The crew over at E92 breaks down the new pass structure, which takes effect on March 29. The old system offered three annual pass tiers:
While the new system offers four levels:
The lowest price tier under each system does not include parking, and the price to add it goes up from €30 to €40.
A few thoughts: First, it's not hard to see the price increase embedded in this new structure. To keep the same number of days as an existing annual pass, a Disneyland Paris fan would need to upgrade to a more expensive pass. Second, Paris is seemingly trying to do the same that Anaheim did with its 2015 annual pass overhaul — to use a big price increase on an unrestricted pass to encourage passholders to "downgrade" to a tier that costs only a little more than the current top-level pass, but that blocks them from the two most popular weeks of the year.
Disneyland in California did this with the Signature and Signature Plus passes replacing its former Premier tier, and it worked splendidly. This past Christmas week was the first in years when Disneyland did not have to close its gates to new visitors during the day. (Of course, as soon as the AP blockouts lifted after New Year's Day, the crowds returned, and Disneyland did end up having to close its gates temporarily.)
Third... these prices! As a Disneyland annual passholder, I haven't paid $422 for an unrestricted AP at Disneyland in nearly 10 years. That $200 for a Magic Flex passport at Disneyland Paris wouldn't buy me even the lowest-level AP at Disneyland today. Heck, a two-day, one-park-per-day ticket to the Disneyland Resort now costs $199. With Disneyland Paris offering 40% hotel discounts to Magic Flex and Magic Plus passholders, I would take a long look at buying one of those passes for my next Disneyland Paris visit, even if I were just going for a bare-minimum two-day trip, just to get the hotel deal.
The Infinity pass includes a 50% hotel discount, as well as unlimited use of PhotoPass. Disney added the free PhotoPass benefit to its Signature and Signature Plus passes at Disneyland, but DLP also is adding free Premium parking to its Infinity pass, too. We'll see if that upgrade makes its way into the Signature Plus benefits the next time Disneyland raises its AP prices. The Signature and Signature Plus tiers were spared in Disneyland's most recent ticket and AP price increases.
Disneyland Paris' attendance has been hurting, along with tourism throughout the Paris region, so a price increase wouldn't seem like the obvious move to make here. But if the main purpose of this change is to redistribute crowds through the year — as Disneyland did with its AP changes — then Disneyland Paris might be positioning itself with this overhaul to better handle an expected influx of visitors for its 25th anniversary, which kicks off next month. With tourism to Paris beginning to recover, as well, Disneyland Paris management apparently believes that a price increase now won't hurt attendance to the point where it keeps the resort from coming out money ahead.
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I think this is a stupid move. Of course from a US point of view these passes ARE cheap compared to the Stateside parks. But as a European I feel cheated on when prices are being doubled without anything new to come in the upcoming years. There are no official plans to add attractions or to improve on the terrible Walt Disney Studios Park.
I prefer giving my money to Efteling (Baron 1898 and Symbolica), Phantasialand (Taron & Raik) Europapark (Projekt V) or even Park Asterix which added two small attractions recently.
I've visited both the Florida parks and the ones in California and the problem is obvious: DLP despite being a beautifully designed park lacks attractions and lacks NEW attractions. WDS lacks a themepark but that is a whole different problem which cannot be solved in the next ten years if all:
http://www.themeparktourist.com/features/20170218/32502/disaster-files-walt-disney-studios-disneyland-paris
Patience my friend. Did you know nothing new has come to Disneyland Anaheim since Indiana Jones Adventure in March 4, 1995. All the new attractions went to California Adventure.
The last major attraction to arrive is Ratatouille, which arrived on July 10, 2014.
I predict something will be announced after Disney acquires the remaining shares of Disneyland Paris. They will be free to make any decisions to benefit the park.
A legitimate question is...
While no new e-ticket rides are opening at the Paris resort during the 25th Anniversary Celebration will passes sell at the new price point???
Yes, it's well know Team Paris is knee deep planning/running ROI algorithms on a MASSIVE expansion at Disneyland Paris and a complete rebuild of the so-called studio.
As Anton correctly alludes to, the pesky and always threatening legal action minority shareholders just need to be eliminated.
An exciting future lies ahead!
Tower of Terror E-Ticket : 2008
Stitch Live! : 2008
Toy Story Playland : 2010
Ratatouille E-Ticket + restaurant + shop : 2014
Star Tours 2 : 2017
+ new nightime shows: Dreams 2012 + Season of the Force 2017 + Illuminations 2017
new parade : 2017
new shows: Frozen Sing Along 2015, Forest of Enchantment 2016, Mickey and the Magician 2016
I simply don't want to visit the Studios anytime soon again because it is not a nice place to spend your time: a mall's parking lot has a better theming.
Star Tours has gotten other movies, that is true, but it's not a new attraction in the sense they've added something.
I love Disney's parades and night time shows. But they are not an incentive for people to revisit the park in my opinion. I am very glad though, that DLP is FINALLY investing money again in live shows after they had ceased their marvelous park hows (I loved Pocahontas in the Chapparal Theater, the Beauty and the Beast in the opening years and Tarzan).
To 24.205.29.101
"Yes, it's well know Team Paris is knee deep planning/running ROI algorithms on a MASSIVE expansion at Disneyland Paris and a complete rebuild of the so-called studio."
any sources? I read somethings on http://disneyandmore.blogspot.co.at/ but we are talking ten years in the future before that will have been materialized. The price increases are taking place now!
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