Bye-bye Under 3 Free!!!

[LisaRae87]

There is a premium for people who go to character meals and don't eat. It's an "entertainment fee". That way they stop people from going to character meals just to meet the characters and not to eat. We were charged this fee for our 3-month-old a few years ago. Kind of funny since she slept through the whole meal but it was worth it to see our older daughter enjoying herself!

Also - to be clear I am not complaining about paying the minor fee at all.. just confused as to why it happened.

And if what you say is correct - it means that, children under 3 are free to eat whatever they want at the buffet/family style meals.. but.. if they don't eat, you pay for them.. That makes no sense.

I get what you are saying about keeping people out that aren't there to eat - but your 3 month old? that is a little silly. I can understand paying for a kid that is going to eat, and $8 or $9 isn't bad considering the amount most kids under 3 eat and the fact that it is a character meal.. But if it is a small child that is still bottle fed and isn't going to be truly entertained (i.e sleep the whole time) why should they need to be paid for when a currently 2 year old that is chowing down on buffet food is supposed to be free?

 

[dadddio]

Ahh, the I got mine attitude.

No. It wasn't the 'I got mine' attitude. In fact, the amount of your money that actually came to us was really, really small. (You, too, can become one of the 'I got mine' elite for the small fee of something like $70.)

What it was was an attempt to answer your question with a bit of humor. Disney is a publicly-held company. It's profits flow to it's shareholders and it is required to provide reports which explain how the money gets spent.

You're company lost out on $3500 of my money this year because of that attitude.

You'rewelcomeverymuch.

It's a bummer mostly for you that you chose not to spend your money at Disney. It had no real effect on me whatsoever.

 

[dadddio]

Nope, did not order her anything special.. She just ate the family style food that was brought to our table and drank the juice that was provided and water.

As for normal TS and QS I usually order her own meal off of the kids menu unless I am not particularly hungry, then we share..

I think that the waiter at Ohana screwed up.

 

[tjkraz]

I get that, you've got yours and I've got mine, you just keep needling me because I have a different one than yours.

You were the first to respond to quote one of my posts and respond so I guess I have a different take on who is needling whom. Not to mention your branding posters "Disney apologists", making broad (derogatory) statements about how "consumers" act today, etc.

I feel I have the right to an opinion and have the right to say what I want, I've never said I know how to run their business better than they do. But I can tell you that I'm not the only one that because of inflated prices have decided to take a step back. To me, that says something as well.

Opinions are for things like favorite colors and songs. When you start whipping out "opinions" about how Disney could better run their business--and back it up with claims of a business degree--it implies some deeper understanding of the market, competition, pricing, revenue streams, profit margins, etc.

You're just a guy who wishes his vacation was cheaper.

There are always going to be people who cannot afford things that they want. Not all products are priced for mass consumption.

Don't think I've ever met a BBA I've met who a would render an opinion on a company's pricing model without knowing a thing about its financials. Most educated men understand that there are many different pricing approaches which can yield favorable results. They would want to take a long, hard look at the numbers before opining that the current model--which just yielded a 74% profit uptick--should be replaced.

 

[ChipnDale79]

You were the first to respond to quote one of my posts and respond so I guess I have a different take on who is needling whom. Not to mention your branding posters "Disney apologists", making broad (derogatory) statements about how "consumers" act today, etc.

Now you're accusing me of being derogatory? That's just flat out ridiculous.

Quite honestly I feel like you are needling me because you took this personal with me.

Opinions are for things like favorite colors and songs. When you start whipping out "opinions" about how Disney could better run their business--and back it up with claims of a business degree--it implies some deeper understanding of the market, competition, pricing, revenue streams, profit margins, etc.

You're just a guy who wishes his vacation was cheaper.

There are always going to be people who cannot afford things that they want. Not all products are priced for mass consumption.

Don't think I've ever met a BBA I've met who a would render an opinion on a company's pricing model without knowing a thing about its financials. Most educated men understand that there are many different pricing approaches which can yield favorable results. They would want to take a long, hard look at the numbers before opining that the current model--which just yielded a 74% profit uptick--should be replaced.

I thought this was a discussion board, and a part of that was offering our opinions on things? I didn't know that discussing Disney's business practices was a topic that can not be discussed. Since you've been on this forum longer than I have, can you please give me a list of things that we can't talk about? That I way I won't ruffle your feathers again.

I'm not spouting my opinion on CNBC or any other financial tv show or magazine. This is a Discussion Board for Disney, there's nothing wrong with someone expressing their opinion of Disney's business practices here. I can assure you I'm NOT the first person to ever do so on this board, or will not be the last to do it either.

I didn't back up my opinion with "I have a BSBA", I said I have a BSBA so you don't need to preach to me about economics and business, which you were doing. There's a big difference there.

If we were only allowed to have opinions about favorite colors and songs, this world would be a really scary place.
WOW.

 

[GWS]

 

[beer dave]

yellow.... no, blue!

 

[dadddio]

I have an MBA and I wish my vacation was cheaper and that I was able to score a BoG ADR. It isn't and I wasn't. Oh well.

