Disney , please don't do this...

[JRawkSteady]

I am absolutely fine with Disney charging extra or giving more to people at Deluxe resorts. It gives more incentive for people to upgrade. Why anyone would think this is a bad idea is beyond me. I'm FOR it.

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

Have fun when you're down there and don't make it all about the number of attractions you've rode. There's so much more to the parks than attractions.

But.....for some, the rides are their focus.

I have an 18 year old son. He has no desire to have a fancy lunch with the princesses. He doesn't give a hoot about hidden Mickeys. The food is seriously over-priced and at the same time, underwhelming in quality, so he's none too hyped up to eat at most of the Disney establishments. He has no interest in being made over into a pirate, to take a fireworks cruise, or to have his hair cut at the barber shop. But the rides? Yep, they are important, and that's where he finds (or loses, as the case may be) his Disney magic.

Everyone is going to "make it all about" what's important to them, which will be different for every family. For a unique family dynamic like ours, what a blessing an unlimited Fastpass (even at an additional cost) would be.

 

[OtherScott]

Why anyone would think this is a bad idea is beyond me.

I think it's a bad idea because I think Disney might lose customers, because some people don't consider moving from a 3BR townhome to a hotel room an upgrade (and that doesn't take into account that the latter will run you 3-5 times as much as the former).

It isn't about spending more, it's about what spending more gets you.

 

[captain america 2003]

I am absolutely fine with Disney charging extra or giving more to people at Deluxe resorts. It gives more incentive for people to upgrade. Why anyone would think this is a bad idea is beyond me. I'm FOR it.

Remember when Disney first started building Value resorts so that more people could afford the Disney resort experience ? That was also so they could keep people on property more/longer and thus spend more money . Or so the theory was . These resorts did not exclude or limit their guests from any in park benefits as a FP+ perk system at Deluxe and or Moderate resorts would . And as far as I know they have never made their day guests feel like second class citizens either once they entered the parks .

 

[Reddog1134]

Remember when Disney first started building Value resorts so that more people could afford the Disney resort experience ? That was also so they could keep people on property more/longer and thus spend more money . Or so the theory was . These resorts did not exclude or limit their guests from any in park benefits as a FP+ perk system at Deluxe and or Moderate resorts would . And as far as I know they have never made their day guests feel like second class citizens either once they entered the parks .

In order to feel like a 2nd class citizen, I think you would have to feel the effect of the event that makes you a "2nd class citizen". To me, EMH does this more than extra FPs would.

 

[CinqueTerre]

Remember when Disney first started building Value resorts so that more people could afford the Disney resort experience ? That was also so they could keep people on property more/longer and thus spend more money . Or so the theory was . These resorts did not exclude or limit their guests from any in park benefits as a FP+ perk system at Deluxe and or Moderate resorts would . And as far as I know they have never made their day guests feel like second class citizens either once they entered the parks .

How about someone eating a ham sandwich from the French bakery as a family leaves chefs de france discussing their 3 course steak dinner. You don't think the ham sandwich person feels like a 2nd class citizen?

 

[mickeyluv'r]

Remember when Disney first started building Value resorts... These resorts did not exclude or limit their guests from any in park benefits as a FP+ perk system at Deluxe and or Moderate resorts would . And as far as I know they have never made their day guests feel like second class citizens either once they entered the parks .

I'm guessing you've never booked a 'concierge level' stay at AKL.

From the panoramic view on the fifth floor lounge, folks milling about in the lobby look like peasants. (Concierge level guests accessed the lounge using gold KTTW cards, instead of the normal blue) concierge guests have access to snacks and adult beverages all day.

Prior to the new wristbands, guests accessed the club level floors by using gold cards in the elevator. As soon as we got them, my sister started singing, "I've got a golden ticket!" (original Willy Wonka) The gold KTTW didn't actually do all that much beyond accessing the top floor, but the IDEA of it was extremely effective at making one feel special.

I have not stayed concierge level since the new wristbands have arrived, but I have ben told they are just like all the other bands. No more gold.

Providing two colors of plastic was virtually free for WDW. I am wondering what they will do now to make the extra price of club level special. Yeah, you still get potato chips, coffee, bagels, and a room on the top floor, but er...well....it was the gold card that really made us feel special. Without that, eh?

 

[DisneyFive]

I guess I’m cheap.

I can’t stand the idea of paying for something that I used to get “for free”, and everyone had an equal share to. (referring to paper FP’s).

