castlecake2.0
Well-Known Member
Omg so now we’re comparing ticket prices to colored hats?
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News Disney Very Merriest After Hours
- Thread starter DCBaker
- Start date
ImperfectPixie
Well-Known Member
If enough people continue to pay exorbitant prices for less than typical offerings, Disney has zero reason to stop raising prices and/or restore previous offerings. THAT is the problem. And it doesn't just apply to after hours events.
castlecake2.0
Well-Known Member
But a problem for who? People that don’t want to pay anymore? There’s always going to be things that some people can/can’t/used to be able to afford.
Casper Gutman
Well-Known Member
A problem for people who love a product or experience but aren't willing to be monstrously gouged out of all proportion to the value of the product or experience.
I really cannot believe that posters are honestly struggling against the notion that there is a price range in which a product or experience is reasonably priced based on value received and a variety of other factors. This may be quite large range. Outside of this range, the product or experience is under- or overpriced, perhaps egregiously so. This is something everyone knows and deals with in their daily lives, and yet because this is the magical world of Disney, those rules seem no longer to apply.
PS: Also, folks proudly proclaiming THEY can afford to be gouged, why don't you other folks just accept it, is kind of gauche.
ImperfectPixie
Well-Known Member
Disney is literally showing that they're willing to rake you over the coals.
castlecake2.0
Well-Known Member
Will have to agree to disagree.
ImperfectPixie
Well-Known Member
People who accept paying more for less of an experience are doing themselves a disservice because they're telling Disney that charging more for less is acceptable. There's nothing to agree or disagree about...that's exactly what it is.
Baloo62
Well-Known Member
Yep, never been to a special party or any other up-charge event, for that matter. I also never stay on property, either. And yet, somehow, we still manage to have an incredible experience every year. Last Spring Break we paid $159 a night at Windsor Hills (our usual place to stay) for a 3 BR/3 BA townhouse less than a five minute drive to the entrance. So spacious and comfy for our family of five. And, spoiler alert...I won't be paying for fastpass privileges either. So yeah, I hope they just continue to jack those prices up sky high - while touting inclusion. THERE is your hypocrisy.
castlecake2.0
Well-Known Member
that’s your opinion and I have my opinion
Chip Chipperson
Well-Known Member
But the issue is that "less of an experience" is a subjective thing. If someone values short lines with DAH over having stage shows and longer lines for rides (compared to DAH), then they aren't getting a lesser experience and may view the party as the lesser experience because they're more crowded than DAH despite the difference in price. They aren't suckers making a bad choice if they can afford the price like some people seem to think.
SteveAZee
Premium Member
I think you've answered it... Disney is tapping into the pent-up demand (and vacation fund) while it can. If demand drops off, they can decide if they want to drop the price to increase demand or not do it any more. What seems certain is uncertainty lately, so they're probably not interested in leaving any money on the table. They've probably learned a lot from the BooBash pricing and demand as well.
SteveAZee
Premium Member
If it was a free and open market, and I could pay less for the same experience elsewhere, then it would be questionable (my decision) to pay more. I can't go back in time and pay 'less for more'... we're each faced with the reality of the product and price put out by the seller and in this case we can't walk across the street and pay less for the same (or ideally pay less for better).
If Disney can fill the park with people who will pay a lot more money than people have typically paid in the past for less of an experience, then it's what they should do as a business. If there aren't enough takers, they would need to adjust the pricing, or product, or both and retest the market. Supply and demand. I would agree that some people may actually be 'suckers' in that they're new to WDW or new to other experiences, or perhaps just new to money. I don't know. There are also others (clearly on this board) that have the discretionary income to spend on these things and it's true that they're sending a message that the price point for the product is doable. Some don't like that because it 'sends the wrong message', but 'wrong' in this case is totally subjective. Like me going on an auction site and deciding something is worth $1000 but it ends up selling for $3000. Is the purchaser a 'sucker' for paying more than me?
I spent a lot of years thinking that it was 'silly' for people to pay a lot more for a Mac than a PC, yet Apple thrived. My solution was to not buy a Mac. At least there was a choice for me. Did I occasionally think that Mac users were suckers? Yeah. I've wised up a bit since then and realize there are costs and benefits to people outside mine that can actually be valid. Huh.
Casper Gutman
Well-Known Member
Are you suggesting that the people making the decision to buy Boo Bash tickets encouraged Disney to overcharge even more? That bad consumer decisions made things worse? How odd.
GimpYancIent
Well-Known Member
The rapid lapping up of Boo Bash tickets re-enforced Disney executives beliefs there is this ocean of disposable income out there and it needs to be vacuumed up. When events are announced and there is no rush or rapid response to buy the tickets the result most likely, depending on how lackluster ticket sales are, will be cancelation / reduction of available days and shelved (never to be repeated). I do not see any Disney event receiving a price reduction to stimulate ticket sales and attendance, its runs against the grain. For now the pricing model is to go high so long as people will pay the price.
