The Ultimate Disney Classics VIP Tour now available at the Magic Kingdom

[The_Jobu]

First, I don't know what a Capri candle is.

They're fancy candles that stop above your ankle.

 

[JWG]

Keys to Kingdom is less than half the price of this (or was last January). That's what's a bit odd. It included lunch at Columbia Harbor House.

 

[21stamps]

They're fancy candles that stop above your ankle.

Ok I laughed out loud.

 

[Biff215]

I don't know what being a "Katiebug" means. There are plenty of things that I pay for, but yes could do myself...from taxes to my eyebrows.
There's also plenty of things I will pay for to make something more "convenient".. and, there's things that I will pay for to give me a little extra "special" experience.
I know that I'm not alone in this. I used myself as an example but you can apply to mostly anyone who makes the same choices.

Here's where you are way off base-
Choosing an upcharge is not because my child is more special than another. Or because I want to prevent tantrums. Or because I don't want him around other children who aren't doing the same upcharge as us.

Your major flaw is in thinking that it has anything to do with more than the Family who is making the choice. It's about their convenience, that's all. If they see an experience that can benefit them, then why wouldn't they do it?

Your other equally major flaw is that you think it is "purchasing fun" and relying on someone else to show them a good time. It's not. It's about adding an experience to an already wonderful day.

Every "upcharge" thread is the same. Some just can't fathom why anyone would make a different decision than what "you" would make.
Just try, for once, to understand that just because something doesn't benefit "you", doesn't mean that it won't benefit anyone. And dial back on your contempt of the What, Who, and Why.

This tour is not for my family. I understand that other families will find this attractive.

No. I never said they were. Not quite sure what you're talking about here.


Your first part- Exactly.
2nd part- I think society has gone in a direction of willingness to pay for convenience, much more than any previous generations. I don't think that's a horrible thing though. It just is what it is.

Here's the question...convenience or not, and regardless of whether someone is willing to pay or not...is this the beginning of monetizing FP? If families are willing to pay $200/person (as you say) for ten attractions that may not even need FP, then what is the next step? Three FP's for those only willing to pay the measly $100+ per day, or many more if you'll shell out a couple hundred extra? Personally I don't like this even though it may not technically affect me now. My fear is somewhere down the line when it certainly will. If that happens then I'll sadly choose to altogether avoid my favorite place on earth. Once again I sincerely hope I'm dead wrong.

 

[contrariwise]

I haven't seen anyone on this thread salvitate over this less expensive replacement of another similar tour.
Have you?

Not this one, but over what exciting new upcharge events could be around the bend? I think so.

I hope they come up with something else before Spring...EMM is pretty much non existent in April, so it means they are either restructuring - like they did with this one...or they are removing these "upcharges". I think this new announcement may mean that it's the former.It will be interesting to see what happens over the next month. There is not many options at all right now. Even the SW Tour isn't showing. Maybe new tours are rolling out, this one being the first.Or...maybe they'll extend Disney After Hours... I don't know.
You would think that Disney would want to provide people with more options for Spring Break time. It's weird. They've decreased the upcharges...

Upcharges are almost non existent for the next few months. Ones that have been around for awhile..ranging from a year or more. The $299 tour that this new one replaced was gone well before this was announced. So, what does that mean? Are more coming? New ones? Are they restructuring and changing what's been around for a year or more?

 

[SorcererMC]

2nd part- I think society has gone in a direction of willingness to pay for convenience, much more than any previous generations. I don't think that's a horrible thing though. It just is what it is.

I'll modify my always/blanket statement....because I do think that some things about today's consumer have changed. The nature of the consumer-firm relationship is changing because both consumers and firms have access to more information - consumers have more info about the product and what they are getting for their money, and businesses have (way) more information about their consumers and what they want/ demand. Consumers want choices that they can customize to fit their needs....thus, where I disagree with @mousehockey37 's theory is that I think that consumers are benefitting from companies differentiating their product to serve different consumers.

The problem with that, when it comes to a WDW vacation, is that the 'standard' offering is not what it used to be....and the new experiences they are selling (ie exclusivity) don't quite match up with my expectations for quality. Alternatively, maybe this is another marketing fail and I just don't like the name.

 

[Grimley1968]

So my family of 4 would still have to pay park admission to do this tour, then pay $80 per FP (for all 4 of us) to ride things that even the promo said were not thrilling. Sorry but even cupcakes for all of us does not make this appealing.

