Monty
Brilliant...and Canadian
- In the Parks
- No
That link is already out of date. Disney's site has said there will be select dates in August: http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/wdw/parks/specialEvents?id=PiratesandPrincessPartySpecialEventPage
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Pirate and Princesses in August and September?
- Thread starter Animaniac93-98
- Start date
Figment1986
Well-Known Member
Isnt night of Joy early september... so I doubt they would have it done for a period of time in september... but who knows, this annoucement was left field originally..
ChipmunkStar
Member
Well, this is all assumption on my account. But as there are no dates of September in August, I doubt it. :animwink:
OneLuckyMom
New Member
So am I the only one ticked off by this? My 7-year-old daughter and I are going to WDW for our second time the last week in August - her school doesn't start until after Labor Day, so this is a convenient time for us with lower costs and crowds but all the joys of summer. But now I'm ed that I'm going to be expected to shell out extra $$$ just to spend an evening in MK riding the same rides we would be able to ride for free without the party! And don't even get me started on the "booty" stations - I know my daughter will insist on standing in each and every freakin' line....Thanks Disney, more JUNK (toned down the word I'm really thinking) we don't need!! 
If this vacation wasn't already planned, and my daughter looking forward to it, we'd be heading somewhere else instead. I'm tired of the constant money-grab by Disney. This one is just too much.
If this vacation wasn't already planned, and my daughter looking forward to it, we'd be heading somewhere else instead. I'm tired of the constant money-grab by Disney. This one is just too much.
So am I the only one ticked off by this? My 7-year-old daughter and I are going to WDW for our second time the last week in August - her school doesn't start until after Labor Day, so this is a convenient time for us with lower costs and crowds but all the joys of summer. But now I'm ed that I'm going to be expected to shell out extra $$$ just to spend an evening in MK riding the same rides we would be able to ride for free without the party! And don't even get me started on the "booty" stations - I know my daughter will insist on standing in each and every freakin' line....Thanks Disney, more JUNK (toned down the word I'm really thinking) we don't need!!
If this vacation wasn't already planned, and my daughter looking forward to it, we'd be heading somewhere else instead. I'm tired of the constant money-grab by Disney. This one is just too much.
You don't have to attend one of the parties. Just go to MK on a day they aren't having it.
OneLuckyMom
New Member
I realize I don't HAVE to go, but they just took 2 nights of fireworks, and rides out of our week if I don't pay for it. That's 28% of our evenings in a one-week stay. With Epcot rides shut down at 7, AK closed at 5, and MGM just being MGM, that leaves us without much to do for 2 nights.
And of course, there's the issue of our CRT ADR. With my luck, that's going to fall onto one of the party nights. That means either giving up CRT - getting the ADR I got at 180 days was hard enough, chances are slim to none I'll get one on a different day of the week - or paying for the party. What a choice.
shoppingnut
Active Member
Very few epcot rides close at 7p in future world. The only one that comes to mind that does close is Ellen's energy adventure and I know club cool closes then too.
WDWFigment
Well-Known Member
And don't even get me started on the "booty" stations - I know my daughter will insist on standing in each and every freakin' line....Thanks Disney, more JUNK (toned down the word I'm really thinking) we don't need!!
If this vacation wasn't already planned, and my daughter looking forward to it, we'd be heading somewhere else instead. I'm tired of the constant money-grab by Disney. This one is just too much.
More junk you don't need and a good time for your daughter. No offense and I realize that you'd like to have a good time on the trip as well, but maybe you should think about how your daughter will really enjoy a princess night rather than think about the cost it entails. There is an optimistic way to look at it...
So am I the only one ticked off by this? My 7-year-old daughter and I are going to WDW for our second time the last week in August - her school doesn't start until after Labor Day, so this is a convenient time for us with lower costs and crowds but all the joys of summer. But now I'm ed that I'm going to be expected to shell out extra $$$ just to spend an evening in MK riding the same rides we would be able to ride for free without the party! And don't even get me started on the "booty" stations - I know my daughter will insist on standing in each and every freakin' line....Thanks Disney, more JUNK (toned down the word I'm really thinking) we don't need!!
If this vacation wasn't already planned, and my daughter looking forward to it, we'd be heading somewhere else instead. I'm tired of the constant money-grab by Disney. This one is just too much.
