2015 Ticket Prices

Cedar Point is currently running a President's Day sale, buy one ticket at gate price and get the second free. So it looks like gate price for 2015 is $62.

Has anyone pointed out that Cedar Point has raised the gate price to $62?

Cool, thanks guys.

Kings Island is probably similar.

So the Cedar Fair parks finally realized they were leaving money at the gate and began increasing at a higher level in the second 8 years of this century.

Although, when the early price is $40, how much of that gate price is just Six Flags-like posturing just so the 'real' price feels more like a deal?

Looking at the Presidents' Day sales at the other Cedar Fair parks gate prices for 2015 are $62 at Kings Island, $59.99 at Carowinds, $65 at Kings Dominion, $54 at Dorney Park and $55 at Worlds of Fun (not all parks are offering the buy one get second free deal). And no Presidents' Day sale at all at Canada's Wonderland... ;-)

I think it was 2006 or 2007, Cedar point actually dropped their ticket price due to a big decline in attendance the previous year so they dropped their ticket price in hopes of increased sales and attendance. That 2007 price could be the lower price for that reason.

I truly believe that one of the great things about WDW is that people and families from just about every socio-economic class can "do" a WDW vacation.

I really don't understand when I hear from my friends that going to Disney is "too expensive". With the proper research and planning, the right timing of the trip (time of the year), and proper lodging and meal choices, I really do believe that a WDW vacation is "affordable" for many families (when compared to other vacation options).

And the converse is true for the "haves" who have the option of staying at the Grand Floridian and eating at the many fine dining restaurants available.

Yes, $105 grabs headlines. But as we all know, if you have an IQ over 75, and don't walk up to the gate on day of; and stay for a few days, you will pay much less (per day).

I really think that with the proper planning and research, a WDW is pretty affordable for many.

I'm doing five day park hoppers next month at $323. That's $64.60 per day. But of course we've already had the discussion that Disney doesn't want single day guests.

Hanging n' Banging said:

With the proper research and planning, the right timing of the trip (time of the year), and proper lodging and meal choices...

There's the thing. There are many people who are not computer savvy. Or savvy, period.

I work in Chicago for a theatre -- in deference to their request we not name the show on social media, I'll say it's a group of men who are blue -- and I'm repeatedly amazed.

Just last night, I worked with a woman who bought tickets from a scalper online. She said she thought tickets-center.com was our official website (even though it had neither blue nor man nor group in the address), and when asked to pay $187 in service charges on tickets totalling $196, she clicked yes. (Just saying: if I were buying something online and was asked to pay almost as much in fees or charges as the cost of the item, I wouldn't be completing that sale.)

There are so many people who blindly trust technology. They'll Google something and click on the first link, believing it's the "correct" link. A few years ago, I chatted with a woman from Kentucky who had set her GPS for a destination in Indiana, and didn't realize her GPS wasn't working until she was some two hours into Ohio.

The level of research and, well, "savvy" to scope out the best time of year, the best lodging, the best pricing... it's beyond many people.

I don't think it's the tickets or hotels that make WDW expensive, it's the airfare if you can't drive there.

It is the tickets for me .Live about 5 1/2 hour driving time from Orlando

I go approx 20 Days a year (driving,off site hotel)

I can find discounted room rates and stay for sub 50.00

on most trips (without getting stuck in a fleabag)

With my renewal rate on Universal AP's I can get two people in

there for 16.00 a day.The price is about the same for Seaworld and BG Two year passes.

The same times for a Disney AP (4 park)is 67.00 a day

I have stayed onsite at all 4 Universal onsite hotels.Some trips we eat breakfast and lunch out of cooler .We splurge one night at a nice restaurant.

That said Disney is normally almost full and hotels are almost full so the lack of my business is not hurting them.

That was the worst poem I ever read. It didn't even rhyme. ;)

Deja vu.

recollection now

mimicry, the best applause

you're flattered, I hope

Sucks.

