CRT New Pricing Poll

[we3disneygo]

we were going to have a nice anniversary dinner there next sept. but once dh found how much per person-- he just about lost it......I shouldn't have mentioned anything.....

 

[magicmouse2]

No way we have a $1500 dollar digital camera and can take perfectly good photos of our own. Why should I pay Disney for that ?

I have eaten there previously and whilst I enjoyed the breakfast it was not worth the price WITHOUT photos never mind with . Better off spending the $33 elsewhere. You can get steak for that price!

 

[k_k_100]

I think the poll should have included a couple more options like "I've never been and will go once or more" "I've been and will never go again" "I'll only go for a special occasion" etc...

Cause some who've never been will probably go once to say they've done it...some who've gone many times, might never go again or will only go for a special occasion.

For me, I've been a few times and will NOT ever go again unless in a few years one of my DDs beg me to do it for their birthday or something like that.

Thanks for your ideas. I thought about having more choices but I wanted to keep it simple. I think Disney is really only concerned about the short-term implications. As long as you will pay during your next trip - that's all the seem concerned about. They will worry about how to get your money again later

This is interesting - it shows a direct correlation of immediate revenue that may be lost. Now, if there are enough people who normally wouldn't get into the breakfast to make up for those who refuse to go - then Disney has made the right decision (well... at least for them )

Maybe Disney really does read these boards - remember, we are some of the most fanatical Disney freaks! If they can't sell it to the Dis Board fans... then what about the "normal" folks?

 

[Uncleromulus]

Well-so far its 80-20 in favor of not going--assuming folks mean what they say!!
But even 20% of the huge # of folks who want the Castle should be enough to keep it quite full in spite of the price increase and removal of DDE.

 

[bicker]

Precisely.

 

[All Aboard]

But even 20% of the huge # of folks who want the Castle should be enough to keep it quite full in spite of the price increase and removal of DDE.

Precisely.

Both of you appear to believe that the customer relation and goodwill impact that Disney is having on the 80% is something to be ignored.

 

[Bunny/2]

I just made all my ADR's this morning for Feb. 8 - 16. I did get the CRT breakfast. Don't like the price, but we have taken our oldest Granddaughter now it's our youngest's turn. Unless we have anymore Grandaughters in our future this will be our last time. The total for the 5 of us $166.14 FOR BREAKFAST!! YIKES

 

[bicker]

Rather, I believe that only a minute percentage of Disney guests will actually allow operational policies to affect their perception of the company. Most people understand that companies are in business to make profit for their owners, and therefore structure and price their offerings in that regard. Most folks don't take such business decisions personally. They'll instead evaluate the offering, and decide whether it is right for them or not. If it is, they'll patronize the offering. Otherwise, they'll simply find an alternative.

 

[All Aboard]

Operational policy is a bit of a broad term in this case? We're just talking about a pricing decision. Are you honestly saying that only a minute percentage of consumers allow pricing to impact their buying decisions?

Otherwise, they'll simply find an alternative.

And that's the prefered end result?

 

[bicker]

Every rational customer allows pricing to impact their buying decision. As a matter of fact, read my message again, you'll see that my last two sentences said exactly that. Perhaps you misunderstood my message?

Regarding, "And that's the prefered end result?" Let's say you can serve 500 patrons during a meal. There are 5000 guests who are interested in the offering at $20 each, 1000 guests interested in the offering at $30 each, and 500 guests interested at $40 each. Which do you believe is the preferred end result? Clearly, the last one. The same number of guests get served; so all three pricing models serve guests the same -- the only difference is how well the pricing also serves the owners.