Pass.

 

[21stamps]

Here's the question...convenience or not, and regardless of whether someone is willing to pay or not...is this the beginning of monetizing FP? If families are willing to pay $200/person (as you say) for ten attractions that may not even need FP, then what is the next step? Three FP's for those only willing to pay the measly $100+ per day, or many more if you'll shell out a couple hundred extra? Personally I don't like this even though it may not technically affect me now. My fear is somewhere down the line when it certainly will. If that happens then I'll sadly choose to altogether avoid my favorite place on earth. Once again I sincerely hope I'm dead wrong.

But this tour has already existed for years now. It was $299, and included a few rides outside of MK. This is just a revamped version.. I personally think it's better for the age group that they're trying to target.
This isn't a new add on. It's a replacement.

Contrary to the rhetoric here, I don't LOVE all upcharges. I am interested in the ones that save me time. I have 0 interest in any of the backstage tours. I don't even have an interest in a regular Wishes desert party. I was interested in Holiday Wishes desert party..it was booked up. Not the end of the world, and ended up that I'm actually glad we didn't get it... that one is apparently much longer, and we were enjoying the rest of the park. So, if I ever go during the holidays again, I won't even try for it.

Some people want to eat at multiple signature restaurants, others may enjoy maximizing their park days during heavy crowds. Why is one better than the other? Again, Who cares what someone is doing? I don't care about fancy dinners at Disney. I don't pass judgement if you do..I'm indifferent to "your" decisions.

I am debating a quick Easter trip..2 days only. Yes, I would pay for something like Early Morning Magic or Disney After Dark or the Star Wars tour during those two days- nothing exists.
That is so different than all of the options that have been around for the past year. I am extremely curious to see if these things are over. Or..again, if we will be seeing more of these announcements in the next few weeks.

 

[L.C. Clench]

This tour would be $800 for a family of four....I'm not sure I would consider that very affordable on top of the price of tickets.

I just bought my brother''s family discounted tickets to wdw. It was $950 for the following:
Two 3 day adult base tickets
One 3 day child base ticket
One 1 day adult MK ticket.
These are military discount tickets (not the Salute ones, just regular discounted tickets).

This tour would almost double the cost of their admission. While I do see the value that some will put on it, I don't know that I'd consider this extremely "affordable" in the scheme of the vacation.

Well it's pretty clear to me that your cost problem comes down to that one day MK ticket. Don't you know no one does that?

 

[mousehockey37]

The problem with that, when it comes to a WDW vacation, is that the 'standard' offering is not what it used to be....and the new experiences they are selling (ie exclusivity) don't quite match up with my expectations for quality. Alternatively, maybe this is another marketing fail and I just don't like the name.

So my family of 4 would still have to pay park admission to do this tour, then pay $80 per FP (for all 4 of us) to ride things that even the promo said were not thrilling. Sorry but not even cupcakes for all of us does not make this appealing.

That's the thing with this particular offering. Most of the rides mentioned here are rides that, even with a tiny bit of planning (or just even watching the wait times), you more than likely could hit all these rides in the same time frame or quicker than if you had a tour guide telling you where you're off to next.

 

[Angel Ariel]

Well it's pretty clear to me that your cost problem comes down to that one day MK ticket. Don't you know no one does that?

lol SIL just needs to tell work that she's skipping out on the conference to spend all 3 days at Disney. Easy Peasy, right?!

 

[SorcererMC]

That's the thing with this particular offering. Most of the rides mentioned here are rides that, even with a tiny bit of planning (or just even watching the wait times), you more than likely could hit all these rides in the same time frame or quicker than if you had a tour guide telling you where you're off to next.

ok - so this is basically monetizing FP, without actually calling it that....and you just have someone there telling you what you can do, when. Got it.

 

[21stamps]

Not this one, but over what exciting new upcharge events could be around the bend? I think so.

Yes. They play a heavy factor in my decision to do a 2 day trip or not. You don't understand that, we've already covered that point.
Besides my "maybe" trip.. I think it is extremely interesting that there is such a lack of options during such a busy week.

ok - so this is basically monetizing FP, without actually calling it that....and you just have someone there telling you what you can do, when. Got it.

Yes. It is..but it's not new. It's not a threat bc these tours have already been around for quite some time.

 

[mousehockey37]

ok - so this is basically monetizing FP, without actually calling it that....and you just have someone there telling you what you can do, when. Got it.

