Near the end of February of this year, Walt Disney World raised its ticket prices, as reported by Doctor Disney here on the site. The average increase in those ticket prices was about $5, and that isn’t a whole lot, but it certainly has a lot of people in an uproar.
Believe me, I’m not a rich person by any stretch of the imagination, and I don’t have enough money to visit Disney when the mood strikes. Traveling across country isn’t cheap, and it’s not like going to any vacation location is the cheapest thing in the world. But that is the point that is trying to be made here, and it is why this piece is going to touch on the new Disney ticket prices…and what you can do about them.
First of all, Disney is my life. It’s something I’ve loved ever since I was a little kid and always will enjoy. The new additions are fantastic and the lost attractions are going to be missed. Every single year, my family saves for our planned trip to Orlando to enjoy Walt Disney World. Our last trip was in October of last year and we stayed Disney’s Coronado Springs…one of my favorites.
Now, the ticket prices for Walt Disney World have gone up again!
{GASP} – {AWE} – {SHOCK}
We all knew it was coming. Disney just did it earlier this year. So, it wasn’t anything that Disney lovers didn’t know was going to happen, but are you really going to stop going?
Every single Disney website I’ve visited in the last three weeks has people complaining so much.
“Why don’t you lower your prices so everyone can enjoy it, Disney?”
“I’ll go to Disney and give them my money when they lower their prices. That’s ridiculous to spend that much!”
And the comments and complaints go on and on from there. Do I think a vacation to Walt Disney World is rather pricey? Yes, I do. Do I agree with their points of view? No, not necessarily.
Everyone seriously needs to remember that Disney is a business. Yes, it’s magical and fantasy-driven and beautiful and filled with child-like qualities…but it’s still a business. A business that has to compete with Universal Studios, Busch Gardens, LegoLand, numerous Six Flags parks, and countless others. You may think and know that Disney is the leader now, but they’re going to want to stay on top.
Please know that there is nothing wrong with not being able to afford a trip to Walt Disney World. Nothing wrong with not being able to afford a vacation at all. My family has gone without them many times, but we can’t fault the companies – such as Disney – for that. We shouldn’t fault anyone.
That new Fantasyland you love? It costs money.
All the enhancements coming to Downtown Disney/Disney Springs? They cost money.
Fixing Splash Mountain so it doesn’t break down every time you visit? That costs money.
This is why Disney raises their prices. People say, “Disney needs to provide more magic and not ask for more money.” Ladies and gentlemen, they need money to keep those dreams as magical as possible. While there are some changes and at times there are even Cast Members that don’t seem as magical as days past, but Disney…is…a…business!
If you are someone saying that you can’t afford to go to Disney because you have to provide for your family’s health and well-being, then don’t try to go to Disney. It’s the simple truth. This is not being mean, but it’s the truth. I want a huge 55-inch TV in my home, but I can’t afford one because I’ve got kids to feed and we all want to save for our annual vacation to Disney World.
There are priorities. Know which ones are most important.
If you are someone saying you can afford to go on vacation, but not Disney World, then go somewhere else. There are a number of other cheaper-priced theme parks to visit. There are beaches, national parks, exciting cities, museums, wilderness trips, and so much more than you can do. This, again, is not being mean, but find the trips that are in your price-range and enjoy your time with your family. They are who will make it special.
We can’t go into Best Buy and demand they lower the price on a new surround sound system.
We can’t go into our local grocery and haggle the price on a frozen Thanksgiving turkey.
We can’t go to Goodyear and tell them that their prices on oil changes are too high and they need to reduce it.
Not all businesses are like car dealerships. That very thing can be said for Disney as they are indeed a business, and they need to do what they need to do to survive so that they can keep providing the magic for the guests. If they lower their prices or stop elevating them each year, raising costs of everything else will keep Walt Disney World at a standstill and there will be no more new updates, no great upkeep, and no new magic.
If you’ll excuse me…I’m going to continue working very hard to save money for our yearly Disney trip this fall because that is what we want to do more than anything…ticket price increase or not.
I agree completely! We are international Disney fans, and when I was single we used to go every two or three years. Now I have kids, and it was 8 years since we went last, nod it will probably be another 8 years till we can go again! We have to save that long to afford a WDW vacation but you know what? It’s worth it!
I do agree to some extent, although with the latest $2 increase to parking (less than a year since the last increase) too, I believe that this is shareholder driven, rather than out of necessity. I asked if the lady on the toll booth had, had a pay rise, she answered no, no major changes to the car parks either. Also remember that many of the attractions at Disney are sponsored by companies like Coca Cola, GM etc, so the costs for those attractions wont cost Disney much at all, other than staff wages.
In Disney’s eyes you cease to be a child over the age of 9 and I think it this time of world recession they could refrain from trying to squeeze every last $ from you.
Having said all that, I do love the place and will probably still visit but would like it to be more available to more people.