


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## LannyPC (Jun 27, 2021)

Maybe I missed it in the article, but did it say anything about the actual admission price?  I know threads in previous years were talking about the skyrocketing admission fees to Disney but I didn't see it in the article.  It just talked about the food, nearby hotels, and add-ons.


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## Brett (Jun 27, 2021)

LannyPC said:


> Maybe I missed it in the article, but did it say anything about the actual admission price?  I know threads in previous years were talking about the skyrocketing admission fees to Disney but I didn't see it in the article.  It just talked about the food, nearby hotels, and add-ons.



The article mentions admission prices, Disney prices can change depending on the day and other factors,  think  "bundle"  - "dynamic pricing"
_"Back in 1971, tickets cost just $3.50"_


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## Luanne (Jun 27, 2021)

In 1955, the year *Disneyland* opened, admission *cost* $2.50 for an adult “Deluxe 15” ticket book that included admission to the park and 15 attractions. *Disneyland* ticket *prices* have increased more than 5,000% since then.

No wonder my parents could afford to take our family of four to Disneyland several times a year.  Didn't hurt that we could drive there for the day.


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## DrQ (Jun 27, 2021)

Brett said:


> The article mentions admission prices, Disney prices can change depending on the day and other factors,  think  "bundle"  - "dynamic pricing"
> _"Back in 1971, tickets cost just $3.50"_


Back in 1971, you bought the tickets to rides separately. Ride tickets were A through E. Usually, in an assortment book. Most came home with bunches of A and B tickets.

Admission with limited rides vs. Admission with unlimited rides - Apples and Oranges.


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## geekette (Jun 27, 2021)

Luanne said:


> In 1955, the year *Disneyland* opened, admission *cost* $2.50 for an adult “Deluxe 15” ticket book that included admission to the park and 15 attractions. *Disneyland* ticket *prices* have increased more than 5,000% since then.
> 
> No wonder my parents could afford to take our family of four to Disneyland several times a year.  Didn't hurt that we could drive there for the day.


It was the ticket per ride issue that caused my parents to shun Disney, but we went to most every other amusement park in the country.   Always had picnic back at the car, never bought concessions.   

I don't recall when the per-ride thing ended, but we were already old enough to not bother.   Neither FL nor CA were key destinations for us, too far to beeline for Disney.   I might have been into my 30s the first time I was in FL.


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## Luanne (Jun 27, 2021)

geekette said:


> It was the ticket per ride issue that caused my parents to shun Disney, but we went to most every other amusement park in the country.   Always had picnic back at the car, never bought concessions.
> 
> I don't recall when the per-ride thing ended, but we were already old enough to not bother.   Neither FL nor CA were key destinations for us, too far to beeline for Disney.   I might have been into my 30s the first time I was in FL.


In the price I quoted the $2.50 was for the ticket book that included admission and 15 attractions.  And of course you could buy additional ride tickets.  Admission alone was $1.00.


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## djohn06 (Jun 27, 2021)

TravelTime said:


> Rates for 1 night on Friday, January 21
> 
> Hotel room on site at Universal with no kitchenette or balcony
> 
> ...



The other thing is you can rent points from a DVC owner and save another 50 percent on avg. on a deluxe studio At WDW.  That is non existent for Universal.

I wouldn’t even compare rack rates.  There are some season where deluxe studios are under $200 a night at WDW.

If people can find TUGG you can definitely find someone to rent DVC points.


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## TravelTime (Jun 27, 2021)

djohn06 said:


> The other thing is you can rent points from a DVC owner and save another 50 percent on avg. on a deluxe studio At WDW.  That is non existent for Universal.
> 
> I wouldn’t even compare rack rates.  There are some season where deluxe studios are under $200 a night at WDW.
> 
> If people can find TUGG you can definitely find someone to rent DVC points.



I had to compare rack rates since Universal does not have points. You are right you can save another 50% by renting DVC points.


