Do You Think Non-Dis Vets are Beginning to Notice Penny-Pinching?

[Miffy]

If Disney wants only one-and-done visitors--which I don't believe they do or why would they still be selling DVC, for example--but, even so, if this is what they wanted, that'd be tremendously short-sighted of them.

Yes, the DISboard is a place for us devotees, but nearly everyone with enough money to spend on a vacation is on some kind of social media. And word of mouth speaks louder than any advertising campaign possibly could.

How could Disney possibly not want their one-time-only guests to go home and tell their friends and contacts what a terrific place WDW is? How, sure, it's pricey, but you get so much for your money and this, that, and the other are amazing. And maybe some of those one-time-only guests become repeat visitors and/or DVC owners.

The only one-and-done visitor I know is my SIL. To be accurate, she was actually twice-and-done, since she took both her DDs there on separate trips. She did zero research, stayed at an All Stars even though she could easily have afforded the Poly, for example, didn't know about or use FP, and when she talks about the trip, mentions only the swimming pool. I seriously doubt this is the kind of person WDW wants coming to the parks. She spent practically no money while there, didn't even have a TS meal, and would never go back. She cannot understand what it is I like so much about WDW and it's impossible to explain it to her.

What I'm trying to get across is that it seems to be that WDW is very dependent on its repeat guests. If all they wanted were wealthy families with $25K to spend on a week-long vacation, they wouldn't advertise, they wouldn't offer discounts--yes, they still do--and they'd probably close the parks at 4 pm every day, since they wouldn't want to spend the money on CMs.

 

[Obi-J Kenobi]

I remember Disney would replace your hat if you lost it on a ride or your balloon if it popped. Where did that customer service go? (Rhetorical question, I know where it went, to $hapek and friends )

Your comment about replacement just jogged my memory. Years and years ago, my DW and I bought one of those overpriced WDW misting fans at a previous trip. While packing for a follow-up trip, several years later, I pulled the fan out and it was broke. I told my Step-Mom and she said return it at the parks as she had always had success returning items. I walked through PoTC after our first ride. I asked a CM standing in the shop where do I return a broken misting fan. She walked directly over to a large bin full of ice and new misting fans and pulled out a brand new one, and told me that I return the broken item to her. No questions. I thanked her and went on my way. That's the type of customer experience that made paying extra money for a vacation at WDW far, far more palatable.

 

[a1tinkfans]

A burger at sci fi is now $20.
A pretzel in the park is 7.19…
I mean it’s honestly, Gross..
I feel bad for families that will fork over $30 for a couple (4) pretzels and let’s not forget the drinks..
DISNEY GREED is Rampant.
I’d like to see More Families bringing in their Own Snacks and drinks to avoid park purchases. Only Hurting their bottom line will Ever make it known.. people have had Enough.

 

[Miffy]

A burger at sci fi is now $20.
A pretzel in the park is 7.19…
I mean it’s honestly, Gross..
I feel bad for families that will fork over $30 for a couple (4) pretzels and let’s not forget the drinks..
DISNEY GREED is Rampant.
I’d like to see More Families bringing in their Own Snacks and drinks to avoid park purchases. Only Hurting their bottom line will Ever make it known.. people have had Enough.

I agree. People have only so much money to spend on vacation. If they feel they need G+ or ILL$, then the money they spent on that won't be spent on deluxe resorts, souvenirs, pricey snacks, or TS restaurants. The idea that people have unlimited amounts of money is truly a fantasy.

 

[afan]

Your comment about replacement just jogged my memory. Years and years ago, my DW and I bought one of those overpriced WDW misting fans at a previous trip. While packing for a follow-up trip, several years later, I pulled the fan out and it was broke. I told my Step-Mom and she said return it at the parks as she had always had success returning items. I walked through PoTC after our first ride. I asked a CM standing in the shop where do I return a broken misting fan. She walked directly over to a large bin full of ice and new misting fans and pulled out a brand new one, and told me that I return the broken item to her. No questions. I thanked her and went on my way. That's the type of customer experience that made paying extra money for a vacation at WDW far, far more palatable.

Stuff like that still happens though. I was able to swap my poncho for a new one last Sept. It was a couple years old and the last time I'd used it got a hole where the hood connects to the body.

There's a difference between stuff like this still being done and everything else imo.

 

[Obi-J Kenobi]

A burger at sci fi is now $20.
A pretzel in the park is 7.19…
I mean it’s honestly, Gross..
I feel bad for families that will fork over $30 for a couple (4) pretzels and let’s not forget the drinks..
DISNEY GREED is Rampant.
I’d like to see More Families bringing in their Own Snacks and drinks to avoid park purchases. Only Hurting their bottom line will Ever make it known.. people have had Enough.

