Walt Disney World's new marketing campaign - 'The Magic is Endless'

[SorcererMC]

I really do love Disney, and I hope the new attractions being built will be the start of a new, exciting age where Disney will get back to giving ALL guests very high value for their park passes - as it used to be

I hope so, too.

 

[SorcererMC]

Disney has updated their website:
https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/endless-magic/

Discover the Magic of Walt Disney World Resort,
Where Moments and Memories Have No Limits

 

[Andrew C]

Disney has updated their website:
https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/endless-magic/

Discover the Magic of Walt Disney World Resort,
Where Moments and Memories Have No Limits

Looks like a nice website. Simple, yet effective.

 

[HauntedPirate]

Disney has updated their website:
https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/endless-magic/

Discover the Magic of Walt Disney World Resort,
Where Moments and Memories Have No Limits

Remember when it was "The" Walt Disney World Resort? I hate their removal of the word "The", it sounds so, so wrong.

 

[SorcererMC]

Looks like a nice website. Simple, yet effective.

Yeah I think it's ok. The only thing that irks me is the subheading for Magic Kingdom is 'Disney Princesses'. (Interestingly the picture for it is of Elena, so I get that they are promoting her M&G over the other ones. Maybe they will keep it current).

I think it does a better job of showing what is new, and it is more 'personable' than the commercial.

 

[21stamps]

29 MNNSHP dates from 9/2 thru 10/31 (60 days total), or on average one MNSSHP every other night. Public ticket prices ranging from $72(A)/$67(C) to $105(A)/$100(C).

21 MVMCP dates from Nov-7 thru Dec-22 (46 days total), or an average of one MVMCP just about every other night. Public ticket prices ranging from $86(A)/$81(C) to $99(A)/$94(C).

That's a helluva lot of money in Disney's pocket for hard-ticket events, which is obviously why they are pushing them and continue to push them. For the first Halloween party, held on one day in October 1979, MK was open until 9pm (which was pretty much the daily norm back then), and then the special event started. Today, they close the parks early (when was the last time MK was only open until 7pm?).

If hard-ticket events were once or twice per week, I would have no problem with that and could (and have) easily work my vacations around it. But 3-4 times a week? To sit there and say, "well, that's no problem, I'll just do something else" is either disingenuous or intellectually dishonest. On those nights with no hard-ticket event, there is now no longer a nighttime parade, just 'Wishes!' and a somewhat-cheesy castle projection show. On the nights when there is a party, there is no nighttime parade, there is no 'Wishes!', there is no somewhat-cheesy castle projection show. And on those MK hard-ticket event nights, the other parks (that are open past sunset) are going to be more crowded with guests who want to see ROE, Fantasmic! (if it's running), or the SW Spectacular. Will RoL help alleviate that? Time till tell, but I suspect it won't help as much as some think/hope it will.

As someone who has visited the parks for almost 40 years, and has spent tens of thousands of dollars on WDW vacations and associated expenses (including purchasing a DVC membership over 10 years ago), I refuse to happily go along with (the now pretty damn expensive) sleight-of-hand that is being substituted for the rides and attractions that used to be the norm. I don't visit WDW to go to a bunch of overpriced restaurants, or to watch street entertainment. I go because I like the theme parks, the rides, the attractions. And that is where the value for the price paid has fallen off dramatically for my family, particularly with the introduction of the FP+ system. Disney is treating guests like sheep - Plan nearly every detail of your vacation out 6 months in advance (to maximize THE MAGIC!!!), arrive excited for THE MAGIC, line up for THE MAGIC, meet some MAGICAL characters, have your MAGICAL picture taken, buy some MAGICAL souvenirs, and go home. Oh, and don't forget about the gobs and gobs of MAGICAL pixie dust to enhance your MAGICAL vacation experience!!!! If that's what makes your vacation's magical, more power to you, but it doesn't float my boat in the least.

I demand better from Disney, because not only can they can do better, they have done better in the past. Sadly, that sort of "we can do it and do it better than anyone else" spirit has been sucked out of the company and deposited into the nearest trash can (not named 'PUSH'), replaced with a mantra of "do just enough, as cheaply as possible". That is nothing more than short-term thinking for a company that has been lacking in any sort of long-term vision for more than a decade. In the past, Disney would have figured out how to put a Star Wars-themed land into a place like DHS and it would have had more than two rides/attractions. That's an insult, as far as I'm concerned, and shows how the Weatherman and his 'YES' men, like Chappie, have corrupted a once-great company with their on-the-cheap-rules-the-game philosophy. Bean counters rule the roost, creative is an expense, and guests are simply walking ATMs.

