Free Water Park for 2025 Stays

[Minnie1222]

Because they spend more money of they are in a park, especially on a vacation day where people typically do not go to a park.

They're free to wait in the hotel lobby if they're worried about spending money at the water parks. It's not a mandatory activity, lol.

 

[weather_lady]

Here is my take on the reason they are doing this.

People may not purchase actual tickets for check-in day. If you have an early flight and you show up at the resort at like 8:00a or 9:00a and your room isn't going to be ready until 4:00p they can now tell you to use your free water park ticket instead of having you hang around the resort all day continually checking on the room.

Agreed! Plus, guests are more likely to buy dinner onsite if they use that waterpark ticket. Some families (like mine, anyway) don't make any onsite plans or reservations for arrival day -- in case of flight delays -- and therefore tend to spend that first evening shopping, dining, or doing some other activity off-site, which means we don't start spending money in a park until the next morning.

 

[Smugpugmug]

Oh please! Our rooms (hotels side) have ALWAYS been ready before 3:00. I think you're confused Disney with Universal.

I was just at Universal and my room was ready at 2 pm. Have never had a room at Disney ready by 2 but at the same time I never expect the room to be ready by then.

 

[hhisc16]

We plan on trying the water parks with this offer in 2025!
Glad to see DVC counts and we like split stays.

 

[Debbie Jean]

Oh please! Our rooms (hotels side) have ALWAYS been ready before 3:00. I think you're confused Disney with Universal.

You are posting on a DVC board. Rooms are promised by 4 PM…. waits are sometimes later. Cleaning a villa with a full kitchen is not the same as cleaning a hotel room.

While I don’t see myself using this on my “fly in” day, I can well imagine families who would welcome the opportunity. As an AP holder heading into a park the day I’m changing resorts on a split stay isn’t costing me any extra. But I definitely would consider a WP as an alternative.

 

[Sandisw]

It's a freebie, but it really isn't all that great!
Is anyone going to choose a earlier flight to get unto property earlier just to go a waterpark when no one can predict the weather beforehand.
When I go to a waterpark, I want to arrive early not 4 hrs after the place has opened. If the resort room isn't ready why am I not going to the pool? THAT is much more convenient!
Honestly, it's almost insulting! I can imagine the usage of this "offer" being very low!

Really? Something given as a bonus is insulting? I guess I do t see how.

And yes, we definitely would do an earlier flight for day one when we travel during nice weather.

We also split stay and this is a great thing for us to do as we do take a resort time sometimes.

Plus, I help and book friends who are not DVC their cash trips and this will be a nice benefit for families with kids.

 

[LadybugsMum]

I don't find it insulting either. I'd love for them to extend it to 2024 so that we can do it for our Sept trip as we love Typhoon Lagoon.

 

[Shellyred8]

I don't find it insulting either. I'd love for them to extend it to 2024 so that we can do it for our Sept trip as we love Typhoon Lagoon.

I was thinking this too! Why wait until 2025? I would love if they started it sooner!

 

[kilik64]

I’d love it if Disney insulted me and gave another onsite perk, maybe deluxe extended evening hours at Hollywood studios regularly?

That’s not nearly as big an insult as giving me hundreds of dollars (5 of us in my family) away in a free waterpark visit, but I’d take it lol

 

[kilik64]

I was thinking this too! Why wait until 2025? I would love if they started it sooner!

Two words, rhymes with epic universe

 

[kilik64]

Reminds me of this lol

If this is an insult, please insult me more!

 

[Forevermarypoppins]

It's not for everyone! We haven't used their pools in years. Never been to their water parks and don't plan to. Just because you don't need it doesn't mean it's insulting. Otherwise, we would have found Disney Magic Express insulting since we rarely used it.

Insulting, in that it'll be advertised as a wonderful fun freebie but full well knowing that the real advantage used ( # of persons) will be slim. I do find that insulting!
Not insulting: choose your day!

 

[MerlinandtheMouse]

Insulting, in that it'll be advertised as a wonderful fun freebie but full well knowing that the real advantage used ( # of persons) will be slim. I do find that insulting!
Not insulting: choose your day!

