DISNEY if you don't want the average Joe to stay at the parks just say so...

[mshanson3121]

I noticed that many of the people in this thread who are complaining about price increases coupled with the service decreases still have countdown tickers in their signatures. It's always "after this next trip we won't be going any more." Disney will continue to take more and give less until they feel the pain in their wallets. If you truly don't like what is happening cancel your reservations and don't make any more until things change for the better. I understand that it's not easy. I myself just cancelled a 5 night package at CSR for this June that we had following our RCCL cruise, after hearing about the recent service cuts. I sent Disney an email explaining the reason for cancelling and also detailed my frustrations to a representative that called about my email. I realize that in the grand scheme of things it means absolutely nothing to Disney, but if a lot more people did the same thing, they would have to take notice.

And many of us will. I have a count down ticker. Doesn't mean I'm going to go. It means I might. It also means, I could can't be bothered to change the thing one way or another until I know for sure what we're going to do. But yes, it would be more effective if more people would just stop going.

 

[jbharr1]

Pricing your dedicated customers out of that loop always results in the business's failure and a mad scramble by the idiots who made the unfortunate decision to milk the cash cows dry, to get those customers back.
Often ending

I've read this sentiment in one form or another for 20 years on these boards yet attendance keeps going up, resort occupancy rates are still high.
I don't think Disney is at this point. There is an incredible amount of demand. So much demand that every night there are hundreds (thousands?) of people that stay up until midnight, to book a chance to meet two princesses, in 60 days, that everyone swears they are sick of.
Cuts suck, price increases suck. Is Disney cutting and increasing their way to implosion? Not any time soon, IMHO.

 

[MaryKatesMom]

It's not a total exaggeration. In 2014 my wife and I spent a week in the heart of London at the Marriott County Hall. All told we spent less than we would have for our typical WDW vacation.

We did this this also last summer. Stayed at Marriott County Hall for 10 days and used all our points to stay for free with their loyalty program. We have their CC and stay frequently. Same with the flight although it wasn't free I did get a few hundred bucks off the airfare with British Airways. We also have their CC. Both CC's give us extra points for using it on their products.

I've read this sentiment in one form or another for 20 years on these boards yet attendance keeps going up, resort occupancy rates are still high.
I don't think Disney is at this point. There is an incredible amount of demand. So much demand that every night there are hundreds (thousands?) of people that stay up until midnight, to book a chance to meet two princesses, in 60 days, that everyone swears they are sick of.
Cuts suck, price increases suck. Is Disney cutting and increasing their way to implosion? Not any time soon, IMHO.

I haven't this much negativity over 15 years since FP+ was instituted a couple of years ago with the exception of how free dining negatively impacted the dining at WDW over on the restaurant board.

There used to be so much more excitement and planning talk. Now there is much more complaints about diminished guest experiences. I'm upset they aren't opening up Earlier over Easter week like they have every year to help ease the overcrowding. Instead of spreading the crowds out a bit and giving an extra perk to its resort guests it will make it a less enjoyable experience. I should be happy about that?

 

[jbharr1]

I should be happy about that?

Did someone say you should be? I wouldn't be

 

[mshanson3121]

I haven't this much negativity over 15 years since FP+ was instituted a couple of years ago with the exception of how free dining negatively impacted the dining at WDW over on the restaurant board.

There used to be so much more excitement and planning talk. Now there is much more complaints about diminished guest experiences.

I've noticed a HUGE change, just in a year's time.

 

[Planogirl]

I've noticed a HUGE change, just in a year's time.

The change is massive! Not only has the crowd here changed a lot but many old-timers have a different attitude. I know that I do.

 

[The Novice]

Uhhh.....
No.
The function of a price point is to ensure that enough patrons partake of the service/product to allow the business to make a profit, provide wages for it's employees, and expand the business to bring in more customers.
Pricing your dedicated customers out of that loop always results in the business's failure and a mad scramble by the idiots who made the unfortunate decision to milk the cash cows dry, to get those customers back.
Often ending in failure.
Reducing the number of patrons will result in more CM's losing their jobs, further cuts in services, and shortened park hours which will result in even more customers staying away.
Business is a balancing act and right now Disney couldn't balance a bowling ball on a pool table.