I won't argue with your feelings, what you feel is what you feel, and that's that.

Maybe someone here will know the answer to this question-
What is the avg amount of nights that people visit MK during their trip?

There are 4 parties during my 9 night stay. If I wanted to (which I don't) I could still go to MK on 5 different evenings. One of which is open until 1am. 3 are til midnight. 1 until 11 pm. Most of those days open at 8am...2 or 3 have EMH starting at 7am. That's still a lot of MK hours during non ticketed events.

Does the average traveler really go to MK more than 5 nights out of 9?

I'm curious if there is a stat on that.

 

[NearTheEars]

29 MNNSHP dates from 9/2 thru 10/31 (60 days total), or on average one MNSSHP every other night. Public ticket prices ranging from $72(A)/$67(C) to $105(A)/$100(C).

21 MVMCP dates from Nov-7 thru Dec-22 (46 days total), or an average of one MVMCP just about every other night. Public ticket prices ranging from $86(A)/$81(C) to $99(A)/$94(C).

That's a helluva lot of money in Disney's pocket for hard-ticket events, which is obviously why they are pushing them and continue to push them. For the first Halloween party, held on one day in October 1979, MK was open until 9pm (which was pretty much the daily norm back then), and then the special event started. Today, they close the parks early (when was the last time MK was only open until 7pm?).

If hard-ticket events were once or twice per week, I would have no problem with that and could (and have) easily work my vacations around it. But 3-4 times a week? To sit there and say, "well, that's no problem, I'll just do something else" is either disingenuous or intellectually dishonest. On those nights with no hard-ticket event, there is now no longer a nighttime parade, just 'Wishes!' and a somewhat-cheesy castle projection show. On the nights when there is a party, there is no nighttime parade, there is no 'Wishes!', there is no somewhat-cheesy castle projection show. And on those MK hard-ticket event nights, the other parks (that are open past sunset) are going to be more crowded with guests who want to see ROE, Fantasmic! (if it's running), or the SW Spectacular. Will RoL help alleviate that? Time till tell, but I suspect it won't help as much as some think/hope it will.

As someone who has visited the parks for almost 40 years, and has spent tens of thousands of dollars on WDW vacations and associated expenses (including purchasing a DVC membership over 10 years ago), I refuse to happily go along with (the now pretty damn expensive) sleight-of-hand that is being substituted for the rides and attractions that used to be the norm. I don't visit WDW to go to a bunch of overpriced restaurants, or to watch street entertainment. I go because I like the theme parks, the rides, the attractions. And that is where the value for the price paid has fallen off dramatically for my family, particularly with the introduction of the FP+ system. Disney is treating guests like sheep - Plan nearly every detail of your vacation out 6 months in advance (to maximize THE MAGIC!!!), arrive excited for THE MAGIC, line up for THE MAGIC, meet some MAGICAL characters, have your MAGICAL picture taken, buy some MAGICAL souvenirs, and go home. Oh, and don't forget about the gobs and gobs of MAGICAL pixie dust to enhance your MAGICAL vacation experience!!!! If that's what makes your vacation's magical, more power to you, but it doesn't float my boat in the least.

I demand better from Disney, because not only can they can do better, they have done better in the past. Sadly, that sort of "we can do it and do it better than anyone else" spirit has been sucked out of the company and deposited into the nearest trash can (not named 'PUSH'), replaced with a mantra of "do just enough, as cheaply as possible". That is nothing more than short-term thinking for a company that has been lacking in any sort of long-term vision for more than a decade. In the past, Disney would have figured out how to put a Star Wars-themed land into a place like DHS and it would have had more than two rides/attractions. That's an insult, as far as I'm concerned, and shows how the Weatherman and his 'YES' men, like Chappie, have corrupted a once-great company with their on-the-cheap-rules-the-game philosophy. Bean counters rule the roost, creative is an expense, and guests are simply walking ATMs.

