News Disney Villains After Hours coming to the Magic Kingdom

[chimchimcheree]

Whispers
The Halloween Party is a trash value too.

Seriously, who pays for this crap? I don't fault Disney for doing it, and I think the whole "they're cutting normal hours for these events" thing is largely a myth, but I'm still baffled at the guests who find value in this kind of thing.

I will say this about MNSSHP - there was a time when it wasn't totally manic and felt like a great value for the money spent. My family went to MNSSHP for the first time in 2007 and the place was literally deserted (and this was late September). It was the best money we ever spent - I can't remember what the per-person ticket price was back then, but additional hours, free candy, walk-ons to favorites like Space Mountain, characters, and a parade. We ended up switching our vacation times from January/February to September/MNSSHP. We quit going a few years ago partially because I started college, but also because the parks in the daytime would be less crowded than the parks at MNSSHP.

I'll also add, tangentially, that our normally reliable travel dates (at least from the mid-90s on) have been more crowded than they used to be. (Maybe it's us darn millennials killing slow seasons, too.) I'll withhold judgment on the merits of the AHPs versus the reduction of EMHs simply because my last two morning EMHs were unbelievably crowded (NB: they were in mid-March, so... ) and I would gladly fork over the money for manageable crowd levels.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

In 2007 it was around $40 a person

 

[eliza61nyc]

Well, Being that you actually live IN Florida it makes sense for you to get an annual pass and be in the DVC because you are a short drive to WDW. You can reap the benefits of those expensive time shares and annual passes. Locals seem to forget that there is a world of people outside of Florida who can't just drive to Disney on a whim.
For you it might work based on your geography and economic position. For far too many others it will not work and the Disney Resorts are just too expensive, and are pricing out the regular people.

You can defend it all that you want...but you still live in Florida. That would be like me saying "going to New York City is easy and can be affordable"...but I only live 2 hours away. It's not the same thing.

???
DVC only works if you live in Florida?? Not sure I'm following that logic. let me ask, because maybe I'm misunderstanding what do you mean by "affordable". Over on the hotel forum we were discussing Disney occupancy rates which supposedly run at about 90%. who's staying at these resorts then?
Now I live in the Northeast. we purchased our dvc for one reason, to buy future accommodations at past rates. I don't go on a "whim", I don't know many people who go on vacation on a "whim". We/They do what millions of folks do every year, they plan and they save and yes some folk even charge their vacations. My husband and I took our money out of savings, for the way we travel we felt it was a good use of the money. I will say that I purchased back in 2000 when the prices were no where near what they are today but basically it saved us money on our rooms. that's the reason we purchased it. we did not do it to get cheap park tickets or any other perks.

It is very similar to NYC or any other vacation destination that is expensive. NYC gets something ridiculous like 40 million visitors annually, people plan, people save and yes there are rich people.

No one is even remotely saying that a wdw vacation is cheap but no one is "owed" a disney vacation and a stockholding company has the right to price their product to what the market can bear. Many folks will tell you they have a legal obligation to their stockholders to do just that. AND the hotels and parks are doing a great business, so sorry, I'm really not following that the parks are no longer affordable for "regular" folks. they have always been people who could not afford Disney, this scenario of Uncle Walt welcoming the tired, the poor and everyone with open arms is a false narrative. they will always be people who will not be able to afford a wdw vacation.

Let me ask a simple question, if disney is no longer affordable to "regular" people, exactly who is filling the parks.

let me ask another questions, have you never had any thing that was out of your budget, that you simply could not afford? do you hold that against the company/owner? I have had tons of places, items and experiences that I could not afford. every thing from Billy Joel tickets to cars to vacations. Do I then get upset becasue back in 1970 the price of tickets were affordable but now they are not? (that's an honest question)

 

[Bob Harlem]

Let me ask a simple question, if disney is no longer affordable to "regular" people, exactly who is filling the parks.

Not who, what, Credit Card companies and excessive debt.

 

[celluloid]

Let me ask a simple question, if disney is no longer affordable to "regular" people, exactly who is filling the parks.

Define the terms I suppose but I will say things have changed. Perhaps things are not as drastic as some are claiming, but things are different for the average traveler to Disney and dynamics have changed on who visits.

College Program Students, their families and friends/ Cast Members/their family and friends. The workforce of both of course has grown larger than ever with the parks in their slowest growth than ever. This creates thousands more in the parks daily. Local Annual Passholders/DVC members. The business model has changed a bit to have more upcharged experience and promote scarcity for this reason. If the parks feel more crowded during the day then hard ticketed events can appear more appealing. It is a win win because people who are tired of the crowds will want the perks of what is pushed, as well as the lifestylers who just can't get enough of it so they want to book these "limited" experiences as well.

