No more incentives left for staying at Disney Hotels.

[SteveAZee]

I just assumed the 1/2 opening with limited staff is cheaper than the 1 in one…

Yeah, so one would think (since Disney implemented it for some reason), but four parks for a 1/2 hour seems more costly than one for 1. Strange.

 

[Disstevefan1]

Yeah, so one would think (since Disney implemented it for some reason), but four parks for a 1/2 hour seems more costly than one for 1. Strange.

The staff is probably already there, they just let guests get access 1/2 hour early.

 

[SteveAZee]

The staff is probably already there, they just let guests get access 1/2 hour early.

I'm not sure I understand this... I'm assuming that they're not paying CM's to just hang out for 1/2 hour before the gates open so might as well put them to work? Having not been a CM I can't say for sure, but I would guess they've got a park's worth of CM's doing something once they arrive and punch in for the day, things that need to be done to prep the park for guests.

I guess my point is that people liked the one hour/one park benefit. Less seem to like the new method (4 parks for 1/2 hour early) yet it seems to clock more CM hours and therefore seems more expensive... unless I'm missing something obvious about the expenses of the two different ways to do early entry.

Mostly the debate seems to be about whether 1/2 hour is worth it at all.

 

[Disstevefan1]

I'm not sure I understand this... I'm assuming that they're not paying CM's to just hang out for 1/2 hour before the gates open so might as well put them to work? Having not been a CM I can't say for sure, but I would guess they've got a park's worth of CM's doing something once they arrive and punch in for the day, things that need to be done to prep the park for guests.

I guess my point is that people liked the one hour/one park benefit. Less seem to like the new method (4 parks for 1/2 hour early) yet it seems to clock more CM hours and therefore seems more expensive... unless I'm missing something obvious about the expenses of the two different ways to do early entry.

Mostly the debate seems to be about whether 1/2 hour is worth it at all.

I am sure no one hangs out (well, maybe the management does ) They have X number of staff that are there before opening every day to do the various pre opening procedures at that time anyway, the just shift the SAME NUMBER of resources and put some folks on stage for the 1/2 hour. Just make the same number of staff work a little harder for a half hour.

 

[Disney Glimpses]

Early morning entry is typically much longer than the advertised 30 minutes. They just can't always commit to it being longer.

 

[Tony the Tigger]

We contemplated a Universal day on both our 2017 and 2021 trips, but the 1 or 2 day costs always give me a bit of sticker shock, which has had me stay put in the past.

Same. In order for universal to make financial sense for us, we would have to buy Florida resident annual passes. Not ready to make that kind of commitment to Universal lol.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Yeah, so one would think (since Disney implemented it for some reason), but four parks for a 1/2 hour seems more costly than one for 1. Strange.

…you know what I think?

The staff is probably already there, they just let guests get access 1/2 hour early.

…yep

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Same. In order for universal to make financial sense for us, we would have to buy Florida resident annual passes. Not ready to make that kind of commitment to Universal lol.

Their passes are a hell of a lot better deal than their day/combo tickets.

 

[SteveAZee]

I am sure no one hangs out (well, maybe the management does ) They have X number of staff that are there before opening every day to do the various pre opening procedures at that time anyway, the just shift the SAME NUMBER of resources and put some folks on stage for the 1/2 hour. Just make the same number of staff work a little harder for a half hour.

Ah, OK. The nearly minimum wage, can't find enough of them, willing to walk if pushed too hard, CM's? I suppose that's possible, but to me it seems unlikely to be what they're doing. Perhaps a CM on the board can answer this?

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Ah, OK. The nearly minimum wage, can't find enough of them, willing to walk if pushed too hard, CM's? I suppose that's possible, but to me it seems unlikely to be what they're doing. Perhaps a CM on the board can answer this?

I’m guessing the half results in zero additional labor costs over the standard day. Remember they know exactly where the staff needs to be more than ever before.