Nothing about a bonus is insulting. You want more from the bonus, that’s fair but it’s still a nice perk even if only 20 people ever use it. That being said, even in this small thread plenty of people have already said they’d love to utilize it. It is a wonderful fun freebie, just like movies under the stars and pool games and fireworks on the beach and 100 other things that plenty of people don’t take real advantage of. That’s a choice. It’s not like they’re saying half off or whatever.

Finding insult in this is wasted and misdirected energy.

 

[tjkraz]

Insulting, in that it'll be advertised as a wonderful fun freebie but full well knowing that the real advantage used ( # of persons) will be slim. I do find that insulting!
Not insulting: choose your day!

Clearly Disney has its own business reasons for giving something away for free which normally costs $70 per person. Yes, they probably want people to arrive a little earlier and eat lunch + a couple ice cream cones at WDW. Yes, they probably want to relieve some pressure from guests who want rooms early. Yes, they probably want to (modestly) reduce crowds at theme parks, Disney Springs and resort pools.

And yes, there's promotional value as well.

But the benefit for guests is obvious. A family of 4 could save $300 by not paying for waterpark tickets or the Fun & More option on MYW tickets. Many people don't even have to adjust their travel plans.

If you aren't willing to meet them halfway, that's a YOU problem.

 

[BL2020]

This is a pretty wide give-away to all hotel guests. I think most will see it as a nice plus. I may or may not use it, but nice to know I can!

 

[dcfromva]

Do you remember when they had the "What will you celebrate?" promotion where they gave you 1 free day at the parks on your birthday (back in 2009)? https://www.wdwinfo.com/disney2009celebration.htm Wasn't that the coolest thing?

What is cool about this promotion is that we know about prior to the 11 month booking window (for the most part), so we can make appropriate reservations. I think this is going to be a pretty neat promotion, too.

 

[New Mouse]

So....people will spend more money during a day at Blizzard Beach than at the resort itself or....a shopping and dining district? You must buy a lot more towels and sand buckets than we do.


Rooms already don't have to be ready until 4pm. Housekeeping staff works 8-5 schedules per the CBA, with incentives to leave early if their assigned rooms are completed. This will undoubtedly reduce requests for early room access, but it doesn't change the staffing needs to prep the rooms.


This is such a cynically bonkers take. People complain that Disney doesn't offer enough on-site perks. And then when they announce a pretty dramatic new perk, so much effort goes into looking for ways to undermine it.

Dramatic perk? It's the portion of a cost of a waterpark ticket and honestly a perk that most will not use.

It's something but let's not blow it out of proportion.

 

[mkatsy]

Seaworld is giving aquatica away for free with their annual passes .... kind of feels like they copied them but changed it a bit so as not to be obvious.

 

[Sammie]

Disney announced today that hotel guests will receive free tickets to a water park for use on their check in day for 2025 stays. According to Scott Gustin, who is always spot on this is actually going to include DVC guests as well.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1762188117757382896

not sure we will use it but will be nice for those with early arrivals and split stays. The number of people complaining on Social Media is ridiculous. Nothing pleases them.

 

[Tink3815]

So....people will spend more money during a day at Blizzard Beach than at the resort itself or....a shopping and dining district? You must buy a lot more towels and sand buckets than we do.


Rooms already don't have to be ready until 4pm. Housekeeping staff works 8-5 schedules per the CBA, with incentives to leave early if their assigned rooms are completed. This will undoubtedly reduce requests for early room access, but it doesn't change the staffing needs to prep the rooms.


This is such a cynically bonkers take. People complain that Disney doesn't offer enough on-site perks. And then when they announce a pretty dramatic new perk, so much effort goes into looking for ways to undermine it.

Many of the stores and restaurants in Disney Springs are not owned by Disney. Disney may receive rental fees from them but not share in their profits.


Rooms must be ready at 3pm, not 4pm at non-DVC. If the housekeeping CBA states they can leave when their rooms are clean, why would Disney not reduce the size of their staff to cut costs when they renegotiate their contracts to clean the same amount of rooms? No need to have extra employees leaving early when rooms do not need to be ready until 3pm.

I am being realistic, not bonkers. I agree this is a great perk, which I will take advantage of. Nothing in the world of business is a free perk. There is always a motive that is to Disney's advantage. Disney makes decisions that will benefit their brand.