As if it doesn’t already cost enough to visit Disney World, this month will usher in a number of price increases at Mickey’s Florida home.

Guests using the Lightning Lane Single Pass system will see the cost of four of the most popular attractions increase by $1-$3 per ride, in two stages, on October 18 and 21.

October 18 will bring the first round of price rises:

• Seven Dwarfs Mine Train at Magic Kingdom: $12
• TRON Lightcycle / Run at Magic Kingdom: $21
• Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind at EPCOT: $17
• Avatar Flight of Passage: $17

Those increases will be followed on October 21 to:

• Seven Dwarfs Mine Train: $14
• TRON Lightcycle / Run: $22
• Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind: $19
• Avatar Flight of Passage: $18

The price for Star Wars Rise of the Resistance remains at $25.

Lightning Lane Passes offer access to rides that are not included in the Lightning Lane Multi Pass (for details see Lightning Lane Pass Guide and FAQ.) The prices are based on dynamic pricing, so costs fluctuate based on expected crowd levels.

Getting into the park will be more expensive as well. Disney World already announced the first price increase in five years for its least expensive ticket, the one-day one-park entry, to $119 from $109, and as much as $200 in peak seasons, effective January 1.

We recently wrote about how we were observing a downward trend in airfare prices (at least seasonally). For example, September roundtrip economy flights between Asheville, North Carolina (where we live) and Paris, France (where we wish we lived) are running in the $2,000 range. In October, those fares drop to the $500 range. We’re seeing business class fares significantly lower in November.

This piqued our interest in further researching trends in airfare. After all, the costs of flights has the potential to make or break a river cruise trip Read the rest of this entry »

There’s a new niche in the travel industry and its name is Taylor Swift, it seems.

With her concerts selling out at exorbitant prices in the United States, some Swifties are looking to the pop star’s European tour schedule—and reaching out to travel advisors to book them a trip around their ticket dates. Better still, budget seems to be only a minor issue.

“This whole concept of parents taking their teenagers to Taylor Swift concerts is an opportunity for travel advisors,” Read the rest of this entry »

Today, as never before, your clients’ price for travel purchases largely depends on when you buy them. It used to be that clients could be roughly placed in one of two groups: One that accepts the first offer before other buyers see it; and one that defers purchase decisions as long as possible.

• Those who follow the “buy it now” strategy know that when products are heavily promoted and advertised, the first offer is usually the best, and buyers who trail the pack won’t receive the same benefits or prices.
• Those that avoid making financial decisions feel that better opportunities are always available, if someone is willing to ferret them out.