Express Transportation starting Dec 7th

[GhostHost1000]

They can do whatever they want but when they start taking away from the "normal" vacation experience as most are used to in order to accommodate those that will now pay more or extra, then we have a problem

My guess is these aren't extra busses and those paying for the service are just paying for those same busses being used in the standard fleet now which may be pulled from the "normal" vacation experience for this service so Disney can make money off of this.

I could be completely wrong about this but based on Disney's track record this year....well...

 

[MuteSuperstar]

It's the use of backstage areas that bothers me most about this. Seems like every scheme like this that they come up with involves new cracks in show quality and the illusion of the parks.

The continued splintering of paying park-goers into haves and have-nots based on spending even more money doesn't sit right with me, either.

Agree completely but obviously there are many DisneyIsABusinessDonchaKnow types here who think it's all perfectly fine. I have accepted that the WDW I knew is gone forever and acknowledge that the business over show mentality has won.

 

[SorcererMC]

Agree completely but obviously there are many DisneyIsABusinessDonchaKnow types here who think it's all perfectly fine. I have accepted that the WDW I knew is gone forever and acknowledge that the business over show mentality has won.

I had reached the same conclusion or sense of resignation and wasn't paying too much attention to the boards for about a week or so, waiting on the earnings reports. So that was before the news of: Tiana's Riverboat dessert party (with obstructed parade view), $650 Tomorrowland tents (gotta pay for that paint somehow!), the parking lot cart, and now the $15 park-to-park transportation. Regardless of whether one is for or against such changes, it speaks volumes as to the Disney company of today, and their apparent disregard for the traditional values of show, theme, quality experience for all guests, etc. The trend of letting infrastructure stagnate or deteriorate to inefficiency and then monetizing 'the solution' - "but it's just good business!!".

2017 seems precarious for them and I wonder how the big picture will look one year from now.

 

[FigmentForver96]

Food for thought-

Are "we" the ones changing? Which is why Disney (and almost every other company) offers so many upcharges, options, and 'premium' experiences now?

When I was a kid we waited in line for a ride or attraction. Now people pay $80+ for fast lane passes.
We can pre order Chipotle, Starbucks, etc etc, so we can avoid waiting in line.
We can order something online - dress, toy, whatever, and pick it up at the store on the same day..now being able to get in and get out and go about our daily activities, making a more efficient use of time.

So in all of this newish trend of searching for convenience, then doesn't it make sense that companies would provide options for that lifestyle?

I realize a lot of people view this as doom and gloom, I just look at it as one more offering in a changing world. Good for those who want it, not impacting those who don't.

Ok then you make your free transportation more convient and keep it up with the times. If there are more people then you add more buses and cutdown on multiple routes a bus and such. They need to work based on the business model they established when they started. And no, nobody is going to pay to pick the "express" option if Disney had a quality transportation system. The problem is the service is **** and Disney wants to basically make you pay for what they should be giving for free.

 

[Minnesota disney fan]

What is subjective? It's the service expectation Disney themselves sets.

The rest of your post, hopeless. People couldn't pay me to keep up with this level of dense. please keep cheering as this ship goes down. At least I have my memories and other places to go. At least dcl largely still understands service. We'll enjoy it while it lasts.

Thanks, Flynnibus, for trying to spread some common sense for a while. But you were beating a dead horse. I'm sick of the "if you don't like it, don't go" remarks that are extremely childish in the least. If you didn't care for WDW a lot, you wouldn't be concerned over this. Have a good rest of the day, and move on to...................maybe a Christmas cookie recipe thread???? something we all love............

 

[beertiki]

Let me see if I got this right. I can go from a spot inside the parks, that is 30 minutes of walking from the bus stop to another spot in the park that is 30 minutes from the bus stop too. This saves one hour of walking. It will allow me and my family and extra ride on Space Mountain. Planned out properly, this is a park hoppers dream come true. I can't wait to go from deep inside AK to Epcot and avoid the long walk to and from both bus stops.

