News Splash Mountain retheme to Princess and the Frog - Tiana's Bayou Adventure

[Bocabear]

you dont have to pay for genie+when you go to the park, you can still use standby lines for rides that have them.

"that have them".... Ratatouille will be opening without a standby line... ROTR has no standby line... I think it is the beginning of something.
Hate to be a doom and gloomer about it, but when your vacation needs a $15 day app in order to do a modest roster of rides with additionally paid upcharges for some of the rides, there is a problem. Maybe they need to raise the ticket prices again and include the app? Not sure. The ticket prices keep rising, the parks are always at capacity, and there are no net gains in attractions... I see a future with all "E Ticket" attractions requiring an upcharge, and your $100 ticket covering just the basic park entrance fee and a few of the lowest tier attraction...
Something feels not right about this... well. to me anyway.

 

[GimpYancIent]

"that have them".... Ratatouille will be opening without a standby line... ROTR has no standby line... I think it is the beginning of something.
Hate to be a doom and gloomer about it, but when your vacation needs a $15 day app in order to do a modest roster of rides with additionally paid upcharges for some of the rides, there is a problem. Maybe they need to raise the ticket prices again and include the app? Not sure. The ticket prices keep rising, the parks are always at capacity, and there are no net gains in attractions... I see a future with all "E Ticket" attractions requiring an upcharge, and your $100 ticket covering just the basic park entrance fee and a few of the lowest tier attraction...
Something feels not right about this... well. to me anyway.

Problem? Yes! A problem obscured by the blinding vision of money. Just as Disney management believes they are clever with gradual increased fees / charges the long term results will prove not so clever as the patronage changes / begins to drop gradually. For now the "parks are always at capacity" is true but all the effects of the evolving pricing models have not come to full impact.

 

[Bocabear]

Problem? Yes! A problem obscured by the blinding vision of money. Just as Disney management believes they are clever with gradual increased fees / charges the long term results will prove not so clever as the patronage changes / begins to drop gradually. For now the "parks are always at capacity" is true but all the effects of the evolving pricing models have not come to full impact.

seems like they used to be clever gradual increases and upcharges, but now it's like full-throttle money grab!

 

[James Alucobond]

"that have them".... Ratatouille will be opening without a standby line... ROTR has no standby line... I think it is the beginning of something.
Hate to be a doom and gloomer about it, but when your vacation needs a $15 day app in order to do a modest roster of rides with additionally paid upcharges for some of the rides, there is a problem. Maybe they need to raise the ticket prices again and include the app? Not sure. The ticket prices keep rising, the parks are always at capacity, and there are no net gains in attractions... I see a future with all "E Ticket" attractions requiring an upcharge, and your $100 ticket covering just the basic park entrance fee and a few of the lowest tier attraction...
Something feels not right about this... well. to me anyway.

That literally harms everyone because then you're paying more no matter what for what is basically just day-of FastPass+ including all of the problems that came with it. For Genie+ to function as intended, they need it to only be available to a smaller percentage of the guests each day in order to avoid impacting standby lines as much as FastPass+ did. Whether or not the current price point will strike the appropriate balance between the Lightning Lane versus standby remains to be seen, but with capacity being what it is, giving the service to absolutely everyone doesn't really satisfy anyone but the most avid gamers of the system.

 

[GimpYancIent]

That literally harms everyone because then you're paying more no matter what for what is basically just day-of FastPass+ including all of the problems that came with it. For Genie+ to function as intended, they need it to only be available to a smaller percentage of the guests each day in order to avoid impacting standby lines as much as FastPass+ did. Whether or not the current price point will strike the appropriate balance between the Lightning Lane versus standby remains to be seen, but with capacity being what it is, giving the service to absolutely everyone doesn't really satisfy anyone but the most avid gamers of the system.

RoTR is the big test as there is no stand by line. Now to ride RoTR there will be an additional fee. So will a stand-by line be installed now? I see no big ridership effect to Splash and most other rides. If anything once rethemed guests will want to ride Splash to experience the updated version and decide if it is liked or not.

 

[Bocabear]

This is the beginning of pay for play attraction upcharges everywhere...Until people stop saying "Disney Is A Business" and push back on yet another money grab, it is going to continue until they reach that tipping point when people literally cannot afford it anymore.

 

[James Alucobond]

RoTR is the big test as there is no stand by line. Now to ride RoTR there will be an additional fee. So will a stand-by line be installed now?

Rumor is that there will be standby in the somewhat near future, if I recall correctly. Bringing it back around to the virtual queue since the fear of it being implemented with Splash Mountain after the re-theme was the reason it was brought up in this topic to begin with, I really do think it's something they're only likely to implement when an attraction first launches and interest is wholly unmanageable. Unmanageable interest in Rise has just been historically long-lived, in part because of its low capacity. As much as leadership might like the idea of everyone shopping while they wait for their virtual appointment to pop up, it's not logistically feasible. They need people standing in queues to manage crowds.

