CONFIRMED: Tiered Ticketing and Price Increases

[djsamuel 322]

I swear something has changed in the past year or so....the place is a mob scene and good luck getting an ADR unless you are online right at 180 days.  

 

Is there a Culver's near Disney?  

The only Culvers I know of is in Clermont, on Rt 27 about nine miles north of 192 (just south of 50).

[Santa ... Shannon 160]

I think I remember B&C being featured in one of the segments on one of the in-house tv channels. Maybe that is driving a lot of traffic. Hope they don't do a segment on Boardwalk Bakery!

[Travisma 1,317]

We went to beaches and cream 2 weeks ago. I made a 6pm reservation 6 months in advance. We figured the easiest way to get there from the fort would be boat to MK then bus to beach club. We left our campsite at 4pm. We showed up at Beaches and cream at 6:15. The hostess said we missed our reservation time and it would probably be 45 minutes to an hour. After a grueling 2 hour transportation fiasco, I went off on her. Disney transportation sucks. But I can't complain because it's free. When we finally got in, I felt a little bad since this was our first time here and did not realize how small the place was. Typical Disney crap. Let's advertise something like the kitchen sink and invite guest from all over Disney world to a teeny tiny ice cream shop. They should not even serve burgers and sandwiches here unless they make the place larger

Guess you must've looked shady... We stood in line for a good 20 minutes in the take out line and there were 4 empty table the entire time. And while we were outside eating I never saw anyone go Into the sit down side once. And we were told it was going to be a 2 hour wait to get in. I think it's a scam to sell the overpriced tiny take home sinks.

[Clark W Griswold 24]

I DID take part in the survey...I resoundingly rejected the tiered system...At the end there was a comment section and I made it clear that as a family that has made yearly trips for almost 20 years we would certainly cut back on them if this system was implemented...Hopefully many people responded the same way...Disney already gets enough of our hard earned cash...enough!!! 

[momof3kids-Yvonne 596]

I swear something has changed in the past year or so....the place is a mob scene and good luck getting an ADR unless you are online right at 180 days.

Is there a Culver's near Disney?

There was some availability for the week we are going to be there. So I went ahead and made a reservation.

[Travisma 1,317]

So it's gotten to the point that you have to schedule a trip to the ice cream shop! Maybe they should do FP for shopping on Main Street!

They have taken all of the spontaneity out of visiting WDW.

[DaveInTN 3,247]

So it's gotten to the point that you have to schedule a trip to the ice cream shop! Maybe they should do FP for shopping on Main Street!

They have taken all of the spontaneity out of visiting WDW.

 

I've said it before and I'll say it again....the day is coming when you'll need a fastpass to drop a deuce.  And if I were to eat ice cream at Beaches and Cream....I'd need that fastpass scheduled immediately after the ice cream one!  :D

 

Ok, ok....TMI.  But me and ice cream don't exactly get along.  

[Helmsey......Todd 134]

I've said it before and I'll say it again....the day is coming when you'll need a fastpass to drop a deuce.  And if I were to eat ice cream at Beaches and Cream....I'd need that fastpass scheduled immediately after the ice cream one!   :D

 

Ok, ok....TMI.  But me and ice cream don't exactly get along.  

 

Would that be a tier two FP?  

[BradyBzLyn...Mo 2,023]

Generally it's Disney that leads the charge when it comes to major ticket/price changes, but this time it's Universal.  And although this is the Hollywood park, it would makes sense that now that one company has broken the ice, the rest could soon follow...

 

Quote

Universal Studios adopts 'demand pricing' before its Harry Potter world opens

Hugo MartinContact Reporter

 

Universal Studios Hollywood is putting a price tag on the demand for fun.

The theme park is anticipating huge crowds for the April 7 opening of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. If you want to be one of the first to experience it, be prepared to pay more than if you want to go, say, on a slow Tuesday in September.

So-called demand, or variable, pricing is nothing new to airlines and hotels. They have long charged higher prices on holidays and during popular seasons. Uber and Lyft charge higher rates during hours when the car-hailing services are in most demand. (Remember New Year's Eve?)

