Disney considering VIP and other add-on options to their tickets....

[David S.]

Do you feel closing the park early for hard ticket events is fair? I think that has far more impact on daily guests than tweaking the fastpass system will.

I don't know if I'd call it "unfair", because the information is out there and you can plan to avoid the park on those days. But I will say people who attend on those days get "less show" than on a normal day and the end of your night is nowhere near as "magical" as on a normal operating day. So I avoid visiting the Magic Kingdom on hard-close days!

 

[NoChesterHester]

I also agree that Disney is smart to expand these offerings to the "normal" park guest because many people feel somewhat overwhelmed when planning a Disney vacation because of the wide variety. I see the VIP add-ons appealing to a wider group of guests than just the super affluent.

I am by no means super affluent, but for certain special occasions I might consider springing for some of these options. I like how they may become more accessible.

For example, I would consider springing for an all day fast-pass for my 14 year old son and his friend as part of say his Birthday when we visit. They could blow up the thrill rides all day and night while I took some time with my wife and smaller kids.

I would never consider a VIP tour due to the cost, but even though these options are expensive they may be great for a special occasion.

 

[David S.]

Initially, I would say that they should include the hard ticket events in with admission, like they have at DL. Different fireworks, a different parade, and either candy or cider and cookies (depending on the season) could be the draw to increase regular attendance during these traditionally slower periods.

:sohappy::sohappy::sohappy:

 

[mrbghd]

(1) Visiting the Magic Kingdom on New Year's Eve is an annual tradition. If I suddenly was not allowed to visit the Magic Kingdom on that day and other holidays without giving them another hundred bucks per day, I'd be losing something I've been allowed to do as an AP holder for YEARS, and therefore expect to do. But I bet my price for the AP would not go down to reflect having access to the park for fewer days!

(2) Assuming you are not an AP holder, you are used to the idea of having to pay SOMETHING for each and every day you set foot in the parks. So while you would only be asked to pay a "little more" than you would have expected to pay for a holiday, I , as an AP, would have to pay a LOT more - namely the entire upcharge!


(3) if I went on New Years Eve and Easter Sunday LIKE I AM USED TO DOING NOW, the price of my AP would effectively be going up from between 4 and 5 hundred dollars to between 6 and 7 hundred dollars. That is a HUGE increase just to be able to continue visiting the parks the way I am used to!

(4) local APs being a distinct minority not valued as much as resort guests.

1. For sure the price of your AP would not go down. It's all speculation but I just don't see them taking away passholder access. Especially since you pay for one WITHOUT blackout dates.

2. Not an AP holder due to the different times that we travel. So you are dead on with your assessment. For those like me the thought of "a little more cost" for exclusivity is great.

3. My assumption is that you are in the minority if AP holders for WDW. I imagine most locals don't venture to the parks on the holidays like you do. So I would assume ( I know dangerous) that the amount of AP guests on those days would not impact the total number of guests.

4. Again I agree with you. From my discussions with several CM's on my last trip many at WDW do not like local AP holders. They represent the highest number of complaints and spend less in the parks after taking into account the cos of the AP's. Also, someone in your position is far more aware of the way things "should be" at the parks versus a person on a once in a lifetime trip.

 

[David S.]

1. For sure the price of your AP would not go down. It's all speculation but I just don't see them taking away passholder access. Especially since you pay for one WITHOUT blackout dates.

I hope you're right The only reason I was a little concerned is that APs are not accepted at the after-hours parties, and the wording in that article made it sound like they are considering treating holidays like those parties (ie as "hard-ticket events")

3. My assumption is that you are in the minority if AP holders for WDW. I imagine most locals don't venture to the parks on the holidays like you do. So I would assume ( I know dangerous) that the amount of AP guests on those days would not impact the total number of guests.

Perhaps I am in the minority, as you say. I noticed that a lot of locals seem to have a strange disdain for WDW, but then again those aren't the locals who would be Disney fans or AP holders! Personally, I always like to be out somewhere on New Years Eve watching a fireworks show, and I can't imagine not celebrating New Years at my favorite park, the MK! I mean, if I didn't go on NYE, I can't imagine a single thing in Orlando that I could do to celebrate the New Year as a better alternative to being in my favorite park watching the NYE fireworks! Nothing could top that! But if the other local AP holders want to miss out, that is their perogative! The whole point of me moving there seasonally was so I wouldn't have to miss out on stuff like this, and the crowds don't bother me, because I'm a "theme park pro", like to do full days (so the capacity is not an issue), and I get there early and use Fastpass to the max!

