News Passholder Benefits Shifting

[Sirwalterraleigh]

They need to bring back the 20% dining discounts at some QS locations like last year, that seemed to do the trick. Or we can all just enjoy less busy than usual crowds, I'm fine with that too!

But then they’ll just raise the prices again during the fall and nobody will flinch...so next year we’ll have lather, rinse and repeat

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Not really. I don't have a proclivity for tracking wait times when I'm 600 miles away. I'm finding that I'm a terrible fan for not partaking in such activities.

It's just an odd swing that we go through here from "Walt Disney World is a fire hazard with the number of people there" to "Walt Disney World is a ghost town and selling the fixtures to keep the lights on" in a matter of hours sometimes.

Perhaps the swings are more nuanced than that, but I don't keep track of it beyond threads that are started here.

That dichotomy is why it makes me think of the Yogi Berra quote often while reading the forums.

This post is so “meaty” of you...

I like it. Anyway...you are right to point out the wide swings in reactions to crowds. It is usually false perception.

The difference between “packed” and “empty”...now that they have all year consistent attendance...is so small in real terms.

It’s all coffee house assessments. The crowd dynamics have changed so much in the last 10 years that it’s all jumbled into one.

They were probably a tad light so comparatively small numbers of blacked out passes entering the place won’t affect much...a slight, barley noticeable increase compared to had they not.

This isn’t a situation where there are 5,000,000 black outs ready to hop into the car and descend. That’s in the other Orange County.

 

[draybook]

We waited in the Frozen line twice during Memorial Day week. The first time it was posted as an 80 minute wait. The second time was 60. Both times we were on the boat in about 25-30 minutes. We noticed back in March that we didn't wait nearly half as long as the posted times. Is there something to that? Also, magnets? Magnets? They're expecting droves because of magnets?

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

We waited in the Frozen line twice during Memorial Day week. The first time it was posted as an 80 minute wait. The second time was 60. Both times we were on the boat in about 25-30 minutes. We noticed back in March that we didn't wait nearly half as long as the posted times. Is there something to that? Also, magnets? Magnets? They're expecting droves because of magnets?

There have been a lot of reports of inflated standby times...

I don’t think it’s a stretch to trust they are “conditioning” the customer for prebooking. There are some obvious angles to that. The main one being standing in line does NOTHING For their bottomline. Which is why fastpass was created in the first place.

 

[SuperStretccch]

We waited in the Frozen line twice during Memorial Day week. The first time it was posted as an 80 minute wait. The second time was 60. Both times we were on the boat in about 25-30 minutes. We noticed back in March that we didn't wait nearly half as long as the posted times. Is there something to that? Also, magnets? Magnets? They're expecting droves because of magnets?

They like to inflate wait times on occasion, usually to push people elsewhere in the park. I've seen it happen with Flight of Passage.

 

[LSLS]

Not really. I don't have a proclivity for tracking wait times when I'm 600 miles away. I'm finding that I'm a terrible fan for not partaking in such activities.

It's just an odd swing that we go through here from "Walt Disney World is a fire hazard with the number of people there" to "Walt Disney World is a ghost town and selling the fixtures to keep the lights on" in a matter of hours sometimes.

Perhaps the swings are more nuanced than that, but I don't keep track of it beyond threads that are started here.

That dichotomy is why it makes me think of the Yogi Berra quote often while reading the forums.

I'm not sure they are mutually exclusive. I think the issue is that WDW is being used in place of naming the parks. I think if it is worded that Magic Kingdom is a fire hazard while Epcot and possibly Hollywood Studios are ghost towns, it makes a lot more sense. Basically everyone is going to Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom because they are the only parks that have things to do for a day.

 

[monothingie]

That would be a good start, but it needs much more than that. How about 8 - 10 "must do" great experiences? The park does not have that now, or with the upcoming changes.

Yeah they definitely need concierge cabanas installed throughout world showcase to fix this problem.


TDO you writing this down?

 

[mikejs78]

That would be a good start, but it needs much more than that. How about 8 - 10 "must do" great experiences? The park does not have that now, or with the upcoming changes.

What does that even mean, and what park even has that (besides MK)? It's also really subjective, as my "must-dos" may be different than yours. For example, in Epcot, I consider Spaceship Earth, LwtL, Soarin', and Test Track to all be "must-do" experiences every time I go (Frozen, despite it's misplacement in WS almost makes the list for me for being one of the better FL style dark rides on property, but I could skip it if needed). Let's look at the other parks (and again, this is my own subjective list of what's must-do for me.)

MK: Pirates, Thunder, Splash, Haunted Mansion, it's a small world, Seven Dwarfs, Space Mountain, PeopleMover.
DHS: Star Tours, Mania, RnRC, Tower
AK: FoP, Safari, Dinosaur, Everest

So outside of MK, the other parks have a similar (in my own view) # of must-dos. This doesn't mean the parks are all equally good (or not good as the case may be). Take Animal Kingdom. Really only 4 must-dos, but to me it's an amazing, great park (much like Epcot was great in its heyday). It's all the experiences around the must-do experiences, the secondary experiences, that take it from good to great. Walking around Harambe, experiencing the theming and the entertainment. The various shows, animal exploration trails, etc. The theming. This is where Epcot is currently lacking. Could it use a couple more "must dos"? Sure. But it's the surrounding experiences that are gone. Nemo is a pretty poor story, JIIwF is a train wreck, and WoL and Innoventions are wastes of space. World Showcase is still awesome, but that's only 1/2 of the park. Fix the secondary experiences and make them good, Give people enough interesting things to do to fill a day, and anchor it with must-do experiences. I think Epcot needs to fix the former before addressing the latter.