Uhh....
Yes.
The only function of price is to control demand. That is a basic economic law. A product or service has to be desirable enough to support a price that can cover expenses or it will not continue to exist. How many designer bags that Kevin likes could be sold if they were 1/2 off. How many less if they were double in price? The price is what determines demand. When car manufacturers find themselves with extra inventory they give incentives in order to increase demand. Disney did this after 9/11. When demand collapsed they were forced to give incentives. The hard part of pricing something is to find the highest (price x units sold) that it can. That is the balance you spoke of and Disney having reported record profit seems to be doing pretty well in that regard.

 

[Alison Wunderland]

I watched the 1994 planing video last night for a good laugh and quite honestly.I thought the 1994 version of the parks looked more fun than what we have now. Sure the technology is infinitely better but the vibe I got the from the video was completely different. They seemed to impress on the potential guest that there was something for every wallet size and you didnt need a ton of extras. Now a days everything is premium and there seems to more emphasis on the deluxe resorts. Sure there are still basic experiences but it seems like everything is a money grab. I got the vibe from the 90's video that it was more about pleasing the guest than shaking them down for every last penny in their wallet.

 

[cabanafrau]

I thought this way too, now I am not so sure. I keep reading how Disney is focusing on the first timer, or once in a life time guest. I kind of think this is accurate. The repeat customer has become savvy at how to save money, i.e. staying off site, buying souvenirs at an outlet in Orlando for much cheaper, bringing meals in with a cooler, shipping water to your hotel room to avoid the high prices of water in the park etc. All this is money out of Disney's pocket. The once in a lifer will tend spend, spend, spend on big meals, lots of souvenirs, hotel, bringing multiple family members for a big gathering, memory maker etc.

Also, as a pp said, the price increase could be to deter some crowds. At first I thought that was ridiculous because I would think they want the parks and hotels filled to the gills, more people = more money. But maybe with all those people, come more costs: you need more staff to handle the people, you need more rides to satisfy those people, you need more space to put all those people. It seem they either have to raise prices or expand. If they raise prices, some people may decide not to go, but those that do go will make up that cost. Disney seems to be doing both, they are raising prices while expanding LOL.

We decided no more after our 2013 visit, and that's how it remains. Cost wasn't the determining factor, it was the fact the parks and resort overall don't offer the experience we were looking for and accustomed to as Disney guests. We do not enjoy scheduling so much, feeling squeezed in like sardines(odor definitely part of the ambience), and being herded like cattle. We also felt the parks were unreasonably stale and not very well maintained and noticeably lacking in aesthetic appeal. Overall WDW looks like the poor relation to its former self. I started to finally get hopeful when they began making several larger announcements about new plans and thought it might address the capacity issues when things finally got done in 5 to 7 years.

Word of all the cuts came down like a blitzkrieg. Funny they've had record attendance for years with little real efforts to address capacity issues, yet service cuts and price increases work like a well oiled machine. I'm no longer hopeful. We've written off WDW until I read convincing accounts of major positive changes. I'm not holding my breath.

What I have noticed about the tide of talk changing over the past couple years is more and more comments from the yearly visitors, the AP holders and even DVC folk about dissatisfaction and canceling trips. Those groups could always be counted on to cheerlead for Disney. That's not guaranteed anymore. That tells me it is indeed a different place and signs aren't pointing toward improvement yet.

 

[Alison Wunderland]

We decided no more after our 2013 visit, and that's how it remains. Cost wasn't the determining factor, it was the fact the parks and resort overall don't offer the experience we were looking for and accustomed to as Disney guests. We do not enjoy scheduling so much, feeling squeezed in like sardines(odor definitely part of the ambience), and being herded like cattle. We also felt the parks were unreasonably stale and not very well maintained and noticeably lacking in aesthetic appeal. Overall WDW looks like the poor relation to its former self. I started to finally get hopeful when they began making several larger announcements about new plans and thought it might address the capacity issues when things finally got done in 5 to 7 years.