This new FP system with the ability to limit FP’s, along with the challenges for offsite guests with the park kiosks, is promoting the entire conversation in this thread. With the structure of the new FP system, it IS now possible to preferentially limit, or expand the FP’s at Disney’s discretion. Previously, it was up to the motivation of the guest to go get the FP’s to make the most of it.

It all worked just fine before (at least in my experience). We were able to FP the attractions we wanted (the VAST majority of the time), multiple times in a day. It just took some legwork and planning.

I love the idea of staying at a value resort if I would like, and not feeling that my park enjoyment is suffering because of it. I had the same opportunities to maximize my park time as anyone else. Our focus has been the parks and meals. The resort has simply been a place to keep our things, sleep, and a place to take a relaxing dip in the pool. (We also love the all encompassing feeling of being in a Disney Resort)

If Disney were to implement some of the ideas in this thread (tiered level of FP’s based on level of resort or offsite, or the ability to buy “unlimited” FP’s), it would instill a class system at the parks, with real palpable enjoyment of the parks being tied to it. It just doesn’t feel right to me. But hey, that’s just my $0.02.

Dan

 

[houstonmama]

I stay on site deluxe and DON'T think I should get more FP+. I'm paying more for my room because my room is bigger (with nicer sheets, towels etc), there are more restaurant options, location (when staying GF or Boardwalk area), the extras in the pool areas and of course I LOVE being in the bubble.

We all pay the same price to enter the parks so we should all have the same number of FP+. I'm not too keen on selling them either. Just seems cheap to me. Yes, we all know thats Disney is a business and needs to make money and it is making LOTS of money. There has to be a balance between making money and still keeping your customers happy.

 

[maxiesmom]

I stay on site deluxe and DON'T think I should get more FP+. I'm paying more for my room because my room is bigger (with nicer sheets, towels etc), there are more restaurant options, location (when staying GF or Boardwalk area), the extras in the pool areas and of course I LOVE being in the bubble.

We all pay the same price to enter the parks so we should all have the same number of FP+. I'm not too keen on selling them either. Just seems cheap to me. Yes, we all know thats Disney is a business and needs to make money and it is making LOTS of money. There has to be a balance between making money and still keeping your customers happy.

But we don't all pay the same price to enter the parks. Some people get discounted tickets from the Yes program, or from on line sellers like Maple Leaf Tickets. And people pay more for the hopper option. And people pay more the longer they stay.

How about Disney gives you more FP+ for tickets with more days on them?

 

[ArwenMarie]

I'm not opposed to giving onsite customers more FP, in theory. I don't like it, but I get it.

The thought of giving higher-level onsite customers more FPs versus lower-levels makes me sick. The values are as much of a ripoff as the deluxes IMO.

 

[momof2n2]

the values are as much of a ripoff as the deluxes imo.

lol

 

[jade1]

I guess I’m cheap.

I can’t stand the idea of paying for something that I used to get “for free”, and everyone had an equal share to. (referring to paper FP’s).

Dan

You never got FP- for 7DMT for free, so maybe they should charge for "new expansion" FP+ (not to effect the 3) or offer SB, and use the funds for further expansion. That avoids the "class" system as well.

 

[mickeyluv'r]

I get that a change such as this would make Disney's tiers more obvious, but to say they have not previously existed is simply not true.


What is a preferred location room? Isn't that a tiered system? Guests who pay for a better room location have a shorter walk at the value resorts.

Maybe some folks never noticed because eh upcharge has always been there.


What was an e-ride night? A way to pay extra for an extra perk.

 

[maxiesmom]

I get that a change such as this would make Disney's tiers more obvious, but to say they have not previously existed is simply not true.


What is a preferred location room? Isn't that a tiered system? Guests who pay for a better room location have a shorter walk at the value resorts.

Maybe some folks never noticed because eh upcharge has always been there.


What was an e-ride night? A way to pay extra for an extra perk.

Exactly. WDW has always been a pay more get more place. Some of it may be more stealthy than others, but it has always been there.

 

[DisneyFive]

You never got FP- for 7DMT for free, so maybe they should charge for "new expansion" FP+ (not to effect the 3) or offer SB, and use the funds for further expansion. That avoids the "class" system as well.

Funny. Yeah, where is my 7DMR FP!!

I get that a change such as this would make Disney's tiers more obvious, but to say they have not previously existed is simply not true.


What is a preferred location room? Isn't that a tiered system? Guests who pay for a better room location have a shorter walk at the value resorts.

