Disneyland Announced Price Increase Starting 5/20/2012

Disneyland Announced Price Increase Starting 5/20/2012

Hang onto your hats and glasses folks it is going to be a bumpy ride! Disneyland announced today that as of May 20^th (yes tomorrow) prices will increase. I’ve listed the old and new prices and the amount of increase. I’m just going to give the adult prices. For multi-day passes the child price is $20 less than the adult. For single day it is $6/7 less for a child. Also, unlike WDW that has children’s prices on Annual Passes DLR has one price no matter what the age for each level of Annual Pass. I will leave it up to you to decide if the increase is too much for you.

Now for my response, I feel the one day one park ticket price going up 9% is within the norm for a Disney price increase. I feel the 20-30% increase for Annual Passholder and for multi-park/multi-day passes is way too much.

Yes, DCA is adding lots of new fun with Cars Land. Yes, they have refurbished/upgraded many rides and areas along with retheming many. Disneyland posted on the Disney Parks Blog that the increase is happening on 5/18. They only gave two days warning. They also post earlier hours (8am during the summer but that is NORMAL for Disneyland), added entertainment and the addition of Cars Land as reasons for the price increase or reasons to accept the increase. Disney has put a lot of money it the old Granddame of the parks. She needed the investment. Disney has also added more bands and nighttime entertainment and adult fun.

My issues is that in the current economy I feel it is better to earn a little profit from many people than take a lot of money from a few. It appears that Disney is getting greedy. It also appears from the stats below that Disney does not want Annual Passholders, or at least not as many. They feel they are getting too much for the money they spend. Either that or Disney thinks it can depend on the Annual Passholders to fund the refurbishment and additions to the parks.

Over the past 4-5 years I’ve noticed a sharp increase in the crowds. 5-7 years ago you could go to the park “off season” and find the lines short and the crowds low. Today there are only two seasons, Crowded and MORE Crowded.

For the price of 5 1 day park hopper tickets a Premium Passholder can come as many days as they wish and they don’t have to pay for parking. Many people come as often as 12 days and some even as many as 52 or more days in a year. Disney may feel people are abusing the passes. Disney may feel they can earn more revenue with the tourist than with the local Annual Passholder.

This is what I think Disney needs to remember. It is the Annual Passholders that are the stable base of park attendance. Yes, they come more often and the park does not make entrance money. What they do get is food and merchandise sales. Also many APs don’t ride as many rides as the tourist. If a person is not on a ride but is walking or sitting they cost Disney less than if they were on a ride or in a show. Many APs would rather just walk around and ride few rides. A good portion of APs just spend a couple of hours in the park when they come, often coming for a walk and meal/snack or shopping after work. Yes, APs are SPENDING MONEY!!

While DCA was being built the majority of people in the park were APs. After DCA was open and many felt the park was not as popular it was the APs that were there the most. We found many things that were enjoyable. APs have been there throughout the changes and not only have we stayed loyal our ranks have grown. There are over one million Disneyland Annual Passholders.

Some of my readers may say, “The prices are not that bad for an Annual Pass. They are less than the price of a WDW Annual Pass.” Hold on there! WDW Passholders get to go to all 4 parks and 2 water parks. They also get other things like Disney Quest. Disneyland Passholders get 2 parks, period. A Premimum DLR pass is only $20.19 less than a Premimum WDW pass! DLR Annual Passes SHOULD be much less than WDW! WDW Passholders also get the added benefit of a Child’s price on the AP!

Ok, hope you are sitting down for this!

                              Today                   Tomorrow           Raised                  % +

5 Day Hopper     $246                     $290                     $44                       18%

5 Day/1 Park       $231                     $260                     $29                       13%

4 Day Hopper     $234                     $275                     $41                       18%

4 Day/1 Park       $219                     $245                     $26                       12%

3 Day Hopper     $214                     $250                     $36                       17%

3 Day/1 Park       $199                     $229                     $30                       15%

2 Day Hopper     $173                     $200                     $27                       16%

2 Day/1 Park       $158                     $170                     $12                       8%

1 Day/1 Park       $80                       $87                       $7                          9%

1 Day Hopper     $105                     $125                     $20                       19%

Disneyland Annual Pass Prices (So Cal residents can still pay by the month)

Premium              $499                     $649                     $150                     30%

Deluxe                  $379                     $469                     $90                       24%

So. Cal                  $269                     $329                     $60                       22%

So Cal Select       $199                     $269                     $70                       26%