Prices up…profits down…

[Sirwalterraleigh]

As much as many want to believe they did it to lower attendance, thats a big lie. Disney parks rely on crowds to make money.

There are those still claiming this wasn’t a lie…

It’s laughable on all levels

 

[Goofyernmost]

Back in the day we had to “save” for a trip for our family of four. Now that our income has risen, and we can afford to go, I can’t imagine would be like to “save” now, head down for the trip, and be met with the additional costs once tapping in to the Parks.

At least back in the day, there was a perceived “equity” that everyone had to wait in line….and the extra spending would be for a TS Dinner, etc….

Now when you tap in you have the choice of spending your way to the front of the line, or remaining in the 2nd Class Guest line. Try splaining that to your young uns…

As a veteran of the one line, first come, first serve process of the early Disney Parks I can truthfully say that those new to the place would not recognize the difference. When there was only one line people acknowledge it, did the standard b**tching about it, made jokes and laughed with the rest of the crowd. Lines that keep moving did not seem to take anywhere near as long as one that stalls while others that slept in could just tap dance in front of the line. There was no anger and I can tell you from experience that the minute the Fast Pass was started all the fun and chatter we had in the lines ended and there was an anger in the line that never existed before. It was palpable. I thought it might be easier if that had a paid Fast Pass because then at least the crowd could say well the paid extra to do that.

What happened then? Well, Disney's greed or lack of awareness came bubbling to the surface and when they did charge for it, they made it available to more people than even the original Fast Pass. BTW, the flat out lie that they advertised with the old fast pass was that everyone could get one. It was free so, yes, everyone could get one. What the failed to tell everyone is that they had a specific number of fast passes issued for any attraction per day. When they ran out of the allotment you were SOL. At least back then they were able to control that by having only so many Fast Passes issued in any single day. That way they had more control over wait times. Now they have seen that if they allow more people to buy the front of line pass the standby pass will by default have to have a longer wait therefore making it necessary to buy the front of line option if one wanted to see anything in a days time. The result created even longer standby lines. It is disgusting because now those that can't afford the Lightning Lane spend most of there $100.00 per person per day standing in one spot in standby. Why would anyone think that in the long haul that is going to be a good reputation that makes people want to come back. Those that pay the price to go to LL leave with a much smaller bank account or much higher debt and at some point still had to get into a standby line made artificially longer by paying to have an occasional faster line.

If one never experienced the one line system. The lines seem to appear long, but never as slow, and they kept moving and when you got up to the front YOU WERE NEXT! The standby line is why slower then it had ever been.

 

[Chi84]

There are those still claiming this wasn’t a lie…

It’s laughable on all levels

Does it really matter whether it was intentional or not? The parks, resorts, restaurants and transportation have finally hit a level where they are comfortable enough to enjoy them. People aren't going to pay these high prices to be uncomfortable. If the company can't make an acceptable profit, they'll just have to keep raising prices and let the chips fall where they may.

 

[Chi84]

As a veteran of the one line, first come, first serve process of the early Disney Parks I can truthfully say that those new to the place would not recognize the difference. When there was only one line people acknowledge it, did the standard b**tching about it, made jokes and laughed with the rest of the crowd. Lines that keep moving did not seem to take anywhere near as long as one that stalls while others that slept in could just tap dance in front of the line. There was no anger and I can tell you from experience that the minute the Fast Pass was started all the fun and chatter we had in the lines ended and there was an anger in the line that never existed before. It was palpable. I thought it might be easier if that had a paid Fast Pass because then at least the crowd could say well the paid extra to do that.

What happened then? Well, Disney's greed or lack of awareness came bubbling to the surface and when they did charge for it, they made it available to more people than even the original Fast Pass. BTW, the flat out lie that they advertised with the old fast pass was that everyone could get one. It was free so, yes, everyone could get one. What the failed to tell everyone is that they had a specific number of fast passes issued for any attraction per day. When they ran out of the allotment you were SOL. At least back then they were able to control that by having only so many Fast Passes issued in any single day. That way they had more control over wait times. Now they have seen that if they allow more people to buy the front of line pass the standby pass will by default have to have a longer wait therefore making it necessary to buy the front of line option if one wanted to see anything in a days time. The result created even longer standby lines. It is disgusting because now those that can't afford the Lightning Lane spend most of there $100.00 per person per day standing in one spot in standby. Why would anyone think that in the long haul that is going to be a good reputation that makes people want to come back. Those that pay the price to go to LL leave with a much smaller bank account or much higher debt and at some point still had to get into a standby line made artificially longer by paying to have an occasional faster line.

If one never experienced the one line system. The lines seem to appear long, but never as slow, and they kept moving and when you got up to the front YOU WERE NEXT! The standby line is why slower then it had ever been.

All standby doesn’t exist because people don’t want it. This doesn’t just happen at Disney.

 

[Goofyernmost]

All standby doesn’t exist because people don’t want it. This doesn’t just happen at Disney.

