Has Disney gone too far to make a buck?

[Hikergirl]

My only question is, have we not reached a breaking point? And if not, what would be the straw that breaks the camel's back?

My question to you is, why would you feel you have reached a breaking point by Disney offering additional paid for events that are completely voluntary?
Do you have a problem with Disney offering things to people who can afford them? That is kind of how you are coming across.

Disney has been offering all levels of vacation for as long as I can remember. They have value resprts that cost less per night than my own local hotels.
They offer meal options so you don't have to shell out $200 for a dinner. They even let you bring in your own food.
You can have special private tours, do dessert parties, BBB, and so on, all at extra costs that are completely voluntary.
These events are nothing different, you can choose to pay for them or you can decide not too. How anyone can think that is going too far, I have no idea.

FTR, Disney offers discounts to fill the resorts and parks. If they aren't offering them that means that people are already filling the resorts and parks. They aren't offering discounts to help your family afford Disney (general you) because they are not a charity, they are in business to make money not make people feel good.

 

[Kimberly9701]

I don't think they have gone too far. I am in the minority of people who hopes that the paid after hours sticks around!

As far as food prices- Disney has some of the lowest food price points of any amusement park that I have ever been to.

We have season passes to a park called Kings Island...take a look at their food/drink prices lol. I understand that WDW is overall a MUCH more expensive trip..but you choose how 'expensive' you want it to be. They offer several options for all different types of travelers.

 

[Happyinwonerland]

In your hypothetical example, the only reason the family can go to Orlando is because mom's job is paying for travel for a work thing. So really, the family can't afford a disney vacation, they are just piggybacking on employer's generosity. If they choose to spend their day in orlando at disney and it happens to be a party day, then they should maximize their time. They still get 9 hours or so in the parks which is just over $10/hr, and they can always get a party ticket too if they want to stay later. I pay what amounts to $50/hr for pro sporting events and concerts. $10/hr is a pretty good value comparatively.

Again, Disney doesn't owe that family anything. It's disappointing that they can't afford more of a trip, but that isn't the fault of disney. Maybe mom or dad could work some overtime or a part time second job, or cut their day to day expenses a bit, in order to afford the vacation they want.

 

[Happyinwonerland]

I don't think they have gone too far. I am in the minority of people who hopes that the paid after hours sticks around!

As far as food prices- Disney has some of the lowest food price points of any amusement park that I have ever been to.

We have season passes to a park called Kings Island...take a look at their food/drink prices lol. I understand that WDW is overall a MUCH more expensive trip..but you choose how 'expensive' you want it to be. They offer several options for all different types of travelers.

I hope it stays around too (but only if pass holders still get the discount). I'd really like to try it out on out October trip! I'm not holding my breath though.

 

[Hikergirl]

I hope it stays around too. When it was first announced I was excited because I was planning a trip for my dd and was hoping the event would be when she would be there. Now she isn't going at all, but dh and I are. We don't have any plans to do MK during any days we are there, but if this event is being offered we'd go at night.

 

[Kimberly9701]

I hope it stays around too (but only if pass holders still get the discount). I'd really like to try it out on out October trip! I'm not holding my breath though.

IF a general public discount doesn't get offered for my dates, but a passholder discount does- I've already crunched the numbers and I will purchase the AP. It won't really save me any money, maybe Memory Maker since I would be able to cancel that..but it's basically like getting a free AP. We'll see.

I doubt DAH will be offered in December when we will be there, but hopefully sometime in the future!

Side note- I MISS MY FLORIDA DRIVER"S LICENSE!!lol. That's been the toughest part for me- giving up my Fla resident discounts.

 

[Bree]

They haven't taken anything away for the paid morning and night events. EMH are still there for resort guests. Those paid events are in addition to EMH, but they are open to EVERYONE. This gives offsite guests the same advantage as onsite guests. It seems Disney can't make everyone happy. People had been griping for years that offsite guests were at a disadvantage when it came to EMH. Well, WDW came up with a solution and now people are griping that they are getting priced out (for events that are completely VOLUNTARY!!!).

We are staying onsite in June for a very long trip (15 nights) and I purchased the morning hours for my DD & myself for our last MK day. It looks like a lot of fun and I had booked a PPO ADR before this event was announced so we had plans to be there very early anyway. By being able to ride these three rides over and over for an hour freed up FP+ slots and a lot of time for our other MK days.

