50 MAGICal Enhancements for the 50th ...

Kman101

Well-Known Member
You nailed it. At its core, TWDC doesn't care, because they *know* people will come no matter what. In that regard, they are living off of the reputation built by Walt and Card Walker and Eisner, and they couldn't care less about building on that legacy because the stock price is high and stock analysts are happy, which is all that matters to Iger and Chappie and their ilk. Well, Iger's ego is what is building SWL, but it's so grotesquely out of place at DL and seems like it's going to take over DHS, but why should that matter...

Unfortunately, the TDO mindframe remains the same. 'They'll come no matter what' and they're right.
 

HauntedPirate

Park nostalgist
Premium Member
Unfortunately, the TDO mindframe remains the same. 'They'll come no matter what' and they're right.

Very true. So my question becomes - What happens if/when the number of first time guests starts to shrink due to more people telling their friends/neighbors/followers that "WDW is too expensive", "WDW isn't worth the money", etc.? There may be a sucker born every minute, but in a world so connected, word of mouth travels at the speed of light.
 

Kman101

Well-Known Member
How do you get people to pay for something? Get them hooked on the free version and market it as a "must-have" thing. It's simply a matter of when, not if, Disney charges for FastPass. Like @peter11435 said - The free version won't just go away, but it will not be the sole FastPass offering sooner rather than later.

It was only a matter of time. Many didn't want to believe it but even I said it months ago they'd love to charge for it. Free won't go away but all this does to me is complicate FP further. And I bet ours won't be $10 like Disneyland.
 

HauntedPirate

Park nostalgist
Premium Member
It was only a matter of time. Many didn't want to believe it but even I said it months ago they'd love to charge for it. Free won't go away but all this does to me is complicate FP further. And I bet ours won't be $10 like Disneyland.

Some have been saying for years that Disney would eventually monetize FP, that it was built to be monetized one day. ;)
 

Kman101

Well-Known Member
Very true. So my question becomes - What happens if/when the number of first time guests starts to shrink due to more people telling their friends/neighbors/followers that "WDW is too expensive", "WDW isn't worth the money", etc.? There may be a sucker born every minute, but in a world so connected, word of mouth travels at the speed of light.

I think their decade+ of stagnation finally caught up to them, but the pricing hasn't. I think we're close to it reaching a tipping point but not yet. Unfortunately. I've noticed the last couple of price increases the media often has a bit of a sneer with it and I think people are getting priced out. But how long can they continue to do what they're doing? Guess we'll see I suppose.
 

njDizFan

Well-Known Member
Very true. So my question becomes - What happens if/when the number of first time guests starts to shrink due to more people telling their friends/neighbors/followers that "WDW is too expensive", "WDW isn't worth the money", etc.? There may be a sucker born every minute, but in a world so connected, word of mouth travels at the speed of light.
It seems to me that some families go to Disney because they have to as a rite of passage. You are a bad parent if you can't take you kids to Disney by a certain age. I would say those people either come back with as mixed range of Die-hard Disneyphiles to the "I will never go there again because....(too hot, too expensive etc.). In my limited experience I hear more people in the 2nd category. But if they know they can capture all these first timers and mix in the minority that come back as devoted fans for life, that will sustain their popularity. Not that I think this is a positive.
 

PizzaPlanet

Well-Known Member
No. Just a push for more uncharge events leading up to starting to charge for FP+ ... but I'll hit on that topic in a new thread, likely in the next week or two.
It would have made more sense to start charging when they first rolled out FP+, because they could have used the excuse that its because Fastpasses can now be made in advance. Now it will just look they are trying to nickel and dime us.
 

peter11435

Well-Known Member
It would have made more sense to start charging when they first rolled out FP+, because they could have used the excuse that its because Fastpasses can now be made in advance. Now it will just look they are trying to nickel and dime us.
There's certainly ways they could implement it where it was seemingly an added paid benefit and not taking away an existing fastpass+ feature. Paid access to 60 day booking windows for non resort guests, paid access to earlier than 60 day windows, paid abilitity to preselect a 4th or 5th selection, paid ability to select advanced fastpass+ for multiple parks, paid ability to book multiple selections for the same attraction or same tier attractions.
 

Kman101

Well-Known Member
There's certainly ways they could implement it where it was seemingly an added paid benefit and not taking away an existing fastpass+ feature. Paid access to 60 day booking windows for non resort guests, paid access to earlier than 60 day windows, paid abilitity to preselect a 4th or 5th selection, paid ability to select advanced fastpass+ for multiple parks, paid ability to book multiple selections for the same attraction or same tier attractions.

Wouldn't most guests just be confused? lol

But it's not a shock they're going to find some way to charge for FP+. They're not going to take away the free option, IMO. But I guess they eventually could.
 

