News Gotta Pay2Play: Paid FP on the way!

[Sirwalterraleigh]

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.

Exaclty...

 

[Lets Respect]

Wherever they expand this to, it will be linked to expensive room stays. Not what type of ticket you have. And definitely not APs. They've already shown that AP holders are at the bottom of the list with the 30 day window

I could see them expanding this to DVC as well. It could be a selling point for...more DVC

 

[TXRob]

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...

Somebody supports 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.

So would a socialist WDW be a better experience? lol

 

[flynnibus]

I think Walt always said “let rich people have more access to the rides than the poor guests not willing to pay.”

This is hyperbole that ignores the actual vision. He wasn't running a charity - nor was he trying to fleece people. The point is he wanted a product that was suitable for everyone - that doesn't mean you give it away for free. He also targeted his business at the middle america - not the elite 'cost is no object' crowd. He also built a very level playing field... not haves and have nots. Club 33 was a business tool that was co-located at DL. Just like he built an Apartment on site. That choice is not a statement about who should be able to sleep in DL or not.

 

[flynnibus]

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.

Complete misrepresentation of the facts. Charging differentiated pricing for different products is not 'catering to the rich'. Failing to just give things away for free is not 'catering to the rich'

 

[bhg469]

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...

Somebody supports 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.

Youre 100% correct. Disney wants to maximize $ in the easiest way possible. Instead of making MK close at 12 regularly, they sell a party make the same revenue they would have by allowing everyone in and only have to pay half the staff because the park is less full.. I find it truly sad that the hours are so short yet the demand is as high as it has ever been.

 

[bhg469]

So would a socialist WDW be a better experience? lol

Thats not fair at all.. No one should expect everything to be free.. No one should expect prices to stay at $20 for entry. People should however demand that the park hours remain the same ( with some minor changes due to seasons, but lets be honest dont exist anymore). There are a lot of people who want to stay longer and spend more money later at night, but they should not have to buy a $50 cupcake to do it when they already spent $500 for their family to walk in the gate.

If they want to capitalize on parties? Leave the parks open, shut off fastpass completely for all guests and let the ones attending the party use it..

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

So would a socialist WDW be a better experience? lol

Maybe...but I don't have an opinion on that.

What would be better would be to reject things that don't make sense...like cabanas, after hours magic and the ultimate AK tour...

Results are mixed

 

[pax_65]

So here are my questions (directed especially at those who say, "What harm is it to you if rich people buy additional FPs?"):

Will these FPs come out of the current FP inventory? And when will they be available for purchase? I want to know, will FPs for popular attractions be even more difficult for the average guest to get?

-or-

Will these FPs be added to the current inventory? Will the infrastructure be somehow adjusted to accommodate the additional demand? Or will the standby lines get even slower? (At some point, the standby lines are going to become pointless because they won't move at all - they might as well get rid of them. )

 

[jimbaker84]

Thats not fair at all.. No one should expect everything to be free.. No one should expect prices to stay at $20 for entry. People should however demand that the park hours remain the same ( with some minor changes due to seasons, but lets be honest dont exist anymore). There are a lot of people who want to stay longer and spend more money later at night, but they should not have to buy a $50 cupcake to do it when they already spent $500 for their family to walk in the gate.

If they want to capitalize on parties? Leave the parks open, shut off fastpass completely for all guests and let the ones attending the party use it..

Couldn't agree more!

 

[bhg469]

Couldn't agree more!

I wish Disney did. I have zero problem with upcharges. I have a monumentally huge problem with upcharge events happening when the parks can absolutely stay open for all guests.

 

[eliza61nyc]

So would a socialist WDW be a better experience? lol

yes.
then it would be free. that would make me feel better.

first, I don't mind premium events as long as they don't decrease the other events. this one does. those extra fast passes have to come from some where. so basically this is the an Oligarchy. The rich will have access to the premium rides while the Joes will not or it will force everyone to cough up the dough to have a chance of riding the best rides.

 

[flynnibus]

Wherever they expand this to, it will be linked to expensive room stays.

Once the genie is out of the bottle... they can go any direction. They can go straight up cash gets you X passes... cash+hotel qualifier gets you X+better offering.. etc

They already showed this card with variable booking windows, variable on single vs multipark, variable on 'one vs any' attraction, attraction tiers, etc.

 

[WhyteAL]

shouldn't it?

Unfortunately not, it comes back to content. I have children who at some point will have children meaning they would want to experience the content that is created by Disney. What it does mean that the grown up experience can be had else where as opposed to Disney. ie. Food and Wine, Disney Springs, etc.

 

[21stamps]

Thats not fair at all.. No one should expect everything to be free.. No one should expect prices to stay at $20 for entry. People should however demand that the park hours remain the same ( with some minor changes due to seasons, but lets be honest dont exist anymore). There are a lot of people who want to stay longer and spend more money later at night, but they should not have to buy a $50 cupcake to do it when they already spent $500 for their family to walk in the gate.

If they want to capitalize on parties? Leave the parks open, shut off fastpass completely for all guests and let the ones attending the party use it..

I have to disagree with you here. I think there are a lot of people who don’t mind (or at least not totally) paying for the parties, myself included... because they do provide a decent value. I also don’t mind doing different parks or something else on the evenings when MK closes earlier.

 

[lazyboy97o]

Wherever they expand this to, it will be linked to expensive room stays. Not what type of ticket you have. And definitely not APs. They've already shown that AP holders are at the bottom of the list with the 30 day window

I could see them expanding this to DVC as well. It could be a selling point for...more DVC

Why would it only be limited to hotel rooms? Why not make FastPass+ access an Annual Pass add-on?

 

[bhg469]

I have to disagree with you here. I think there are a lot of people who don’t mind (or at least not totally) paying for the parties, myself included... because they do provide a decent value. I also don’t mind doing different parks or something else on the evenings when MK closes earlier.

My point is that hours have been cut across all parks, so there is nowhere else to go in certain cases. I think premium offerings are fine and whoever takes advantage of them is well within their rights to do so but at the cost of hours that were once available to everyone is just not cool with me. I strongly believe you should be able to pay more. I just think they have taken away too much.

 

[asianway]

Why would it only be limited to hotel rooms? Why not make FastPass+ access an Annual Pass add-on?

I cant imagine a local wanting to add this on. How many times can you realistically go on an attraction?

 

[21stamps]

Why would it only be limited to hotel rooms? Why not make FastPass+ access an Annual Pass add-on?

At my local amusement park they are rolling out a season long fast pass for 2018. It’s a $499 add on, for one park..not open year round. What would the price point be for Disney?
I don’t think it will happen at WDW.

 

[lazyboy97o]

I cant imagine a local wanting to add this on. How many times can you realistically go on an attraction?

You’re more questioning the concept of an annual pass.