2015 Ticket Prices

There has to be a drinking game based on T-R taking a thread and turning it into an MI pricing/coaster entitlement issue!

Timber-Rider said:

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.

Neither Michigan's Adventure nor any park at Walt Disney World "deserves the right" to raise prices. No business operates on the basis of whether a part of the business "deserves" something.

Magic Kingdom's answer to the low capacity flat rides Dumbo and Jets was to build another similar ride themed to Aladin. Oh yeah, and then they built or are building two Dumbos, side-by-side. Is the new double Dumbo opened yet?

That's all I can add to Timber-Rider's reply.

Dumbo is a twin ride with excellent capacity and a playground waiting area with pagers. Even doing standby, I can't remember the last time we waited more than 20 minutes for it.

When I was referring to what has been built in the last 25 years, I was referring to Animal Kingdom, and expansions to The Disney studios, and other parks, and attractions that have been built since 1990.

Building entire parks in a couple years is totally different then plopping a single ride in a parking lot, or building nothing at all for years while your park continues to raise prices on everything.

My comments on Disney had nothing to do with the cost of doing business. It had more to do of what the company has achieved to get that business compared to a company that does little or nothing.

People go to Disney because they know they could have a good park experience, and have a memory to share with their kids, and most people still see Disney as the premium park experience. People who have never been to a Disney park may have it on their vacation wish list. Disney takes into account of what their guest want to see, and not just what will bring in the biggest profit.

When Disneyland was built in California, people thought Walt Disney was crazy for investing so much money in the park. And, his pay one price admission was the first in the country. It is because of what Disney has done from the beginning, that other parks have tried to copy them.

Canadas Wonderland, and Kings Island were constructed on a Disney concept. And, Canda's Wonderland's mountain was inspired by the castle at Disney World for the park's center piece.

Parks look at what Disney has done to inspire them to make their parks better. Also the Jurrasic Park ride concept at Islands of adventure came to vision, inspired by Disney's Jungle cruise.

My point is there is a lot more to do with operating a business than just what is profitable, and what the economy is like. People with vision, and the desire to entertain the masses at any cost, is what made parks what they are today.

Another park that is an example of having vision, is Coney Island in New York City. The Original dreamers of Coney Island, built attractions that nobody had ever seen before. The new owners of the attractions at that park had no vision, and closed their attracrtions when they stopped making money, and some even abandoned them. They did not follow the Disney example, and a lot of what was there turned into ruin. Imagine what it would be like today, if the people who built the Coney Island parks had stuck with it. And, had the same vision of the men who created it.

The new Luna Park at Coney Island was built by people with vision, and it also had it's skeptics, as well as people who did not want it to happen. Now that it is open, other investers want to get in on the Luna Park success. And it was called the park that was going to fail. Look at what has happened there since.

Timber-Rider said:

When Disneyland was built in California, people thought Walt Disney was crazy for investing so much money in the park. And, his pay one price admission was the first in the country. It is because of what Disney has done from the beginning, that other parks have tried to copy them.

It was actually Angus Wynne of Six Flags that started the pay one price concept. Disneyland used ticket books.

Timber-Rider said:

Building entire parks in a couple years is totally different then plopping a single ride in a parking lot, or building nothing at all for years while your park continues to raise prices on everything.

If your park continues to raise prices each year, your park is doing something right. They're providing a value to customers those customers find worthwhile.

When Disneyland was built in California, people thought Walt Disney was crazy for investing so much money in the park. And, his pay one price admission was the first in the country. It is because of what Disney has done from the beginning, that other parks have tried to copy them.

California's Pacific Ocean Park also preceded Disney with pay one price. Disney didn't move away from tickets and to POP until the early '80s.

Canadas Wonderland, and Kings Island were constructed on a Disney concept. And, Canda's Wonderland's mountain was inspired by the castle at Disney World for the park's center piece.

Disneyland and Kings Island both used a hub and spoke layout. Saying that's a Disney concept may be an overstatement. CW's mountain was inspired by the layout of the KECO parks that preceded it, replacing the Eiffel Tower at the hub with a mountain since Canada has a mountain or two.

Also the Jurrasic Park ride concept at Islands of adventure came to vision, inspired by Disney's Jungle cruise.

Many former Imagineers worked on IOA, but the Jurassic Park ride was developed out of Universal's partnership with Speilberg. It wasn't originally intended to be a boat ride; that was the ride system Uni ultimately decided would be the best option. Jungle Cruise wasn't a consideration.

My point is there is a lot more to do with operating a business than just what is profitable...

There is "a lot more to do with operating a business". All of which is subordinate to profitability.

...the desire to entertain the masses at any cost, is what made parks what they are today.

The ability to entertain the masses, at a substantial profit, is what made the parks what they are today. A business that entertained the masses at any cost would soon be out of business.

...closed their attracrtions when they stopped making money, and some even abandoned them. They did not follow the Disney example, and a lot of what was there turned into ruin.

The Disney example is operating unprofitable businesses? Has anyone told Iger this?

Speaking of 2015 ticket prices, here's a groupon for BGW tickets for $40 - to be used by May 17th:

http://www.groupon.com/deals/busch-gardens-williamsburg

Timber-Rider, are you familiar with inflation?

The more important concept he needs to be introduced to is supply and demand.

Also, reality.