WDW doesn't owe anyone a park visit. If their business practices are getting people all up in arms, then maybe it's time to move on to another vacation destination.

 

[Agent Wendy Pleakley]

I just purchased tickets for the May 19th event...we fly into Orlando that morning and have a one-night stay booked at Pop Century before our cruise on May 20th.

I was not going to buy a one-day park ticket since the earliest we'd be getting into the parks would be a peak crowd time (probably 1ish). I could not justify spending that much money to fight crowds just for a quick Disney park fix.

So this event works perfectly for us, we can relax for the afternoon then head to Magic Kingdom around 7. We'll still get to see MSEP and Wishes and just enjoy the park knowing that we'll have a chance to ride everything once the parks close.

To me, this ticketed event is a much better value for our scenario than a regular one-day MK park ticket would have been. I think it's a smart move because it captures a segment of potential park visitors that aren't in the area for an extended Disney parks vacation. And as long as they continue EMH for resort guests it doesn't really affect the value of a Disney resort package.

 

[Marionnette]

They haven't taken anything away for the paid morning and night events. EMH are still there for resort guests. Those paid events are in addition to EMH, but they are open to EVERYONE. This gives offsite guests the same advantage as onsite guests. It seems Disney can't make everyone happy. People had been griping for years that offsite guests were at a disadvantage when it came to EMH. Well, WDW came up with a solution and now people are griping that they are getting priced out (for events that are completely VOLUNTARY!!!).

We are staying onsite in June for a very long trip (15 nights) and I purchased the morning hours for my DD & myself for our last MK day. It looks like a lot of fun and I had booked a PPO ADR before this event was announced so we had plans to be there very early anyway. By being able to ride these three rides over and over for an hour freed up FP+ slots and a lot of time for our other MK days.

WDW doesn't owe anyone a park visit. If their business practices are getting people all up in arms, then maybe it's time to move on to another vacation destination.

Oh, I'm not griping about the price. What I see is a company that is out of touch with what the market will bear. And the fact that they are discounting DAH to half-price for AP/DVC just seems to support that feeling. They know how many tickets that they need to sell in order to make DAH profitable. They aren't meeting that mark in pre-sales for the announced dates. So, they're having a fire sale on the tickets they still have in an effort to make a smaller profit. There would be no need to offer such a huge discount to AP/DVC if the tickets were selling well at $149 apiece.

Disney can charge whatever they want for their product. But every consumer has their tipping point and $149 for some ice cream and 3 hours in a nearly-empty park is too high for most people. At $75, you saw an uptick in enthusiasm for the event.

To me, this is just a symptom of the larger disconnect that Disney has with their customers' feelings.

 

[Kimberly9701]

Oh, I'm not griping about the price. What I see is a company that is out of touch with what the market will bear. And the fact that they are discounting DAH to half-price for AP/DVC just seems to support that feeling. They know how many tickets that they need to sell in order to make DAH profitable. They aren't meeting that mark in pre-sales for the announced dates. So, they're having a fire sale on the tickets they still have in an effort to make a smaller profit. There would be no need to offer such a huge discount to AP/DVC if the tickets were selling well at $149 apiece.

Disney can charge whatever they want for their product. But every consumer has their tipping point and $149 for some ice cream and 3 hours in a nearly-empty park is too high for most people. At $75, you saw an uptick in enthusiasm for the event.

To me, this is just a symptom of the larger disconnect that Disney has with their customers' feelings.

Oh, I'm not griping about the price. What I see is a company that is out of touch with what the market will bear. And the fact that they are discounting DAH to half-price for AP/DVC just seems to support that feeling. They know how many tickets that they need to sell in order to make DAH profitable. They aren't meeting that mark in pre-sales for the announced dates. So, they're having a fire sale on the tickets they still have in an effort to make a smaller profit. There would be no need to offer such a huge discount to AP/DVC if the tickets were selling well at $149 apiece.

Disney can charge whatever they want for their product. But every consumer has their tipping point and $149 for some ice cream and 3 hours in a nearly-empty park is too high for most people. At $75, you saw an uptick in enthusiasm for the event.