 

[disneyflush]

As someone who has finally gotten my wife to agree to 1 more/last WDW vacation (after 5 years since our last) I watch the boards pretty closely to monitor crowd levels and things to avoid in the summer. We were planning to go back after Star Wars opened. Until this thread I assumed trying to avoid crowded times was pointless since it was always elbow to elbow anymore at all times. I rely on you fine people to be my eyes down there and guide me well. This is the first low(er) crowds post of any kind I've seen in many a moon and the posts on it are generally of the consensus that 'Ya, its been pretty low lately'. I'm amazed by this news because no one that I've seen has mentioned it in posts over the last like 30 days. We need a sticky at the top of this forum for "Crowd Levels Today'.

 

[monothingie]

Expect a summer food and booze festival. Another Cheap and Easy bandaid.

 

[disneyflush]

Give people enough interesting things to do to fill a day, and anchor it with must-do experiences.

The aim should be for all the 'interesting things to do' be 'must-do experiences'. Trying to split these classifications seems pedantic and silly. I get experiencing something is a subjective event to each person but Epcot should set the bar sky high for itself in everything it does.

 

[the.dreamfinder]

FWIW, EPCOT Center was a two day park.

 

[Kman101]

Anyone else just LOL at magnets being a "benefit" of being a passholder? I mean, a magnet and button are literally the least they could do (well, the least would be absolutely nothing which is just about what they do). And now you don't count for previews of things when your pass is below Gold. How lovely of them.

 

[celluloid]

Anyone else just LOL at magnets being a "benefit" of being a passholder? I mean, a magnet and button are literally the least they could do (well, the least would be absolutely nothing which is just about what they do). And now you don't count for previews of things when your pass is below Gold. How lovely of them.

It is kooky to make it the main benefit they list.

I don't go out of my way for that kind of stuff. To advertise on my car, they should be paying me. That crap could be sent as a mailer.(and I think of the waste in the environment) I don't pay much for shirts with logos or things on them either unless I really dig the art at a good value for me with the same logic of spending the premium for Walt Disney World on The Shirt. or being allowed to purchase something because I am an Annual Passholder. "A gift for being a Disney Credit Card member or Annual Passholder, it is still 20 bucks, but a gift!"

As a local, I eat at just about anywhere else before and after a fun Disney day for satisfaction. A Publix Sub or a Golden Corral for a lunch price where the kids can eat free is a way better deal for a local than Hollywood and Vine type buffet or any sit down meal every time we visit throughout the year. If I could get a discount that offset the cost, than maybe I would go more often. But they don't need me and I get that, but no bones are tossed for anything anymore.

Even when we would drive up from Lee County, where a lot of my family still does drive up from, don't eat in the parks but maybe once a year where we used to Eat one great meal a day in whatever park we were in when visiting because we felt treated as Annual Passholders to a better discount with a smaller profit explosion. But Quick Service and such always got AP discounts.

It is a really slap in the face insult that not even CMs get quick service food discounts.

 

[floridagirl57]

Well I’ve been to WDW and seen the dramatic shift at Epcot. Lifting blackout dates is not an everyday occurrence.

I'm not disagreeing at all, but it seems bizarre that Disney lifted silver Passholder blackout dates the past two summers (two weeks in August were lifted in 2017). I actually had a sneaking suspicion this would happen again which is why I didn't upgrade to Gold this year.

 

[jakeman]

Anyone else just LOL at magnets being a "benefit" of being a passholder? I mean, a magnet and button are literally the least they could do (well, the least would be absolutely nothing which is just about what they do). And now you don't count for previews of things when your pass is below Gold. How lovely of them.

If Disney Twitter is to be believed they are a pretty hot commodity.

 

[drod1985]

Anyone else just LOL at magnets being a "benefit" of being a passholder? I mean, a magnet and button are literally the least they could do (well, the least would be absolutely nothing which is just about what they do). And now you don't count for previews of things when your pass is below Gold. How lovely of them.

Gotta admit, that stung a little. Silver should've either been included or had different nights.

 

[aprincessatlasst]

DHS has an atmosphere that both Epcot and even a bit of Magic Kingdom lacks. .

I agree it has that six flags essence that Magic Kingdom and Epcot miss. lol ..(insert sarcasm... all in good fun) Seriously though I must have complained about DHS our entire week to my family. I just really don't like that park outside of their fireworks show. My dh loves it though.

 

[trainplane3]

Anyone else just LOL at magnets being a "benefit" of being a passholder? I mean, a magnet and button are literally the least they could do (well, the least would be absolutely nothing which is just about what they do). And now you don't count for previews of things when your pass is below Gold. How lovely of them.

I have no idea what you're talking about. I'm planning a trip to only Epcot right this second to get this new, hot magnet. It'll only cost me a round trip ticket from Pittsburgh and only a day of my time! If that's not a bargain, I don't know what is! I just love sticking crap all over my car.


/s

 

[tissandtully]

Gotta admit, that stung a little. Silver should've either been included or had different nights.

Haha, let's not complain in front of the Disneyland Passholders.