Money, Money, Money: A Discussion About Value

by Alice McNutt Miller
AllEars® Feature Writer

Feature Article

This article appeared in the March 24, 2015 Issue #809 of ALL EARS® (ISSN: 1533-0753)

Editor's Note: This story/information was accurate when it was published. Please be sure to confirm all current rates, information and other details before planning your trip.

Alice Miller with PlutoWalt Disney World recently has raised prices in all categories of park tickets, including significant increases for annual passholders. The price hikes were not only met with consternation by Disney fans who — by my careful observation — discussed their alarm with the changes on myriad Facebook groups and other Disney-centric websites, but were big enough news that they were picked up by a large number of mainstream media outlets:

"Disney Raises Ticket Prices At U.S. Theme Parks; Magic Kingdom Now $105" — Huffington Post, February 26, 2015

"Disney's Magic Kingdom one-day passes breach $100 mark" — Fortune, February 23, 2015

"Disney raises theme park ticket prices, again" — CNN Money, February 23, 2015

The price for a single-day at the Magic Kingdom now tops $100, with many folks saying they have been priced out of Disney vacations and will start making other entertainment and vacation choices. However, if any of you have visited just about any of the parks recently, and have fought your way through the record crowds ("excuse me, pardon me, excuse me"), you will probably agree that it does not appear that the high prices are keeping many visitors away. Attendance levels have been increasing at all of the domestic Disney Parks over the last year, including at the Animal Kingdom, where scrims and construction walls are everywhere, and at the Hollywood Studios, where major attractions seem to be closing every day. Apparently Disney has no reason — and in fact has every incentive — to continue the annual prices hikes.

The Miller Family has been buying a combination of annual passes and 10-day, non-expiring park-hoppers over the years, depending what our planned visits looked like. I am particularly not happy about the removal of the no-expiration option, even though that option has been getting very expensive in recent years. Without that option, we will need to determine whether to get annual passes with our DVC discount (which there are also rumors will be going the way of the dodo bird soon), or buy tickets for individual trips. Since most of our trips average about four days, we cannot benefit from the best multi-day pricing, which really kicks in once you get past about five days. Daughter #2 is planning a graduation celebration trip with some of her friends and they are all concerned that they won't be able to spend much time in the parks as a result of the steep prices.

Something's gotta give, and it does not seem that prices will level out in the near future. So what does the die-hard Disney fan do? Stop going? Well, that is certainly an option, but not one that many of my Disney friends are likely to be very happy about. One way to come to grips with the situation is to step back a moment to think about VALUE — what are we getting for shelling out the big bucks to spend time at our happy place?

First of all, think of the non-Disney entertainment items that you open your wallet for. What kinds of entertainment do they provide, how much do they cost, what is the relative level of happiness that you get from each of them? Here is a short list of some of the non-Disney entertainment of which my family regularly partakes, and the approximate cost of each, per person:

(Decent) tickets to an NHL hockey game:

$150

(Any) ticket to an NFL football game (not including $50 for parking):

$200

Tickets to an up-and-coming indie rock band (standing room only):

$65

Full-day ski ticket to a small East Coast ski area
(not including the cost of equipment rental):

$79

Full day ski ticket to a large western ski area:

$105

A visit to the Museum of Modern Art in New York City
(seemed expensive before, but in comparison now
seems like a relative bargain):

$25

Now, let's take a look at a hypothetical day at Disney's Hollywood Studios, and consider the value received for our one-day admission price of $103.31 (including tax), and what a la carte pricing would be for similar entertainment. (Note, that I am stretching a bit here, but you get the drift.)

1-day admission at a local amusement park
(this covers the thrill rides):

$65

Ticket to local movie theater (Muppets 3-D):

$13

Ticket to a Broadway-style show
(Beauty and the Beast, Voyage of the Little Mermaid):

$90

Tickets to a Monster Truck show (Lights, Motors, Action!):

$36

Total:


$204

When totted up this way, the value of a day in the Hollywood Studios looks pretty good, and when you take into account the quality of the attractions, productions, and guest interactions (think of the way you "line up" for the big roller coasters at the local amusement park; I get stressed out just thinking about it!), the value looks even better.

Additionally, Disney's closest Central Florida competitors (especially that theme park up the road with the wizardy stuff, which now charges $108.63 for a one-day, one-park ticket, and also the park with the fish, which charges $95 at the gate), have been keeping close pace with Disney, and are no longer bargains in comparison.