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## mdurette (Jul 1, 2021)

Yikes -DD was asking about a quick trip to WDW for Boo-Bash.   A 3 hour reduced capacity after park hours event (that you can get into 2 hours prior) so 5 hours in the park.  In Oct $170 per ticket!  But, as others have noted, people will pay.   The ticket for the party on Halloween were over $200 after tax and are already sold out.

As for value from "other" theme parks.  I have always found a platinum pass for Seaworld parks and incredible deal.   Admission to all seaworld, bush gardens, sesame place and aquatica water parks for a year. In the past I purchased during Black Friday specials and paid less than $200 each via Sesame mostly or once via San Antonio.


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## travelhacker (Jul 1, 2021)

We are a family of five and went to DisneyWorld during COVID. I remember it being painful buying tickets, but we had a great time and we discussed going back in 1-2 years. 

I saw some availability at OKW via RCI and priced out tickets. I got sticker shock when I saw the price of park tickets. I had to look up what we paid in early 2021 and sure enough it was $550 more than what we paid for the same amount of tickets at the exact same time of year as when we went in early 2021. It took the wind out of my sails. It was a 20% price increase year over year.

I won't say that we won't be back, because I know that simply isn't true. I don't blame Disney for charging what they can. However, I am a bit disappointed because it was a great vacation and we considered making it a regular vacation (perhaps every year or every other year). At those prices, we'll probably just go 1 or 2 more times when the kids are younger and then see how they feel about things as they get into the pre-teen / teenager stage of life.


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## TravelTime (Jul 1, 2021)

travelhacker said:


> We are a family of five and went to DisneyWorld during COVID. I remember it being painful buying tickets, but we had a great time and we discussed going back in 1-2 years.
> 
> I saw some availability at OKW via RCI and priced out tickets. I got sticker shock when I saw the price of park tickets. I had to look up what we paid in early 2021 and sure enough it was $550 more than what we paid for the same amount of tickets at the exact same time of year as when we went in early 2021. It took the wind out of my sails. It was a 20% price increase year over year.
> 
> I won't say that we won't be back, because I know that simply isn't true. I don't blame Disney for charging what they can. However, I am a bit disappointed because it was a great vacation and we considered making it a regular vacation (perhaps every year or every other year). At those prices, we'll probably just go 1 or 2 more times when the kids are younger and then see how they feel about things as they get into the pre-teen / teenager stage of life.



I do not plan to visit Disney World again but it has nothing to do with pricing. However, why do people beat up WDW when everything is going up 20% to 100% this year? The post-Covid inflation is huge. I suspect it’s because people and companies need to make up for a year+ of lost revenue. And the demand is really high. There is more demand than supply.


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## travelhacker (Jul 1, 2021)

TravelTime said:


> I do not plan to visit Disney World again but it has nothing to do with pricing. However, why do people beat up WDW when everything is going up 20% to 100% this year? The post-Covid inflation is huge. I suspect it’s because people and companies need to make up for a year+ of lost revenue. And the demand is really high. There is more demand than supply.


Was I beating up DisneyWorld in my post?

I was merely stating that it's priced out of reach for us to go regularly.


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## TravelTime (Jul 1, 2021)

travelhacker said:


> Was I beating up DisneyWorld in my post?
> 
> I was merely stating that it's priced out of reach for us to go regularly.



I did not mean you. I meant people in general. Sorry for the confusion.

I think Disney and Universal vacations are expensive. That is why I told my girls that this was a once in a lifetime trip for us. We will not be going to the theme parks in Orlando again. We have a Disney cruise scheduled for January but we will not be going to the theme parks. We will only fly in/out of Orlando to get to the ship.

Unless we totally love Disney cruises, this will be our one and only Disney cruise as well. I would cancel it and get a refund but Disney gave us a $4000 future cruise credit so that allowed me to add my younger daughter to the room and still have over $1000 left over, hopefully to use for a cabana on Castaway Cay.


