Disney World Buries Its Controversial $149 After Hours Experiment

[mellyf]

Did they bury the $149 after hours experiment? Or the after hours experiment?

We stay onsite to control our movements in a timely matter and greatly reduce bus rides. Split stays at BC or BW with BLT. Just minutes to our resort after night shows, or for FP+ and ADRs. I guess its a bubble then. EMH often but whatev.

And would (have) stay onsite at US as well. Just FP+ and WDW night shows and night hours keep US/IOA as a day trip. Not sitting at a US Resort at night knowing whats taking place 20 minutes down the road. Zero chance of that.

And that's what makes the world go round...different strokes and all that. We're not ones for parades and stuff. At Universal, we'll eat a later dinner than usual (7ish) and wander around Citywalk before walking back to our hotel. That's a lovely evening for us. Btw, when we stayed at Disney, BC or YC were always our favorite resorts to stay at because we could walk to two parks.

 

[whiporee]

Did they bury the $149 after hours experiment? Or the after hours experiment?

We stay onsite to control our movements in a timely matter and greatly reduce bus rides. Split stays at BC or BW with BLT. Just minutes to our resort after night shows, or for FP+ and ADRs. I guess its a bubble then. EMH often but whatev.

And would (have) stay onsite at US as well. Just FP+ and WDW night shows and night hours keep US/IOA as a day trip. Not sitting at a US Resort at night knowing whats taking place 20 minutes down the road. Zero chance of that.

I don't think they've buried either so far. It doesn't appear to be back for the summer, but next April might be a different story.

 

[jknc]

Please close this thread.

Like previous locked discussions on this topic the thread WILL become toxic.

 

[lockedoutlogic]

Please close this thread.

Why? It's a fair discussion...as much as any are here

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Please close this thread.

Like previous discussions on this topic the thread has become toxic.

Toxic? I personally don't think so..I haven't seen anyone really attack anyone else. I've seen people share their thoughts, their experiences, their opinions, their statements, their concerns, their hopes for the future of DAK, etc.

Off topic? Sure but that happens to just about every thread I have ever read.

 

[DisneyCowgirl]

There was no "lack of marketing"...

They don't make "marketing mistakes"...that is not their weakness.

They do make a lot of planning and economic mistakes of late. We are in the middle of a period of them.

The after hours was likely a test balloon of sorts: but to a specific audience.

This was designed as a pure upsell...they can't "market" that.

It was to get Ma, Pa, and the kids to say "wow...that would be great...lets do it!" While they are there...or capture them in the Moment (a time honored and nearly patented Disney success plan).

It's all about stetching you - making you spend more than you would normally be willing to if you weren't high off the ether.

If they "market" it...it's gonna not make economic sense far in advance. $105 for 12 hours or $149 for at most 8...

Doesn't take Einstein to crack the code there.

Or people may do what is being advocated here: reduce day tickets and make a choice.

They don't want that...they want an ADD ON.
Will some spend all their cash at Disney springs during the day or eat it up around property? Sure...some.

Some may go to the outlets...or to cocoa...or to universal...
Some may decide to do this "instead" of a normal magic kingdom day...and that may get them out a day earlier or leak money off property.

This was meant to get you to feel special and spend more in a short time...there's no way even Disney can spin the marketing around that one. Believe me...they studied the hell out of how to do it. They always do.

This is an interesting explanation to me. We went the first week in May and really enjoyed it. We agreed we would do it again, but would want to be able to plan for it. This trip was a whole week and it was no big deal to move things around. Usually we just are there a few days, so squeezing in something like that at the last minute doesn't work. We really thought a problem with the popularity of this was that people had not had enough time to plan for this. And we would not have known about it had it not been for these boards and the AP email I got with the discount. Did not see it advertised in the park while we were there. Maybe we just missed it.

 

[AngiTN]

Please close this thread.

Like previous discussions on this topic the thread has become toxic.

Toxic? Where? Disagreement is not toxic
Not seeing Toxic unless something has been edited or removed by Admin

 

[lockedoutlogic]

This is an interesting explanation to me. We went the first week in May and really enjoyed it. We agreed we would do it again, but would want to be able to plan for it. This trip was a whole week and it was no big deal to move things around. Usually we just are there a few days, so squeezing in something like that at the last minute doesn't work. We really thought a problem with the popularity of this was that people had not had enough time to plan for this. And we would not have known about it had it not been for these boards and the AP email I got with the discount. Did not see it advertised in the park while we were there. Maybe we just missed it.

