DVC... Contemps south Wing is safe for now.

[Fractal514]

IMHO the MYM length of stay ticket leaves visitors to resorts little option to do anything but be park commandos. They paid for it and damn it, they will use it until they drop. Squeeze every drop out of that ticket possible.

If Disney really understood and wanted to maximize their money, they'd understand that alt activities are more $ than the 5th or 6th day park ticket value. There has to be some way to add alt activity $ to a MYM just like they add "Hopper" and "Waterparks and More" options for additional $. They would have to drop the park day number or no-one will use it for alt activities when their ticket has a park day available.

Then guests would be USING the tickets they paid so dearly for to access alt activities. It may be just moving the cost to the ticket, but the psychological value of using a paid for ticket, rather than adding additional separate cost on site, may increase use. Maybe worth a trial run. Of course, maybe Disney wants alt activities to wither away.

This is a very smart post. I agree completely and find myself falling into this train of thought. I have to consciously force myself to slow down.

 

[steve2wdw]

Night after 2 of the parks had closed?

What about the other stuff? When was the last time you rented a boat at the marina? Or laid on a beach at the lagoon? or played tennis or shuffle board there?

How many people do you know pay for deluxe resorts and don't goto a park for the day?

This is why alt entertainment at Disney World is struggling so bad. People don't want to be at WDW and NOT in the parks anymore. Something that can only operate in the day, like Discovery Island, would never work anymore. The Water Parks are really IMO the last thing Disney really does BETTER than any of their competition, and even those you can't convince a lot of people to goto because they don't want to give up a park day. The Water Parks are busy, but they don't get to be on the main stage as a draw to WDW... because WDW has become all about the parks.

As DVC members (since 2000-VWL home resort), we actually do this stuff. Even before we were members, we always did the "vacation" attractions....boat rentals, bike rentals, Discovery Island, mini-golf, beach and pool visits (sadly you can't swim in the Florida lakes anymore), visiting the horses at Fort Wilderness and riding the ponies, planning a late evening picnic and watching the Electrical Water Parade. Those "days" were like "real" vacation days, and the kids (now in college) remember those days better than the theme park days. It's sad that more guests aren't taking advantage of all the WDW has to offer. It's even sadder that alot of these options aren't available anymore because not enough people are taking advantage of them. I truly reccommend slowing down at Disney, and enjoying the "rest" of the world while vacationing. I actually hate the idea of a new DVC being built between Wilderness Lodge and Fort Wilderness, as the walk between the two is one of the best diversions at WDW. That stretch of land is one of the only areas of the WDW complex, accessible to guests that showcases the Disney property as it was when Walt first saw it.

 

[WDW1974]

Interesting points. It's definitely true that WDW vacations are much different now than in the 70s and 80s Vacation Kingdom of the World era. Disney was a classier product and marketed itself as such. That meant highlighting everything from boating and golf and tennis to spa days and fine dining (sans foamheads).

That has changed as WDW has become The Timeshare Kingdom of the World. On one hand, I find that odd because if you've been a DVCer for 15 years now and aren't bored out of your mind by simply riding Space Mountain and the Mad Tea Party and PoC multiple times every day for a week or more, there's likely something a bit OCD in your blood at the least. So, you'd think Disney would be pushing these other wonderful aspects of the resort at the forefront of their marketing, even targeted marketing.

But they want to push everything from DME to the DDP and certainly everything that will be part of NEXT GEN like X-Pass, so why would you want to show folks gently sailing on Bay Lake or a family horseback outing at FW or biking around the resort?

They want you in theme parks and spending as much as possible (missing the point that you can spend more in a day spent at a WDW resort than by going to a theme park).

I don't get any of it. But I'm the type of guest they don't want any longer. Too bad I'm in this for the long term!

 

[flynnibus]

As DVC members (since 2000-VWL home resort), we actually do this stuff

As I said - it's not 'no one' does this.. it's that it's no where near as popular as it used to be and many (I'd wager, most by far) do not. All I leave you with is.. keep this idea in your head as you read trip reports over the next year.

See how many people list they went canoe'ing.. boating.. played mini-golf.. went ski'ing.. played tennis... had a spa day.. etc. You'll see just how much its NOT mentioned.