Anyone else think Disney is getting Greedy?

[DisUniversal]

Once again someone has to argue look what is going on down the rode! OMG Universal is opening something every year.

I like Universal I really do. Yes maybe they have opened new rides every year but how many of those rides have been transplants or redesigns of existing technology? Minions is a new overlay of an existing attraction, Transforms was brought over and had a quick build time because they had already spent the years of testing and construction on the CA version. The only thing that has been kind of innovative is Forbidden Journey. Disney does the same thing and gets raked over the coals for it.

We just got a new coaster and all I hear is complaints from people that it is too short or too kiddy. Guess what it is a super advance family coaster it isn't meant to be super thrilling or long.

Forbidden Journey is "kind of innovative" and 7DMT is a "Super advanced family coaster".

 

[Goofyuk]

Hasn't the VIP thing been around for like 5 years?

Yes tours which include rides have been around for decades, however they have recently removed a few and added some new ones which are themed around types of attraction rather than the park, so people are up in arms about how it's ruined Disney!

 

[Nwall81]

Since I moved here nearly 25 years ago, the price of a single day ticket has gone from $31 to $99 (or $95)....that's over 300% price increase. Prices for annual passes have gone up the same percentage. They've added very little in that time with the exception of Animal Kingdom which is for the most part an overpriced zoo. Hopefully "Avatarland" will change that.

They may be supplying what their customers are demanding today, but I feel they are risking alienating a future generation of customers.

The price of gas was well below 1.00$ 25 years ago.. im missing your point..
all Disney has done was raised prices for inflation.. and it's not 300% of an increase 31x2 is 62 which would be 100% so another 31 is 93$. That would be an increase of 200% not over 300%. Inflation has been been around 100% over the past 25 years if you add each year cumulatively. So all Disney has adjusted for inflation added another 100% in operating costs because they are always adding new things....what company hasn't?

 

[DisUniversal]

The price of gas was well below 1.00$ 25 years ago.. im missing your point..
all Disney has done was raised prices for inflation.. and it's not 300% of an increase 31x2 is 62 which would be 100% so another 31 is 93$. That would be an increase of 200% not over 300%. Inflation has been been around 100% over the past 25 years if you add each year cumulatively. So all Disney has adjusted for inflation added another 100% in operating costs because they are always adding new things....what company hasn't?

 

[Tonka's Skipper]

So far, since they announced Pandora in 2011 they've dug a couple of shovels of dirt and moved Lion King. This area isn't slated to open until 2016 at the earliest. DHS, who knows how long that will take and what it will be?

Universal has opened amazing new attractions annually for at least the past 5 years. Can you say the same for WDW?

Amazing?....not really. With the exception of the 1st HP (seems there is a lot of debate building on diagon and what amounts to a trolley with TV screens in part 2 of HP) all they do is overlays and lots and lots of TV screens.

AKK

 

[wilkeliza]

Forbidden Journey is "kind of innovative" and 7DMT is a "Super advanced family coaster".

The ride vehical on 7DMT is brand new. The ride vehical on Forbidden Journey is a stock system put on a track. Also if you have ever seen FJ with the lights on the animatronics have only one or two points of movement. The curved screens to simulate 3D is also not nee. They took a lot of already exsisting things and put it together.

 

[BillBrasky]

Get used to it. Disney is marketing as a smart company should in a country with an income disparity problem. They're already squeezing as much as they can out of average people. I think, for the majority of the people buying these expensive add-ons, money is not a concern. Disney could triple the cost for these things, and half the market wouldn't go away. They've managed to price things just right though... so when the average person sees the cost they say "well... maybe... I might be able to do that once as a special event". That's the other half of the market.

20 years from now, I can't even begin to imagine what kind of uber-expensive options Disney will make available to the super rich. FP+ is clearly the beginning. Now that all your information is stored digitally, and Disney can track your locations in their parks, the potential for "pluses" is huge. Want 10 FP+ reservations per day, $200. Want ride animatronics to talk directly to your kid, $50 a pop. Want to be followed around by a flying robot monkey butler with a misting fan? $500.

The plain reality is they've raised general admission base tickets up to $99 and people are coming in greater droves than ever. But, like all other parks, they're reluctant to break the $100 barrier. For all the whining about add-on prices, whatever parks company breaks $100 general admission first will be the one that has to bear the cross of price gouging in the media.

 

[ziravan]

Per your last sentence- So you want to put people out of work by eliminating thousands of jobs?

Disney hires something like 70k employees in the Orlando area. Between additions at Universal and Disney related additions like more DVC and Avatarland, decreasing employee needs at one point simply frees up employees for work elsewhere, a necessity for entry level work in the greater Orlando area. There's a thread about Disney's (TDO) footprint that discusses this concept in detail.