To the folk's that happily pay what ever the prices are I say enjoy and have yourselves a Magical Time.
SteveAZee
Premium Member
Yup... suggesting that it's possible or likely.
You use the term 'bad consumer decisions'. I'd certainly be curious if people who attended Boo Bash thought it was a bad decision.
SteveAZee
Premium Member
As someone suggested upstream (I assume facetiously) they should charge $399 or $599. I'm guessing there's a price point where this whole thing topples over... I have no idea where it is. I think there's a breaking point where the price is high enough that no enough people will show up to be worth the cost of running the after hours events. I agree that you can vote with your wallet here. I agree that there's a point where the gouging will fail. I don't agree with bashing people who can or will or want to pay more than you (generic you).
LOL, I realize that that's my opinion of your opinion of someone else's decision, but here we all are, letting out our opinions.
Figments Friend
Well-Known Member
This.
One just has to look at the pricing that was announced the other day for the Xmas themed 'After Hours' Events for MK.
Insane pricing, particularly for December dates.
The success of selling out almost all dates for the Halloween themed 'After Hours' has told Disney "Hey, the public loves less for more...!"
And no, the Xmas event rate wasn't raised just because there is a Parade and fireworks included in this version.
That is what Disney wants you to think the reasoning is for the increased rate .....
Just wait until next year....
Gonna be a interesting future.
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Casper Gutman
Well-Known Member
A few thoughts. The idea that you can't pay for the same (or similar) experience that Disney World offers elsewhere - the idea that it is totally unique - is the exact same misconception (I believe its called the blue water strategy) that caused Disney to stop investment in new attractions, cut services, and raise prices over the last decade. You CAN get a similar experience elsewhere - better in many ways - almost across the street. Comparing Disney to Uni is one of the key ways to demonstrate how insane WDW's pricing has become.
I would argue against the idea that if Disney can charge much more for much less they SHOULD do so, that it is in fact their responsibility as a business. This seems to be a manifestation of the idea that a business's only obligation is to its stockholders, which is, historically, a relatively new and not particularly healthy notion. Companies use to view their responsibilities more broadly. Even if we accept the modern notion of stockholders above all else, WDW is acting in a very shortsighted way. Alienating consumers, damaging the brand, inviting negative press - these things don't even serve the long-term interests of the stockholders, however good they may look on the quarterly report. For his part, Walt Disney wanted to leave money in people's pockets so they could return and to keep the parks accessible to a very broad swath of the middle class, both almost certainly better long-term policies for stockholders AND customers then what is presently being done.
Also, why is it so important for people attending these events not to be considered suckers? They have a lot of money, almost certainly more then the people who can no longer attend. They value the opinions of those who have been priced out so little that they happily drive prices even higher and price out even more. Why do they care if the poors feel they are spending unwisely?
SteveAZee
Premium Member
I think Disney has a bit of monopoly on the "Disney Experience", but I agree that there are similar products out there and it's up to those businesses to properly inform customers (i.e. advertise) to bring them across the street. I hope they do it well and it works since it would better serve us, the consumers.
I agree that it's short-sighted to lose customer loyalty for short term profits, whether it's Disney or a mom-and-pop store. I've owned a couple of businesses and have learned many lessons, some of them the hard way. I don't think the mentality is always 'stockholders first' but certainly profit and/or sales goals motivates most of those occupying the C-suites at any business. Strong leadership that will stand up to quarterly demands and instead work toward long term value growth in the company is valuable to everyone from stockholders to management to rank-and-file and to the consumers... but larger businesses aren't structured that way any more, at least not very many.
I don't know if they care about being called suckers. I think I point it out as perhaps unfair because we all have price points of what something is or isn't worth to us. I personally don't know where my breaking point is on prices. As with everything I spend money on, I'll give it a lot of thought, weight pros and cons, read reviews, and then decide. I'll do the same for any hard ticketed Disney event. My next trip won't be for a couple of years, so I'll wait and see what happens. Yes, I suppose that if I do decide to go and I decide to post about it, does it bother me there are people thinking I'm a sucker and that I'm bothering/troubling the 'poors' (your word) because I'm just encouraging Disney? A little. I think people's choices in how they spend their money, particularly on non-essential things like Disney, can be deeply personal and perhaps driven by emotion, sentiment, or nostalgia.. or just wanting to have something special to share with family and friends. So yeah... 'sucker' or other derogatory terms can probably hurt. Perhaps that's the intent, perhaps not.
ImperfectPixie
Well-Known Member
Look at the pricing and compare offerings over time. Not just for after hours events, either...at the resorts and admission to the parks, too.