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## Fried_shrimp (Jul 1, 2021)

pedro47 said:


> Please compare a seven (7) days with Disney with the following cruise lines:
> Royal Caribbean,  NCL, Carnival,  and Celebrity...
> A seven (7) days Disney's cruise is much more.
> 
> Disney is very Expensive.



About 2 and a half times the cost of an average Carnival cruise.


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## djohn06 (Jul 4, 2021)

Fried_shrimp said:


> About 2 and a half times the cost of an average Carnival cruise.


7 day Disney cruises are definitely out of reach for many.  Sometimes we can find a decent rate on a Disney 3 or 4 day cruise.


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## TravelTime (Jul 4, 2021)

Fried_shrimp said:


> About 2 and a half times the cost of an average Carnival cruise.



That’s it? I would have expected a Disney cruise to be a lot more expensive than a Carnival cruise considering Carnival is the bottom of the barrel.


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## TheHolleys87 (Jul 4, 2021)

We sailed on the Disney Magic in 1998, its inaugural year, and it was a wonderful family vacation. We paid for it with DVC points, which we had just purchased. Haven’t done that since then, although we often think about it. The primary allure for us to sail with them would be the lack of a smelly, smoky casino that we have to work our way around in order to get to dinner. Of course, the smelly, smoky casino is one reason the other cruise lines are so much less expensive.


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## controller1 (Jul 4, 2021)

TheHolleys87 said:


> The primary allure for us to sail with them would be the lack of a smelly, smoky casino that we have to work our way around in order to get to dinner. Of course, the smelly, smoky casino is one reason the other cruise lines are so much less expensive.



Cruise with Viking. No casino, no portraits sold, no pressure up-sells at the spa.


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## Fried_shrimp (Jul 5, 2021)

TravelTime said:


> That’s it? I would have expected a Disney cruise to be a lot more expensive than a Carnival cruise considering Carnival is the bottom of the barrel.



Let me ask you, how many times have you sailed Carnival? Just what part of your Carnival experience makes you consider it to be the "bottom of the barrel"?


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## TravelTime (Jul 5, 2021)

Fried_shrimp said:


> Let me ask you, how many times have you sailed Carnival? Just what part of your Carnival experience makes you consider it to be the "bottom of the barrel"?



I sailed Carnival once in the 1980s and never again. I used to work for Royal Caribbean in marketing in the late 1990s. We did not benchmark to Carnival because we did not consider Carnival a true competitor. In fact, we used to wish Carnival would improve its advertising and marketing because it made it harder for us to improve consumer’s views of the cruise industry. I know Carnival is the parent company to Princess, Seabourn, Holland America and others. I am talking about the Carnival brand only. Carnival is still a very price driven brand.


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## TheHolleys87 (Jul 5, 2021)

controller1 said:


> Cruise with Viking. No casino, no portraits sold, no pressure up-sells at the spa.


I didn’t realize that - so Viking Ocean has no casinos? We’ve sailed the Danube and the Rhine with them but haven’t seriously looked at their ocean cruises.


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## Fried_shrimp (Jul 5, 2021)

TravelTime said:


> I sailed Carnival once in the 1980s and never again. I used to work for Royal Caribbean in marketing in the late 1990s. We did not benchmark to Carnival because we did not consider Carnival a true competitor. In fact, we used to wish Carnival would improve its advertising and marketing because it made it harder for us to improve consumer’s views of the cruise industry. I know Carnival is the parent company to Princess, Seabourn, Holland America and others. I am talking about the Carnival brand only. Carnival is still a very price driven brand.



Hahaha......so in otherwords, you really don't know what you're talking about with Carnival. I've sailed Carnival, Royal, HAL, Princess, MSC, and NCL (yes, I like to sleep around) and while Carnival is slightly less than Royal and Princess in what they offer (that I actually care about), for the price savings, I compare all of my cruises to Carnival unless I want a specific port that Carnival doesn't serve (like the 28 night Tahiti cruise that we just booked to celebrate our retirement). Comparing Carnival of the 80s to a cruise ship now is like saying you didn't like the Model T you drove once compared to the Rolls Royce you own. Incomprehensible.

