Lightning Lane Premier Pass

[DisneyHead123]

No, its a price for people who have disposable income, and value their time. It really is that simply. That's all the product is. For people who go to the park regularly, sure you might not get it, since it might not really matter how much you get done during any one visit, as you will be back next week/month, ect.

As for pricing for dumb people, if your worried about the price, then this isn't the product for you. The target audience for this product are people who are likely not considering the price. Its people who don't want to wait in line, and value their time. Listen if your life is so empty that standing around waiting for something, anything, is considered a good use of your time, go for it. But I can't think of any scerio where it would be dumb to priortize doing nothing, over doing something, especially during limtied time off, at the most magical place on earth.

I'm pretty terrible about being an overly splurgey splurger McSplurgerton, and even I cannot totally get over the idea of a $30 piece of cake.

I get that it's all relative. I'm sure there are $500 bottles of wine that aren't actually that much better than $30 bottles of wine, and people still happily buy them. I think it's just the fact that there's almost no precedent for cake being that expensive. Even the most froufrou cake slices and cupcakes at the bougiest bakery do not cost anywhere near $30. (I think Magnolia bakery sells half a dozen cupcakes, thematically decorated, for under $30). It's even a meme around here that when people want to accuse Disney of being cheap, they'll joke about them throwing in a free cupcake. It's a joke because cupcakes are presumed to be cheap, for the most part.

Again, I get how it probably comes off as a crazy quibble in a world where people are paying $35 for a bubble wand. I think it's just that cake has a fairly specific price range and this goes waaaay beyond that.

 

[UNCgolf]

I'm not sure why people keep saying it's shareable as though that justifies the price -- I mean yes, it is, but they don't seem significantly larger than slices of cake you get at other quality bakeries. A lot of places sell shareable cake slices.

As @lentesta mentioned somewhere in another thread, Maxie B's has incredible cake that's as good as Cake Bake at worst (likely better than Cake Bake), and their slices are about the same size as Cake Bake's slices but cost less than half as much. They may be a little smaller, but they're certainly not half the size of a Cake Bake slice.

And I just used Maxie B's as a random example since Len mentioned it before; it's not like they're the only other place in the country with really good cake. There's a place here in Atlanta that sells slices for $6 that aren't much smaller than a Cake Bake slice, and they're excellent.

 

[HoustonHorn]

What cracks?

Disney's public statements that attendance is down.

Reputable reports from travel professionals here and elsewhere that hotel bookings are soft.

More reputable reports (and, anecdotally, my own observations) that TS dining is soft.

But Disney is also saying that revenues are flat to up based on higher per-customer spending.

Higher per-customer cost means fewer guests in your potential customer pool. Which means you have to raise prices to increase revenue, which further erodes your customer pool. And so on and so on.

I'm not saying the world is ending. Just saying that this is not the same long-term strategy Mickey used to employ, and it doesn't seem like a great idea over a long horizon.

I don't think Bob cares, because he'll cash out with higher revenue.

*Sent from my gate at Hobby as my daughter and I head to Orlando for 6 days of pre-Thanksgiving fun, because I'm part of the problem!

 

[Dranth]

I can afford it. And I agree with you, it’s not a price for rich people. It’s a price for dumb people.

What an obnoxious take. You can literally say that about anything.

ETA: I can’t say I would pay that for cake either but all of us likely have things many others think we over pay for.

 

[Chi84]

Disney's public statements that attendance is down.

Reputable reports from travel professionals here and elsewhere that hotel bookings are soft.

More reputable reports (and, anecdotally, my own observations) that TS dining is soft.

But Disney is also saying that revenues are flat to up based on higher per-customer spending.

Higher per-customer cost means fewer guests in your potential customer pool. Which means you have to raise prices to increase revenue, which further erodes your customer pool. And so on and so on.

I'm not saying the world is ending. Just saying that this is not the same long-term strategy Mickey used to employ, and it doesn't seem like a great idea over a long horizon.

I don't think Bob cares, because he'll cash out with higher revenue.

*Sent from my gate at Hobby as my daughter and I head to Orlando for 6 days of pre-Thanksgiving fun, because I'm part of the problem!

Fewer people will result in an easier, more comfortable trip for you. Enjoy.

 

[DCBaker]

Lightning Lane Premier Pass has now sold out at Magic Kingdom on November 23.