I went to the party last week and thought it was an amazing value. You get extra fireworks, extra parade, tons of free stuff, the dance parties, there are (or were) zero lines (I mean seriously Space Mountain cast members were waiting for people to fill the trains!). I didn't see it as money-grabbing at all, if anything I saw it as a value. Getting to go into the Magic Kingdom from 4:30-12:30 for under 40 bucks is a value in itself yet alone all the other stuff that comes with it.
I'm excited to see it might happen in the fall, I'll have to check it out again.
AEfx
Well-Known Member
I tend to agree with that sentiment, but in the interest of devil's advocate, can I ask : how large a group did you go with?
Obviously, the cost goes up exponentially for families versus groups of a couple of adults. I take about half my trips solo, a fourth with one or two other adults, and a forth with the whole family. When planning the non-solo trips (especially the whole family ones) I often have to remind myself that what may be financially no big deal when I'm on my own suddenly becomes a much bigger expense with more people.
This mainly applies to tickets and meals; when you are talking what amounts to almost fifty bucks a person (forty if you get a discount) for five hours in the MK (assuming you have daytime admission anyway; I agree it's a better value when you use the "after 4PM" admission on the party ticket), you really need to weigh the pros and cons. For a family of four that's an additional $200 - the cost of a plane ticket (for some of us), the price of two character meals (again for the family of 4), a weeks car rental if you get a super-good deal.
So while I wish there was a Pirates and Princess party when I go in early May, and I'd gladly pay the $ just for the fireworks and parade (I hate daytime parades, but adore nighttime ones), I totally can understand why it's a tough decision for some. It's also been said that the P&P parties were sparsely attended; it sounds like that added to their value in terms of ride time, something to keep in mind versus the other parties where that isn't always the case.
I used to be a champion of the parties, but the last year or so they really have, especially with the Xmas ones, gone a bit too far. Having them so close together really makes planning tough if you are avoiding them. Pitty the poor people (i.e. the average visitor) that doesn't understand them ahead of time. The price has also gone up markedly, again, especially for the Xmas parties. It's no mystery that Disney would love to have four parties a week year-round, but there has got to be a threshold, and from the sparse attendance of the P&P already held it seems as if Disney is just about there.
While NSSHP and VMCP gets people to buy tickets because of the holidays involved, P&P is more of a "luxury" than a "must-do" because you are there at the right time of year. It also erodes the value of admission tickets in some consumers eyes (those who are savvy enough to know about them before arrival).
I'm all for parties, but I think we've seen as far as Disney can really take it, unless these P&P parties in August really do gangbusters. For all we know, they are just being done to recoup the investment in the specialized entertainment and we'll never hear from them again. I'm sure it won't be that simple, but fifty bucks a head for just a few hours of park time is a hard sell to families with no real holiday involved is a tough sell unless you offer something really spectacular. When bringing my family down, I really have to question if $200 is worth it for fireworks and a parade when the rides are just as easy to see for us because we are always at the gates when they open the parks in the AM.
I'll be very interested to see how the August parties fare.
AEfx
tecowdw
Well-Known Member
I thought they ran regular Wishes before the party started when I went in Janaury. Of course, it was dark early enough at that time too.
:veryconfu
OneLuckyMom
New Member
I come from a school of parenting that says it's actually OK to say "No" to your children once in awhile, especially when it's a ridiculous cost for what it is. I think it's more important to teach my daughter the value of a dollar, and how to spend (and save!) wisely.
And I don't think a princess party is anything that is really going to affect her true happiness **longterm**, which is where my concern lies.
AEfx
Well-Known Member
There is no way they can do Wishes and have a party at 7. Sunset ranges from about 7:45 to 8:15 in August.
I can totally see where One Lucky Mom is coming from. It's especially tough if you don't purchase the Park Hopper option as well. Everything closes up shop so early that it does feel cheap when it's after 7PM and your only choice is Epcot, and that's only if you either have been at Epcot all day or have a Park Hopper. I have an AP so it makes no difference to me, but to the average vacationer it really does have a huge impact.
AEfx
AEfx
Well-Known Member
Amen.
To bring it down to a more materialistic level, a "value" comparison is also helpful. For example, would you rather spend the money on a five-hour party, or a really awesome souvineer of the trip you can keep forever? I made that decision myself on my trips during the holiday season this year. Instead of a couple of $50 parties, I spent the same amount of money on a beautiful snow globe from the Art of Disney store that I'm looking at right now.
