Anyone else staggered by ticket prices?

[Starport Seven-Five]

You can stay at one of their three nice hotels and get unlimited express pass-and the hotels can be very reasonable. And last time we bought 3 day tickets we were able to upgrade them to 15 month seasonal APs for $30 more. Can’t do that at Disney.

Their "nice" hotels start at $325/night. Disagree that is very reasonable.

They definitely have some cheaper APs but how often are you going to make that trip if you're already budget constrained?

 

[Robbie Cottam]

Their "nice" hotels start at $325/night. Disagree that is very reasonable.

They definitely have some cheaper APs but how often are you going to make that trip if you're already budget constrained?

That’s on par with a JW and way less the a deluxe Disney resort

 

[Chili327]

Try $650+ a night this year for a Disney hotel…

And you’re only talking Pixar Pier Hotel? lol

 

[Kit Jackson]

Not seeing how Universal is more affordable. Ticket prices (per day) are on par with Disney and their version of fastpass is much more expensive.

It is more expensive, but it is included with the onsite/top-tier hotels. Depending on how many people are traveling in your group/staying in your room, it often makes more sense to book the hotel room for the free ExpressPass. It sometimes costs less to book the hotel room with the included ExpressPass than if you had to paid for the hotel room and the ExpressPass.

 

[DodgerGirl]

I think once 2024 hits Disneyland might have some competition when the Mattel Adventure Park opens in Arizona and I really think Disneyland might lower it's prices in 2024 because more people will come to Disneyland if lower ticket prices occur. When my family first went to Disneyland we planned our trip with a travel agent and we were able to score a Disneyland package really cheap which also included a choice of a Hollywood tour or Universal Studios tickets but we declined the Hollywood tour and chose the Universal Studios tickets and we also got discounts on character breakfasts too. And back then it was very simple for my family because we could spend an hour in the park then in the afternoon we would go to our hotel to take naps or a break and then we would return to Disneyland at night then go back to our hotel to sleep and for my family it was very easy. But if you have a family it would be hard to do today. But I think during events like Oogie Boogie Bash Mickey's Not-So Scary Halloween Party Disney's Food And Wine Festival that's when ticket prices go soaring for Disneyland because those events get a whole lot of visitors and makes Disneyland a lot of money. But I think as long as Disneyland continues to impress visitors the prices of tickets will continue to get more lower or higher in the future ahead

 

[AndrewC]

And you’re only talking Pixar Pier Hotel? lol

Thankfully DLH for me, but that is actually before tax so…

 

[AndrewC]

I think once 2024 hits Disneyland might have some competition when the Mattel Adventure Park opens in Arizona and I really think Disneyland might lower it's prices in 2024 because more people will come to Disneyland if lower ticket prices occur. When my family first went to Disneyland we planned our trip with a travel agent and we were able to score a Disneyland package really cheap which also included a choice of a Hollywood tour or Universal Studios tickets but we declined the Hollywood tour and chose the Universal Studios tickets and we also got discounts on character breakfasts too. And back then it was very simple for my family because we could spend an hour in the park then in the afternoon we would go to our hotel to take naps or a break and then we would return to Disneyland at night then go back to our hotel to sleep and for my family it was very easy. But if you have a family it would be hard to do today. But I think during events like Oogie Boogie Bash Mickey's Not-So Scary Halloween Party Disney's Food And Wine Festival that's when ticket prices go soaring for Disneyland because those events get a whole lot of visitors and makes Disneyland a lot of money. But I think as long as Disneyland continues to impress visitors the prices of tickets will continue to get more lower or higher in the future ahead

The last thing Disney needs is more guests, I wouldn’t be surprised if we see another price increase in 2024.

 

[AndrewC]

It is more expensive, but it is included with the onsite/top-tier hotels. Depending on how many people are traveling in your group/staying in your room, it often makes more sense to book the hotel room for the free ExpressPass. It sometimes costs less to book the hotel room with the included ExpressPass than if you had to paid for the hotel room and the ExpressPass.

Universal doesn’t have an onsite hotel (yet). The Hilton and Sheraton are the two closest and you get zero perks from staying there, other than ~3 minute drive to the parks.

That said, I’ve always found express, or even better, the VIP pass to be WILDLY quick, like almost walk on fast. If you get unlucky with Disney and get a $200+ single day plus Genie plus, I actually think you’re very close or roughly the same price as Universal Express and honestly the VIP isn’t much more (~$400/person) and includes a fantastic lunch and parking.

 

[bbeagle]

If not for the $2500 in flights to get there, we'd still be a WDW family over DL. Slam dunk. And really, we'd probably be a Universal Orlando family. That place is awesome. It's what WDW used to be - affordable, exciting, spontaneous, and a great CityWalk. If I had a little more income, I wouldn't be here complaining about DL prices. I'd be going to USO.

Universal was much more expensive than Disney in our last trip in December. Universal was a one and done. Not that much fun.

