Disney Genie announcement

[Robbie Cottam]

That +$400 increase (~45%) for FL residents and DVC members for the Platinum -> Incredi-Pass is de minimus? The 26% increase from Gold -> Sorcerer is a small increase? The shifting and increasing of block out dates should not be a concern? And the removal of Photopass as an included benefit should be ignored when discussing a loss of value?

The way I read the rate increase the gold, member ship for DVC member went from $720 to $750.... and the took away some of the back out day, effectively giving me more days I can use my pass....


So the way I do math that is $30 dollars more over 350 days or about .85 cents a day over the course of the year.....
Or $30 dollars more over the 24 days I will actually use my annual pass $1.25 per day... that is De Minimus in my book yes. Maybe your using new math, or alternate facts? I don't know.

But I have the blue card, maybe that is worth the little bit extra I paid to buy direct?

Oh and I not sure why anyone would buy photo pass, My cell phone has a better camera in it than most cameras, and I can price posters at walmart, for a few dollars a piece....

 

[quandrea]

The standby line does not cost additional once you enter the park. Genie+ and IAS are both optional. The cost you pay to use these services is simply for the purpose of shortening your wait time.


You will still be able to as the standby line will still be available.

You say these things like it’s a good thing?!

 

[ThistleMae]

It may or may not be a good thing. If it actually works better than FP+ I'll pay for it a couple of times, like for MK. But...the fact I have to pay to avoid a super long line on Tier one rides, I'll be very disappointed. And if I can't get a boarding group, I will be a bit unhappy but will make due because I don't want to have a bad trip based on my perception of what a bad trip might be.

 

[DisneyFive]

Disney could have charged all of us the extra 15 dollars a day with higher ticket prices, and give you your free fast pass, or what they did do, which was leave the ticket price alone and charge only those that wanted it…..

if Disney charge an extra 20 dollars per day for the tickets, but gave you a free fast pass would you be happy?

Either scenario is a price increase for getting LESS than we had before with FP+. If they are going to make us pay, of course we like it to be optional, but really for folks like us who go once a year or once every two years, we are going to pay because time is money and we need to maximize our stay.

Versus nothing (standby all day) I'm happy to pay for G+. We did standby all day a month ago and it was not fun. I would say that lack of FP+ devalued our 10 night, $10,000 vacation by 25%. Yes, it was that significant to us:

• The need to get up EARLY every day (combined with a less effective rope drop than in years past)
• Standing in HOT lines for hours upon hours each day
• Doing far less attractions each day because we were standing in lines
• Having less time to just relax and enjoy the park atmosphere
• Lack of time to shop, etc...

I would gladly have paid the $15pp if it would have been offered.

My biggest complaint with G+ is the lack of pre-booking your first three rides like we had with FP+. This made it possible to sleep in if necessary, and still have a fulfilling day at any given park. It also greatly reduced rope drop crowds, making the first couple of hours MUCH more effective, because guests didn't have the need to be there so early to hit that headliner or two standby before crowds built. Rope drop this year was the most crowded, by far, versus all of our other stays.

Dan

 

[nkereina]

There is no stadnby for sTar wars or remy. If I want to ride and can't get a boarding pass then i have to pay. That is a big fat, h@!! no.

As others have already pointed out, in current state - if you don't get a boarding pass, you can't ride at all. There's no other option. When IAS rolls out, you will have the option to pay if you want to ride, but its still very much optional. So when that is in effect, you will literally be in the same position you're in now if you're not willing to pay. Try for the boarding group and accept the fact that you won't ride it if you can't get one.

 

[nkereina]

You say these things like it’s a good thing?!

I never said good or bad. I was simply pointing out to the poster I quoted that they do not have to "pay more to ride rides". They would only be paying to shorten their wait time, if they so choose. They still have the option to ride without paying additional. Seems like that's a big misconception that needs constant clarifying here.

 

[serenitygr]

As others have already pointed out, in current state - if you don't get a boarding pass, you can't ride at all. There's no other option. When IAS rolls out, you will have the option to pay if you want to ride, but its still very much optional. So when that is in effect, you will literally be in the same position you're in now if you're not willing to pay. Try for the boarding group and accept the fact that you won't ride it if you can't get one.

I think the biggest concern is that a lot of those virtual cue spots will now be used by those that are willing to pay for that spot. This ride already has a fairly limited capacity, so this will make it more difficult, if not impossible, for most families to get a virtual boarding group.

 

[Cabius]

I think the biggest concern is that a lot of those virtual cue spots will now be used by those that are willing to pay for that spot. This ride already has a fairly limited capacity, so this will make it more difficult, if not impossible, for most families to get a virtual boarding group.