To me, this is just a symptom of the larger disconnect that Disney has with their customers' feelings.

But how are they out of touch? Their resorts are booking, tickets selling. And as for the DAH- it wasn't meant for "most"- hence the "exclusivity" of the event. One of the main things that attracts me towards his event- lack of strollers!! I've been saying this over and over.. It doesn't harm anyone who chooses not to go..but it helps the people who don't want to fight crowds.

A pp stated the exact reason why this is attractive to SOME people. I think the price point is fine in order to keep crowds low. I don't think it should be lower than a 1 day admission cost (except to AP and DVC members who may not go otherwise).

I also think that just because DAH is not popular on these message boards does not at all mean that people aren't going. There are thousands of people who go to WDW who never log on to disboards

 

[Marionnette]

But how are they out of touch? Their resorts are booking, tickets selling. And as for the DAH- it wasn't meant for "most"- hence the "exclusivity" of the event. One of the main things that attracts me towards his event- lack of strollers!! I've been saying this over and over.. It doesn't harm anyone who chooses not to go..but it helps the people who don't want to fight crowds.

A pp stated the exact reason why this is attractive to SOME people. I think the price point is fine in order to keep crowds low. I don't think it should be lower than a 1 day admission cost (except to AP and DVC members who may not go otherwise).

I also think that just because DAH is not popular on these message boards does not at all mean that people aren't going. There are thousands of people who go to WDW who never log on to disboards

I understand why this event is attractive to some. I like the concept. But give me a good reason as to why they are offering such a huge discount to AP/DVC if the events are soooo popular! At $75 pp, it's a good deal (not a great deal, but I'll concede that it's a good deal). At $149 pp, it's just too much for many people. Many, many more people than Disney estimated. Hence the deep discount to AP/DVC. Just like in the hotel industry, "heads in beds" is more important at a cheaper price than no heads at all at a high price.

 

[Marionnette]

I don't know why anyone thinks I'm suggesting that Disney is or should be a charity. I want Disney to make money. I want to give Disney my money. If you ask my three-year-old she'll tell you the only reason mommy goes to work is so we can go to Disney. If Disney stopped making money, I would have to sell my stock, which would not make me happy. People do not always choose when they can go to Disney. You want to suggest that everyone chooses the day they're going to be there, but that's just not the case. As an example, what about the mom whose company sends her on a business trip, and the trip happens to be in Disney. Mom gets free airfare, a free hotel room for herself, and free park tickets for herself as a company perk. Because mom's company is generous, the company allows her to bring her children along, and her spouse or whomever else she chooses, and they can stay in her room also for free. Now the whole family gets to go to Disney World for the cost of the additional airfare, and park tickets for the additional guests. The catch is, the company is only paying for the room for one night, leaving the family only one day to spend in the park, and of course we have to go to the iconic Magic Kingdom if you're only there for one day. I realize that this example is an extremely limited example of what might be a reason that someone would be only able to spend one day, and one particular day at that, in the park. But my point is not everybody gets to choose when they're there.

I am not suggesting that Disney should be free. I am also not suggesting that Disney should be cheap. I am however suggesting that if Disney's going to be as outrageously expensive as it always has been, that I'm not fond of all these little additions. And yes, the argument is if you don't like it don't pay for it. I understand that. But you start taking away discounts to people have come to hope for, and you keep adding on little expenses that people now have to choose whether or not to pay for in the hopes that they might get to ride the rides after the excruciatingly long lines during the day, at some point in time the market is going to reach a breaking point.

My only question is, have we not reached a breaking point? And if not, what would be the straw that breaks the camel's back?

Don't sweat it. There are some people on the disboards who will try to shout you down and silence any discontent with Disney and the way that they do business. They will try to twist your words and paint you in a negative color in an effort to make their position look more credible.

FWIW, I have reached the breaking point. I own DVC and will not be staying on my points this year. I have an AP that expires in the October and a TiW card that expires in November. And I have no intention of going to Disney before they expire. We have a business conference in December and will be staying at the GF but we will not go into the parks and will most likely go off-property for all of our dinners (breakfasts and round-table luncheons are included in the conference fees). If the conference did not have excellent speakers and did not provide a great opportunity to accrue CEUs, we would not be going.

