WSJ: Even Disney Is Worried About The High Cost Of A Disney Vacation (gift link)

[HauntedPirate]

As a younger person, I often kinda wish I could experince the mythical “WDW in the 90s/back then” that everyone talks about. Alot of stuff looks cool. Though I’m sure it had its problems like wdw has now. Nostalgia is a funny thing for us fans. We probably see the past better than it was.

Though I do accept my fate of eventually being doomed to berate how WDW was “better back in my day” with no genie+, river, the rides, ect, and how “chapek and iger” muddled with everything. Its inevitable. Especially as an Epcot person.

The best one can do these days is to watch Martin's "Complete Ultimate Tribute" series on the original EPCOT Center pavilions (ok, fine, I'll tag @marni1971, so he knows someone is hyping some of the greatest video work ever when it comes to theme parks. You know I rarely tag you, so if I do, there's a reason ). Honestly the best use of 12 hours ever as a fan of the original park (not the bastardization it has become). It rarely had the problems seen in modern times because ride systems were 10 years old, not 40 years old (or 3-4 years old, in the case of 1992 and the Wonders of Life pavilion and Maelstrom). Mechanics over computerized components. Boats and omnimovers and people eaters. A park designed by greats.

 

[Streetway Again]

The best one can do these days is to watch Martin's "Complete Ultimate Tribute" series on the original EPCOT Center pavilions. Honestly the best use of 12 hours ever as a fan of the original park (not the bastardization it has become). It rarely had the problems seen in modern times because ride systems were 10 years old, not 40 years old (or 3-4 years old, in the case of 1992 and the Wonders of Life pavilion and Maelstrom). Mechanics over computerized components. Boats and omnimovers and people eaters. A park designed by greats.

Oh believe me, I’ve watched them many times. Incredible stuff! Though it does make me sad at times, knowing what the park would become.

 

[el_super]

I'm sorry but a bunch of E tickets isn't going to change much. Outside of MK, it's not really adding more to parks that need more than 10 attractions in them.

So we've gotten so deep into the doom and gloom conspiracies we're now convinced that building new attractions won't fix anything? So nothing can fix it and they are just doomed right?

 

[Agent H]

So we've gotten so deep into the doom and gloom conspiracies we're now convinced that building new attractions won't fix anything? So nothing can fix it and they are just doomed right?

EXACTLY by that logic epic universe won’t do anything to help universal either.

 

[Jrb1979]

So we've gotten so deep into the doom and gloom conspiracies we're now convinced that building new attractions won't fix anything? So nothing can fix it and they are just doomed right?

Not when they are replacements. The new AK attractions are replacing ones that have left. They really aren't gaining anything. They still are at 15 rides and attractions. IMO each Disney park should have close to equal amount of attractions. They should all be around the 40 mark.

 

[Agent H]

Not when they are replacements. The new AK attractions are replacing ones that have left. They really aren't gaining anything. They still are at 15 rides and attractions. IMO each Disney park should have close to equal amount of attractions. They should all be around the 40 mark.

You think more people won’t want to ride encanto and Indiana jones?

 

[Jrb1979]

EXACTLY by that logic epic universe won’t do anything to help universal either.

It's not really. There is a reason they are doing the 3 day ticket package cause they know that the other park will lose attendance to Epic Universe.

 

[mightynine]

You think more people won’t want to ride encanto and Indiana jones?

Not the point he was making. It's more about how Encanto and Indiana Jones are replacing attractions at AK are not additions to AK like Avatar was.

Not growing capacity over the years has been a complaint, especially since they've now tried to monetize that with Genie+MagicLightningFastDeluxeDreamSkipPassLane.

Though hopefully Encanto will have a better hourly guest capacity than Dinoland U.S.A. did!

 

[el_super]

Not when they are replacements. The new AK attractions are replacing ones that have left. They really aren't gaining anything.

They are gaining a new attraction. People tend to like those. They usually spend money to come see them.

They still are at 15 rides and attractions. IMO each Disney park should have close to equal amount of attractions. They should all be around the 40 mark.

