Disney alienates 90% of their guests......What is going on?

[JIMINYCR]

This is a great explanation but I don't think you'll change any minds. I agree btw. The "perks" that have come and gone don't really matter that much to us, some we never even used, with others we just find a different way to enjoy our time. To Disney's credit, they tend to give advanced notice on changes and disruptions. Anyone planning a trip has the opportunity to factor that information in and adjust expectations accordingly, or opt out if it's a deal breaker. I really don't understand all of the outraged indignation.

In most posts you know youll never change minds. They are set in stone and arent going to budge. All you can do is put out your rebuttal to their point and there will be some who agree and others who wont. Thats whats good about discussions, its all about different points of views. Sometimes you can learn something if you have an open mind. Disney discussions about DDP, resorts on and off site, prices of tickets, prices of rooms, refillable mugs, quality of restaurant menu items, and other topics will always be contentious.

 

[eliza61nyc]

Here's a general question to the group,
Do you think people who stay onsite are incapable of doing internet searching?

Why is it so incomprehensible that people who stay onsite actually want to and actually like it??

 

[JIMINYCR]

Agreed, many folks don’t partake in the free breakfast, pool, gym, the room is just for sleeping, so no need overpay for a room just to sleep in it.

Unless other factors are considered. Like location, comfort of the bed and pillows, safety of parking, surrounding access to dining, theater etc., ease off and on roadways, access to work site, staff friendliness, past visits that were pleasing ... yes there are many many things that I will consider value in paying more for despite not having perks.

 

[JIMINYCR]

Here's a general question to the group,
Do you think people who stay onsite are incapable of doing internet searching?

Why is it so incomprehensible that people who stay onsite actually want to and actually like it??

Its like this now about anything. Theres an attitude about anything posted... I'm right... you are wrong. If you disagree, you are stupid, incompetent or cant understand logic. Disney is bad, evil, and greedy. Disney never can or will live up to their image of what once was or could be.
Everyone has choices regarding their WDW trips that they will make determined by their income level, their comfort level, their family situation, their position in life. Theres no one fits all. Because I'm willing to stay and pay for one site doesnt mean I'm being taken advantage of or robbed by Disney. I am free to make my decision for what I can afford and enjoy and what I feel is right for me at the time.

 

[Disstevefan1]

Why?? Here's the thing you are assuming that people who stay on site are some how clueless of their alternatives. I assure you on site people can Google like off site folks.

Guys I know it's a crazy concept but there are people who actually WANT to stay onsite.

So my second question is another why? Why the concern about how other people vacation? Seriously, you hope we all start staying off site because.... Will it make your trips better?

Folks are free to do as they wish, but there are high quality places to stay off site. My hope was that folks look at them for their own good, see all that is available, that’s all.

You are right, no matter what WDW does, folks will come. “Thank you sir may I have another”. Disney will do whatever it will do, and folks will still come.

You can close the doors for a year. Reopen to a sub standard experience, folks will still come.

Disney wins again.

 

[Inspired Figment]

Folks are free to do as they wish, but there are high quality places to stay off site. My hope was that folks look at them for their own good, see all that is available, that’s all.

You are right, no matter what WDW does, folks will come. “Thank you sir may I have another”. Disney will do whatever it will do, and folks will still come.

You can close the doors for a year. Reopen to a sub standard experience, folks will still come.

Disney wins again.

While I agree that’s true… if ‘more’ people start to notice the lessened amount of incentives & quality compared to what they used to offer.. or at the very least, the incentives compared to what the competition is currently offering. They ‘will’ take notice and Disney will not quite be the “winner” in that scenario. The “always-supportive no matter what” customers will always be there, sure, but I believe the number of those particular customers will significantly be less if things keep up the way they are now.

 

[eliza61nyc]

Folks are free to do as they wish, but there are high quality places to stay off site. My hope was that folks look at them for their own good, see all that is available, that’s all.

You are right, no matter what WDW does, folks will come. “Thank you sir may I have another”. Disney will do whatever it will do, and folks will still come.

You can close the doors for a year. Reopen to a sub standard experience, folks will still come.

Disney wins again.

