Tiered/surge park pricing coming soon

[mom2rtk]

well.... if their intent is to slow down crowds in busy season it might just work.... but IDK.... I also assume that 'slow' prices won't decrease,just be 'less' than high season..... overall it seems like a horrendous money grab....just greedy. Now I know it's a business,but when it starts feeling more like money grubbing and less like money well spent....it just feels wrong. That said I always travel in slower times, but it still feels all wrong. It should just cost a certain amount,and let that be that.

I don't think their goal is to slow down crowds in the busy season. I think their intention is to find a way to grow revenue when crowds are already at or near capacity.

If they had invested in the parks infrastructure years ago, this would not be a problem.

 

[disneynutz]

well.... if their intent is to slow down crowds in busy season it might just work.... but IDK.... I also assume that 'slow' prices won't decrease,just be 'less' than high season..... overall it seems like a horrendous money grab....just greedy. Now I know it's a business,but when it starts feeling more like money grubbing and less like money well spent....it just feels wrong. That said I always travel in slower times, but it still feels all wrong. It should just cost a certain amount,and let that be that.

I agree, it's a money grab. Charge more for high attendance periods and black out available discounts.

Bill

 

[Hootch]

In a way Disney has been using pricing to temper crowds with their annual pass pricing. WDW has Florida annual passes that allow a person to go to the parks any day of the year, ones that have some dates blacked out and some that don't allow weekend visits. Disneyland also has annual passes that allow people in every day, limit access during heavy times and ones that work for weekdays and non holidays.

 

[dlavender]

One of the many reasons we homeschool.

Same here!

 

[disneynutz]

In a way Disney has been using pricing to temper crowds with their annual pass pricing. WDW has Florida annual passes that allow a person to go to the parks any day of the year, ones that have some dates blacked out and some that don't allow weekend visits. Disneyland also has annual passes that allow people in every day, limit access during heavy times and ones that work for weekdays and non holidays.

IMO it's more about filling the parks during slower times than deterring visits during the busiest times.

Bill

 

[Miss Monorail 1971]

Devil's Advocate here.... Higher prices but less people attending........ Same revenue but lower crowds......better guest experience.

 

[AquaDame]

Devil's Advocate here.... Higher prices but less people attending........ Same revenue but lower crowds......better guest experience.

better guest experience = higher crowds. I agree the end game here is full parks and resorts year round for as much money as they can get. Yes, yes, thats just good business i know.

 

[Lorilais_mommie]

Wait, illegal? Or are you just saying the school will penalize families who do this? (Unexcused absences,
Etc)

Depends on your jurisdiction but "truancy" has been expanded to encompass just about everything nowadays.

To quote a Chicago public school official (who thought her mic was off) "We have to have the [butts] in the seats" ... "every single day, we can't afford to have absences, we need that money" Funny coming from a woman whose salary is $350,000 a year plus benefits and a boatload of days offs a year.

Schools were getting insane about it 3-4 years ago. My first born was a straight A student (as were all my children) and we don't vacation during peak season. Doing the responsible thing we planned ahead and asked for her assignments as we normally would do. 'Oh no, you can't have them'.... 'you can't do that'...

Pathetic. That was the straw that broke the camels back, the principle was begging us to bring them back after we withdrew them. Sorry, not sorry.

Public schools are a joke, between not being able to take your children on a vacation anymore to idiotic zero tolerance policies, don't even get me started on common core, they do more harm than good at this point, it's no wonder home schooling has quadrupled in the past 5 years.

Schools get paid by the 'rear ends' in the seats each day. If a child misses 5 days of school, the school misses 5 payments. They (the administrators at least) want their $$$, they could careless about anything else, my experience(s) and open mics prove it.

Same here in MA...
I took my daughter out for 6 days two years ago..( 2nd grade- she was reading and testing WELL above grade level)
You would have thought I had committed some crime with the amount my phone calls and letters I had upon returning home.
I happen to have a doctors appt for my daughter the afternoon we return..
I explained to the doctor why I was a little upset. She knew my husband does not pick when he get vacation and has to take what is given to him..
she wrote a LONG note to the school and attached a scientific study about how traveling as a family can offer more befit than sitting in classroom..