Universal is the first major U.S. theme park to embrace demand pricing, though experts say consumers should expect more to follow.

Walt Disney Resorts put out feelers to annual pass holders last year, asking their opinion of a three-tiered pricing system aimed at charging more during Christmas, spring break and summer.

"It's sort of a no-brainer," said Martin Lewison, a theme park expert and business management professor at Farmingdale State College in New York. "As the parks see the bigger companies doing it more and more, it will become more accepted."

Under the pricing policy launched Tuesday by Universal Studios, tickets bought at the gate remain $95. But visitors who book tickets online for low-demand days — such as a weekday in February before Harry Potter opens — can save up to $20.

During weekends and peak demand days during spring break or summer, parkgoers save only $5 by booking online.

Universal wants people to plan ahead, which will help it manage its operations. Parkgoers can lock in prices by buying tickets online for dates through the end of September. People who procrastinate might see online prices fluctuate depending on last-minute demand.

Buying online comes with another incentive — entry into the new Harry Potter area an hour before the rest of the park opens.

The new Harry Potter world will feature two new rides, one restaurant, a food cart and eight shops based on the wildly popular books and films about the boy wizard.

Harry Potter has already been wildly successful at Universal's other parks. After a Harry Potter ride made its U.S. theme park debut at Universal's Islands of Adventure in Orlando, Fla., attendance jumped nearly 30% in 2011, according to estimates by Aecom, a Los Angeles engineering firm.

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Additional Harry Potter attractions were added later at nearby Universal Studios Florida in 2014, boosting revenue by double digits for Universal Studios' parent company, Comcast Corp.

Experts say variable pricing can help spread out attendance spikes and ease frustration that is sure to rise when a new attraction opens, producing long lines and shoulder-to-shoulder crowds.

"Demand-based pricing not only helps maximize ticket revenues, but also provides a tool to shift price-conscious consumers to less-busy days," said Michael Erstad, senior consumer analyst at New York-based ITG Investment Research. "Spreading visitations throughout the week may help improve the overall customer experience at the park."

So far, Universal isn't increasing its maximum price, although park officials didn't rule out such a move in the future.

Disneyland Paris already employs a form of variable pricing that raises rates on weekends and high-demand weekdays. For example, a single daily adult ticket to Disneyland Park and Walt Disney Studios Park valid throughout the year costs $101, while a ticket for lower-demand dates costs $85.

Discovery Cove, an Orlando boutique park where people must make reservations to swim and interact with dolphins, has for several years offered lower prices for low-demand days. Discovery Cove, owned by SeaWorld Entertainment, is an all-inclusive resort-type park with a limit of about 1,300 visitors a day.

Other parks have offered lower prices on off-demand days on a limited basis for special events such as Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios Hollywood and Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party at Walt Disney World. SeaWorld San Diego offered discounts for weekday tickets in summer 2014.

But demand pricing has yet to catch on a permanent basis throughout the theme park industry partly because visitors get frustrated when too many variables are added to the ticket-buying process, Lewison said.

"It's a conservative industry, overall," he said.

Walt Disney Co. may be considering demand pricing to spread out the crowds that are certain to arrive when Disneyland in Anaheim opens its highly anticipated "Star Wars" land, industry experts say. Construction of the 14-acre area began last month but a completion date has yet to be announced.

A Florida version of the Star Wars area also will be built at Disney's Hollywood Studios, which is part of Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando.

Disneyland is already wrestling with a crowding problem and growing frustration among guests. The park has closed its gates temporarily over the last few years on days when attendance exceeded the park's capacity, such as Christmas Day.

Attendance has been on the rise at Universal Studios Hollywood following the opening of several new attractions, including Transformers: The Ride 3D in 2012, Despicable Me Minion Mayhem in 2014 and Fast and Furious-Supercharged in 2015.

But the park has yet to close its gates because of overcrowding. The Harry Potter area could test those limits, experts said.