Example, the Frozen production ends on Sept 1st and almost certainly won't/can't be extended because those employees will be needed for MNSSHP and MVMCP.

The employee pool for Orlando is already taxed, and the need is growing. This is why Disney recruits employees far and wide. Any reduction of employees in one area serves Disney's interest by freeing employees for projects elsewhere.

Nobody will be put out of work by the addition of MB, even if it is true that Disney will save employee costs for THESE services, reserving those costs for services at a higher premium for human labor.

 

[DisUniversal]

The ride vehical on 7DMT is brand new. The ride vehical on Forbidden Journey is a stock system put on a track. Also if you have ever seen FJ with the lights on the animatronics have only one or two points of movement. The curved screens to simulate 3D is also not nee. They took a lot of already exsisting things and put it together.

You clearly know absolutely nothing about the technology used on the Forbidden Journey ride. It's one of the most innovative, technologically advanced theme park attractions in existence and is about as far from a "stock system put on a track" as you can get.

 

[sonofanarchy]

Did I miss something? Glorified fast pass for $300???

 

[DisneyQuest]

Get used to it. Disney is marketing as a smart company should in a country with an income disparity problem. They're already squeezing as much as they can out of average people. I think, for the majority of the people buying these expensive add-ons, money is not a concern. Disney could triple the cost for these things, and half the market wouldn't go away. They've managed to price things just right though... so when the average person sees the cost they say "well... maybe... I might be able to do that once as a special event". That's the other half of the market. 20 years from now, I can't even begin to imagine what kind of uber-expensive options Disney will make available to the super rich. FP+ is clearly the beginning. Now that all your information is stored digitally, and Disney can track your locations in their parks, the potential for "pluses" is huge. Want 10 FP+ reservations per day, $200. Want ride animatronics to talk directly to your kid, $50 a pop. Want to be followed around by a flying robot monkey butler with a misting fan? $500. The plain reality is they've raised general admission base tickets up to $99 and people are coming in greater droves than ever. But, like all other parks, they're reluctant to break the $100 barrier. For all the whining about add-on prices, whatever parks company breaks $100 general admission first will be the one that has to bear the cross of price gouging in the media.

Bang on!

 

[Sparkly]

You clearly know absolutely nothing about the technology used on the Forbidden Journey ride. It's one of the most innovative, technologically advanced theme park attractions in existence and is about as far from a "stock system put on a track" as you can get.

OK Mr Universal CEO. we get it.

 

[gina2000]

What innovation? Which awesome new products? According to a 2013 Money article, "Despite its reputation, Apple has rarely been in the business of creating entirely new markets. Apple didn't invent the PC, the MP3 player, the smartphone or the tablet."

And Boston Consulting Group has named Apple as its most innovative corporation every year since 2005. Forbes has rated it #79. So what? Each firm uses it's own methodology.

 

[siskaren]

Did I miss something? Glorified fast pass for $300???

http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2014/06/enjoy-the-ultimate-day-of-thrills-at-walt-disney-world-resort/

 

[sonofanarchy]

http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2014/06/enjoy-the-ultimate-day-of-thrills-at-walt-disney-world-resort/

That's far from a glorified fast pass. If they want to charge $300 for an actual unlimited fast pass I'm all for it. I don't need a guide.

 

[CinqueTerre]

That's far from a glorified fast pass. If they want to charge $300 for an actual unlimited fast pass I'm all for it. I don't need a guide.

Would you actually pay 300 for a single day unlimited fast pass though? That seems a bit much.

 

[kaytieeldr]

Forbidden Journey is "kind of innovative" and 7DMT is a "Super advanced family coaster".

It's a robocoaster. Not new. The size is new - Forbidden Journey is the largest robocoaster, and the robotic arms move the cars along a track. But the technology was at least eight years old by the time FJ opened.

 

[Networth]

Would you actually pay 300 for a single day unlimited fast pass though? That seems a bit much.

If your listening Disney I would pay $300 at the drop of a hat for an unlimited no tier fast pass... Think of the amount of stuff you could ride/see in one day, time is money etc.

 

[CinqueTerre]

If your listening Disney I would pay $300 at the drop of a hat for an unlimited no tier fast pass... Think of the amount of stuff you could ride/see in one day, time is money etc.

What if you're with 3 other people though? Then that's $1,200 just for 1 day. I love Fast Pass but not sure I could shell out that kind of cash. If it was a for week, yes. But 1 day, ouch.

 

[mom2rtk]

If your listening Disney I would pay $300 at the drop of a hat for an unlimited no tier fast pass... Think of the amount of stuff you could ride/see in one day, time is money etc.

Not if they sell too many of them. And just look at Disney's track record with "limited attendance" at the hard ticket parties.......