Where are you seeing that these surveys are going to current AP holders? The ones I’ve seen referenced have gone to those who have current trips planned with regular tickets, asking them if they’d be interested in planning another trip this year if they could purchase a discounted AP.That’s gone to those who have APs…particularly on the backend of them…
Which reminds me…did I check my inbox today?
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Rumor Pre-Arrival Survey - AP Discounts, Lightning Lane Pre-Booking Discounts, Hotel Upgrades
- Thread starter monothingie
- Start date
Why Disney is more expensive than ever
Disney park prices have risen faster than inflation, driven in part by the growing importance of parks to Disney's business.
businessinsider.com
I think stuff like this coming out all the time really helps
Sirwalterraleigh
Premium Member
You didn’t start the thread…
Nor did I say I did. Simply asking where you saw that these were being sent to current AP holders. In @monothingie’s post (the first one I can see in this thread), I didn’t see anything that mentioned these were sent to APs. Genuinely curious.
Sirwalterraleigh
Premium Member
MrPromey
Well-Known Member
Thanks for sharing.
What does that have to do with my answer to the previous question?
TrainsOfDisney
Well-Known Member
I don’t think efficiency would take away from that.
I’m also guessing I’ve been to Dollywood much more than you. I think I have a good understanding of the park.
Sirwalterraleigh
Premium Member
This article comes out about once in week in many major outlets
Why Disney is more expensive than ever
Disney park prices have risen faster than inflation, driven in part by the growing importance of parks to Disney's business.
I think stuff like this coming out all the time really helps
But they’re all lying…they’re just jealous of bobs genius…and things have NEVER been better…
Just ask them…they’ll tell you (without data)…and three people will regurgitate it here. Always
MrPromey
Well-Known Member
My general point was, the same reason people go anywhere - because what they want is there.
It doesn't matter if Dollywood has better customer service if you're wanting to go to the Haunted Mansion or ride Space Mountain (less controversial picks but I was going for the newer stuff in my original post so it would make sense to more poeple).
If you want Harry Potter rides and theme, you're going to Universal. If you want to do Mario Kart, you're going to Universal. If you want any of the stuff Disney has, you're going to Disney... but comparing to Dollywood, the most important is if you want to go this week, you're going to Disney or Universal since Dollywood is closed for the season.
And that of course, doesn't mean you can't go to Dollywood (when it's open), too.
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MrPromey
Well-Known Member
Jrb1979
Well-Known Member
I get it. If you want Disney IP you're not going to visit Dollywood or other parks.
MrPromey
Well-Known Member
That's not what I'm saying.
IP's not the only reason, Cosmic rewind is a pretty cool coaster, even if it's in the wrong park and Flight of Passage has proved very popular with people who knew nothing about Avatar when it opened. Even not tied to IP, these are specific attractions you won't find anywhere else.
Same reason people haul their butts up to Cedar Point.
To be clear, that's no reason not to go to parks like Dollywood, too though. As you noted, there are things besides customer service that you'll only find there.
The question wasn't, why not go to Dollywood, it was why ever go to Disney.
Jrb1979
Well-Known Member
A lot of parks have attractions you can't find anywhere else. That new attraction for Dollywood is the only one in the US.
People go to Disney cause they attached to the brand and it's IP. New attractions aren't the draw like they are at other parks. People usually plan a Disney trip well in advance of new attractions opening.
Chi84
Premium Member
You can say it as many times as you like but that doesn’t make it true.
WDW is the best place for us because of its size and variety. We go as a group but can sometimes split up and do different things without needing cars.
I preferred Epcot without all the IP; the Disney brand doesn’t mean much to me other than an assurance of the quality that we’ve experienced over our 40 years of visits.
The grandkids do love the characters and we enjoy going to the different resorts and Disney Springs for dinner.
I have nothing against regional theme parks. They’re just not what we’re looking for. It’s okay for people to like different things.
bmr1591
Well-Known Member
So their idea is to make you buy tickets for a stay (probably at least a 4 day), then give the option to purchase a discounted pass, not upgrade? I’m not so sure how well that will go. Why wouldn’t someone just upgrade their tickets (which cost more than $400 each) for a “discounted” pass then?
SpectroMagician
Well-Known Member
Disney should focus on providing the Disney Difference again, and work to have the best experience possible instead of everything they have been doing since Iger forced out Staggs.