Word of all the cuts came down like a blitzkrieg. Funny they've had record attendance for years with little real efforts to address capacity issues, yet service cuts and price increases work like a well oiled machine. I'm no longer hopeful. We've written off WDW until I read convincing accounts of major positive changes. I'm not holding my breath.

What I have noticed about the tide of talk changing over the past couple years is more and more comments from the yearly visitors, the AP holders and even DVC folk about dissatisfaction and canceling trips. Those groups could always be counted on to cheerlead for Disney. That's not guaranteed anymore. That tells me it is indeed a different place and signs aren't pointing toward improvement yet.

I just watched the 1994 planning video and thought to myself how clean and fresh everything looked. You would think with all the bodies they have entering the park they would have more than enough money to make the place look modern and updated. Instead of building another international park that may or may not take off they could have taken all that money and invested it in their domestic parks or opened a 5th gate.

 

[cabanafrau]

I watched the 1994 planing video last night for a good laugh and quite honestly.I thought the 1994 version of the parks looked more fun than what we have now. Sure the technology is infinitely better but the vibe I got the from the video was completely different. They seemed to impress on the potential guest that there was something for every wallet size and you didnt need a ton of extras. Now a days everything is premium and there seems to more emphasis on the deluxe resorts. Sure there are still basic experiences but it seems like everything is a money grab. I got the vibe from the 90's video that it was more about pleasing the guest than shaking them down for every last penny in their wallet.

I think it was more a case of, you trust us with X amount and we guarantee you will be satisfied and you will leave feeling we provided X-plus in return. The next guest might feel they wanted the Y or Z budget and they would be rewarded with Y-plus or Z-plus experience in return. Now it seems Disney frequently approaches guests with the attitude of, we're wonderful, you'll take what we give you and you'll love it or it's on you and the only pluses you'll find in return will be the string of extra charges you'll find on your receipts.

Everybody always talks about what Walt would do or say or Walt rolling in his grave. One thing I know for sure, Walt would be far less troubled by sky high prices if the company that bears his name was giving top notch show. I feel he would be personally humiliated if he was privy to the huckstering behind the scenes to suck every last nickel out of each guest while knowingly presenting such poorly maintained parks.

 

[maxiesmom]

I just watched the 1994 planning video and thought to myself how clean and fresh everything looked. You would think with all the bodies they have entering the park they would have more than enough money to make the place look modern and updated. Instead of building another international park that may or may not take off they could have taken all that money and invested it in their domestic parks or opened a 5th gate.

They are investing in their domestic parks. The problem is they can't do too much at once, or all you will hear is about how the parks are all tore up and you can't do anything and it all looks terrible. You hear enough of that now with the limited construction they have going on. Every time they put a scrim up to paint on Main Street you would think the sky is falling.

 

[cabanafrau]

They are investing in their domestic parks. The problem is they can't do too much at once, or all you will hear is about how the parks are all tore up and you can't do anything and it all looks terrible. You hear enough of that now with the limited construction they have going on. Every time they put a scrim up to paint on Main Street you would think the sky is falling.

They are investing in their domestic parks. In the case of WDW they are at a minimum five years overdue for major capacity additions, not to mention the ridiculous levels they have allowed basic maintenance and even daily custodial issues to reach. There's no way that maintenance and custodial can be excused as anywhere approaching the Disney standard. This is after years of demonstrably record attendance levels. Simply no excuse for it, none at all.

 

[Alison Wunderland]

They are investing in their domestic parks. The problem is they can't do too much at once, or all you will hear is about how the parks are all tore up and you can't do anything and it all looks terrible. You hear enough of that now with the limited construction they have going on. Every time they put a scrim up to paint on Main Street you would think the sky is falling.

I was thinking more along the lines of the simple things that don't require a lot of tearing anything up. Some places just need a nice coat of paint. There are lots of little things they can work on overnight such as small construction projects. Also, they have lots and lots of empty space and buildings that is sitting there unoccupied. Its unoccupied anyway so no one would notice the construction going on.

