The “wealthy” is not going to work

[Lilofan]

To pigeon hole rich is not wise. I mean how often does John Stamos show up at Disney? A fanatic will do what they want when they want. I know some super wealthy who go 3 or 4 times a year along with their other trips.

Middle class still can afford to go and will continue. They might do more off site stays which makes up the majority of the visitors anyway. Upper middle will start doing all the add ons. Wealthy do whatever they want.

The extras do make some things nice and those will be out of reach for some.

VIPs I wouldn't be surprised get comped vacations because they can.

 

[networkpro]

The wealthy in my area go to Europe and Asia to enjoy. WDW is an afterthought.

And some who have lived there and in other parts of the World don't really want to return.

 

[correcaminos]

VIPs I wouldn't be surprised get comped vacations because they can.

I won't honestly guess. I do know some do pay. They plunk out money for VIP tours just like you or I. Friends used to also do concierge for free FP and such too. Some haven't returned due to covid restrictions. Disney does give special treatment to those who pay.

 

[Patcheslee]

Can I just say I wish I had those housing prices? Joking... kinda.... we live in a more costly neighborhood compared to others for my area. Our housing is sad to the point where we will eventually keep upper class only if we aren't careful.

We're not in the wealthy neighborhood for sure. Middle class mixed lower now that developers bought property and built cost based housing 5 years ago. Sometimes we want to move, but like most our neighbors. I'd have a cow going up in mortgage price to move.

 

[correcaminos]

We're not in the wealthy neighborhood for sure. Middle class mixed lower now that developers bought property and built cost based housing 5 years ago. Sometimes we want to move, but like most our neighbors. I'd have a cow going up in mortgage price to move.

I have a friend in my neighborhood who is remodeling her house because it's cheaper to do so. What some don't realize is that expensive housing doesn't mean threshold for middle class rises, it just means some neighborhoods become only wealthy. We have a totally average home and yet it goes for an insane value. People are buying our lower cost homes and building mcmansions. We were a more middle to upper class with more in the middle to middle-upper class, but some still relatively affordable housing. It's fading fast pushing middle class further out.

 

[Lilofan]

The wealthy people I know are as diverse as the middle class people I know, some love traveling the world, others love Vegas, others love Disney, most of them do a little of it all because they can afford to.

The biggest difference I’ve noticed between hanging out with my wealthy friends and my “normal” friends isn’t what we do, it’s the quality of the food we eat, the quality of the cocktails we drink, the seats we get at shows, the resorts they stay at… we do the exact same stuff I do with my middle class friends, just at a higher quality, their fun doesn’t seem to be any different from the rest of us.

When in Vegas, plenty of high end dining for sure but I like to get off the strip and eat where the locals go - Chinatown and the nearby surroundings!

 

[Vegas Disney Fan]

And some who have lived there and in other parts of the World don't really want to return.

We’d love to move to either London or Paris for a few years, you need a ton of money to do it though. It’s a dream to spend a few years traveling all over Europe, I can’t imagine permanently leaving the US though, for all our problems there’s a lot of pros to living here also.

When I was younger my dad always said to buy the smallest house in the nicest neighborhood you can afford, that advice has paid off very well. Better to be the “poor” person surrounded by richer people rather than the “rich” person surrounded by poorer people.

 

[Lilofan]

One date where it is not just the wealthy but anyone to pay NYE prices in the resorts / enjoy themselves in the parks 12 /25-31 is shelling out a lot of cash !

 

[networkpro]

We’d love to move to either London or Paris for a few years, you need a ton of money to do it though.

There's much more out there than the UK or France, but then again life in the US outside of the major urban areas is very different as well. Same currency, same language, but quite a different emphasis on life and values. Just like Disney, there's the tourist bubble and there's everything else.

 

[Trauma]

One date where it is not just the wealthy but anyone to pay NYE prices in the resorts / enjoy themselves in the parks 12 /25-31 is shelling out a lot of cash !

I really enjoy my New Years trips. I don’t like New York so Disney seems like a suitable alternative.

My wife and I don’t drink but still really enjoy our night at Epcot. My wife loves dancing, me not so much, but I can get into it for 1 night a year.

We did the MK New Years on the 30th this year and to my surprise that was enjoyable also.

I don’t remember what the trip cost but whatever it was I felt like it was a pretty good value.

That being said it was busy, but we don’t focus on how many rides we do a day, having experienced everything plenty of times.

 

[Trauma]

Obviously

Actually the company pivoting away from the middle class to cater to the more fortunate is news.

It’s being talked frequently by NEWS organizations

If this thread doesn’t suit you, your only a click away from something that does.