If you don't mind my asking - how often do you travel?

And the lack of "marketing" to me says it is deliberate. I've seen how the beast thinks from the inside.

I have no doubt they would include it In the DVC mag or the Mickey monitor...they could sell it to the captive audience. But to the general public...it doesn't make too much sense to.

They want the only "decision" to be yes or no? Not far out planning where choices based on budgets would be
made. That wouldn't break in their favor.

 

[ChipnDale79]

Please close this thread.

Like previous discussions on this topic the thread has become toxic.

I don't think its toxic, but I do think this thread proves how passionate people are about WDW. There are some that will do anything they can to do as much as possible, no matter if there are inflated cost or not. And there others that have grown tired of the cost increases and are voicing their opinions about it.

This DAH event sort of shows how decisions disney makes can make one group happy, and infuriate another.

 

[lockedoutlogic]

I need an example of "toxic" here...I honesty think there have been civil, good points made from a variety of standpoints

 

[DisneyCowgirl]

If you don't mind my asking - how often do you travel?

And the lack of "marketing" to me says it is deliberate. I've seen how the beast thinks from the inside.

I have no doubt they would include it In the DVC mag or the Mickey monitor...they could sell it to the captive audience. But to the general public...it doesn't make too much sense to.

They want the only "decision" to be yes or no? Not far out planning where choices based on budgets would be
made. That wouldn't break in their favor.

I think I travel quite a bit. Several times a year, around the US and outside the country, usually only one of those times each year to WDW (this year is the exception as we have several times we're ending up in the Orlando area in a 12-month period). I'm not sure what that has to do with what I said.

I guess I see what you are saying about the budget--this price makes no sense in the context of a budget and a multi-day trip to WDW. I thought most people plan their trips at least to some degree, purchase their multi-day tickets in advance, etc. The WDW vacation is not one that lends itself to spur-of-the-moment decisions in my mind. And we go to WDW with kids (usually), so a late night event like that takes a little extra planning (nap that day, no morning activity the next day), so we would not see an ad for it in the park that morning and decide to buy it for that night.

 

[DisneyCowgirl]

I need an example of "toxic" here...I honesty think there have been civil, good points made from a variety of standpoints

It appears that I have been accused of being less than well-traveled! Not sure how that's relevant. Maybe lockedoutlogic is thinking I am exceptionally well-traveled and that's why I don't understand what Disney was hoping would happen with DAH.

Please read my post in the light-hearted way I mean it. I don't really feel like the victim of a toxic post. I really would love to know what Disney was thinking with this thing.

 

[lockedoutlogic]

I think I travel quite a bit. Several times a year, around the US and outside the country, usually only one of those times each year to WDW (this year is the exception as we have several times we're ending up in the Orlando area in a 12-month period). I'm not sure what that has to do with what I said.

I guess I see what you are saying about the budget--this price makes no sense in the context of a budget and a multi-day trip to WDW. I thought most people plan their trips at least to some degree, purchase their multi-day tickets in advance, etc. The WDW vacation is not one that lends itself to spur-of-the-moment decisions in my mind. And we go to WDW with kids (usually), so a late night event like that takes a little extra planning (nap that day, no morning activity the next day), so we would not see an ad for it in the park that morning and decide to buy it for that night.

Sorry...my bad...I meant to ask how often to WDW.

You're fairly frequent it seems...hence targeted marketing would be beneficial to you in their eyes.

 

[lockedoutlogic]

It appears that I have been accused of being less than well-traveled! Not sure how that's relevant. Maybe lockedoutlogic is thinking I am exceptionally well-traveled and that's why I don't understand what Disney was hoping would happen with DAH.

Please read my post in the light-hearted way I mean it. I don't really feel like the victim of a toxic post. I really would love to know what Disney was thinking with this thing.

Lol...not at all...I just asked the wrong question...

 

[Dean Marino]

Please close this thread.

Like previous locked discussions on this topic the thread WILL become toxic.

Agree (all personal opinion)....

The experiment is DEAD. WDW killed it. It isn't only merely dead, it's truly and sincerely dead.... .

Can't PERSONALLY understand why this thread still exists....

 

[whiporee]

Agree (all personal opinion)....

The experiment is DEAD. WDW killed it. It isn't only merely dead, it's truly and sincerely dead.... .

Can't PERSONALLY understand why this thread still exists....