Maybe some folks never noticed because eh upcharge has always been there.


What was an e-ride night? A way to pay extra for an extra perk.

Dang, how long has it been since there were E tickets? Actually, what was an E-ride night? Honestly, I've never heard of it.

I'm referring to the parks (in recent decade), not the resorts. I totally appreciate getting more or less ammenities depending on how much you shell out for your resort.

When in the parks, I personally have VERY MUCH appreciated a level playing field for all. I fear that may change , but I certainly hope not.

Dan

 

[mickeyluv'r]

Actually, what was an E-ride night? Honestly, I've never heard of it.

I'm referring to the parks (in recent decade), not the resorts. I totally appreciate getting more or less ammenities depending on how much you shell out for your resort.
Dan

R-ride nights were a perk that predated EMH. I think they ended around 2004, when EMH began.

E-ride nights were only in MK, on select nights. You had to be onsite, and it cost $10. The number of guests was limited, but more importantly, advertising was limited. So most folks never knew about it. Only the e-rides were open, but you got to ride them all with almost no waits. It was like having an unlimited fastpass.

Back then, there was also the semi-secret Disney Club, which got assorted discounts and secret perks.

In the parks, there used to all kinds of little secret and semi-secret things to do. Like waking up Tinkerbell, the Sword in the Stone, secret certificates, secret bonus gold fastpasses, secret paintbrushes on TS Island. For that matter, we could lump in all the various behind the scene tours as differentiated guest experiences to. Most of these are gone now. I mostly blame the internet.

There are also fireworks cruises. I only know a tiny bit about the assorted private in-park options: corporate lounges, renting private pavilions. There's a private pavilion in Epcot on the water in the WS. for a fee, you can reserve that private patio, with food and beverages.

I get what you are saying. Certainly the idea of a widely advertised differentiated Fastpass system would be a new chapter in the WDW experience. However, Disney has thoroughly experimented with differentiated park experiences in the past. And the deluxe resorts have long been a part of it. Staying deluxe already goes beyond having a nicer hotel room. For a start, most of the deluxe resorts offer a prime location. Simply put, there is a huge difference between taking a bus from MK to Pop at park closing (with the hour plus wait), and taking the resort monorail to GF or walking from the WS to the BC. And that's just the tip of the iceberg.


I think that's why I don't have a big problem with the idea. I don't like paying a fee for nothing (the new dining no show fees really irk me!) but the idea of paying for an added perks doesn't really bother me. Park ticket prices are absurd, but I do like being able to customize the ticket perks.

I stay at the value resorts, and I 'get' the idea of not wanting to pay more for your resort- just using it as a place to sleep. But there are reasons why some folks choose to pay extra to stay at the deluxes. Disney has always offered guests who pay more a better overall experience, or at least the opportunity to have an upgraded overall experience.

 

[SyracuseWolvrine]

what Walt Disney himself intended when he got the idea for Disneyland . And I don't think he would like this practice if it is ever enacted . It should be equal access to anyone with any type of admission . At least that's what I think and how I believe Uncle Walt would want it as well .

Didn't read through all the pages of responses, so I'm not sure if this was already mentioned or not.

It used to be that each attraction needed a ticket. Tickets were labeled A-E, and a book only had so many of each type of ticket. The biggest rides were E Ticket rides, and of course, there were the fewest E tickets in a book. Want to buy extras? Sure, you can do that, but you'd get 5 A tickets for the price of 1 E ticket.

That doesn't exactly seem like equal access to everyone, now does it?

 

[CinqueTerre]

Didn't read through all the pages of responses, so I'm not sure if this was already mentioned or not.

It used to be that each attraction needed a ticket. Tickets were labeled A-E, and a book only had so many of each type of ticket. The biggest rides were E Ticket rides, and of course, there were the fewest E tickets in a book. Want to buy extras? Sure, you can do that, but you'd get 5 A tickets for the price of 1 E ticket.

That doesn't exactly seem like equal access to everyone, now does it?

How isn't that equal access? You described a situation in which everyone has the same opportunity.

 

[Reddog1134]

How isn't that equal access? You described a situation in which everyone has the same opportunity.

I don't think he meant that everyone doesn't have the same options. He was saying that people who have more money can buy more of those options.

And saying Walt wouldn't like that doesn't really make sense since Disneyland used ticket books when he was alive. The more ticket books you bought, the more rides you could ride.