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

[Weather_Lady]

As i DVC member I love it. There should be incentive for those of us who spend a few extra dollars on a room so we dont have to see all those people hanging around

My comment to which you were responding was about the lack of incentives for guests to stay onsite prior to the 50th. I'm afraid the pre-October-1st guests are still going to be there, loitering around in your field of vision... some of them just might have more of a chip on their shoulder than usual is all, knowing there's nothing special being offered during their dates.

 

[Weather_Lady]

We have ALWAYS stayed on property at the moderates (except one time) but now I am thinking more and more about staying offsite. I just worry if it won't be as magical. The one time we stayed off property it just didn't feel the same. Does that make sense?

Depending on what made it "not feel the same," you might still feel find a bit of magic off-property. There are some beautiful off-site places that have been decorated in Disney theming and decor (of varying taste levels). As an example, we had our eye on this one, and similar, for a while:

Townhouse in Kissimmee · ★4.94 · 2 bedrooms · 3 beds · 2 baths

Disney World Vacation Home-The Mouse Townhouse #3

www.airbnb.com

 

[wlodge_man]

So how does this work for "Extended Evening Hours" - what if you are already in the park that day and are staying off-site and/or at a non-deluxe Disney resort? Asking for a friend...

 

[Think Tink]

So how does this work for "Extended Evening Hours" - what if you are already in the park that day and are staying off-site and/or at a non-deluxe Disney resort? Asking for a friend...

It used to be that they would scan magic bands before entering locations or attractions to make sure you were at an approved resort.

 

[Weather_Lady]

So how does this work for "Extended Evening Hours" - what if you are already in the park that day and are staying off-site and/or at a non-deluxe Disney resort? Asking for a friend...

I'm sure it will work as it did before with EMH. Once the park is technically closed to regular guests, you won't be able to enter an attraction queue without scanning your MagicBand (or other ticket media), which will indicate whether you're an eligible (deluxe) guest.

If you simply wish to linger in a gift shop and spend exorbitant amounts of money after the park is closed, however, you will probably find that no one will question your credentials in doing so...

 

[Rob562]

Should be done in the next two years from what I read. I don't see how it's any less convenient than the dang buses.

I don't see trusting somebody else with my luggage as a plus. I would never allow it out of my sight for that long.

I'm the sort that would have paid for an Uber or Lyft rather than use the bus system Disney was offering anyway.

The issue is also volume/capacity. At peak times, DME is loading multiple buses at the same time, and they have full buses pulling away every few minutes. If it were a true DME replacement, it would need a train departing the airport like every 15 minutes. (I'm guessing on the numbers) The info I saw is that the trains will not be that frequent.

-Rob

 

[Ayla]

The issue is also volume/capacity. At peak times, DME is loading multiple buses at the same time, and they have full buses pulling away every few minutes. If it were a true DME replacement, it would need a train departing the airport like every 15 minutes. (I'm guessing on the numbers) The info I saw is that the trains will not be that frequent.

-Rob

I think it was either every 30 minutes or once an hour for departure, I don't remember which one.

 

[dreamfinder]

...and Disney seems to delight in continuing to alienate yet more people.

Disney released the list of hotels included in early theme park entry. Disney's Swan & Dolphin, and Shades of Green (in what Sam the Eagle and I would both call a "distinctly unpatriotic" move), have both been axed from the old "EMH" list of eligible resorts. Meanwhile, other non-Disney-owned hotels and Disney Springs good neighbors made the grade.

It would be pretty hard to screw up a simple cut-and-paste from the old EMH eligibility page to the new Early Theme Park Entry one, so I'm assuming the omission has to be intentional.

Early Theme Park Entry for Disney Resort Hotel Guests

Be our guest! Your wish is our command, as you enjoy this Walt Disney World service.

disneyworld.disney.go.com

Do we know for a fact that WDW cut those and the hotels themselves didn't opt out? Pretty sure that when they recently added the other non-Disney owned hotels, the consensus was that those locations agreed to pony up whatever cash WDW was asking for the ability to partipicate. The operators of the Swolphin and SoG may have simply decided that the 30 mins daily weren't going to be worth whatever WDW was charging them. Seeing as how the Swolphin stopped using WDW buses (and most likely went with the cheaper Mears choice) I wouldn't be shocked if they simply chose to opt out.