The hard ticket events don't effect me much as a local, so I won't comment on them.
But I do disagree with one minor point: I really like the projection show. I think it's great technology.
I agree that canceling MSEP without at least announcing something for the future is awful.

 

[flynnibus]

My question is: since it doesn't affect your vacation at all, minus a few days that MK closes early - and you have 3 other parks, 2 water parks, DS, and resort hotels available - what difference does it make how many hard ticket events there are?????

You don't goto water parks at night
The other parks don't offer the late hours MK does (nor the ride density)
I don't goto Florida and pay $50-$100/day per person to tour hotels or walk around a mall
You realize the parties now impact EVERY WEEK From Sept through the end of the year? That's right... a full 1/3 of the year have these parties interrupting people's visiting patterns.

That's "whats the difference"

Do we need to go back and remind you what these parties used to be and their costs?

 

[flynnibus]

Where Moments and Memories Have No [Revenue] Limits

Was probably the original slogan

 

[ford91exploder]

We're never going to see eye-to-eye on this. I'm looking at it from the perspective of how it used to be, where we'd close the parks every night when MK was open until 11, 12, or 1 and Epcot generally closed at 10. If Disney shortened their park hours further and closed all parks at 7pm every night, and then had hard-ticketed events every night, I'm sure you could still look on the bright side and have a nice trip watching movies by the pool and riding the monorail around but this isn't my point.

Precisely my issues with the current park scheduling.

 

[ford91exploder]

29 MNNSHP dates from 9/2 thru 10/31 (60 days total), or on average one MNSSHP every other night. Public ticket prices ranging from $72(A)/$67(C) to $105(A)/$100(C).

21 MVMCP dates from Nov-7 thru Dec-22 (46 days total), or an average of one MVMCP just about every other night. Public ticket prices ranging from $86(A)/$81(C) to $99(A)/$94(C).

That's a helluva lot of money in Disney's pocket for hard-ticket events, which is obviously why they are pushing them and continue to push them. For the first Halloween party, held on one day in October 1979, MK was open until 9pm (which was pretty much the daily norm back then), and then the special event started. Today, they close the parks early (when was the last time MK was only open until 7pm?).

If hard-ticket events were once or twice per week, I would have no problem with that and could (and have) easily work my vacations around it. But 3-4 times a week? To sit there and say, "well, that's no problem, I'll just do something else" is either disingenuous or intellectually dishonest. On those nights with no hard-ticket event, there is now no longer a nighttime parade, just 'Wishes!' and a somewhat-cheesy castle projection show. On the nights when there is a party, there is no nighttime parade, there is no 'Wishes!', there is no somewhat-cheesy castle projection show. And on those MK hard-ticket event nights, the other parks (that are open past sunset) are going to be more crowded with guests who want to see ROE, Fantasmic! (if it's running), or the SW Spectacular. Will RoL help alleviate that? Time till tell, but I suspect it won't help as much as some think/hope it will.

As someone who has visited the parks for almost 40 years, and has spent tens of thousands of dollars on WDW vacations and associated expenses (including purchasing a DVC membership over 10 years ago), I refuse to happily go along with (the now pretty damn expensive) sleight-of-hand that is being substituted for the rides and attractions that used to be the norm. I don't visit WDW to go to a bunch of overpriced restaurants, or to watch street entertainment. I go because I like the theme parks, the rides, the attractions. And that is where the value for the price paid has fallen off dramatically for my family, particularly with the introduction of the FP+ system. Disney is treating guests like sheep - Plan nearly every detail of your vacation out 6 months in advance (to maximize THE MAGIC!!!), arrive excited for THE MAGIC, line up for THE MAGIC, meet some MAGICAL characters, have your MAGICAL picture taken, buy some MAGICAL souvenirs, and go home. Oh, and don't forget about the gobs and gobs of MAGICAL pixie dust to enhance your MAGICAL vacation experience!!!! If that's what makes your vacation's magical, more power to you, but it doesn't float my boat in the least.