Sorry, you are going to have to be a whole lot clearer. Maybe my age but nothing about that statement makes any sense to me.

 

[Chi84]

Sorry, you are going to have to be a whole lot clearer. Maybe my age but nothing about that statement makes any sense to me.

People would rather pay than wait in line and theme parks all over the world are happy to oblige.

I remember well the days of all standby and the experience was miserable for me and my family. I’m not speaking for you; I believe you were fine with it.

 

[Disstevefan1]

As a veteran of the one line, first come, first serve process of the early Disney Parks I can truthfully say that those new to the place would not recognize the difference.

Some could argue it was better before.

Before Fastpass, PoC in MK for example, HAD TWO standby queues constantly taking people in.

I remember we would make a game out of which side to go in, left or right, LOL.

 

[AdventureHasAName]

As a veteran of the one line, first come, first serve process of the early Disney Parks I can truthfully say that those new to the place would not recognize the difference. When there was only one line people acknowledge it, did the standard b**tching about it, made jokes and laughed with the rest of the crowd. Lines that keep moving did not seem to take anywhere near as long as one that stalls while others that slept in could just tap dance in front of the line. There was no anger and I can tell you from experience that the minute the Fast Pass was started all the fun and chatter we had in the lines ended and there was an anger in the line that never existed before. It was palpable. I thought it might be easier if that had a paid Fast Pass because then at least the crowd could say well the paid extra to do that.

This. This. 1000x this.

 

[AdventureHasAName]

Some could argue it was better before.

Before Fastpass, PoC in MK for example, HAD TWO standby queues constantly taking people in.

I remember we would make a game out of which side to go in, left or right, LOL.

It was much better before. It was fundamentally fair. You got on line ... depending on how long the line was, you could reasonably judge how long it was going to take for you to get to the front of the line ... the line was constantly in motion ... you didnt have to pay extra to ride an attraction ... and nobody got to skip in front of you in line (and if they did, it was one or two people with a disability who were basically hidden because they came in through the exit).

 

[Minnesota disney fan]

As a veteran of the one line, first come, first serve process of the early Disney Parks I can truthfully say that those new to the place would not recognize the difference. When there was only one line people acknowledge it, did the standard b**tching about it, made jokes and laughed with the rest of the crowd. Lines that keep moving did not seem to take anywhere near as long as one that stalls while others that slept in could just tap dance in front of the line. There was no anger and I can tell you from experience that the minute the Fast Pass was started all the fun and chatter we had in the lines ended and there was an anger in the line that never existed before. It was palpable. I thought it might be easier if that had a paid Fast Pass because then at least the crowd could say well the paid extra to do that.

What happened then? Well, Disney's greed or lack of awareness came bubbling to the surface and when they did charge for it, they made it available to more people than even the original Fast Pass. BTW, the flat out lie that they advertised with the old fast pass was that everyone could get one. It was free so, yes, everyone could get one. What the failed to tell everyone is that they had a specific number of fast passes issued for any attraction per day. When they ran out of the allotment you were SOL. At least back then they were able to control that by having only so many Fast Passes issued in any single day. That way they had more control over wait times. Now they have seen that if they allow more people to buy the front of line pass the standby pass will by default have to have a longer wait therefore making it necessary to buy the front of line option if one wanted to see anything in a days time. The result created even longer standby lines. It is disgusting because now those that can't afford the Lightning Lane spend most of there $100.00 per person per day standing in one spot in standby. Why would anyone think that in the long haul that is going to be a good reputation that makes people want to come back. Those that pay the price to go to LL leave with a much smaller bank account or much higher debt and at some point still had to get into a standby line made artificially longer by paying to have an occasional faster line.

If one never experienced the one line system. The lines seem to appear long, but never as slow, and they kept moving and when you got up to the front YOU WERE NEXT! The standby line is why slower then it had ever been.

I agree with you. We visited when everyone was equal. We all waited in line. What did we do? We visited with people who wanted to talk, or played games with the kids. The lines always were moving and it didn't seem like you were trapped in one area for a long time. They moved constantly. There was no anger over someone else getting to be ahead of them for whatever reason. I still think they could go back to this, but it's not profitable enough for them at this point. I'm just glad our kids and grandkids got to experience Disney when it was less complicated and we actually felt like valued guests.

 

[Chi84]

It was much better before. It was fundamentally fair. You got on line ... depending on how long the line was, you could reasonably judge how long it was going to take for you to get to the front of the line ... the line was constantly in motion ... you didnt have to pay extra to ride an attraction ... and nobody got to skip in front of you in line (and if they did, it was one or two people with a disability who were basically hidden because they came in through the exit).

One or two people with a disability. There would be many more people these days, as the definition of disability has been greatly expanded.

 

[Chi84]

I agree with you. We visited when everyone was equal. We all waited in line. What did we do? We visited with people who wanted to talk, or played games with the kids. The lines always were moving and it didn't seem like you were trapped in one area for a long time. They moved constantly. There was no anger over someone else getting to be ahead of them for whatever reason. I still think they could go back to this, but it's not profitable enough for them at this point. I'm just glad our kids and grandkids got to experience Disney when it was less complicated and we actually felt like valued guests.

