Gitson Shiggles
There was me, that is Mickey, and my three droogs
If that happens, I’m wearing an adult-sized Mickey and Friends diaper. Don’t judge me.
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News Gotta Pay2Play: Paid FP on the way!
- Thread starter ScoutN
- Start date
Sirwalterraleigh
Premium Member
If you did that...I'd judge you "awesome"
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AEfx
Well-Known Member
Which is the astounding point. I can only imagine that most people who stay on "Club Level" are just ignorant of what such a thing is in most hotels, i.e. everywhere else.
They actually use the word "concierge services", but in truth they refer to the front desk at the resort as that, period. Club level basically just has their own "front desk" attendant. All they can do is pick up the phone and call to get the same reservation agents you can pick up the phone and call yourself, or do through the front desk. Or any guest relations on property, period.
"Concierge" means a very different thing in the real world.
Not entirely true. Last year they rolled out Signature Services, which is an exclusive department Club Level access can call to help plan their stay, whether that's dining reservations, VIP tours or anything else. The concierge also has some ability with issuing fast passes and other perks at their discretion. The goal is to provide these guests a level of service they are more accustomed to elsewhere. Not sure a lot of guests wanted to be on the computer at 7am 180 days prior to their vacation to ensure a character meal.
That must be the reason why the better and more desirable rides had cost more. If you wanted to ride the 'best ride' at DL over and over again, it would cost significantly more that someone who rode all the rides. Walt catered to the rich. Originally.
Now, this all changed with the Pay One Price model of access. But that model has... issues. If your park has a set of rides that are significantly better than others, then everyone who gets into the park under the one price system will glom onto those better rides. Then you have to find ways to distribute them more evenly. The way that should have been done was to keep plussing the less desirable rides (or replacing them completely) until all rides were equally desirable. Or, you create a FP system (whether by paper or electronically). Or you just let some rides have a two hour wait while there's no wait for other rides.
I am Timmy
Well-Known Member
I will let you you know my travel dates as soon as they are cemented so you can meet us there.
I am Timmy
Well-Known Member
Free bathrooms. Pay for toilet paper, soap, and paper towels.
I am Timmy
Well-Known Member
What endgame? Why would it end? This juggernaut could go on indefinitely.
Nubs70
Well-Known Member
Because the pixie dusters said it would never happen.
bunnyman
Well-Known Member
There's an ever increasing part of the population who really enjoy conspicuous consumption, so I'm sure this will sell well. I was in WDW last week and was shocked by the number of families I saw using Disney's VIP tour services which I looked up cost $425 to $600 per hour with a minimum of 8 hours or so. I know people that if I put the same bottle of wine in front of them without a label and said one cost $15 and one cost $150 they taste both and say the more expensive one was better.
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GymLeaderPhil
Well-Known Member
This was a consolidation of an existing process that the Concierge at each local resort used to do. In the end, it’s just a private line to call instead of calling 407-WDISNEY.
For the prices people are paying for Club Level and the access to a Concierge Cast Member adjacent to the place they get “free” food, the Concierge service at Disney is light years away from what the hotel industry provides under that same moniker. They are the bandaid, duct tape, and bubblegum for the well-to-do who didn’t plan their visit to the Nth degree in advance, but expect Disney to provide them the Nth degree in recovery since they paid so much. That’s it. They don’t wield an influential power over Walt Disney World and, outside of local amenities at the resort, have little influence on making last minute dining or FastPass reservations appear from nowhere. And don’t even think about asking a Disney Concierge for assistance with off property/competitor stuff.
A true Concierge level of service can be found just a short drive away at the Four Seasons or the resorts at Bonnet Creek.
- In the Parks
- No
Now that the WL club level has been cut in half capacity as with the rest of the lodge, it likely will forever be booked, that and not open to discounts as readily. Have happily enjoyed club level many years at 40% off with other perks I valued personally, and NO not ignorant of what concierge is elsewhere, but honestly it has held value to me that other hotels don't tempt me with. Location, location, location....would still rather have random gold fastpasses than the pay to play limitations. A true golden fastpass WOULD be priceless.... 