 

[All Aboard]

No, you added those two sentences after you pressed submit the first time. The fact that 80% of the folks responding to this poll have changed their minds about dining there is an indication that they are not too happy about the pricing change. That is absolutely going to have an impact on the way they feel about their vacation at Walt Disney World. Some have become a little (or perhaps a lot) less excited about it today. $32 for breakfast (regardless of whether or not it includes $0.50 worth of photographic paper) is an outrageous sum of money to pay for eggs and french toast. Sure, some will pay it, but a smaller and smaller percentage of them will walk away feeling like they got value. Fewer will tell their friends at home how great it was. Some may even opt to stay in cheaper accomodations to afford the whole trip. Sounds far-fetched? Not really. As the total cost of a vacation continues to rise, consumers must make decisions on where to cut. You can only push the "what the market will bear" envelope so far before it snaps back and bites you. That's not a recipe for long term success.


When the princesses were added to Akershus, the price went up by $10 a head. Divide the total time the princesses are at your table by the number of guests at the table and you arrive at a unit cost of about $10 a minute for princess time. Value?

 

[bicker]

No, you added those two sentences after you pressed submit the first time.

Yup! Glad I was able to anticipate your next question!

The fact that 80% of the folks responding to this poll have changed their minds about dining there is an indication

... of absolutely nothing. vBulletin polls are un-scientific and non-normalized. They indicate, in a very limited sense, what a portion of the forum membership believes, and we know that the membership of this board in no way represents the general population of Disney guests. We're far more devoted, loyal, motivated, and passionate about Disney (and incidently therefore less likely to deny ourselves, despite our expressed intentions).

Again, people are never "happy" about paying more, but this change will make a lot of people who were unhappy about being locked out of CRT completely happy, and better reflects the guests' perceived value of the CRT experience. Please remember, my personal feeling is that the increase is a little too much (but I readily acknowledge that I'm probably wrong about it being too much). The luxury for Disney is that (1) they actually have far better information about it than we do, and (2) they can readily adjust to how the general Disney guest population reacts by changing their prices again, anytime they're sure that they need to make an adjustment.

I sense some frustration on the part of folks regarding price increases and policy changes and it is perfectly normal. We want to feel like we're in more control of the things we want. When we are confronted with the fact that we're not we react vicerally. That's a reflection of just how devoted we are as fans. It, however, doesn't necessarily reflect what we'll (as a group) actually do, and surely doesn't reflect what guests who aren't as passionate as we are will do.

You can only push the "what the market will bear" envelope so far before it snaps back and bites you. That's not a recipe for long term success.

You're correct that you can only push the market so far. There is a science behind determining how far. Disney has many experts in that science at their disposal. That's a recipe for long-term success.

Interesting discussion.

 

[All Aboard]

There is a science behind determining how far. Disney has many experts in that science at their disposal.

Perhaps they've cleaned house since 2002 then. Because those experts back then thought eliminating Early Entry and replacing it with the Character Caravan was not pushing the envelope too far.

Disney has made plenty of incorrect decisions, as has every company of every size. Were these the same experts that made the decision to point as much capital as Disney did at go.com? Perhaps they were the ones that decided to spend more than $5 billion on the Fox Family Channel. Bicker, I think you are offering up the notion that Disney management is flawless in their decision making process, and therefore they can't possibly be wrong on this one.

 

[tink2]

While I do feel the increase is a little much, I do think CRT will still fill up most of the time. Disney knows there are plenty of little girls out there who will beg hard enough to eat in the castle and plenty of parents who will pay whatever it takes to do so. Look at the princess tea with Aurora at the GF- that price is outrageous yet it must be successful to still be around. Personally, I think we will probably go one last time next December to CRT. DD will be 7 then. She has been 3 times in her life already and assumes Cinderella will 'invite' her every time we go to WDW. She is fully convinced that Cinderella has a bedroom in the castle and 'invites' special little girls to eat with her and her princess friends in the castle. We did PSB last year in addition to CRT, while she liked PSB b/c Jasmine was there, she did not hold it in the same regard as CRT b/c of the whole castle factor. She did not believe the one at PSB was a real castle where princesses live. So, yes, we will go one last time while she has any inkling of believing in the magic of the princesses. For us , it is absolutely worth it to see the gleam in her eyes when we walk up those stairs and she sees the princesses and looks out over fantasyland. She loves that castle! I wouldn't trade the memories we have at CRT for anything in the world. However, as soon as she realizes the 'truth' about the princesses and charaters and that the castle is not what she thinks, we will not be returning. And I wonder, for the families who have children who do not know about this experience, if they will go to CRT or change to PSB for the princesses. I know my DD does not know anything about the tea with Aurora b/c I'm not willing to pay that price- so I wonder if CRT will become the same thing.
Hey, maybe enough people won't go and I won't have a problem getting an early breakfast time at CRT so I can get in MK early!!!