 

[MonorailLime]

I think the jest here is that opinions are one thing to have. How we convey them, whether or not we've considered them at length to justify them, and whether we really know all of the information we need to form an educated opinion is the point.
Look, Disney is a business. The difference between Disney and McDonalds is that Disney offers a product that we emotionally connect with. We are drawn to Disney. Otherwise, we wouldn't be spending our free time in some Internet forum debating our thought process.
Times, however, are changing. International travel is becoming more accessible to a larger (Global) class of tourists. Disney is busier than it ever has been, because its good at what it does.
We assume the sun will come up tomorrow, give us warmth. We assume Its A Small World will always exist to serenade us. But neither of these are truths. The sun will die, it's a small world will close, Disney will change its market practice to current markets.
When did being a business become a bad thing? Maybe, with the higher demand, Disney NEEDS to market to a higher class to maintain its status. Who knows. We are affected because we are attached. We respond because we are attached.
I guess what I'm saying is that times are changing, and Disney needs to change with it. Whether or not we like the change doesn't much matter. It was made for a reason, and I'm above believing that its always for profit. Sometimes, just sometimes, the experience matters just as much.

 

[australiankaren]

 

[GrimGhost]

That's the case with any for-profit business. It's just a question of the path chosen to achieve the goal.

I'm sure you aren't the only one, but judging by Disney's recent financial report (Parks & Resorts profit up 74% compared to same time period last year), many people are choosing to pay Disney's prices.

We could spend all day debating the true state of the economy and its future prospects. But in the here-and-now, consumers are spending more. That usually results in businesses raising prices and not offering as many discounts. Look around and you'll see similar trends all across the retail landscape--restaurants, department stores, auto dealers, etc. The ones that are doing well have begun to inch-up prices and will have fewer sales & specials.

Those are certainly buying decisions every consumer must make. Many people consider a $4 hamburger, $400 cell phone or $40,000 car to be overpriced. Others don't bat an eye at it.

With regard to Disney, we have always taken the approach that we will spend whatever we are able and not be coerced into unneeded impulse purchases.

If airfare is too expensive, we'll drive. If character meals are too expensive, we'll dine elsewhere or cook in our hotel room. If we don't have money for park tickets, we'll skip a planned trip and take a longer one next time. If souvenirs are overpriced and poorly made, we simply do not buy them.

We probably do not spend as many days at the Disney parks today as we did 5 or 10 years ago, but I'm not going to spout venom at Disney over that decision. They only have so many seats each day at Cinderella's Royal Table and Chef Mickey's. Every business in the world would charge as much as possible to fill those seats. Same is true of capacity in the theme parks, hotel rooms, etc. As a business, you charge what the market will bear.

Tired of the Disney parks? Think it's overpriced? Absolutely go elsewhere. But realize that someone else will probably take your place. Disney's profits suggest that they aren't feeling much pain from the guests who decide to spend a day at Universal or Sea World.

Tim,

This may be one of the best worded defense of capitalism I have read in a while. Bravo sir.

 

[eeyorepixie]

It is condescending when people infer that you do not understand business or basic ecenomic. Blah, Blah, Blah.

As a consumer, I have made different choices due to the choices Disney made. This why I will not buy DVC and advised my DBIL to no do it either.

Disney has made profits, that was never in question. Disney is a business, that was never in question. People can be complacent sheep, that was never was in question.

But, does that make it right?

Consumers have choices, and we also have voices.

 

[beer dave]

It is condescending when people infer that you do not understand business or basic ecenomic. Blah, Blah, Blah.

As a consumer, I have made different choices due to the choices Disney made. This why I will not buy DVC and advised my DBIL to no do it either.

Disney has made profits, that was never in question. Disney is a business, that was never in question. People can be complacent sheep, that was never was in question.

But, does that make it right?

Consumers have choices, and we also have voices.

So you are making a stand by not buying DVC, but you have your day counter up for your next trip? They don't care which avenue you take to their bank depository.

 

[dadddio]

It is condescending when people infer that you do not understand business or basic ecenomic. Blah, Blah, Blah.

As a consumer, I have made different choices due to the choices Disney made. This why I will not buy DVC and advised my DBIL to no do it either.

Disney has made profits, that was never in question. Disney is a business, that was never in question. People can be complacent sheep, that was never was in question.

But, does that make it right?

It kind of does make it right.

Disney isn't cheating anyone. They establish prices and you choose whether or not to pay them.

The same goes for services. They create MM+ and you decide what bits of it to take advantage of. One of their purposes for MM+ is to keep guests with Disney for their entire trip. Specifically, they believe that MM+ will result in people Preplanning their vacation and not being sidetracked from Disney on-the-fly. That's also one of the purposes of their having bus service to the airport and creating the dining plan. Still, every guest retains the freedom to plan their time the way that they choose.

(My post kind of veered into MM+, but I hope that you get my point. Establishing prices and policies is not a bad thing. High prices are not 'wrong'. They'r a bummer, but a company has a responsibility to its stockholders to raise prices if the market will allow it.

 

[eeyorepixie]

I make it a point to not get in pissing contest with skunks...because you both end up stinking...buh-bye!

 

[beer dave]

I make it a point to not get in pissing contest with skunks...because you both end up stinking...buh-bye!

Really? If you don't want to debate, don't make comments on a discussion forum, and also don't refer to people as skunks simply because they have different opinions than yours.

And you complain about condescending!

 

[Minnies Boy Toy]

I make it a point to not get in pissing contest with skunks...because you both end up stinking...buh-bye!

Good idea. This way it is just your argument, not you, that stinks.

 

[WDW in Pearls]

I'm a little late to the party here, but since when does having a business degree give you complete insight into a business? I have no idea what goes on internally at Disney, and I'm working on an MBA. Sure, I'd like stuff cheaper, but I'm still paying. And judging by the crowds when I visit the parks, other people are too.

 

[buckeev]

Agreed. Blame your neighbors, blame your co-workers, blame your in-laws. It is Disney adapting to our culture, not Disney trying to bend everyone over.

Cool...I like that part!!!

 

[hgeisler]

Perhaps the thread title could be changed so that people wouldn't rant about this issue without knowing that the rumor was incorrect.