4. Again I agree with you. From my discussions with several CM's on my last trip many at WDW do not like local AP holders. They represent the highest number of complaints and spend less in the parks after taking into account the cos of the AP's. Also, someone in your position is far more aware of the way things "should be" at the parks versus a person on a once in a lifetime trip.

I guess I'm in the minority again, then, because the VAST MAJORITY of the times I've gone to Guest Relations, it was to PRAISE Cast Members for a job well done, going above and beyond the call to make things magical for me! Having the theme park experience I have (53 parks), I know from experience that as a whole, WDW's CMs are a cut above those found at most other parks!

Also, even though I have an AP and visit at a high volume, on each one of those days I spend a lot of money on food and snacks. I don't like the hassle of bringing food in and having to carry it around with me, and I don't like leaving the parks to eat more cheaply and come back, because that means I would get to spend less time in the parks! So they make as much money off of me on food and drinks per day as they would if I was on vacation. Also, I spend a LOT of money throughout the year on souvenirs. I have a huge collection of park related T-shirts, CDs, DVDs, books, and plush.

So I'm one of the APs I'd like to think that they would value! It's precisely because I'm NOT cheap while in the parks, that the idea of having to pay an upcharge just to get in is unappealing!

Thank you for responding intelligently and not over-reacting to my concerns, which at this point are only "concerns" and not "complaints" since we don't yet know how this potential holiday policy would affect APs.

 

[fosse76]

1. For sure the price of your AP would not go down. It's all speculation but I just don't see them taking away passholder access. Especially since you pay for one WITHOUT blackout dates.

They would have to block passholder access. 1) They are charging more for admission on that particular day and 2) limiting the number of tickets sold, so that the atmosphere is more intimate. If you allowed any passholder to just go in, it could exceed the number of guests they want in the park. If they stick to the limit but allow passholders in, then people who purchased tickets for that day could be shut out whne the "magic number" is reached. But I'm 100% that no matter what, the AP prices will not decrease.

The whole issue isn't about given perks and benefits to people willing to pay for it. It's that some of these perks and benefits will adversely affect the guests who choose not to pay for these added benefits. If you think getting FPs for Toy Story Mani and Soarin' are difficult now, what do you think it will be like if there are VIP FastPasses for sale. And let's not kid ourselves. The "limited" number of these passes will be in the thousands.

Hard ticket events are not unfair, because the park posts its normal operating hours in advance of the event. And those tickets are available to anyone for purchase. They aren't a "surcharge" on tickets, since you don't have to already have a ticket for admission.

 

[mrbghd]

If you think getting FPs for Toy Story Mani and Soarin' are difficult now, what do you think it will be like if there are VIP FastPasses for sale. And let's not kid ourselves. The "limited" number of these passes will be in the thousands.

Hard ticket events are not unfair, because the park posts its normal operating hours in advance of the event. And those tickets are available to anyone for purchase. They aren't a "surcharge" on tickets, since you don't have to already have a ticket for admission.

As for the first part I disagree. The reason I do is again only based on assumptions. If the VIP FP is used like it is now there is no need to get FP's you just go through the FP line and show your VIP ID basically. If this is the case it does not remove FP's from the machines

As to part 2 we have to agree to disagree. If this was to happen it will be well publicized and posted. It will also be able for anyone to purchase them up to the number limit (just like the parties.)

Again this is all speculation for now, I am just hoping to see something positive come of it.

 

[mrbghd]

So I'm one of the APs I'd like to think that they would value! It's precisely because I'm NOT cheap while in the parks, that the idea of having to pay an upcharge just to get in is unappealing!

Thank you for responding intelligently and not over-reacting to my concerns, which at this point are only "concerns" and not "complaints" since we don't yet know how this potential holiday policy would affect APs.

Thanks for the compliment! You definitely are one that they love. Some of the stories they told me were unreal. I actually took this survey last week, after returning. It seemed like an add-on at that time, but I look at it like closing a park for the day. I would think that closing the park to AP holders for a day would be different than closing a hard ticket party off.

