What will Disney let you pay for next?

[Prince John Robin Hood]

Same day dining reservations at premium locations like BOG and CRT. People will pay to get into top dining spots.

 

[Ikaikalani]

$10 to make a park reservation, which are no longer mandatory. Dont make one? Run the risk of getting shut out at the gate

 

[DanielleC]

I can see Disney having some transportation option between the Brightlight train (if it really ever gets built, I'm not holding my breath) and the parks or hotels.

It will be built. Brightline is very determined to get to Tampa. I spoke with a Brightline VP in 2015 and he said Disney was very much in their sights because they had to go right by it to get to Tampa. They thing is that they are paying for everything using private financing. All the discontent coming from the I-Drive crowd is saying they have to come down I Drive and no one will pay for it to happen. Brightline doesn't want to use that route because it increases their costs by about 80%. If they are focred to build it along I Drive, they will, just don't expect a station anywhere near I Drive. They will say, you want a station too? Give us the land, and the cash to build the station, we will tell you how many times a day we will stop there, without any conditions or encumbrances and we will put it there for you.

Maybe a fee to use Disney's internet in the hotels and the parks, which would be BS because you need it to connect to their app.

I do agree with you. As soon as 5G is more readily available and more people get unlimited data plans, the demand for bandwidth from Disney will start dropping like lead. Has anyone else run a speed test while on Disney's internet? I've been very lucky to get 1 meg of download bandwidth. Not 1 gig, 1 meg. I get 5 meg with my wireless hot spot.

 

[Toolulu22]

We stay onsite, and moan about the recent nickel and dime costs- some of which do not impact us (parking, DME replacement for example). We have spread out our trips further and further, and make less short trips (when we are in town to visit family and we usually go for a day or a few days). The idea of a resort fee, which some have proposed would end our visits completely. The inflated costs of staying at any of the hotels- value, moderate or deluxe- is only justified at least by myself by getting to experience all the Disney touches in the resorts. A resort fee would be like double charging.

I just heard a news story that some (non-Disney ~ sorry, don’t remember the brand) hotels will be charging a la carte for things like the pool, gym, etc. The story that ran claimed that general prices would decrease and only people interested in those extras would pay for them (ex. $20/day for the gym). But, I won’t hold my breath waiting to see prices go down. I feel as though they will now charge extra for those items. I believe some hotels actually do charge for things like the gym anyway. The story mentioned that they would see how hotel goers responded, ie if people paid for it. Going back to Disney, I think if we willingly pay for the extra fees in great enough numbers they will keep adding them on until it impacts the bottom line.

 

[DisneyGuy]

The problem with charging resort guests an extra fee for park transportation is that it's open to anyone - plus this gets people around to restaurants and shops which make money.

 

[MissionMouse]

Resort fees?
Transportation fees?
Dining reservation fees?

Genie has already been designed to be the next tool to provide customer data to assess customer behaviors and utilization. For now is appears the future is charging more to a smaller guest population, providing and giving less. Act like you are doing your guest a favor. The new group of customers will tend to become rather new, have little reference to what was, willing to pay more as they easily consume and align to Disney's marketing narrative. Genie is Disney's Genie...not yours. It is has potential to answer all their questions they want to know about their "guest" or what "new service" to charge them too

 

[circus4u]

I wonder if this will have a snow ball effect. We decided after our last trip in May that it wasn't worth it to us anymore (before Genie details were released). Wife and I were talking about the latest changes with Genie and the "money grab." It just sort of grabbed us the wrong way and we decided to cancel our Disney+ also now as a sort of unnoticed (by Disney) protest to the grab. She only watched it about once a month anyway and I haven't seen anything on there for at least 3 mos. Wonder if other people might be doing the same thing. The latest grab just really rubbed us the wrong way.

 

[DanielleC]

I just thought of something and I'm surprised no one said anything about this. What about charging for parking at Disney Springs?

 

[Devil13]

Agree with cover charge for dining and subscription fee for the app.

 

[frtchr]

Resort fees?
Transportation fees?
Dining reservation fees?

Like most other resorts in the world? lol Maybe not the dining fee, but resort fees and transportation fees are everywhere.

 

[OKWDVCMagic]

There will be a $25 up charge to get bacon thick enough that you can’t see through it.

 

[jbreen2010]

I wouldn’t be surprised if they started charging for character experiences when/if they come back. No more getting a quick picture with Mickey - I’m sure you will have to pay $20 through your genie+ and reserve a time. Probably will charge for boat rides from day SSR/OKW to Disney springs as well. As they’re bringing things back the first question is how can we charge more for this.

 

[TheBigErn]

They are taking the airline model (not Southwest) and running wild with it.

 

[rickyjmtl]

How about kids under 3 years old. I mean they should totally pay LOL

 

[middlechild]

As someone mentioned already, an Internet fee. Along the ideas of better upload / download speeds through connecting to a 'Micky' SSID. To use the speed you have to pay $5 a day through MDE, verified upon access to this new SSID. Everyone else gets free Wifi, as they do now. But imagine trying for that boarding group, watching the person beside you streaming videos and buying LL access, while your phone is chugging. Would you pay the fee then?
A key to many of these is to let the public 'see' the benefit of the upcharge. Guests waiting stand by see the Fast Pass skipping by, so they buy too. Screaming fast Internet? Pony up, and get on the good 5G network! Just swipe in MDE, and it could be yours!

 

[JoeA]

Disney is starting to feel like The North Pole when Jack Frost became Santa!

 

[OKWDVCMagic]

In all seriousness, the two Bobs know that Disney Parks will lose long time fans who don’t want to open their wallets more than are doing now.

Disney will be happy that these type of guests stop going because they will not pay for “extras”

Disney now wants guests who expect to pay for extras to get an exclusive experience.

Disney will start charging internet fees, resort fees, priority dining annual pass ($250 to $500) to book restaurants 6 months out, restricted peak holiday access with premium priced tickets, transportation fees, etc.

in the end, Disney will have less guests on property but they will generate the same or more revenue. Less people in the park requires less staffing, less maintenance and less entertainment.

Disney wants this type of outcome of the low spending guests to stop coming and let the big spenders spend to their hearts desire for services that used to be free .

Covid gave Disney the cover they needed to kick off their new business model for the parks

In the end, Disney will make more and more money while reducing expenses.

 

[Miffy]

If WDW starts charging a resort fee at their Mods and Deluxes (or maybe everywhere) and the reasoning would be "industry standard," then WDW should combine that with a loyalty program, which is also industry standard.

Heck, there wasn't even bounceback when we were there in May. Very disappointing.

 

[jade1]

Taking a sh*t

Or leaving one.

 

[dreiwhit]

I can see them jacking up the costs for Fuel Rods even more. But remember, you can always buy them on Amazon before you go. Disney Food Blog tells all their listeners nearly every couple of weeks to buy cell phone battery chargers before you leave home..

I got beaten up pretty badly on this board for suggesting that folks buy a cheaper and higher capacity fuel rod-type battery pack before they leave home. The consensus was that because it was Disney, it was the best thing in the world. IMHO, that's exactly the kind of attitude that folks need to stop having. Disney makes decisions on what is good for Disney corporate's bottom line, not for guests. Never think they have your best interests in mind.

From my experience in the corporate world, there are teams of people whose only job is to find ways to maximize profits. I guarantee you they have already come up with things people have mentioned, and then some. As a friend of mine is fond of saying, "Never underestimate the greed of the Mouse."

One thing I think they will start charging for is dropping people off and picking them up at the TTC. I can also see character meet & greets being a paid experience. Also, a charge for a "reserved table" at a counter service restaurant and banning outside food and drink.