It's funny that you didn't bench mark to the MOST SUCCESSFUL cruising brand their is or consider them a competitor. Probably because Royal could never achieve the success of Carnival, IMO.

And I didn't even need to bring up that Carnival Corp owns 10 cruise lines whereas Royal only owns 2. LOL


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## TravelTime (Jul 5, 2021)

Fried_shrimp said:


> Hahaha......so in otherwords, you really don't know what you're talking about with Carnival. I've sailed Carnival, Royal, HAL, Princess, MSC, and NCL (yes, I like to sleep around) and while Carnival is slightly less than Royal and Princess in what they offer (that I actually care about), for the price savings, I compare all of my cruises to Carnival unless I want a specific port that Carnival doesn't serve (like the 28 night Tahiti cruise that we just booked to celebrate our retirement). Comparing Carnival of the 80s to a cruise ship now is like saying you didn't like the Model T you drove once compared to the Rolls Royce you own. Incomprehensible.
> 
> It's funny that you didn't bench mark to the MOST SUCCESSFUL cruising brand their is or consider them a competitor. Probably because Royal could never achieve the success of Carnival, IMO.
> 
> And I didn't even need to bring up that Carnival Corp owns 10 cruise lines whereas Royal only owns 2. LOL



I was talking about the Carnival brand only. Not Carnival’s other cruise lines, which are all more upscale and worth sailing on. I clarified that. We are not mass market cruise ship sailors anyway. We stick to smaller luxury cruise lines and small sail boats. I just decided to cancel our Disney cruise in a 1 BR concierge because my kids are not really into Disney and my husband and I like small ships. However, it is well known that the Carnival branded ships are considered the bottom of the barrel. It is usually considered an entry level cruise for first timers and for people concerned about cost. That being said, I would consider a Princess cruise or Seabourn cruise (both owned by Carnival). The company Carnival is fine. It is the Carnival branded ships that cater to entry level and cost conscious cruisers. Not much has changed in the cruise industry since the late 1990s. Everything we were working on then, the cruise companies are still trying to get right. They are just building bigger and bigger ships and expanding some shoreside options (but really not too many). So maybe we should compared a Carnival cruise in the 1980s and 1990s as a Toyota Corolla in the 80s and 90s vs a 2021 model. It is very incremental change. The cars are not significantly different. I would never compare a Carnival to a Rolls Royce LOL.


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## presley (Jul 5, 2021)

This thread is about Disney and I come here to read about Disney. If anyone wants to start a thread about Carnival, it's not hard to do.


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## TravelTime (Jul 5, 2021)

presley said:


> This thread is about Disney and I come here to read about Disney. If anyone wants to start a thread about Carnival, it's not hard to do.



Fried_Shrimp started with the comparison to Carnival. I will stop responding to his ludicrous comparisons so we can get back on track talking about Disney.


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## Fried_shrimp (Jul 5, 2021)

TravelTime said:


> I was talking about the Carnival brand only. Not Carnival’s other cruise lines, which are all more upscale and worth sailing on. I clarified that. We are not mass market cruise ship sailors anyway. We stick to smaller luxury cruise lines and small sail boats. I just decided to cancel our Disney cruise in a 1 BR concierge because my kids are not really into Disney and my husband and I like small ships. However, it is well known that the Carnival branded ships are considered the bottom of the barrel. It is usually considered an entry level cruise for first timers and for people concerned about cost. That being said, I would consider a Princess cruise or Seabourn cruise (both owned by Carnival). The company Carnival is fine. It is the Carnival branded ships that cater to entry level and cost conscious cruisers. Not much has changed in the cruise industry since the late 1990s. Everything we were working on then, the cruise companies are still trying to get right. They are just building bigger and bigger ships and expanding some shoreside options (but really not too many). So maybe we should compared a Carnival cruise in the 1980s and 1990s as a Toyota Corolla in the 80s and 90s vs a 2021 model. It is very incremental change. The cars are not significantly different. I would never compare a Carnival to a Rolls Royce LOL.



