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View Full Version : No SoCal Special Ticket Offer this Spring



adriennek
02-19-2013, 10:28 AM
Did y'all see this story? (http://mousepad.mouseplanet.com/showthread.php?193533-Disney-cancels-SoCal-ticket-deals-OCRegister)


Disney sold 2-for-1 tickets or similar deals to local residents from 2003 through last year as a way to bring in visitors during the slower season, usually January through May. But higher attendance, bolstered by last year's Cars Land improvements, prompted this year's cancellation.

"We regularly evaluate our offerings in the local market and make decisions based on our business needs," said Suzi Brown, a Disneyland Resort spokeswoman.

olegc
02-19-2013, 10:51 AM
yes - and then local news picked up on it last night. Well, KCAL and KCBS did (I bet ABC won't air it). I am sad because we could all use a good discount right about now after last year - but I am totally not surprised. They have zero incentive to draw people in. Frankly I am completely surprised we did not see another price increase in January like the last few years (despite the ones last summer). I must assume we will see another increase in May, just before the summer season starts. Disney can defend its "analysis" all it wants but its basic business - why discount when everyone is paying full rate. :crying:

adriennek
02-19-2013, 11:18 AM
yes - and then local news picked up on it last night. Well, KCAL and KCBS did (I bet ABC won't air it).

Don't bet on it, Oleg. I saw it on the KABC 11:00 news this morning...

olegc
02-19-2013, 01:19 PM
well, I would have won if my bet was for last night ;-)

houseofmouse
02-19-2013, 02:05 PM
It was in the OC Register and OCregister.com this morning as well. My mom was complaining about it. I still think they should have Senior tickets. :)

adriennek
02-19-2013, 04:31 PM
It was in the OC Register and OCregister.com this morning as well. My mom was complaining about it. I still think they should have Senior tickets. :)

They don't even have a less expensive AP for children so I wouldn't expect a senior discount any time soon.

houseofmouse
02-19-2013, 07:01 PM
Ya I know. One can hope, I guess. WDW did away with their kids passes too. :(

adriennek
02-19-2013, 09:12 PM
Ya I know. One can hope, I guess. WDW did away with their kids passes too. :(

I'd hoped that since they'd HAD them, we might get them, but it went the other way instead. :(

olegc
02-20-2013, 06:58 AM
kind of reminds me of the seinfeld first-class airplane episode but in reverse...

Less of anything?
LESS OF EVERYTHING

3Princesses1Prince
02-20-2013, 06:33 PM
I'd hoped that since they'd HAD them, we might get them, but it went the other way instead. :(

I had the same thought. :(

shna
02-21-2013, 09:52 AM
It seems odd to me that Disney even brought it up. Why TELL people in advance that you're not going to offer a discount & risk irritating them? Why not just go along your merry way without offering the discount & then explain if there's some sort of outcry?

From a consumer standpoint, I can understand people not being happy about the lack of discount -- but from a business standpoint, why on earth would Disney cut its prices if it doesn't have to? You discount things when you're having trouble selling the desired number of tickets at a higher price. No trouble = no discount. Seems pretty straightforward.

Working in an industry that sometimes offers deep discounts & sometimes doesn't, I've heard the complaints. I think consumers forget that companies don't offer discounts to "be nice" or out of the goodness of their hearts. They offer discounts as a means of selling a product & are doing it for themselves rather than for consumers.

cstephens
02-21-2013, 10:26 AM
It seems odd to me that Disney even brought it up. Why TELL people in advance that you're not going to offer a discount & risk irritating them?

It doesn't sound like Disney issued a press release making the announcement. It seems more like they were asked about the discount and were simply answering the question. The article says the discounts normally start in January, so given that it's already past mid-February, I can see people asking about the discount if they're used to it being available by now.

And yes, I agree about the discounts being a way to entice more visitors. We were there this past Sunday, and it was pretty crowded, understanding that it was sort of a holiday weekend. If there's no need for them to offer the discounted tickets, then it makes sense for them not to. But discount tickets are still offered through many other venues - work, Costco, military, etc.

adriennek
02-21-2013, 11:01 AM
I think that one issue is packages versus not packages. In the internet age, many people like to just go ahead and book all their parts separately themselves. Some people do still buy packages. A package does not guarantee a better deal but, likewise, it does not automatically mean added expenses anymore, either. This wouldn't necessarily work well for locals who do not stay in hotels as part of their visits, but it also doesn't mean the end of discount offers.

As it is, how many times did we see people asking "how can I get the So Cal discount if I don't live in SoCal?" As with any discount offer, people will find ways to try to take advantage. I'm NOT suggesting that this is why they got rid of the discounts this year. They didn't NEED the discounts to bring in the crowds. I'm just saying that it's not entirely the end of discounts, either.

After all, I do not believe that anyone is "entitled" to go to Disneyland. It IS a luxury.

dban3
02-21-2013, 11:05 AM
Bob Iger has made the comment a number of times to financial news outlets that he continues to believe there is room for "price elacticity" in the theme parks, a skin-crawling phrase that basically says prices can continue to ramp up with limited promotions or discounts until a point where the numbers drop and the rubber band begins to snap back. Sadly, this will only come when people are priced out or no longer go to a Disney park out of principle in large numbers. Not there yet.

olegc
02-22-2013, 05:13 PM
Bob Iger has made the comment a number of times to financial news outlets that he continues to believe there is room for "price elacticity" in the theme parks, a skin-crawling phrase that basically says prices can continue to ramp up with limited promotions or discounts until a point where the numbers drop and the rubber band begins to snap back. Sadly, this will only come when people are priced out or no longer go to a Disney park out of principle in large numbers. Not there yet.

not just ramp up - but be flexible. so its no longer a discount - its a seasonal vs non-seasonal pricing structure (similar to what sports teams do now with their most desired games versus key rivals. etc.) I think that's coming as well - in a hurry. so not only will there probably be a hard ticket during christmas but you could possibly see higher standard gate fees during Holidaytime...

Disneyphile
02-22-2013, 09:23 PM
I think they're still trying to recover from the whole cheap($99) AP mess about 10 years ago that brought people into the park just because it became a cheap place to hang out. I remember seeing a huge increase in queue graffiti and garbage all over during those couple years.

I really think and hope last year's drastic price increase is to help weed those people out and get it back to the guests who actually love the park not just as a place to hang out. Once attendance drops, hopefully the pricing will even out a bit again.