Paid FP options coming soon to WDW?

[msb578]

Just curious- for those who refer to greed... where does profit stop and greed begin?

 

[Katrina Y]

Just curious- for those who refer to greed... where does profit stop and greed begin?

Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should.

 

[rteetz]

Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should.

In my eyes currently Disney keeps pushing because people keep paying. Once that slows or stops than Disney will slow or stop.

 

[SaharanTea]

I'm still skeptical about all of this. Think of what most of you are saying you think is likely - that Disney is creating a new system that makes if very likely that after you pay for park admission, you're pretty much guaranteed to have a lousy difficult time unless you fork out an obscene add'l amount of money. Club Level, After Parties, etc. Those things cater to those who can pay extra but have negligible effects on the vast majority of guests. Pretty much every proposal here will have a MAJOR negative impact on a majority of guests (unless you're assuming those majority of guests will pay what is likely to amount to double the cost of the up front admission just to get on as many rides as they were able to get on before).

Yes, this is what many of us fear, and I hope you're right, but I also fear you underestimate the number of people who are willing to fork out obscene amounts of cash. If it's too many, they'll shove me (and many others) out of the park by making an enjoyable park experience above my means--as you said.

 

[PolyRob]

People also find value in different things. The thing that really confirmed this to me was Tony's Most Merriest. I never thought in a million years a $99 per person (adult/child) up-charge for a ticketed event that already started at $95 per person would almost sell out every night basically for a parade view. Based on the numbers in the MVMCP thread, people were guessing around 300 spots a night? $30,000 additional per night coming in from the lowest rated MK TS really shocked me.

At this point, I don't think I can be really be surprised by any Disney price increase.

 

[Mac30188]

People also find value in different things. The thing that really confirmed this to me was Tony's Most Merriest. I never thought in a million years a $99 per person (adult/child) up-charge for a ticketed event that already started at $95 per person would almost sell out every night basically for a parade view. Based on the numbers in the MVMCP thread, people were guessing around 300 spots a night? $30,000 additional per night coming in from the lowest rated MK TS really shocked me.

At this point, I don't think I can be really be surprised by any Disney price increase.

Interestingly enough, based on reviews, pictures, descriptions, this one did not shock me. It looked really fun and could be extremely enjoyable depending on your type of trip. For me, this event was never a real option, but it drive's home your point. This was a very different event from say Toy Story Early Morning Magic targeting an extremely different audience. Different people will value different things and I like the idea of Disney providing a variety of special events. As others have mentioned, the fear is will they get so absorbed with short term greed that they erode the base experience to destroy the brand loyalty. Will the next generation have the same fond memories of childhood trips that we do? Will Disney eventually push the cost of a trip to compete against a higher tier of vacation options that suddenly will make Disney look like a bad deal?

 

[TheMaxRebo]

Just curious- for those who refer to greed... where does profit stop and greed begin?

Obviously when it is a public corporation the line is a bit different than if it was an individual ... Disney’s first priority is their shareholders so they will do what they can to maximize shareholder value

My concern is that, rather than saying profit vs greed, is that they are too focused on short term results, propping up the next quarter’s earnings, etc rather than long term sustainablity of the brand

Yes they can keep adding these things on and make more money over the next few years - but if you erode the base experience too much then people don’t come back from their “once in a lifetime trip” with as positive things to say to their neighbors or if it is out there that “Disney is being greedy” are people as likely to buy that toy or go to the maivie if they don’t think as positively about the company

I think we are still far away from that - but when the next recession hits it is the hard core fans that keep the parks propped up ... and if you start alienating them, will they return in the numbers needed?

To me, more than pricing though is the service and cleanliness of the parks, etc - I think people understand prices go up but harder to take if you fee the quality is going down

 

[MommaBerd]

To me, more than pricing though is the service and cleanliness of the parks, etc - I think people understand prices go up but harder to take if you fee the quality is going down

I especially agree with this. If Disney is going to charge premium prices, they need to provide a premium experience, not one of “industry standards.” (Can you tell that that phrase really bugs me?) I fear that with all the acquisitions, the Disney service model, that once was the model and standard-bearer, and the Disney culture will get “diluted” (even more) as they move upper-level executives around The Walt Disney Co.