I completely understand and empathize with your frustrations.

So, being from Wisconsin, my father is a Packers seasons ticket holder. Everything on gameday is similarly priced as WDW and maybe a bit more. $12 beers. $10 brat. $13 cheese curds. Etc. Also in the City of Green Bay, a Motel 6 styled inn will cost $219 / night (+/-) with a 2 night minimum. Nothing against Motel 6, but it isn't worth $219 / night. My point is lots of businesses take advantage of the NFL fans on gameday.

One of the differences though with an NFL game and a WDW trip (for non-Florida locals), is that when you include the cost of transportation to WDW (whether you drive or fly) and the typical length of a vacation, it just becomes "gross" as you so aptly put. Plus, with WDW (unlike an NFL stadium) the parks rarely are empty and I mean thousands of people walk through the tapstiles even on low crowd days.

So, with that consistently large customer base it seems more "gross" than the prices charged at a sporting event or museum. I just wish I had a better understanding of the balancing point.

 

[Beer Me]

According to this, they are now offering a 10% discount due to the case supply issue.

Awesome. Whether in good faith or in reaction to negative publicity it’s a good move.

 

[starlite_]

Your comment about replacement just jogged my memory. Years and years ago, my DW and I bought one of those overpriced WDW misting fans at a previous trip. While packing for a follow-up trip, several years later, I pulled the fan out and it was broke. I told my Step-Mom and she said return it at the parks as she had always had success returning items. I walked through PoTC after our first ride. I asked a CM standing in the shop where do I return a broken misting fan. She walked directly over to a large bin full of ice and new misting fans and pulled out a brand new one, and told me that I return the broken item to her. No questions. I thanked her and went on my way. That's the type of customer experience that made paying extra money for a vacation at WDW far, far more palatable.

Yes! I've heard they even replaced dropped ice cream. I don't even complain about higher snack pricing because it has always been ridiculously expensive and it makes kind of sense that everything gets even more expensive over time (it does everywhere else as well it's not exclusive to the parks) but with that price increase I expect the customer service to be at the same standards. This is the balance that is missing imo. Ppl are getting less while spending more, instead of just paying more for the same thing.

 

[Arielfan98]

Yes! I've heard they even replaced dropped ice cream. I don't even complain about higher snack pricing because it has always been ridiculously expensive and it makes kind of sense that everything gets even more expensive over time (it does everywhere else as well it's not exclusive to the parks) but with that price increase I expect the customer service to be at the same standards. This is the balance that is missing imo. Ppl are getting less while spending more, instead of just paying more for the same thing.

I totally agree! What happened to that Disney magic or top notch customer service?

 

[trompettecon]

At least get your facts straight before complaining. The lightsaber plastic bag thing is due to SUPPLY CHAIN issues, not penny pinching.

yeahhh... No. Penny-pinching.

 

[rojen]

Disney not being able/willing to produce a fabric bag in-house to overcome "supply chain issues" is emblematic of the massive failures of the company. They have seamstresses on staff. There are local seamstresses. Fabric and thread is plentiful. But chasing pennies is more important than delivering the magic. Fundamental, top-down, misunderstanding of the brand.

 

[_19disnA]

^^ I agree like the rushed way they implemented Genie and those flimsy signs at ride entrances that look like someone ran down to their local Kinko's to get them made up. Apparently the right hand had no idea what the left hand was doing to plan that rollout any better.

 

[Arielfan98]

Disney not being able/willing to produce a fabric bag in-house to overcome "supply chain issues" is emblematic of the massive failures of the company. They have seamstresses on staff. There are local seamstresses. Fabric and thread is plentiful. But chasing pennies is more important than delivering the magic. Fundamental, top-down, misunderstanding of the brand.

Furthermore, I used to love the free service they offered when they'd deliver your purchased park merch to your hotel room. They could hire more CMs + produce more jobs by just bringing back this service. Touches like this is what made Disney so special to me.

 

[Wreckem]

A burger at sci fi is now $20.
A pretzel in the park is 7.19…
I mean it’s honestly, Gross..
I feel bad for families that will fork over $30 for a couple (4) pretzels and let’s not forget the drinks..
DISNEY GREED is Rampant.
I’d like to see More Families bringing in their Own Snacks and drinks to avoid park purchases. Only Hurting their bottom line will Ever make it known.. people have had Enough.

Have restaurants not raised prices where you are yet? The diner down the road from where I work in Dallas costs $20 for a burger fries and a drink. Nothing special probably below Sci Fi and Dine. Food costs and labor costs have skyrocketed. Restaurants have tried to minimize price hikes but most don’t have a choice going forward. And before you say Disney won’t lower prices and everyone else will; for the life of me I have never seen restaurants lower prices. Restaurant prices only ever go up.