As I was only talking about Carnival brand as well. Again, a single cruise from the 80s hardly makes your statements or beliefs about Carnival accurate, much less a valuable source if information. YOU may have the personal wealth to waste on hoity toity cruise lines where they feed you grapes while bathing your feet but again, they only makes you possibly an expert on those cruise lines, of which Disney, not Royal, is not either. The ONLY people that I know of that consider Carnival the bottom of the barrel are Loyal Royal's of which 95% have never even set foot on a Carnival ship and are simply regurgitating the BS they heard from other Loyal Royal's. If you want to gain some actual experience from sailing a Carnival ship or 5 now (versus 40 odd years ago), then we might could have a good discussion about the pros and cons of sailing Carnival versus other brands in conjunction with the value received (or price in your words). Until that time comes, their is not point in discussing a subject with a person who has no clue whatsoever about what they are trying to argue. The fact that you attempt to proclaim that nothing much has happened in cruising since the 1990s bears proof to that.

BTW, the very first LNG ship with the very first rollercoaster at sea (granted you probably wouldn't like that as you might spill your flute of champagne) just docked in Port Canaveral. Care to guess who owns that ship?


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## elaine (Jul 5, 2021)

Yes those tickets are pricey, and WDW hotels command a premium. But, IMHO, Disney and timesharing, either offsite or onsite DVC thru RCI trade, 4 day non-PH tickets (using 2 days for disney springs/chill/pool day), eating AM/PM in room with quick service (and packing some snacks/drink in a little cooler bag) is still a reasonable charge for a family vacation. We had A LOT of entertainment and kept college kids busy/engaged for a week! We've done a beach. mountain, etc. vacation and the evenings had a lot of down (AKA boring) time that our WDW trips did not have.
On 2 trips with 4-5 people my trips were under $5K/week. Tickets are the big $$$. 4 years ago, a 6 day was $350, now $500 for a 4 day!


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## Fried_shrimp (Jul 5, 2021)

TravelTime said:


> Fried_Shrimp started with the comparison to Carnival. I will stop responding to his ludicrous comparisons so we can get back on track talking about Disney.



Au contraire monsieur. Try reading post #77 again to see who brought Carnival into the picture. I am simply attempting to correct your eccentric thoughts.


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## Rolltydr (Jul 5, 2021)

Fried_shrimp said:


> Au contraire monsieur. Try reading post #77 again to see who brought Carnival into the picture. I am simply attempting to correct your eccentric thoughts.


And yet, you only cause me (and probably several others) to hit the ‘Ignore’ button.


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## dioxide45 (Jul 5, 2021)

Fried_shrimp said:


> And I didn't even need to bring up that Carnival Corp owns 10 cruise lines whereas Royal only owns 2. LOL


Technically three; Royal Caribbean, Celebrity and Azamara.


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## am1 (Jul 5, 2021)

dioxide45 said:


> Technically three; Royal Caribbean, Celebrity and Azamara.


And a share in Pullmantur which may or may not still be operating. But a few ships were scrapped in Turkey last year.


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## geekette (Jul 5, 2021)

TheHolleys87 said:


> We sailed on the Disney Magic in 1998, its inaugural year, and it was a wonderful family vacation. We paid for it with DVC points, which we had just purchased. Haven’t done that since then, although we often think about it. The primary allure for us to sail with them would be the lack of a smelly, smoky casino that we have to work our way around in order to get to dinner. Of course, the smelly, smoky casino is one reason the other cruise lines are so much less expensive.


I've been on only 2 cruises, but neither of them required a trip through or by the casino to enter dining room.   RCL and Princess.


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## Luanne (Jul 5, 2021)

geekette said:


> I've been on only 2 cruises, but neither of them required a trip through or by the casino to enter dining room.   RCL and Princess.


I've had the same experience.  The place where it's pretty much impossible to avoid going through the casinos to get to the restaurants and entertainment venues is Las Vegas.