Except that's not true. The only evidence is that they haven't scheduled it deeper into the summer, which is only surprising if you think that Disney has no regard for customers and will do anything to milk any dime they can from anyone. If you think Disney does take its customers into consideration, then it makes sense they wouldn't hard ticket hours during their busiest (and hottest) season without giving people a chance to plan around it.

The other evidence is a guy with a blog who wants people to sell Disney stock and buy other stock he recommends.

The event is still listed on the website, so it's hard to say that it's even lower-case dead. It may just be sleeping.

 

[ThurlFan]

No one took a great spot from you because honestly no spot, anywhere, is anyone's but Disney's.

And Disney used to offer all guests equal opportunity at all of their spots without paying extra. What a concept.

 

[lockedoutlogic]

Except that's not true. The only evidence is that they haven't scheduled it deeper into the summer, which is only surprising if you think that Disney has no regard for customers and will do anything to milk any dime they can from anyone. If you think Disney does take its customers into consideration, then it makes sense they wouldn't hard ticket hours during their busiest (and hottest) season without giving people a chance to plan around it.

The other evidence is a guy with a blog who wants people to sell Disney stock and buy other stock he recommends.

The event is still listed on the website, so it's hard to say that it's even lower-case dead. It may just be sleeping.

That was tongue in cheek...don't take the bait!!

 

[whiporee]

That was tongue in cheek...don't take the bait!!

But the bait was just sitting there. And it looked so pretty .....

 

[ToddyLu]

My wife and I have APs and are DVC members. We went to the may 19th, Thursday night after hours party with the DVC 50% discount. At 11:00 PM we walked onto Buzz Light Year. We kept walking onto rides for the 3 hours. Mickey's Philharmagic was the surprise of the night. We were 2 of 16 people in the theater. All adults. The 3D was still the same, but the audio was so clear it was startling. The usual amount of people must soak up some of the volume. The Jungle Cruise was different. The captain asked if we wanted "regular JC" or "behind the scenes JC". We had the "behind the scenes JC". We found it entertaining and informative. There were no boats behind us, so the captain would slowdown/stop the boat and shine a light on the exhibits and point out things. Nothing that most die-hard Disney fans have not heard before. Rode big thunder mountain, front of the train. The rest of the train was almost empty. Four people sat in the last two cars. The train seemed to be going quite a bit faster, especially around the turns. My wife and I decided it was the lack of weight with only six people on the train. The Main Street Electrical Parade was great. They did the whole parade around 12:30/1:00. My wife and I stood up against the rope. People were pretty much ten feet apart for the parade route. Great parade without having to sit on a sidewalk for an hour.
We had a studio villa at the Poly. The monorail and boat were not running at the end of the party. We walked onto a bus and were back in the room by 2:30.
$159.00 for 2 people, totally worth it for us. We both agreed we would do it again at the discounted price.

I could have written this post. DH and I went on the 5th and again on the 8th. We are DVC and purchased the tickets for $75. I purchased the 5th tickets before we left home when I found out about the discount. We loved it so much DH wanted to go another night, so I purchased those with our remaining reward card money (so it was kinda free I guess). The second night we took more time walking to the rides and had fun. I think we enjoyed it more the first night because it felt new and exciting. The first night transportation was organized back to the resort. The next time not so much. Folks were upset they could not take the Friendship boats back to FW from what I over heard. They had been told they would be available. It felt like less people were there May 8th.

In hindsight for $75 we would do this again. It was a surreal experience and I realized that I for one enjoy seeing other people enjoy themselves. I can get a glimpse of happiness from families and I missed that during this event. It was obvious the second night that folks had figured out to strike 7DMT first, we waited in a good line. We did a couple of rides twice. But the loss of noise and activity made it slightly creepy. I kept thinking about the Kingdom Keeper books and would on occasion look behind me. Walking through the PotC ride for instance just seemed dark and scary. The CMs were awesome and seemed happy to be there. I could tell that most of the folks with us were already fans. I did enjoy riding the rides I never bother to get on anymore due to lines and crowds....funny how I couldn't get DH on Dumbo or Aladdin though. I rode Astro Orbitor for the first time ever, sans DH again. I enjoyed it but do not have to ride it again. Fantasyland seemed dead and I think there was one other clam shell with people in it several shells back from us.

We purchased APs (on May 6th, so the 5th was our ticket that day) this trip and plan to return in October and next May. We typically do the hard event parties once or twice while there in the fall. So for us the $75 ticket was worthwhile. It was an experience that Disney sold me and I enjoyed it.