 

[BuddyThomas]

Actually the company pivoting away from the middle class to cater to the more fortunate is news.

It’s being talked frequently by NEWS organizations

If this thread doesn’t suit you, your only a click away from something that does.

I was talking about a specific post, not the entire thread. That shouldn’t be too difficult to figure out, and surprise, surprise, I actually agreed with your original post.

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

The biggest difference I’ve noticed between hanging out with my wealthy friends and my “normal” friends isn’t what we do, it’s the quality of the food we eat, the quality of the cocktails we drink, the seats we get at shows, the resorts they stay at… we do the exact same stuff I do with my middle class friends, just at a higher quality, their fun doesn’t seem to be any different from the rest of us.

This is a good point. Certainly true for me. I’ll go to Disneyland get the Fairfield across the street on Priceline and have all my meals at Plaza Inn and other good value counter service spots. I’ll stay for a week and spend less than some spend for 1 night at the Grand Californian and dinner at Napa Rose.

When I go to nyc I use the tickts booths to get last minute deals on broadway shows. I usually end up sitting next to people who paid 5 times what I paid for my ticket. We enjoy the same show. I go back to my Hampton inn, they go back to the Waldorf. I grab some nyc pizza, they go to a classy steak dinner.

In the end we both experienced NYC / Disneyland and the bulk of the actual entertainment was the same.

 

[Trauma]

This is a good point. Certainly true for me. I’ll go to Disneyland get the Fairfield across the street on Priceline and have all my meals at Plaza Inn and other good value counter service spots. I’ll stay for a week and spend less than some spend for 1 night at the Grand Californian and dinner at Napa Rose.

When I go to nyc I use the tickts booths to get last minute deals on broadway shows. I usually end up sitting next to people who paid 5 times what I paid for my ticket. We enjoy the same show. I go back to my Hampton inn, they go back to the Waldorf. I grab some nyc pizza, they go to a classy steak dinner.

In the end we both experienced NYC / Disneyland and the bulk of the actual entertainment was the same.

That’s a valid strategy for NYC.

Remember though Disney is layering systems on top of one another to encourage additional spending.

It’s becoming more in your face.

Want to ride some rides? That’s and additional $15 per person!

Want to stay in the parks late? Just stay at a deluxe resort !

There is a now a more obvious delineation between the haves and have nots even when your inside the parks.

Sure there was always VIP tours etc but it wasn’t jumping out at you.

I’ve been on both sides of the fence, staying at value resorts to now being fortunate enough to do whatever I want.

I say that to say this.

When I was at the value resorts I may have been vaguely aware that others had an “upgraded” experience. It was not however shoved in my face, that I was in a different tier of customer once I was in the parks.

I felt welcomed. I was having the same Disney day as everyone else.

How does that compare to a middle class family today that can’t afford a deluxe or a Genie?

The message seems to be we’ll let you in, but don’t have to much fun, that’s reserved for those who can afford the “Magic”.

 

[correcaminos]

That’s a valid strategy for NYC.

Remember though Disney is layering systems on top of one another to encourage additional spending.

It’s becoming more in your face.

Want to ride some rides? That’s and additional $15 per person!

Want to stay in the parks late? Just stay at a deluxe resort !

There is a now a more obvious delineation between the halves and have nots even when your inside the parks.

Sure there was always VIP tours etc but it wasn’t jumping out at you.

I’ve been on both sides of the fence, staying at value resorts to now being fortunate enough to do whatever I want.

I say that to say this.

When I was at the value resorts I may have been vaguely aware that others had an “upgraded” experience. It was not however shoved in my face, that I was in a different tier of customer once I was in the parks.

I felt welcomed. I was having the same Disney day as everyone else.

How does that compare to a middle class family today that can’t afford a deluxe or a Genie?

The message seems to be we’ll let you in, but don’t have to much fun, that’s reserved for those who can afford the “Magic”.

Where is their other half?

VIP tours have been around for a long time. They seemingly are much harder to book now than they were before though. I am not sure if all the guides have been called back or not. So are people wanting to spend more or something else making them hard? They were sold out 5-6 days from 60 days in March. So if you had a 4 day trip you were left out this year as an FYI.

I'll be honest here, there have always been "class" differences even once the values were built. The treatment one gets and the ability to find dining, get special services and little extras has been there a long time. I sometimes wonder did the internet make people aware of the differences or has Disney not hidden it as well?

I will disagree about letting you in and not having fun. In March we didn't do anything special (it was all sold out) and still had a great time. Granted we were staying at Polynesian so we did have the extra night hours - which were very nice! But we didn't do Genie+ because I didn't see times for things we wanted to do early enough so we didn't do it. We had a blast! A total blast.