 

[ImperfectPixie]

"that have them".... Ratatouille will be opening without a standby line... ROTR has no standby line... I think it is the beginning of something.
Hate to be a doom and gloomer about it, but when your vacation needs a $15 day app in order to do a modest roster of rides with additionally paid upcharges for some of the rides, there is a problem. Maybe they need to raise the ticket prices again and include the app? Not sure. The ticket prices keep rising, the parks are always at capacity, and there are no net gains in attractions... I see a future with all "E Ticket" attractions requiring an upcharge, and your $100 ticket covering just the basic park entrance fee and a few of the lowest tier attraction...
Something feels not right about this... well. to me anyway.

It's very "traveling carnival" and not "world-class vacation destination".

 

[GimpYancIent]

This is the beginning of pay for play attraction upcharges everywhere...Until people stop saying "Disney Is A Business" and push back on yet another money grab, it is going to continue until they reach that tipping point when people literally cannot afford it anymore.

Agree, but, Disney is a business the public / customers / guests can have an impact on the operation / performance and pricing model of that business. I believe it will not be that people cannot afford it anymore (for some that may be true) but rather the value / benefit / enjoyment, quality of experience (that return for what is spent) that will be so diminished that going to a Disney property will not be worth it. Pay for Play works only when there is a value to the "play" part of the equation.

 

[Tha Realest]

This is the beginning of pay for play attraction upcharges everywhere...Until people stop saying "Disney Is A Business" and push back on yet another money grab, it is going to continue until they reach that tipping point when people literally cannot afford it anymore.

You're exactly right. What has Chapek said at shareholder meetings (where, if he was lying, the SEC would come a knocking):

• Emphasizing need to secure more revenue per customer
• The massive expenditures on the tech behind Genie for years (estimated in the hundreds of millions, if not exceeding a billion?)
• How Genie is MDE "on steroids"

This emphasis and expenditures is not just so they could get a fee on one or two rides. It's a way of monetizing everything in the park, and functionally punishing those who do not pay.

 

[ImperfectPixie]

Agree, but, Disney is a business the public / customers / guests can have an impact on the operation / performance and pricing model of that business. I believe it will not be that people cannot afford it anymore (for some that may be true) but rather the value / benefit / enjoyment, quality of experience (that return for what is spent) that will be so diminished that going to a Disney property will not be worth it. Pay for Play works only when there is a value to the "play" part of the equation.

If Disney fans would grow a spine, Disney would have no choice but to listen. Electronic Arts comes to mind.

 

[Tha Realest]

Pay for Play works only when there is a value to the "play" part of the equation.

Ever try to catch an Uber during surge pricing? I may gripe about the cost, but the other option is to walk. Put yourself in the shoes of a dad that's dropped a few thousand to get in the parks and have certain experiences for the family. You lost the ROTR lottery and now your kid is upset they haven't been able to ride HM. It's hot. You're at wits' end. You're frugal to a fault, but...what's another $80 dollars at this point?

 

[GimpYancIent]

If Disney fans would grow a spine, Disney would have no choice but to listen. Electronic Arts comes to mind.

Disenchantment is a heartbreaking experience that takes time. I believe the guests are just now starting to come to their senses.

 

[GimpYancIent]

Ever try to catch an Uber during surge pricing? I may gripe about the cost, but the other option is to walk. Put yourself in the shoes of a dad that's dropped a few thousand to get in the parks and have certain experiences for the family. You lost the ROTR lottery and now your kid is upset they haven't been able to ride HM. It's hot. You're at wits' end. You're frugal to a fault, but...what's another $80 dollars at this point?

Kind of a John Hammond moment type of thing "Spare No Expense".

 

[ImperfectPixie]

Kind of a John Hammond moment type of thing "Spare No Expense".

Disney needs an Ian Malcolm. "...they never stopped to think if they should".

 

[dsinclair]

seems like they used to be clever gradual increases and upcharges, but now it's like full-throttle money grab!

Sneaky increases that are intended to be obscured from the customer are far more devious and "evil". It's odd that that method is being used as an example of good corporate behavior.

 

[Tha Realest]

FWIW, the stock is down a bit since they rolled out this plan, and, notwithstanding Disney+'s perceived growth and the Parks' return to profitability, it's down since the start of the year. The rest of the DJIA is up 17% for the year. Take that for what you will.

 

[SamusAranX]

It's very "traveling carnival" and not "world-class vacation destination".

Hmmm. I feel like there was some long dead businessman and visionary who hated tacky carnivals and fairs and set out to do something different. Anyone remember that guys name?

 

[patsfan24]

Planning a trip for next November. I am thinking splash will almost definitely be down for the re-theme refurb at that point - is this the consensus among this group?

 

[James Alucobond]

Planning a trip for next November. I am thinking splash will almost definitely be down for the re-theme refurb at that point - is this the consensus among this group?

No one actually knows (or if they do, they’re not saying), but I think the consensus is actually that it likely won’t close in WDW until after the 50th. So summer 2023 or so as an earliest reasonable closing. All guesswork, though.