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## TravelTime (Jul 5, 2021)

Fried_shrimp said:


> Au contraire monsieur. Try reading post #77 again to see who brought Carnival into the picture. I am simply attempting to correct your eccentric thoughts.


 No read post #75 to see who brought up Carnival and compared it to Disney.


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## Fried_shrimp (Jul 6, 2021)

dioxide45 said:


> Technically three; Royal Caribbean, Celebrity and Azamara.



Thank you. I had forgotten about Azamara though many people have probably never heard of them.


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## Ken555 (Jul 6, 2021)

Fried_shrimp said:


> Thank you. I had forgotten about Azamara though many people have probably never heard of them.



Why is it so difficult to spend 10 seconds searching before you post?









						Royal Caribbean Group - Wikipedia
					






					en.wikipedia.org
				






> Royal Caribbean Group, formerly known as Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd., is an American global cruise holding company incorporated in Liberia and based in Miami, Florida, US. It is the world's second-largest cruise line operator, after Carnival Corporation & plc. As of January 2021, Royal Caribbean Group fully owns three cruise lines: Royal Caribbean International, Celebrity Cruises, and Silversea Cruises.[3] They also hold a 50% stake in TUI Cruises and the now-defunct Pullmantur Cruises and CDF Croisières de France.[4][5] Previously Royal Caribbean Group also fully owned Azamara Cruises selling the cruise line to Sycamore Partners in January 2021, and 50% of Island Cruises, selling their stake to TUI Travel PLC in October 2008.[6]




Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


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## DrQ (Jul 6, 2021)

This is getting as bad as some of the COVID-19 threads. Is there a Lois? (Lowest COMMON denominator)


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## TheHolleys87 (Jul 6, 2021)

geekette said:


> I've been on only 2 cruises, but neither of them required a trip through or by the casino to enter dining room.   RCL and Princess.





Luanne said:


> I've had the same experience.  The place where it's pretty much impossible to avoid going through the casinos to get to the restaurants and entertainment venues is Las Vegas.


Our issue was that we were frequently on the same deck as dining but aft, while dining was forward. We had a choice of walking straight through the smoky casino or going up or down a level and then back to dining level or else outside and around. In future if we cruise again I’ll pay attention to where the casino is when picking our cabin. I’m sorry that Viking doesn’t sail out of Galveston or New Orleans!


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## Brett (Jul 10, 2021)

*A new plan for “premier access” in Disneyland Paris will allow guests who pay extra to skip ride lines*
https://www.wsj.com/articles/disney...ht-mean-for-a-theme-park-near-you-11625842427


"Now Disneyland Paris, in what some fear is a preview of policy in the U.S., is planning on selling “Premier Access” to allow some guests to cut the long lines for top rides. In a bit of generosity, children under three don’t need premier access but must be accompanied by an adult who has shelled out the €8 to €15 per ride. So don’t try sending your toddler on Big Thunder Mountain by themselves!
Back at home, Disney has suspended its FastPass system for reserving ride slots free of charge due to the pandemic. Once restrictions fade, will the park operator bring it back with an additional revenue-generating French twist? 
*Disney’s haves and have-nots may soon be divided into two classes: the fast and the furious.*


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## Deb from NC (Jul 10, 2021)

TheHolleys87 said:


> I didn’t realize that - so Viking Ocean has no casinos? We’ve sailed the Danube and the Rhine with them but haven’t seriously looked at their ocean cruises.


No casinos, no art auctions, etc. on Viking Ocean Cruises. Also no one under 18 !   We love Viking!!!


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## controller1 (Jul 10, 2021)

Deb from NC said:


> No casinos, no art auctions, etc. on Viking Ocean Cruises. Also no one under 18 !   We love Viking!!!



I forgot another. No inside cabins!


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## Miss Marty (Aug 5, 2021)

_Disneyland Resort Introduces Magic Key Program_

Disney  unveiled its Magic Key program for Disneyland in Anaheim, California,
which replaces the park's annual pass  that was canceled in January due to the "continued uncertainty of the pandemic.