So while regular guests or people may not be the best of terms for other posters to use, typical or average are certainly not filling the parks as before.

 

[eliza61nyc]

Not who, what, Credit Card companies and excessive debt.

Lol hey I got no problem with that I put everything from my mortgage to dog food on my credit card.
This year my points are paying for 1st class r/t tickets to Greece.
problem is folks make the erroneous assumption that someone charging something can't afford it.
I love my capital one venture card, I'm thinking of checking out the Disney visa for my August 2020 trip

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Define the terms I suppose but I will say things have changed. Perhaps things are not as drastic as some are claiming, but things are different for the average traveler to Disney and dynamics have changed on who visits.

College Program Students, their families and friends/ Cast Members/their family and friends. The workforce of both of course has grown larger than ever with the parks in their slowest growth than ever. This creates thousands more in the parks daily. Local Annual Passholders/DVC members. The business model has changed a bit to have more upcharged experience and promote scarcity for this reason. If the parks feel more crowded during the day then hard ticketed events can appear more appealing. It is a win win because people who are tired of the crowds will want the perks of what is pushed, as well as the lifestylers who just can't get enough of it so they want to book these "limited" experiences as well.

So while regular guests or people may not be the best of terms for other posters to use, typical or average are certainly not filling the parks as before.

Very well stated...

The thing you highlighted that I want to stress is this: people are being driven to the upsells through manipulation...and that is done by “creating” demand. Limiting supply.

It’s not economics...but in practical purposes it ends up the same. Driven like cattle

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Lol hey I got no problem with that I put everything from my mortgage to dog food on my credit card.
This year my points are paying for 1st class r/t tickets to Greece.
problem is folks make the erroneous assumption that someone charging something can't afford it.
I love my capital one venture card, I'm thinking of checking out the Disney visa for my August 2020 trip

Paying for things on a 28 day cycle is not credit card debt.

However...If you pay interest...what’s the point of rewards/points?

That’s the discticntion

 

[eliza61nyc]

Paying for things on a 28 day cycle is not credit card debt.

However...If you pay interest...what’s the point of rewards/points?

That’s the discticntion

I know, I was just giggling because how does anyone know how anyone pays for anything?? unless you guys are going around quizzing folks or somehow these peoples bankers. We always assume everyone else (not us of course) is going into hock paying for something. so if you saw me at the world you would be making the wrong assumption that I must be going into hock for a trip.

 

[eliza61nyc]

She responded to ME and I responded in kind. My conversation with you is long since over. We all already know where you stand. You've made that clear. You like to stand on the balcony of a skyscraper and marvel at the beauty of the city while you ignore the problems that exist several stories down. As long as you don't have to deal with those problems everything is fine.

The harder you try to defend Disney catering to the DVC crowd....the more desperate you sound. Move along.

Lol. Translation = I'm name calling anyone who doesn't agree with me.
Buhbye

 

[prberk]

Remember when E ride night was $12?


$$$$$$$$$$ grab

Remember when the parks were just plain open late in the summer, for no extra fee?

I remember MK being open until midnight or 1 a.m. routinely in the summer, and EPCOT Center being open until at least 10, sometimes 11.

 

[wannabeBelle]

Remember when the parks were just plain open late in the summer, for no extra fee?

I remember MK being open until midnight or 1 a.m. routinely in the summer, and EPCOT Center being open until at least 10, sometimes 11.

Good times. Marie

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Remember when the parks were just plain open late in the summer, for no extra fee?

I remember MK being open until midnight or 1 a.m. routinely in the summer, and EPCOT Center being open until at least 10, sometimes 11.

They sold people on reselling the park hours...I wasted my time warning of this years ago...

The die is cast

 

[kong1802]

Very well stated...

The thing you highlighted that I want to stress is this: people are being driven to the upsells through manipulation...and that is done by “creating” demand. Limiting supply.

It’s not economics...but in practical purposes it ends up the same. Driven like cattle

This has always been my "issue" with these boards....

I keep seeing "Well, they are a business, what do you want them to do when people keep coming, supply and demand" like they are just sitting back and thinking of ways to help alleviate the problem.

Do not be fooled, they are creating the problem. Or at least putting a little accelerant on it.

 

[Naplesgolfer]

You know and I know that people will sacrifice as much as they can to make their children happy and give them what their parents never had growing up. So people who want to go to Disney will go into debt to take their families to Disney World. At the same time there are adults who just have to have Disney. They go no matter what the cost, but then they have to deal with that decision for quite some time.