But that's the thing, you are assuming that we haven't. I assure you I've stayed at quite a number of those high quality places including the four seasons.

It's not about Disney winning, at least not with my family. I doubt folks say "how can we help Disney" when planning a vacation. It's very very simple, we think about where do we get the most pleasure? What's in the budget? What things both tangible and intangible are important?

And if at some point off-site wins, we go that route.

I just dislike this assumption that folks who are staying on site are some how clueless and/or stupid and that if they only listen to me they'll have some sort of "ephinany" and see the light then stay off-site

 

[Inspired Figment]

But that's the thing, you are assuming that we haven't. I assure you I've stayed at quite a number of those high quality places including the four seasons.

It's not about Disney winning, at least not with my family. I doubt folks say "how can we help Disney" when planning a vacation. It's very very simple, we think about where do we get the most pleasure? What's in the budget? What things both tangible and intangible are important?

And if at some point off-site wins, we go that route

Keep in mind that I believe most people aren’t exactly criticizing ‘you’ personally but mainly how the company is taking advantage of its guests by doing what they’re doing currently. You have the reasons you’d like to still go & feel it’s worth the price. (You can afford it and feel like you’re still getting a good enough value. That’s fine). ‘However’, what folks are hoping is that enough people start taking notice of what they’re doing/cheapening the experience and take their business elsewhere to perhaps force a change to take place to where they give guests the experience & incentives they truly deserve & were capable of providing in the past again.

 

[Tom P.]

Folks are free to do as they wish, but there are high quality places to stay off site. My hope was that folks look at them for their own good, see all that is available, that’s all.

Yes, but they are off site. That's the point. No matter how good an off site property is, it's still off site.

We want to stay on-site. That one ingredient seems to be the one that always gets missed in this discussion. "You can get better amenities for a lower price offsite!" Yes, but the amenities are not the deciding factor for us. It's being on-site.

 

[allgiggles]

We enjoy being on property for the magic etc. We've stayed value and moderate. Although our moderate is priced more like a deluxe at the fort wilderness cabins. We have never seen the point in paying that much for a literal hotel room at a deluxe. We've always looked and considered it. And maybe one day we will. But right now even with the "perks" of a deluxe, you can't beat the space and privacy you get at the cabins. We ride a boat to MK, we have tons of activities... I'm sure it's only a matter of time before things over there are reworked and the cabins become more expensive by a couple hundred dollars a night. Wed probably still pay it because we like the space and we like our whole family to be comfortably together in the same room. I figure if people want to pay crazy prices for delux, then let them enjoy those perks. It's the least we could for the demographic that is "paying for everything in the parks" according to and earlier poster Y'all keep paying to keep the lights on for the rest of us common folk.

We're the same. Except for us, we stay in a suite at AoA even though we're a party of 4 and could get a standard room at a deluxe resort for less money. For us, we want the much larger space, 2 TVs, 2 bathrooms, and a private master bedroom. I know there are thousands and thousands of people who stay in a standard deluxe room with 4 people every day and survive. We stay in standard high-end hotel rooms like that when we travel other places for shorter stays, but not at Disney. During our Disney trips, we want the accommodations that the suites offer. I'm tired of people telling us we could get an entire house off property or stay in a standard room at a Deluxe for the same price we pay for suite. We're very aware of that. We want to be onsite in a room/space that works for our family. It's not always about finding the best bargain. And we're certainly not willing to give up all the extras we get in a suite to move to a deluxe in order to *maybe* be able to take advantage of a few extra hours in the parks (we typically only do one evening EMH during a stay anyway -- so what are we losing, 3 hours tops???) We'll stay in a suite with all the extra accommodations that make our stay enjoyable. We don't go on vacation to save money. We go on vacation to relax and have fun. Apparently the $10K we spend staying at a value resort is far less impressive to some people than the $10K we'd spend if we stayed at a deluxe. That's fine with me. I'm not trying to impress anyone. I don't mind being part of the the common folk. I just wonder where all the money from the value & mod resort guests go if it's the deluxe resort guests who are paying for everything?????

 

[HeartOfTeFiti]

Yes, but they are off site. That's the point. No matter how good an off site property is, it's still off site.

