Has Disney Pricing Increases/Atmosphere Cuts Altered YOUR FAMILIES WDW Attendance?

[Trackmaster]

No one suggested there is nothing to do besides the parks. The point was that the value of your park ticket is diminished. If you don't want to go to the park, yes there are hundreds of things to do, some of which cost nothing. But staying on the subject of park ticket value for a moment...

...Let's say I was selling a couch in my furniture store for $2000. This couch has two traditional seats and a detachable chaise lounge on the end. Then I decide to offer just the two seat portion (or a love seat with no armrest) that I still call a "couch" for $2000, but it comes with an optional chaise lounge that attaches on the end for just $500 more. Most people (perhaps not you) would be insulted.

Now if I were you, I would be more interested in the small up-charge increases. Because eventually they will touch on something you value. For example, charging you a resort fee. You can bet your bottom dollar Disney already would have introduced a resort fee had the parking fee not met with such vicious rancor. What happens when they start charging you to ride the monorail if you don't have a park ticket? How about charging you a fireworks viewing fee (in addition to your fireworks view price increase for your room that is already in affect)? If you don't think these charges are waiting in the wings you haven't been paying attention of late.

What happens? Um... you pay more? You should be concerned about how much you pay out of pocket altogether compared to what you're getting. It shouldn't matter when you paid or what you paid for. The park could jack the prices of the parks up, they could increase the price per night of the rooms, or they could tack on little surcharges here and there. Just take it all in and make the decision for yourself.

Remember, if a park or resort gives you something for free, you're paying for it somewhere else.

The only problem is "hidden costs." If there are costs that I pay out of pocket that were not reasonably communicated up front when they're unavoidable now and I've already paid... that's a hidden cost and borderline theft. Some are allowed in our commercial code, but it depends on the severity and how reasonable they are in the industry. Its up for a judge and the legislature to decide. I think that Disney is always pretty upfront about their fees and costs though.

 

[Minnesota disney fan]

Good point. I think the only factor that may contribute to an attendance drop before 2020-2021 would be people cancelling their trips early that they have already at least partially paid for. The agency we book our WDW trips with has informed us that the $250 deposit we put down when we book is non-refundable-anything paid more than that, up until I believe 30 days before check-in, will be refunded upon cancellation. Not sure if that is our agent's policy, or a WDW policy. There's probably not going to be a significant amount of people completely cancelling their trip after booking, but I'm sure there will be a good percentage that will say "This is our last trip until things improve" or even "I'm completely done with WDW".

Hi RAineman: I think the 250 charge for deposit is aTA thing, not Disney. Our TA has always charged $200.00 deposit, which is refunded in full if you cancel a month before the date. So, it can be a "place holder" if you want a spot held but are no sure for some reason that will work out. I know, I did it for the first time for next March. It has worked out, Yea!, so we didn't have to cancel.

 

[drizgirl]

Yeah, I have to admit that I'm an offender, and I abuse the heck out of FP+. Its the perfect system for somebody who loves to game the system, and loves to use loopholes to their advantage. Part of the fun is just doing it to maximize the day. But in all honesty, I think that the system should be changed to allow people who don't know how to use the system to benefit. Don't get me wrong, I'll abuse it until they change the rules, but for the park's perspective they should be more strategic, and help guests out some. Some ideas:

• Find a way to close the "pound the app loophole" ... this may be tough but some possibilities:
  • Make the system so that when a ride is booked, it will be re-released back into the system. If somebody cancels, the reservation is gone forever.
  • Write the code so that your available reservations will get smaller, never larger for a given day. Users who haven't looked yet can see the cancellations, but you're locked into the first ones that you saw when you looked initially (but they can go away when booked by others).
  • The system locks you out when you refresh too much. They could say something like "Whoa! You're trying to do too much! Figure out what you want and come back when you've made up your mind."
• Allow at most one extra FP+ when you've gone through your first set, or none at all. I really don't see how allowing people to book the whole day is helpful other than people who want to game the system.
• Expand the reservations to five from three. This will pick up some of the slack from not being able to rebook, but I think it will help people legitimately pre-plan and give them a piece of mind before they go -- I think that this is the main purpose of FP+: that you know beforehand that you're guaranteed walk-ons at minimum on those rides before you walk in.
• Disney should know their parks and know when they'll be ghost towns. On the bottom 15% of the expected crowd days, they should turn off FP+ altogether. I went during Irma several days, and FP+ was an absolute nuisance. The top ride still had waits, the FP+ was hard to get, and the rest of the park was dead.
• Most importantly: beef up your E, D, C Ticket collection. MK is more or less fine, but the other three parks should have at least 80% of the E, D, C tickets that MK has each. We probably wouldn't be having this conversation if there were enough rides so that you could miss out on the top 2 FP+, but there were still great, hot FP+'s out there.

