FP+ only Toy Story Midway Mania

[Goofyernmost]

I think "I Told You So" is entirely appropriate at this moment in time, It was amazing to hear the fanboi's say that the new reservation system would NEVER be used to upcharge but if not WHY build it.

Although anything is possible, that is exactly the same thing that was said with the original Fastpass was introduced. That never happened, why would this?

 

[Captain Chaos]

Although anything is possible, that is exactly the same thing that was said with the original Fastpass was introduced. That never happened, why would this?

They have run out of things to exploit for more cash in WDW... Last "free" offering is fast pass... Only natural to now want to exploit that as well... Get everyone dependent on FP+, make it the only way to get on a ride/attraction, and then start charging for it... Not saying this is where they are heading, but it does seem like a possibility, especially since Universal and Six Flags already do charge for their versions of fast pass... Or, charge off site guests for FP, make FP a perk for onsite guests, thus now increasing on site stays helping increase incoming cash flow... Again, it is all about the money... plain and simple... (And before someone jumps down my throat about Disney being a business, yea I know... so stop right there).

Again, FP is the last thing WDW has not exploited for more profit, yet.

 

[TheRabbit]

Although anything is possible, that is exactly the same thing that was said with the original Fastpass was introduced. That never happened, why would this?

It is still happening....5-10 yrs down the road, I agree, every attraction will be FP only. Disney ARE control freaks.

 

[RayTheFirefly]

Although anything is possible, that is exactly the same thing that was said with the original Fastpass was introduced. That never happened, why would this?

I don't think the original FP system cost $2billion to develop. It's not a huge leap for users to think that Disney maybe spent this kind of money wanting some kind of huge return.

 

[ford91exploder]

Although anything is possible, that is exactly the same thing that was said with the original Fastpass was introduced. That never happened, why would this?

Because the old system never had the infrastructure for charging, The NEW infrastructure does MDE has payments built in. So it's just a few lines of code to activate charging for FP, I can't see it NOT happening with today's Disney.

 

[ford91exploder]

It is still happening....5-10 yrs down the road, I agree, every attraction will be FP only. Disney ARE control freaks.

I think 6-12 months MAX, With the declines in PRGS and price increases probably maxed out, charging for FP is the only way MM+ will look good to the 'Street

 

[ParentsOf4]

Because the old system never had the infrastructure for charging, The NEW infrastructure does MDE has payments built in. So it's just a few lines of code to activate charging for FP, I can't see it NOT happening with today's Disney.

I agree that the new FP+ system is more versatile when it comes to potential upsells.

However, the old system could have supported some upsells as well.

With the old FP system, Disney simply could have used different ticket media and sold FP the same way Universal sells Express Pass.

 

[PhotoDave219]

I think 6-12 months MAX, With the declines in PRGS and price increases probably maxed out, charging for FP is the only way MM+ will look good to the 'Street

IMO the best way to increase PGRS is to get people out of line.

And the way I see it, the best way to get people out of line is to spread out the crowd & add capacity to the parks through new attractions and making sure your headliner attractions can handle a headliner crowd.

MM+? It may spread out the lines some but it certainly doesnt add any capacity to the parks.

 

[jakeman]

Because the old system never had the infrastructure for charging, The NEW infrastructure does MDE has payments built in. So it's just a few lines of code to activate charging for FP, I can't see it NOT happening with today's Disney.

Yes it did. It read your KTTW card. No reason that couldn't have been hooked up to a DDP type payment system.

MM+? It may spread out the lines some but it certainly doesnt add any capacity to the parks.

It doesn't add capacity but it can force people to use underutilized capacity in other areas (Imagination comes to mind). Not probably the best reflection of the system, but I'm sure that was a selling point.

 

[ford91exploder]

I agree that the new FP+ system is more versatile when it comes to potential upsells.

However, the old system could have supported some upsells as well.

With the old FP system, Disney simply could have used different ticket media and sold FP the same way Universal sells Express Pass.

In a way they DID remember the 'Birthday FP' and the DVC FP?, They probably lacked the imagination to actually create an SKU for FP cards 10 'instant FP's' for $50.

Imagination is SORELY lacking at today TDO.

 

[TheRabbit]

I think 6-12 months MAX, With the declines in PRGS and price increases probably maxed out, charging for FP is the only way MM+ will look good to the 'Street

There is no way price increases are maxed out, and I just don't see them ever charging for FP. But, we are just thread idiots, we couldn't possibly know what Disney is thinking or planning. lol

 

[PhotoDave219]

Yes it did. It read your KTTW card. No reason that couldn't have been hooked up to a DDP type payment system.
It doesn't add capacity but it can force people to use underutilized capacity in other areas (Imagination comes to mind). Not probably the best reflection of the system, but I'm sure that was a selling point.

