Expect more premium events with recent organizational changes

[ptaylor]

Guest who participates - Has a new experience (positive for the guest)
Disney - Makes more money (positive for Disney)
Guest who does not participate - Literally nothing happens (neutral)

You will see more of this:

Guest who participates - Has an experience that was previously part of regular admission but now must pay for (negative for the guest)
Disney - Makes more money (positive for Disney)
Guest who does not participate - They can no longer do something they had previously done in regular admission (negative for the guest)

 

[rob0519]

Perhaps they will one day build a Pandora, Star Wars and Toy Story Lands and update Epcot.

Who knows?

Touche'

 

[CaptainAmerica]

Guest who participates - Has an experience that was previously part of regular admission but now must pay for (negative for the guest)
Guest who does not participate - They can no longer do something they had previously done in regular admission (negative for the guest)

The doom-and-gloomers have been threatening this kind of thing for five years at least and I still haven't seen a single actual example.

It doesn't matter what they come up with, or what previously-included experience it takes away.

Please explain. Enlighten me. Go ahead. I'd like to know what previously-included experience is now available as an up-charge only.

 

[ptaylor]

The doom-and-gloomers have been threatening this kind of thing for five years at least and I still haven't seen a single actual example.

One of the most recent would be Star Wars Galactic nights.

Disney discontinued Star Wars Weekends so that it could later be offered as a hard ticketed event.

What was previously included with park admission now costs $130, and even at that price it was watered down from the Star Wars Weekend offering.

 

[21stamps]

You will see more of this:

Guest who participates - Has an experience that was previously part of regular admission but now must pay for (negative for the guest)
Disney - Makes more money (positive for Disney)
Guest who does not participate - They can no longer do something they had previously done in regular admission (negative for the guest)

But here's the flaw in that statement, if the guest -who is paying-viewed it as a negative, then they wouldn't hand over their money.

I've never understood why people care so much about what other people are doing/not doing with their time and money.

 

[ptaylor]

But here's the flaw in that statement, if the guest -who is paying-viewed it as a negative, then they wouldn't hand over their money.

I've never understood why people care so much about what other people are doing/not doing with their time and money.

A lot of guests who take part in these upcharge events do so reluctantly, because there is no other choice if they wish to do what they could previously do with regular admission, OR they don't have any knowledge of what was included before, and how it has become an upcharge.

Disney is fortunate that a lot of guests are not very knowledgable about how things have changed.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

One of the most recent would be Star Wars Galactic nights.

Disney discontinued Star Wars Weekends so that it could later be offered as a hard ticketed event.

What was previously included with park admission now costs $130, and even at that price it was watered down from the Star Wars Weekend offering.

I take it you didn't spend much time at Star Wars Weekends in the final few years. It had become an unmitigated disaster. The park, in its current state, could not support those crowds.

 

[ptaylor]

I take it you didn't spend much time at Star Wars Weekends in the final few years. It had become an unmitigated disaster. The park, in its current state, could not support those crowds.

I attended at least a day of every weekend, so yes, very familiar.

And large crowds? Well that is what a capacity closing is for, if needed.

You are fooling yourself if you think it didn't have anything to do with moving it to a hard ticket event. Those in a revenue making capacity saw how popular it was and realized it could be a ticketed event. The Studios version of the MK cash cows known as Very Merry and Not-So-Scary.

 

[Casper Gutman]

Nothing endears a vacation destination to guests like the pervading stench of desperation.

There will always be a fairly limited group of people willing to pay for upcharge events. Brand loyalty to Disney is absolutely overwhelming in some portions of the fanbase. However, there will be more people who aren't happy about being told they need to pay more for a "fuller" experience, especially after the insane increases in park tickets and hotel rates. There are those who won't be charmed by Disney making their view of the park as a bottomless cash register explicit. There will be those who notice a steady, sharp decline in the overall guest experience as new upcharges are tacked on. There will be those who resent that things that used to be included in admission now cost money.

And there will come a moment - it's not here yet, it's probably not even close, but it will come - when those people stop coming in large enough numbers that it more then offsets the short-sighted gains made by milking the insanely loyal. And then the damage to the brand will be irreparable. But by then Iger and his management team will be gone.