 

[Starport Seven-Five]

That’s on par with a JW and way less the a deluxe Disney resort

A Jaguar being on par with Maserati and less than a Rolls Royce doesn't make it reasonably priced.

It is more expensive, but it is included with the onsite/top-tier hotels. Depending on how many people are traveling in your group/staying in your room, it often makes more sense to book the hotel room for the free ExpressPass. It sometimes costs less to book the hotel room with the included ExpressPass than if you had to paid for the hotel room and the ExpressPass.

This is a solid strategy and something we looked at when planning a Universal trip. Even with that strategy though it is still more expensive than Genie+.

 

[Robbie Cottam]

A Jaguar being on par with Maserati and less than a Rolls Royce doesn't make it reasonably priced.


This is a solid strategy and something we looked at when planning a Universal trip. Even with that strategy though it is still more expensive than Genie+.

Reasonable is relative….

You don’t compare a ford focus to a Maserati and say the focus is a good buy.

You get what you pay for in life, and the examples there were given were reasonable give the totally of the circumstances

 

[nalabear]

When comparing theme park products, Universal has been upping its game by expansion and subsequent gate attendance and clearly becoming an alternate option.

Yet -- Disney's price premium continues to grow and doing okay with it. Until Disney shows both a drop in attendance and on-site room occupancy, deflation will not happen. There will be ticket discounting and packaging opportunities leveraged as well as Annual Passholders promotions and DVC sector to pull upon before any reduction in prices.

The question really is how much year-to-year increases will happen.

No matter what people cry about affordability for theme parks visits, really has a limited audience. Theme park vacations are not life necessities though many here feel otherwise!

 

[xipotec]

Sorry, but in any kind of working economy, filling soda cups at McDonalds is not a job that should make $20 hr.

Maybe in 1950....

Its not 1950, and who would work those jobs? Kids? Kids are not able to work 9am-10pm hours.

Sounds like you may to go out and see what things coat currently.

 

[SpaceMan5]

Agreed. There was no way my daughter who recently graduated from college could afford to stay in Seattle. She moved to Florida. We enjoy our trips to Disney. The lower costs for hotels and food in Anaheim and Orlando is a refreshing change from Seattle. I was shocked that we spent less dining out in NYC on our trip there in 2021.

I hear ya. Here is good example of the high costs - I work in the SODO District in Seattle and grabbed some teriyaki chicken for lunch and with tax it was over $17.00....and that was without a drink

 

[GatorChris]

Not seeing how Universal is more affordable. Ticket prices (per day) are on par with Disney and their version of fastpass is much more expensive. Maybe with season passes? But that would be an odd choice living on the other side of the country.

I can get a five-day 3-park ticket for the same price as 3-day ticket (with the deals they're offering) plus stay at a Universal hotel that's super cheap compared to Anaheim hotels on Harbor. Plus they have a Jimmy Buffet's on site. Can't beat that!

 

[MillauFr]

I hear ya. Here is good example of the high costs - I work in the SODO District in Seattle and grabbed some teriyaki chicken for lunch and with tax it was over $17.00....and that was without a drink

$160 for an oil change in Ravenna last time I got one.

Erika's dad

 

[Susie63]

I was just searching through an old computer for a recipe, and I came across an invoice for a DL trip from 2008. Six nights in the Disneyland hotel with three, six day parkhoppers (Canadian) was......$1609. Including tax

 

[longtimedisneylurker]

I was just searching through an old computer for a recipe, and I came across an invoice for a DL trip from 2008. Six nights in the Disneyland hotel with three, six day parkhoppers (Canadian) was......$1609. Including tax

You made me curious so I had to look. Our very first Disneyland family trip was spring 2005. 4 nights in a 2-room, 2-bathroom suite at an off-site non-walking distance hotel, two 3-day adult parkhoppers, and two 3-day child parkhoppers, for a grand total of $614, tax included.

 

[DizMe]

You made me curious so I had to look. Our very first Disneyland family trip was spring 2005. 4 nights in a 2-room, 2-bathroom suite at an off-site non-walking distance hotel, two 3-day adult parkhoppers, and two 3-day child parkhoppers, for a grand total of $614, tax included.

Yeah, it's mind boggling for sure. But don't forget to check what you paid for a car, a house or rent, gas, groceries, etc. and what your income was.

 

[SpaceMan5]

You made me curious so I had to look. Our very first Disneyland family trip was spring 2005. 4 nights in a 2-room, 2-bathroom suite at an off-site non-walking distance hotel, two 3-day adult parkhoppers, and two 3-day child parkhoppers, for a grand total of $614, tax included.

Made me curious as well. We took a trip in 2004 when we were a family of 4.
Included all of the following:
Round trip air from Sea
Ground transportation
(5) nights at the DL Hotel
(4) day park hoppers
(1) character breakfast
Travel insurance (had that for the littles who could possibly wake up the morning of with a fever/blowing chuncks)
Total price $2,436.58 tax included.