Disneyland Raises Prices

[hobie16]

Is it the Circle of Cash?

[Big Wallaby]

Are they over $100 yet? Who is gonna break that mark first?

[YANXWIN]

I would bet that Disney lets someone else tip toe over that threshold and then they will quickly follow, all the while pointing the finger at the group before them saying that we have to be comparable in our pricing.

[drcorey]

prolly, last time I went a adult was over 90.00 for a day

[hobie16]

Hike or Expand

[felinefan]

I saw a front page item in the newspaper that says that due to increased attendance, Disney may have to open a new park. But wasn't that the reason California Adventure was built?

[hobie16]

We're all over Disney's barrel.

[darph nader]

The baker and I are plannin a trip to Anaheim in Sept for our 30th. This will probably be our last. Gonna try and see some places where I've/we've never been to,,,,,,,,,the Grand Canyon comes to mind. Or just camp out in Showlow or Pinetop.

[mapo]

We're all over Disney's barrel.

WOW....what an interesting article.

I am amazed that the author believes that Disneyland is over crowded. While I have not been to DL, everyone I know that has been always seems to talk about the ease of the lines there compared to WDW.

You know, if this article just substituted the name DL with WDW MK -- well he would be right on the money. One of the horrible rumors running around WDW is that the execs hoped one side effect of WDW's price increases was to frankly get a better (read -- better financed) guest. Since the price increases, I have noticed (and talked about here) the fact that they may be spending more money to get in, park, eat, and buy merchandise. But they lack, some to a major deficit, manners and patience.

To be more specific, we have a lot of 'trash' coming in through our gates. And I also see people who really cannot afford the experience. They are vacationing on credit cards.

I stopped a couple of times after work recently to grab some milk or gas and some junk-ish food. Both times I had international guests in there doing the same. AND both times the individual in front of me had multiple maxed out credit cards for minor purchases (eg under ten bucks).

I believe that these price increases have everything to do with getting Iger bonuses and stock options every year until his supposed retirement in 2016. The web is filled with fan based analysis showing how the only growth is the annual price increases. The I drive people must be loving it because their rooms are filling up easily....WDW's resorts, as a whole, are not packing them in like we used to...not even close.

The MK has been and continues to be a space of concrete with very little shade available anymore. Guests are using all of our fake green walls as shade. And more and more the shade provided has no seating to cool off in. This leads to more congested walkways as the standing room only area of shade fills and stays filled most of the day.

If there is a grassy area that is not completely fenced in, guests stand and sit (and sleep, and picnic, and change diapers, etc) -- the same people that will not sit on a wet bench unless custodial wipes it down are spreading out in new grass.

A peer went into the park the other day as a guest. Lunch for the two of them was $27 for burger meal. That is a lot. Imagine if they got the restaurant quality counter service instead.

Oh and Frozen merchandise is flying off the shelves still. But it may be that most of the sales is fueling the ebay sales we are seeing of the popular merchandise. I will say that I am seeing more and more 'homespun' alternatives to princess dresses on my little guests. And most of them are outrageously good....I mean better than the $65 dress Disney offers these same parents. Kudos to those parents.

Finally, a word about Frozen merchandise. MK got a drop shipment finally of the Anna and Elsa dolls. I understand that these are very expensive dolls....they started flying off the shelf as soon as they arrived. BUT then those children who would actually play with the dolls (oh and Anna is more popular doll) found that the dolls were defective. The returns started flooding back....and the dolls are off the shelves (per Disney) and will be replaced with properly manufactured dolls. I have not heard what the expected date is on the new dolls though.

So, are people really over a barrel? No. I think that the smart consumers...the target audience for MK at least, are finding alternatives like the author. Why not get a Legoland annual instead of Disney? Hit the Fun Spot for a half day trip? Hit Sea World for one day and get an annual pass for rest of year (not sure if this promotion is still going on) Finally see Old Town? Why not?

Right after 9/11, it was the Florida Resident that really saved WDW. No one else was really flying...and gas prices were extreme. The Florida resident was actively targeted by WDW with discounts on rooms and tickets. And they responded. They started filling the parks and rooms keeping the operation afloat in those dark days. Thank God that Lee Cockrell and Al Weiss were working here back then. THEY decided that no one would lose their jobs during those times. Reduction in hours, sure...but not one WDW cast member was laid off because of the huge drop in tourism resulting from 9/11. I believe that the current administration would NOT do as Lee and Al did...cause it is all about the bottom line and Iger's bonus.

Now, Disney Corp pricing and policies are even chasing that market away again. The usage of block out dates have really limited the number of actual days to so few that the Florida resident deals and passes are not that great a return for money. With Florida having a pretty low per capita buying power, you essentially block them from coming. This is what our friends in Southern California are seeing now.

All of this reminds me of the heady days of the personal computer. IBM was a monster...they cornered the market on business use of the PC. The IBM PC...as the 'clones' came on line with much lower prices, IBM continued to charge high prices for their goods. IBM could not see that previous adopters would switch to these new clones in droves. IBM was drunk with market share and power...they never realized that they had priced themselves out of the market with their unwillingness to change.

Disney Parks and Resorts is drunk with marketshare and power still...and they are not seeing how they are pricing themselves out of themepark dominance. AT WDW Grad Nite was a rite of passage, now the kids do THAT at Universal. Pleasure Island was a groundbreaking idea that led to a full vacation experience for adults -- a nightlife environment that was themed, safe, and kept money flowing on Disney property. Now, City Walk owns that experience. Do I see a trend? Yes. And I also see Universal happily scooping up whatever Disney created a market for in Central Florida...and then TAKE IT AWAY making for better experiences and more profit for Universal.

Sorry, did not mean to rant...I just really wonder what it will take for Anaheim to wake up and smell the carnage of their current policies. Disney has not just cut to the bone..they have amputated limbs. The bleeding has to stop....and they do not even have any idea that we are indeed bleeding to death.

mapo

[hobie16]

When a product, any product, has continual, increasing demand the price will rise. When demand drops, so will the prices.