OK, I'll Admit it...Disney Prices Are Out Of Control

[EvanAnderson]

How were you able to tell that Pirates and Small World were operating at half capacity? Were they only running 1 station?

 

[Janir]

Netflix is either extremely overvalued and/or Disney is undervalued. I think both are true, but Disney has been revalued based on recent news of D+.

I think you nailed it. Netflix is overvalued and Disney undervalued. I'd hazard a guess that Disney stock is going to make a decent jump upwards the day Netflix announces a bad quarter.

 

[monothingie]

This is actually the worst case feedback that a repeat high spending guest can provide. Disney has dedicated in recent years a large team of cast members to guest retention. I know many on the board say if you don’t like it, take your money elsewhere, well that’s exactly what repeat guests are doing and Disney is taking notice.

 

[eliza61nyc]

This is actually the worst case feedback that a repeat high spending guest can provide. Disney has dedicated in recent years a large team of cast members to guest retention. I know many on the board say if you don’t like it, take your money elsewhere, well that’s exactly what repeat guests are doing and Disney is taking notice.

??? The Op says he's going back. So in essence we are not taking our money elsewhere. Now he definitely had a good time but there is absolutely no incentive that I can see for anything to change. I do believe your right, they have noticed they can offer less, charge more and we'll still go.
I think a recession is probably the only thing that will effect them

 

[monothingie]

??? The Op says he's going back. So in essence we are not taking our money back. I do believe your right, they have noticed they can offer less for more and we'll still go.

I wasn’t referring to the OP. Simply just the increasing number of guests putting off future trips or going other places has become a very serious issue.

 

[Chef Mickey]

Is BoG that bad? I got a dinner reservation to spend Thanksgiving there. Now I’m wondering if I should cancel it.

The lunch was terrible. Straight up bad, but that’s the quick service. I would cancel a lunch.

The dinner is what I would call, “OK” but the food is never hot enough and poorly seasoned. The filet is better at Le Cellier and California Grill. I would not go for good food, but it’s a nice ambiance. Try Citricos, Narcoossee’s or the other places I mentioned for better food.

 

[Chef Mickey]

How were you able to tell that Pirates and Small World were operating at half capacity? Were they only running 1 station?

Yes and the lines were clearly moving slowly because of it. I’ve ridden both so many times that I can tell the line pace is wrong. I get to the front and see why.

 

[Chef Mickey]

This is actually the worst case feedback that a repeat high spending guest can provide. Disney has dedicated in recent years a large team of cast members to guest retention. I know many on the board say if you don’t like it, take your money elsewhere, well that’s exactly what repeat guests are doing and Disney is taking notice.

Agreed. I literally spend around $20K at Disney annually between food, tickets, and hotels. This is between only 2 guests visiting, not a large family. If I include my family, it’s probably more like $40K.

I think Disney also has a hard time (or maybe just doesn’t care) recognizing how often I and people like me come visit. That’s fine, but it seems I would get more upgrades or something resembling loyalty rewards, but I’m usually treated like a standard guest. It’s good treatment, but I think they could do a better job recognizing big spenders.

 

[Chef Mickey]

Well the parks are so crowded its elbow to elbow so prices don't seem to matter that much. I think food quality in the parks has improved over the past 20 years or so.

I think food quality overall increased, but consistency isn’t there. When it’s good, it’s good, but they are missing too much. I have several examples on a quick 5 day trip.

 

[mdcpr]

The lunch was terrible. Straight up bad, but that’s the quick service. I would cancel a lunch.

The dinner is what I would call, “OK” but the food is never hot enough and poorly seasoned. The filet is better at Le Cellier and California Grill. I would not go for good food, but it’s a nice ambiance. Try Citricos, Narcoossee’s or the other places I mentioned for better food.

We have a dinner reservation. I'll see if I can get another Thanksgiving reservation closer to the date. Thank you!

 

[WondersOfLife]

Knowing the way Pirates and its cast members worked when I was there for a relatively short time, I'm willing to bet that there were lots of College Program students who didn't even bother to show up that day either out of fear of crowds or going home to visit family. 4th of July and other major holidays were being asked off by literally every DCP student in advanced... And I'm also willing to bet that many of them did not care if they just took a point or a sick day.

Pirates and other headliner attractions are mostly DCP students. I can't speak for all lands, but in Adventureland, Jungle Cruise and Pirates were the DCP rides. Whereas Carpets, Tiki Room, and Treehouse seemed to have majority of local Orlando workers.

 

[eliza61nyc]

I think Disney also has a hard time (or maybe just doesn’t care) recognizing how often I and people like me come visit. That’s fine, but it seems I would get more upgrades or something resembling loyalty rewards, but I’m usually treated like a standard guest. It’s good treatment, but I think they could do a better job recognizing big spenders.

I've always thought Disney should have a loyalty program or other reward program for those you just mentioned. Ironically when it was mentioned the outrage (especially here on this site) was that Disney is supposed to be for "working class" and that they are already focusing too much on those with money.

Never understood that, it's like Disney is the only place that shouldn't give perks to their high rollers. every other vacation venue that I know of does this, go figure.

 

[TongaToast21]

We have a dinner reservation. I'll see if I can get another Thanksgiving reservation closer to the date. Thank you!

If you're going with children ( I believe you are if memory serves?) or it's your first time, you should go. It doesn't blow you away like it may have when it first opened, but the ambiance and experience is still top notch and your family will remember it for a long time.

 

[drizgirl]

Using their parking fee at resorts logic. (We are charging parking now because all other resorts charge parking).

They should have a rewards program since all other hotel chains have rewards program.