That's what it seems to be.

 

[mousehockey37]

Yes. They play a heavy factor in my decision to do a 2 day trip or not. You don't understand that, we've already covered that point.
Besides my "maybe" trip.. I think it is extremely interesting that there is such a lack of options during such a busy week.

So upcharges play a heavy factor in your decisions.

Yes. It is..but it's not new. It's not a threat bc these tours have already been around for quite some time.

It is a threat. Disney officially has the wool over your eyes. What you see as a revamped offering, others of us are seeing from a different angle that Disney is using it to gather intel to see how far families are willing to go to pay for 10 FP's instead of just the 3 included with your tickets.

Have we forgotten what happened with the VSS and the MNSSHP a couple years ago?

 

[L.C. Clench]

lol SIL just needs to tell work that she's skipping out on the conference to spend all 3 days at Disney. Easy Peasy, right?!

Hey if no other vacation destination in the world can override Disney what chance would work have. That's so yucky I would just quit my job if it came between Disney!

 

[21stamps]

So upcharges play a heavy factor in your decisions.



It is a threat. Disney officially has the wool over your eyes. What you see as a revamped offering, others of us are seeing from a different angle that Disney is using it to gather intel to see how far families are willing to go to pay for 10 FP's instead of just the 3 included with your tickets.

Have we forgotten what happened with the VSS and the MNSSHP a couple years ago?

Yes. Dealing with extreme crowds during one day (the Saturday day before Easter) at MK while using the last of my non expiring tickets and paying too much in Airfare to go there and come right back after a hectic 2 days..yeah, I'll take an upcharge. It would actually give me more value in my day. You don't have to agree with that.

I don't know why you're not listening to me about this tour. The other one, the $299 one was the SAME attractions. The only difference was it included another ride at AK or HS as well. I can't remember the exact itinerary. Someone here should know it. The Ultimate Day of Thrills used to include AK (dinosaur and EE)...that one recently switched to Epcot- but only for Soarin'. I think that's stupid, and I won't pay for it now.. that tour is the one that I wanted to do, I'd much rather do a less expensive one though. EMM only has ONE day in April. Why?
What was offered this time last year? The $299 tours, plus EMM, plus Disney After Hours I think?

 

[Donaldfan1934]

Based on what I've read, this tour doesn't offer what Keys to the Kingdom does or even the personability of a VIP guide. This is yet another addition to the endless stream of cash grab aimed at the one and doners who have zero familiarity with the parks. If Disney wants to keep stable attendance figures in the decades to come, then they need to bring back iniatives that promote brand loyalty. And not the type of brand loyalty that Iger is obsessed with, but the loyalty that has kept die hards like us coming back as often as we can afford to.

 

[mousehockey37]

Yes. Dealing with extreme crowds during one day (the Saturday day before Easter) at MK while using the last of my non expiring tickets and paying too much in Airfare to go there and come right back after a hectic 2 days..yeah, I'll take an upcharge. It would actually give me more value in my day. You don't have to agree with that.

So you're willing to pay an upcharge to get away from people to do things because you only have 2 days. Got it. Just because you want to go prior to Easter and airfare isn't cheap? Maybe if you had a different plan, since they're non-expiring tickets you would find a different 2 days to go. Who knows, you could save money on airfare and go when wait times are down. But hey, more power to ya.

I don't know why you're not listening to me about this tour. The other one, the $299 one was the SAME attractions. The only difference was it included another ride at AK or HS as well. I can't remember the exact itinerary. Someone here should know it. The Ultimate Day of Thrills used to include AK (dinosaur and EE)...that one recently switched to Epcot- but only for Soarin'. I think that's stupid, and I won't pay for it now.. that tour is the one that I wanted to do, I'd much rather do a less expensive one though. EMM only has ONE day in April. Why?
What was offered this time last year? The $299 tours, plus EMM, plus Disney After Hours I think?

It's not the same! Read what it is, then re-read it, it's not the same! It's a tour, aimed at families with small children who want to pay to get on 10 rides in 4 hours. This is not a thrill tour by any means, but you fail to see that.

 

[drizgirl]

I think it is extremely interesting that there is such a lack of options during such a busy week.

I'm not surprised by that at all. Before and after hours events take a back seat when they are dealing with peak crowds. They probably want to keep the option open to add park hours for all guests but wouldn't be able to if they had special events scheduled.