Disney After Hours returns to the Magic Kingdom at new lower pricing

[21stamps]

You're situation looks to be the exception rather than the normal. The majority of Disney guests stay more than 1 or 2 days, Disney does everything they can via pricing single day tickets at highest possible price point to discourage this. They sharply discount the longer term tickets to encourage longer stays. It makes no sense to develop a plan contradictory to what their main plan is. While there may be a market for single day visitors, it is very small in comparison to the long term guest, DVC member and AP holder. I think the hangup is that you believe Disney is trying to sell this event to people like yourself who want to do a whirlwind experience and then leave not to come back for while. My thinking is the Disney wants to create a new premium tier of offerings (not just this event) to attract higher margin guests staying at their properties. The problem is that they are scattershot in terms of how they're approaching it. Some things work, (holiday party's) and somethings not so much. The problem is, they're not at a palatable price point to maximize a return on this event.

(I'm not advocating this) But an interesting approach to this entire fiasco, would have been to make the offering available to Deluxe Resort and DVC guests only at a sharply discounted rate from $119 and maybe boost the room rates, or tradeoff on free dining etc. You don't necessarily see the entire cost of the event upfront since it is buried in the room rate.

I have stayed 19 nights on Disney property in the past 14 months. So I don't quite understand how I am the exception or looking to do Disney World in a 2 day whirlwind.

I have done WDW in 2 days, or one day, several times as an adult on adult only trips though. I lived 4 hours South of Orlando. Florida residents don't typically spend a week at a Disney resort. I wasn't talking about myself in that scenario though, I was talking about the millions of people per year who visit the East or West Coast of Fla, within a few hours radius of Orlando, and do a few days in Orlando on the beginning or tail end of their trip. There are plenty of them, a lot of them, that do not just focus on Disney World. They go to SeaWorld, Universal, Titanic Museum, Orlando Eye, etc etc etc. There are also plenty of them who have family or friends in or near the area and may do 1 or 2 days only at WDW, not staying onsite. I don't have the stats to prove it, but I'm sure it could be googled and found somewhere.

I think I stated this a few posts ago, I have an AP this year, the AP price for this event is $89. I think someone else said that DVC has their own special nights for it. Not everyone who goes to Disney and stays in Deluxe resorts, or any resort, wants to be DVC, Disney knows this too. Timeshare is for people who know they can plan their vacations far in advance. Not everyone can or wants to do that. Neither is right or wrong. Disney wants repeat guests, and they want Vacation Club members, I'm pretty sure they're realistic enough to know that the majority of WDW travelers will not end up considering DVC.

Have to make a correction- 18 nights. Not 19. Plus I forgot to add Legoland to the list of attractions.

 

[LuvtheGoof]

I realize you didn't pose that question to me but if I compare Little Mermaid to, let's say, Haunted Mansion one of them seems to have much, much more detail.

Really? Is the queue of Little Mermaid not one of the most themed areas that you have seen? Compare to the queue of HM that is outdoors with a canopy. The rides themselves are miles apart, I do agree. Should the Little Mermaid ride have been better - absolutely. The ride is a letdown after the queue, but for smaller children - they love it. The mine train area is heavily themed with tons of details. So is Beast's castle and Belle's cottage. Can you honestly state that they aren't?

 

[LuvtheGoof]

What content are they fixing?

Well, that's a good question. Guess I should have asked him what content he was talking about first. I thought he was referring to park maintenance and all.

 

[Laketravis]

Really? Is the queue of Little Mermaid not one of the most themed areas that you have seen?

Actually, no. It's not. Stamped concrete really doesn't impress me.

Compare to the queue of HM that is outdoors with a canopy.

I think that queue blows the Little Mermaid queue away.

 

[LuvtheGoof]

Actually, no. It's not.

So you probably prefer the outdoor chain switchbacks at DL instead?

 

[Andrew C]

So you probably prefer the outdoor chain switchbacks at DL instead?

That was like the only thing I did not like about DL actually. The rest, beautiful. But that annoyed me a little.

 

[Andrew C]

Actually, no. It's not. Stamped concrete really doesn't impress me.

Complaining about the detail of NFL overall is somewhat of a losing argument in my opinion. However, if you want to talk about the actual attractions that were added, there are good arguments about their lacking.

 

[Laketravis]

So you probably prefer the outdoor chain switchbacks at DL instead?

Are we talking about WDW or DL?

 

[Laketravis]

Complaining about the detail of NFL overall is somewhat of a losing argument in my opinion. However, if you want to talk about the actual attractions that were added, there are good arguments about their lacking.

I totally agree. I offered an attraction as an example and was then asked about queues and static structures. My interests lie in the actual attractions, and those are lacking.

 

[LuvtheGoof]

Complaining about the detail of NFL overall is somewhat of a losing argument in my opinion.

