"Disney Early Morning Magic - Fantasyland" Anyone know?

[LAKid53]

This has made us sour about Disney as well. Being DVC owners we feel the same way and are already changing our habits. We usually do 2 trips a year but we already did one and after being there and having all these thoughts in my head while there about fleecing we decided, although these things really don't affect us cause we don't need to participate, that we are no longer doing Disney world for a while. We actually had plans of moving to Orlando like many of you for the love of Disney, just last month I had a job interview but have since changed how I feel about moving down there and decided we will stay here in New England.
We are just going to use our points on the cruise line for a few years. At least, for now, the cruise line isn't doing this fleecing and they still have the service that once resided in wdw, service that is far beyond what you get at Disney world. I thought we would be vacationing in Disney twice a year forever but enough is enough of the fleecing, its more of a poor taste thing. And don't go on and on about how Disney is a business, I get that, but they are also a company that is no longer customer service focused, that's what bothers me, period. Their only customer service is on the cruise line and we will see them twice a year now.
That day is going to come where EMH are a thing of the past because yes, people will pay for this and it will sell out leaving Disney no other option but to claim it such a success and how guests are demanding it.

I've been thinking the same. One of the main reasons I bought DVC was for the future: daughter getting married, grandchildren a few years after that, possible relocation outside of Florida and I'm getting older and want more of the comforts of home if I'm going to be staying in a hotel for more than 5 days (like a kitchen). And I thought being DVC added some cache to my visits to WDW - nicer resorts, more amenities, exclusive benefits that I couldn't get as an AP. But I paid Disney some serious money to have an ownership interest in one or more of their resorts. I'm hoping that DVC will be excluded from the rumored $15/night resort fee; if we are not, we ALL (at least those of us that can take the time to travel) need to show up at the next condo association meeting(s) to voice our displeasure. If I had gotten wind of this the night I did the 25th anniversary party at MK, I would have found Ken Potrock and given him my thoughts.

Totally agree about DCL. You get all of the charm and customer service we have come to expect from Disney. Plus some pretty cool places to visit. I've only done two cruises so far, but I plan on doing at least one each year. I'm excited about the two new ships and hope that one of them will be earmarked for cruises to Hawaii - and not just Oahu, but all the islands. Plus, Disney needs to add to its presence in Europe. Really wanted to take the transatlantic crossing and then cruise around Great Britain and Ireland, but I'd either have to fly back (yuck) or take another cruise ship back to the states since the Magic won't return to the U.S. until Fall when it repositions.

 

[Tebo]

Ssshhhh. Dont tell them DCL is the best thing now. They will start to change things there also. "so you want to use the amenities of the cruise ship. Well if you pay extra you will be allowed out of your room at 8:00 am if not you must wait till noon.Though for a small fee you can turn on your tv and then for a litlte more pay for a disney movie."

My concern is how many tickets will be for this event and when I got to Peter Pan first thing after Rope Drop, will there now be a line?

 

[BoarderPhreak]

LOL... Yeah, no.

 

[llrain]

Just think too your spending at least 30 of those minutes with that breakfast then you are Re incorporated into the regular guests at nine am so your really only getting one hour of this to ride 3 whOle rides. .really? 60.00 for that ..how can a rich person even convince themselves this is a good deal

 

[COProgressFan]

I go back to my earlier comment about airlines. Disney is beginning to think like airlines, nickel and dime customers for every service they used to provide for free. But airlines could justify due to high fuel costs. What's Disney's excuse? That damn park in China? Is THAT going to be their excuse for every reduction in service and additional fee? Because once it's implemented, it will be very hard to undue.

The main difference between the airlines and Disney is also the fact that air travel is simply a means to an end. We put up with the nonsense that the airlines throw at us because we know if we want to travel a significant distance in a reasonable amount of time, it is the only option we have. There is always the consideration of travel time vs. costs and despite the aggravations that come with air travel these days, it is often the lesser of two evils (for example, not wasting more vacation time on car travel).

But a WDW trip is purely discretionary. It is the end in and of itself. If Disney keeps making a lesser quality product, reduces offerings, throws ridiculous hoops in the way of planning (MM+), and raises the prices to astronomical levels, then people will just give up, and just not go. Or maybe they'll go less often. Or just spend less while there (off property, meals off site, more days at Uni, etc.). This trend is already in progress.

That's why this is all so concerning. I know there will always be some form of air travel despite how poorly customers are treated. But if Disney continues to hold its customers with outright contempt (and it often seems that way), then what does the future hold?

For long time fans who once fell in love with the place, it's very concerning.

