The AP Price Hike Blues

[€uroMeinke]

So the prices went up again - not nearly as bad as last year, but last year I was grandfathered so facing the two years worth of increases I realize I'm finally priced out of Disneyland. I'm kinda bummed about that.

I always figured that while I might let my AP lapse - since we don't visit nearly as often as we used to - that when something was happening, I could always pick-up a day pass and convert it to the lowest level AP. But looking at the new prices, and knowing that I would need to buy a pair of whatever tickets I'd chosen, that end of the day price would be somewhere in the neighborhood of $600. Even if I stuck to just a single day single park ticket I would be looking at spending $200. Maybe if I devoted a full day to the park that would be worth it, but I just don't do the park like that anymore.

Today I also bought 2 tickets to the FYF festival in downtown LA. Two full days of entertainment, unique activities, and I already now some people are going. More entertainment for half the cost.

Now, I do miss those days of weekly visits - but mostly I miss hanging with the people. To enjoy the parks like that, I'd have to regain my geekdom and find some more geeks. I spent the morning paging through Mouse Pad and Mice Chat and realized, not only wasn't I that much of Disney geek anymore, I really didn't care to be one. Carsland was a fine and welcome addition to DCA, but this summer I'm more excited to see the James Turrell exhibit at LACMA, or the Helmut Newton show at the Annenburg space for photography. I like Disney, but there's so much more, and so much that is new, unique, or interesting.

This last year I enjoyed getting cocktails after work at the Carthy Circle, but as my friends AP's began to expire and go unrenewed there seems little point to keep going.

I guess I'm still a bit nostalgic for my past relationship with Disney and the people I met through it. W've slowly been parting ways for sometime now, but it seems now the break is much more real to me. But who knows, maybe I'll be in for an evening of Disney Xmas later this year.

Sigh - these are the blues I'm signing

[alphabassettgrrl]

I guess I'm still a bit nostalgic for my past relationship with Disney and the people I met through it. W've slowly been parting ways for sometime now, but it seems now the break is much more real to me. But who knows, maybe I'll be in for an evening of Disney Xmas later this year.

This. I'm feeling it, too. My pass is expired, and I didn't renew it. I'm not even sure I want to buy a day pass ($137? Is that right???). I suspect I will, maybe even go back to being an AP (have friends who still love Disney, so that adds something to the mix) but not now.

[innerSpaceman]

My pass did not make economic sense this year at all. Not only has it been quite some time since there were group visits (or at least any I was privy to), the two remaining Disney geeks I'm still friendly with (who visit on practically a daily basis) have not been on speaking terms with each other for over a year.

The upshot has been Disneyland as strictly a date thing with my boyfriend ... and while we enjoy that - it's not something we do once a month, which I think is the price point that a premium pass makes sense at.


This latest price increase thus brings it all crashing to an end, and sadly so for many others as well. The last nail in a coffin that I'm afraid has already been buried.


That said, my pass is still good through November. So if there's any folks who want to organize a Last-Hurrah visit while their AP in still in force, I'm up for that.

[katiesue]

We'll see what happens in December when ours are up. It's kind of our Mommy/Maddie thing to go to the parks but with the price increases and the huge gas cost increases as well we are close to being priced out. We may have to just go once a year for a couple of days and stay over. That's still cheaper then two passes for the both of us.

[keith - SuPeR K!]

I'm at an odd juncture with most of my friends deciding not to renew their APs. After last year's price hikes I think we all saw this coming, but it's sad to see now that it's actually playing out. I don't make it to the parks nearly as much as I used to, mostly due to being out of town and way too busy when I'm in town, but I still feel like I need to have my AP. I don't know... I have a few months to consider my options. I'd like to do WDW again this autumn so I may hold off on renewing until then.

On a side note, I've always loved and admired the LoT for what we did as a group outside of the parks. Most other Disney-based groups focus solely on Disney and/or theme parks in general, but this bunch has always been about swanking, art, music, (faux)cocktails, camping, adventure, hedonism, and other things that extend our collective enjoyment of our time here on Earth. Even if we don't always have Disney, at least we've diversified enough to still have a connection <3

[Cadaverous Pallor]

I think it was Chernabog who posted on FB saying that this is the moment when the old Disneyland gang finally calls it quits and I think he's right. It's a shame, though I guess nothing lasts forever.

We'll all be ok without Disneyland. I'm more worried about the local low-income families who used to be able to afford to go once in a while. My family wasn't able to go more than once every 3 years or so, and when we did, my mom reminded us not to ask for any toys or treats while we were there, because she knew my dad would buy them for us, and that we really couldn't afford to be going in the first place.

I pulled up an inflation calculator. The prices they had in the 80's and 90's for day passes end up being about $50 in today's money. Apparently they think they're worth double what they used to be. With effing Legoland charging $80 I guess they have some sort of point, though at least discounts and BOGOs for Legoland are plentiful.