100% agree. I know Disney won't want the backlash of eliminating free options altogether, so there will be some volume of VQ passes available. But they'll likely increase the allocation to paid passes until they stop selling out.

If they can sell 5,000 passes for $30/each that's almost $55m/year. But that cuts VQ availability by 1/3rd, and makes it harder to get in for free.

 

[Marionnette]

The way I read the rate increase the gold, member ship for DVC member went from $720 to $750.... and the took away some of the back out day, effectively giving me more days I can use my pass....


So the way I do math that is $30 dollars more over 350 days or about .85 cents a day over the course of the year.....
Or $30 dollars more over the 24 days I will actually use my annual pass $1.25 per day... that is De Minimus in my book yes. Maybe your using new math, or alternate facts? I don't know.

But I have the blue card, maybe that is worth the little bit extra I paid to buy direct?

Oh and I not sure why anyone would buy photo pass, My cell phone has a better camera in it than most cameras, and I can price posters at walmart, for a few dollars a piece....

You're looking at the renewal rate, not the price for purchasing a new AP. I stand by my math.

 

[trvlgirlmq]

Have fun spending more for less. This Disney family is out.

 

[Cabius]

You're looking at the renewal rate, not the price for purchasing a new AP. I stand by my math.

The cost of a new pass increased from $719 to $899, or 25%

The cost of a renewal increased from $611 to $764, also 25%

That's about $0.50 per calendar day or $7.50 per park day (assuming 24 park days as in the example given).

It's not small! For a family of 4, that's $720/year for new passes or $612 for renewals.

 

[Robbie Cottam]

You're looking at the renewal rate, not the price for purchasing a new AP. I stand by my math.

Correct, I just renewed my annual pass.

Common sense would say you only pay the new annual pass few once. Then renew every year after that..... But maybe I'm missing something here.....

However, even at 900 dollars per year, and the 24 days a year I go, its less that $38 dollars per day per person. That is cheap by my math! I actually just spent more lunch for my son and I to get sushi.

Also I find the amount ironic, A few years ago I was pricing out health insurance since my employer had purchased the company a platinum plan, and was only paying the absolute minimum he had to, basically he complied with the law by pricing all of us out of the plan....

Anyway when I went through the health care connector and I was told I need to pay $720 dollars per month more for my health insurance (from the state connector site) than I could have purchased the exact same insurance from my insurance agent because I made to much. How is that "fair"?
All things are relative.

I would like to point out the Disney, as much as we all love it, is a luxury, No argument can be make for needed to go to Disney. Health insurance is not a luxury!

Disney, again, as much as we all love it, is a FOR PROFIT BUSINESS!
They derive those profits for "GUESTS" AND PAY THOSE PROFITS TO SHAREHOLDERS!

I for one look forward to my dividend checks.

Disney's duty is to maximize shareholder profits . They have a plan, if it works (people pay the added costs) the share holders are happy, the CEO keeps his job, and bonuses.
If the plan doesn't work, people stop going to Disney or don't pay for the Genie etc, shareholder get made, CEO gets fired free fast pass MAY come back...

You vote with your pocket book or wallet, If Disney has priced themselves out of the market don't go. My guess is that ticket prices will continue to rise, and the parks will still be full.

But If the day ever comes when ticket prices have risen so much that I can no longer afford to go to Disney, I will have to stop going. It is that simple.

Disney duty to the guests is to have safe, clean, exciting parks and fun parks. They have done that.

 

[Cabius]

Correct, I just renewed my annual pass.
Common sense would say you only pay the new annual pass few once. Then renew every year..... But maybe I'm missing something here.....

Then you need to compare the new renewal price ($764) to the old renewal price ($611) since that's the comparable price point. It's the same 25% increase.

 

[Marionnette]

Correct, I just renewed my annual pass.
Common sense would say you only pay the new annual pass few once. Then renew every year..... But maybe I'm missing something here.....

A lot of people get a year of visits out of an AP and then take several months off. They then purchase a new AP because the $'s and dates work out better for them. Renewing makes no sense if you are not going to visit for another 5 or 6 months or even more.

But if you want to compare apples to apples, the cost to renew a Gold AP is $651 w/tax...that is if you qualify to renew before September 8th. The cost to renew to a Sorcerer AP on or after 9/8 will be $764 w/tax...a difference of +$113. While it's not as incredible as some of the other increases, it still represents a 17% rise in price.

 

[Marionnette]

Then you need to compare the new renewal price ($764) to the old renewal price ($611) since that's the comparable price point. It's the same 25% increase.

