Is DisneyParks now using COVID to make changes they always wanted to do and use COVID to justify them?

[Lilofan]

Except that Brightline won't be open for at least 2 more years, and likely longer than that. If that was the case, why wouldn't they wait to eliminate DME once they had a firm date on when the train would actually be running?

I suppose it could be because the Mears contract was ending and they decided to just go ahead and drop the axe now, but it couldn't have been that difficult to just renew it for 2 or 3 years and see what happens with the train.

DME is a great free service that put a number of partners to suffer in their business. I emphasize free. With that being eliminated we will have to look at more transportation options at a cost. With these options, more money will be spent around central FL by us the guests to support surrounding small businesses and WDW. More tourist taxes will be collected to help support FL state govt.

 

[Goofyernmost]

To an extent.
The thing I kept hearing about DME is that it was operated by Mears and the contract's renewal time was coming up. With the train-shuttle-thing coming there's just an unfortunate overlap where a new contract (likely) would have been ongoing during the time the truttle was available. I agree that it's not a good idea to just get rid of the service altogether, and I was only going to the parks when it was offered so it will be weird to adjust without it, but I'd like to hear more specifics about why exactly it was gotten rid of. Anyway, I think it would have happened despite the pandemic.
The Fastpass thing wouldn't make much sense to me...I'm surprised they aren't actually using it more often since it acts as a sort of virtual queue and would keep people separated a bit more/allows for trickle-in. Maybe there's some weirdness with the current park pass system and fast pass stuff, but I remember only getting to pick one park beforehand...I don't know.
I wish that they had used to lower crowds to make some more positive changes. Which they are, to a point, even though the Epcot stuff was happening beforehand. I certainly don't envy Chapek and D'Amaro.

The Fastpass thing makes a lot of sense to me. I think they have regretted it since the day they started it. They have had many problems with it early on like CM's not seeing a need to enforce the return times, then the anger when they insisted on enforcing them. Changed it up with the new stuff giving it much more control but now with the general need to decide ahead of time what park one is going to attend ahead of time. With no Fastpass it really won't matter which park you go too. If you want to make ADR's it won't matter because it will make the need for the upcharge of park hopper, if you want to eat in a park that isn't the one you started out with. If by some chance the lines are extraordinarily long, they can skip it and go to a shorter one (like we used to do) and come back later. I have maintained constantly that no real actual time was saved by FP. The way it is set up it just gives you some time on one end but you make up the difference when you have to get in a regular Stand-by line. Not to mention the time wasted waiting for your window to open. If the timing isn't just right there isn't enough time to go to another one so you sit someplace waiting for your time to arrive.

 

[NelleBelle]

I'm sure DME was a huge expense for Disney, from the gas, to the airport workers I'm sure they paid to sort the bags going to specific hotels, etc. People act like this was always a perk. I remember when it was first introduced. Back then, it was a great thing. But the last few years it's been nothing but a headache for us! When we arrived, we sat on a bus until it was full (we were the 2nd family to get on). So that took about 1-hr. Then we went to at least 2 other resorts before we got to ours. And pick up needs to be at least 3-hrs before your flight leaves (and unless you are TSA pre-check, you risk missing your flight with the security lines at MCO after DME drives around picking everyone and their brother up). Last visit, we rented a car when we stayed at a DVC. Loved it. No parking fee at the resort or park, no waiting on Disney transportation going to/from parks and resorts. The only thing we'll miss is the onsite luggage check-in at the resorts, and that wasn't necessarily a DME thing (although currently suspended and who knows if that's ever returning).

DME was only ever "free from MCO to/from the theme parks. If you wanted to use it for DCL, you had to pay $35/pp. By the time we paid that for our family of 6, we should've just hired a town car service and saved $$.

But I can understand why people are upset. Disney does seem to keep removing things without replacing them, raising the cost of things after removing other perks. I'm sure in Disney's eyes they look at USO and think that since they don't offer free transportation to their parks, why should Disney?

 

[Brer Oswald]

Evidently. But shills refuse to see it.

 

[Brer Oswald]

Covid is helping them get rid of APs at Disneyland quicker.

But DME is not related, if it was due to covid then it would have stopped last year.

If you take the time to think about it, of course it’s not a COVID issue. But every single cut they make in this time period has a COVID smokescreen on it. It’s the reasoning that immediately comes to the average consumer’s mind, and people take it easier on the company because “it’s beyond their control”.

 

[Lilofan]

If you take the time to think about it, of course it’s not a COVID issue. But every single cut they make in this time period has a COVID smokescreen on it. It’s the reasoning that immediately comes to the average consumer’s mind, and people take it easier on the company because “it’s beyond their control”.

That is reasoning 101 for many companies to make changes for their future survival. Covid drastically impacted the way companies are doing business now. If WDW did not raise prices on certain things, eliminate options to save money, perhaps more cast members would be losing their jobs to make up the cost savings.