I guess families will still go, and will empty their bank accounts to do so, because it's Disneyland. But the APer demographic is on track to change drastically.

[Morrigoon]

I think population growth plays into it a lot. Sure, they added a new park, but capacity is what it is, and short of adding additional parks at an alarming rate, the available number of "guest days" (for lack of a better phrase) at Disneyland per person in the total population of people who would like to go is continually changing, and not in a direction favorable to keeping prices low.

Umm, in English: overall demand is still increasing, the supply is not keeping up. Voila... price hikes. Because they can.

[RStar]

But the APer demographic is on track to change drastically.

It seems to me that this is a large part of the point. Al and Kevin Yee has been harping on that for years. Because of the low price pass (when I first got mine it was $99 for the year- almost what a day ticket for a single park is today!) low income families could go, bring food, and never spend a dime while there. The sheer number of APs and lack of spending was taxing the park. This includes parents who dropped off kids for a low cost summer baby sitting.

Now they are weeding out the low income families (and problematic summer baby sitting kids), replacing them with people who can afford to pay for the high price pass, and still spend while there. I wonder what all of this will do to the MP and MC games, though....

I have had a premium AP for many years. My kids are grown and moved out, and my wife still can't go to the park so I only need to buy one. After the price increase last year, I was forced to go to monthly payments. And with the $20 increase this year came another surprise, if you renew before the expiration, the $20 discount is now $40, cancelling the price increase! This is for premium only. I go to the parks with my mom and aunt, and any visiting friends and family, though that has been more and more infrequent the past few years due to the economy.

So, I still enjoy going enough that the $53/ month is still worth it for me. And I do buy food once in a while, and I'm a collector, so I make the occasional purchase. Just the way Disney likes it, I suppose.

[innerSpaceman]

I've already experienced a previous Disneyland "Lull" where I didn't go or have an AP for several years, when yet another group of friends really trailed off in the early '90's.

My time with the LoT group was sort of a renaissance for me at the turn of the century. Perhaps there will be another, and perhaps with other people.
Who knows?

[katiesue]

The other issue for us is the sharp gas price increase. We used to drive up for a couple of hours all the time. But now that gas is $4 plus/gallon that adds about $20 to a trip. We'll see in December.

[Cadaverous Pallor]

What is really interesting is that allowing people to pay monthly for their AP has brought in an influx of new people, and they advertised it pretty well, so it's not like they didn't want a million APers. Are those people more likely to stick around, since it's just a "few" more bucks each month?

[katiesue]

What is really interesting is that allowing people to pay monthly for their AP has brought in an influx of new people, and they advertised it pretty well, so it's not like they didn't want a million APers. Are those people more likely to stick around, since it's just a "few" more bucks each month?

I think they will for a few years at least. When your cable goes up $10/month you think about changing it etc but at least I don't. Then the next year when it goes up more, and then more you start to access if it's worth it to you or not. Also I think that some of the AP's will get burnout, start concentrating on other interests and you'll have some drop off that way as well.

[innerSpaceman]

Monthly payments was a nice touch - and yes, I think it works against the Get-Rid-Of-Passholders strategy that Al has reported and that insane overall pass prices reflects.

It IS other factors, too. Like with katiesue, gas prices prevent me from just heading down to Disneyland on a whim. That, in turn, results in me visiting less than the number of times necessary to make an AP a bargain. Vicious cycle. Bored with the Parks: Strike 3. Barely anyone goes anymore: Game Over.

[SzczerbiakManiac]

I think it was Chernabog who posted on FB saying that this is the moment when the old Disneyland gang finally calls it quits and I think he's right. It's a shame, though I guess nothing lasts forever.That makes me sad.
I understand it, but don't like it.

[LSPoorEeyorick]

On a side note, I've always loved and admired the LoT for what we did as a group outside of the parks. Most other Disney-based groups focus solely on Disney and/or theme parks in general, but this bunch has always been about swanking, art, music, (faux)cocktails, camping, adventure, hedonism, and other things that extend our collective enjoyment of our time here on Earth. Even if we don't always have Disney, at least we've diversified enough to still have a connection <3

Ditto that. It hadn't even occurred to me that anyone would think this would cause any drifting of the group. We already drifted collectively to different interests and ways to hang out!

[innerSpaceman]

See, of course, I disagree. Well, I have a particularly outsider point of view - but I think it's safe to say that along with the Disneyland drift, there's been a concurrent drift away from actual Swankings, the days of Swank Camp are gone, and the traditional holiday parties are largely a thing of the past (though Car-B-Cue v.2 is worth mentioning as an offset to this trend).


I know there have been more informal gatherings of smaller groups of people - but let's face it - the large LoT group outing - whether to Disneyland or elsewise - has largely gone the way of the Dodo.


I've been around long enough to see this as a natural thing. It's alright.