 

[the-reason14]

Disney has money, they don't need to offer any kind of "personalized trips with fastpasses etc." to start spending more. I think they're just being frugal. I still don't like the sound of any of this and hope it's just something for discussion and nothing more.

 

[mrbghd]

Disney has money, they don't need to offer any kind of "personalized trips with fastpasses etc." to start spending more. I think they're just being frugal. I still don't like the sound of any of this and hope it's just something for discussion and nothing more.

Why should they spend more on the "cheap visitors" that only come due to the deep discounts. Those who spend get things. With the technology available it's only a matter of time before these perks are more widespread. Like I have said before these perks are already available for a price and in my opinion it is well worth it.

They do need to court high end guests because they spend more and this is all about profit. They have to answer to shareholders and cannot justify spending money without making more money.

Again just because you don't want these does not mean that Disney doesn't need to do it or its a bad idea.

 

[DisneyNut2007]

The survey specifically says "Magic Kingdom or Disneyland." This appears to be more of a "Disney Parks" idea from higher up than TDO. So while TDO can certainly be blamed for many things, this doesn't seem to be one of them.

TDO can't be blamed for ANYTHING!

 

[KevinYee]

Let me ask you this: if you were going on a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Tokyo Disney Sea and it was costing you $7,000 for your family of four to fly, stay in Disney hotels, and eat in restaurants.... would you balk at paying an extra $600 for a day of no-lines?

I'd pay the extra amount for the following reasons:

1. It's a once in a lifetime trip
2. It's vacation. If I want to save money, I'd stay home.
3. $600 sounds like a lot, but I could cut my trip one day shorter by saving so much time in line. That's $300 less in hotel costs, so now the VIP FastPass is akin to paying $300. This kind of math is even more compelling if it's a party of two rather than a party of four.
4. If my choices are $7,000 for a good vacation with a lot of waiting in lines or $7,600 for a fantastic vacation with no stress and no lines, it's not that hard a decision.

 

[DisneyNut2007]

I would absolutely pay $125 for a "Character Night." This is a splurge, sure, but I wouldn't use a day on my park hopper...that would probably be a DtD day, and then I would enjoy the nighttime experience. I'd budget it in, for sure.

So would I, especially if they were to bring out more rarely-seen characters!

 

[Skip]

Let me ask you this: if you were going on a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Tokyo Disney Sea and it was costing you $7,000 for your family of four to fly, stay in Disney hotels, and eat in restaurants.... would you balk at paying an extra $600 for a day of no-lines?

I'd pay the extra amount for the following reasons:

1. It's a once in a lifetime trip
2. It's vacation. If I want to save money, I'd stay home.
3. $600 sounds like a lot, but I could cut my trip one day shorter by saving so much time in line. That's $300 less in hotel costs, so now the VIP FastPass is akin to paying $300. This kind of math is even more compelling if it's a party of two rather than a party of four.
4. If my choices are $7,000 for a good vacation with a lot of waiting in lines or $7,600 for a fantastic vacation with no stress and no lines, it's not that hard a decision.

This is exactly what I'm talking about. The unlimited fastpass option often won't appeal to hardcore fans like us because it's not supposed to - we visit often enough for us to not see value in a pass that costs hundreds of dollars. But other once-in-a-lifetime visitors who want to insure they'll see all of the major attractions (since remember, it's unlikely they'll ever return) would likely love to put down some extra money for some extra magical privileges. If Disney prices the pass right and only distributes the optimal amount per day, visitors will see little to no difference in their goings on, except the Mouse will have a few extra dollars and a few more people will have stress-free vacations.

If you think it creates a class system that Disney would despise, tough. You have access to all of the same attractions as well as the free FastPass system should you desire to skip lines. If you'd like to have the Unlimited perk, the option is there if you'd like to pay for it. The sense of entitlement for "equal rights" in a theme park is getting to the point of ridiculousness... There is absolutely no reason an Unlimited Fastpass option should not be implemented.

 

[mamamouse]

I am totally down with the character night thing n the makeover thingy my girls would love it!!! also my mom n sister would do the same with their fams i know it!! sooo exciting

 

[the-reason14]

Why should they spend more on the "cheap visitors" that only come due to the deep discounts. Those who spend get things. With the technology available it's only a matter of time before these perks are more widespread. Like I have said before these perks are already available for a price and in my opinion it is well worth it.