Here's a question: which has been worse for WDW, the destruction of EPCOT or MM+? It's pretty close - MM+ was not only a terrible idea, it is the motivation behind a seemingly endless series of terrible ideas.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

There will be those who notice a steady, sharp decline in the overall guest experience as new upcharges are tacked on.

Your doom and gloomery is about a year behind schedule. Even the most negative critics are acknowledging that Disney has been on a major upswing lately. Don't worry, you'll figure it out soon and enough and you'll be able to catch up with the herd.

 

[Lets Respect]

Please explain. Enlighten me. Go ahead. I'd like to know what previously-included experience is now available as an up-charge only.

The Fastpasses for the MK fireworks (now a dessert party)
The Fastpasses for the Festival of Fantasy Parade (now a dining package)
Viewing the MK fireworks from the CR deck on certain nights (now taken up with the monorail party)

I'm sure I will think of more!

 

[Casper Gutman]

Your doom and gloomery is about a year behind schedule. Even the most negative critics are acknowledging that Disney has been on a major upswing lately. Don't worry, you'll figure it out soon and enough and you'll be able to catch up with the herd.

Yup, they opened a really cool new area and some new rides! After more than 15 years of continual neglect. And there's no real evidence that the terrible management philosophies that have harmed Disney for over a decade have changed. Even the cool new land bears the marks of those management philosophies - and next year Disney is opening an area that might as well be called "Cost-Cutting Land."

WDW is ABSOLUTELY moving in the right direction with Pandora and SWL. But we have little evidence that they intend to keep going. The roots of WDW's problems lie at a very deep level, embedded in the way the park is run, and the increase in upcharges indicates those problems are still prevalent.

WDW's problems are so deep, have existed for so long, and have caused so many problems its going to take a long, continuous effort before its clear they've corrected course.

And I'm quite happy to let the "herd" run on without me. That "herd" may not be as big as its members think, anyway.

 

[Kman101]

Sigh. Same old back and forth about these things. Some of you are turning around what many are saying about these offerings.

Many in this thread have said they don't mind certain things being offered.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

The Fastpasses for the MK fireworks (now a dessert party)
The Fastpasses for the Festival of Fantasy Parade (now a dining package)

Those options literally didn't exist prior to FP+, which everyone likes to complain about. They're not something that always existed but were taken away, they were something that never existed, then were added, then went away. Net zero impact.

Viewing the MK fireworks from the CR deck on certain nights (now taken up with the monorail party)

I'm sure I will think of more!

This one is just ridiculous. That's not an "experience," that's just standing in a place.

 

[Cmdr_Crimson]

 

[Kman101]

I attended at least a day of every weekend, so yes, very familiar.

And large crowds? Well that is what a capacity closing is for, if needed.

You are fooling yourself if you think it didn't have anything to do with moving it to a hard ticket event. Those in a revenue making capacity saw how popular it was and realized it could be a ticketed event. The Studios version of the MK cash cows known as Very Merry and Not-So-Scary.

You're wasting your breath trying to explain things to a few posters here who have decided that we hate all of the upcharges for one reason when they're not understanding the actual reason we dislike SOME upcharges.

 

[Lets Respect]

Those options literally didn't exist prior to FP+, which everyone likes to complain about. They're not something that always existed but were taken away, they were something that never existed, then were added, then went away. Net zero impact.

You let me know the date that I should start from then

 

[Lets Respect]

Wait until Star Wars Land. You ain't seen nothing yet

 

[seascape]

It must be just me because I signed up for the Music of Pixar dining package and am looking forward to it. The money is just a little more than the normal meal and I get the show I want. What is wrong with allowing those who want to pay extra for something?

 

[No Name]

Does anyone know more about Josh D'Amaro? I mean, he seems like a cool guy in photos and videos. And it seems like hardly anything's been cut operationally to compensate for longer park hours and more attractions that need to be staffed, which is great but very unusual these days. The parade is the only significant loss I see. But I don't know who to credit for that... maybe Josh, maybe not. I am just a poor outside observer.

If anyone knows anything and can share, that would be great.