It's not as if we have an extremely limited income. We can easily afford the price increases and the extra events. We are just finding that we are not getting the same value for our money that we used to get from a Disney vacation. So we are visiting less often and spending less money when we do go. And in the meantime, we are enjoying our other vacations immensely. Next month...16 days in Europe. Italy and Greece, here we come!

 

[Hikergirl]

Don't sweat it. There are some people on the disboards who will try to shout you down and silence any discontent with Disney and the way that they do business. They will try to twist your words and paint you in a negative color in an effort to make their position look more credible.

A little on the dramatic side don't you think? The OP asked a question, and didn't get the answers she wanted. It happens, no need to make this into something it isn't. Some people see Disney for what it is, a business whose only purpose is to make money. I think too many people wish it was something different, but it just isn't.

 

[tinkerone]

"Their resorts are booking, tickets selling".....for now. It only takes one mistake and that goes away. I think the mistake is happening as we speak.
I'm not sure how this thread went to 'if you can't afford it don't go'. Lots of us can afford it but have decided not to. Disney may see their full resorts and their large crowds disperse and go away. You won't see it all at once, it will certainly happen slowly over time but I'm convinced it will happen. I'm only one example but if there is one then there are more. If its cutting back or stopping completely, more and more are doing it. You can't let the gates stay open and expect all the herd to stick around. JMO.

As to the original post, I think the opp was talking about Disney in general for the most part. Not specifically special events. At least that's what I got out of it.

ETA--I'm retired from a very large company. This company has annual gatherings that brings hundreds of their employees together for a yearly conference. Two years ago the company announced the next two meetings would be held at Disney. They have since backed out of this. This shows me its not just people who are not happy with Disney, its now going into corporations.

 

[Marionnette]

A little on the dramatic side don't you think? The OP asked a question, and didn't get the answers she wanted. It happens, no need to make this into something it isn't. Some people see Disney for what it is, a business whose only purpose is to make money. I think too many people wish it was something different, but it just isn't.

I don't see the OP as "wishing that Disney were something that it isn't". I see someone who feels, like I do, that Disney is overreaching with their pricing and that will come back to bite them in the butt in the long term. They are sacrificing long-term profits for short-term gains. If long-time visitors are unhappy with the current state of affairs and first-time visitors come home feeling that they spent too much money for what they got in return, then none of them will be returning. And if they aren't returning, they aren't cultivating a future generation of Disney visitors, either.

And not only that, but they will tell friends and family the same thing. Not everyone who was unhappy with what they got from the $$$$$ that they spent will jump on the disboards to voice their opinion. I've heard if from people who don't participate in forums or read Disney blogs but have gone to Disney multiple times over the last 5 years. "I can't believe the price of tickets" "Everything was so expensive". "HS looks like a ghost town" "What happened to Epcot, nothing is open in FW" "The MK was so crowded that we only got to do 5 attractions before we gave up and left...Over $400 for tickets and that's all we did. Never again!"

You can defend Disney as a for-profit institution, which it is, but you cannot change people's perception on the value that they receive for their vacation dollars by upcharging for things and tagging them with the word "exclusive".

 

[Kimberly9701]

Don't sweat it. There are some people on the disboards who will try to shout you down and silence any discontent with Disney and the way that they do business. They will try to twist your words and paint you in a negative color in an effort to make their position look more credible.

FWIW, I have reached the breaking point. I own DVC and will not be staying on my points this year. I have an AP that expires in the October and a TiW card that expires in November. And I have no intention of going to Disney before they expire. We have a business conference in December and will be staying at the GF but we will not go into the parks and will most likely go off-property for all of our dinners (breakfasts and round-table luncheons are included in the conference fees). If the conference did not have excellent speakers and did not provide a great opportunity to accrue CEUs, we would not be going.

It's not as if we have an extremely limited income. We can easily afford the price increases and the extra events. We are just finding that we are not getting the same value for our money that we used to get from a Disney vacation. So we are visiting less often and spending less money when we do go. And in the meantime, we are enjoying our other vacations immensely. Next month...16 days in Europe. Italy and Greece, here we come!