I demand better from Disney, because not only can they can do better, they have done better in the past. Sadly, that sort of "we can do it and do it better than anyone else" spirit has been sucked out of the company and deposited into the nearest trash can (not named 'PUSH'), replaced with a mantra of "do just enough, as cheaply as possible". That is nothing more than short-term thinking for a company that has been lacking in any sort of long-term vision for more than a decade. In the past, Disney would have figured out how to put a Star Wars-themed land into a place like DHS and it would have had more than two rides/attractions. That's an insult, as far as I'm concerned, and shows how the Weatherman and his 'YES' men, like Chappie, have corrupted a once-great company with their on-the-cheap-rules-the-game philosophy. Bean counters rule the roost, creative is an expense, and guests are simply walking ATMs.

Don't forget WDW and to a lesser extent DL are ATM's to fund the Weatherman's ill advised ventures in other areas like the international parks (Disney Owned) which have and continue to be a source of losses. As the revenue generated at domestic P&R is definitely not reinvested in domestic P&R which barely get enough money to keep the ATM running.

 

[21stamps]

You don't goto water parks at night
The other parks don't offer the late hours MK does (nor the ride density)
I don't goto Florida and pay $50-$100/day per person to tour hotels or walk around a mall
You realize the parties now impact EVERY WEEK From Sept through the end of the year? That's right... a full 1/3 of the year have these parties interrupting people's visiting patterns.

That's "whats the difference"

Do we need to go back and remind you what these parties used to be and their costs?

Right. 4 months out of 12...still easily avoidable..but if u still want to go during those 3 months-the parties are not every night per week, so still avoidable. Did you see my post yesterday?
I'm asking honestly- how many MK nights do most people do in a 7-10 day stay?

If you were there 9 nights would you really need 6 or more at MK?
Do the majority of people spend 6 or more nights at MK?

 

[flynnibus]

Right. 4 months out of 12...still easily avoidable..but if u still want to go during those 3 months-the parties are not every night per week, so still avoidable. Did you see my post yesterday?
I'm asking honestly- how many MK nights do most people do in a 7-10 day stay?

If you were there 9 nights would you really need 6 or more at MK?
Do the majority of people spend 6 or more nights at MK?

Having to avoid 1/4 of the year is not trivial. That's like saying Florida isn't hot... Because it's only part of the year you can avoid.

When you have park hoppers... MK is huge in your plans because it's the only park open late most nights. can you steer around it... Most of the time. Should you have to? No. Does Disney give you any credit for reduced park availability? No.

If this was some very low frequency thing... Like once or twice a month... It would be in a different bucket. Instead it's something that impacts the park and visitors now for the entire final quarter of the year.

When I visited last and we were there Thursday-sat.... This is not something trivial and "just go somewhere else"

 

[21stamps]

Having to avoid 1/4 of the year is not trivial. That's like saying Florida isn't hot... Because it's only part of the year you can avoid.

When you have park hoppers... MK is huge in your plans because it's the only park open late most nights. can you steer around it... Most of the time. Should you have to? No. Does Disney give you any credit for reduced park availability? No.

If this was some very low frequency thing... Like once or twice a month... It would be in a different bucket. Instead it's something that impacts the park and visitors now for the entire final quarter of the year.

When I visited last and we were there Thursday-sat.... This is not something trivial and "just go somewhere else"

I was just hoping to point out that there are plenty of other times to go to MK...as well as the reality that most travelers do not spend every evening of their trip in that park.

Your view is- "I should have the option to go whenever I want, regardless of if I would have actually wanted to go or not."

My view is- It's a choice to go, the schedule is known several months in advance, and it's easily worked around. So instead of ranting and raving, maybe take a look at it realistically.

The park is technically open til 10 I think? Anything beyond that is an extension that isn't owed on your ticket. Epcot closes at 9 or 9:30? So it's 30-60 minutes that's the huge deal?
You must hate Universal's hours, higher priced single day ticket and parks close much earlier than WDW.

It's ok, you don't have to answer. I give up. People would rather complain than actually look at the big picture.

 

[ford91exploder]

I was just hoping to point out that there are plenty of other times to go to MK...as well as the reality that most travelers do not spend every evening of their trip in that park.

Your view is- "I should have the option to go whenever I want, regardless of if I would have actually wanted to go or not."

My view is- It's a choice to go, the schedule is known several months in advance, and it's easily worked around. So instead of ranting and raving, maybe take a look at it realistically.

