Lightning Lane at Walt Disney World

[DCLcruiser]

Right…true.

Ever heard the phrase: “we want volunteers, not hostages?”

No. We have Stockholm syndrome.

 

[DisneyCane]

Not true-you can pay per person per attraction to get onto each. If that ain’t magic and good theme park design, I don’t know what is.

Unless the price is really high, I'm sure they'll run out of inventory for that option relatively frequently.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Unless the price is really high, I'm sure they'll run out of inventory for that option relatively frequently.

Either option will not be well received.

I have zero confidence what’s left of their management (with any experience) believes this will go well.

 

[SteveAZee]

I agree with the rest of your post, but I think they are fine if attendance drops off slightly as long as the revenue increases greatly (and it will). That being said, I don't actually expect attendance to drop so it might not matter.

Yes, the ideal thing for Disney is for attendance to drop and earnings to increase. The former so people complain less about the crowding, and the latter because it's what pays bonuses and dividends. The thing about Genie+ and IAS is it's nearly all bottom line gain.

 

[SteveAZee]

So you don't think increasing capacity might help? Price gouging is the only solution to guest complaints about overcrowding?

I'm guessing that Disney wants to hold staffing and maintenance costs as low as possible (so minimal new attractions and/or just replace old with new) and try this approach first. I think it's short-sighted and problematic, but it's probably what the CPAs are recommending to upper management.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Yes, the ideal thing for Disney is for attendance to drop and earnings to increase. The former so people complain less about the crowding, and the latter because it's what pays bonuses and dividends. The thing about Genie+ and IAS is it's nearly all bottom line gain.

Charging for the same rides you paid a ticket fee for during normal hours with practically no additional overhead???

…profit…you say?

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

So you don't think increasing capacity might help? Price gouging is the only solution to guest complaints about overcrowding?

Rides and mechanics cost money…genie makes it rain up in da dwarf boardroom

 

[pdude81]

Charging for the same rides you paid a ticket fee for during normal hours with practically no additional overhead???

…profit…you say?

Well they have to pay to maintain the scheduling system and the payment processing .

I'm not full on doom-and-gloom here. I think they are in a pickle regarding capacity and got caught with their pants down in the middle of trying to fix both aspects of it (monetizing fp to reduce usage and new ride build outs). Waiting so long on construction was dumb, but I think they will need to keep building new rides and keeping things fresh in order to justify the paid fastpasses over the top. And now they can see immediately financial benefit by adding a new attraction in both additional ticket sales and paid lightning lane sales. Then as the former paid options drop into Genie+, that will seem like a better deal to people... and the money keeps flowing.

The don't "have to" keep building now to make money, but there is a more of a financial incentive to do so now that they've squeezed all the water out of those rocks.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Well they have to pay to maintain the scheduling system and the payment processing .

I'm not full on doom-and-gloom here. I think they are in a pickle regarding capacity and got caught with their pants down in the middle of trying to fix both aspects of it (monetizing fp to reduce usage and new ride build outs). Waiting so long on construction was dumb, but I think they will need to keep building new rides and keeping things fresh in order to justify the paid fastpasses over the top. And now they can see immediately financial benefit by adding a new attraction in both additional ticket sales and paid lightning lane sales. Then as the former paid options drop into Genie+, that will seem like a better deal to people... and the money keeps flowing.

The don't "have to" keep building now to make money, but there is a more of a financial incentive to do so now that they've squeezed all the water out of those rocks.

I actually agree with you.

but still a management failure and an ongoing problem that needs corrective action

 

[Willmark]

So, I don't disagree with you on the aspect of data mining. Business 101 would tell you that you're correct.

The problem is, many of us fell in love with Disney because it wasn't ALWAYS business 101. The reason we're essentially a cult of people that provide free advertising and good will to this company is because of that. Eventually if you whittle that down, you'll be just like other companies, subject to the same expectations and challenges that they deal with.

Sure it was, it’s just that even Uncle Walt did a good job of not leading with the business side first.

 

[Vegas Disney Fan]

There are so many variables at play right now it's hard to even guess, but I DO think the choices made in the last however-many years are going to do some heavy damage to the company for the long-term.

I think Disney has fallen into the short term gain, long term loss trap.

I chuckle looking at the crowds at Disney because it’s mostly adults, we are the super fans, we grew up on Disney, grew up going to (or at least dreaming of) the parks, grew up with uncle Walt and the characters… Disney is nostalgic and takes us back to our youth. Disney is booming because the kids from the 60s, 70s, 80s, and 90s who grew up on Disney are now in their financial prime.

If the new policies drive away the kids of the 00s and 10s and they don’t become super fans it will take decades to truly reveal itself. Its a very short sighted way to run a business.

 

[matt9112]

Not true-you can pay per person per attraction to get onto each. If that ain’t magic and good theme park design, I don’t know what is.

When are they going to add the * letting you lnow the 125 bucks you just spent on a ticket dosen't include x attraction.

You asking for premium pricing while providing a subpar product.

 

[matt9112]

I'm guessing that Disney wants to hold staffing and maintenance costs as low as possible (so minimal new attractions and/or just replace old with new) and try this approach first. I think it's short-sighted and problematic, but it's probably what the CPAs are recommending to upper management.

That has been the plan for 10 years though.....

 

[SteveAZee]

That has been the plan for 10 years though.....

True. They've invested in the parks with Avatar, Star Wars, Toy Story, and the soon to be completed Rat, Tron, and Guardians during the last 10 years. I haven't heard of anything new on the short or long term horizon, so it's all going to be tweaks, overlays, and re-theming for a while, if at all.

 

[flynnibus]

Yea I agree. Running below capacity saves money, which if you think about it, is actually monetizing waits too.

Don’t confuse correlation with causation

 

[Waters Back Side]

Unless the price is really high, I'm sure they'll run out of inventory for that option relatively frequently.

That's the one actual remaining good advantage for resort guests. They can begin to purchas the IAS rides at 7am whereas everyone else it's when the park opens. However a boarding group can be attempted as well for 7am. So you try that first which is super fast or toy pay the cost of the ride per person right away or choose to skip it.

I'm hoping I can score one for either Rise or Remy but i highly doubt itll happen New years.

 

[ᗩLᘿᑕ ✨ ᗩζᗩᗰ]

I'm seeing a theme forming here so I'll ask the forum:

Question for the Pessimists:
How would this system, assuming it works as described actually INCREASE wait times?

Question for the Optimists:
How would it DECREASE them?

Question for the Realists:
NA

 

[KrzyKtty]

That's the one actual remaining good advantage for resort guests. They can begin to purchas the IAS rides at 7am whereas everyone else it's when the park opens. However a boarding group can be attempted as well for 7am. So you try that first which is super fast or toy pay the cost of the ride per person right away or choose to skip it.

I'm hoping I can score one for either Rise or Remy but i highly doubt itll happen New years.

This is what I'm looking forward to as well. The second chance to score a chance to ride RotR without having to pay for a VIP tour to guarantee it.

 

[matt9112]

True. They've invested in the parks with Avatar, Star Wars, Toy Story, and the soon to be completed Rat, Tron, and Guardians during the last 10 years. I haven't heard of anything new on the short or long term horizon, so it's all going to be tweaks, overlays, and re-theming for a while, if at all.

Everything you mentioned is undercapacity....my point was the sheer lack of priority gor GPH capacity.

 

[SteveAZee]

Everything you mentioned is undercapacity....my point was the sheer lack of priority gor GPH capacity.

I'm sorry, I don't know what you mean.