That sounds like an exciting trip! We are doing an 11 night UK/Iceland cruise in '17..combined with 4 nights land in Coppenhagen. Guess who we aren't cruising with? DCL. I couldn't justify their prices for a similar 11 night itinerary. But we are cruising with them on a western Caribbean.
The thing is..I'm not post thread on the cruise boards talking about DCL is bad bc they are charging too much. Yes, i definitely stated that on opening day pricing... But then I just booked another line and went about my day. I do not think this itinerary will come close to selling out..and I do think they will end up offering a VGT.
HOWEVER- DCL and WDW are not the same. There are other cruise lines to choose from..there is not another WDW. For this reason, I can (semi) justify their pricing. But really the main thing is- you can fit WDW in your budget regardless due to all of the different options.
You can pay $110 pn for a room. Or you can pay $700 pn. You can add character meals/dessert parties/ pirate cruises etc OR you can skip all of that and just go to the parks, eat quick service, and order from Garden Grocer.
I don't see where WDW has "priced people out". Not in a long shot. And I don't understand those who are saying they have.
DCL longer itineraries - yes I think a lot of people are going with other cruise lines bc the value is not there on DCL.

We will never do a vacation which is solely WDW, I am very against that. Not that it's wrong for others, but I'm a travel junkie and even if we go to WDW we will also spend a week in Key West and another trip sometime in the year where I will always add some international destination...not because I think WDW is bad, but because I want to expose my child to more. WDW vs. Europe shouldn't be a comparison. It's apples and oranges.

"Their resorts are booking, tickets selling".....for now. It only takes one mistake and that goes away. I think the mistake is happening as we speak.
I'm not sure how this thread went to 'if you can't afford it don't go'. Lots of us can afford it but have decided not to. Disney may see their full resorts and their large crowds disperse and go away. You won't see it all at once, it will certainly happen slowly over time but I'm convinced it will happen. I'm only one example but if there is one then there are more. If its cutting back or stopping completely, more and more are doing it. You can't let the gates stay open and expect all the herd to stick around. JMO.

As to the original post, I think the opp was talking about Disney in general for the most part. Not specifically special events. At least that's what I got out of it.

ETA--I'm retired from a very large company. This company has annual gatherings that brings hundreds of their employees together for a yearly conference. Two years ago the company announced the next two meetings would be held at Disney. They have since backed out of this. This shows me its not just people who are not happy with Disney, its now going into corporations.

Oops meant to quote this on the top. On my phone and can't change it now..lol

 

[Boski]

Pot, meet kettle.

 

[Kimberly9701]

A little on the dramatic side don't you think? The OP asked a question, and didn't get the answers she wanted. It happens, no need to make this into something it isn't. Some people see Disney for what it is, a business whose only purpose is to make money. I think too many people wish it was something different, but it just isn't.

...and never has been.

 

[Disneyliscious]

If Disney announced tomorrow that all park tickets were increasing to $500 per person, per park, per day there would still be plenty of people in the world who could afford that - and they would still go.

But I bet we'd be seeing a lot different views here then. I'd have to respond with "well Disney is a business and they are in business to make money". While I do agree that going to Disney is a choice, as are all the extras, I also feel there is a point to which the sheer price becomes tacky and takes away from the "magic". Irregardless of the DAH, park tickets will eventually be like buying a Cadillac thats nothing more than a KIA with a fancy emblem on the trunk.

 

[Kimberly9701]

If Disney announced tomorrow that all park tickets were increasing to $500 per person, per park, per day there would still be plenty of people in the world who could afford that - and they would still go.

But I bet we'd be seeing a lot different views here then. I'd have to respond with "well Disney is a business and they are in business to make money". While I do agree that going to Disney is a choice, as are all the extras, I also feel there is a point to which the sheer price becomes tacky and takes away from the "magic". Irregardless of the DAH, park tickets will eventually be like buying a Cadillac thats nothing more than a KIA with a fancy emblem on the trunk.

I can't imagine it ever being $500. Not in my lifetime anyway. So that's a non issue. It's higher priced than last year...and the prices have risen before that. Just like everything else in the world has gone up in price.

WDW isn't meant to be overly affordable, I don't think it ever has been. I think people keep forgetting that.
BUT- if you WANT to go to WDW it does accommodate several different types of budgets.