 

[evilzorac]

So I saw a couple of people talking about ADRs at Be Our Guest before MK opens, I just went in and was able to get a 8:05am ADR for this Saturday as part our upcoming trip. So hopefully we will finish breakfast quickly and get over to the Mine Train before opening rush.

 

[AEfx]

And as far as this impacting EMH, it probably will render it a thing of the past.

If you understand that, then why do you have a difficult time understanding why many folks are upset about these new incredibly outrageously priced up-charge events?

Once upon a time, MK opened at 8AM on a lot of days and stayed open until 12 or 1AM - and we aren't talking only in the middle of summers or holidays. They greatly reduced these hours and made any extra hours perks of staying on-site. Now they very well look like they are on their way to removing that and charging $200+ a day for morning and evening stuff that used to be free to every paying guest.

It's ridiculous. And I'm sorry, anyone who actually pays for these two things and isn't a billionaire is a fool - and I am someone who previously was fine with up-charge events - back when $45 meant an extra 5 hours and exclusive entertainment (parades/fireworks/etc). When I read about these latest two programs, I honestly feel like it must be an April Fools Joke or a Saturday Night Live sketch about how low they can go.

 

[gdrj]

Add me to the unhappy crowd. It is just disappointing that at every turn they seem to be announcing another way to take money, and in turn take away something that use to be free, or just find a new way to grab money. I realize I don't have to do these things and all the arguments on why and how they can do it. Disney guest experience is an emotional tie in and that is what separated them and also gave them the guest loyalty. As a DVC member for 16 + years and a recent add-on purchase I have averaged 4 + trips a year the past few years, including hotel stays above and beyond DVC stays. I do take advantage of Tables in Wonderland, and EMH's. The money grab seems to have something new every couple of weeks. I know many can point out things for years but in the past year the AP price increase the TIW increase by 50%, the dessert parties anywhere they can stick them, the preferred parking fee's, the rumored resort fee's while at the same time the reduction in staffing impact guest experience has me hitting the "enough is enough button". I also realize that park attendance is growing so they feel justified in doing what they are doing. Having just completed my last scheduled trip, my AP and TIW will be expiring soon, we will be taking a break from WDW. I have always said that while a Disney World trip can be expensive, I never felt that it was not worth it. I can't say that anymore. In my 30 years of Disney visits I have visited Universal once for one day. The primary reason was the guest experience at Disney World was the best. If I feel the need to visit Orlando I might as well see some "new to me" experiences. We have already planned beach vacations as well as Cruise and/or Key West vacations that normally would have been spent at Disney World. I guess I am helping reduce the overcrowding that the tiered pricing was attempting to solve.

 

[RSoxNo1]

I very much expect them to do something similar in Epcot with Soarin' Around the World and Frozen Ever After.

 

[GhostHost1000]

I very much expect them to do something similar in Epcot with Soarin' Around the World and Frozen Ever After.

assuming they open one day

 

[Doug Means]

so many unhappy people about this and other things, if people don't pay for it then things could change. but we all know there are enough people out there that will pay for it. disney prob does some research before doing something and decides that if people will pay, lets do it. so, its just something i won't do. but i have done my share of the crystal palace breakfast before the rope drop, we love pooh and friends.

 

[rael ramone]

They are testing the waters pretty heavily with these "value added" Special Events.

Not liking the feel of this. Makes me more nervous each time one of these revenue boosting ideas is dropped. Worse part is if they can get enough guests to pay for these Special Events, then perks like EMH or even free transportation could disappear. The smell is certainly getting bad.

It's panic.

Shanghai is supposedly 2 BILLION overbudget, and the domestic guest is supposed to make that look better.

The problem with 'itemizing' all the magic - if so much stuff needs an 'upcharge/special fee', then what does the base ticket & room go towards? It's bad business. It gives guests a helping hand to see where they are being ripped off.

But as far as the event itself, what do you REALLY get? Peter Pan has I believe 1000 an hour capacity. Will they limit capacity to ensure that everyone who wishes to get's to ride it? Or does that $69 just get you a single ride at one of the 3 attractions?

Of course, with the price of waking up early for a single $69 ride, I'm sure every effect will be working, the queue's and Fantasyland as a whole spotless, and the HVAC set to the correct temperature...

 

[monothingie]

This is the low hanging fruit of potential revenue streams. The quality of parks have eroded to the point were they can no longer command a premium for what they offer, now it's only what they can try to up-charge on the guest. Unfortunately My Magic + has served as the perfect facilitator for this and future upcharge events. There will be a tipping point at some point as to where these up-charge events no longer prove worthwhile for corporate, but given their apparent tone deafness, I doubt that they will even realize it.

