News Early Entry Eliminated at Disneyland - Will Walt Disney World Be Next?

[dmw]

So.... basically DLR guests get a LLSP (wdw equivalent). Definitely not as good as the early entry for DLR guests, or even WDW guests.

I wish Disney (all parks) would follow the Dollywood model. Dollywood has three levels of their TimeSaver. Resort guests get the 5 attraction TimeSaver (the lowest level), with some ride restrictions/limitations. But, resort guests also get the Golden Hour benefit that Gold and higher passholders get. Golden hour is unlimited TimeSaver use during the first hour of park operations.

 

[ToTBellHop]

Disneyland operates very differently from WDW, especially when it comes to packages and the DVC resorts. There is also a much longer, robust extended hour history.

They are desperate to keep their 40000 rooms full. Cuts won’t be explored until they can more easily fill rooms. No early entry at 45% off room rates ain’t it.

Perhaps free LLMP every day but even that I doubt. They wouldn’t want to sacrifice that LL money.

 

[StarWarsGirl]

heck the replacement should give them LL access for an entire day. They only charge like $32ish for a day of lightning lane, and at the cost of a nights stay at Disneyland… they could give them one day of LL.

That's what I thought as well given the cost of the hotels. I believe it's what Uni does as well.

I prefer the LL offer to the 30 minutes early because I am a night owl and always have been in the park late when I've stayed at GC with my parents (I stay off-site when I'm by myself...I don't make THAT much ) but free LL would be even better considering the cost of those hotels.

 

[ToTBellHop]

That's what I thought as well given the cost of the hotels. I believe it's what Uni does as well.

I prefer the LL offer to the 30 minutes early because I am a night owl and always have been in the park late when I've stayed at GC with my parents (I stay off-site when I'm by myself...I don't make THAT much ) but free LL would be even better considering the cost of those hotels.

1 ride per stay is just stupid, however. Don’t they want to promote multi-night stays?

 

[surfsupdon]

Just returned from Disneyland a week or so ago. Rope drop isn’t a necessity because there are so many awesome rides all over the place between the two parks.

WDW is different. We have fewer attractions and they are spread out so far in different parks (plus the underdevelopment of parks) that rope drops is the only way to do it sometimes, to avoid crazy long lines.

 

[Wendy Pleakley]

Just returned from Disneyland a week or so ago. Rope drop isn’t a necessity because there are so many awesome rides all over the place between the two parks.

WDW is different. We have fewer attractions and they are spread out so far in different parks (plus the underdevelopment of parks) that rope drops is the only way to do it sometimes, to avoid crazy long lines.

Very true. The first hour at Disneyland for all guests is very different than WDW.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

So they're testing it at DL first to see how it goes.
I agree that a replacement should include at least 1 LL per day.

heck the replacement should give them LL access for an entire day. They only charge like $32ish for a day of lightning lane, and at the cost of a nights stay at Disneyland… they could give them one day of LL.

Why would they give you stuff you’ll pay for?

…see the slippery slope…foretold for many years

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

that rope drops is the only way to do it sometimes, to avoid crazy long lines.

…and the management wants that?

 

[Dad 2 M & M]

That's what I thought as well given the cost of the hotels. I believe it's what Uni does as well.

I prefer the LL offer to the 30 minutes early because I am a night owl and always have been in the park late when I've stayed at GC with my parents (I stay off-site when I'm by myself...I don't make THAT much ) but free LL would be even better considering the cost of those hotels.

I’d prefer the LL as well as we are also more of the night owl type. I will say being in any Park early, like before 10:00 a.m. one call really tell a difference in volume, especially if riding 2nd tier rides…..

With that said, I wonder how many actually have used the early entry??

If you arrive 30 mins BEFORE the early entry you can at least scan in and be in the Park (usually still have an “inner rope”) while non Resort Guests have to wait.

However, if you arrive DURING 30 mins BEFORE Early Entry, many times you’ll see they’re letting EVERYONE in, not just the Resort Guests….minimal benefit unless you arrive way way early….

And, the e-ticket ride line are sooooo long anyway

 

[Andrew C]

Well, this kinda stinks for anyone staying more than one night.

 

[HairyLegPirate]

Granted I have gone during the summer but when I have gone, early mornings are well attended. I sense spin happening here.

Disney PR spinning an inevitably unpopular decision driven solely by the bean counters? Nah, I don't buy it, doesn't sound like them.

 

[Just JBC]

Interesting that they cite low guest usage. My mom came into town last month and stayed at GCH; from what I saw I would have guessed every single guest of that hotel used the offer. If anything, 30 minutes was way too short since the security line takes as long as it does.

I think that's part of the problem. People who are staying at $1,000 per night hotels don't want to spend 20 (or 30) minutes of their 30 minutes of early entry waiting in line to get through security. Especially at the Grand Cal, where there aren't that many ways to exit into the parks and because you are literally right there, the mindset seems to be that you can roll out of bed, show up right at the start of early entry, and take full advantage ... only to find yourself in line behind everyone else with the same idea. I feel like when it was 1 hour early entry, there were still complaints but at least more people got some private time in the parks.

