More offsite hotels to offer Extra Magic Hours and extended FastPass+ booking window

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Are we actually talking high numbers here? Do people who stay at BC really care about FPs and EMH?

At Beach club??? Probably not so much as you’d see in the less expensive places...but that isn’t really the point is it?

It was designed as way to provide value to those rooms that are overpriced for the amenities...

Now it’s being used as a weapon to “herd” them where they don’t necessarily want to go...

Like a hog to the bacon factory

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Kinda like E-ride nights back in the day. Only they were $12.50 additional per adult for 3 extra hours with only 5000+/- people in the Magic Kingdom.

And the “evil” management at the time did NOT Complain about the overhead involved or loss of potential “revenue streams”.

They saw it as an effective tool to promote more repeat/longterm business...

They were correct -
By the way

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Eventually WDW will have 50,000 rooms on property. With 3 people per room and 3 fast passes each that will total 450,000 fast passes a day. If the parks were open just 9 hours a day, that is 50,000 fast passes an hour. With 4 parks that is just 12,250 past passes per hour per park. Does anyone here doubt that each parks capacity is much higher than that small number? One last thing even with these new rooms having 60 access, there are still less than 35,000 rooms with 60 days fast pass plus.

Sorry...shoulda multiquoted these points...

Where did you get 50,000 rooms?

 

[jt04]

At Beach club??? Probably not so much as you’d see in the less expensive places...but that isn’t really the point is it?

It was designed as way to provide value to those rooms that are overpriced for the amenities...

Now it’s being used as a weapon to “herd” them where they don’t necessarily want to go...

Like a hog to the bacon factory

I was referring to Bonnet Creek. Not sure if this will have a huge impact on current numbers.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

I was referring to Bonnet Creek. Not sure if this will have a huge impact on current numbers.

Gotcha...

Well...it is inside the enclave of WDW...so I have a feeling most are there for a reason...

There’s a substantial number of rooms there

 

[Patsy Williams]

So disappointed that they did this... Takes away from staying on property...what extras do Disney Resort Guest get now....You can barely get fast passes at 60 days out as it is....so so disappointed. I would not be surprised if they didn't start selling fast passes when GE opens.

 

[lostpro9het]

So disappointed that they did this... Takes away from staying on property...what extras do Disney Resort Guest get now....

Fees.

 

[JohnD]

What kind of a slimebucket “friend” cheats for a ride on big thunder mountain?

I know an immature one...at a minimum

I said before: There are not just two truisms: Death and taxes. But a third: Someone will always game the system.

 

[Sir_Cliff]

This is starting to become like the socialism of FP+ and EMHs. If you open it up to everyone it loses its intrinsic value.

Hmm, that's the first time I've heard FP+ and EMHs described as socialism.

 

[HauntedMansionFLA]

I'm sorry, but this is wrong.

The value proposition for paying the exorbitant premium on Disney properties becomes less and less. First EMH is scaled back, then they add after hours events, now they're opening EMH and FP to more people that aren't even staying on property. Basically, you're paying the same or more - while they offer you less and crowd the parks back up. Yay for them, but not for us.

Wait till the EMH go bye bye forever and replaced with the After Hours event.

 

[HauntedMansionFLA]

They don’t seem to like APers much anymore...the reasons are obvious.

Have you followed what has gone on in Anaheim over the last 5-10 years?

It’s becoming a near hostage situation

Hey! AP’s get magnets!!

 

[seascape]

Sorry...shoulda multiquoted these points...

Where did you get 50,000 rooms?

The 50,000 rooms is a reasonable estimate I came up with based on the number of rooms they currently have and includes the Disney Springs resorts, which are on leased land and the Dolphin and Swan. It is only about 50% more than that already have without the extra rooms from the Riviera and Coronado tower. When you think about those and the 3rd tower at the Swan and Dolphin and Reflections the number is reasonable and most likely lower than the actual number they will wind up with. The most interesting think I have found on this board is that no one has said i was too high. I also expect Universal to finish their property with at least 15,000 to 18,000 rooms. The only question with Universal is are they smart enough to include some timeshares in that number.

