Lightning Lane at Walt Disney World

[George]

How long before they do variable pricing on parking or even food, snacks and drinks depending on the park and crowds to make more money

That would be awful. July 3 - MK bottle of water = $6.99. July 4 - MK bottle of water = $107.26. July 4, during fireworks - bottle of water, cost unknown. However, iPad people are conveniently located and set up to help you take out a quick loan against your mortgage. Further, whimsically themed pop up pawn shops can be seen down the length of Main Street.

 

[HauntedPirate]

How long before they do variable pricing on parking or even food, snacks and drinks depending on the park and crowds to make more money

For at least some amount of time, they did have variable pricing on certain character meals based on the time of year, IIRC.

 

[HauntedPirate]

There is no rational defense of this being anything but a further money grab with a product that is already flawed and unpopular. The Bob’s and Josh have done an amazing job of taking something fun and enjoyable and turning it into a miserable experience because they are essentially greedy bastards and combined have .0000000001% (rounded up) of a clue how theme parks work or what made them popular.

Bob & Josh are DESPERATE.

 

[bmr1591]

In January, we averaged $15 for Genie+ for a week. That’s the low end, it would seem. I just don’t foresee the full price ever getting that low again.

 

[Tha Realest]

There is no rational defense of this being anything but a further money grab with a product that is already flawed and unpopular. The Bob’s and Josh have done an amazing job of taking something fun and enjoyable and turning it into a miserable experience because they are essentially greedy bastards and combined have .0000000001% (rounded up) of a clue how theme parks work or what made them popular.

Bob & Josh are DESPERATE.

To paraphrase Big,

Never get high off your own (lack of) supply

 

[Disneydad1012]

In January, we averaged $15 for Genie+ for a week. That’s the low end, it would seem. I just don’t foresee the full price ever getting that low again.

And that's the problem. If the low end is $15 there's no way MK will ever be the low end again if it's priced the same as a multi park genie. So for us who go end of Aug and only buy it at MK or HS it will probably be more expensive than it would have been if it stayed the same.

 

[GhostHost1000]

There is no rational defense of this being anything but a further money grab with a product that is already flawed and unpopular. The Bob’s and Josh have done an amazing job of taking something fun and enjoyable and turning it into a miserable experience because they are essentially greedy bastards and combined have .0000000001% (rounded up) of a clue how theme parks work or what made them popular.

Bob & Josh are DESPERATE.

They want the park guests to pay for their company’s poor decisions over the years that have costs them so many billions and care less about the customer, because they know most will still pay more and do

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

I would agree with the planned hopping.

However if someone decides to hop without having planned to do so, the chances are they would be looking to pick up easy LLs to avoid 10-15 minute waits, not be looking for the headliners.

For example my DS would hop to DHS in the afternoon. I bought him an ILL for Rise one day, not each time. And he was quite happy to pick up Star Tours, Muppets and wait in line for the Millenium Falcon as a single rider.

It’s just one more layer of “commitment” that people don’t really need. They’re trying to force sell this thing for quarterlies…while also trying to squeeze every damn penny out of every college programmer…every minute…365 days a year…
This won’t go well either.

You didn’t have to decide if you were park hopping. You could only make your initial FPs at one park. And no reason to be a slave to the decision either, you could change your mind at the bus stop if you wanted.

Sure, if you planned to hop you could use that to your advantage, book fewer than 3 FPs at your first park or book them at your second park. But there was no need to decide ahead of time.

My limited use of it involved booking the late day stuff “informally” starting 10-11 am, then backfilling the Evening.
It was the last thing that felt truly like “park hopping”

This does not.

This is anti-customer and pro Bob iger

Nothing more or less

 

[Jenny72]

I find it very odd that they're willing to keep making these adjustments to their park upcharges. Parking fee, no parking fee, park reservations, park hopping after 2, no we'll change that, Genie+ one fee, variable fees, now you can modify, one park, multi-park. When I called to make my booking months ago, the employee reminded me to make park reservations and I casually mentioned that I didn't much like the system. She cheerfully said "Everything keeps changing, so keep an eye out!" This is no way to run a world class theme park.

 

[QueenFanUSA]

I’ll get my pitchfork sharpener ready

They don’t have any attendance…genie is neutralized for “more revenue” as long as that holds

Just how bad is it?