The difference is they are not getting "luxury" hotels at the All-Star resorts. Even the "moderately" priced resorts are not really luxury hotels. The only luxury hotels are the Contemporary, Polynesian and Grand Floridian and for $600/night they better be luxury.
The "affordable" all-star resorts and pop century are just glorified motels dressed up to look nicer. Staying at those hotels is like putting lipstick on a pig.

And yes, regular people are being priced out. You wouldn't know this because you are one of the DVC members who spends a ridiculous amount for a time share.

But by all means please continue to not even consider my overall point and dismiss it as "woe is me"...

It's very easy for you to look down on the city and marvel at its beauty without walking on the streets where all of the flaws exist.

Well the cost of the points we bought in 1996 are amortized down to zero at this point. The first 5 years we were given free tickets( that is free tickets for every guest in the room up to the room Max) and they even refunded our money back back on that first weeks cash stay and allowed us to use the points we just bought. My dues cost to stay in a studio at OKW is about $82 (varies on time of year and day of the week). DVC has been very worthwhile NOT a ridiculous amount.

 

[Kingtut]

Well the cost of the points we bought in 1996 are amortized down to zero at this point. The first 5 years we were given free tickets( that is free tickets for every guest in the room up to the room Max) and they even refunded our money back back on that first weeks cash stay and allowed us to use the points we just bought. My dues cost to stay in a studio at OKW is about $82 (varies on time of year and day of the week). DVC has been very worthwhile NOT a ridiculous amount.

May I ask over that over your time frame - what was the additional cost in annual fee's? I don't want to know the exact amount but my question is more directed to my evaluation of DVC where the annual fees approached what I would pay for a reasonable offsite hotel stay? Any analysis has to consider both the initial purchase and continuing costs. I am not criticizing your decision - for you it made sense - for me it didn't.

 

[Naplesgolfer]

May I ask over that over your time frame - what was the additional cost in annual fee's? I don't want to know the exact amount but my question is more directed to my evaluation of DVC where the annual fees approached what I would pay for a reasonable offsite hotel stay? Any analysis has to consider both the initial purchase and continuing costs. I am not criticizing your decision - for you it made sense - for me it didn't.

My dues cost is 7.23 per point. Our original 57.50 per point add's another 1.23 over the life of the contract. If you stay in a studio that is 13 points a night, totaling 109.98 all in per night. I usually stay in 2 bedrooms and the point cost is more like 34 points. But it's a huge 1333 sq feet with a full kitchen, can't be beat in my mind. But to each their own.

 

[eliza61nyc]

May I ask over that over your time frame - what was the additional cost in annual fee's? I don't want to know the exact amount but my question is more directed to my evaluation of DVC where the annual fees approached what I would pay for a reasonable offsite hotel stay? Any analysis has to consider both the initial purchase and continuing costs. I am not criticizing your decision - for you it made sense - for me it didn't.

So my dues run me 989.00 a year. Now again if you're going to compare accommodations. I get a 1 bedroom for 6 night. I never stay offsite so can't compare it to that

 

[Joebradley62]

Well, Being that you actually live IN Florida it makes sense for you to get an annual pass and be in the DVC because you are a short drive to WDW. You can reap the benefits of those expensive time shares and annual passes. Locals seem to forget that there is a world of people outside of Florida who can't just drive to Disney on a whim.
For you it might work based on your geography and economic position. For far too many others it will not work and the Disney Resorts are just too expensive, and are pricing out the regular people.

You can defend it all that you want...but you still live in Florida. That would be like me saying "going to New York City is easy and can be affordable"...but I only live 2 hours away. It's not the same thing.

I did not live in Florida when I purchased. Still the best vacation decision I ever made.

 

[rreading]

She responded to ME and I responded in kind. My conversation with you is long since over. We all already know where you stand. You've made that clear. You like to stand on the balcony of a skyscraper and marvel at the beauty of the city while you ignore the problems that exist several stories down. As long as you don't have to deal with those problems everything is fine.

The harder you try to defend Disney catering to the DVC crowd....the more desperate you sound. Move along.

I understand that you don't feel Disney to be a good value and I am sorry that you feel so. The rooms are expensive. Yes they are. The parks are crowded. Yes they are. I find the food to be modestly overpriced (though not as overpriced as our local Six Flags) but generally pretty good to excellent. I enjoy the CMs and the parks and the resorts. We bought DVC to bring down the cost of the rooms and we live in Texas but I did not buy through Disney. When I no longer feel that there is value in my trips to WDW then I will sell my DVC interest (if my children will let me). And if more people would come to realize that the parks are too expensive then it won't be as crowded when I visit.

Unfortunately those millions of people keep showing up