Vacationeer
Well-Known Member
- In the Parks
- No
Extra Morning Magic, these packages include breakfast.
Then there's DAH, Disney After Hours. These included snacks/drinks and do not require a regular day ticket like EMM.
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Has Disney Pricing Increases/Atmosphere Cuts Altered YOUR FAMILIES WDW Attendance?
- Thread starter VaderTron
- Start date
Then there's DAH, Disney After Hours. These included snacks/drinks and do not require a regular day ticket like EMM.
PixarPerfect
Active Member
Thank you! I have participated in both but didn't know the acronym.
pax_65
Well-Known Member
I've been complaining about the decrease in quality on these boards for YEARS. That's one thing.
But changing consumer behavior is something else. The fact is that Disney now gets much LESS of my money than they used to get, because we have changed our behavior. We go less than half as often as we used to go. When we go, we are much more careful about how we spend because we feel like Disney is always trying to wring more $ out of us.
It's ironic, really, because we used to do various value-adds like fireworks viewing from the boats, character breakfast/dinners and Keys to the Kingdom tours and such. But I refuse on principle to pay more for stuff that used to be included in my regular park admission, especially considering how much the passes have increased in cost in recent years.
There are still plenty of people in the parks, so I'm not sure enough of us have changed our behavior to encourage Disney to change their behavior... but I'm also certain that we're not alone either. In fact I'm sure there are enough of us that Disney must notice it at some level.
But changing consumer behavior is something else. The fact is that Disney now gets much LESS of my money than they used to get, because we have changed our behavior. We go less than half as often as we used to go. When we go, we are much more careful about how we spend because we feel like Disney is always trying to wring more $ out of us.
It's ironic, really, because we used to do various value-adds like fireworks viewing from the boats, character breakfast/dinners and Keys to the Kingdom tours and such. But I refuse on principle to pay more for stuff that used to be included in my regular park admission, especially considering how much the passes have increased in cost in recent years.
There are still plenty of people in the parks, so I'm not sure enough of us have changed our behavior to encourage Disney to change their behavior... but I'm also certain that we're not alone either. In fact I'm sure there are enough of us that Disney must notice it at some level.
Vacationeer
Well-Known Member
- In the Parks
- No
We've wanted to try DAH but our trips keep being weeks they're not offered. It's a splurge but looks like FUN!
What are you paying more for that used to be included in your regular park admission?
21stamps
Well-Known Member
Early Morning Magic. I think it’s offered at a couple of the parks.. not sure about Animal Kingdom.
It was something like $70 or $80 pp.. enter MK at 8am for Fantasyland, includes buffet breakfast. Really great deal, imo.
21stamps
Well-Known Member
Same!!! It’s never during times where I can go. I want to make eventually, even if we fly down for that and return the next day.
I’d just have to find cheap enough airfare to do that, and so far it hasn’t happened that way. I can’t plan far enough in advance.
Option 11: I’m really really stupid and just keep going back and back and spend more and more.
Vacationeer
Well-Known Member
- In the Parks
- No
I agree, it can definitely be worth the price for some guests.
EMM with tax is roughly $85, kids $75 and requires regular admission. Not bad considering prices of in-park food.
So far only MK & HS had them but right now no dates are scheduled
After Hours $130+ (AP/DVC $100) offers less food, doesn't need a regular ticket and you can enter as early as 7pm.
MK, HS & AK have offered DAH. No dates scheduled for HS; MK has 6 dates Nov-Jan; AK almost weekly now thru March 2020.
DAH @AK is avail for our next trip finally. We really wanted to try, just doesn't work well this time. Normally I'd offset the cost by dropping our Hoppers but I need to keep them for Free Food. Dropping our 5th park day isn't a good option either to save only $15.
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21stamps
Well-Known Member
I agree, it can definitely be worth the price for some guests.
EMM with tax is roughly $85, kids $75 and requires regular admission. Not bad considering prices of in-park food.
So far only MK & HS had them but right now no dates are scheduled
After Hours $130+ (AP/DVC $100) offers less food, doesn't need a regular ticket and you can enter as early as 7pm.
MK, HS & AK have offered DAH. No dates scheduled for HS; MK has 6 dates Nov-Jan; AK almost weekly now thru March 2020.
DAH @AK is avail for our next trip finally. We really wanted to try, just doesn't work well this time. Normally I'd offset the cost by dropping our Hoppers but I need to keep them for Free Food. Dropping our 5th park day isn't a good option either to save only $15.
I had checked for EMM for next April, definitely no dates scheduled right now.
Please post about DAH at AK!! I’m very curious.
MisterT800
Member
I love the psychology of pricing. Not being snarky. Because they've raised the food prices in the parks to even higher astronomical prices, it makes us rationalize the high price for a couple extra hours in one land in the a park. Think about that. Same psychological warfare when retail will raise prices just to offer the "sale" discount which even after is more than the original price before they raised it. SMH
21stamps
Well-Known Member
The food is a bonus, not the main reason. Having an hour in Fantasyland with absolutely no lines at all- that’s why people buy it.