The more the prices go up, the more the "value" goes down. Something else WDWFigment may not realize is that not everyone CAN just afford to say, "who cares about the cost". For many, a WDW vacation is a very carefully budgeted event and $200 for a family of four for five hours just may not be in the cards.
AEfx
stalkingmickey
Active Member
They haven't even announced the dates yet. You are already giving up two nights and for all you know they wont even have them that late in August. I arrive on August 31 and am hoping that I get lucky and this is one of the dates. Before you start to already dread your trip, why not wait at least until Disney announces the dates.
I only had to pay for myself (I went with a friend who paid for their own ticket) and since I didn't visit any other parks that day it was a total value for me where as I see what people mean if they had a hopper for that day then had to pay on top of that to go to the party.
I guess the value depends on how you do your tickets. If you get a 5 day park hopper and plan to visit the party on one of those days then its not a value at all. But say you get a 4 day hopper instead and take the few dollars you save and invest it in the party, but don't use one of your hopper days that day then it is a much better value. I hope that made sense.
But yes, while I agree the value depends on how you setup the rest of your trip (tickets and all), I still was amazed at the value offered from the party. I guess I didn't expect to get all the cool free stuff, the empty rides, the cool events and shows, and I didn't even know there was an extra parade and fireworks show. I actually viewed the party as a way to cheaply get into the Magic Kingdom for one night and therefore was one last day of hopping I needed to buy. Chances are if I was going for 4 or 5 days I probably wouldn't have even looked into the party, but now knowing what is offered I would for sure look into it no matter how much I'm spending.
I guess it also comes down to what you like as I don't see much value in the party for younger children who don't ride the rides. For a big fan of thrill rides I loved the chance to pay the extra money to have the rides to myself pretty much, but I did walk around wondering how families who don't ride all the big rides with long lines (ie Space Mtn, Splash Mtn, etc) how it could be a waste of money.
So to add from my last post: If you love riding rides, love fireworks and parades, then the party is the perfect value for you. If you like to ride a ride only once and one firework show is enough for you, the party isn't for you.
I really don't see the big deal. We have been to Disney for a week on property, and yet only done 2 days in the parks (we've done that more than once, actually). I can't imagine being able to go to the parks all day, from morning til night, every single day of vacation. We love an evening swim or going to DTD or seeing a free movie at FW or even going to bed early!
If you think the party is too much, then don't go. We have done several trips during the Fall (and never been to the Halloween party), as well as December (and still not been to the Christmas one).
If you think the party is too much, then don't go. We have done several trips during the Fall (and never been to the Halloween party), as well as December (and still not been to the Christmas one).
AEfx
Well-Known Member
You do realize you are an anomaly though, right?
First, like all of us here, you aren't typical to begin with because you are not simply a visitor or guest, but a "fan". Most people don't visit message boards about vacation destinations, or only do so when looking for specific information.
Second, I think you will find the majority of people who travel to WDW do so to get the most out of the parks. Yes, the resort is lovely and all, but many of us live much closer to much more luxurious resorts (cheaper to boot), but what draws us to WDW are the parks. That's the reason for the resort to exist around them in the first place. So while it is possible to make a vacation with little park going, for most people (especially non-"fans", i.e. typical visitors) it defeats the whole purpose of driving/flying across the country to visit. I mean, there isn't much other incentive to visit swampland in the middle of FL.
It's going to depend a lot on how many dates they announce. One date, maybe two, a week can be planned around. It becomes a problem when, like the Xmas parties last year, at least one week had four. And, as in the case of OneLuckyMom as she explained, it DOES become an issue when you are allowed to, and, in the case of CRT specifically which is where she holds a reservation, are REQUIRED to book dining six months out, I do understand her frustration about these being announced now. This is the very reason they had to start releasing park schedules six months out - that is a very recent development, as we used to only get them a maximum of two months out.
You are correct, either go to the party or don't. It's still an extremely valid discussion, especially at this site dedicated to nothing but, to have regarding how this affects vacation plans, and the broader issue of "are we getting partied out?" There is a consumer threshold, and from the reportedly horrible attendance of the P&P parties this spring it seems Disney may be meeting it.
AEfx