Disney board room - "Who?"
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Fountain & Bottled Drink, Popcorn, Pretzel, and Other Snack Item Prices Exponentially
- Thread starter David M
- Start date
Disney board room - "Who?"
LAM378
Well-Known Member
Economics isn’t my strong point, but I tend to think that guests would buy more bottles of water at a $2 price point. There’s a perceived value there. “It’s hot, we’re at a theme park, my family of 4 needs hydration. $8? Not bad. Take my money.” Same guest does the same thing 90 minutes later.
Sure, there are some guests—some—who won’t bat an eye at paying $4 a bottle, and will buy 4 at a time for the family. But I think the average American guest will feel annoyed and taken advantage of, and I think it might even bother the first-timers more than the repeat guests like us. $4 for a bottle of water is ridiculous anytime, anywhere in America. It just is, and we all know it. Nobody’s gonna be buying as much water as they want to drink, despite it being 90 degrees, and most first-timers (and many old-timers) don’t even realize they can get free water at a QS.
These increases are exorbitant and blatant. None of these prices needed to go up by 25% (or more). The guest gets nothing extra in return for their extra money (significant extra money over the course of a weeklong trip). This, to me, is just Disney raising prices because they can. They’re a business and can do that, just like I can spend my money there or not.
But when it comes on the heels of the ridiculous parking fees, and CM cuts that are already negatively affecting operations and maintenance around the parks and resorts, it’s just insulting. I’m used to spending a lot of money on WDW trips, in large part because I enjoy feeling like a valued guest when I visit. Paying 25% more across the board for snacks and drinks doesn’t make me feel valued; it makes me feel like a sucker.
Sure, there are some guests—some—who won’t bat an eye at paying $4 a bottle, and will buy 4 at a time for the family. But I think the average American guest will feel annoyed and taken advantage of, and I think it might even bother the first-timers more than the repeat guests like us. $4 for a bottle of water is ridiculous anytime, anywhere in America. It just is, and we all know it. Nobody’s gonna be buying as much water as they want to drink, despite it being 90 degrees, and most first-timers (and many old-timers) don’t even realize they can get free water at a QS.
These increases are exorbitant and blatant. None of these prices needed to go up by 25% (or more). The guest gets nothing extra in return for their extra money (significant extra money over the course of a weeklong trip). This, to me, is just Disney raising prices because they can. They’re a business and can do that, just like I can spend my money there or not.
But when it comes on the heels of the ridiculous parking fees, and CM cuts that are already negatively affecting operations and maintenance around the parks and resorts, it’s just insulting. I’m used to spending a lot of money on WDW trips, in large part because I enjoy feeling like a valued guest when I visit. Paying 25% more across the board for snacks and drinks doesn’t make me feel valued; it makes me feel like a sucker.
eliza61nyc
Well-Known Member
But that's all it is. A faceless name. It's just like kate spade she sold her company to Coach yes it retains her name but basically Coach runs the show. Then she complained she did not like how her brand was being merchandised.
No they don't give a patootie about how "Walt" did it. I worked for Dupont, as long as a family members were on the board, they made sure quality was #1. once they left and various CEOs came aboard the emphasis became increase shareholder value. We started saying it was "chemistry by stockholder ".
Now I'm not saying that's the right or wrong way to run a business but I am saying that thinking these major corporations are sitting around thinking "what would Walt do" may be a bit naive.
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draybook
Well-Known Member
This is what we've been doing now. I'd much rather rent a full house off-site for less than a value room and put those savings into our own food and other areas.
backinaction
Well-Known Member
We've been staying in a nice condo on a golf resort about 5 minutes outside property . We can get a two bedroom, two bathroom condo w/ full kitchen and jacuzzi tub IN the room for the price of a normal hotel room at the pop century. It's really a no brainer at this point. Plus we eat outside the parks and save a ton of money also.
draybook
Well-Known Member
What pushed us out was the fact that with the addition of the two little ones, we're now a family of 6. I think we all know how expensive those rooms can be to accommodate such a family. Last October we had a 3/2 with a private pool and we were maybe 10 minutes away. No brainer.