The company is worth less than it was a decade ago under Iger's leadership, so the day he leaves can't come soon enough.
The company is worth less than it was a decade ago under Iger's leadership, so the day he leaves can't come soon enough.
Jrb1979
Well-Known Member
There are some that go to Disney for the reasons you do. I would imagine most go cause of the brand and IP.
Chi84
Premium Member
The brand is an iconic one so I don’t doubt it.
MrPromey
Well-Known Member
This is such a pointless discussion.
Rebel Railroad was conceived as something less than a regional park more than a decade before the opening of WDW. By the time of the final rebranding to Dollywood in the mid-80's it sat on a piece of land that was never going to allow it to expand to anything beyond a regional park. That, combined with the mostly amusment-park style attractions and the fact that not only the park but the whole area around it being seasonal means it was never going to seriously compete with WDW.
I don't think management at Dollywould would disagree with any of that.
WDW was designed and conceived to be a global destination, Dollywood was not. Just the land prep and water management projects to begin construction of the MK and it's nearby resorts is probably more than was spent on the total construction of Dollywood to date (today) when adjusted for inflation. There's just simply no comparing the two.
Disney's slowest park in Florida sees 10x the number of people Dollywood does in a year. If that number of people were to show up at the gates of Dollywood, they wouldn't even know what to do with them.
There may be some people seriously torn between a trip to Gatlenburg and Orlando but I doubt it's many. It's two entirely different experiences and going back to my original point, regardless of how good Dollywood's customer service is, that's not going to be the deciding factor for almost anyone.
Both can be good at what they do and despite in my opinion, serious slips on quality over the last decade or so in many aspects of the Disney experience, coupled with unsustainable price increases, they are still good at what they do - just not as good as they used to be and with a value proposition that has never been more questionable.
Dollywood has, I think, consistently improved over the years for the most part but the two are simply too different for a fair comparison and while the whole IP thing is part of it, it's just one thing on a very long list that separate the two places. The idea that IP is the singular standout driving force propelling WDW is just ridiculous.
Some of WDW's most consistently popular and highest volume attractions (Pirates and Mansion) were not even based on any IP and in the mid-90's, long before Iger took over with his IP mandates, there still was no way to fairly compare the two locations.
Maybe if they started investing in half-billion dollar attractions and were open year round and actually had the capacity to handle the volume Disney does, that would change things but then it also wouldn't be the Dollywood you know and love anymore so can we let go of the silly comparisons?
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Jrb1979
Well-Known Member
My argument was never about Dollywood and regional parks competing with WDW. My original point was about customer service and how Disney isn't that much better now compared to Dollywood and other places
This is such a pointless discussion.
Rebel Railroad was conceived as something less than a regional park more than a decade before the opening of WDW. By the time of the final rebranding to Dollywood in the mid-80's it sat on a piece of land that was never going to allow it to expand to anything beyond a regional park. That, combined with the mostly amusment-park style attractions and the fact that not only the park but the whole area around it being seasonal means it was never going to seriously compete with WDW.
I don't think management at Dollywould would disagree with any of that.
WDW was designed and conceived to be a global destination, Dollywood was not. Just the land prep and water management projects to begin construction of the MK and it's nearby resorts is probably more than was spent on the total construction of Dollywood to date when adjusted for inflation. There's just simply no comparing the two.
Disney's slowest park in Florida sees 10x the number of people Dollywood does in a year. If that number of peopel were to show up at the gates of Dollywood, they wouldn't even know what to do with them.
There may be some people seriously torn between a trip to Gatlenburg and Orlando but I doubt it's many. It's two entirely different experiences and going back to my original point, regardless of how good Dollywood's customer service is, that's not going to be the deciding factor for almost anyone.
Both can be good at what they do and despite in my opinion, serious slips on quality over the last decade or so in many aspects of the Disney experience, coupled with unsustainable price increases, they are still good at what they do - just not as good as they used to be.
Dollywood has, I think, consistently improved over the years for the most part but the two are simply too different for a fair comparison and while the whole IP thing is part of it, it's just one thing on a very long list that separate the two places.
Maybe if they started investing in half-billion dollar attractions and were open year round and actually had the capacity to handle the volume Disney does, that would change things but then it also wouldn't be the Dollywood you know and love anymore so can we let go of the silly comparisons?