Krause: the Brian Williams of Coasterbuzz.

I'm not surprised that Disney is charging $100.00 for admission. Unlike my MA posts, I'm actually surprised they don't charge more than $100. The Magic Kindom has huge entertainment value. A majority of their rides are themed to the max, and move massive amounts of people compared to your typical theme park rides. And, the cost of operating those rides must be huge. And, keeping those rides running smoothly every day, must require a huge staff of specially trained ride mechanics. That doesn't include all people who deal with all the animated machinery.

They also have very well trained staff, and more employees in costume than any other park. maintaining all those costumes, and uniform fittings must cost a small fortune. Of course some might be able to be written off as a business expense. But, everything about Disney is well planned. Not just a bunch of teenagers trained for a couple weeks to handle the masses.

Also $100.00 is just the gate price. If you look around the Orlando area, you will probably find a lot of places to find discounted park admission. Some hotels outside of Disney also offer discounted tickets to Disney, Sea World, and Bush Gardens. It is also cheaper to buy a park combo ticket for Disney. But, that is really only useful to people who want to spend more than a day at each of the Disney parks. But, trying do one Disney park in a day is probably next to impossible.

I am kind of bummed to hear that admission to Bush Gardens is so high. I went in 1992. Admission to the park was only $18.00. Obviously the park has been greatly improved with all the new rides, but I think the admission price is more about Monkey see Monkey do, then being a fair value. But, since I have not been there recently, I am only guessing.

How can Disney be worth $100? All they've added recently are some restaurants and a couple of kid's rides, and they don't even have a B&M coaster there. :-)

I never really thought that in-depth about what it takes to run a Disney park, Timber-Rider. Good point.

I will say that not all of their rides are high capacity though, but those rides are the classic older dark rides.

I commend Disney for the latest news coming out of their parks. Soarin and Toy Story Mania are both getting extra capacity within the next few years. That's awesome. They see that these rides have become extremely popular, and are willing to do something about the wait times. They didn't have to, but it looks like they take the guest experience seriously.

And that's probably worth good money. They offer the high-end amusement park experience.

I know you are being sarcastic Slither. But, you have to think about what Disney World was built on. Before Disney World, the entire area was nothing but sand and orange groves. The other parks have been erected since 1990, 3 entire amusement parks, from nothing to amazing in just a couple years.

Man made mountains erected, rivers and streams created. Massive resort complexes, water parks, and entire towns have been created by Disney. All in the Orlando area, and on Disney property. A lot of which has been built in the last 25 years. Epcot alone cost 800 million to build, and most of what is there was erected in a couple years. No other park can compare to what Disney has done. The only park that has come close is Universal Studios with Islands of Adventure.

Now think about Michigan's Adventure and their $32.00 entry fee, and $15.00 parking. And, think about which deserves the right to raise their prices. Not to mention Disney's 5,000 employees in just one park.

Just imagine what the wait would be like for Disney's Haunted Mansion if they had gone with a traditional ride through design. A lot of the Disney dark rides have continuous movement. No braking or stopping until the park closes, and move hundreds of people an hour. I think Peter Pan's Flight is pretty much ran the same, as is Snow Whites Adventure. If you have been on either the cars only slow down for loading and unloading, if they do stop, it's only for a matter of seconds.

The worst capacity rides at Disney, are the flats like Dumbo, and the Jets. Waited 45 minutes for the jets. Not worth it. Most likely the reason the park has so few of them.

WDW was mostly swamp (the orange groves were to the north and west). Epcot opened in 1982, DHS in 1989 and AK in 1998.

The reason your posts are so unreadable after all of this time is that you refuse to learn anything about business. There is no such thing as whether or not a business "deserves" anything. A business prices the product at whatever the market will allow. If you're doing it right, and the market agrees, you price it higher than the what it costs to produce the product. It's not more complicated than that.