 

[prestoncaldwell]

They are investing in their domestic parks. The problem is they can't do too much at once, or all you will hear is about how the parks are all tore up and you can't do anything and it all looks terrible. You hear enough of that now with the limited construction they have going on. Every time they put a scrim up to paint on Main Street you would think the sky is falling.

IMHO, I think the problem is that they are investing only in response to threats from other parks. Certainly at DLR, it stayed pretty stagnant for years as they have pushed everything to DCA to try and make that park worthy of the ticket price. I think SWW is us much a response to Harry Potter as anything else.

And it does seem like they are doing too much at once right now in WDW.

 

[Lesverts]

It's not a total exaggeration. In 2014 my wife and I spent a week in the heart of London at the Marriott County Hall. All told we spent less than we would have for our typical WDW vacation.

Less is not 1/8 of the price and a Marroitt is not a luxury/high-end hotel.

 

[cabanafrau]

Less is not 1/8 of the price and a Marroitt is not a luxury/high-end hotel.

But truthfully Disney doesn't offer luxury/high-end hotel, particularly at the prices they charge. We stayed at the Poly, it was our happy place. I've paid much less for equally and even much more luxury rooms.

 

[MilitaryMouse]

Curious to hear how airbnb worked out for you. We're taking the kids to Italy this summer and were looking at it as an option. Any feedback is appreciated, thanks!

We loved it! We booked apartments in the heart of each city for $50-$80/night. If we booked hotels in the same locations, it would've cost many times more, and we'd have to pay extra for laundry services (a big deal for us since we were traveling for 3 weeks). The airbnbs we stayed in all included spacious bedrooms, full kitchens and washers so we could do laundry. Much nicer than any luxury hotel I've stayed at, and the hosts are locals and gave us great touring advice on where to go, how to get there and where the locals eat!

If you know someone who uses airbnb, have them send you a referral link - you get 20$ off your first stay, and they get a $20 credit too.

 

[ArwenMarie]

WDW and DL still have no true competitor. Sure you can take different vacations, but there are no theme parks equal to them. Even Universal doesn't directly compete because it's targeted towards a different demographic. It doesn't mean they can rest on their laurels and people will dump the Mouse if the quality goes down too low.

 

[parkluvr]

On the comment about just not going to Disney, in order to send them a message. With all due respect, the only way they'll hear that message is if masses of people start cancelling their vacations all at once. And that's not going to happen.

Most of the posters here are bigger Disney fans than the typical vacationer. I don't know very many people just off the cuff who go as often as I do. If I stopped vacationing right now, and refused to go again until something changes, it would be a drop in the bucket, because the majority of trip takers are not folks like us. That being said, this is one of the few things in my life I look forward to besides football season So, will I quit going to Disney and give up my pleasant vacation time just so I can make some sort of statement they don't care about? No. I'll still be unhappy about the price increases, but will plan my trip accordingly-off season, and possibly off site, if need be.

I am the one who posted the comment about cancelling my summer reservation and not making more until things change. I do not believe in any way that me cancelling my reservation will make any difference to Disney. The issue to me is not about price increases it's about price increases coupled with a degraded product. Right now, Disney believes that they can close whatever they want, lessen their staffing and entertainment offerings, and lower their product quality, all while raising their prices and decreasing their discount offerings. The fact of the matter is with guests like you they are 100% correct. I mean no disrespect to you with that statement, I too have a bad case of "Disneyitis". The point is that if everybody thinks like you and tells themselves that they are not happy with what's going on but they can't do anything about it, Disney will just continue to tighten that screw more and more to make their bottom line better. If you truly like Disney as it is, don't just sit there thinking you can't do anything, because things will only get worse. I'm sure that Disney has teams of people who continually monitor different trends. If Disney makes an announcement such as decreasing staff and other services, if enough of us "drops" step forward and say we've had enough the powers that be will start to see that their decisions actually do affect their bottom line.