Three Possible Side Effects of Ticket Price Change

I think this model works well for a smaller, local park where they charge a lower price for less-busy days (such as weekdays) and more for busier days (such as weekends). Since the crowds are local, it is easy to manage.

For a destination like Disney, this is crazy! This is something else just to drive people crazy, trying to figure out what type of ticket they need for what day, and if you change your mind during your trip, you have to upgrade?

If they just updated the parks, stopped closing attractions with nothing to replace them, they would be able to handle the crowds and we wouldn't have to deal with this silliness.

I don't understand how scaled pricing will control crowds other than local attendance and only those locals that don't have an AP. Will this scaled system deter a local family from attending on Christmas Eve? Perhaps. Will this scaled system deter my family from attending on Christmas Eve. Not if that is when my vacation occurs. I get to WDW once a year and I have to schedule around my family's other activities and my work schedule. I'm going to have to pay for gold, silver and bronze days because I have to go when I can and the pricing of the day won't be a factor.

My guess is this will roll first to AP pricing first. Gold AP - no black outs, Silver AP - Xmas, 4th of July etc. black outs, Bronze AP - Admissions only on Tuesdays after a blue moon in an odd month only.

AndrewJackson;2458525 wrote:

Another website is reporting that if your vacation crosses over categoiers, you'll be charged the higher category for your entire vacation.

However, nearly all the bronze weeks have silver weekends. The only way to get the cheaper prices would be to arrive on Monday and leave on Friday. Good stuff Disney.

I figured this would be the case. The difference between gold and bronze is about $40 per ticket. I have to go when I can go and so I was just assuming I would have the privilege of paying the extra cost to "upgrade" to the Gold package. It smells of a sneaky way to increase ticket costs without announcing a ticket price increase.

Everyone, this was just a survey. Nothing is set in stone and IF this happens, according to the article it is a few years away. As someone else posted, they have done surveys for lots of "ideas" that either never happened or if it did, it was very different from the original idea.

Should this ever happen, I will deal with it then. It is not worth worrying about now.

From today's Orlando Sentinel:

Will Walt Disney World use tiered ticket pricing? Survey raises possibility

Disney Parks and Resorts has been causing a stir online with a recent guest survey about the possibility of paying more for admission based on the day you visit.

A screen shot from people who said they received the emailed survey shows a pricing structure that includes charges of up to $125 for one-day Magic Kingdom tickets.

Under the hypothetical scenario, the $125 would be charged during the winter holiday and during the entire month of July. There would also be tiers of $115 and the current one-day rate of $105.

Disney may be thinking about a new pricing system that would have different prices depending on the day and season that you visit.

There were proposed lower-price tiers for the other parks, which currently have one-day ticket rates of $97.

Disney would say only that it frequently surveys guests on possible changes, some that come to fruition and some that don't.

Earlier this year, Disney raised its ticket prices, breaking the $100 for the Magic Kingdom.

Disney has used tiered pricing for its events such as Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party. Universal Orlando has used it for Halloween Horror Nights.

SeaWorld has experimented more with variable pricing, using it for traditional theme-park tickets. A couple years ago it introduced a weekday ticket which now gives a $27 discount if purchased in advance.

Copyright © 2015, Orlando Sentinel

Hammer;2458551 wrote: Everyone, this was just a survey. Nothing is set in stone and IF this happens, according to the article it is a few years away. As someone else posted, they have done surveys for lots of "ideas" that either never happened or if it did, it was very different from the original idea.

Should this ever happen, I will deal with it then. It is not worth worrying about now.

Agreed - that's why it's in the News, Rumours and Imagineering grouping. I'm not usually this vocal, I was enjoying the debate. IF it happens, my opinion is that it's not as big a deal as it seems. There's nothing I can do other than choose not to give Disney my money, but we all know that is not going to happen. If it happens to get rolled out, I will have to fork over an extra $120 for my family and if that's the case, I'll just pay it or I'll figure out a different way to save the dough. I won't get the Memory Maker or I'll buy two less t-shirts. Truthfully, I'm not that worried about it right now either, just enjoying the debate while I not so patiently await my next trip.

I could see this being used for APs, as others have stated, like what is available for Florida residents and I would actually like that. When Mom lived down there, she got the Florida seasonal pass and that sort of pass would interest me, since it included Food and Wine.

Melanie;2458493 wrote: Nothing would surprise me. Backlash was horrible regarding MM+ and FP+, and Disney went full steam ahead regardless.

Actually the "horrible backlash" regarding MM+ and FP+ was a small, but very loud, group. The vast majority of visitors have given it positive reviews.

donaldduck1117;2458560 wrote: actually the "horrible backlash" regarding mm+ and fp+ was a small, but very loud, group. The vast majority of visitors have given it positive reviews.

amen!

DonaldDuck1117;2458560 wrote: Actually the "horrible backlash" regarding MM+ and FP+ was a small, but very loud, group. The vast majority of visitors have given it positive reviews.

Alright. But I will say that I have never seen such lines at Guest Services as I have over the past 18 months, and the "small" group was indeed very loud, for good reason.

Aurora;2458412 wrote:
When I think about how easy it was to plan a WDW vacation just 10 years ago, it makes me want to cry.

:sob:

I totally agree!!

dobby2010
" I imagine for our family and likely most others, this means "gold" days will be spent at Universal or Sea World or poolside" .

This!

Mrs Bus Driver
"I don't like this. Its confusing and I think that is on purpose. It seems to be an attempt to gouge us even more. They will cut shows and special features even more on bronze (as my DD says poor days) because they don't make as much. Only those spending $$$ will get to enjoy all there is to do at the parks. I do get making a profit but this just strikes me as greedy."

Agreed!

Maybe they could have a $20 price increase for days where there is NO Fastpasses plus option and the only fastpasses would be given out by a machine that dispenses paper ones at the atraction that really need them. I would pay the extra money for that!

DonaldDuck1117;2458560 wrote: Actually the "horrible backlash" regarding MM+ and FP+ was a small, but very loud, group. The vast majority of visitors have given it positive reviews.

That is 110%. Am extremely small amount of folks make a lot of noise. But thats just not concerning this...The same thing happens in life.
MM+ and FP+ is working very well. When we are there and just chatting at the resort or wherever with folks...they all love it. Its easy to understand and planning really couldn't be simpler.
Remember...folks only make a lot of noise when they DONT like something....when the other 98% like it..very few say that. but when 2% complain....we all hear it. Just like life and politics.

manutd1;2458593 wrote: That is 110%. Am extremely small amount of folks make a lot of noise. But thats just not concerning this...The same thing happens in life.
MM+ and FP+ is working very well. When we are there and just chatting at the resort or wherever with folks...they all love it. Its easy to understand and planning really couldn't be simpler.
Remember...folks only make a lot of noise when they DONT like something....when the other 98% like it..very few say that. but when 2% complain....we all hear it. Just like life and politics.

If you say so.