I understand that not everyone wants to ride something several consecutive times, may not care about a near empty land.. but it shouldn’t be difficult to understand why other people do enjoy the experience.
Raineman
Well-Known Member
Can someone name me any form of mass entertainment/leisure/vacation offerings, owned and operated by a corporate entity, that has not increased in price and decreased in value in a fairly short amount of time? It's a common tactic across the board. We pay more for sports tickets, movie theater tickets, concerts, etc, in addition to paying more for food and drink at these venues. We pay more for flights, all-inclusive resorts, cruises, etc. We have to have subscriptions to multiple streaming services to be able to watch shows/movies that are available on each specific service. I know we would all like Disney to be different, to be that mega-corp that cares about value for $ for their customers-but it's not. It doesn't make it fair, or right, or something that we have to like, but it is what it is and will probably not be changing as long as the $$ keeps building in the shareholder's pockets. At this point, most people have to selectively pick what they want to experience, when they can fit it in to their schedule, and how much they can afford to pay, and, unfortunately, there may be no feasible options for a specific type of entertainment/leisure activity in many people's budgets, and WDW is definitely one of these types of options. I would certainly hope that for anyone who is priced out of WDW, they find other, more cost effective alternatives, maybe something completely different than a theme park, and find that they enjoy that more than WDW. I would definitely sacrifice a WDW trip to explore Route 66 from Chicago to LA.
Bpmorley
Well-Known Member
I was just typing something similar when this popped up.
Raineman
Well-Known Member
IMO, nothing short of a sudden, mass commitment to stop visiting WDW will cause Disney to adjust costing accordingly, and I can't see it happening.
stratman50th
Well-Known Member
Everything has an acronym silly.
Vacationeer
Well-Known Member
- In the Parks
- No
Definite a psychology to WDW pricing, especially now with MBs giving precise data.
My family is willing prey in the sense that every trip we try to experience at least one upgrade from previous trips. Then that becomes the new normal, rinse and repeat. Once you work your way up to a deluxe stay, next time you need to try fireworks view! Or a signature restaurant. Or a safari tour.
It was fun until costs have climbed like crazy so when my next yearly trip costs 20% more without any upgrades, I notice
My family is willing prey in the sense that every trip we try to experience at least one upgrade from previous trips. Then that becomes the new normal, rinse and repeat. Once you work your way up to a deluxe stay, next time you need to try fireworks view! Or a signature restaurant. Or a safari tour.
It was fun until costs have climbed like crazy so when my next yearly trip costs 20% more without any upgrades, I notice
pax_65
Well-Known Member
I'm primarily speaking about regular park hours and Extra Magic Hours. We've been visiting WDW at least annually since 1991. We especially enjoy late nights in Magic Kingdom. I can remember many late nights going until at least midnight, and at least a few nights going later (on a few occasions, I believe the regular park hours ended at 11pm and the EMH went until 2am!). This wasn't Summer or holiday weeks either - this was probably May.
This month the Magic Kingdom closes at 6pm 3 or 4 times every week. That's INSANE. I realize the Halloween parties are popular (we've done them ourselves) but they used to be once a week. EMH is for one hour in the morning. The latest you can stay in the Magic Kingdom without paying extra $ is 10pm (and those nights are rare).
I admit, October is probably the most extreme example but you have the Christmas parties too plus Disney After Hours, plus just shorter hours the rest of the year even without those extra upcharge events.
Based on number of hours in the parks alone, there is no comparison in terms of value to what you used to get with your basic park admission ticket versus what you can get today.
Bpmorley
Well-Known Member
Exactly.
OK, but nothing of what you mentioned is paying extra for something you got for free at any time. Yes, less hours open is less value to some, I'll agree to that, but losing park hours is someone's subjective opinion of value to that person. The reason for more parties is that more people want to go to them. Plain and simple. People were complaining that parties were sold out when they wanted to go, so Disney's answer was to add more parties, so more people could experience them. We've done both of them as well, and like the Halloween party better.
And you know that it's closing at 6 due to MNSSHP parties those nights? I know it used to be 7, but there were a lot of complaints from guests that people that hadn't paid for the party were clogging everything up, and it was taking until 8 to get all the day guests out of the park, reducing the benefit for those that had paid for the party. We experienced people trying to stay for the parade every time, and some had to be escorted out by security when they became belligerent about leaving. So now, usher the day guests out before the party starts, and the party guests get a better experience.
Are there too many party nights now? Again, subjective opinion. We recently spent 9 days there, and there were 4 nights of parties. Did we complain? Of course not. We just went to one of the other 3 on those nights. AK is awesome at night now. So for us, and we've been going since 1978, the value is still there, and we don't feel like we are paying more for something that we got for free in the past.