 

[CLEtoWDW]

Hmm, that's the first time I've heard FP+ and EMHs described as socialism.

When you open it up to the masses it begins to look a little bit like socialism.

 

[MisterPenguin]

According to some, EMHs are going away. And traditional FP+s are going away.

And yet, WDW keeps adding hotels to have the perks of EMHs and FP+s.

Didn't anyone tell WDW they were doing away with EMHs and FP+s?!

 

[HauntedPirate]

According to some, EMHs are going away. And traditional FP+s are going away.

And yet, WDW keeps adding hotels to have the perks of EMHs and FP+s.

Didn't anyone tell WDW they were doing away with EMHs and FP+s?!

That would mean the left hand knows what the right hand is doing. Not sure that's the case. If it means short-term revenue to make the balance sheets look good, I don't think either hand cares, to be honest.

 

[Lucky]

When you open it up to the masses it begins to look a little bit like socialism.

Like air? Is air socialism?

 

[Mat Cauthon]

I said before: There are not just two truisms: Death and taxes. But a third: Someone will always game the system.

I could have sworn the top two were

• Never get involved in a land war in Asia.
• Never go against a Sicilian when death is on the line.

Oh wait... those are top classic blunders. You can add this move by WDW into third place on this list then.

 

[ThatMouse]

I feel like what the Disney fan sites get wrong is failing to acknowledge the nightly room price increases. They make a big deal over food prices going up 5 cents, ticket prices going up 5%, yes the parking fee, but the fact is nightly rates are also up. Not rack rate, but actual sale price. A lot of this is due to the deals they are making with nearby hotels which also give them the ability to hike their prices. Something funny is going on with the rooms 3rd party agents are getting. What you used to be able to snag for a lot cheaper than direct from Disney is disappearing a lot quicker. Disney fans sites really don't do any reporting, they just paraphrase what other sites say, so we aren't getting the full story here.

 

[Disney Analyst]

Lol at the responses in here.

 

[Lensman]

Eventually WDW will have 50,000 rooms on property. With 3 people per room and 3 fast passes each that will total 450,000 fast passes a day. If the parks were open just 9 hours a day, that is 50,000 fast passes an hour. With 4 parks that is just 12,250 past passes per hour per park. Does anyone here doubt that each parks capacity is much higher than that small number? One last thing even with these new rooms having 60 access, there are still less than 35,000 rooms with 60 days fast pass plus.

I was referring to Bonnet Creek. Not sure if this will have a huge impact on current numbers.

I didn't see any discussion of this earlier, but the total number of rooms being added to EMH and early FastPass+ is 1500. Of those, 1000 rooms are at the $150-$200 a night Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek and 500 rooms at the $250-$350 a night Waldorf Astoria Orlando. As @seascape says, this will add about 4% to the number of rooms eligible for those benefits.

So along with the Disney Springs Hotels, it may be a continued slide down the slippery slope, but it seems to me that alone, it's not an apocalyptic change. I do appreciate all the speculation about the long-term direction this is moving in. OTOH, it could point to an offramp. The Waldorf Astoria is a premium experience and I suspect that it was that property that Hilton really wanted EMH and early FastPass+ access for. As such, they might have paid a premium price for this access since they will probably be able to get an extra 20% or more on their room rates. So maybe there really won't be that many other resorts willing to pony up the money for this.

There are 5500 total rooms at the 3 All-Star resorts and 2880 rooms at Pop Century. How much of a premium does Disney get from those rooms? I know it's quite a bit but I could imagine that Disney might see as much profits per room and higher margins from their deal at the Waldorf Astoria. OTOH, as others have said, it does mess further with the exclusivity of the on-property bubble.