But they're Disney! They're different!

Hmmm....

 

[eliza61nyc]

Using their parking fee at resorts logic. (We are charging parking now because all other resorts charge parking).

They should have a rewards program since all other hotel chains have rewards program.

lol, that's your spin on it Pooh, don't put words in my post.

they should have a rewards program because it would be a great way to "appreciate" those who go often and gives them incentive to spend more. I was going with the logic of rewarding those who go frequently and drop a lot of cash at the parks.
pointing out that others successfully do is not a confirmation of the why.

I do think there are good programs that are out there that would work at the mouseworld.

 

[xdan0920]

This is actually the worst case feedback that a repeat high spending guest can provide. Disney has dedicated in recent years a large team of cast members to guest retention. I know many on the board say if you don’t like it, take your money elsewhere, well that’s exactly what repeat guests are doing and Disney is taking notice.

Raises hand. 🖐

 

[xdan0920]

As many of you know, I'm a long time Disney supporter and apologist when it comes to pricing. I admit it, price increases generally don't bother me because I still feel I'm getting a lot for my money. To me, the service always matches or exceeds my cost.

HOWEVER, I believe WDW has listened to too many consultants in the effort of margin expansion. This is includes not only charging MORE for the service, but neglecting the service itself.

I am fine with price increases if the delivery of service is not compromised, but I am starting to see that slipping. Here are a few examples I experienced in my most recent July 4th trip that made me question the quality of service.

1) Rides operating at half capacity - Is this to minimize staff? Pirates, Tower of Terror, and even It's A Small World only had half the ride operating on the Fourth of July. I mean, is this offseason now? Accordingly, wait times were 105min for ToT at 8:30AM during EMH, 50min for Small World, and 70 for Pirates. Tower of Terror was blamed for "maintenance" which I'm not sure is true, but I've seen them doing that at various times throughout the year. Only 2 of 4 lifits operating which points to minimizing cast member hours.

2) Food quality in general - One specific example is Be Our Guest. I literally paid $29 for a French Dip, Soup, and drink. Previously, the meat was of decent quality but this time, fatty, cold, chewy, and overall kind of disgusting. The soup was good. At Narcoossee's, I sent my steak back and literally asked them if this is Prime Beef. For $75 for lobster/steak, I expected FAR better. This was the toughest NY Strip I've ever had. They comped my meal without asking, but selling this crap for premium price is shameful. That was a choice steak, AT BEST.

3) No Wi-Fi at Boardwalk - I am paying almost $400/night and LOVE staying here, but not having working Wi-Fi during any of my 5 nights is simply unacceptable at a Deluxe Resort. I called every night and was connected to IT support which wasn't able to solve the issue. I finally talked to someone that just straight up told me, "It's terrible and it's a bandwidth issue. Simply too many people on it. We are switching to fiber but it's a long process." I appreciated the honesty, but come on...I get Wi-Fi at Holiday Inn. They did give me $100 credit without asking. Le Cellier...asked for my steak medium...served it straight up well done. They got it right on try #2, but didn't offer anything for me having to eat separately from my wife.

4) Park Hours - I know we've been talking about this for a while, but I totally AGREE...park hours are a joke. During most of my nights, MK closed at 10PM and everything else was closed by 9PM. July 4th, MK was open until 2AM I believe, which was nice. In general, the parks need longer hours particularly for the prices chaged.

5) Toy Story Land Sucks - I tried to like it. I tried my best. It sucks. The queues are outside, it's hot, small, crowded, and the best ride there already existed. Alien totally sucks and Slinky is the Barnstormer+. These new lands are just not cutting it. New Fantasyland sucked too. Avatar was good, but I still think Na'vi is a C+ to B- attraction.

6) Maintenance is Poor - I'm there about every 2 months and the same crap is broken consistently. Spaceship Earth is a travesty. American Adventure has the same slow lift issue it had in May, no Jane, and all kinds of animatronic issues. Rides also seem to be "down" more. I don't have data to back this up, but the day I got there, Thunder Mountain, Peter Pan, Pirates, and Space Mountain were all down at the same time for hours. I finally left having not used my Multiple Experiences Fast Pass.

7) Many Concessions Closed During Park Hours - What's up with this? Trying to get some juice in Liberty Square and it doesn't open until 11AM? I used to get one every morning. Same thing at Hollywood Studios. If the park is open, everything should be open!

I had a great time, but these things are starting to get tiresome. Disney still DOES take care of complaints with a smile and are ready to give you concessions, but I hate to even have to ask.

I had nearly the exact same reaction maybe three trips ago. So much was slipping, meanwhile my wallet was emptying at an ever increasing pace. Still love WDW, so a year later I was back, this time it was even worse. Then my last trip was just a joke on the value scale. The staffing issues and park hours were the worst offenders by far.

Now we don’t have any trips planned for the first time in probably 15 years. I’d guess we’ll go back when my younger son is around 3. But that’ll be 1 trip in 5 years or so. It used to be 6-10 trips in 5 years.

 

[Hockey89]

Is BoG that bad? I got a dinner reservation to spend Thanksgiving there. Now I’m wondering if I should cancel it.

BOG blows.... The food is basically quick service level even for dinner....

 

[mdcpr]

BOG blows.... The food is basically quick service level even for dinner....

Miked reviews all around. Since this will be our first and last WDW trip, I think we’ll go for it.

 

[Hockey89]

Miked reviews all around. Since this will be our first and last WDW trip, I think we’ll go for it.

The castle is really cool... I loved walking around and taken it all in, but reading places you like around the country..... Not going to impress you...