The reality is: They've figured out how to sell the park 3 times a day.
That's all this is. While one can talk about the merits of this party or that or this experience or that experience. They're literally just reselling the park to you and if you think, "...but I'm going at night." That's fine. Someone else has already taken your place for the morning "event" and the mid-day normal hours.
Right now, they can do this because they can charge whatever, however many times a day that they'd like and people are still lining up at the gate. I really do think it's short-sighted.
They may as well charge by the minute. No, I'm not kidding. Everything is there to do it so why not? As soon as you scan your Magic Band the clock is running and when you leave the clock would stop. While some may fret over, "...but I don't want to think about the on-going costs...," this actually would work in your favor:
- If you go back to the hotel during the middle of the day for a nap, you're not paying.
- If you go back to the hotel at 7PM because you're not really a late-night person, you cost stops.
- If you want to do an all day thing then you just pay throughout the day and you don't have to be bothered paying for the morning deal, plus the mid-day deal, plus the nightly special experience. You just pay for as long as you stay.
I think it'd also automatically control crowds. If it's so busy that it's not worth staying then you just leave and stop paying for that day. It's one of the things I liked about the AP years back - I'd walk in and think, "Nope. Too busy!," and then just leave.