Some people don't have options to visit WDW at 'Other Times' Educators and Manufacturing people whose vacation time is limited to the annual plant maintenance shutdown come to mind immediately. So they are automatically second class guests at Disney because their only option is to visit during the 'sell the park twice, money grab days" Hm?. Many in the armed forces only get leave during this time as well.

Put down the pixie dust straw and step away from the Disney Kool-Aid pitcher, There are those of us who remember when the parties were far fewer in number and started later at night so as not to inconvenience the day guests.

 

[21stamps]

Some people don't have options to visit WDW at 'Other Times' Educators and Manufacturing people whose vacation time is limited to the annual plant maintenance shutdown come to mind immediately. So they are automatically second class guests at Disney because their only option is to visit during the 'sell the park twice, money grab days" Hm?. Many in the armed forces only get leave during this time as well.

Put down the pixie dust straw and step away from the Disney Kool-Aid pitcher, There are those of us who remember when the parties were far fewer in number and started later at night so as not to inconvenience the day guests.

Right, and as I said- during my November/December trip there are 5 nights that do not have a party. It's not about pixie dust, it's about being rational. The glass doesn't always have to be half empty.

P.s. You gave me an idea for a poll.lol

 

[SorcererMC]

People would rather complain than actually look at the big picture.

The big picture is that TWDC is splitting the WDW consumer market via price discrimination on a daily basis by breaking up the park hours into 1. regular park admission and 2. 'special event' (ie additional) admission, whereby regular admission guests are booted from the park. The only way they can implement it successfully is because they have sufficient market share (~70%)/ monopoly. While Disney has maintained a monopoly on the theme park experience, historically this is not how they have treated their guests; it's pay to play. It's not simply a matter of choosing not to go, it's TWDC making that choice for you by rationing park hours and monetizing them beyond historical norms.

PS. How does anyone's negative reaction/ complaint to this pricing strategy affect your personal experience or your consumer choice, or why does it have any bearing whatsoever? A negative reaction is equally as rational as a positive one - it is a normal response to the signals given by the pricing structure.

 

[21stamps]

The big picture is that TWDC is splitting the WDW consumer market via price discrimination on a daily basis by breaking up the park hours into 1. regular park admission and 2. 'special event' (ie additional) admission, whereby regular admission guests are booted from the park. The only way they can implement it successfully is because they have sufficient market share (~70%)/ monopoly. While Disney has maintained a monopoly on the theme park experience, historically this is not how they have treated their guests; it's pay to play. It's not simply a matter of choosing not to go, it's TWDC making that choice for you by rationing park hours and monetizing them beyond historical norms.

PS. How does anyone's negative reaction/ complaint to this pricing strategy affect your personal experience or your consumer choice, or why does it have any bearing whatsoever? A negative reaction is equally as rational as a positive one - it is a normal response to the signals given by the pricing structure.

There are a lot of people who seem to enjoy the parties though. I'm going for the first time during the holiday season, and MVMCP is one of the main reasons. So for some people the party is an advantage.

The complaints don't impact my experience at the parks.. They are just overwhelming here. I don't have a 4g problem with you (even though you and I disagree on almost every thread lol), or anyone else that I've been responding to. I just attempted, and seemingly failed, at pointing out that it really isn't as bad as it seems. If someone actually wanted to take a trip during this time of year that it is completely practical to still have plenty of nights at the Magic Kingdom even without attending a party.

 

[LuvtheGoof]

The big picture is that TWDC is splitting the WDW consumer market via price discrimination on a daily basis by breaking up the park hours into 1. regular park admission and 2. 'special event' (ie additional) admission, whereby regular admission guests are booted from the park. The only way they can implement it successfully is because they have sufficient market share (~70%)/ monopoly. While Disney has maintained a monopoly on the theme park experience, historically this is not how they have treated their guests; it's pay to play. It's not simply a matter of choosing not to go, it's TWDC making that choice for you by rationing park hours and monetizing them beyond historical norms.

One thing that most of the negative crowd is overlooking is that people are paying for the parties in droves. Why? Easy. Because the park is a lot less crowded, and people - like myself - are more than willing to pay for it. Disney has pitched the parks in such a way that there really isn't a "slow" period anymore. So many will pay extra for less crowds. It really is that simple.

 

[Bocabear]

That is the truth...we have gone to the Halloween party many times just for this reason...