My own view is that although a visit to Disney World is certainly getting more expensive and is not necessarily an entertainment bargain (free Smithsonian museums and the National Zoo in D.C., anyone?), Disney still offers great value for money. Your $100+ will get you a full day of high quality entertainment in a clean, well-organized environment. Disney offers multiple, high-quality attractions that appeal to a broad range of ages and abilities, enchanting theming, a fully immersive experience, high-quality stage shows, parades and musical entertainment, and a variety of food options that go way beyond normal amusement park hamburger and hot dog fare. Many comparable entertainment options cost the same or more, and are more limited in scope. It is true that the price hikes have made a spontaneous day at the park out of reach for many local (non-passholder) residents, but a multi-day Disney vacation can still be relatively affordable for many families.

So, what is a thrifty family to do to help keep the per-day ticket cost of a Disney vacation affordable (this article focuses on ticket options; I'll be doing a future article that will focus on other money-saving tips)?

  • Choose to visit either Disney World OR the other theme park complex up the road, rather than both in a single trip. Pricing at both resorts definitely makes it more affordable to spend more time in one place than a few days at each. For example, a four-day Park Hopper at Disney World will run you $392.99 and a four-day, two-park ticket at Universal is $228.97 (both with tax, and purchased online). On the other hand, if you wanted to spend two days at Disney World and two days at Universal, the total would be $452.72 ($257.73 plus $207.67 at Universal). Either way, sticking to one resort is more economical.

  • Forgo park-hopping. Four days at Disney World, with visits to only one park per day, costs $324.83, about $68 less than tickets with the Park Hopper option. While that doesn't necessarily sound like too much more for one person, for a family of four or more, the savings can be significant. If you choose not to park-hop, look closely at the park schedules well in advance to maximize time in the park. For example, if you want to visit the Hollywood Studios in the morning for some good clean family rivalry aboard Toy Story Mania, and then would like to return in the evening for dinner at Mama Melrose after a nap at your hotel, make sure that the Studios are not closing at 6 p.m. on the day that you want to visit. Also, if your visit coincides with the Halloween season, try NOT to choose your Magic Kingdom day on a day when Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party will be held. If you do, your day will be very short.

  • Spend one of your "days" (late afternoons/evenings) at a less-expensive-than-a-whole-day hard ticket event. If you do plan to visit during Halloween or near Christmas, you may want to choose to purchase tickets to either Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party or Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party, and attend that event as your park visit for the day. Spend the early part of the day sleeping in, hanging at the pool, or seeing a movie or bowling at Downtown Disney.

  • Buy an annual pass. If you plan more than one visit in a year, do the math to see if an annual pass would be a better value for you than daily tickets. Take advantage of current annual pass discounts for DVC members and Florida residents, if you qualify.

  • Stay longer. Of course, this is one of the things Disney is trying to get you to do by raising prices. The more days you purchase on your Magic Your Way ticket, the lower the price per day. For instance, a two-day non-park hopper ticket costs $102.24 per day (for a total of $204.48), while a six-day non-park hopper ticket costs $55.91 per day (for a total of $335.48). Of course you will pay more for hotel rooms, food, etc., but on the basis of the per-day cost in the parks, a longer vacation offers more value.

As I mentioned, I'll be writing another piece soon with some additional money-saving tips for your Disney World vacations. In the meantime, we'd love to know what you think about rising ticket prices, and how they will affect your vacation planning. Drop us a line!

= = = = = = = = = = = = =
RELATED LINKS
= = = = = = = = = = = = =

Walt Disney World Ticket FAQ

Walt Disney World Ticket Prices

Walt Disney World Ticket History

Annual Pass Breakeven Analysis

Maple Leaf Tickets

= = = = = = = = = = = = =
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
= = = = = = = = = = = = =

Alice McNutt Miller is a lifelong Disney fan whose fondest childhood memories include "The Wonderful World of Disney" on Sunday nights and her first trip to Disneyland when she was 10 years old.Alice and her family are Disney Vacation Club members, and have visited every one of the Disney parks throughout the world. They live in Vienna, Virginia.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Editor's Note: This story/information was accurate when it was published. Please be sure to confirm all current rates, information and other details before planning your trip.