Reservation expansion

[Disney Glimpses]

OMG I had no idea that was going on on this scale. Casual parkgoers must be mystified by this, I can't believe it's an attempt to bypass the reservations? AP's in protest? This must really create some quicksand at the turnstiles.

I really hate it when I choose the wrong turnstile, they must all be wrong now, levels the playing field.

Most people who go to Disney don’t have 1% of the knowledge we do about the operations. As things stand right now, a common phrase used among guests is “you need to have Disney PhD to vacation here.” And that’s something that is shifting them towards the old normal, for those types of guests.

 

[correcaminos]

I just know the reservation system allows them to have their cake and eat it to. The new program will reflect that. How far they will take it, no clue.

Interestingly they started sales of AP for DVC and FL residents not wanting the Incredipass. So maybe it won't be as bad as I think. Most of the time we are resort guests. But AP slots were always more plentiful and I guessed because they feared a lawsuit in Florida. Unlike DLR I know FL APs are not the same mix percentage wise. Less day travelers with one

 

[LuvtheGoof]

It's like any other company that has an open job request for a year, or who "temporarily" delays filling a job for year because of budget issues. We've probably all worked for one that's done this type of thing. Those are all really decisions to just work with less staff.

I've worked for a few that have job openings available for more than a year because they weren't willing to pay a proper salary for the position that they wanted to fill. I think Disney is going through this right now. If they were willing to loosen the purse strings a bit, they could easily get people back, but because they want cheap, they have issues getting people. It really isn't rocket science Disney. Pull your head out and pay people.

 

[Disney Glimpses]

I've worked for a few that have job openings available for more than a year because they weren't willing to pay a proper salary for the position that they wanted to fill. I think Disney is going through this right now. If they were willing to loosen the purse strings a bit, they could easily get people back, but because they want cheap, they have issues getting people. It really isn't rocket science Disney. Pull your head out and pay people.

They don’t want to set a precedence of higher pay, which would cost them millions if not billions of dollars over the years. Sure, they could temporarily increase wages but realistically speaking, they could never reduce pay for new hires.

They just think this is a storm they can weather until it blows over.

 

[Disney Glimpses]

Oof, seems like the AP sale stuff was a mistake. Whoops!

 

[mmascari]

Either without a reservation, wrong reservation or too early to hop. Mostly day ticket and resort guests as they are least likely to understand the system.

Reading what both of you have been posting, I could see a scenario where you are both right.

If they keep the current system exactly as-is, but also add the ability to reserve a second park to allow moving to it prior to 2:00 PM, or possibly not require tapping in at the first park if you have a second reservation.

Both of those would be an "improvement" to the current system. I would argue not a great improvement.

Especially if the reservation pool is the same. On our trip, on most days only EPCOT had available reservations. Which would make the option of a second reservation to hop early useless. It would be just as good to have an Update option to park pass, so you could switch the reserved park in a single transaction.

This has the sounds of allowing hopping prior to 2:00 but none of the actual implementation to make it useful. The hopping restrictions of 2:00 PM AND the tap in first requirement were both super annoying. They need to completely eliminate the tapping in first, and make the time earlier. Anything else is just lipstick on a pig.

 

[LuvtheGoof]

They don’t want to set a precedence of higher pay, which would cost them millions if not billions of dollars over the years. Sure, they could temporarily increase wages but realistically speaking, they could never reduce pay for new hires.

They just think this is a storm they can weather until it blows over.

That's because the idiots in charge only think of the next quarter, and not the long term health of the company. Sadly, it's been that way since Iger took over, and Chapek is just doubling down on it.

 

[The Colonel]

I'm going to guess that this was a misunderstanding/miscommunication with the CM. Something was lost in translation.

If this is a capacity issue they want to address, stop selling or limit the number of park hoppers. Of course existing APs would be excluded from that restriction, or they could start selling non- park-hopper APs.

 

[mmascari]

I agree with you to a certain extent. The local radio is constantly playing Ads for hiring events for WDW. They probably do have a real shortage. I assume a good amount of their previous staff has moved on to bigger and better things.

That's still a choice. A choice that they're not competing in the marketplace of workers good enough to either pull off the bench or steal from other employers.

I mean, if I told you I never go to the movies anymore because there are no baby sitters available at all. If it was just a short period of time, that could be true that supply of baby sitters was exhausted. But, if it's over a long time, it really means that I'm not offering enough incentive to baby sit for me vs sitting home watching Disney+. The latter is clearly all my fault not some baby sitter shortage.

 

[Disney Glimpses]

Reading what both of you have been posting, I could see a scenario where you are both right.

If they keep the current system exactly as-is, but also add the ability to reserve a second park to allow moving to it prior to 2:00 PM, or possibly not require tapping in at the first park if you have a second reservation.

Both of those would be an "improvement" to the current system. I would argue not a great improvement.

Especially if the reservation pool is the same. On our trip, on most days only EPCOT had available reservations. Which would make the option of a second reservation to hop early useless. It would be just as good to have an Update option to park pass, so you could switch the reserved park in a single transaction.