$611 is the pre-tax price for a Gold AP renewal. $764 is the after-tax cost to renew to a Sorcerer AP.

 

[Robbie Cottam]

$611 is the pre-tax price for a Gold AP renewal. $764 is the after-tax cost to renew to a Sorcerer AP.

Ok, I stand correct. But even at 899 if you use the pass like I do its about $38 bucks a day....
Maybe people are buying annual passes that don't go enough?

 

[Marionnette]

Ok, I stand correct. But even at 899 if you use the pass like I do its about $38 bucks a day....
Maybe people are buying annual passes that don't go enough?

Let's just call it "not as frequently" as you. There's still value in an AP if you go less than 24 times in 365 days. The value has just diminished for some and has actually disappeared for others. Having Photopass included added value for some people even if you never used it. Free theme park parking isn't a benefit to some guests but means a lot to those who drive to the parks. Those perks also went into determining the worth of an AP for people.

 

[Grasshopper2016]

They derive those profits [from] "GUESTS" AND PAY THOSE PROFITS TO SHAREHOLDERS!

I for one look forward to my dividend checks.

Fair enough. But I'm not sure that your interests align with those of most posters on these boards. Minimizing the guest experience in order to maximize the transfer of funds from guests to shareholders does not tend to make the guests happy.

 

[nkereina]

I think the biggest concern is that a lot of those virtual cue spots will now be used by those that are willing to pay for that spot. This ride already has a fairly limited capacity, so this will make it more difficult, if not impossible, for most families to get a virtual boarding group.

There will be a percentage of people going to DHS who will not even bother with trying to obtain a boarding group and will go straight to purchasing an IAS. I may be one of those people because I hate the build-up and intensity, plus I'm not always awake at 7am. I imagine there will be other like-minded people who will just skip all that and pay for it. Plus, with IAS, its possible you may be able to select a time as opposed to being at the mercy of the boarding group time. If that's the case, that may entice more people to buy it too. So, the pool of people trying to grab boarding positions will be smaller. Will the number of available boarding positions be smaller too? Presumably yes, but we have no idea what those ratios are. Its already difficult to obtain a boarding group, so I'm not sure what changes would even be noticeable on the user end that would change that.

ROTR likely won't stay VQ forever. At some point, FP+ (if it still existed) would have been implemented and presumably at some point, there will be a traditional standby queue. Universal does the same thing with their new popular rides - no express pass, virtual queues, etc. Eventually, when the novelty wears off or something else new comes around, they align with other rides.

 

[Robbie Cottam]

A lot of people get a year of visits out of an AP and then take several months off. They then purchase a new AP because the $'s and dates work out better for them. Renewing makes no sense if you are not going to visit for another 5 or 6 months or even more.

But if you want to compare apples to apples, the cost to renew a Gold AP is $651 w/tax...that is if you qualify to renew before September 8th. The cost to renew to a Sorcerer AP on or after 9/8 will be $764 w/tax...a difference of +$113. While it's not as incredible as some of the other increases, it still represents a 17% rise in price.

Let's just call it "not as frequently" as you. There's still value in an AP if you go less than 24 times in 365 days. The value has just diminished for some and has actually disappeared for others. Having Photopass included added value for some people even if you never used it. Free theme park parking isn't a benefit to some guests but means a lot to those who drive to the parks. Those perks also went into determining the worth of an AP for people.

Every Disney guests has to decide for themselves if the Market Utility for what they are purchasing is worth the price they are paying. IE maybe an annual pass or Genie or a dinning plan is not right for everyone.

The purpose of the annual pass is to use it. That is where the value comes in. My goal in the next five years is to spend 4 days a month at day from OctobeR to MaRch (never go in a month without an R) plus at two at least 7 day vacations. At that point I would need the top tier pass but that works out to $37/ per day. That seems pretty reasonable to me. I would never buy that top tier pass to go for 14 days, because that would be more than $100 dollars per day.


All the extras that I had to pay for along the way where of no value to me. It was like me having to pay for others health insurance....

I prefer the A la cart pricing.

It would be the same as may demanding that Disney include the deluxe dinning plan in all rooms rates.

Half of you would be appalled, I would love it.

The bottom line if Disney has made the Genie / fast pass system to expensive, don't use it.
If park passes are to expensive, don't go.
If they dinning plan doesn't work for you don't buy it.

If enough people communicate this dissatisfaction at the ticket both, buy not showing up, Disney will rethink the pricing. You you go and complain that you paid $3600 for 4 annual passes, then $600 dollars for the genie, all Disney is going to do is say "THANK YOU, COME AGAIN!"