Why? If your average guest can get 10 rides in a day, you want a resort that literally takes 16 days to see everything?

Building and operating so many attractions would also require a lot of money, and they would have to significantly raise prices. Do you really think they can support a 6x increase in admission prices to pay for all these attractions?

 

[Agent H]

Not the point he was making. It's more about how Encanto and Indiana Jones are replacing attractions at AK are not additions to AK like Avatar was.

Not growing capacity over the years has been a complaint, especially since they've now tried to monetize that with Genie+MagicLightningFastDeluxeDreamSkipPassLane.

Though hopefully Encanto will have a better hourly guest capacity than Dinoland U.S.A. did!

@Jrb1979 said this

The problem many overlook is if things continue with declining attendance, which will lower guest spending unless they raise prices again. If that does happen there is a good chance that a lot of these planed attractions have budget cuts.

I'm sorry but a bunch of E tickets isn't going to change much. Outside of MK, it's not really adding more to parks that need more than 10 attractions in them.

A bunch of e tickets isn’t going to change much? Yes because people never travel to go see those

 

[Jrb1979]

@Jrb1979 said this

A bunch of e tickets isn’t going to change much? Yes because people never travel to go see those

I was making 2 separate points. The attendance point has nothing to do with it changing much.

 

[Jrb1979]

They are gaining a new attraction. People tend to like those. They usually spend money to come see them.




Why? If your average guest can get 10 rides in a day, you want a resort that literally takes 16 days to see everything?

Building and operating so many attractions would also require a lot of money, and they would have to significantly raise prices. Do you really think they can support a 6x increase in admission prices to pay for all these attractions?

Not every attraction needs to be on the level of Rise. More Dumbo level attractions is what these parks need.

 

[mightynine]

A bunch of e tickets isn’t going to change much? Yes because people never travel to go see those

I'm not going to argue that something new won't generate interest - that's certainly what Disney hopes - but a potential Disney visitor will still have to consider the cost involved.

And if Disney's worried about public perception of costs now, what will that perception be when these things eventually open?

 

[el_super]

Not growing capacity over the years has been a complaint

Yeah that's part of the point here:

Before: Disney has a low cost/high volume business with no new attractions.
Complaint: Disney isn't building new attractions and they are doomed.

Now: Disney adopts a high cost/high churn model with new attractions.
Complaint: Disney is too expensive and no one will go so they are doomed.

Either way the glass is always half empty right?

 

[el_super]

Not every attraction needs to be on the level of Rise. More Dumbo level attractions is what these parks need.

People tend to complain when Disney builds cheap attractions.

 

[Agent H]

I'm not going to argue that something new won't generate interest - that's certainly what Disney hopes - but a potential Disney visitor will still have to consider the cost involved.

And if Disney's worried about public perception of costs now, what will that perception be when these things eventually open?

More or less the same. if prices rise at the same rate they are and the new attractions open to conteract that you get more or less the same amount of bad press as now. That’s under normal circumstances though the real wild card is weather the economy gets better or worse,

 

[Chi84]

I think those are the primary culprit…it triggers the “what does this ticket get me?” Impulse more by the day.

That’s the “trigger”

But just my opinion - the “afterhours premium experiency experiences” have finally been sniffed out for what they are: a shell game with capacity to charge double…essentially robbing the day guests

Oh I don’t think many people were ever confused about what they are.

 

[Jrb1979]

People tend to complain when Disney builds cheap attractions.

IMO it's cause Disney makes a big production of new additions. What they should do is announce the big things at D23. Announce smaller additions through social media.

 

[Agent H]

I was making 2 separate points. The attendance point has nothing to do with it changing much.

I’m confused. If attendance isn’t “it” then what’s “it”? Capacity?

 

[Jrb1979]

Oh I don’t think many people were ever confused about what they are.

IMO what is hurting them the most is going away from that all inclusive feel they used to have. While Disney was always high priced, once you paid for it, almost everything was included when you got there.