The princapal called me and told me he was sorry about the amount of the messages received and that they legally have to send them out. We had a long talk about how schools get funded and how important family time as well..
At the end of the convo. We agreed that i would do my best NOT to plan family trips around standardize testing days (normally in May) I believe they also have thier "count day" around there too..

Ps. The 6 days she originaly missed were not test or count days. However it is sad how the make parents feel like they are criminals for WANTING to spend some family fun time with their own children!

 

[bwang123]

Yep, they call a truancy officer. People were reporting this on another thread in the past. I believe it was in Texas.

I don't know the exact number of absences that causes a truancy but you are not going to get in trouble for taking your kid out of school for a week in Texas. I live in Texas and have taken our daughter out a week every year she has been in school with no issues from the school or state or grades.

 

[JOE DELL]

I don't know the exact number of absences that causes a truancy but you are not going to get in trouble for taking your kid out of school for a week in Texas. I live in Texas and have taken our daughter out a week every year she has been in school with no issues from the school or state or grades.

It's getting out of control, apparently letting your kid walk to/from school or to a library is a crime in some states.

 

[RRuszczyk]

Depends on your jurisdiction but "truancy" has been expanded to encompass just about everything nowadays.

To quote a Chicago public school official (who thought her mic was off) "We have to have the [butts] in the seats" ... "every single day, we can't afford to have absences, we need that money" Funny coming from a woman whose salary is $350,000 a year plus benefits and a boatload of days offs a year.

Schools were getting insane about it 3-4 years ago. My first born was a straight A student (as were all my children) and we don't vacation during peak season. Doing the responsible thing we planned ahead and asked for her assignments as we normally would do. 'Oh no, you can't have them'.... 'you can't do that'...

Pathetic. That was the straw that broke the camels back, the principle was begging us to bring them back after we withdrew them. Sorry, not sorry.

Public schools are a joke, between not being able to take your children on a vacation anymore to idiotic zero tolerance policies, don't even get me started on common core, they do more harm than good at this point, it's no wonder home schooling has quadrupled in the past 5 years.

Schools get paid by the 'rear ends' in the seats each day. If a child misses 5 days of school, the school misses 5 payments. They (the administrators at least) want their $$$, they could careless about anything else, my experience(s) and open mics prove it.

One of the many reasons we homeschool.

Good to know neither one of you know anything about actual educational policy.

 

[EvieBug]

The issue for the schools is that their state and federal funding is now tied to attendance and the district monitors the attendance. Their pay treatment is partially determined by their attendance numbers in their classrooms.

Bill

See now maybe times have really changed, but how is being out for a week enough of an 'attendance blip' to affect funding? Don't kids get sick anymore? What if my kid has to have a surgery and is out for a week? That's okay because it's doctor approved? I fail to see how a stranger (dr) has more clout than I would in excusing something - if my kid is sick a day I call and "excuse" her absence. Why would a vacation be any different?

Truly mind boggling. When I was a kid, kids got things like mono or chicken pox and were out for weeks at a time. No big whoop unless they could not keep up with the work at home.

 

[RRuszczyk]

See now maybe times have really changed, but how is being out for a week enough of an 'attendance blip' to affect funding? Don't kids get sick anymore? What if my kid has to have a surgery and is out for a week? That's okay because it's doctor approved? I fail to see how a stranger (dr) has more clout than I would in excusing something - if my kid is sick a day I call and "excuse" her absence. Why would a vacation be any different?

Truly mind boggling. When I was a kid, kids got things like mono or chicken pox and were out for weeks at a time. No big whoop unless they could not keep up with the work at home.

Because they truly have no idea how schools are funded. They're just making stuff up.

 

[EvieBug]

Because they truly have no idea how schools are funded. They're just making stuff up.

Well thats good to know. LOL! I am not actually worried but I did just email the principal and her teacher to notify them so there is time for drama if there needs to be. No way either of them would feel there is any academic reason not to pull her for a week so if there is any pushback it would be because of administrative hoops. I'm not even expecting that though.

 

[cjparker0110]

It's hard to imagine that Disney would let this leak if it weren't already a done deal.

Actually, I could see them leaking it to see how people respond to it before making it a done deal. If the responses aren't overly terrible, they will probably do it. If they get a lot of flack for it, they won't. I think it's terrible because it will end up punishing those people who really cannot travel any time except for during the peak seasons. Even if you are in schools where you can take your kids out for a weak, some parents won't because it sends a message that education isn't as important as fun. And some kids may not be doing well enough for their parents to want to pull them. I'm glad we are going to home school our children. I can't imagine putting them through the prison...oops I meant school....system.