Just what is "pound the app"? Because my mind says that's just trying over and over again to catch something that pops up, but how on earth would that be a "loophole"?

 

[pax_65]

I wish it was still as affordable as it used to be, but I am still willing to pay because the experience is so vastly better than anywhere else.

Just to clarify, it's not only that ticket prices have gone up, it's that I can't do as much as I used to do with that same pass. The parks aren't open as long, the lines are longer, there's less live entertainment, no evening MK parade, etc.

As I said, I don't bother comparing Disney to other places because Disney is (still) a unique experience. My point is that the value isn't what it used to be.

 

[eliza61nyc]

No one suggested there is nothing to do besides the parks. The point was that the value of your park ticket is diminished. If you don't want to go to the park, yes there are hundreds of things to do, some of which cost nothing. But staying on the subject of park ticket value for a moment...

...Let's say I was selling a couch in my furniture store for $2000. This couch has two traditional seats and a detachable chaise lounge on the end. Then I decide to offer just the two seat portion (or a love seat with no armrest) that I still call a "couch" for $2000, but it comes with an optional chaise lounge that attaches on the end for just $500 more. Most people (perhaps not you) would be insulted.

e.

Remember there is also a point of reference.

you are comparing it to a specific time period. Now when I started going I only had spectromagic for one year. so I never knew a night time parade at MK. does that mean the value decreased for me? telling me there use to be a nighttime parade is not relevant for me. I always stay late at MK because it's an easy time for me to look at the schedule and see what days the park is open until 9 or 10 pm. again since I never did midnight at MK, that is not a lost value for me. that wasn't something that held any value for me. my park ticket has not diminished much based on your system of measuring. I'll give you the live entertainment and unfortunately it seems they are cutting that again .

now you can't do as much but my touring hasn't changed very much at all. in fact they've added a night time show at AK.

 

[pax_65]

you can't do as much but my touring hasn't changed very much at all.

Wonderful. So apparently Disney is doing a great job of lowering expectations.

It's too bad you didn't get to experience the parks like we did. Watching the parade, watching the fireworks and then staying in the MK for hours, walking on popular rides at 1am. We had so much fun. Our kids grew up doing the parks like this.

We still have fun in WDW, but we often think back to past trips and say stuff like "Remember when we could..."

 

[John park hopper]

Wonderful. So apparently Disney is doing a great job of lowering expectations.

It's too bad you didn't get to experience the parks like we did. Watching the parade, watching the fireworks and then staying in the MK for hours, walking on popular rides at 1am. We had so much fun. Our kids grew up doing the parks like this.

We still have fun in WDW, but we often think back to past trips and say stuff like "Remember when we could..."

I still enjoy Disney but having experienced WDW from the very beginning it'd hard not to compare what was and what is now. I'm reminded of the closing song from Bob Hopes Vietnam tour "Thanks for the Memories"

 

[xdan0920]

Wonderful. So apparently Disney is doing a great job of lowering expectations.

It's too bad you didn't get to experience the parks like we did. Watching the parade, watching the fireworks and then staying in the MK for hours, walking on popular rides at 1am. We had so much fun. Our kids grew up doing the parks like this.

We still have fun in WDW, but we often think back to past trips and say stuff like "Remember when we could..."

FWIW she claims to have owned DVC for 20 years. Then claims to have only had 1 year of nighttime parades at MK. Take that for what it's worth.

 

[Disstevefan1]

I already took the plunge and purchased APs for my family of three. My hope is with the alleged drop in attendance, we may experience a better guest experience at WDW. We will see....

 

[OneofThree]

It's too bad you didn't get to experience the parks like we did. Watching the parade, watching the fireworks and then staying in the MK for hours, walking on popular rides at 1am. We had so much fun. Our kids grew up doing the parks like this.

^^^ This is the Magic Kingdom for me, and always will be.

 

[eliza61nyc]

Wonderful. So apparently Disney is doing a great job of lowering expectations.

It's too bad you didn't get to experience the parks like we did. Watching the parade, watching the fireworks and then staying in the MK for hours, walking on popular rides at 1am. We had so much fun. Our kids grew up doing the parks like this.

We still have fun in WDW, but we often think back to past trips and say stuff like "Remember when we could..."

