Downtown Disney Hilton No EMH after 2015

[Jenifurby]

I doubt Disney would pull the benefit from Shades...but I could see them do it to Swolphin.

Benefits have been changed in regards to Shades of Green. SOG guests used to get free theme park parking, but within the past few years this has changed. Now guests have to pay $17 just like off property visitors if they choose to park at one of the lots and not use the SOG bus system.

 

[Mouse_Trap]

I could imagine it being extended before it actually expires.

Contract is coming to its end, Disney wants a lot extra cash to renew, Hilton doesn't want to pay extra so they put the clause in that the perk ends. Eventually they way we'll come to a compromise and the contract gets extended.

At the end of the day it's free cash for Disney, the extra guests incur them almost zero additional cost yet bring in additional income guaranteed.

The only way Disney is going to let it expire is if they think they can earn more through additional occupancy of their own hotels and motels if a competitor can't offer the perk. Or less likely if the additional guests are tipping the balance on capacity or causing a too detrimental effect on their on-site guests.

Potentially Hilton would leave it expire if they have deemed the cost is more than the additional profit derived from offering the perk.

Ultimately most people's choices are driven by price name to perks. The Hilton is much cheaper than the equivalent Disney hotel so for those who realize you don't have to pay Disney prices to experience WDW and would other users consider the Hilton....I don't think the lose of the perk will have a significant amount effect on bookings. Now if Disney had lots of new rides to experience and therefore the EMH were a more significant perk then that may change things a little.

 

[PhotoDave219]

Meh. They can suck it up. If you want EMH, you can pay $169+ a night at a Disney Resort.

Disney is a business, maaaaannnnnnnnnnnnnnn.

 

[s8film40]

Honestly I think those hotels would be better off without it. They will save the money they pay for the perk as well as save a little on running their shuttles a little less. They can pass the savings on to their guests and price their rooms a little more aggressively.

I really don't think EMH is a true benefit, it's more of a psychological benefit. People think they're getting something special but they really aren't. WDW itself has more than 25,000 rooms, even if only half are occupied at an average of 3 guests per room that's enough to put a park to capacity. On multiple occasions I've found myself in a particular park wondering why it seems more crowded than it should only to realize that was the EMH park for the day.

 

[Master Yoda]

As a rule of thumb- I never attend the parks that have EMH. Always more crowded.
Only one I'll hit is the 12am-2am one at MK- but usually go to AK that day so I'll be done by 5, grab dinner at resort and hang out before leaving at 10.

EMH is just the lazy-mans way to plan your touring of WDW. It points all resort guests to there for the day because they think that's where they're supposed to go. And it's funny because so little of them actually even use the EMH and still do the average 10am-10pm hours.

You are quite correct on the late EMH. The only ones that were not packed were the really late hours.

However, I found that the early morning EMH was consistently good. Not a lot of people want to get up at 6:00 AM +/- to make an 8:00 AM park opening. We could often do all of FantasyLand and make a start on TomorrowLand by 9:30.

 

[andyman8]

I could imagine it being extended before it actually expires.

Contract is coming to its end, Disney wants a lot extra cash to renew, Hilton doesn't want to pay extra so they put the clause in that the perk ends. Eventually they way we'll come to a compromise and the contract gets extended.

At the end of the day it's free cash for Disney, the extra guests incur them almost zero additional cost yet bring in additional income guaranteed.

The only way Disney is going to let it expire is if they think they can earn more through additional occupancy of their own hotels and motels if a competitor can't offer the perk. Or less likely if the additional guests are tipping the balance on capacity or causing a too detrimental effect on their on-site guests.

Potentially Hilton would leave it expire if they have deemed the cost is more than the additional profit derived from offering the perk.

Ultimately most people's choices are driven by price name to perks. The Hilton is much cheaper than the equivalent Disney hotel so for those who realize you don't have to pay Disney prices to experience WDW and would other users consider the Hilton....I don't think the lose of the perk will have a significant amount effect on bookings. Now if Disney had lots of new rides to experience and therefore the EMH were a more significant perk then that may change things a little.

This is what I was thinking. I've seen similar things for perks on the S&D site in year's past. In their eyes, it's better for guests to book not expecting the perk and be surprised and get it than to book expecting and be surprised they don't have it in the case the contract is not renewed.

That said, I believe the reason has something to do with ownership. The LBV Hilton and the S&D are all owned by the Tischman Group (operated by different chains though), the company that Eisner cut a deal with in the '80s that would eventually bring the S&D to fruition.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

Meh. They can suck it up. If you want EMH, you can pay $169+ a night at a Disney Resort.

Value resorts are $150 rack rate (tax included) in the summer season and almost always carry a 30% discount, putting you at $105 all-in. A quick quote from the Hilton site shows a summer room to be $179 plus $24 resort charge and $25.38 taxes for a total of $228.38.

So the value Disney resort is less than half of what you'd pay at Hilton. Nice try though.

 

[PhotoDave219]

Value resorts are $150 rack rate (tax included) in the summer season and almost always carry a 30% discount, putting you at $105 all-in. A quick quote from the Hilton site shows a summer room to be $179 plus $24 resort charge and $25.38 taxes for a total of $228.38.

So the value Disney resort is less than half of what you'd pay at Hilton. Nice try though.

I was just being a smart .

Maybe this is a forerunner to EMH going away entirely? They already cut it from 3 hours to 2.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

I was just being a smart ***.