Your grandkids experienced all standby?

 

[Lilofan]

One or two people with a disability. There would be many more people these days, as the definition of disability has been greatly expanded.

Approx 12 years ago was the scandal scam of NYC moms paying local disabled at WDW front of line park attractions access to help them and their children. Then the rules changed after that.

 

[Phonedave]

Blue Lagoon is awesome, volcanic soap makes your skin softer than a baby’s butt, but the food is worse tasting than WDW. Don’t come hungry. Items are priced high just like at WDW.

Do you mean the food at Blue Lagoon, or the food in Iceland in general?

Blue Lagoon is nice, but it is a tourist trap. There are plenty of other thermal baths that are less commercial than Blue Lagoon. There is also plenty of excellent meals to be had in Iceland.

 

[Phonedave]

Back in the day we had to “save” for a trip for our family of four. Now that our income has risen, and we can afford to go, I can’t imagine would be like to “save” now, head down for the trip, and be met with the additional costs once tapping in to the Parks.

At least back in the day, there was a perceived “equity” that everyone had to wait in line….and the extra spending would be for a TS Dinner, etc….

Now when you tap in you have the choice of spending your way to the front of the line, or remaining in the 2nd Class Guest line. Try splaining that to your young uns…

I feel the same way. I am lucky that I no longer have to actively save for a trip. We save for a vacation in general, but it is no long something like watching every dime so we could do to WDW.

But when I was saving for a trip, I didn't feel like I was being robbed once I got there. Sure, food prices were on the high side, as any captive location tends to have, but they were not downright offensive. The food was also pretty good. There was also none of these extra add on items that ratcheted the cost up at every turn.

Now, while I may have the disposable income, I spend a lot less of it at WDW.

 

[lewisc]

There are those still claiming this wasn’t a lie…

It’s laughable on all levels

Wasn't the intent to lower attendance from groups deemed to be less profitable. AP holders in general, FL residents more.

 

[Phonedave]

As a veteran of the one line, first come, first serve process of the early Disney Parks I can truthfully say that those new to the place would not recognize the difference. When there was only one line people acknowledge it, did the standard b**tching about it, made jokes and laughed with the rest of the crowd. Lines that keep moving did not seem to take anywhere near as long as one that stalls while others that slept in could just tap dance in front of the line. There was no anger and I can tell you from experience that the minute the Fast Pass was started all the fun and chatter we had in the lines ended and there was an anger in the line that never existed before. It was palpable. I thought it might be easier if that had a paid Fast Pass because then at least the crowd could say well the paid extra to do that.

What happened then? Well, Disney's greed or lack of awareness came bubbling to the surface and when they did charge for it, they made it available to more people than even the original Fast Pass. BTW, the flat out lie that they advertised with the old fast pass was that everyone could get one. It was free so, yes, everyone could get one. What the failed to tell everyone is that they had a specific number of fast passes issued for any attraction per day. When they ran out of the allotment you were SOL. At least back then they were able to control that by having only so many Fast Passes issued in any single day. That way they had more control over wait times. Now they have seen that if they allow more people to buy the front of line pass the standby pass will by default have to have a longer wait therefore making it necessary to buy the front of line option if one wanted to see anything in a days time. The result created even longer standby lines. It is disgusting because now those that can't afford the Lightning Lane spend most of there $100.00 per person per day standing in one spot in standby. Why would anyone think that in the long haul that is going to be a good reputation that makes people want to come back. Those that pay the price to go to LL leave with a much smaller bank account or much higher debt and at some point still had to get into a standby line made artificially longer by paying to have an occasional faster line.

If one never experienced the one line system. The lines seem to appear long, but never as slow, and they kept moving and when you got up to the front YOU WERE NEXT! The standby line is why slower then it had ever been.

I did experience the one line system, and it did work as you described. I also experienced the old FP system, and it was pretty good as well. Not only were there a limited number of fast passes per attraction per day, but you could only hold one fast pass at a time (sort of, there were ways to have more than one, depending on the return times). But the fast passes were limited enough that they only sort of impacted the standby lines.

 

[AdventureHasAName]

One or two people with a disability. There would be many more people these days, as the definition of disability has been greatly expanded.

That's on Disney. They don't have to let everyone skip the line on the honor system; they choose to.

 

[Chi84]

That's on Disney. They don't have to let everyone skip the line on the honor system; they choose to.

There are laws involved.

 

[DarkMetroid567]

As much as many want to believe they did it to lower attendance, thats a big lie. Disney parks rely on crowds to make money.

I don’t think it’s a lie but I do think they’re in the process of reconsidering. 2019 was nightmarish on both coasts (and I can confirm this as a CM at that time) so the business proposition at that time made sense.

But I think OLC’s implementation of the strategy in Tokyo has made clear it’s not the right move. And that’s while tickets at TDR are much much cheaper than here.