Can't speak to whether or not Disney has lowered folks expectations, I'll have to take your word on it since I didn't experience that, sort of reminds me of when my grandmother says "when I was a kid life was better" . I still get exactly what I expect from my vacations, if I didn't I wouldn't go anymore, I figure if I'm going to a place wishing it was like it was before than enough has changed to make me think it maybe it'stime to hang it up. I have two possible three trips planned for next year so my expectations are still being met, so we're good.

 

[Chi84]

When I first started going to WDW, it consisted of MK, Epcot and a couple of monorail resorts. I do so much more at WDW now than I did then. There may be less entertainment at MK but now there’s entertainment at Disney Springs. Just another perspective. If you’re really going to compare the good old days, you have to consider everything.

 

[OneofThree]

When I first started going to WDW, it consisted of MK, Epcot and a couple of monorail resorts. I do so much more at WDW now than I did then. There may be less entertainment at MK but now there’s entertainment at Disney Springs. Just another perspective. If you’re really going to compare the good old days, you have to consider everything.

Okay. I'll take the quaint Disney Village over Disney Springs every time.

 

[Chi84]

I think most people just naturally like things more “the way they were.” I don’t know who Disney’s target audience is these days, but I’ll bet it’s not those of us who remember Bob Hope’s Thanks for the Memories. For me, one of the hardest things to do as I get older is to be flexible and try to embrace change. That’s not to say that Disney is getting better for everyone - that’s a matter of personal opinion. But I enjoy it and still find it worth the cost. The day may come when they make a change I can’t tolerate, but right now I’m enjoying it more than ever.

 

[OneofThree]

. . .those of us who remember Bob Hope’s Thanks for the Memories.

You've got me beat, maybe by more than a little.

 

[Chi84]

You've got me beat, maybe by more than a little.

My mom used to sing it

 

[Vacationeer]

...But in all honesty, I think that the system should be changed to allow people who don't know how to use the system to benefit.

They do have something, it's called book a Club Level room and pay $50 per person/day to get 3 more FPs, split FPs between parks, 90 day booking window and they throw in a good view for the nite show daily.

My cousin's family visited over the summer and had no clue about how things work. I tried to give them advice when they were planning but they're used to going on all inclusive island vacations and preferred a relaxed spontaneous style. They were left in the dust at WDW and for that they won't be returning. Proves your point.

 

[pax_65]

I think most people just naturally like things more “the way they were.”

I agree many people are like that, but I've never really been like that - especially when it comes to WDW. I love Walt's quote about how the park will never be "finished", how it can keep getting better and better.

As far as attractions go, I think WDW might be better now than it ever was - and hopefully getting even better with all the new additions (as much as I'm nostalgic about the old EPCOT, the Universe of Energy was a TERRIBLE, outdated attraction and Guardians will (hopefully) just blow it away.)

There is a legitimate argument that the increase in ticket prices is justified by all the new attractions. And if park hours weren't shortened I might agree...

 

[VaderTron]

Remember there is also a point of reference.

you are comparing it to a specific time period. Now when I started going I only had spectromagic for one year. so I never knew a night time parade at MK. does that mean the value decreased for me? telling me there use to be a nighttime parade is not relevant for me. I always stay late at MK because it's an easy time for me to look at the schedule and see what days the park is open until 9 or 10 pm. again since I never did midnight at MK, that is not a lost value for me. that wasn't something that held any value for me. my park ticket has not diminished much based on your system of measuring. I'll give you the live entertainment and unfortunately it seems they are cutting that again .

now you can't do as much but my touring hasn't changed very much at all. in fact they've added a night time show at AK.

To say that something isn't relevant in a value discussion just because you didn't experience it seems a bit odd to me. If someone told me that the plane ticket in first class I was thinking of buying for the first time used to come with free unlimited alcohol, a high-quality meal, and fully reclining seats but now has 1 complimentary beer or wine, the same meal as coach, and partial reclining seats I would still be upset even though I hadn't enjoyed those perks myself. It may even cause me to decide it was too late, I had missed the time when first class was worth the splurge, and I should skip it.

 

[VaderTron]

When I first started going to WDW, it consisted of MK, Epcot and a couple of monorail resorts. I do so much more at WDW now than I did then. There may be less entertainment at MK but now there’s entertainment at Disney Springs. Just another perspective. If you’re really going to compare the good old days, you have to consider everything.

Good advice there at the end. You have to consider everything. That includes the stuff in between now and when you first started going. For instance, there were times when there was great entertainment at MK and at "Disney Springs" when there was the Adventurer's Club. Disney always claims to strive to be better. Throughout the middle of those years there was a large increase in value and entertainment. The issue is now Disney has gone past their peak of value and are declining. That means as some point in the recent past they had peak value, which is the time people are reminiscent about. They were not necessarily talking about 40-50 years ago.