 

[bicker]

Nope, All Aboard, I'm not going to let you suck me into an argument where you get to bash professional managers with impunity. Nice chatting with you, up to now, though.

 

[Uncleromulus]

I agree with Bicker-Disney didn't do this w/o careful planning.
And of the 80% who say they won't go, I'd wager there are some who would wind up going anyway.
And there's a lot more to a WDW vacation than CRT. We're not talking about an 80% of folks who go to WDW--just an "80%" who are concerned about CRT. Many, many folks (me included) don't even take CRT into account in vacation planning. So not sure this pricing decision will have such an impact wherein it would make folks simply not go to WDW.
And in any case--they've already done what they wanted to do, so, in time, we'll all see what the actual result will be.
As a general thing, I'm not pleased to see this kind of increase. I voted "not go" simply because I never go to CRT. But if I had kids, and they had their hearts set on seeing the Castle and the Princesses, well--not really sure what I'd do.

 

[SnoWhiteRabbit]

I agree with Bicker-Disney didn't do this w/o careful planning.
And of the 80% who say they won't go, I'd wager there are some who would wind up going anyway.
And there's a lot more to a WDW vacation than CRT. We're not talking about an 80% of folks who go to WDW--just an "80%" who are concerned about CRT. Many, many folks (me included) don't even take CRT into account in vacation planning. So not sure this pricing decision will have such an impact wherein it would make folks simply not go to WDW.
And in any case--they've already done what they wanted to do, so, in time, we'll all see what the actual result will be.
As a general thing, I'm not pleased to see this kind of increase. I voted "not go" simply because I never go to CRT. But if I had kids, and they had their hearts set on seeing the Castle and the Princesses, well--not really sure what I'd do.

I agree with Uncle Remus. With the number of families who attempt to book this, they only need a certain (probably small) percentage who will still attempt( -- and succeed) to book.

On the pool, I checked that I wouldn't go, but only because the choices were limited. I've been before. Right now I book 3 princees experiences per trip -- now I might do 2 instead...or might still do three, but with some hesitation rather than as gungho, so to speak. Also, I wouldn't do breakfast, but I would do lunch or dinner. They'll still fill the spots, I'm sure.

 

[bicker]

but with some hesitation rather than as gungho, so to speak

And that's a critical distinction. With as much trouble as people have had -- for YEARS -- trying to get reservations at CRT, it is clear that the meal was horribly underpriced. Ideally, you want to structure things so that guests always have the opportunity to elect to patronize it, and are never turned away. Clearly that's not possible, but the goal has got to be to minimize the number of customers you disappoint by telling them to go away. Pricing is one of many tools a company can use, and often the least costly tool to use, to reduce turning customers away.

 

[jann1033]

i said no. we went when the girls were young and it was nice atmosphere/ lousy food then so we have never gone back in 20 yrs...maybe if gbaby came up with wanting to go i'd take her but while my kids were happy to go, it was me who really wanted to take them so i probably I will just not bring it up..there are other places to eat with much better food.

truthfully it kind of annoys me that the
"princesses" and other characters are so pushed at so many meals now. i liked it better to just happen upon the characters in the park..imo that made them seem more magical, like they really belonged/lived there....course wdw makes more money this way .

 

[NMW]

Well-so far its 80-20 in favor of not going--assuming folks mean what they say!!
But even 20% of the huge # of folks who want the Castle should be enough to keep it quite full in spite of the price increase and removal of DDE.

Are you saying that CRT will no longer accept the DDE card? I thought all Disney owned table service restaurants took it. Is it because you have to pre-pay???