We want to stay on-site. That one ingredient seems to be the one that always gets missed in this discussion. "You can get better amenities for a lower price offsite!" Yes, but the amenities are not the deciding factor for us. It's being on-site.

This exactly! I have zero interest in staying off site. It doesn't matter how much less expensive an off site hotel is. It doesn't matter how much larger an off site condo or rental home is. It doesn't matter what amenities are offered off site. I don't want to stay off site. Period. Zero interest in it. Just zero.

 

[allgiggles]

Yes, but they are off site. That's the point. No matter how good an off site property is, it's still off site.

We want to stay on-site. That one ingredient seems to be the one that always gets missed in this discussion. "You can get better amenities for a lower price offsite!" Yes, but the amenities are not the deciding factor for us. It's being on-site.

Exactly!!! It's not simply about finding the cheapest accommodations, it's about getting the experience that your family wants. We don't want an entire house; We don't want a kitchen and laundry room (I don't cook, clean, or do laundry on vacation); we don't want a private pool. We *want* to be on property because we like the feeling of escaping from the world and being in the bubble and we're willing to pay for that. We also don't want to drive anywhere while we're there so we choose to use Disney transportation to get around even though we have our car there. And when our kids were teenagers, we never would have allowed them to use offsite busses to come and go from the parks on their own, but we were perfectly comfortable allowing them to use Disney transportation. It's about paying for the vacation you want...not necessarily what's cheapest.

 

[SteveAZee]

I'm an optimizer. Many years ago I bought into Old Key West... kids were little and it seemed that between the costs and the perks, it made a LOT of sense. Later, pulling the kids out of school as teens became bad, so I sold, and occasionally rented back. Now the kids are adults and I'm buying back in. I like being in the bubble, I like the bus transportation as a backup to a rental car (free parking!) and having access to a full kitchen and laundry, which we use to keep meal costs down. I stayed off property once.... once. I'm a happy camper at OKW as an escape during or at the end of the day... and can get 'back home' quickly when I want. I love the space, the quiet, and I'm not there for the perks. I will miss FP+ a bit, but it sounds like they're still planning on perks that OKW will probably get. I have looked a lot on and off property, and for my money... I'm sure my family and I are in the right place.

 

[MorphinePrince]

I'm an optimizer. Many years ago I bought into Old Key West... kids were little and it seemed that between the costs and the perks, it made a LOT of sense. Later, pulling the kids out of school as teens became bad, so I sold, and occasionally rented back. Now the kids are adults and I'm buying back in. I like being in the bubble, I like the bus transportation as a backup to a rental car (free parking!) and having access to a full kitchen and laundry, which we use to keep meal costs down. I stayed off property once.... once. I'm a happy camper at OKW as an escape during or at the end of the day... and can get 'back home' quickly when I want. I love the space, the quiet, and I'm not there for the perks. I will miss FP+ a bit, but it sounds like they're still planning on perks that OKW will probably get. I have looked a lot on and off property, and for my money... I'm sure my family and I are in the right place.

My family feels the same about OKW!! Even though its not our home resort, its our most frequented DVC resort. You can't beat the layout of the one bedroom (we are a family of 6 with spouses now) and having the full sized kitchen/laundry is a god send during our trips. Then factor in the fantastic location to Disney Springs and Epoct, its a win-win for us. Like you, we have lamented a few of the park perks, but as we grow older and visit WDW more than once a year, spending every single moment in the parks is no longer our priority. We've become resort dwellers and in recent years have spent copious amounts of time enjoy all the other fantastic things Central FL has to offer.

 

[SteveAZee]

My family feels the same about OKW!! Even though its not our home resort, its our most frequented DVC resort. You can't beat the layout of the one bedroom (we are a family of 6 with spouses now) and having the full sized kitchen/laundry is a god send during our trips. Then factor in the fantastic location to Disney Springs and Epoct, its a win-win for us. Like you, we have lamented a few of the park perks, but as we grow older and visit WDW more than once a year, spending every single moment in the parks is no longer our priority. We've become resort dwellers and in recent years have spent copious amounts of time enjoy all the other fantastic things Central FL has to offer.