 

[Tha Realest]

I find it very odd that they're willing to keep making these adjustments to their park upcharges. Parking fee, no parking fee, park reservations, park hopping after 2, no we'll change that, Genie+ one fee, variable fees, now you can modify, one park, multi-park. When I called to make my booking months ago, the employee reminded me to make park reservations and I casually mentioned that I didn't much like the system. She cheerfully said "Everything keeps changing, so keep an eye out!" This is no way to run a world class theme park.

it’s panicky responses to flatlining (or dropping) attendance and a need to make sure the revenue doesn’t decrease.

If the studios and D+ weren’t sustaining massive losses month after month there wouldn’t be this pressure.

 

[Jenny72]

Another bizarre question now is, what if you only want Genie+ reservations at, say, Epcot, but you plan to spend the morning in AK. You don't want Genie+ at AK because you're just going to do shows and see the trails. (I did this exact thing because it was too hot to do the trails in the afternoon, but Epcot has lots of air conditioning.) Do you need to do the multi-park thing because you have a reservation at AK, or can you just buy the Epcot Genie+? Will the system even allow that?

See, this is what I mean. It seems like a simple change until you get into the details. Only people who never actually vacation at Disney would make these decisions.

 

[SamusAranX]

I just can’t fathom the fact that yesterday, Hollywood Studios was 140 for the day, and then on top of that people would have to cough up money for Genie+ and LL for RotR (180 minute wait when I arrived).

This is nuts. We have all but returned to the A-E ticket system

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

I find it very odd that they're willing to keep making these adjustments to their park upcharges. Parking fee, no parking fee, park reservations, park hopping after 2, no we'll change that, Genie+ one fee, variable fees, now you can modify, one park, multi-park. When I called to make my booking months ago, the employee reminded me to make park reservations and I casually mentioned that I didn't much like the system. She cheerfully said "Everything keeps changing, so keep an eye out!" This is no way to run a world class theme park.

It all comes back to their company wide problems

Attendance problems
Movie problems
Political problems
Debt problems
Stock problems
Streaming/broadcast/technology change problems
Management PROBLEMS

This genie move is symbolic to me. A desperate regime trying to reassert control late in the game.

And there’s a Russian civil war

Fun times

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Just how bad is it?

I hear bits and pieces from way old co-workers and travel people. So I can’t speak with any authority.

I would ask @lentesta

 

[Splash4eva]

I'm not 100% sure because his hasn't been implemented yet. But I think it's possible because they will still be making more money this way by selling more. Plus it will help push people to those parks.

I dont know how this will help push people to other parks… i cant see anyone booking a trip and for the sake of this convo waking up on vacation in 2024 and say okay we are gonna go to AK because Genie only cost X vs Y…

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

I dont know how this will help push people to other parks… i cant see anyone booking a trip and for the sake of this convo waking up on vacation in 2024 and say okay we are gonna go to AK because Genie only cost X vs Y…

It’s a really silly idea, isn’t it?

It predictably popped up 5 minutes after this was announced.
I get it - their guts tell Disney fans that these things aren’t to overcharge/screw them. It’s a standard list of excuses that don’t apply.

But that is the rule, not the exception when it comes to this management. It’s got to go before they wreck it all and sell to meta out of desperation on the cheap…

 

[TheMaxRebo]

How long before they do variable pricing on parking or even food, snacks and drinks depending on the park and crowds to make more money

The price of ice cold soda and ice cream is variable based on the heat index

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

The price of ice cold soda and ice cream is variable based on the heat index

It’s probably been 5x this month then. Conditions brutal

You know what makes that better? To micro charge for the length of the queues with 2 hour blocking window limitations

 

[Jrb1979]

It’s a really silly idea, isn’t it?

It predictably popped up 5 minutes after thjs was announced.
I get it - their guts tell Disney fans that these things are to overcharge/screw them. It’s a standard list of excuses that don’t apply.

But that is the rule, not the rule when it comes to this management. It’s got to go before they wreck it all and sell to meta out of desperation on the cheap…

Unfortunately I don't see getting better any time soon. They don't seem to be in a hurry to find Iger's replacement. It's crazy how quickly it went from CM's crying tears of joy that Iger was back to now many hating on him.