Not too some around here. They seem to hate everything about it.

However, if you want to talk about the actual attractions that were added, there are good arguments about their lacking.

Yes, the attractions themselves could have been better.

 

[Andrew C]

I totally agree. I offered an attraction as an example and was then asked about queues and static structures. My interests lie in the actual attractions, and those are lacking.

In certain ways, yes, you could argue they are lacking. I am of the opinion NFL was a nice addition to FL. With the exception of the LM attraction, my expectations for the addition were met. I am glad they went back into the LM attraction though and tried to deal with some of the problems that exist.

 

[Laketravis]

Not too some around here. They seem to hate everything about it.


Yes, the attractions themselves could have been better.

Not sure who you mean by "they" but personally I don't hate anything about WDW. I said I wasn't impressed by stamped concrete and there's a difference between hate and impressed.

We do seem to agree about the attractions.

 

[Bandini]

I totally agree. I offered an attraction as an example and was then asked about queues and static structures. My interests lie in the actual attractions, and those are lacking.

Yup. Totally agree. IMO the new queues were a money waster. Disney should've invested the money in new attractions, not trying to entertain guests as they stood in line. IMO the best queues are: Jungle Cruise, Expedition Everest, and Indiana Jones.

 

[The_Jobu]

IMO the best queues are: Jungle Cruise, Expedition Everest, and Indiana Jones.

I'm partial to ToT myself, but if we're talking all-time favourites, I'd have to give to Hogwarts across the street.

 

[21stamps]

Yup. Totally agree. IMO the new queues were a money waster. Disney should've invested the money in new attractions, not trying to entertain guests as they stood in line. IMO the best queues are: Jungle Cruise, Expedition Everest, and Indiana Jones.

Isn't that one of the reasons you go to WDW though? We could all save several thousand dollars and stay at a Great Wolf Lodge with, whirlpool, fireplace, or cute kid's den in the room, fantastic pool and slides..and go to an amusement park- with better rides than WDW. Part of my love for Disney is the anticipation as you are going thru a queue. Looking for something you may not have seen before, admiring the detail and theme of it all.. and best part- keeps the kids entertained and prevents them from asking "how much longer?"

 

[The_Jobu]

keeps the kids entertained and prevents them from asking "how much longer?"

It also works on 30 year old queue-geeks like me.

 

[flynnibus]

Key word there - Government. You have the power to change that. You don't have the power to change Disney's decisions.

And Disney will never know there is dissatisfaction in the first place if everyone just sits back and grits their teeth vs expressing it.

 

[Bocabear]

Yup. Totally agree. IMO the new queues were a money waster. Disney should've invested the money in new attractions, not trying to entertain guests as they stood in line. IMO the best queues are: Jungle Cruise, Expedition Everest, and Indiana Jones.

those things should not be mutually exclusive... There is a problem if the queue is really spectacular and the ride is just ok... Enchanted Tales with Belle... Great mirror effect but then entering into the Beast's Castle, why does it look like a Marriott hotel function room...was there not enough money to make the entire space spectacular? just the animatronic and the mirror? it's like the departments in Imagineering are not talking to each other...

 

[ford91exploder]

And Disney will never know there is dissatisfaction in the first place if everyone just sits back and grits their teeth vs expressing it.

Letters and visits to Guest Relations are an essential part of expressing one's dissatisfaction with WDW's trajectory, Posting here is good too see what happened with GotG update v1.0, Of course they later doubled down on stupidity and refuse to see it as a bad idea.

 

[mgpan]

Due to guest demand, expressed through surveys of park exiting guests, they are telling us they want less waits and more exclusivity, but not in an empty park and at a price point of $119. They are telling us they'd rather have those lower waits when the park is open during the day with more festive atmosphere, and leaving plenty of time for dinners as part of overpriced dining plans or other extra charge nighttime offerings. As a result, and as always we listen to what our guests tell us in our pre-designed surveys that deliver the answers we want to hear, we are now offering the ability for hotel guests to obtain extra fastpass plus opportunities for only $109 per day per park with a different park selected each day. (offer available only during low capacity seasons, not during party months, only to deluxe resort guests, not valid with any other discounts or offers, park admission required, select attractions only on a tiered basis and one fastpass per attraction per day, offer must be obtained in advance, is non refundable, non transferable and available attractions are subject to change without notice or be unavailable during certain times due to additional upcharge events).

 

[Bandini]

It also works on 30 year old queue-geeks like me.

I guess this is the difference. I like the old queues and their theming. It seems to me the the new interactive queues are entertaining only to the few people that get to play the games or the musical instruments. It's really not that interesting for me to watch. I've also been in lines, 7 DMT for one, where the people playing the game held up the line and wouldn't allow anyone to pass while they finished their game.