Passholders can bring a friend for $79. Response to attendance dip?

[Paula Sedley-Burke]

I thought about offering this to friends of ours there at the same time but don't have APs but they said their hopper works out cheaper per day. So I was then confused who this would appeal to. Friends from out of town just going for one day maybe?

On the postive side does this mean less crowded. Why then can I not get the ADR I wanted! How strange.

 

[lockedoutlogic]

I don't think they are happy with attendance being down, even if revenue is up. They are just putting a positive spin on it if they say that.

They want those parks packed as much as possible at the highest price year round. They make more money that way, they have no real intention of reducing crowds, why would they?

After just a "tad" of thought over the last two decades or so...

...I think they are as much focused on maintaining certain price guidelines than they ever have been...

That's not just them...the real estate crash for many retailers...

They had to discont so significantly that in the recovery since 2012 they have jack consumer prices to ridiculous levels to compensate and are not eager to discount as before. Even if it's caused huge business problems...like gap and Ralph Lauren.

 

[Madonna3]

So, I posted this on my facebook page. I don't have a lot of "friends", but I have quite a few who have expressed interest in Disney, but none own an annual pass. I invited anyone who wanted to go to Disney to pick a day during the promotion and come with me. Out of the 20 or so people I expected to be interested, only one was and that's the one who has been on the fence about an annual pass for a few years.

Now I am wondering if this is in response to attendance dip or if this is in response to fewer passholders due to the new pricing structure and benefits.

 

[lockedoutlogic]

So, I posted this on my facebook page. I don't have a lot of "friends", but I have quite a few who have expressed interest in Disney, but none own an annual pass. I invited anyone who wanted to go to Disney to pick a day during the promotion and come with me. Out of the 20 or so people I expected to be interested, only one was and that's the one who has been on the fence about an annual pass for a few years.

Now I am wondering if this is in response to attendance dip or if this is in response to fewer passholders due to the new pricing structure and benefits.

Valid hypthosis(es)

...I think it's just another mediocre promotion (5 years of those)...to lure some fringe business in during the slowest month of the year.

Like back in the spring when the DVC "ticket offer" was $10 off 4+ days.

 

[beer dave]

Valid hypthosis(es)

...I think it's just another mediocre promotion (5 years of those)...to lure some fringe business in during the slowest month of the year.

Like back in the spring when the DVC "ticket offer" was $10 off 4+ days.

If you buy two bottles of water the savings is blown....

 

[adisneyaunt]

If I were closer I'd gladly offer up the 79. Deal to new "friends"
Disney is making MORE money but getting LESS visitors, this promo is just another attempt to bring in more people and get more AP holders thru the doors thus making even More money. Sounds smart to me.
My AP ends soon, not sure we ll be renewing. Still on the fence.

 

[Disco]

Keep in mind that foreign tourism is down so there are factors that Disney can't predict. Add that on top of the price hikes and they probably had a bigger dip in attendance than what they were expecting.

 

[lockedoutlogic]

Keep in mind that foreign tourism is down so there are factors that Disney can't predict. Add that on top of the price hikes and they probably had a bigger dip in attendance than what they were expecting.

Agreed...and they aren't even getting as big of a dip as they DESERVE.

they declared war on their annual passholders in the US...and that was based on a pumped up chest from one time travel in unstable markets/economies...

That's a lack of strategic thought/planning.

 

[OldsDr]

Agreed...and they aren't even getting as big of a dip as they DESERVE.

they declared war on their annual passholders in the US...and that was based on a pumped up chest from one time travel in unstable markets/economies...

That's a lack of strategic thought/planning.

Has there been enough time for the latest price hikes to fully be felt in attendance numbers? I would think that most people are booking many months out and are already locked in, so these latest hikes (earlier this year) had some effect, but their full effect is still 6 months out. Unless I am miss-remembering when the latest hikes occurred.

 

[lockedoutlogic]

Has there been enough time for the latest price hikes to fully be felt in attendance numbers? I would think that most people are booking many months out and are already locked in, so these latest hikes (earlier this year) had some effect, but their full effect is still 6 months out. Unless I am miss-remembering when the latest hikes occurred.

Uh huh...exactly...

There's actually a national downturn in travel just starting...there's been some press on it this year. Airlines are the first to bellyache. Hotel operators will be next.

The theory is that the credit market is taxed again...and a correction is starting. That's in full force overseas.

So the travel "boom" now are those that say "well...we might as well now because we may not next year..."

And they don't even know it...it's a psychological instinct based in the subliminal due to larger economic fear.

I think whatever inexperienced twits that twdc company has doing its market analysis these last few years from Wharton (likely the bottom of the class so they'll take $50,000 a year...) are blind to this.

"But how can so many rich, smart people working at a global conglomerate be so dumb?"

...it happens all the time. We are seeing it within Disney at ESPN and in more embarassing fashion in big names like apple.

Sell the same crap...push the price over the cliff.

 

[Josh Hendy]

"But how can so many rich, smart people working at a global conglomerate be so dumb?"

...it happens all the time. We are seeing it within Disney at ESPN and in more embarassing fashion in big names like apple.

Sell the same crap...push the price over the cliff.

We see it as dumb because we're fans for the long term and whatever happens we still want the company and the theme parks to be thriving in 5, 10, 20 years.

But do the major shareholders and investment analysts care even 1/100 as much about the state of the company in 5 years as they care about this current quarter and this current fiscal year?

It's dumb alright ... but it's dumb on demand, driven by financial uncertainty and desperation.

 

[lockedoutlogic]

We see it as dumb because we're fans for the long term and whatever happens we still want the company and the theme parks to be thriving in 5, 10, 20 years.

But do the major shareholders and investment analysts care even 1/100 as much about the state of the company in 5 years as they care about this current quarter and this current fiscal year?