Sirwalterraleigh
Premium Member
No doubt....I think that's a direct result of wealth being generated in the post industrial world...nohody ever loses any skin becoming wealthy now. It's 90% financial parlor tricks. People overspend as a means to self justify their existence.
Sirwalterraleigh
Premium Member
Now that the WL club level has been cut in half capacity as with the rest of the lodge, it likely will forever be booked, that and not open to discounts as readily. Have happily enjoyed club level many years at 40% off with other perks I valued personally, and NO not ignorant of what concierge is elsewhere, but honestly it has held value to me that other hotels don't tempt me with. Location, location, location....would still rather have random gold fastpasses than the pay to play limitations. A true golden fastpass WOULD be priceless....
It's half gone because it and the rest of the hotel was booked 52% of the time. That was simple overpricing. The starting rate was $119 in 2001 and had risen to $350 by 2016.
So on a rare case...the market spoke at wdw. Wilderness was constructed to be about $75 a night when opened.
Occasionally, the blind squirrels find the nuts.
As some have said, I do think this is just a test and in the long run will be rolled out to all Deluxe guests and maybe moderates. It was obvious when they opened EMH to Springs hotels that they would have to come up with some way to incentivize staying on property. BUT, they want people staying at Deluxe and Moderates. Not Value. Soooo, how do you do that? Create a pay system at a price point that most at a deluxe and even a moderate would likely say is "reasonable" for what they are getting. How valuable is your time to you? Anyone who didnt see this coming is oblivious to basic business. I also think this is a step to WDW putting more focus on Deluxe, Moderate, and DVC resorts and allowing the Values to languish. Even at what they charge at the values, they are not great sources of income and it has taken them this long to realize that. I believe if they would have had the forethought years ago, there would be no value resorts on property. They would all be moderate or deluxe, and room for more DVC.
Is this worth it to the guests? As with any other "choice" you have on property..and you DO have choices on most things other than the price of base entry tickets/passes, you have choices on lodging, food, etc on or off property, this is another choice and is an individual decision. I dont like to rush around parks, but, I have an AP, so we go quite a bit and can go at a slower pace, therefore, this offer isnt valuable.. But, there are times where its a short trip with specific friends or family, or a short trip at a high attendance times, this offer would be very valuable. Similar to TIW. Its a choice and how valuable is it? what does it save me in a year at places I wouldve eaten anyway? Last year it saved quite a bit, so well worth it. How good are AP discounts on rooms when I decide to stay on or off property. Sometimes good, sometimes not. So I see this as any other offering. A choice. Do I think its fair or right? Depends on who you are and how you view it. Reality for me is Disney hasnt done anything out of the realm of basic business. This is one of those "right the missteps they made from a business perspective". Yes it is about money and I know some of you hate hearing it, but, Disney is a business.
The only thing that would make me consider not going as often, is if they raise the prices on the APs to the point they arent valuable for the typical 20-30 days a year we go, if they added blackouts and Tiered the pricing, or if they did away with APs all together ( which from what I was told was actually considered). I look at APs as what they are; If used for a lto of days, they are discounted admission tickets. The merchandise discounts, food discounts, and resort discounts are nice perks now and then, but, not always valuable. Its about knocking the price of going per day down a ton to do something I would do anyway. Take that away, and I would rethink my trip schedules.
As for this new "test". It will be here to stay and this is obviously just part of a bigger business plan. Will it "thin the herd" as many have said is the goal? Possibly. But it is still a choice as to whether you go or not and a choice as to what you spend to go. SO Ill sit and watch until they do something that will directly effect my wallet without me having a choice.
Is this worth it to the guests? As with any other "choice" you have on property..and you DO have choices on most things other than the price of base entry tickets/passes, you have choices on lodging, food, etc on or off property, this is another choice and is an individual decision. I dont like to rush around parks, but, I have an AP, so we go quite a bit and can go at a slower pace, therefore, this offer isnt valuable.. But, there are times where its a short trip with specific friends or family, or a short trip at a high attendance times, this offer would be very valuable. Similar to TIW. Its a choice and how valuable is it? what does it save me in a year at places I wouldve eaten anyway? Last year it saved quite a bit, so well worth it. How good are AP discounts on rooms when I decide to stay on or off property. Sometimes good, sometimes not. So I see this as any other offering. A choice. Do I think its fair or right? Depends on who you are and how you view it. Reality for me is Disney hasnt done anything out of the realm of basic business. This is one of those "right the missteps they made from a business perspective". Yes it is about money and I know some of you hate hearing it, but, Disney is a business.