 

[Mome Rath]

But if the crowds (and hence lines) are what everyone is complaining about... how else is Disney supposed to limit that? They have worked on spreading out the crowds, and have had some success with that. One of the key things was Pandora, and it worked at getting some of us back into AK, and having an actual E attraction that functions as intended in AK definitely pulled crowds that direction. Then people complained about the wait times for Pandora and that there wasn't anything new to balance it out... now we have GE, Tron, GG, and MMRR all coming. We have revamping of EPCOT, etc... So, more people want in. And, Disney is shelling out big bucks to add in new things. What else is it supposed to do rather than raise rates on things?

I agree with the quality concern, but that too means they need to raise more revenue because the jobs market is so tight. They keep offering more hotels which means more jobs, but they will have to pay more to fill those positions and keep them filled. The crowds impact the quality as well, so we are back to decreasing crowds while maintaining the business... what does everyone believe they should do? That's an actual question not a rhetorical one.

 

[Doug M]

Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should.

You are wrong. Disney has a fiduciary duty to their shareholders to get the most out if their products. The consumer is 100% to blame for this. People line up to buy every one of these add on services, they jack up the price, no effect. Until consumers push back they will, and really should, keep raising prices. Really wish I bought some stock years ago so I would be on the receiving end.

 

[The Pho]

But if the crowds (and hence lines) are what everyone is complaining about... how else is Disney supposed to limit that? They have worked on spreading out the crowds, and have had some success with that. One of the key things was Pandora, and it worked at getting some of us back into AK, and having an actual E attraction that functions as intended in AK definitely pulled crowds that direction. Then people complained about the wait times for Pandora and that there wasn't anything new to balance it out... now we have GE, Tron, GG, and MMRR all coming. We have revamping of EPCOT, etc... So, more people want in. And, Disney is shelling out big bucks to add in new things. What else is it supposed to do rather than raise rates on things?

I agree with the quality concern, but that too means they need to raise more revenue because the jobs market is so tight. They keep offering more hotels which means more jobs, but they will have to pay more to fill those positions and keep them filled. The crowds impact the quality as well, so we are back to decreasing crowds while maintaining the business... what does everyone believe they should do? That's an actual question not a rhetorical one.

The main issue there, to me at least, is that park capacity has not grown with attendance (in many places it has actually gone down). Crowds wouldn’t have become an issue if they had kept up with the growth. Now they’re playing catch up but still in many of those cases are not adding net new things. When you replace a high capacity attraction with a lower capacity attraction you are only making the problem worse.

 

[mom2rtk]

Feels like the more options that are discussed - paying for a specific FP, the more popular a ride is the more expensive they make it for that ride, etc - the closer we are to getting back to the A-E Ticket Book model

Now all they have to do is roll back the all access pricing.

 

[mom2rtk]

I'm still reeling over the inability to edit photos or add borders, etc...........

this is just making me spin out of control........................

The over riding theme....... more for less.

 

[PrincessArlena'sDad]

Just curious- for those who refer to greed... where does profit stop and greed begin?

When quality suffers. When quality suffers, they company may get short term profits, but long term negative consequences often result.

Here, the concern is the quality of the guest experience will suffer if they do not purchase upcharge items. (This is in addition to quality of service, cleanliness, broken effects on rides, etc.) If CM are too busy/too stressed to make the guest feel special, it is often because the CM is underpaid and/or the park is understaffed. With the revenue/profits Disney Parks is obtaining, the culprit is greed.

But if the crowds (and hence lines) are what everyone is complaining about... how else is Disney supposed to limit that? They have worked on spreading out the crowds, and have had some success with that. One of the key things was Pandora, and it worked at getting some of us back into AK, and having an actual E attraction that functions as intended in AK definitely pulled crowds that direction. Then people complained about the wait times for Pandora and that there wasn't anything new to balance it out... now we have GE, Tron, GG, and MMRR all coming. We have revamping of EPCOT, etc... So, more people want in. And, Disney is shelling out big bucks to add in new things. What else is it supposed to do rather than raise rates on things?

I agree with the quality concern, but that too means they need to raise more revenue because the jobs market is so tight. They keep offering more hotels which means more jobs, but they will have to pay more to fill those positions and keep them filled. The crowds impact the quality as well, so we are back to decreasing crowds while maintaining the business... what does everyone believe they should do? That's an actual question not a rhetorical one.

They need to build high capacity people eaters. Any attraction that does not fit this bill should be put on the shelf, at least for now. I have no clue what the capacity of these new rides will be.