 

[Weather_Lady]

Do we know for a fact that WDW cut those and the hotels themselves didn't opt out? Pretty sure that when they recently added the other non-Disney owned hotels, the consensus was that those locations agreed to pony up whatever cash WDW was asking for the ability to partipicate. The operators of the Swolphin and SoG may have simply decided that the 30 mins daily weren't going to be worth whatever WDW was charging them. Seeing as how the Swolphin stopped using WDW buses (and most likely went with the cheaper Mears choice) I wouldn't be shocked if they simply chose to opt out.

I started another thread in the Resorts forum the other day to post an update: what I shared here a few days prior is no longer current. Guests on the Swan & Dolphin Facebook page have been reaching out to Disney chat-line CMs (not a particularly reputable source, but the answers they're getting are consistent) and to Marriott directly (a more reputable source). All of the answers they've obtained confirm that the omission of Swan & Dolphin from the Early Park Entry list was in error, and that Swan & Dolphin guests will have access to those hours starting October 1st.

I haven't heard anything about Shades of Green however.

 

[Hcalvert]

Do we know for a fact that WDW cut those and the hotels themselves didn't opt out? Pretty sure that when they recently added the other non-Disney owned hotels, the consensus was that those locations agreed to pony up whatever cash WDW was asking for the ability to partipicate. The operators of the Swolphin and SoG may have simply decided that the 30 mins daily weren't going to be worth whatever WDW was charging them. Seeing as how the Swolphin stopped using WDW buses (and most likely went with the cheaper Mears choice) I wouldn't be shocked if they simply chose to opt out.

Maybe they cut the Swan & Dolphin to discourage those people from using Disney transportation to get to the parks instead of the Mears transportation? We usually drive to the parks and not take Disney transportation, but I have been wondering if the daily early 30 minutes will only be accessible to those staying on site if they use Disney's transportation. I might be wrong, but how are they going to filter out those who should be there early from those who should not be at the parking gates?

 

[Weather_Lady]

Maybe they cut the Swan & Dolphin to discourage those people from using Disney transportation to get to the parks instead of the Mears transportation? We usually drive to the parks and not take Disney transportation, but I have been wondering if the daily early 30 minutes will only be accessible to those staying on site if they use Disney's transportation. I might be wrong, but how are they going to filter out those who should be there early from those who should not be at the parking gates?

I think they'll filter them out the same way they always did for EMH: scanning MB or tickets. It had nothing to do with how you arrived.

 

[jpinkc]

What? I can't imagine any possible way that you walked from the Wilderness Lodge to The Polynesian.


Edit: I've done some digging and it does appear to be possible but it sure doesn't sound pleasant. This from another trip planning site:
"The distance between Disney's Wilderness Lodge Resort to the Disney's Polynesian Village Resort is a little under 1 mile but it is not recommended to walk it because it is a very busy, high traffic area without a lot of sidewalks. You would be walking on the side of the road or in grass"

OP- I don't know why I fixated on this. It just stuck out to me since we like to walk everywhere and never even knew this was possible.
We stick to well known paths and avoid walking in traffic or in grass, but I learned something new, so there's that.

Made that walk quite a few times. Yes it can be unpleasant in bad weather.

 

[Club Cooloholic]

I'm a DVC member, regardless of that I really liked staying in Alligator Bayou at Riverside and my daughter hoped we would book at least a night or too sometime next trip. I can't justify it now. It's really awful what Disney is doing with these perks. BTW a half hour early? Yeah that sounds messy

 

[Hcalvert]

I think they'll filter them out the same way they always did for EMH: scanning MB or tickets. It had nothing to do with how you arrived.

I figured that to a certain extent. The problem is that all those people who are trying to get in early via their own transportation and shouldn't be will be holding up those who legitimately are able to take advantage of the early 30 minutes. It is just annoying because that is what will happen and by the time they filter through the people, the 30 minutes will be gone.