 

[Goofyernmost]

If you take the time to think about it, of course it’s not a COVID issue. But every single cut they make in this time period has a COVID smokescreen on it. It’s the reasoning that immediately comes to the average consumer’s mind, and people take it easier on the company because “it’s beyond their control”.

That's not entirely true. To run that "perk" properly they have to maintain a constant schedule. Planes come in at all times of the day. The Disney crowd doesn't arrive as a group. That means that they have to provide buses and they have to run on a schedule to maintain any degree of efficiency. That means that if they are only at 25% or 40% capacity they have to run that transportation as if they are at 100%. Otherwise some folks would have to sit for hours waiting for a ride in either direction. Those buses don't run on air or drive themselves and since it is Mears they probably have an agreement that Mears gets reimbursed based on the number of riders. It would not only be costly cash wise, but the unnecessary harm to the environment would be shameful.

 

[Trackmaster]

Except that Brightline won't be open for at least 2 more years, and likely longer than that. If that was the case, why wouldn't they wait to eliminate DME once they had a firm date on when the train would actually be running?

I suppose it could be because the Mears contract was ending and they decided to just go ahead and drop the axe now, but it couldn't have been that difficult to just renew it for 2 or 3 years and see what happens with the train.

To me personally I think that they've lost their minds getting rid of the Magical Express. I love in Central Florida, so of course I don't have any need to use it, but I'm a crazy theme park guy who has been to almost every theme park and amusement park in North America. I almost always fly everywhere I go, and my thoughts are always "It would be great if these parks weren't so dependent on the car and actually gave you a way to get to the airport from the park." I thought that the other parks need to do what Disney does. I'd never in a million years think that Disney should be getting rid of it.

For the de minimis cost of the Magical Express, it adds a huge value for the consumer that Disney reaps when they can charge more for the hotel, and they can lure in more high margin tourist guests. I could see getting rid of the luggage handling, that's something I'd never care about. As a hardcore and savvy flyer, I know to never bring anything more than a carry on and a personal item anyway and you'd NEVER catch me at a carousel.

Unless they're going to replace the Magical Express, this is a bonehead decision, and whoever decided on that needs to be removed from their position immediately as detrimental to the company's financial health.

 

[Disstevefan1]

Except that Brightline won't be open for at least 2 more years, and likely longer than that. If that was the case, why wouldn't they wait to eliminate DME once they had a firm date on when the train would actually be running?

I suppose it could be because the Mears contract was ending and they decided to just go ahead and drop the axe now, but it couldn't have been that difficult to just renew it for 2 or 3 years and see what happens with the train.

I agree and will add, it’s gonna take much more than two years for Brightline and when it’s up and running it will not be as good as DME, and folks won’t use it. Disney used COVID as an excuse to drop the ax on Mears.

There are going to be a lot of changes TWDC always planned to do irrelevant of COVID, but will now use COVID as an excuse to make the changes. Again, they wanted the changes anyway, now COVID gives them the proper cover.

 

[ppete1975]

magical express is going to bite them in the
backside. Using it locked you into the disney berm (you could uber but most of us enjoyed staying in the disney bubble). Remove the magical express and make me rent a car... im prob checking out universal and other tourist areas.

 

[ppete1975]

it adds a huge value for the consumer that Disney reaps when they can charge more for the hotel, and they can lure in more high margin tourist guests.

thats the funny part, they are getting rid of it but you are going to pay the same amount. And we are all smart enough to know that the "free perks" magic band, magic bus, magic anything is figured into the price of your room. And i totally agree with all your points

 

[Trackmaster]

thats the funny part, they are getting rid of it but you are going to pay the same amount. And we are all smart enough to know that the "free perks" magic band, magic bus, magic anything is figured into the price of your room. And i totally agree with all your points

Well, there's no free lunch for businesses. They may keep the price the same, but they're getting killed by inflation. Had they lived up to the standards that they set for themselves, they could have kept up with nominal price increases, or even raised the rates on a real basis.

Also keep in mind, they're in cut throat competition against other entertainment options. They have to convince wealthy consumers that they need to get on a plane and go to Disney, and that they're better off going to a regional park or going elsewhere for their travels. Every dollar is coveted and contested vigorously. If Disney (or any business) forgets about their customers and grows complacent, their customers will gladly go to places who want their business. Universal hasn't been asleep at the wheel. They smell blood in the water, and they're coming after Disney. While Disney shut down completely for month during the closures, Universal was charging full steam ahead and was putting targets on Disney's back.

 

[ppete1975]

Well, there's no free lunch for businesses. They may keep the price the same, but they're getting killed by inflation. Had they lived up to the standards that they set for themselves, they could have kept up with nominal price increases, or even raised the rates on a real basis.

