RUMOR: Disney to charge for extra FP+ after AVATARland and StarWarsLand are built

[PhotoDave219]

Dear all,

A friend of mine knows someone who works at Disney's Corporate Finance area. He works at the corporate office, not at the parks. According to my source Disney wants to charge for FP+ to increase revenue, similar to what other parks are doing. He says the reason they haven't done it is they don't have enough rides that demand FP+ and so there aren't enough FP+ slots to sell.

Basically he said that if they offered FP+ for sale, but they ran out of slots and you couldn't buy the FPs it would be a PR nightmare.

The solution, according to him, is that Disney needs to build more high-priority rides. So once AVATARland and Star Wars Land are built he says they will then start charging for FP+. He says it probably won't be a resort-type benefit, but instead it would be priced in groups: 3 FPs for $15, 5 for $25, unlimited for $50. Those aren't actual prices, just something he said they've been throwing around.

He also said they are going to end free FPs at some point and make people pay for the benefit.

The most important thing to take out of this is he said this is the finance group's long range financial plan concept and these changes would happen towards the end of their 10 year financial forecast. So probably after 2020.

Keep an eye out

My excuses for posting this twice, one version can be seen in the AVATARland forum.



- EnchantedMouse

So...... 2020?

 

[PhotoDave219]

I totally think they would love to charge for Fastpasses. I also believe they will in time only have the parks open for people staying at Disney's hotels on property. Its the same thing they do up here in WI at the waterparks and it works well. Once you see more hotels being built of all shapes and costs, the writing is on the wall.

Jimmy Thick- Honestly, I think it would be a great business move...

On… Not this one very cheap piece of information you posted.

You live in Wisconsin? I thought you were a local living here in Florida.

 

[MaryJaneP]

Actually, the plan is to one day get rid of physical theme parks and have attractions experienced solely through the smart phone at pre-scheduled times....

Wall-E-esque. How appropo.

 

[PhotoDave219]

This is only a rumor. My friend knows someone who is a member of the Disney's Corporate Finance area, who I also met on my trip to FL.

Nothing is for sure. I doubt it all too. I don't have much information, so I can't confirm anything.


-EnchantedMouse

No disrespect your friends, but it sounds like they met in individual that was attempting to be boastful to make them sounds very important and therefore desirable…

 

[DManRightHere]

Sorry to burst bubbles (if you consider this idea a bubble) but I don't think this is much of a rumor at all considering Star Wars Land is only a rumor.

 

[MaryJaneP]

Actually, the plan is to one day get rid of physical theme parks and have attractions experienced solely through the smart phone at pre-scheduled times....

Wall-E-esque. How appropo.

 

[StarWarsGirl]

I totally think they would love to charge for Fastpasses. I also believe they will in time only have the parks open for people staying at Disney's hotels on property. Its the same thing they do up here in WI at the waterparks and it works well. Once you see more hotels being built of all shapes and costs, the writing is on the wall.

Jimmy Thick- Honestly, I think it would be a great business move...

I very seriously doubt that. It would be a dumb business decision. Why, when you have parks that can support both on site and off site guests would you restrict it to on site guests when the offsite guests pay to get in, buy food, and buy souvenirs? Upon reaching capacity I understand only letting your resort guests in. It may work well for water parks in your area. It probably would not work well for Disney.

 

[raymusiccity]

At some point it will all probably replicate Universal's Front of the Line Pass. Unfortunately we've been brought up on free FP all these years so there will be withdrawls.

Don't see this happening. I'm surprised there are those who are comparing it to the systems in use at other parks. Try Googling 'Universal Express Pass Sucks' to see how in popular it is with the majority of guests!

 

[jt04]

Dear all,

A friend of mine knows someone who works at Disney's Corporate Finance area. He works at the corporate office, not at the parks. According to my source Disney wants to charge for FP+ to increase revenue, similar to what other parks are doing. He says the reason they haven't done it is they don't have enough rides that demand FP+ and so there aren't enough FP+ slots to sell.

Basically he said that if they offered FP+ for sale, but they ran out of slots and you couldn't buy the FPs it would be a PR nightmare.

The solution, according to him, is that Disney needs to build more high-priority rides. So once AVATARland and Star Wars Land are built he says they will then start charging for FP+. He says it probably won't be a resort-type benefit, but instead it would be priced in groups: 3 FPs for $15, 5 for $25, unlimited for $50. Those aren't actual prices, just something he said they've been throwing around.