 

[Minnesota disney fan]

DH, sister, and I are going Dec 11-17, and have Park Hopper passes. I considered this for a few second, and then shot it down. 1) When we park hop, we usually go back to our resort first for a swim or a nap, before going to the second park, so that wouldn't work. 2) When we hop, its in the middle of the day - a time when buses aren't crowded, wait times are short, and security lines move quickly. 3) We aren't going during a busy time. 4) I don't want to enter from backstage. I like coming in from the entrance and getting all of the intended "show."
Many people commented that they hated the long waits for buses "especially after fireworks" or "going back to the resort after a long day," but the express transportation wouldn't fix any of that. So, I just don't see the sense in this.

Yes, this!! I agree 100% with all of this.

 

[Minnesota disney fan]

A perspective from someone who always buys park hoppers each trip: We go to the designated park for the AM, then take a break at our onsite resort for a while. Then we pick our next park after hanging at the resort for a while. We hop on a bus and get to the park like we always do. For people like us, the new upcharges is not needed. I just think Disney sees the many people who use Uber, lyft, taxies between the parks and wanted a piece of the money pie, that's all.
We would not use it at all for the above reason. Also, we love to go through the entrance of each park and experience "the show". Going through the security is no big deal either, for us. The extra expense would not be worth it for us. I think some people think this will help with afterfireworks transportation back to their resorts, but this is only a park to park service. I also don't think the listed 30 minute wait for these buses is much of a benefit either. We usually wait 15 minutes or so for a bus, not the end of the world. Sorry for the rambling on but just wanted to chime in that it would not be a benefit for people like us who use park hoppers every trip.

 

[ford91exploder]

I had reached the same conclusion or sense of resignation and wasn't paying too much attention to the boards for about a week or so, waiting on the earnings reports. So that was before the news of: Tiana's Riverboat dessert party (with obstructed parade view), $650 Tomorrowland tents (gotta pay for that paint somehow!), the parking lot cart, and now the $15 park-to-park transportation. Regardless of whether one is for or against such changes, it speaks volumes as to the Disney company of today, and their apparent disregard for the traditional values of show, theme, quality experience for all guests, etc. The trend of letting infrastructure stagnate or deteriorate to inefficiency and then monetizing 'the solution' - "but it's just good business!!".

2017 seems precarious for them and I wonder how the big picture will look one year from now.

Uglier than we can imagine especially with the accelerating losses at ESPN

 

[ford91exploder]

And, a resort fee is coming, have no doubt. I wouldn't expect to see it until Disney "feels the need" (*Cough*ProppingUpQuarterlyRevenueNumbers*Cough*) to implement it. Monetizing MDE is, I think, still a ways away, but it really depends on how badly TDO needs the revenue to keep their bonus gravy train a-rollin'.

Or how bad ESPN performs if it continues to lose millions of subscribers... That money will need to be made up for SOMEWHERE...

 

[flynnibus]

The sad part... back in the 80s... riding the monorail was such an experience itself. Picking out all the toparies and seeing what crazy things they had created... the idea of wooshing into the Contemporary... the EPCOT loop...

Now we get the the utility area of the parks just so we can get somewhere faster...

 

[twilight mitsuk]

what's next IASW becomes a subway to WS?

 

[Goofyernmost]

The sad part... back in the 80s... riding the monorail was such an experience itself. Picking out all the toparies and seeing what crazy things they had created... the idea of wooshing into the Contemporary... the EPCOT loop...

Now we get the the utility area of the parks just so we can get somewhere faster...

Yup, but, by all accounts that is what the public wants and is willing to pay for. Time is money. Vacation means... stuff as much stuff into an hour as is possible, don't look around, run as fast as you can to the next experience. Pretty quick all the flowers in the place will no longer be necessary because no one has the time to see them. I hold Disney semi-responsible for this by creating FP. They then promoted how you didn't have to wait, you could just rush in and out and that was the ideal way to do the parks. Sort of like a restaurant. Get um in feed um and get um out. We need the table for a different group. As much as you and your cronies do not want to recognize it, Disney is not creating they are reacting to something that they did create a couple of decade ago. I defy any one of you to tell me truthfully, that you wouldn't take advantage of the change in direction of the public. Don't lie now, you know you would. There's gold in them thar hills.

 

[The_Jobu]

what's next IASW becomes a subway to WS?

Don't give them ideas...

 

[MarkTwain]

Late to the party, but the issue I'm not seeing enough concern about is the show issue.