May be a selling point, but at the end of the day people want that cookie. They want to ride that E-Ticket, no matter what direction theyre steered.

 

[jakeman]

May be a selling point, but at the end of the day people want that cookie. They want to ride that E-Ticket, no matter what direction theyre steered.

Being in line for a hour for one E-ticket is a better for Disney than being in line for an hour in 3 E-tickets.

That's two hours more you're wandering around the park.

 

[ParentsOf4]

I think 6-12 months MAX, With the declines in PRGS and price increases probably maxed out, charging for FP is the only way MM+ will look good to the 'Street

With regard to Per Room Guest Spending (PRGS), Disney's plan appears to be to convert rooms to DVC.

With regard to Per Capita Guest Spending (PCGS), I tend to agree that Disney pushed too quickly on price increases from 2010-2013. It looks like the growth rate of PCGS is slowing down this year.

WDW prices are reaching a tipping point. In recent years, increases have far outpaced people's abilities to pay them.

Getting guests to spend even more on what they already receive (e.g. charging for FP+) is only going to boomerang. It will drive sufficient numbers away to largely offset any gains from potential FP+ upsells.

No, what WDW needs to do is attract more business (by adding new experiences) and improve guest satisfaction (by increasing ride capacity on existing popular attractions).

Only by investing in WDW is Disney going to improve WDW's financials.

 

[JediMasterMatt]

FP+ in a nutshell is socialism on a ride/attraction basis. It's intent is for every ride/attraction to carry it's share of the workload.



"Space Mountain is too popular and has a long line because Stitch isn't holding it's fair share of the guests"
*Of course the sane person would understand that Space having a long line has more to say about the quality of Space (which isn't much these days) and the lack of quality in Stitch.

 

[PhotoDave219]

Being in line for a hour for one E-ticket is a better for Disney than being in line for an hour in 3 E-tickets.

That's two hours more you're wandering around the park.

Yes but if theres only one E-ticket in the park, why come back?

 

[ford91exploder]

May be a selling point, but at the end of the day people want that cookie. They want to ride that E-Ticket, no matter what direction theyre steered.

That's true but since the C level folks DO NOT visit the parks as ordinary guests and they hold the product and customers in contempt they do not understand that no amount of 'steering' is going to make guests want to ride an unpopular attraction in place of the E-Ticket they really want to ride.

WDW would be an excellent place for 'Undercover Boss' to put Iger/Staggs/Rasulo as front line CM's for a week and see how the parks REALLY operate. Put em through an evac on SM, cleanup at Cosmic Ray's and crowd control at Wishes and FP duty at TSMM.

It's amazing the turnarounds some companies experienced when the C level executives learned how their companies REALLY operate as oppose to the stories they are told by their 'inner circle'

Walt insisted that his executives go incognito in the parks, Eisner wore fur and served food at the parks, Iger goes around with his crowd of handlers and it's amazing the difference in product quality under the various CEO's

 

[ford91exploder]

With regard to Per Room Guest Spending (PRGS), Disney's plan appears to be to convert rooms to DVC.

With regard to Per Capita Guest Spending (PCGS), I tend to agree that Disney pushed too quickly on price increases from 2010-2013. It looks like the growth rate of PCGS is slowing down this year.

WDW prices are reaching a tipping point. In recent years, increases have far outpaced people's abilities to pay them.

Getting guests to spend even more on what they already receive (e.g. charging for FP+) is only going to boomerang. It will drive sufficient numbers away to largely offset any gains from potential FP+ upsells.

No, what WDW needs to do is attract more business (by adding new experiences) and improve guest satisfaction (by increasing ride capacity on existing attractions).

Only by investing in WDW is Disney going to improve WDW's financials.

The key problem is TDO thinks that price increases are infinitely elastic in that people will come irrespective of the cost so I believe TDO will continue to increase prices and from the recent presser where they explicitly stated that they will be charging for FP access at TSMM.

I think that presser was an accident but it would certainly explain this weeks FP ONLY test at TSMM.

I agree that this will probably boomerang but will it boomerang ENOUGH to impact the overall direction, WDW is operating on inertia those of us who grew up on WDW are bringing kids but will OUR kids go and bring theirs ???.

TDO fundamentally does not understand their product/market/customers and they will continue to underinvest until it's too late and the gate receipts start to fall.

 

[jakeman]

The key problem is TDO thinks that price increases are infinitely elastic in that people will come irrespective of the cost so I believe TDO will continue to increase prices and from the recent presser where they explicitly stated that they will be charging for FP access at TSMM.

What press release states they are charging for FP access to TSMM?

 

[PhotoDave219]

What press release states they are charging for FP access to TSMM?

None.

BTW Time/Money has picked up this story.... http://time.com/money/3478186/disney-toy-story-ride-reservations-lines/