Here's a look at the dates and park locations that are currently sold out:

Magic Kingdom: 23, 25, 26, 27, 28
Hollywood Studios: 25, 28

Premier Pass has also now sold out at Magic Kingdom on November 24 and at Hollywood Studios on November 26.

 

[John park hopper]

And the $30 piece is big enough to share; $15 per portion

I ain't sharing my piece of cake

 

[John park hopper]

I don't begrudge anyone spending their money on anything my point was Disney is not targeting the middle class any longer with these prices. I may not be rich monetarily but I am rich in many other ways

 

[HoustonHorn]

Fewer people will result in an easier, more comfortable trip for you. Enjoy.

No doubt. In an ideal world, there would be no other guests by me and my daughter (only because the wife really dislikes rides and animatronics and basically most things about the parks other than my daughter's (and to a lesser extent, my) happiness).

But that just isn't sustainable unless I'm paying for that exclusive access. And there are only a small handful of people with the scratch to rent out entire theme parks.

 

[Chi84]

No doubt. In an ideal world, there would be no other guests by me and my daughter (only because the wife really dislikes rides and animatronics and basically most things about the parks other than my daughter's (and to a lesser extent, my) happiness).

But that just isn't sustainable unless I'm paying for that exclusive access. And there are only a small handful of people with the scratch to rent out entire theme parks.

I didn’t mean no one in the parks!

 

[Fido Chuckwagon]

What an obnoxious take. You can literally say that about anything.

ETA: I can’t say I would pay that for cake either but all of us likely have things many others think we over pay for.

I’m sorry, but objective truth exists. Paying $30 for a slice of previously frozen cake is dumb just like paying 6.2 million dollars for a banana duck-taped to a wall is dumb. One is dumber than the other of course.

 

[Chi84]

I’m sorry, but objective truth exists. Paying $30 for a slice of previously frozen cake is dumb just like paying 6.2 million dollars for a banana duck-taped to a wall is dumb. One is dumber than the other of course.

You’re kidding about using “objective truth,” right?

 

[Vegas Disney Fan]

Although it’s now tempting to buy PP for AK (since we can get it at our preferred resort) I see a huge risk in expanding this to more resorts, the one time we bought Genie+ at DL we still waited in several 20-30 minute long lines, we felt so ripped off we never bought it again, and that was at $30 a person, if we pay $200+ to skip lines they all better be short or we’re going to feel even more ripped off.

The higher the price the higher the expectation, at these prices they better not oversell them or they are going to infuriate and alienate a lot of people.

 

[lewisc]

Universal tells guests Express lines should be half the waiting time of the regular line. Disney can sell many LLPP if Disney goes that way.

 

[lewisc]

I'm not sure why people keep saying it's shareable as though that justifies the price -- I mean yes, it is, but they don't seem significantly larger than slices of cake you get at other quality bakeries. A lot of places sell shareable cake slices.

As @lentesta mentioned somewhere in another thread, Maxie B's has incredible cake that's as good as Cake Bake at worst (likely better than Cake Bake), and their slices are about the same size as Cake Bake's slices but cost less than half as much. They may be a little smaller, but they're certainly not half the size of a Cake Bake slice.

Maxie B's is a 9 hour drive from Disney. CBS is charging a premium because it's at Disney and an additional premium for the atmosphere. I don't know how many guests will pay an extra $10 -$20 pp for the ambience and service. Is the price premium much different then character meals?

Edited to add Shareable means guests having a meal at CBS don't need to pay for separate desserts for everyone in their group

 

[JMcMahonEsq]

You’re kidding about using “objective truth,” right?

I don’t think that word means what he thinks it means

 

[DCBaker]

Lightning Lane Premier Pass has now sold out at EPCOT on November 25.

Here's a look at the dates and park locations that are currently sold out:

Magic Kingdom: Nov. 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28
Hollywood Studios: Nov. 25, 26, 28
EPCOT: Nov. 25

 

[DCBaker]

Lightning Lane Premier Pass is now sold out for all parks tomorrow, November 25:

 

[Nottamus]

I might have missed that day- but did Disney ever announce how many they WOULD sell per park per day?

 

[WDWhopper]

What is happening with prices and why are people not pushing back against this? Just 4 years ago, a family of 4 could get into a park and have a nice day for under $700. Now it’s closer to $2000. I’m sure most of this is going on credit cards or coming out of home equity, because incomes have went up, but not by 150%. I’m seriously beginning to worry about what happens when this crazy inflationary period busts. It’s going to be brutal and could make 2008 look like a walk in the park. (No pun intended)