 

[alissafalco]

Not sure if this article from Travel & Leisure magazine has been posted. They call it price gauging! They also mention @wdwmagic ! @WDWFREAK53 you were quoted in this article as well!!!

http://www.travelandleisure.com/att...-magic-kingdom?xid=soc_socialflow_facebook_tl

Disney Starts Charging Extra for Early Morning Admission
By Brad Tuttle / Money April 7, 2016

The Walt Disney Company

The Walt Disney Company

• Gouging families trying to avoid crowds.
  
  This story originally appeared on Money.com.
  
  How much would you pay for your family to get breakfast and 75 minutes of access to three rides at Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom before the park opens to the general public?
  
  If you don’t really care about money, or you think such a package is worth, oh, $250 or so—on top of the regular price of park admission—then Disney has a new deal for you.
  
  Disney recently instituted a variable pricing scheme, in which admission to the Magic Kingdom in Orlando, Florida, costs $124 per day for adults and $118 for children ages 3 to 9 on peak visitation days, including all weekends, holiday periods, and the entire time kids are off of school in the summer. The popular “Park Hopper” option, which allows guests to visit more than one park in a day, costs another $40 to $50 per ticket.
  
  And now, as the Orlando Sentinel reported, Disney has rolled out a new up-sell. It’s called Disney Early Morning Magic, and it costs an extra $69 per adult (ages 10 and up) and $59 per child. What this buys on select Tuesdays and Saturdays starting April 26 is breakfast at the Pinocchio Village Haus inside the Magic Kingdom, as well as the privilege of hopping on a choice of three Fantasyland rides–The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, and Peter Pan’s Flight—starting at 7:45 a.m. The park opens to regular ticketholders starting at 9 a.m., so Early Morning Magic buyers can get an hour and 15 minutes of rides in before the masses arrive.
  
  Related: You’re Signing Up for Travel Credit Cards All Wrong
  
  Let’s do some math. For a family of four (two adults, two kids), regular one-day admission on a peak day costs a total of $484 just for the Magic Kingdom, or $644 for tickets with the Park Hopper option. Add on the Early Morning Magic option ($256 for two adults and two kids), and the grand total comes to $900.
  
  That’s for One. Single. Day. And it doesn’t cover lunch, dinner, lodging, or souvenirs. It also doesn’t include other assorted Disney upsells like Princess tea parties (from $235 per child) or access to rides during special late-night events (another $149).
  
  For the most part, commenters at independent Disney forums like WDW Magic and niche publications such as Theme Park Insider say they are appalled by Disney’s Early Morning Magic upsell. Here’s one sample:
  
  I remember a time when I would get excited about Disney news…and now it just infuriates me. It seems like the majority of news is either upcharge events, attraction closings, or delays.
  
  And another:
  
  I’m the type of person who is interested in and willing to pay for up-charge experiences with exclusive offerings. However, this is outrageously expensive and there is no way I would consider it.
  
  
  These are the thoughts of diehard Disney fans who tend to hit the theme parks for big vacations at least once a year, mind you.
  
  All that said, will people pay up? In all likelihood, many will. They won’t pay because they think Early Morning Magic represents a good value. Most likely, they will pay because the regular Disney theme park experience is painfully, frustratingly crowded, and the opportunity to experience the Magic Kingdom with minimal crowds—even just for three rides, even for a mere 75 minutes—is worth almost any price to them.

I remember a time when I would get excited about Disney news...and now it just infuriates me. It seems like the majority of news is either upcharge events, attraction closings, or delays.

 

[Pumbas Nakasak]

Must be taking backhanders from Universal.

 

[ran6110]

If this proves to be popular I wouldn't be surprise if the 'free' EMH's disappears and it becomes and added charge like the Park Hopper charges.

I wonder when they'll get around to charging interest on the people that buy the AP's on the monthly plan...

 

[jensenrick]

Wow, that much money for an hour with 3 attractions? I've seen it all now. (until the next "idea" Disney has)

 

[asianway]

If this proves to be popular I wouldn't be surprise if the 'free' EMH's disappears and it becomes and added charge like the Park Hopper charges.

I wonder when they'll get around to charging interest on the people that buy the AP's on the monthly plan...

They should

 

[ford91exploder]

If this proves to be popular I wouldn't be surprise if the 'free' EMH's disappears and it becomes and added charge like the Park Hopper charges.

I wonder when they'll get around to charging interest on the people that buy the AP's on the monthly plan...

Only a matter of time with this crew at the helm station.

 

[bugsbunny]

I can only hope with the new MyDE and FP+ update over the weekend that I can have my bathroom habits scheduled 180 days in advance of my next trip and how I can experience more opportunities to be treated like a head of cattle.

The only Disney magic being made these days is for shareholders.