Without getting too deep into history....
Going back to the mid-twenty-teens, promotions and discounts were largely structured to upsell guests into more expensive room categories, more ticket options or days, or higher-level dining locks than they either had initially booked or would likely book (if coming in as a fresh booking off the promotion). While people like us on this message board could absolutely clean up, the vast majority of guests were willingly forking over more money for what they were sure was a "better deal."
Over a decade or so, they had things down to such a science that they could issue annual markups to every component of the package and then upsell via promotions that even after the discounts they were coming out ahead. The "Value adds" that came along as conditions of the promotions were little-to-no real cost to them, so moving you into that Deluxe View room or elevated Dining Plan was all gravy to them.
For the first time since their current pricing model came into focus, their plan is failing. They have finally pushed too far, needing to squeeze more and more raw dollars out of shrinking gate clicks and cratering attendance numbers. The real fix - the one I think we'll be at this time next year - is to thoroughly rework (and rebrand, ugh) their pricing model.
In the short term - definitely after the quarterly call (and if the noise I'm picking up is correct, right up to or even after the holiday travel period), we'll see some broader promotions and, ahem, popular discounts. Their model works on three metrics being steady YOY: Gate Clicks, Per Guest Spending, and Onsite Room Occupancy. One of those is ticking up a bit, one ticking down more than a bit, and one cratering.
What's happening now isn't sustainable, and it hasn't been for nearly 6 months. They know how to fix it, but my lord are they scared to ring that bell.