This has the sounds of allowing hopping prior to 2:00 but none of the actual implementation to make it useful. The hopping restrictions of 2:00 PM AND the tap in first requirement were both super annoying. They need to completely eliminate the tapping in first, and make the time earlier. Anything else is just lipstick on a pig.

They want to both remove the 2pm restriction and ensure that reservations don’t result in clogged mornings and slow evenings. They are tough to keep up with so I’m not surprised someone else has different information, but they are looking to ease the burden/complexity.

 

[LuvtheGoof]

They want to both remove the 2pm restriction and ensure that reservations don’t result in clogged mornings and slow evenings. They are tough to keep up with so I’m not surprised someone else has different information, but they are looking to ease the burden/complexity.

Hey, I've been hearing reports from a few AP holders that visit the parks only in the evenings, and they say that most attractions are walk-ons. I hope that doesn't change anytime soon.

 

[bhg469]

I've worked for a few that have job openings available for more than a year because they weren't willing to pay a proper salary for the position that they wanted to fill. I think Disney is going through this right now. If they were willing to loosen the purse strings a bit, they could easily get people back, but because they want cheap, they have issues getting people. It really isn't rocket science Disney. Pull your head out and pay people.

You make a very valid point.. Rent is out of control down here and it cannot be possible to live on what they pay.

 

[trainplane3]

Most people who go to Disney don’t have 1% of the knowledge we do about the operations. As things stand right now, a common phrase used among guests is “you need to have Disney PhD to vacation here.” And that’s something that is shifting them towards the old normal, for those types of guests.

Incredibly true.
I had a trip planned for July. A friend and relative were planning for June (back in February/March). When they started reading into how to even do a WDW trip, they came to me for advice. After an hour long "meeting" they decided to have their trip be the same time as mine +1 day because "to hell with figuring this mess out". Also got a room in the same hotel as us.

The friend was last here 5 years ago and was blown away with how complicated it is now.

Their relative is glad they're coming with a...sigh..."pro". At least that person doesn't care for large attractions so that'll make the trip much easier.

A vacation should never, ever be this hard to plan out. It literally intimidates potential guests. While pre-covid it was somewhat hard, it wasn't horrible to explain things out. But introducing park reservations and park hop times really makes the entire process so much more difficult for new people. I feel bad for anyone trying to learn this mess.

 

[bhg469]

Hey, I've been hearing reports from a few AP holders that visit the parks only in the evenings, and they say that most attractions are walk-ons. I hope that doesn't change anytime soon.

We visit in the evenings and while we mostly just go to epcot to stroll around, the popular rides seem to be the same to me.

 

[SaucyBoy]

You make a very valid point.. Rent is out of control down here and it cannot be possible to live on what they pay.

Sky high rent is why I left central FL in 2020. I took a huge pay cut leaving but it balances out because the cost of living in substantially cheaper in eastern NC...for now

 

[bhg469]

Sky high rent is why I left central FL in 2020. I took a huge pay cut leaving but it balances out because the cost of living in substantially cheaper in eastern NC...for now

If it was high in 2020 you would p00p yourself now!! We moved in exactly a year ago. Our rent in a really nice place in hunters creek was 1800. We looked at absolute dumps that were only $50 cheaper so we opted for the nicer apartment. Our renewal was up $300 for another 12 month lease. $400 for 6 months.. If we opted for month to month because we were looking at houses the wanted $4000 a month..

 

[Disney Glimpses]

The fact is Disney offers a lower wage for people to operate their premium offerings (for which we pay through the nose for) than average offerings like Six Flags. In many ways it’s kind of pathetic. And this doesn’t stop at the CMs in the parks. All the way through imagineering, software development, etc. They are no longer hiring the best because of the Disney brand.

 

[GhostHost1000]

Oof, seems like the AP sale stuff was a mistake. Whoops!

Disney daily - "whoops!"

 

[JTH781]

I hope this does not become a thing its allready complicated enough to go to the parks.

 

[mmascari]

They want to both remove the 2pm restriction and ensure that reservations don’t result in clogged mornings and slow evenings. They are tough to keep up with so I’m not surprised someone else has different information, but they are looking to ease the burden/complexity.

The TAP in first requirement is actually worse than the 2:00 restriction.

• If they kept 2:00 and eliminated tap in first, guests could go directly to the "second" park. Better than today.
• If they changed to 12:00 and eliminated tap in first, guests could go directly to the "second" park earlier. Much better than today.
• If they changed to 10:00 AM but keep the tap in first, guests would still be forced to go to the first park first. Barely better and would make the early time nearly useless.
• If they allow a second reservation from the same reservation pool to both go before 2:00 and not tap in first, slightly better but nearly useless in practice as most parks have no reservations available.

As a guest, the second option is the improvement I would want. As management trying to force guest distribution, the fourth sounds more likely. While it appears to be an improvement, I would argue it's not really better at all. In fact, operationally it may be so hard to make use of it that it just feels worse than the existing process. Like they said "here you can do this, psych not really".

The TAP in first requirement is most easily met at DHS or EPCOT by resort guests staying at EPCOT or on the Skyliner. Make the wrong reservation for a day while staying at a monorail resort and you're on the bus for an hour just to tap in.