 

 

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-universal-tickets-20160202-story.html

[Beckers 1,136]

"The new Harry Potter world will feature two new rides, one restaurant, a food cart and eight shops based on the wildly popular books and films about the boy wizard"

 

2 rides and 8 shops. That's insane, maybe build more rides to help with lines but I guess we know it's about the money.

[BradyBzLyn...Mo 2,023]

I'd venture a guess that the HP parks make a ton more money in merchandising than they do in ticket sales.  They created entirely new "official" merchandise that you can't get outside the parks (except for the stuff being resold on eBay). When the first park opened at IoA there was a line outside the main shop with an hour wait to get in.  And as much as you'll see loads of people in Disney parks wearing shirts and stuff, the number of people wandering around the HP parks in full robes, scarves, wands, hats (so say, $100-$200 worth of stuff)... is pretty remarkable.

[keith_h 420]

10 hours ago, BradyBzLyn...Mo said:

I'd venture a guess that the HP parks make a ton more money in merchandising than they do in ticket sales.  They created entirely new "official" merchandise that you can't get outside the parks (except for the stuff being resold on eBay). When the first park opened at IoA there was a line outside the main shop with an hour wait to get in.  And as much as you'll see loads of people in Disney parks wearing shirts and stuff, the number of people wandering around the HP parks in full robes, scarves, wands, hats (so say, $100-$200 worth of stuff)... is pretty remarkable.

That was what surprised us and it wasn't just kids. We saw teenagers and collage aged kids as well as a few adults. I would put it on par with Star Wars fans as to how involved the people were.

One of the things Rene and I noticed about Universal is the blatant marketing. It seemed to us that more was spent on finding ways to part you with your money than on rides. While Disney also wants you to spend your money it is more subtle and the rides/events take center stage. 

[mouseketab.....Carol 1,261]

Am I reading this right? They are actually LOWERING the price for lower crowd times?

[CJHokie 43]

2 hours ago, keith_h said:

That was what surprised us and it wasn't just kids. We saw teenagers and collage aged kids as well as a few adults. I would put it on par with Star Wars fans as to how involved the people were.

One of the things Rene and I noticed about Universal is the blatant marketing. It seemed to us that more was spent on finding ways to part you with your money than on rides. While Disney also wants you to spend your money it is more subtle and the rides/events take center stage. 

LOL, I know. We saw the same thing.  My 15 yo said if he had $119 he would buy the robe, too.

[BradyBzLyn...Mo 2,023]

4 hours ago, keith_h said:

That was what surprised us and it wasn't just kids. We saw teenagers and collage aged kids as well as a few adults. I would put it on par with Star Wars fans as to how involved the people were.

Yep!  We've been to the HP parks a few times now and it's like this all the time.

1 hour ago, CJHokie said:

LOL, I know. We saw the same thing.  My 15 yo said if he had $119 he would buy the robe, too.

Heck so did I!  I seriously walked around wanting one of everything and had to keep telling myself "you have nowhere to put this at home... you really don't need this..."

We went with the in-laws this year and my SIL kept saying "just take my wallet."

If you're a HP fan, there is a ton of cool stuff that you just don't see elsewhere (vs Disney stuff which is everywhere).  And the shops themselves are very cool and well-themed... which just adds to the whole "I want it all!" mentality.

I've managed to resist the urge for the most part... although do have a wand on my mantle. 

[CJHokie 43]

We have one wand from a previous trip there.  Yes, they have some really cool HP stuff there.  My son was walking around with glazed eyes saying, "I can't believe the level of detail here."

A friend of mine sent me a video of a coffee mug that is like the marauder's map. The heat changes it.  I could not find that!  

[BradyBzLyn...Mo 2,023]

40 minutes ago, CJHokie said:

My son was walking around with glazed eyes saying, "I can't believe the level of detail here."

Yep.  And there are hardly any rides - only 3 really, I suppose 4 if you count the train between the parks.  Everything else is shops and food and a handful of shows.