" _Magic Key includes four options, ranging from a $1,399 per year Dream Key * _ 
that includes reservation-based admission to one or both theme parks every day of the year, to a $399 a year Imagine Key, which offers reservation-based admission to one or both parks select days of the year for Southern California residents.

The program kicks off Aug. 25.


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## Miss Marty (Aug 5, 2021)

And for those wondering about Walt Disney World Annual Passes,

New pass sales will become available in time for the start of the 50th anniversary celebration!  The 50th anniversary celebration starts in October 2021.


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## Brett (Aug 19, 2021)

Disney got more expensive this week -  line skippers now need the "Genie" 

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/18/business/disney-fastpass-genie-plus.html


"Disney World and Disneyland will now offer the same line-skipping options, which the company unveiled on Wednesday as part of a broad new digital navigation tool. Called Disney Genie, the free service creates personalized itineraries for visitors based on their selected preferences. You say you like princesses? Head directly to Fantasyland and ride Journey of the Little Mermaid, which currently has a short wait, and then perhaps have an early lunch with Belle at the Be Our Guest restaurant. If you change your plans on the fly (or park conditions change) the service will update with a revised itinerary, much like the way GPS apps reroute as people drive.

Every ride at the resorts will continue to have a traditional standby queue. For those willing to pay $15 per person at Disney World and $20 per person at Disneyland, there will be Genie+. The upgrade, charged per day, allows visitors to choose the next available time to use the Lightning Lane at a variety of rides, including classics like the Haunted Mansion and newer favorites like Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run. One of these selections can be made at a time, with the ultimate number of fast boardings that people can squeeze into a day depending on length of stay and overall attendance. (In other words, no stockpiling.)


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## Ty1on (Aug 19, 2021)

We're gonna pay this.


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## cookie55 (Aug 20, 2021)

bbodb1 said:


> They can make the economic argument to justify their pricing all they want but the larger reason a lot of people no longer consider Disney for their vacations is who wants to spend the overwhelming majority of their vacation day(s) standing in lines for hours to enjoy rides that last a handful of minutes?  The 'happiest place on Earth' or the 'longest wait on Earth'?  And to this point:
> 
> 
> 
> ..I wonder how many people max out their cards, then file bankruptcy.....


Not only standing in lines, but even drops of rain which happens on and off in Orlando and they shut rides down. We live  one hour and a half from Disney and wouldn’t even think of going!!!! So many great other places in Florida to have fun with our family.


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## mdurette (Aug 20, 2021)

Ty1on said:


> We're gonna pay this.



oh, I will too.   I'm already bending over for the mouse, what is another $$$ per day to play the game.  I know, it is less than the cost of one table service meal.    If it came down to it, I would pass up a $150 dinner for 3 for benefits of shorter wait times.


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## AnnaS (Aug 21, 2021)

We have been to Disney quiet a few times since Ride of the Resistance opened up.  I am never in a hurry to try out any new rides and I am willing to wait up to 45 minutes for any new ride.  I have tried the virtually queue with no luck.  Disappointed? yes.  But it's not a big deal.  Do I want to try it someday?  Of course.  I don't worry about it either way.

Given the opportunity, this is the only ride that I/we might consider paying for.  We have been on all the other rides and not paying to get on them.  In the future, will consider another new ride that we might not be able to get on for our first few trips since opening but that is about it.  We paid our park entrance (AP or otherwise), have been on all the rides and not really willing to pay extra for them.  If someone traveling with was on a once in a life time trip, every 5 years trip, might consider one or two if our traveling party was considering it.  Otherwise, will most likely pass on this.

We love and spend lot's of time relaxing at the resort.  Kind of use it as a snowbird stay.  If it weren't for our APs, we would be spending more time at HH and Vero.  We have already started Vero and Disney.  Longer stay at Disney and shorter at Vero.  I think I am going to reverse this.


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