Pay more, get less. When does it end?

[HansGruber]

I’m approaching middle-age. I’ve been to Disney more times then I’d like to admit. One of my children has already been to Disney 2 times more than I had gone when I was their age. Disney obviously holds a special place in my heart.

That being said, I can’t help but notice the “pay more, get less” mentality that has been going on for the past decade or so. Having just come back, I was shocked to observe that Splash Mountain (and to a lesser extent, the Jungle Cruise) were closed for EMHs. Even more appalling is that Living with the Land and Figment close two hours BEFORE the park closes!?

While these few observations might be seen as minor, it wasn’t too long ago that the MK closed CONSISTENTLY at 11pm or midnight…now, its 10pm. Or park tickets could be purchased with the non-expiration option. Hell, if anyone has priced out park tickets lately, a 10-day pass is only 13% more than a 4-day pass. Effectively, you receive 250% more product for only 13% more in price. Which means, everyone purchasing a 4-day pass is effectively paying for a 10-day pass. Great margins, indeed!

The addition of resort parking fees, with no apparent benefit to the consumer, doesn’t help either.


My ultimate question is…when does it end? When does Disney get so greedy that people will actually start acting with their wallet rather than their hearts?

 

[TwilightZone]

If two rides only were closed, that does not count as pay more get less. Pay more get less is when you go to disney and every ride is closed.
Plus MK has no night parade. No night parade means less entertainment for the day, meaning earlier shut down time.
Also you're really not missing much by skipping figment.

 

[pluto77]

I agree with some things you are saying, and the ridiculous price increases. Some things do seem like they are getting a little out of hand. But, the parks seem to be getting busier and busier anyway, so apparently they haven’t priced themselves out yet. If it was cheaper, they would probably be even busier than they are now.

But also, a lot of things you mentioned have been that way for a long time. EMH has always only had a select few rides open. The park tickets have been priced that way for as long as I can remember now. I actually always thought it was kind of nice that it’s so much less per day after 4 days. And, Future World has opened earlier and closed earlier than World Showcase for a long time now too.

I agree on the resort parking cost. They don’t effect me since I never drive, but still. I mean, I get that Disney resorts were practically the only resorts that didn’t charge for parking by now, but all the fees do begin to add up when you are spending all your money at one place.

 

[HansGruber]

If two rides only were closed, that does not count as pay more get less. Pay more get less is when you go to disney and every ride is closed.

I don't follow any of this.
So, if a new car didn't include the tires, by your logic, you'd still be getting the same level of service/ product because you're still receiving a new car?
Am I following this correctly?

 

[Chef Mickey]

It ends when you decide to stop going.

 

[HansGruber]

EMH has always only had a select few rides open.

Major rides were never closed during EMHs.
Closing the Hall Of Presidents, I understand. Closing a major ride is just being flat-out cheap.
Worst off all, Space Mountain was broken for the entire EMHs when we went.

The park tickets have been priced that way for as long as I can remember now. I actually always thought it was kind of nice that it’s so much less per day after 4 days.

Surely, you do realize you are paying for a 10-day pass when purchasing a 4-day pass, right?
It's an incredible price-gouge on the average vacationing family.

And, Future World has opened earlier and closed earlier than World Showcase for a long time now too.

Correct, but those have always been labeled as separate entities. By closing rides early, they are now micro-managing. Where does it end?

 

[TwilightZone]

I don't follow any of this.
So, if a new car didn't include the tires, by your logic, you'd still be getting the same level of service/ product because you're still receiving a new car?
Am I following this correctly?

You can't compare cars with disney. They are two completely different things.
2 rides closed is nothing. There's still a bunch of other rides open. Why couldn't you have just accepted that and enjoyed you trip? That's what every other sane person does.
Also if you hated your trip that much, then just don't complain and not visit again. Disney is not going to listen to you, and people here are not going to take you seriously.

 

[eliza61nyc]

 

[Mickey5150]

Disney parks are crowded, they know it, how do they fix that? Either expand the size of the parks or increase the price so fewer people go. They are expanding, but it's quicker to raise prices than it is to build a ride.

 

[Goofyernmost]

In my mind, the Parks, although chokingly expensive, have still maintained a value standing. There is a lot to do and a lot of entertainment over a lot of hours for your money. I enjoyed the years when they were under-priced, but, I don't get all that upset about the current one.

My value evaluation comes in the form of the resorts. I solve that problem by not staying in them. I stay off-site pay reasonable room rates and still probably enjoy my time at WDW as much, if not more, then the immersive group. EMH is just an example of what one used to pay for with room rates onsite that are cut way back from what was offered in the beginning. Did the rates drop... I'm thinking not a tiny bit. The three meal per day budget is way out of line with reasonable costs because the quality is mediocre at best. Should that be the case when they work so hard to make you a captive audience with very little choice but to pay those prices. I can understand the higher prices in the parks and quick service locations, but, when you have to feed a family, and you have voluntarily limited your choices and pay shamefully exorbitant room rates with no real perks other then you are still on Disney property, I frankly fail to see any value in that at all. Others do, as is so often pointed out to me and that is fine. That is what they do, not what I do.