If they are claiming low guest usage - I can only assume that they are only counting people who actually scanned into the park prior to regular entry, not all of the people who were waiting in lines for security or who gave up after deciding they couldn't face a long line that early in the morning.

We are going right at the switch from the old to new policy. It will be interesting to see how this all works. Right now, I'm not super happy.

 

[surfsupdon]

…and the management wants that?

I think that they do. Do you agree? They would rather early mornings, which in turn can close the parks earlier. The shift from evening hours to morning hours has been felt by all who have been going to WDW since the 90s.

It was refreshing that Dland, under different management, had parks open till 10p and 12a nightly, on weeknights!

 

[flynnibus]

They likely won't lose anything. Disneyland Resort hotels are a very scarce commodity compared to WDW and they don't need major incentives to fill them.

People will stop filling them if they don't see a reason to stay there. Only the GCH really has irreplaceable elements due to the location. The DLH isn't really anything special.. and Pixar is a joke. They can charge a premium because of the people that think they 'need' to be at a Disney hotel.

It used to be that most of the close walking hotels were lower end properties.. and ART for a better property was a burden compared to walking from something close like the DLH. But more and more mid-tier properties have opened close to the gate... and that's only going to get more accessible when the eastern gateway stuff happens.

Imagine how much of those hotels is filled by AP rate bookings.. who is paying $550+/night for pixar pier if it's just a hotel with some theming?

You can usually get bookings at DLR hotels because they are priced absurd. When Disney takes away the very first thing they list on their webpages on what makes them unique.. excess demand isn't going to soak up that loss.

Let's face it.. this is an OpEx savings. Reducing park hours is easy savings.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

I think that they do. Do you agree? They would rather early mornings, which in turn can close the parks earlier. The shift from evening hours to morning hours has been felt by all who have been going to WDW since the 90s.

It was refreshing that Dland, under different management, had parks open till 10p and 12a nightly, on weeknights!

Perhaps…but it’s more about lighting lane

To be clear: lighting is revenue with no overhead…in essence.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

People will stop filling them if they don't see a reason to stay there. Only the GCH really has irreplaceable elements due to the location. The DLH isn't really anything special.. and Pixar is a joke. They can charge a premium because of the people that think they 'need' to be at a Disney hotel.

It used to be that most of the close walking hotels were lower end properties.. and ART for a better property was a burden compared to walking from something close like the DLH. But more and more mid-tier properties have opened close to the gate... and that's only going to get more accessible when the eastern gateway stuff happens.

Imagine how much of those hotels is filled by AP rate bookings.. who is paying $550+/night for pixar pier if it's just a hotel with some theming?

You can usually get bookings at DLR hotels because they are priced absurd. When Disney takes away the very first thing they list on their webpages on what makes them unique.. excess demand isn't going to soak up that loss.

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Let's face it.. this is an OpEx savings. Reducing park hours is easy savings.

Nobody books a Disney hotel for the “value” of it…

It’s 50% the name and psychology…50% the location.

In both places…and has been for many, many years

Taking away a half hour doesn’t break those variables and they know this

 

[TheMaxRebo]

Here's a thought: Bring back Extra Magic Hours to morning and evening on "select" days and parks to all Disney resorts. Make a resort stay mean something again. (I suppose too complicated a thought for the bean counters at Disney. It's not like resort stays won't go up on anything. )

I actually like the 30 mins early at every park every day vs 60mins at 1 park - I think it provides more of a perk as if staying offsite, just have to not go to the 1 park that had the morning EMH and you are in same position as on site guests.

I do wish they had more evening hours - maybe 1 park open to all onsite guest and 1 only for Deluxe or something

 

[KDM31091]

The replacement isn't really a good trade IMO, since getting in early negates the need for LL in many cases. I think it's just a way to give people a taste of LL and convince them to buy more. In other words, a way to incentivize more upcharges instead of giving "free" early entry.

Being as though the parks typically are "open" ahead of the opening time anyway (Main St, front part of Epcot, etc), getting rid of the 30 minute thing isn't going to save the company money. It costs them basically nothing to offer it. So why get rid of it? The staff are there anyway.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

Perhaps free LLMP every day but even that I doubt. They wouldn’t want to sacrifice that LL money.

I can't ever see that as a) giving up too much money, but also LLMP (and Genei+ and FP+, etc) work better if fewer people have it

Maybe if offered as part of a package for limited # of rooms for a small period time or something (sort of like how "free" dining works) but not a permanent thing

 

[Just JBC]

I actually like the 30 mins early at every park every day vs 60mins at 1 park - I think it provides more of a perk as if staying offsite, just have to not go to the 1 park that had the morning EMH and you are in same position as on site guests.

I do wish they had more evening hours - maybe 1 park open to all onsite guest and 1 only for Deluxe or something

I did too, except they already went back to just having 1 park with EE at a time, only they kept it at 30 min instead of going back to the full hour.