I do think things like park reservations are more of a hindrance than the extra$$$ to the average family going. We had friends going at the same time, off site but Bonnet Creek. The oldest was a senior in HS and planned with their friend for a senior trip. This family had been before and knew a ton about Disney. However they had not heard about the park reservations. So they drove all the way to Florida and couldn't get it. We resort hopped with them one afternoon so we made the best of it. The over planning and shutting people out will bite them faster than the add ons. JMO after thinking about it some.

 

[Trauma]

Where is their other half?

VIP tours have been around for a long time. They seemingly are much harder to book now than they were before though. I am not sure if all the guides have been called back or not. So are people wanting to spend more or something else making them hard? They were sold out 5-6 days from 60 days in March. So if you had a 4 day trip you were left out this year as an FYI.

I'll be honest here, there have always been "class" differences even once the values were built. The treatment one gets and the ability to find dining, get special services and little extras has been there a long time. I sometimes wonder did the internet make people aware of the differences or has Disney not hidden it as well?

I will disagree about letting you in and not having fun. In March we didn't do anything special (it was all sold out) and still had a great time. Granted we were staying at Polynesian so we did have the extra night hours - which were very nice! But we didn't do Genie+ because I didn't see times for things we wanted to do early enough so we didn't do it. We had a blast! A total blast.

I do think things like park reservations are more of a hindrance than the extra$$$ to the average family going. We had friends going at the same time, off site but Bonnet Creek. The oldest was a senior in HS and planned with their friend for a senior trip. This family had been before and knew a ton about Disney. However they had not heard about the park reservations. So they drove all the way to Florida and couldn't get it. We resort hopped with them one afternoon so we made the best of it. The over planning and shutting people out will bite them faster than the add ons. JMO after thinking about it some.

This happens way more than I even expected. I have talked to many people who could only get into Epcot because they didn’t know park reservations existed.

To my point I was just trying to say the “class” difference seems more pronounced when your cell phone is constantly reminding you that you need a Genie.

Thanks for the spelling correction I was accidentally calling out the Halves family.

 

[correcaminos]

This happens way more than I even expected. I have talked to many people who could only get into Epcot because they didn’t know park reservations existed.

To my point I was just trying to say the “class” difference seems more pronounced when your cell phone is constantly reminding you that you need a Genie.

Thanks for the spelling correction I was accidentally calling out the Halves family.

I thought it was an autocorrect which just made me smile.

During primo spring break week (week of March 13th) there was nothing from when they arrived and checked on Sunday until the Friday at Epcot only. So thank goodness they didn't buy park tickets before. That to me is so sad. They spent a day with us resort hopping, a day at Sea World, one visiting friends, one visiting the beach and Universal all won. No Disney.

I guess I didn't feel like I needed Genie when we went even getting my phone out. We were doing a 50th statue hunt and I had a generic map to find them all and checking it off on my phone. I think Genie+ is not as much of a divider as some other things are.

 

[DarthVader]

I'm not going to say Disney is catering to the rich, but I feel like Disney's actions have and continue to price the middle class out.

One thing is clear, the parks are crowded, the rooms are full, disney is making money hand over fist. There is nothing in their current business model that will change because what they're doing is being validated by people continuing to go. Only when reservations/visits/reservations start decreasing, only when their income is decreasing will they review what they're doing

 

[networkpro]

Actually the company pivoting away from the middle class to cater to the more fortunate is news.

It’s being talked frequently by NEWS organizations

If this thread doesn’t suit you, your only a click away from something that does.

Lets not start tossing around class warfare pejoratives nor what constitutes "NEWS" especially with at best questionable motivation. For most, it's not a matter of luck where they land economically as choices have consequences.

 

[Touchdown]

I would argue this strategy isn’t targeting the wealthy it’s targeting the aspirationally wealthy.

Every human hates hidden fees and upcharges but so many of us succumb to the sunk cost fallacy that companies make more profit.

If they were truly trying to cater to the wealthy they would have kept the flat fees, added a lot more amenities and increased the price by even more. In hindsight, they are taking baby steps on that when it comes to the deluxe resorts but are still also at the same time lessening the number of those resorts by DVCing them.

DVC, Genie+, Minnie Vans those aren’t aimed at the wealthy they’re aimed at the middle class, a way for them to squeeze more money from people who can’t afford the prices but do it anyways on site because of sunk cost and credit cards. Disney doesn’t care, this vacation will put them in so much debt they won’t be able to afford to come back which will allow a new sucker to take their place.