Disney theme park attendance drops as prices rise

Could the House of Mouse be faltering?

In a rare reversal of attendance growth, a new report says fewer people came to 13 of 14 Disney theme parks worldwide in 2016 than in the year prior.

That’s according to independent numbers from the Themed Entertainment Association (TEA) and engineering firm Aecom. Disney does not share official attendance data for the majority of its properties.

Here’s a wild guess — maybe Disney’s endless march of increased ticket prices had something to do with the traffic decline!

Read more: How to visit Disney World for free (or close to it)

You can still save money on Disney if you know how!

Back in February, Disney jacked up its peak pricing strategy in a continuing effort to shift the price of a day pass based on demand.

It’s called “seasonal pricing,” and there are three periods: Value, regular and peak.

  • Value period pricing for the Magic Kingdom became $107 for adults and $101 for children — an increase of $2.
  • Regular period pricing became $115 for adults and $109 for children — a $5 increase.
  • Peak pricing, meanwhile, remained steady at $124 for adults and $118 for children.

Meanwhile, the price of an annual pass also increased in February. The Silver Pass is now priced at $419, the Gold Pass at $559 and the Platinum Pass at $679.

The peak pricing strategy seems to be working from a profit standpoint. Disney's theme park unit enjoyed operating income of $3.3 billion in fiscal 2016. That's a 9% increase from the year prior.

So don’t shed a tear for the House of Mouse just because guest traffic slowed down last year!

Disney Theme Parks is still the #1 theme park group in the world. According to the TEA report, Disney had twice the annual attendance of its next nearest competitor, the British-based theme parks operator Merlin Entertainments. And it had more than three times the attendance of the #3 competitor, Universal Parks and Resorts.

When you’re planning a Disney trip, you need every possible advantage on your side to save money. So don’t overlook these areas of savings…

Figure out the cheapest places to stay

If you want to stay on the property, try renting a timeshare. MouseOwners.com has resources for both owners and potential renters. MouseSavers.com also features a lot of info on how to save on the experience.

If you're going to Disney World, you might consider off-site hotels around Orlando like the Four Season Orlando and Hard Rock Hotel. They're luring more visitors than ever with competitive rates, water parks and complimentary transportation to area theme parks. Off-site may also turn out to be more affordable, especially if the family has a car.

One caveat to staying off-site: You’ll only be able to book FastPasses 30 days out from the start of your trip.

Know about the military discounts

If you're military, you have earned the right to save on your Disney trip! ShadesofGreen.org is a special program offered for military personnel and families in partnership with Disney. Discounted lodging generally starts at $95 a night. Other discounts on park admission, dining and transportation are available too.

Use the free FastPass+ option

FastPass+ enables guests to reserve a spot in line at favorite rides prior to their trip. Once guests receive their theme park tickets, they can log into My Disney Experience on the Disney website or app and make an itinerary of preferred rides and attractions. This feature allows families guaranteed access and short wait times to some of the hottest attractions. Visitors who master FastPass+ can minimize the wait times and maximize the time they spend playing in the parks.

If you’re staying on a Disney property, you can begin lining up your FastPasses as soon as 60 days out from the start of your trip.

Have the right gear

Take ponchos from the dollar store with you for afternoon and evening thundershowers instead of buying overpriced ones at the park. Sure, they won’t have cute characters on them, but they’ll help you keep more of those other kinds of characters — like Washington, Lincoln, Hamilton, Jackson and Franklin — in your wallet!

Have the right reading material

Money expert Clark Howard has long recommended that you get "The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World," not any of the official publications that come from Disney. This manual is updated yearly and tells you all kinds of money and time-saving tips that the parks don't want you to know.

Go when it’s quiet

Even though the new dynamic demand pricing initiative won't let you steal a deal, you'll still want to plan your trip during a quieter time of the year if possible. You can get a sense of expected crowd sizes on sites like TouringPlans.com and WDWPrepSchool.com.

In general, fall is one of the best times for Florida vacations each year. Disney World offers discounts to Florida residents that fill the parks with daytrippers at that time of year. That creates some traffic, but not as much as you would have encountered over the summer. The real time to book, though, is during the first two weeks of December. Almost nobody goes on vacation at that time.

Use an app to plan your time in the park

A lot of families planning trips to the House of Mouse find it easy to coordinate all their planning in one app. TouringPlans is one great option, as is Trello. Give them a try!

Easiest way to schedule your kids’ free time this summer

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