They do need to court high end guests because they spend more and this is all about profit. They have to answer to shareholders and cannot justify spending money without making more money.

Again just because you don't want these does not mean that Disney doesn't need to do it or its a bad idea.

Well the parks have survived without any of these proposed "perks" for years, I'm sure they're not gonna go bankrupt anytime soon. There's nothing wrong with how things are ran now, and thankfully/hopefully this is all just talk. They have guests relations cms that can cater to those who want to be catered to and spend the extra cash. I shouldn't judge it too harshly because it's just a discussion and it hasn't been introduced yet, but I'm not liking the sound of it more so the unlimited fastpasses.

 

[fosse76]

As for the first part I disagree. The reason I do is again only based on assumptions. If the VIP FP is used like it is now there is no need to get FP's you just go through the FP line and show your VIP ID basically. If this is the case it does not remove FP's from the machines

We'll have to wait and see. But it doesn't matter. It will have a negative impact on other guests. Just because the other guests might not notice that they are being negatively impacted doesn't negate the fact they are.

As to part 2 we have to agree to disagree. If this was to happen it will be well publicized and posted. It will also be able for anyone to purchase them up to the number limit (just like the parties.)

I'm not sure I understand what you are talking about. That's what I said. But I almost guarantee that if they do the Holiday premium ticket, Passholders will not be allowed entry. There is no way for them to predict how many passholders would show up, and they would have to limit the number of day guests even more, who are actually paying to get in. But unlike a hard ticket event, this will negatively impact all guests who didn't purchase the premium holiday ticket, as it denies them entry into the park for the entire day. Hard ticket events are in the evening, when the park would (theoretically) be closing. The day guests aren't being deprived of anything at all in those cases, unlike the premium holiday. And Disney is just inviting people to go to Sea World or Universal on those days.

 

[mrbghd]

I'm not sure I understand what you are talking about. Hard ticket events are in the evening, when the park would (theoretically) be closing. The day guests aren't being deprived of anything at all in those cases, unlike the premium holiday. And Disney is just inviting people to go to Sea World or Universal on those days.

I was referring to access to VIP fastpasses. Were they to become reality they will be well publicized and available to anyone willing to purchase them--just like hard ticket party tickets. Again, day guests would not be deprived of anything by others who are willing to pay get other perks.

In my opinion (and that's all any if us can go by) I think that in the somewhat near future we will see VIP FP's and some of the "all inclusive" options. I think the least likely of all of the options is the holiday ticket. But then again what do any of us know?

 

[CaptainWinter]

Let me ask you this: if you were going on a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Tokyo Disney Sea and it was costing you $7,000 for your family of four to fly, stay in Disney hotels, and eat in restaurants.... would you balk at paying an extra $600 for a day of no-lines?

Sure, I might balk. Maybe I've scrimped and saved and $7000 is all I got. But that's not a representative Disney trip anyhow. Maybe I was going to spend $2000, road-tripping, let's say, from Houston to Orlando, and now I'm facing spending something more like $2600. It's not really my place to say whether that's a substantial difference or not; everyone's financial situation is different.

The issue here is the value of a base ticket. Would non-VIP guests still have good access to attractions (including FPs) in the presence of VIPs with unlimited FastPasses? Many people speaking up on this thread seem to think VIPs would silently coexist with base-ticket guests, but we don't know. We won't know till we know how many VIPs are present at a given time, and whether their FastPasses count (against regulars) in the total allocated pool.

Given how people react when Disney raises ticket prices across the board, I'm a little surprised by how many people seem to favor a tiered pricing structure which may indirectly tack on a surcharge for FastPasses. (Yeah, I know there's a tiered pricing structure now, but it's so expensive there's a pretty tight cap on how many guests use it.) Perhaps you all have more faith that the extra revenue would go into park improvements than I do.

 

[WDWLOVER1957]

QUOTE=Bork Bork;4219217] I don't see a problem with getting more if you pay more.[/QUOTE]

Strange time to be thinking of this when you see all the discounts they have just announced, when you consider the number of threads you see on this and other forums, qouting I/WE wont be going if we dont get free dining, 4/3, or 40% off, Disney has conditioned people to expect discounts, are they now looking at ways of getting this money back in other ways.