 

[GreatLakes]

Surge pricing is not really anything new in the travel industry. Disney has had surge pricing for a while. The fact they are applying it to ticket prices isn't a big deal when you consider it is already being used at buffet restaurants and in the resorts. The plane you flew down in or the gas for your car you drove down in is also priced based at least partially on demand.

If people are more willing to pay a higher price at certain times it only makes sense to charge that higher price. Will it decrease crowds overall? Probably not but I don't think that is the goal. They are trying to increase the per-guest profit at the busiest times because that is also when the per-guest cost is highest. Another goal is to spread the crowds out and encourage locals and other lower profit guests to visit at non-peak times. Disney doesn't want slow times, they want a relatively flat attendance curve because it leads to operational efficiency. In a perfect world going on a level 2 crowd day and level 9 crowd day should feel the exact same because the difference between the 2nd and 9th attendance percentile should be so small it is imperceptible to the guest.

Disney spent $2 billion on a data warehouse and analytics system. It isn't really a surprise they are using that data to better monetize guests. I'd be disappointed in them if they didn't.

 

[5kidsmommy]

Good to know neither one of you know anything about actual educational policy.

Never mind, I don't need to defend myself from some moron on the internet.

 

[wendow]

I'm glad we are going to home school our children.

I have hs'ed mine since the beginning, and my oldest is 10th this year. What a wonderful journey it has been, and I have never regretted the decision. Getting to visit WDW in the off season is just icing on the cake.

 

[MolonLabe]

Because they truly have no idea how schools are funded. They're just making stuff up.

No, we're not. Funny how with all the other replies, you are the only one to try and act like we are.

Well thats good to know. LOL!

It's amazing how quickly some people will "LOL" it off, without a shred of proof except one person saying 'making stuff up'.

Never mind, I don't need to defend myself from some moron on the internet.

I'd usually agree but since the person saying "they're just making stuff up" actually tricked someone into believing it, I will respond. For the sake of any other people being fooled by a person offering nothing to back up their baseless accuasions.

The Google is a simple and easy tool. You can ask it almost anything and you will get answers, in the case of "school funding child count" (if you live outside the US, specify US schools) you'll get thousands of hits, each one detailing schools and districts from all over the country.

Here is just one of the thousands of stories you can read-
http://www.kpbs.org/news/2011/jun/27/chronically-absent-students-cost-county-schools-mi/

There is this gem out of California

During the 2009-2010 term, traditional public schools in San Diego County lost out on at least $102 million in state funding because of absences, according to data gathered by KPBS and the Watchdog Institute, an investigative reporting nonprofit based at San Diego State University. That figure totaled $624 million over the past five years.

The attendance-based funding formula puts a bounty on the heads of students, forcing schools to meticulously track their absences – placing dollar amounts next to their names.

We aren't making anything up. It's all pubic information and readily available as you can clearly see.

 

[JohnDaleswife]

Depends on your jurisdiction but "truancy" has been expanded to encompass just about everything nowadays.

To quote a Chicago public school official (who thought her mic was off) "We have to have the [butts] in the seats" ... "every single day, we can't afford to have absences, we need that money" Funny coming from a woman whose salary is $350,000 a year plus benefits and a boatload of days offs a year.

Schools were getting insane about it 3-4 years ago. My first born was a straight A student (as were all my children) and we don't vacation during peak season. Doing the responsible thing we planned ahead and asked for her assignments as we normally would do. 'Oh no, you can't have them'.... 'you can't do that'...

Pathetic. That was the straw that broke the camels back, the principle was begging us to bring them back after we withdrew them. Sorry, not sorry.

Public schools are a joke, between not being able to take your children on a vacation anymore to idiotic zero tolerance policies, don't even get me started on common core, they do more harm than good at this point, it's no wonder home schooling has quadrupled in the past 5 years.

Schools get paid by the 'rear ends' in the seats each day. If a child misses 5 days of school, the school misses 5 payments. They (the administrators at least) want their $$$, they could careless about anything else, my experience(s) and open mics prove it.

I am starting to research homeschooling myself.