VIP people backstage are nothing new, but these experiences are generally more infrequent and usually with only a few people being taken backstage. There tours didn't involve hundreds of people a day being exposed to backstage Disney, nor was it horribly common for most cast to have to put on their "Disney faces" when on break because they saw lots of guests where their breaks take place.

This is different, and a little disturbing. Disney shouldn't have hundreds a guests every day being exposed to backstage like this, nor should they be encouraging it as the only real way to have an adequate transportation experience. If the transportation system needs major improvement for a large number of guests, they need to find a way to do it in an onstage manner - or dress up backstage sufficiently that it still feels like a "Disney" experience, as they did with the Main Street bypass.

Further, I feel sorry for the cast that have just lost a large amount of space they can escape to and unwind in for a little bit. Dealing with guests while maintaining a big smile and a cheery attitude is very emotionally demanding work, and many cast use backstage breaktime to chat, vent, smoke, use some not-so-Disney language occasionally, and take off restrictive parts of costumes (whether bonnets and aprons or, yes, big foam heads). I highly doubt Disney will be okay with cast doing that in these areas - but I suspect Disney won't start paying those cast for their break time, either.

 

[MarkTwain]

It's the use of backstage areas that bothers me most about this. Seems like every scheme like this that they come up with involves new cracks in show quality and the illusion of the parks.

The continued splintering of paying park-goers into haves and have-nots based on spending even more money doesn't sit right with me, either.

It's extra surprising to me that Disney would actively encourage this degrading of show to people willing to pay more. It seems like the people paying most would want the better show experience, not the worse one - or is the Disney parks experience not about enjoying the best show anymore?

Many comparisons to Club 33 have been made in these types of threads, but I'm not sure it's an apt one. With Club 33, the New Orleans show experience continued from the moment you walked through the 19th century door in New Orleans Square, boarded the authentic antique elevator, and moved upstairs to the beautifully antebellum-style rooms and wrought-iron elevated balconies. There certainly was no forcing guests to walk past the dumpster behind PoTC or past cast member break areas.

 

[Creathir]

It's the use of backstage areas that bothers me most about this. Seems like every scheme like this that they come up with involves new cracks in show quality and the illusion of the parks.

The continued splintering of paying park-goers into haves and have-nots based on spending even more money doesn't sit right with me, either.

Now that is a point I can agree with. If Disney wants to do this, they need to not break theme.

Second Star To The Right Transit... something which keeps the theming.

I'd even wrap the buses in a unique livery to ensure it's understood what they are.

 

[imthewalrus79]

Maybe I missed it, but why are so many people talking about circumventing security with this system? When I took the Backstage Magic Tour, we had to have our bags checked every time we entered a park. So, I'd imagine you'll still have to go through security at each park, although I would imagine it would be a special security waiting at the backstage stop. And if they do that, they'll probably just pull those guards from the main entrance of the parks and cause the regular paying customers to have to wait even longer to go through bag check there.

 

[docandsix]

Haven't been on the boards much lately... more important things going on in the world. But whenever I loiter, I read yet another story of Walt Disney World
management pulling its George Costanza routine, following each bad decision with an even worse one, perpetually ruining everything with uncanny consistency and precision.

I'm kind of curious to see how the Hollywood Studios revamp and the Pandora expansion turn out, but right now (and I never thought I'd write these words), these cash-grabbing, tone-deaf, show-oblivious changes leave me with no interest in returning to WDW again--ever.

 

[ford91exploder]

It's extra surprising to me that Disney would actively encourage this degrading of show to people willing to pay more. It seems like the people paying most would want the better show experience, not the worse one - or is the Disney parks experience not about enjoying the best show anymore?

Many comparisons to Club 33 have been made in these types of threads, but I'm not sure it's an apt one. With Club 33, the New Orleans show experience continued from the moment you walked through the 19th century door in New Orleans Square, boarded the authentic antique elevator, and moved upstairs to the beautifully antebellum-style rooms and wrought-iron elevated balconies. There certainly was no forcing guests to walk past the dumpster behind PoTC or past cast member break areas.

Remember this started when WDW set up the 'cattle chutes' AKA 'Main St Bypass' to herd guests out of the park in the most unmagical way possible. Show is no longer one of the 'Keys to the Kingdom' profit has replaced it.