John park hopper
Well-Known Member
I agree with you completely
I was at the local discount store yesterday (Dollar General) and noticed they had a pack of 32 16 oz bottled water for the ungodly price of $3.50 and Disney charges $4.00 for one. Even factoring in ice to keep it cold and CM to sell it --- IMO way over priced and why -- Disney has a monopoly and they will charge whatever they want. Guests are nothing more than $ signs
Why would anyone buy water or soda when Disney gives free cups of ice water? I will never understand those here who keep complaining about soda prices especially since soda is not good for you.
LAM378
Well-Known Member
Lots of reasons I can think of. The free water is great, but I don’t always want to stop at a crowded QS for it. It’s harder to carry a lidless cup of ice water around. Can’t leave it in the stroller or backpack. Can’t take it on a ride. It tastes funny, depending on the QS. Many people don’t know free water is an option, or don’t know that they should bring flavor packs to make it tastier.
These aren’t even my reasons, btw. Last month I took a $7 roundtrip Uber to buy cases of water at the Speedway station, and we packed 12 cold waters in the stroller every day for our party of 9. Some of us brought refillable bottles for the free water, and we’d get plenty of cups of it at every QS (and TS—fun fact that they’ll give you as many cups of water as you’d like, also, as you’re on the way out the door).
So we brought our own water, refilled our bottles often, and still found ourselves buying probably 10 bottles a day in the parks. Sometimes QS lines weren’t worth the wait, sometimes QS’s were closing down, sometimes we were just dying of heat and needed water fast. And we are a group of Disney pros who came prepared and had a stroller to stash the water and the bottles.
As for soda, people like it, drink it, and will complain when it’s ridiculously overpriced, even though they know it’s unhealthy. This is especially true on vacation, when people like to throw healthy habits by the wayside, for better or worse.
Apples and oranges. The bottles Disney sells are 20 oz bottles...
Or... 512oz of water for $3.50 or 20oz of water for $4.00.
I wonder how quickly Disney would escort someone off-property if they were to start selling 16oz, or even 20oz, bottles of water from a cooler for $1 each, say, at the exit of the bus stops.
John park hopper
Well-Known Member
The price increases for snacks is only the tip of the iceberg; increases are across the board for just about everything
No--- water is water
Or... 512oz of water for $3.50 or 20oz of water for $4.00.
Let's break it down...
The store where you buy 512 ounces for $3.50 doesn't have anywhere near the overhead Disney has. They just take it off the truck, park a pallet on the floor, and let you carry it out 32 bottles at a time.
Disney has to (a) truck it in, (b) break it down, (c) cool it down, (d) roll it into the park, and then (e) have someone standing there to sell it to you. Plus, there's the costs of the infrastructure to let you charge it to your MagicBand, the people leaving ESPN in droves, and Iger's Golden Parachute they have to pay for, too.
Besides, I think you both missed the sarcasm in my remark...
I got the sarcasm.
Now, some of my own...Ah, I understand now. When you take all of that into consideration, I don't see how Disney can see bottles of water so cheaply. They're a steal at $4 for a 20oz bottle of water! Buy as many as you can and stick it to The Disney Man! (Hey, that unintentionally rhymed
) They'll be $8/bottle before you know it, and even at that low price Disney will be making a scant $7.50/bottle in profit. I'm not sure how they keep the lights on with prices as low as they are.
John park hopper
Well-Known Member
I got the sarcasm.
Ah, I understand now. When you take all of that into consideration, I don't see how Disney can see bottles of water so cheaply. They're a steal at $4 for a 20oz bottle of water! Buy as many as you can and stick it to The Disney Man! (Hey, that unintentionally rhymed
Now that you have put it in those terms how selfish of me to think Disney was price gouging. I have seen the light and willingly march to the consession stand alter and pay my $4.00. If only they had a donation jar I could pay more to ease my conscience
Frankie The Beer
Well-Known Member
As the old saying goes, if you have to ask how much something costs you probably can't afford it.
eliza61nyc
Well-Known Member
What about Universal or Atlantis or cruises? Do folks get upset at their 3.59 bottle of soda or lol is 3.99 the line in the sand?
eliza61nyc
Well-Known Member
On RC its only unlimited if you get the "drink" package which I think a few years ago was 55 pp.Soda is unlimited on DCL. I'm good.
Just looked it up its 26 bucks per person per day for the soda and water package.