He also said they are going to end free FPs at some point and make people pay for the benefit.

The most important thing to take out of this is he said this is the finance group's long range financial plan concept and these changes would happen towards the end of their 10 year financial forecast. So probably after 2020.

Keep an eye out

My excuses for posting this twice, one version can be seen in the AVATARland forum.



- EnchantedMouse

Let's hope all this technology is used in this manner and more. The benefits should be "tiered" depending on many factors. This could bring back the magic of days past.

For instance I think it would be nice is certain modes of transportation were tailored to resort guests only. That would be a good start. There should be such perks resort wide. Limited daily free refills would be another good perk. Possibilities are endless.

Jimmy Thick owns this thread too.

 

[ford91exploder]

Wall-E-esque. How appropo.

Disney via Oculus Rift, Where the consumer pays for the Oculus Rift headgear, Yeah I could see TWDC doing that!, Wish we had a honest businessman running TWDC like Quark...

 

[NoChesterHester]

Bring on pay fastpasses. Usership would plummet and the queue lines would have a more naturally and better distribution of crowds.

 

[backinaction]

Bring on pay fastpasses. Usership would plummet and the queue lines would have a more naturally and better distribution of crowds.

by more natural, do you mean the rich get fastpass and everyone else gets standby? like that kind of natural?

 

[StageFrenzy]

Disney via Oculus Rift, Where the consumer pays for the Oculus Rift headgear, Yeah I could see TWDC doing that!, Wish we had a honest businessman running TWDC like Quark...

I was just thinking today how much I would kill for a Oculus Rift* ride through of JII. I was trying to quantify the resourses it would take to create one and the cost.

*Crystal Cove of course.

 

[NoChesterHester]

by more natural, do you mean the rich get fastpass and everyone else gets standby? like that kind of natural?

News flash - it isn't affordable to visit Disney. If you believe there isn't superior access available for rich people already then I have news for you.

I take it you never visited the parks pre-fastpass. Standby lines were more manageable overall because the crowd naturally self distributes. When a line gets too long, they get in a different line. This natural distribution is disrupted by fastpass in addition a large part of the overall attraction capacity that makes the line slow to a crawl.

 

[Goofnut1980]

Just because I am feeling frisky....

I know a guy, who knows a guy, that worked with a guy, who said this girl that he knows, knows a person that told his friend that told a friend of a friends friend that something may or may not get built...

hehehehehehehehehe

 

[crispy]

Just because I am feeling frisky....

I know a guy, who knows a guy, that worked with a guy, who said this girl that he knows, knows a person that told his friend that told a friend of a friends friend that something may or may not get built...

hehehehehehehehehe

I heard THE EXACT SAME THING! Scary!

 

[prfctlyximprct]

Just because I am feeling frisky....

I know a guy, who knows a guy, that worked with a guy, who said this girl that he knows, knows a person that told his friend that told a friend of a friends friend that something may or may not get built...

hehehehehehehehehe

That guy lied!

 

[JimboJones123]

[quoteworhout sterHester, post: 5950874, member: 70909"]News flash - it isn't affordable to visit Disney. If you believe there isn't superior access available for rich people already then I have news for you.

I take it you never visited the parks pre-fastpass. Standby lines were more manageable overall because the crowd naturally self distributes. When a line gets too long, they get in a different line. This natural distribution is disrupted by fastpass in addition a large part of the overall attraction capacity that makes the line slow to a crawl.[/quote]
Plus, without FP, rides would hardly ever see the 90 minute mark for waits. Even during the holidays.

 

[StageFrenzy]

Plus, without FP, rides would hardly ever see the 90 minute mark for waits. Even during the holidays.

I'm not so sure about that, there is a lot more people going to the parks than there used to be. Also there are a lot fewer "people eater" attractions, almost every attraction that has replaced an attraction has been shorter or lower capacity.

 

[Voice of Disney sanity]

I very seriously doubt that. It would be a dumb business decision. Why, when you have parks that can support both on site and off site guests would you restrict it to on site guests when the offsite guests pay to get in, buy food, and buy souvenirs? Upon reaching capacity I understand only letting your resort guests in. It may work well for water parks in your area. It probably would not work well for Disney.

That WOULD be a dumb decision but an easy way to accomplish the same thing would be to jack up the cost of rooms at wdw and jack up the price of admission to the parks (Sound familiar?) then make admission to the parks free with a stay at WDW RESORTS. Hmmm