Next trip we'll be trying to get a three bedroom place for seven or eight of us. It's been a while since I've been in one, but I'm really looking forward to it. They've even priced a lot of the food offerings in the store (Conch Flats) to be close to supermarket/liquor store costs, so that saves a trip for small things like butter or milk.

The thing about offsite, with my limited experience, is that there's not a lot of energy there during the day.... everyone's gone to the parks and are there for the day. at OKW there's still a lot of energy of people and movement during the day, which I like. Not crowded, but there's life.

Having factored in the cost of buying in and yearly dues, it's a cost effective solution for us and certainly our favorite place to stay while at Disney. I have looked at all the other DVC sites, and I believe we are in the right place and the perks of it (OKW) outweigh and outprice anything else I've seen... for my family.

 

[DaisyDnDon]

one of the worst things that came out of the pandemic (disney wise), is that they see that a reduced experience (no fireworks, rides closed, social distancing, masks) still sells out.... to me they are just seeing how much they can remove before it hurts....

That’s one way of looking at it. For our situation, the reduced experience was perfect for the time. We went to WDW three times during the pandemic because we enjoyed going to a place where we felt safe with Disney insisting on the social distancing and the masks, and because we were taking advantage of great deals via discounted DVC reservations. We enjoyed outdoor dining, very low crowds, and short waits in the parks. They were, in some ways, some of our best trips ever; it was nice to be spontaneous with no motivation to follow a painstakingly scheduled itinerary.

Now, this summer we’re going once, and we’ll be staying in a standard room at All Star Movies with a 35% AP discount. It’s all about choices. I will admit that the hotel parking fee galls me, but I‘m going to go and pay it anyway. In the end, nobody’s making me go to WDW. I like it so I choose it.

 

[DaisyDnDon]

I have stayed at every resort except for the GF and Riviera, and once I cross that off the list, I don't believe I will stay on property anymore as the benefits just continue to decline. I had seriously been considering joining DVC, but with ME and all the other perks being removed I just don't see any value in it.

So someone else is “collecting” resort stays?

 

[DaisyDnDon]

We stay on-property because we want to be on-property. That is the benefit to us. It is no more complicated than that. All the other stuff that people are discussing is nice, but has nothing to do with why we chose to stay where we do. There is something different from any other vacation about being able to come to Walt Disney World and be entirely enclosed in that world for a week or 10 days or whatever if that's what you choose to do.

Other people don't value that and aren't interested in staying on-property if they aren't getting free MagicBands, Extra Magic Hours, Magical Express, etc. That's fine. I totally get and respect that and, for them, I think staying offsite is a great choice. For us, those things don't even enter into the calculation. In fact, the only calculation is, "we want to stay on-property, which place is available that we can afford?" and that's it.

Yes, this is true for us as well. We like the “bubble” and the theming.

 

[Rumrunner]

Just one more resason we have decided Disney is no longer our must go to place.. We usually spend over 20 grand to take three families-three genrations-12 people party and spend 9 or 10 nights at Disney resorts.

Those days are over for us-Disney has not shown the appreciation I have come to expect from what was a classy organization. Something is wrong at Disney and I am sure losing one good customer and his entire family is of no concern to them. It just saddens me most of all.

 

[Hcalvert]

Next trip we'll be trying to get a three bedroom place for seven or eight of us. It's been a while since I've been in one, but I'm really looking forward to it. They've even priced a lot of the food offerings in the store (Conch Flats) to be close to supermarket/liquor store costs, so that saves a trip for small things like butter or milk.

The thing about offsite, with my limited experience, is that there's not a lot of energy there during the day.... everyone's gone to the parks and are there for the day. at OKW there's still a lot of energy of people and movement during the day, which I like. Not crowded, but there's life.

Having factored in the cost of buying in and yearly dues, it's a cost effective solution for us and certainly our favorite place to stay while at Disney. I have looked at all the other DVC sites, and I believe we are in the right place and the perks of it (OKW) outweigh and outprice anything else I've seen... for my family.

I am staying at OKW in a studio over Christmas. I haven't stayed there since 2004. Do you have a recommendation of which area to request? Thank you.