Also keep in mind, they're in cut throat competition against other entertainment options. They have to convince wealthy consumers that they need to get on a plane and go to Disney, and that they're better off going to a regional park or going elsewhere for their travels. Every dollar is coveted and contested vigorously. If Disney (or any business) forgets about their customers and grows complacent, their customers will gladly go to places who want their business. Universal hasn't been asleep at the wheel. They smell blood in the water, and they're coming after Disney. While Disney shut down completely for month during the closures, Universal was charging full steam ahead and was putting targets on Disney's back.

oh ive been saying since it was announced this was a stupid decision and is breaking the disney bubble. But my point is all the cuts and them acting like it was free to consumers.... no you always paid for it, it was just added in. And they wont stop going up on prices regardless of what they remove.

 

[Trackmaster]

oh ive been saying since it was announced this was a stupid decision and is breaking the disney bubble. But my point is all the cuts and them acting like it was free to consumers.... no you always paid for it, it was just added in. And they wont stop going up on prices regardless of what they remove.

Yeah, I think my issue is not whether it was free or not, but the fact that it was economically efficient. You have tons of people flying to MCO for one reason, how expensive is it to pack them all in busses and send them over to Disney? If you force them all to order Ubers or rent cars, that cost combined vastly outstrips the cost of commissioning busses. It should be about Disney expanding the size of the shared pie between themselves and the customers. Not just dropping the pie on the floor throwing out half, and bragging to the board that you won because you increased the size of your slice of that degusting pie that's a lot smaller now.

 

[Brer Oswald]

That's not entirely true. To run that "perk" properly they have to maintain a constant schedule. Planes come in at all times of the day. The Disney crowd doesn't arrive as a group. That means that they have to provide buses and they have to run on a schedule to maintain any degree of efficiency. That means that if they are only at 25% or 40% capacity they have to run that transportation as if they are at 100%. Otherwise some folks would have to sit for hours waiting for a ride in either direction. Those buses don't run on air or drive themselves and since it is Mears they probably have an agreement that Mears gets reimbursed based on the number of riders. It would not only be costly cash wise, but the unnecessary harm to the environment would be shameful.

I wasn’t talking about how efficient it was or if they should have kept it or not.

Just talking about the optics of the announcement. Now is the perfect time to air out all of the dirty laundry. With every negative announcement they make, the backlash is softened because of Covid-19. I can’t say I blame them for taking advantage of it.

Disney is a master of optics.

 

[ppete1975]

Yeah, I think my issue is not whether it was free or not, but the fact that it was economically efficient. You have tons of people flying to MCO for one reason, how expensive is it to pack them all in busses and send them over to Disney? If you force them all to order Ubers or rent cars, that cost combined vastly outstrips the cost of commissioning busses. It should be about Disney expanding the size of the shared pie between themselves and the customers. Not just dropping the pie on the floor throwing out half, and bragging to the board that you won because you increased the size of your slice of that degusting pie that's a lot smaller now.

its a dangerous precedent. You were basically their captive before. Now you either have a car sitting there itching to see minions orange groves and legos, or you know how easy uber is and the app is on your phone itching to go to out to eat instead of disney food.

 

[aliceismad]

All businesses are retooling during covid, especially ones in the tourism industry that have been and will continue to be hit hard. However, I would guess that most of these Disney changes were probably discussed far before covid.

 

[ohio disney fan]

Except that Brightline won't be open for at least 2 more years, and likely longer than that. If that was the case, why wouldn't they wait to eliminate DME once they had a firm date on when the train would actually be running?

I suppose it could be because the Mears contract was ending and they decided to just go ahead and drop the axe now, but it couldn't have been that difficult to just renew it for 2 or 3 years and see what happens with the train.

I think it's more a case of you rent a car and then we will charge you money to park at the resort.

 

[Goofyernmost]

I wasn’t talking about how efficient it was or if they should have kept it or not.

Just talking about the optics of the announcement. Now is the perfect time to air out all of the dirty laundry. With every negative announcement they make, the backlash is softened because of Covid-19. I can’t say I blame them for taking advantage of it.

Disney is a master of optics.

Yes, I know that is what you are saying, and it might be not only a good time to do it, but a necessary time to do it. But, it really doesn't matter until we see if it is reinstituted once the plague has gone away.

 

[NickMaio]

Eliminating ME saves Disney a ton of money. It also has made a lot of people angry. I haven't seen Disney people in an uproar this big in a long time.

Eliminating AP's could could bring more money in if AP holders buy tickets. If not they are losing money and customers.

I think Disney has eliminated FP to control the lines better. I wouldn't be surprised to see it comeback as a perk that guest would have to pay for.

If Disney eliminates a lot of perks and guest conveniences such as ME are they going to drive customers away? Disney charges a premium price for a premium experience. Disney might be walking a fine line with how much they can charge for services and perks offered and what people will pay.

Each week, with each new change, we really question if we might go back.
Pay more for less has never been more true than now.
If they start charging for fast pass then we are probably out for good.