I know. But people who don't know any different will take you seriously and then folks like Disneyhead will use your statement as (yet another) opportunity to plug the JW Grande Lakes Orlando as 482987% cheaper than you'd ever pay at a Disney resort.

Maybe this is a forerunner to EMH going away entirely? They already cut it from 3 hours to 2.

I doubt it. There's no way those labor savings would be enough to offset the incentive to keep guests on-site.

 

[Master Yoda]

I doubt it. There's no way those labor savings would be enough to offset the incentive to keep guests on-site.

It's removal has been rumored for a while (it is on my "believe it when I see it pile") but the reason given was maintenance not labor savings. Apparently shaving 3 or more hours off of third shifts time to turn the parks around was becoming a problem. Maybe cutting EMH down from 3 to 2 was enough.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

It's removal has been rumored for a while (it is on my "believe it when I see it pile") but the reason given was maintenance not labor savings. Apparently shaving 3 or more hours off of third shifts time to turn the parks around was becoming a problem. Maybe cutting EMH down from 3 to 2 was enough.

But that's only an issue at MK and even then only during the busiest times of the year, right?

 

[s8film40]

Personally I would rather see them bring back E-Ride Nights and maybe expand it to Hollywood Studios as well. The tickets are limited so it helps guarantee low wait times. They could do MK 2 nights and HS 1 night a week. Then in off peak season reduce it if needed.

 

[Master Yoda]

But that's only an issue at MK and even then only during the busiest times of the year, right?

Not exactly sure as it has been a long times since it has been talked about, but I do seem to remember MK being the most affected park. It is not hard to see how a once a week 3:00 AM closing followed by an at minimum 8:00 AM opening the following day would really cut into the time available for working on the park by the end of the year.

 

[PhotoDave219]

I know. But people who don't know any different will take you seriously and then folks like Disneyhead will use your statement as (yet another) opportunity to plug the JW Grande Lakes Orlando as 482987% cheaper than you'd ever pay at a Disney resort.


I doubt it. There's no way those labor savings would be enough to offset the incentive to keep guests on-site.

It's removal has been rumored for a while (it is on my "believe it when I see it pile") but the reason given was maintenance not labor savings. Apparently shaving 3 or more hours off of third shifts time to turn the parks around was becoming a problem. Maybe cutting EMH down from 3 to 2 was enough.

The other thought is that the Hilton just wasn't willing to pay the concession for EMH to continue to happen for its guests.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

It is not hard to see how a once a week 3:00 AM closing followed by an at minimum 8:00 AM opening the following day would really cut into the time available for working on the park by the end of the year.

Think so? By my math that leaves 313 nights per year when you have a full shift. I feel like that should be plenty. Even then, that's conceding that the 3 AM EMH is every week, which it certainly isn't. That's probably 12 weeks in summer plus Christmas, New Year's, Thanksgiving, Easter.

 

[ToTBellHop]

Meh. They can suck it up. If you want EMH, you can pay $169+ a night at a Disney Resort.

Disney is a business, maaaaannnnnnnnnnnnnnn.

Here, I can't fault them if they in fact move EMH to Disney resorts-only. It's nice to get a premium experience at a premium price.

 

[Master Yoda]

The other thought is that the Hilton just wasn't willing to pay the concession for EMH to continue to happen for its guests.

That is, IMHO, the most likely reason.

Think so? By my math that leaves 313 nights per year when you have a full shift. I feel like that should be plenty. Even then, that's conceding that the 3 AM EMH is every week, which it certainly isn't. That's probably 12 weeks in summer plus Christmas, New Year's, Thanksgiving, Easter.

I think it might be more important to look at what is removed more than what was left. A 3 AM to 8 AM turnaround is not really 5 hours. In actuality it boils down to between 3-4. That most likely gives them time to accomplish the basic cleaning of the park at that is it. 3-4 hours is not a great deal of time to work especially when you back off set up and break down time.

Do that once a week and you have lost a possible 52 days of mechanical maintenance on the attractions that was there prior to EMH existing.

They might have been able to keep up for a year or two or three, but it would eventually start to show.

 

[ToTBellHop]

That is, IMHO, the most likely reason.


I think it might be more important to look at what is removed more than what was left. A 3 AM to 8 AM turnaround is not really 5 hours. In actuality it boils down to between 3-4. That most likely gives them time to accomplish the basic cleaning of the park at that is it. 3-4 hours is not a great deal of time to work especially when you back off set up and break down time.

Do that once a week and you have lost a possible 52 days of mechanical maintenance on the attractions that was there prior to EMH existing.

They might have been able to keep up for a year or two or three, but it would eventually start to show.

Didn't the MK routinely close at 1 am or 2 am during peak times back in the 1990s heyday where everything sparkled and CMs wiped your butt for free?

With enough people, you can get it all done in 4 hours. I think the bigger issue is that they don't have enough maintenance folks.

 

[The Visionary Soul]

There is a plan in place to eventually allow Disney Resort Guests to book additional Fast Passes in advance. Once that is rolled out, Extra Magic Hours will be phased out entirely. However, this Hilton thing has nothing to do with that.

 

[Kman101]

To be fair, many hotel 'discounts' don't really add up to much because by the time they tag on a resort fee, it goes from $105 to $140 easily.

I was willing to book a room for around 97 (last year for the 24 hour party) but them once the fees kicked in, it went back up to $130. So, yeah ... I booked a room for half that, within driving distance. Fantastic holiday inn room. I've had good luck with Holiday Inn's lately. Rooms are very nice and service is good.