HauntedMansionFLA

Well-Known Member
No. Just a push for more uncharge events leading up to starting to charge for FP+ ... but I'll hit on that topic in a new thread, likely in the next week or two.
Hey, welcome back @WDW1974 . Hope your trips were enjoyable. I will be looking forward to a new Spirit thread. I've been waiting for Disney to start charging for FP+. Have you heard anything about the Extra Magic Hours going bye bye or will it turn into another upcharge event like they have done a little bit here and there. Take care!!
 

John park hopper

Well-Known Member
IMO there is a point at which price increases lead to less revenue as attendence goes down because the average Joe simply can't afford to go every year or every other year. I am one of those who would go more often but have cut back due to ever increasing costs: food, resorts. FP charges would just add to the cost burden. Universal also charges for daily resort parking, will Disney consider charging as well? Lets hope Disney bean counters don't try to squeeze every dollar out of us who support them.
 

wdrive

Well-Known Member
Very true. So my question becomes - What happens if/when the number of first time guests starts to shrink due to more people telling their friends/neighbors/followers that "WDW is too expensive", "WDW isn't worth the money", etc.? There may be a sucker born every minute, but in a world so connected, word of mouth travels at the speed of light.

Absolutely agree with you, but by the time that happens all the current execs will be long gone, with a big sack of money to boot, so I doubt they give two hoots.
 

DisneyGentlemanV2.0

Well-Known Member
The language of fans and management is problematic. Small World stands to be infused with caricatures of celebrity cartoons. Small World already has Disney characters. Every single one of them. Beautiful Mary Blair inspired. The enchantment of three generations. Half a century old. Isn't that what WDW wants to celebrate, to add a layer of depth, tradition, the authenticity of being deeply rooted American popular culture.
Unfortunately Mary Blair is fine art; Disney Characters are $$.
 

HauntedPirate

Park nostalgist
Premium Member
Actually with the price increases and different levels of APs, and with subsequent reduced attendance... I think Disney now knows that not everyone will come no matter what.

Very true. But overall, who brings in more money - The first time rube or the annual passholder? I know in many cases passholders could spend more, over a year, than the family that takes their once-a-year/lifetime vacation, but I'd love to know what the breakdown actually is. Different demographics, different levels of spending.

I wouldn't be surprised if overall attendance drops for 2017-2019 and then dramatically increases in 2020-2022, and then levels off after that. There's definitely buzz with Pandora, and the opening of SWL in 2019/2020 will most certainly draw a ton of people, but after that what becomes the "next draw"? I know Martin and others have made mention of longer-term plans, but I also see the parks devolving in to "Come see the movie IP!!!" more and more, and that has a much shorter shelf life than well-designed, original concepts like, say, IASW, HM, PotC, ToT, Splash Mt, Space Mt... I'd even throw Muppetvision 3D into that mix (but that could be personal bias since I love it). Yes, they can keep things like Star Tours fresh by updating it every 3-5 years, but will they? Their track record doesn't suggest they will. How long of a shelf life does GotG have? The bulk of Marvel characters that do have a long shelf life, Disney cannot use in the swamps.
 

ford91exploder

Resident Curmudgeon
Very true. But overall, who brings in more money - The first time rube or the annual passholder? I know in many cases passholders could spend more, over a year, than the family that takes their once-a-year/lifetime vacation, but I'd love to know what the breakdown actually is. Different demographics, different levels of spending.

I wouldn't be surprised if overall attendance drops for 2017-2019 and then dramatically increases in 2020-2022, and then levels off after that. There's definitely buzz with Pandora, and the opening of SWL in 2019/2020 will most certainly draw a ton of people, but after that what becomes the "next draw"? I know Martin and others have made mention of longer-term plans, but I also see the parks devolving in to "Come see the movie IP!!!" more and more, and that has a much shorter shelf life than well-designed, original concepts like, say, IASW, HM, PotC, ToT, Splash Mt, Space Mt... I'd even throw Muppetvision 3D into that mix (but that could be personal bias since I love it). Yes, they can keep things like Star Tours fresh by updating it every 3-5 years, but will they? Their track record doesn't suggest they will. How long of a shelf life does GotG have? The bulk of Marvel characters that do have a long shelf life, Disney cannot use in the swamps.

The rube spends more per day, And thats all that matters with the quarter to quarter mentality running rampant at TDO.

In actuality the AP'er probably spends more overall over 365 days but that does not boost the PRGS or PCGS as much as the rube does
 

Phil12

Well-Known Member
Very true. So my question becomes - What happens if/when the number of first time guests starts to shrink due to more people telling their friends/neighbors/followers that "WDW is too expensive", "WDW isn't worth the money", etc.? There may be a sucker born every minute, but in a world so connected, word of mouth travels at the speed of light.
That's why they need to offer new adventures and stay up with the times. It won't be too long before we have rapping Stormtroopers.
 

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