Walt Disney World prices rise to $82 for single-day, single park ticket

I can't seem to find that info anywhere.

The annual report has some figures---per-night room spending, etc. They have percentage changes in the park per-caps, but I don't ever recall seeing absolute numbers. You can back-of-the-envelope some of them. For example, Disney has about 30K rooms, occupancy rates in the high 80s, and does about 130K guests across all four theme parks on average per day. You need to make some guesses about guests-per-room, but I'd bet it's probably between 2 and 3. So, rough guesstimate suggests about half of all people in the parks are day guests, give or take.

Here's an older article on VPG/LOS, from 2003, that gives some more insight. It's one of the most candid snapshots I've ever seen from any Disney executive. http://www.laughingplace.com/news-id507040.asp These numbers predate the more recent innovations (essentially free ticket-days after the 3rd or 4th, transportation from the airport, dining plan) which probably increased VPG/LOS by a good chunk.

with day prices goign up, chances are we will see an increase in the malti day passes. How far do they thing they can go with prices before people start not going.

A lot.

The ski resort industry seems to be following a similar pricing strategy as well. Several ski resorts out west are now close to breaking the $100 price barrier for a one day lift ticket. But if you get a 3-4-5 day lift ticket, the price per day drops significantly.

Don't you just get a great feeling when you buy a pair of sneakers for $49...and the retail price on the box says $79.... You feel like you got a deal. The $79 is almost an arbitrary number, but is a basis of comparison.

So while $82 sounds like a lot....when you buy the 7-day hopper and the price per day is a lot less than $82...you feel like you get a "deal". And this is good for Disney for guests to feel like they got value for their hard earned dollar. I am willing to bet that this "value" perceived thought process has a lot to do with this pricing strategy...basically de-value the retail price to drive longer visits and length of stay, on property.

How far do they thing they can go with prices before people start not going.

Every year, someone asks this question. But, every year, Disney's attendance holds its own.

That said, I am wondering if someone with a solid economics training can explain why leisure prices can somehow go up more than inflation/wages on a percentage basis every year. Is it just the widening wage gap, or is there some other thing that explains it?

I've gone to WDW for a single day on four different trips in the last two years. I love the place, but have been there enough that I am quite happy fitting in just one day on a quick weekend to Florida, just to get my Space Mountain fix.

The price sucks, but it's all relative as mentioned above. I can easily spend twice that for good tickets to a concert (and have).

A five day park hopper ticket has gone up $11...screw it, I'm not going to go now that $11 increase blew my budget on a multi-thousand dollar trip... LOL

While I get the "funny" comments about never going again because of a few dollar increase, one has to keep in mind that it goes up a few dollars every few years. If you looked at the increase from just ten years ago, it begins to look like a more substantial amount.

I never pay to get into Disney anyways, because I have friends who work there, but how soon until the other parks announce that they have increased their ticket prices too? Maybe tomorrow?

I remember a day when I said that once it goes over $50, it'll be too much and people will quit going to the parks. It looks like that didn't happen. I'm not on CoasterBuzz to show people that I am always right (like Gonch. ;) )

$82 is ridiculous, and I hear people say that it is all of the time. It is then when I tell them about how wonderful the price is when you buy multiple days, and that one needs multiple days in order to enjoy the parks anyways.

Disney parks are rather crowded a lot of the time, so an increase in price could help that problem, if it ever caused people not to go. People go to Disney anyways, no matter how much it costs.

$82 is ridiculous, and I hear people say that it is all of the time.

But, empirically, the Disney ticket prices aren't ridiculous, else their attendance would drop off faster than the competition. So far (all pre-potter) it hasn't happened.

People go to Disney anyways, no matter how much it costs.

Exactly. I get the sense that there are (essentially) two types of visitors. The "once in a lifetime" folks who save up (or borrow) to go, and the folks who come back frequently because this is their hobby, so it's okay to be a little extravagant. Neither set is deterred by annual 5% increases---at least, so it appears.

LostKause said:
I'm not on CoasterBuzz to show people that I am always right (like Gonch. ;) )

The sooner we all understand and accept it, the better off we'll all be. :)

Brian Noble said:
I get the sense that there are (essentially) two types of visitors. The "once in a lifetime" folks who save up (or borrow) to go, and the folks who come back frequently because this is their hobby, so it's okay to be a little extravagant. Neither set is deterred by annual 5% increases---at least, so it appears.

I think you nailed a big chunk of it right there. A visit to WDW transcends the simple "day at the park" thing.

It's not $82 to visit an amusement park. It's $82 to visit Disney World.

(and for most people it's not even $82 anyway)

No, it's a lot freaking more. ;-)

$82 is ridiculous, but it's also a bargain. No where else can you get things like Illuminations, Spectromagic, Jedi Training, Festival of the Lion King (to mention my favorite thing at each park), amazing food, and the best customer service you've ever had hands down.

Don't count on it being a bargain since they also upped the price for parking to $15 a day. They will price themselves out of the reach for the average person soon if they think that raising prices will keep them in business.

But again, Majorcut, $15 is the average price you pay to park at any amusement park...

Also, as has been stated in this thread multiple times already, that argument of "they will price themselves out of reach" has been said time and time again in the past, yet they still have packed parks, hotels with over 80% booked rooms every night...

People are still going and they haven't hit that yet, even in this down economy...and I doubt it will happen anytime soon. The increase this time around was only 3.8 percent - the same increase as I have seen in my grocery bill, my phone bill, my cable bill, etc...

Disney is in NO way connected to the rest of "the amusement industry". It's a totally different ballgame. Who else sports the high percentage of international visitors (to whom any dollar figure is basically meaningless depending on exchange rates, etc.). Once you're paying 1K for flights, is another few bucks here or there for park admission even relevant? Clearly, the answer is "not in the slightest".

I know a few amusement parks that don't charge for parking but they are smaller than Disney or most of the big name amusment parks.

Redman, the people that go there will fill the pinch soon. The economy is going to get worse before it gets better and Disney is mainly drawing from the international crowd. At the rate Disney is raising prices. Don't count on them not getting $100 a ticket by the end of 2012. Those who can afford it then more poweer to them. I rather spend my money more wisely and get more fun at a cheaper park than some park that charges an arm and a leg just to get in the gate.

Majorcut said:
Redman, the people that go there will fill the pinch soon.

People keep saying that too. But it never happens.

It will happen right after the mass q-bot protest exodus from Six Flags.

Can you have your place in the protest exodus held? :)

But MajorCut, you fail to understand, you probably are not even in their target demographic.

Disney is (primarily) interested in families who have children who like the 'low thrill/high excitement' rides and attractions. When every single ride in the park can be ridden (easily) by kids under 48" (with 80% of the rides requiring under 42"), they are in a totally different market than you.

But also, Disney has in the past pretty much stated (I wish I could find the quote) that they are more interested in having people go to their parks for multiple days, rather than just one- hence their pricing structure.

I am starting to plan my trip there in March where I will be on land for 5 days and also do a 4 day cruise. A $33 dollar increase in my 5 day park hopper ticket is so insignificant, I didn't even blink. The net increase totaled up to a measly 0.6% of my entire trip budget.