 

[Lilofan]

Yeah, so one would think (since Disney implemented it for some reason), but four parks for a 1/2 hour seems more costly than one for 1. Strange.

1/2 hour does seem odd but for example MK has huge acres of cast to cover so walking from point a to b takes some time to get there .

 

[SteveAZee]

I’m guessing the half results in zero additional labor costs over the standard day. Remember they know exactly where the staff needs to be more than ever before.

Which seems odd to me... that an hour is a notable expense, but a 1/2 hour is essentially 'in the noise' of running the parks. Maybe that's true, but it sure seems like they are trying very hard to control every possible expense as far as cast goes, so whatever they'd have the cast doing at 9am would instead begin at 8:30 for some set of the cast... which would be doing the same thing from 8 to 9 for the hour long early entry.

 

[Imhere]

Which seems odd to me... that an hour is a notable expense, but a 1/2 hour is essentially 'in the noise' of running the parks.

I don't understand how one person on a message board can say that and then the group makes it become fact.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Which seems odd to me... that an hour is a notable expense, but a 1/2 hour is essentially 'in the noise' of running the parks. Maybe that's true, but it sure seems like they are trying very hard to control every possible expense as far as cast goes, so whatever they'd have the cast doing at 9am would instead begin at 8:30 for some set of the cast... which would be doing the same thing from 8 to 9 for the hour long early entry.

They can likely thin out the staff on the backend of Those shifts…so it ends up costing nothing

Just a hunch

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

I don't understand how one person on a message board can say that and then the group makes it become fact.

No “facts”…just a theory…as it was presented.

 

[SteveAZee]

They can likely thin out the staff on the backend of Those shifts…so it ends up costing nothing

Just a hunch

I guess my working theory is that they've already maximized the CM's attendance to the nth degree so adding or subtracting hours (or half hours) is a pretty direct, measurable cost. Everybody's got something to do once they clock in until they clock out, and that that 'something' is relatively important.

It may be a reasonable hunch, that there's a 1/2 hour of 'pad' in the midday somewhere that is acceptable and a one hour pad isn't, to allow for thinning or tapering.

Perhaps spreading the 'early' crowd over four parks rather than one they can somehow make the CM staffing needs much much less? Doesn't seem like it, until they are also cutting back on which areas/attractions are open early.

Even if the expenses break even (rather than double), I think I would still prefer the hour in one park over 1/2 hour in my choice of parks.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

I guess my working theory is that they've already maximized the CM's attendance to the nth degree so adding or subtracting hours (or half hours) is a pretty direct, measurable cost. Everybody's got something to do once they clock in until they clock out, and that that 'something' is relatively important.

It may be a reasonable hunch, that there's a 1/2 hour of 'pad' in the midday somewhere that is acceptable and a one hour pad isn't, to allow for thinning or tapering.

Perhaps spreading the 'early' crowd over four parks rather than one they can somehow make the CM staffing needs much much less? Doesn't seem like it, until they are also cutting back on which areas/attractions are open early.

Even if the expenses break even (rather than double), I think I would still prefer the hour in one park over 1/2 hour in my choice of parks.

Well since shifts are always staggered - and always have been - it’s an easy thing to control.

But I don’t want to anger anyone with this “experience/high mindedness”

And I agree…there’s little question that one hour is better…but that’s a preference

 

[po1998]

Losing meaningful evening EMH was a deal breaker. There was nothing better than the parks closing at 11, and then you would have the run of a park for 2 hours(sometimes 3). Morning EMH was never as good. I want to stay at the parks late, get a good nights sleep,and return mid to late morning. I never want to get up in darkness to get ready for an extra 1/2 hour park time. Whoop-de-doo.

 

[esskay]

Morning EMH always felt pretty restricted. Half the park would be closed, as would the big rides that you got up early to go on making the whole thing pretty pointless. One of the last ones I used was at MK. They kept adventureland and frontierland closed completely, and didn't open space mountain, buzz or small world.