Disney could learn from Universal

[whzzo125]

We returned Sat. night after visiting Disney, Sea World and Universal parks. I'm so glad the Universal parks were after Disney. The FOTL using the HRH room keys was the best thing! After waiting in those extremely short lines, Disney's lines would have been awful. I really hope Universal doesn't take away the FOTL for hotel guest because this is a great advantage over the Disney system.

Disney should implement a similar system. Disney could have early entry at all 4 parks every day. Just split the hotels into 4 sections, and rotate which ones have early entry at the different parks. It might necessitate increasing work hours, but if they spread out their hotel guests between all 4 main parks, you would be able to navigate the crowds and have an enjoyable vacation (and breathing room)!

At Disney Fast Pass is an improvement over standing in line, but they disappear so quickly, that you end out in line anyway.

I cannot say enough about FOTL privileges....we truly enjoyed it (even though we did receive our share of dirty looks from the people in the regular line). One complaint would be that the express lines are not always clearly marked and were unattended once you were in line. You would come to a closed door and wonder, should I crawl under the rope or go through the door. We finally decided you should go through the closed door.

If you have the choice about staying on site at Universal, do it!!!

 

[sha_lyn]

We just returned from IOA/US also and I agree with you. The FOTL works great. I do have one funny story to tell. We were waiting in line at the podium at Margaretaville to give our name when some guy cuts in front of me just as I get to the desk. He says "I'm not passing you, I have a VIP pass" and shows me his HRH room key. I show him mine and he tells me "well they told me I get to go straight to the front of the line with this". I told him he had to get in line with everyone and he seemed a bit upset. I have no idea if he tried to get in front of anuone else or if he got upset that he would not be seated imediatly. We waited 50 min even with priority seating. The normal wait was 90 min -2 hrs.

<font color= red Comic Sans MS> All Star Music-April 2000 </font>
<font color= purple font= Comic Sans MS> Shades of Green- May 2002 </font>

 

[swinginevilmike]

It might work with Disney but I think they have way too many resort guests to implement a system like that. Universal only has 2 parks for 2 hotels. Disney has 16+ resorts for only 4 parks. Now if Disney did it for only DVC members that IMHO would work.

<a href="http://www.blue-eyes.com" border="0"><img border=0 src="http://home.pacbell.net/pjstone/winksm.gif"></a>

 

[whzzo125]

But, Universal has FOTL all day for 2 hotels in one park per day.

Disney could split their hotels into 4 groups, having 4 hotels have privileges at each of the four different parks per day. I know Disney will never follow Universal's lead, but it's a nice dream!!!

We also ate at Margaretaville and waited approx. 30 minutes instead of the 1 hour he first mentioned.

 

[degenerationxwwfwdw1]

Looking at it in a business sense Disney dosent need to make resort guests get FOTL access. Early Entry and Fastpass are great. Also WDW is the most established vacation spot in the world and people are going to come there no matter what. Now Universal is new to the game and the FOTL service is about the best thing they could possibly do to get intrest from the "everyday guest who dosent know all of the rides and hotels and is just going for the first time or first time in a while". Universal has now proven in a span of about a year that they are here to stay and that they are Disney's ONLY real competition. I think that more and more families will be staying one or two days at either PBH or HRH just for the FOTL privilages. Also I was wondering if the new Express (long live the 7am to 10am Express! I'll miss you ) is available for all rides or just the major ones?

"Why would you waste your time with USF when you could go to WDW or IOA!"

 

[Robinrs]

I have to agree that WDW would need no incentive to get people to stay at their resorts, one look at the Disney Resorts board on this site and you'll realize that some people would not stay anywhere else.

Even Fastpass was a ploy of Disney's just to get people off lines and buy more stuff, which, BTW did NOT work...

Universal's marketing strategy is pure genius. It will no doubt attract people who wouldn't DREAM of going to "the Dark Side" and hopefully, keep them coming back. It's always been my contention that all people needed to do is TRY IT!

E-nights are a great way to give Disney resort guests a chance to feel like they own the parks, and I think that's about as far as they will go.

But it is a nice dream... <IMG WIDTH="15" HEIGHT="15" SRC="/infopop/emoticons/icon_razz.gif" alt="razz">

-------------------------

MOM
Mother of Michael
Proverbs 3:5-6

<font color=purple>Co-Moderator of the Community and Universal/IOA Boards</font color=purple>

 

[swinginevilmike]

Quote

Disney could split their hotels into 4 groups, having 4 hotels have privileges at each of the four different parks per day.

That would cause mass confusion IMHO. As a ride Op myself there would be no real logical way to do that. By saying that only these few hotels can have FOTL today you'll have all the other resort guest coming up and saying I'm a resort guest what about me!! There would be cries of favoritism towards certain hotels and a big mess. There are already 2 lines with a Fastpass line and a stand By line. If FOTL was implemented they would have to build a third line or drop Fastpass. Most WDW guests are resort guests anyway and hotel rooms number 60,000 + whereas Universal has maybe 2,500 rooms. It would be nice but it would not work.

<a href="http://www.blue-eyes.com" border="0"><img border=0 src="http://home.pacbell.net/pjstone/winksm.gif"></a>