They should also time the attractions to open at the same time, not a year apart. Having Tron and Guardians compete with GE would help with GE crowds (and the HS madhouse).

The scrapped theater in MK would have helped also (I don't know what the seating capacity would have been).

 

[wdwlver]

In my eyes currently Disney keeps pushing because people keep paying. Once that slows or stops than Disney will slow or stop.

Exactly this.

 

[mom2rtk]

I can see some people getting themselves into credit card trouble with this.

Maybe this is precisely why Disney just added the daily CC holds!

 

[dlavender]

But if the crowds (and hence lines) are what everyone is complaining about... how else is Disney supposed to limit that? They have worked on spreading out the crowds, and have had some success with that. One of the key things was Pandora, and it worked at getting some of us back into AK, and having an actual E attraction that functions as intended in AK definitely pulled crowds that direction. Then people complained about the wait times for Pandora and that there wasn't anything new to balance it out... now we have GE, Tron, GG, and MMRR all coming. We have revamping of EPCOT, etc... So, more people want in. And, Disney is shelling out big bucks to add in new things. What else is it supposed to do rather than raise rates on things?

I agree with the quality concern, but that too means they need to raise more revenue because the jobs market is so tight. They keep offering more hotels which means more jobs, but they will have to pay more to fill those positions and keep them filled. The crowds impact the quality as well, so we are back to decreasing crowds while maintaining the business... what does everyone believe they should do? That's an actual question not a rhetorical one.

My issue, while I’m beyond happy they added Pandora, is that they only built 1 “must do”. Imagine if that land had 3 rides to disperse the crowds. Even if the other ride was another Navi river ride....(hopefully a little better)

It’s my main concern with SWGE. I think both rides will be great, but if there were three....IMO with the astronomical price increases and add ons that we’ve seen in the last 10 years they should give us a little more.

Perhaps I’m the greedy one... lol

 

[Katrina Y]

You are wrong. Disney has a fiduciary duty to their shareholders to get the most out if their products. The consumer is 100% to blame for this. People line up to buy every one of these add on services, they jack up the price, no effect. Until consumers push back they will, and really should, keep raising prices. Really wish I bought some stock years ago so I would be on the receiving end.

It depends on whether they are looking at “a piece of the picture” or “the bigger picture”. Sometimes, “tunnel vision” isn’t good in the long run. Your opinion, my opinion......neither is wrong.

 

[dlavender]

Obviously when it is a public corporation the line is a bit different than if it was an individual ... Disney’s first priority is their shareholders so they will do what they can to maximize shareholder value

My concern is that, rather than saying profit vs greed, is that they are too focused on short term results, propping up the next quarter’s earnings, etc rather than long term sustainablity of the brand

Yes they can keep adding these things on and make more money over the next few years - but if you erode the base experience too much then people don’t come back from their “once in a lifetime trip” with as positive things to say to their neighbors or if it is out there that “Disney is being greedy” are people as likely to buy that toy or go to the maivie if they don’t think as positively about the company

I think we are still far away from that - but when the next recession hits it is the hard core fans that keep the parks propped up ... and if you start alienating them, will they return in the numbers needed?

To me, more than pricing though is the service and cleanliness of the parks, etc - I think people understand prices go up but harder to take if you fee the quality is going down

That’s another “pet peeve” of mine. They should never be short staffed. They shouldn’t be loading one side of a ride at anytime. MK hours shouldn’t be reduced YOY. The paper boy shouldn’t just be turned the other way...

 

[mom2rtk]

The main issue there, to me at least, is that park capacity has not grown with attendance (in many places it has actually gone down). Crowds wouldn’t have become an issue if they had kept up with the growth. Now they’re playing catch up but still in many of those cases are not adding net new things. When you replace a high capacity attraction with a lower capacity attraction you are only making the problem worse.

That really is a critical issue. And likely by design. And while the things they are adding are great, they need to focus on things with more capacity to eat people. The Main Street theater was SUCH a smart addition to that park. It would eat thousands of people all day long, while not overwhelming the park with new bodies scheduling trips just to see that. And what do they do? They cancel it. I would actually say they should have kept the theater and ditched the Tron coaster if it came down to that. Disney has a capacity problem. But instead of addressing it, they see it as a diamond mine of upsell possibilities. It's so disappointing.