 

[Club Cooloholic]

I figured that to a certain extent. The problem is that all those people who are trying to get in early via their own transportation and shouldn't be will be holding up those who legitimately are able to take advantage of the early 30 minutes. It is just annoying because that is what will happen and by the time they filter through the people, the 30 minutes will be gone.

This is absolutely correct. That's why a half hour is really way too short an amount of time.

 

[allgiggles]

I figured that to a certain extent. The problem is that all those people who are trying to get in early via their own transportation and shouldn't be will be holding up those who legitimately are able to take advantage of the early 30 minutes. It is just annoying because that is what will happen and by the time they filter through the people, the 30 minutes will be gone.

My thoughts exactly. Unless they have dozens of cm's with remote scanners to sort people out before they even get to the tapstyles (sending the non-resort guests to a holding area and sending the resort guests to the entrance), it's going to be a disaster. My hope is that they will actually let guests in to the park at least 15 minutes before the early-entry time and hold them within the park until the 30 minute early entry time. Then guests will actually have 30 minutes to get on an attraction or two before the masses arrive. And that's assuming that they don't allow non-resort guests through the tapstyles before the official opening time.

 

[lunchbox1175]

So someone else is “collecting” resort stays?

Lol....indeed, I wanted to be able to tell people which resort i think is best. Only way to do that is stay at them all. Actually I even collect all the artist renderings of the resorts they sell and spent a fortune on framing for them....i'm such a sucker for merch some times!

 

[pj4963]

We stayed at Yacht Club first week of June. Saved for a year to stay in a deluxe. Would I do it again, not sure. We were very disappointed in our stay but covid was the issue. Wish we would of done moderate or value. Just not sure that deluxe is worth the money.

 

[lunchbox1175]

My thoughts exactly. Unless they have dozens of cm's with remote scanners to sort people out before they even get to the tapstyles (sending the non-resort guests to a holding area and sending the resort guests to the entrance), it's going to be a disaster. My hope is that they will actually let guests in to the park at least 15 minutes before the early-entry time and hold them within the park until the 30 minute early entry time. Then guests will actually have 30 minutes to get on an attraction or two before the masses arrive. And that's assuming that they don't allow non-resort guests through the tapstyles before the official opening time.

I've never stayed off property before, so please forgive my ignorance, so if the MK is supposed to open at 9:00 isn't this as easy as:

1. Deluxe resort transportation options start at 8:00am allowing for an 8:30 entry
2. All other resort transportation starts at 8:45am for 9:00am park entry. (i assume its no more than 15 min from a resort to park)
3. Parking Lot and T&T Center transport starts at 8:50am for 9:00am park entry (feel like they should be able to time it so off site guests don't arrive at front entrance until 9:00)

 

[allgiggles]

I've never stayed off property before, so please forgive my ignorance, so if the MK is supposed to open at 9:00 isn't this as easy as:

1. Deluxe resort transportation options start at 8:00am allowing for an 8:30 entry
2. All other resort transportation starts at 8:45am for 9:00am park entry. (i assume its no more than 15 min from a resort to park)
3. Parking Lot and T&T Center transport starts at 8:50am for 9:00am park entry (feel like they should be able to time it so off site guests don't arrive at front entrance until 9:00)

I'm not a transportation expert by any stretch of the imagination, but I don't think your plan will work. There will be potentially hundreds of people at each resort trying to get to various parks for the early entry every morning. There just isn't enough time logistically to transport them all in 15 minutes (the bus ride from AoA can be closer to 20 minutes to MK some mornings depending on traffic). And the bottleneck at the tapstyles at the parks would be huge if thousands of people are arriving from various resorts all at the same time. Many people drive to the parks so they would need the TTC transportation running early for those guests. I don't know how things are right now, but prior to Covid, some restaurants in the parks had early reservations (prior to official opening time) so those people would also need early transportation.

I'm confident (or as confident as I can be when Disney is involved) that Disney has a plan for how to handle the crowd for early entry. We'll just have to wait and see how it pans out.