(But I confess it makes my cheese a little sad.) :(

[RStar]

While I had so many responsablities that I never hung out a lot with the LoT, I have spent some small chunks of time with a large number of those here. One of my faves was Steves' BD party at the Wrather Suite. I will always cherish the times I've spent with friends here. My time has gotten even shorter, and I have less time to even go to the movies (it use to be every weekend, now it's once a month), and going to the park or anything else. But that's the way life is.

If an era is ending, I am glad to have been a small part of it.

[€uroMeinke]

Some images of a different time:
http://www.retronaut.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/0-620x920.jpg

http://www.retronaut.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/2.png

[innerSpaceman]

Le sigh - my memories of a different time where when Disneyland was open TILL TWO A.M. on Saturday nights (in summer). Le heaving sigh.

[Bornieo: Fully Loaded]

I'm not sure if I'll ever be priced out from a Disneyland AP. It's sad to see them take advantage of "popularity" just to make more money than they already have but...

I'll always go and I'll always have some amazing memories of times spent with the Lounge folk. We had a lot of laughs, but sometimes things change.

[Kevy Baby]

t's sad to see them take advantage of "popularity" just to make more money than they already have but...Why should a company not be allowed to make money? Should there be some dollar amount or percentage that a company should be limited to?

[Bornieo: Fully Loaded]

Companies can make money but when it takes advantage by raising prices. One example is gas prices. It's unfair for companies to have a profit in the billions while people suffer and struggle to pay for just the basics.

IMHO. :)

[lashbear]

I still don't think that $359 is all that bad (and if you don't mind missing out on weekends then it's only $279). If a locals wanted to be able to go to the park, $359's still within reach, isn't it?

It's only the premium pass that's too much - even the Deluxe works out at $50 per admission if you manage 10 visits per year - that's less than one visit a month.

Having said that, Entry into Australia's Big 3 parks: Dreamworld, Movieworld & Seaworld comes to a combined no blockout annual pass total of AU$194

[Kevy Baby]

Companies can make money but when it takes advantage by raising prices. One example is gas prices. It's unfair for companies to have a profit in the billions while people suffer and struggle to pay for just the basics.

IMHO. :)HUGE difference in your two examples. Disneyland is purely entertainment, not a basic need in life (despite how vociferously we all may argue otherwise). While gas is not as much a basic necessity as food or water, it is much more of a basic staple needed in everyday life.

Don't get me wrong: I'm not happy that Disney has priced me out of the market for now, but they have not committed any "unfair business practices."

[Bornieo: Fully Loaded]

Yeah, different in "necessity" but very guilty of the same way. They can make an extra billion dollars just because. Understandably if they were on the verge of bankruptcy but they're not and it sorta goes against what Walt started (Not that anyone at Disney would give a crap). It's a vicious circle that ends where?

IMHO

[innerSpaceman]

Lash, you're not taking into account the parking add-on, which used to be about $40 till just last year. Then they raised it to $125. So the price difference between a Deluxe Pass with Parking and a Premium Pass (which includes parking) is about $20.

And without pre-paid parking, I personally would NEVER go to the Park on a whim, because I'd have to shell out $15 in gas and $15 to park my car. And not going on whims means the price of an AP will never make economic sense vs. just buying day tickets.

[Bornieo: Fully Loaded]

There's always downtown disney parking! ;) 3 hours free plus 2 if you're validated. OR if you leave late enough and they're not manning the pay booth.

[€uroMeinke]

Yeah, I think parking is more than $15 now too

[RStar]

I use to get park admission for what they are charging for parking! And I remember paying $1 for parking!

[katiesue]

Parking is $16.

We went yesterday and had a lovely time. Summer schmummer. All passes but premium were blacked out. Mansion and Pirates were walk ons or less than 10 mins all day. Star Tours was 20 mins. Racers single rider was less then 20, standby said 60 but I think it was shorter. Luigi's and Maters were 10. Indy was around 40 mid day.

And we had a lovely time watching the swing dancing. Maddie even got up and tried a few.

[Kevy Baby]

Yeah, different in "necessity" but very guilty of the same way. They can make an extra billion dollars just because. Understandably if they were on the verge of bankruptcy but they're not and it sorta goes against what Walt started (Not that anyone at Disney would give a crap). It's a vicious circle that ends where?

IMHOFor FY 2012, Disney made $5.682B on $42.278B in revenue (http://finance.yahoo.com/q/is?s=dis+Income+Statement&annual): about 13.4%. This a very reasonable profit margin. And a large part of the ownership of Disney are mutual funds, etc. (http://finance.yahoo.com/q/mh?s=DIS+Major+Holders) which are the retirement funds of average Americans like you and me.

[Bornieo: Fully Loaded]

When do I get my check?

[lashbear]

when you retire.

[Isaac]

Until I move to Seattle, I'm still renewing my AP.

[innerSpaceman]

Pfft, from your place - you could just dig a tunnel into the Parks. You wouldn't need an AP if you have a shovel. ;)