It's dumb alright ... but it's dumb on demand, driven by financial uncertainty and desperation.

I don't disagree...

Which is why I'm stuck and barked at for being a "hater" by short sighted twits around here when I point out the big issues.

 

[LAS2AMS]

So, I posted this on my facebook page. I don't have a lot of "friends", but I have quite a few who have expressed interest in Disney, but none own an annual pass. I invited anyone who wanted to go to Disney to pick a day during the promotion and come with me. Out of the 20 or so people I expected to be interested, only one was and that's the one who has been on the fence about an annual pass for a few years.

Now I am wondering if this is in response to attendance dip or if this is in response to fewer passholders due to the new pricing structure and benefits.

Disney historically offers discounted tickets during off-peak travel periods. For example, a plethora of popular online travel agencies offer discounted passes every fall, either standalone or in conjunction with an air/hotel package (not limited to Disney hotel). My sister-in-law worked for the Disney Store and a couple years ago received a few bonus friends & family vouchers for $69/1-day passes. There's also discounted convention ("after 5PM") tickets, etc.

I'm sure the breadth of offerings is heavily dependent on attendance projections but honestly, I don't see a $79/1-day friends & family pass to be out-of-the-ordinary.

 

[kapicka]

We would love to bring friends if they have a deal like this at Disneyland - but I don't think the attendance numbers have dipped much (if at all) so pricing stays crazy high with no special offers

 

[Madonna3]

Disney historically offers discounted tickets during off-peak travel periods. For example, a plethora of popular online travel agencies offer discounted passes every fall, either standalone or in conjunction with an air/hotel package (not limited to Disney hotel). My sister-in-law worked for the Disney Store and a couple years ago received a few bonus friends & family vouchers for $69/1-day passes. There's also discounted convention ("after 5PM") tickets, etc.

I'm sure the breadth of offerings is heavily dependent on attendance projections but honestly, I don't see a $79/1-day friends & family pass to be out-of-the-ordinary.

I disagree. For quite a while now, Disney has been telling the general public to stop getting used to discounts and that they were going to "price correct". They justified raising ticket and passholder prices to "be in line with the value of entertainment they provide." Now, not only are hotel discounts coming out one after the other, but now they're attempting to get their fan base to bring more people in during a historically slower time, thereby setting an expectation to possibly new passholders.

 

[lockedoutlogic]

I disagree. For quite a while now, Disney has been telling the general public to stop getting used to discounts and that they were going to "price correct". They justified raising ticket and passholder prices to "be in line with the value of entertainment they provide." Now, not only are hotel discounts coming out one after the other, but now they're attempting to get their fan base to bring more people in during a historically slower time, thereby setting an expectation to possibly new passholders.

Right...but that's why you shouldn't make the mistake of believing anything they say...their promises are written on toilet paper and even more disposable.

For me...the straw broke around 2012-2013 when Iger kept going to those spineless "sun valley" type seminars and stock symposiums and complained over and over again about the discounts...

The housing crash was the single biggest nail in the coffin of the traditional American middle class - which was the designed customer for Disneyland and WDW...

But bob is too vain to understand that. I found his comments to be economically and socially Ignorant. And bad business.

 

[Madonna3]

Right...but that's why you shouldn't make the mistake of believing anything they say...their promises are written on toilet paper and even more disposable.

For me...the straw broke around 2012-2013 when Iger kept going to those spineless "sun valley" type seminars and stock symposiums and complained over and over again about the discounts...

The housing crash was the single biggest nail in the coffin of the traditional American middle class - which was the designed customer for Disneyland and WDW...

But bob is too vain to understand that. I found his comments to be economically and socially Ignorant. And bad business.

I don't believe anything they say. That's why I disagree about this particular promotion being "ordinary"

 

[TexasErin]

We would love to bring friends if they have a deal like this at Disneyland - but I don't think the attendance numbers have dipped much (if at all) so pricing stays crazy high with no special offers

We are planning a DLR trip in May and I've been wondering if I should hold off buying our APs. For my family of four, I'm planning on buying a Signature AP (for $829 after the oh-so-gracious DVC discount of a whole $20) and three Deluxe APs. The signature AP will get us a better discount on food. And we'll still have to buy a one-day ticket for the three members of my family with deluxe APs to be able to go on a blocked day. I wish I had a crystal ball to see if they might offer some discounts after the 60th is over and PTN is no longer being shown (at least for awhile, if rumors are correct...)

 

[ChipnDale79]

We are planning a DLR trip in May and I've been wondering if I should hold off buying our APs. For my family of four, I'm planning on buying a Signature AP (for $829 after the oh-so-gracious DVC discount of a whole $20) and three Deluxe APs. The signature AP will get us a better discount on food. And we'll still have to buy a one-day ticket for the three members of my family with deluxe APs to be able to go on a blocked day. I wish I had a crystal ball to see if they might offer some discounts after the 60th is over and PTN is no longer being shown (at least for awhile, if rumors are correct...)

This post kinda outlines how difficult it can be to plan a disney vacation....IMO.

You've got to buy a certain AP, and then maybe a one day ticket because of a blackout date, but then you've got to buy them at the right time in case of discounts.

 

[TexasErin]

This post kinda outlines how difficult it can be to plan a disney vacation....IMO.

You've got to buy a certain AP, and then maybe a one day ticket because of a blackout date, but then you've got to buy them at the right time in case of discounts.

Exactly! And it's always a gamble....wait and hope for a discount, but maybe have the prices go up instead?? It looks like we will be spending almost $3K on tickets for our family of four, which is truly insanity. If they offered a 10-day pass that would solve our problems, as we are not the usual DLR visitors, but like to spend a whole solid 10 days there to give us plenty of time to repeat favorites and be able to soak everything in.