Theme Parks are like all venues where you are limited in options. IE: where you are captive. IE: movie theaters, sporting venues, museums, zoos, tourist attractions, etc.

 

[Illinois76]

A burger at sci fi is now $20.
A pretzel in the park is 7.19…
I mean it’s honestly, Gross..
I feel bad for families that will fork over $30 for a couple (4) pretzels and let’s not forget the drinks..
DISNEY GREED is Rampant.
I’d like to see More Families bringing in their Own Snacks and drinks to avoid park purchases. Only Hurting their bottom line will Ever make it known.. people have had Enough.

The greed comment is trash.

A publicly traded company increasing its top line by driving new income isn’t greedy. I legitimately don’t understand how anyone can reasonably believe this to be true. Is it honestly your position that they should give you more for less?

It’s always the good old days of what Disney used to give me compared to now… go to your local MLB park and tell me what food, parking and merchandise costs look like compared to the 90s.

 

[PaladinButters]

Theme Parks are like all venues where you are limited in options. IE: where you are captive. IE: movie theaters, sporting venues, museums, zoos, tourist attractions, etc.

I paid $33 to park for an event this weekend. (I pay zero dollars to park at Disney since I use the buses, skyliner, monorail instead.) I just found the Disney advantage! But also I would tack on that a bacon cheeseburger at Cosmic Ray's is $12 and a cheeseburger at Krusty Burger (no bacon) at Universal is $12.50 so let's not leave out other theme parks in the pricing here.

Is it honestly your position that they should give you more for less?

For a lot of people "Disney Magic" and "Good Customer Service" are both only determined by what they got for free so yes?

 

[Arielfan98]

Have restaurants not raised prices where you are yet? The diner down the road from where I work in Dallas costs $20 for a burger fries and a drink. Nothing special probably below Sci Fi and Dine. Food costs and labor costs have skyrocketed. Restaurants have tried to minimize price hikes but most don’t have a choice going forward. And before you say Disney won’t lower prices and everyone else will; for the life of me I have never seen restaurants lower prices. Restaurant prices only ever go up.

Theme Parks are like all venues where you are limited in options. IE: where you are captive. IE: movie theaters, sporting venues, museums, zoos, tourist attractions, etc.

I agree that yes, prices will continue to rise. That doesn't mean quality should decline, however. Just because it's Disney and a big tourist destination, doesn't give them the arrogant right to take away quality over quantity. Pete has been talking about this for ages, especially in particular to character dining and Ohana. If I'm paying $50+ for a meal you can bet your bottom that I expect stellar service. Disney shouldn't be allowed to have their cake and eat it too. My local restaurants, while raising prices, do not lower their standards because they know they have to compete. Disney may feel it doesn't have to compete and therefore remove higher standards. Outrageous! I am already paying a huge chunk of change for this vacation, not just this one restaurant, to have an experience I cannot have outside of WDW and that's what paying customers should get.

 

[Jrb1979]

I paid $33 to park for an event this weekend. (I pay zero dollars to park at Disney since I use the buses, skyliner, monorail instead.) I just found the Disney advantage! But also I would tack on that a bacon cheeseburger at Cosmic Ray's is $12 and a cheeseburger at Krusty Burger (no bacon) at Universal is $12.50 so let's not leave out other theme parks in the pricing here.


For a lot of people "Disney Magic" and "Good Customer Service" are both only determined by what they got for free so yes?

IMO the complaints is not so much the rise in food prices but it's just another thing to add to all the nickel and diming going on.

 

[New Mouse]

I paid $33 to park for an event this weekend. (I pay zero dollars to park at Disney since I use the buses, skyliner, monorail instead.) I just found the Disney advantage! But also I would tack on that a bacon cheeseburger at Cosmic Ray's is $12 and a cheeseburger at Krusty Burger (no bacon) at Universal is $12.50 so let's not leave out other theme parks in the pricing here.

You paid for the free busses at 17 other points during your trip. That $0.50 extra for the Kristy burger... yeah, ultimately goes to Disney as well!

 

[PaladinButters]

You paid for the free busses at 17 other points during your trip.

Yeah. I pay for everything everywhere. Nothing is free. The price to replace every single dropped Mickey bar with a "free" one is baked into the price of everybody else's vacation.
But it looks free for the customers that get an extra one instead of outraging all the other guests that are paying for it. We have always paid for fast pass, but genie costing money has people feeling some type of way. Perception is a hell of a thing.