 

[KBLovedDisney]

 

[WondersOfLife]

 

[Minnie Mum]

Hans, you have to realize that some of the posters here are likely much younger than you and I (I can guarantee they're more likely younger than I am), and haven't been going to WDW for as long as we have. So they haven't seen all of the cuts, Or they don't remember what's been lost. It's been longer than 10 years, though. If you look back, it started around 2000. Coincidentally (???) about the time Iger took over as COO, and then CEO a couple of years later. Never a lot of things at once. A cut here. A cut there. Who cares?. But years later you look back and realize how they've all added up. It's the proverbial death by a thousand cuts.

Many park visitors today don't know, or have forgotten, that every park once had an afternoon parade. That evening hours at MK used to extend much later at night. That you could buy nonexpiration tickets. That evening EMH lasted 3 hours. And the list goes on. Disney counts on that. They've cruised on their past reputation to keep sailing along.

Some will argue that these cuts don't amount to much when you look at the new lands and attractions that have been or are being built. But never forget that Disney is Big Business with a capital B. Their eye is squarely on the bottom line and maximizing profit (and Igers yearly bonuses). For every person who decides they're done with the parks, there's a new, younger family to take their place. And for every person who gets upset about a new cut, there are more who just don't care. Disney counts on that.

 

[Hakunamatata]

Sometimes I wish there was a way to watch alternate realities like a tv show. It would be awesome to see the possibilities of what would have been had Disney run their business the way some of our members and those on other boards say they should have. I wonder how WDW would look today had the business been run with little to no concern for bottom line. My guess, you would have 40 square miles of swamp with a run down theme park crumbling from the elements because it was shuttered when the company went bankrupt.

 

[Rumrunner]

Disney is a special place and most of us continue to go in spite of what we perceive as a loss of value.
I think Disney's direction puts it closer and closer to that point where people just look for other things to do that are cheaper and of more value.
Disney to me was always about showing an appreciation of and for its patrons and making us feel special. Recent actions in contrast by Disney don't give me that feeling. They seem cheap and petty with little concern for the effect on the patrons.
I hope with our input Disney will not continue this backward slide.

 

[larryz]

Sometimes I wish there was a way to watch alternate realities like a tv show. It would be awesome to see the possibilities of what would have been had Disney run their business the way some of our members and those on other boards say they should have. I wonder how WDW would look today had the business been run with little to no concern for bottom line. My guess, you would have 40 square miles of swamp with a run down theme park crumbling from the elements because it was shuttered when the company went bankrupt.

Conversely, imagine how much nicer WDW would be today if they had taken the money they "invested" in their executive bonus plan and enlarged/upgraded the parks while still paying their execs an enormous salary.

 

[pax_65]

Conversely, imagine how much nicer WDW would be today if they had taken the money they "invested" in their executive bonus plan and enlarged/upgraded the parks while still paying their execs an enormous salary.

And the $1B+ they put into My Magic+.

 

[21stamps]

There was a “how much did your trip cost thread”.. I read a lot of it and was actually surprised.

The average money spent looked to be between $3,000- $4,000 total money spent. For a party of 4.

When you think about how much that includes, really the price isn’t bad at all.

 

[eliza61nyc]

Conversely, imagine how much nicer WDW would be today if they had taken the money they "invested" in their executive bonus plan and enlarged/upgraded the parks while still paying their execs an enormous salary.

Naw, because unfortunately you still have stockholders. Stockholders are hungry beast that year after year must be fed
And want double digit growth ALL the time. Lol, they don't want "slow" periods, they want the parks packed ALL the time. they don't want expensive, time consuming projects. So basically the things you guys want are the exact opposite of what the shareholders want.
They did not vote Iger in to make you feel warm and fuzzy, the did it to make them money and have no qualms about sacrificing the things you value.

 

[jloucks]

My ultimate question is…when does it end? When does Disney get so greedy that people will actually start acting with their wallet rather than their hearts?

I think you answered the question, and answered it perfectly. It will end with people actually start acting with their wallets.

As of right now, the wallets are dictating everything. I blame the wallets, not Disney.

• It is the wallets fault prices are high.
• It is the wallets fault parking fees are up
• It is the wallets fault we have extended premium hours

I find it really odd to complain about a luxury elective destination and then go to that place. It is like grabbing a raccoon, getting bit, complaining, and then grabbing the racoon again, but this time way closer to the jibblies.

Folks can complain all they want, but as long at the parks are packed and the lots are full, there is only one thing to blame. The Wallets.

For what it is worth, I have not been back in a while with no plans to return. My wallet is voting.

...not to be confused with "will never go back". I'm just saying that for the first time in 8 years I have no trip planned. The parks are too crowded for me