WSJ: Even Disney Is Worried About The High Cost Of A Disney Vacation (gift link)

[Jrb1979]

The LL business model is built on the operative word - Fear.

WDW is coercing guests to pay more out fear their experience will be less. Just raise the ticket price to a single cost and guarantee the guest will have a great experience.

It' is built on that but it's also cause Disney got guests into the mindset that Standby is bad.

 

[networkpro]

Whoa. Rec.arts.disney.parks. I feel old. Which, as I'm sure you know, we both are. (No, we don't know each other, but if you know RADP, you're old)

I thought I was cool because I had an address with only two bangs!

 

[lazyboy97o]

I didn't say Epic's park visitation is going to be a disaster. I'm implying that Epic's attendance isn't likely to be as high as originally thought.

And you’re missing that there are enough new non-Universal hotel rooms to pack Epic Universe solid. There’s no history or reason for Universal park visitation to be tightly tied to their hotel occupancy. It’s possible for Universal hotel occupancy to be low and for Epic Universe to be incredibly busy.

 

[Disstevefan1]

The LL business model is built on the operative word - Fear.

WDW is coercing guests to pay more out fear their experience will be less. Just raise the ticket price to a single cost and guarantee the guest will have a great experience.

I agree with you. WDW gives a whole new meaning to the F word but I wish it was as easy as simply raising the gate price. The main problem is that there is not enough attractions in the parks to absorb the crowds.

This has been the problem for decades.

The LL business model is built on the F word but its also built on the lack of attractions.

 

[Disstevefan1]

How long until we see (or think) Disney operates three theme parks a day on a rotational basis???

About 6 months after EPIC opens

 

[Stripes]

Same reason Disney guests stay on site

Universal doesn’t have a bubble and their hotels lack immersive theming.

 

[Disstevefan1]

Universal doesn’t have a bubble and their hotels lack immersive theming.

Universal hotels are awesome and have great low prices.

 

[Stripes]

Universal hotels are awesome and have great low prices.

Dockside’s walls are paper thin. I couldn’t sleep and it basically ruined my trip.

 

[surfsupdon]

Universal doesn’t have a bubble and their hotels lack immersive theming.

What they may (or may not) lack in theming, they make up for with freshly prepared food court meals, outstanding locations near the parks, terrific amenities at all levels, and onsite customer service that is ready to problem solve and help at a moments notice.

 

[Stripes]

What they may (or may not) lack in theming, they make up for with freshly prepared food court meals, outstanding locations near the parks, terrific amenities at all levels, and onsite customer service that is ready to problem solve and help at a moments notice.

Disney has differentiated their resorts with immersive theming and a bubble that has provided an experience that off-site resorts can’t match.

There are plenty of off-site hotels that offer the same benefits or even better benefits than those offered by Universal/Loews because they haven’t differentiated themselves from the competition.

 

[surfsupdon]

Disney has differentiated their resorts with immersive theming and a bubble that has provided an experience that off-site resorts can’t match.

There are plenty of off-site hotels that offer the same benefits or even better benefits offered by Universal/Loews because they haven’t differentiated themselves from the competition.

You do not think Express Pass is a differentiated benefit that is enough? Or the ability to walk to two theme parks and a water park from six Resorts at all price points?

You also do not think that Disney Values and Mods should have fitness centers, waterslides, and hot tubs? Which is a standard at BELOW their price points? Offsite resorts cannot match that? Right?

I love Disney, trust me, but I am seeing their nonesense.

 

[Stripes]

You do not think Express Pass is a differentiated benefit that is enough? Or the ability to walk to two theme parks and a water park from six Resorts at all price points?

Express Pass can be purchased. Not a differentiator. It is also not included with any of their new Epic resorts. In fact, I can guarantee you Universal will strip Loews of free Express Passes from the existing deluxe resorts if they get the chance.

You also do not think that Disney Values and Mods should have fitness centers, waterslides, and hot tubs? Which is a standard at BELOW their price points? Offsite resorts cannot match that? Right?

Of course off-site resorts can match or exceed these amenities. They’re not differentiators. Off-site hotels have these amenities too.

 

[Tha Realest]

Dockside’s walls are paper thin. I couldn’t sleep and it basically ruined my trip.

At their most modestly priced resort? You don’t say. A very quick search shows similar complaints about the All Stars, Pop, and Coronado.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

It' is built on that but it's also cause Disney got guests into the mindset that Standby is bad.

People got so trained with FP+ that they feel they need LLMP.

If this was the first version of a line skipping system I bet it would get a lot less use and wouldn't be such an issue

 

[Dranth]

At their most modestly priced resort? You don’t say. A very quick search shows similar complaints about the All Stars, Pop, and Coronado.

The only two times I have stayed on property at Universal I had the same issue. Once at Adventura and once at Portofino. To be fair, I think Portofino may have just been really bad luck with the family that was next door but it was certainly noticeable how much more we heard vs. our stays at Disney.

 

[Stripes]

At their most modestly priced resort? You don’t say. A very quick search shows similar complaints about the All Stars, Pop, and Coronado.

I’ve stayed at Coronado twice. Never was an issue.

For less than $40/day difference, you can stay at Coronado instead of Dockside and get water slides, hot tubs, a fitness center, a gorgeously themed pool, easy access to much better restaurants. You name it. All of which Dockside lacks.

 

[lazyboy97o]

Dockside’s walls are paper thin. I couldn’t sleep and it basically ruined my trip.

That’s just part of the immersion in the prison aesthetic.

 

[Stripes]

That’s just part of the immersion in the prison aesthetic.

I suddenly feel terrible for prisoners LOL!

 

[RSoxNo1]

To further reiterate that this article means absolutely nothing, @lentesta intimated (not so subtly) on his latest podcast that ticket prices will be increasing soon.

Disney simply doesn't care about the narrative, or they're too obtuse to understand the reasons for flat attendance.

Edit: I see Len posted this in this thread as well.

Since it's price-related and relevant to this thread, I'm going to remind all of you who have not yet bought your date-based WDW tickets for later this year: this week is a great time to do that.

 

[Laketravis]

At their most modestly priced resort? You don’t say. A very quick search shows similar complaints about the All Stars, Pop, and Coronado.

You beat me to the punch - I've stayed at all of them and found Dockside / Cabana Bay to actually be quieter with their hallway room access as opposed to outside room access. Familes with excited kids heading to the parks at 7am or with crying kids returning at 10pm walking past our windows is the norm.