The only thing that would make me consider not going as often, is if they raise the prices on the APs to the point they arent valuable for the typical 20-30 days a year we go, if they added blackouts and Tiered the pricing, or if they did away with APs all together ( which from what I was told was actually considered). I look at APs as what they are; If used for a lto of days, they are discounted admission tickets. The merchandise discounts, food discounts, and resort discounts are nice perks now and then, but, not always valuable. Its about knocking the price of going per day down a ton to do something I would do anyway. Take that away, and I would rethink my trip schedules.
As for this new "test". It will be here to stay and this is obviously just part of a bigger business plan. Will it "thin the herd" as many have said is the goal? Possibly. But it is still a choice as to whether you go or not and a choice as to what you spend to go. SO Ill sit and watch until they do something that will directly effect my wallet without me having a choice.
GlacierGlacier
Well-Known Member
Exactly. Some people seem to forget that the 'Ticket' ranking system for rides actually meant something financially for guests in the past rather than just vague standards for quality nowadays.
BoarderPhreak
Well-Known Member
Sure, it definitely had a financial angle to it, but Walt didn't do it so that rich people could do all the cool rides. It was done so that everyone wouldn't just line up for the E ticket rides and do them over and over again. It's all about intent - not just spin...
That's cool... I won't use any of them.
We have stayed Club Level several times and the only real benefit we found the concierges to have is that they can have an adult beverage or large bottle of chilled Evian water sent to your room anytime of day. Aside from that, there is nothing they can do that the MDE app cant.
Over the last few years, even Guest Services has become a bit of a joke. I was booking a trip a few weeks back and needed to add a day to our reservation and was having issues doing it on the website so I called GS. I told the CM the day I needed to add (which was showing available on the website) and it seriously took her about 5 minutes to type in whatever she had to and then told me the day wasnt available. While she tried again, I did a google search and found out that I needed to type in disneyworld.com/mytrip and bypass the actual disney.go and with two or three mouse clicks I added the day myself. The CM was still trying to figure out what to do.
MrHappy
Well-Known Member
After a night of thinking on this, I've come to a (wishful) conclusion. This program is classified as a "test for Club Level guests." To take that at face value, they must have a business objective specific to Club Level, that could be bookings, it could be to charge more because Clubers can and would pay more. That's all.
The test is to see how it effects bookings and in turn park operations. If successful, it will become the new "control" or permanent offering to Club Level guests. It would make sense to then creep to the next bucket of affluence like AP Holders or DVC Members.
I don't think we'll get to the point where each individual ride takes a prepaid ticket (aka FP) - it's Disney World, not your County Fair.
The test is to see how it effects bookings and in turn park operations. If successful, it will become the new "control" or permanent offering to Club Level guests. It would make sense to then creep to the next bucket of affluence like AP Holders or DVC Members.
I don't think we'll get to the point where each individual ride takes a prepaid ticket (aka FP) - it's Disney World, not your County Fair.
Sirwalterraleigh
Premium Member
Dusters are a weapon that disney uses against Everyone else...they've spent the last 20 years flooding the internet with free advertising, promotion, and in some cases unknowing misdirection that allows Disney to charge more for the same or less goods far in excess of inflation or even supply and demand.
Because there's a common feeling that "disney is good and they love/appreciate us...so just trust them"
That is a collapsed consumer dynamic. When the buyer asks "how much?" Instead of "how much and why?"
One word changes the world.
I know there are avid, less grounded fans than some of us..they have a lot to say/contribute.
But stop with the lack of common sense, please...
Some support when disney says/implys "we're trying to limit attendance by jacking prices..." or "the guests really want more after hours upsells...that start during regular hours and barely extend beyond"
Please...just...I can't even...
Any thought that fastpass would not be monetized after they spent a billion on a wifi/server upgrade lacks all basis on this planet.
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