 

5 hours ago, mouseketab.....Carol said:

Am I reading this right? They are actually LOWERING the price for lower crowd times?

I do wonder if Universal actually needs to do this where WDW doesn't.  There do seem to still be times when the Universal parks are pretty empty, where that's hardly ever the case anymore at WDW.

[Travisma 1,317]

Even if Disney went to tiered pricing, I imagine that the current prices would be for the low/off season admission, and they would just add two higher priced tiers.

[Cortezcapt (Derek) 156]

Even if Disney went to tiered pricing, I imagine that the current prices would be for the low/off season admission, and they would just add two higher priced tiers.

Oh I'm sure. You don't actually think Disney would discount their prices. They would just raise them so the people that can come during school holidays/busy times have to pay more.

Passes have been like this for awhile. Our first passes were weekday only with blackouts, then seasonal with blackouts, annual no black outs. This year I just walked up gave them my pass and said I want whatever is the equivalent to this.

If Disney was going to tier day tickets I bet you could just look at the blackout dates for passes and add 5.00 or more to any of the black out dates.

[BradyBzLyn...Mo 2,023]

Sounds like the changes they are a comin'

From Mousesavers...

Quote

LAST UPDATE: 2/26/16

• We are confident that a ticket price increase for Walt Disney World tickets and Disneyland tickets is coming within the next few weeks. If you have a trip planned for either of these parks, now would be a good time to buy tickets.

http://www.mousesavers.com/

 

From WDW News Today...

Quote

Walt Disney World & Disneyland Introducing Seasonal Tiered Ticket Prices, Price Increases Coming

We told you earlier today that we expected new seasonal tiered ticket pricing to be introduced at Disneyland Resort, well now we are being told it will also be coming to Walt Disney World.

In addition to annual price increases across all forms of tickets, one-day tickets for all parks will move to a seasonal, tiered pricing scale. Depending on the season you plan to visit, a one-day ticket can cost more or less. The tickets are broken into three “seasons”: Value, Regular, and Peak. We do not have info on what the pricing or dates for specific pricing will be, but is should be announced or go into effect this weekend.

We will share more info once it becomes available on this breaking story.

http://wdwnt.com/blog/2016/02/walt-disney-world-disneyland-introducing-seasonal-tiered-ticket-prices-price-increases-coming/

 

 

[AuburnJen 777]

Ok, I just saw on the news feed that they are expecting this new tiered system to take effect on SUNDAY, yes folks, SUNDAY.  So, I figure, hey, why not call tomorrow and harass the crap out of them to renew my passes now?  I don't know if it will do any good to renew my son's, which was just done, but I know my pass is coming up in June and my parents' passes are coming up as well.  Looks like my Saturday, which is jam packed, is about to be just a little bit busier.  OMG!

 

The worst they can say is NO!  However, if the annual passes are going to be tiered, as the rumors are flying that they are, oh boy...what a pita that is going to be.  I was already budgeting the increase and now I am going to have to lump some more.  

[Katman1356...Jason 1,140]

So far the only tiered rumor is more of a seasonal for one day tickets and an increase for longer amounts. I havent heard another increase for AP.

[Cortezcapt (Derek) 156]

Didn't they just come out with the new pricing and options for the annual passes a few months back?

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[Katman1356...Jason 1,140]

6 hours ago, Cortezcapt (Derek) said:

Didn't they just come out with the new pricing and options for the annual passes a few months back?

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

They did. They could in theory adjust the AP's again but I dont know if they will adjust those again so soon. 

[keith_h 420]

The one thing I don't get about the tiered pricing is the idea behind it is to try and move some of the customer load to the slow times of year. However based on an Disney offer I received the other day it looks like they are trying to pack in more folks during the busy summer. The offer was a 30% discount on selected resorts and free park hopping with a six day pass for stays between 05/31 and 08/24. Since we will never go in the summer I didn't bother getting more information but it seems to me that the room discount offsets any summer tier price for the parks.