Fastpass Monetization

[metsjetsfan]

What are peoples thoughts on Paying for Fastpass in DW in light of the new maxpass being released in DL. Some things to consider

Price, how much is an acceptable price for Disney to make money and for customers to buy

Process and booking, what would be an easy and simple process to book these and the timeframe of how far in advance they could be booked

Long term effects and message to customers. Would this be signaling that you need to spend even more to have a good vacation? Would some people who could spend book shorter days and actually result in disney losing $ in the long run? Also what is the effect on the people who want to wait. This will be a zero sum game in terms of the wait since they can only accommodate so much per ride. I dont really see any efficiency gains here.

Is something else the solution like the extra magic hours event, magic morning hours for concierge level or more selections on tours? Or is building more attractions and an additional park the solution since it would mean less wait overall in the long run. (Obv cant be done in DL since land is limited there) And yes current strategy now appears to be prioritizing globalization with international parks

I understand this is a YMMV situation just hope it doesnt get divisive. Mods please remove if unacceptable

 

[mco65]

My understanding was that Maxpass was nothing more than carrying your FP on your smart phone vs a paper ticket.. something WDW does on the magic bands... which come with packages.. so no extra fee.

That being said, i have no doubt that very soon Disney will be charging for Fast Passes at WDW.. either by the pass or maybe an all day FP.. its coming, no doubt.. when and how much is the only thing left. I suspect I will hold my opinion until that day comes but do know this, there is only SO MUCH WATER in the WELL. Eventually the WELL will run dry...

 

[metsjetsfan]

My understanding was that Maxpass was nothing more than carrying your FP on your smart phone vs a paper ticket.. something WDW does on the magic bands... which come with packages.. so no extra fee.

That being said, i have no doubt that very soon Disney will be charging for Fast Passes at WDW.. either by the pass or maybe an all day FP.. its coming, no doubt.. when and how much is the only thing left. I suspect I will hold my opinion until that day comes but do know this, there is only SO MUCH WATER in the WELL. Eventually the WELL will run dry...

Disney has the data on the customers and how often they come, demographic, satisfaction, untapped customers etc. They should be able to predict that WELL with some degree of certainty. But yes they need to make the correct decisions as well which isnt easy and may have some luck involved as well and also hubris and ego

 

[PlutoTheDog89]

Anything is possible with Disney, don't get me wrong. It wouldn't surprise me if down the line they start charging guests for FP+, however, here's why I can't see it happening:

While Disneyland and Disney World have many similarities, they're both very different. Disneyland is, for the most part, a local's park. They have 3 (maybe 4?) on-site resorts and if memory serves me right, most people stay off-site at a cheaper hotel/motel. Disney World is more of a travel destination, bringing in guests from all over the world to stay at its many, many resorts priced at different tiers.

DL's monetization of things and strategy is a little different. They need to charge, because a majority of their guests are there for one or two days, not staying on-site and therefore not spending a whole lot of money to go there. On the flip side, most guests of WDW are staying 5 or more days on-site, eating at Disney restaurants, buying merchandise, etc.

 

[CAS239]

I would never pay for fast passes. Tickets alone are already high. I'd either wait standby or just not ride..unless a FP was like $1

 

[wrlippert]

When the FastPass system was announced many years ago, it was my assumption that it would be monetized. I am very surprised that it has taken this long. Allowing resort guests to book 60 days out is a way to monetize it indirectly. I think this is a very complex issue, especially in the context of shrinking gate numbers at WDW. I would like to first say that I don't think Disney owes anything to anyone. That said, Disney does need to understand that smart businesses don't kill their guests (paraphrased from "smart parasites don't kill their hosts.)

Price. There are many pricing models. Charge what you can. Charge what is fare. Charge what you must. The acceptable amount to charge is that amount that maximizes revenue. In other words, it depends on the elasticity of demand. You have to recover the cost of the administration and somewhat more. At the same time, you can't devalue your core business model by making the other guests' experience so unsatisfying that they won't return.

Process and booking. The My Disney Experience would be a logical mechanism as would a special concierge that you could call. If I'm paying extra, I want to book my Fastpasses as soon as I pay the fee, up to a year in advance.

Long Tern Effects. There is a finite number of rides on attractions or seats for a show in a given number of hours. I am very discouraged with the present system as I can seldom get the FastPasses that work for my interests and the time frame that I want to spend in a park. I would guess that allowing more FPs and allowing earlier booking would either force me to pay more or turn my park experience into an even less satisfying event. I have reached the amount that I am willing to pay. Instead of visiting all four parks, I have cut back to two or three, doing other things while in central Florida. I could definitely afford to pay more, but I won't. I'm not sure that any new message will be sent to the public over this. Disney now owns the title of "very expensive and complex vacation destination." There is nothing wrong with this, but it is the reality.

I will be watching closely. It sound like a great time to step back and enjoy Universal and see how things develop.

 

[MrInfinity]

"It's cheaper" is not a good reason to visit Universal. They're more than Disney in pretty much every category. 3-day pass is about as much as Disney's 4-day pass, Disney's 2-day pass is less... and the Express Pass costs a fortune. Up to $140 per person per day on top of your ticket in the summer, $55-$85 on the cheap end. At Disney you get 3 Fast Passes included per day, Universal none. Although it would be in line with most other parks to directly monetize the fastpass, I think Disney leverages FP+ wisely to differentiate their rooms instead.

 

[wrlippert]

"It's cheaper" is not a good reason to visit Universal. They're more than Disney in pretty much every category. 3-day pass is about as much as Disney's 4-day pass, Disney's 2-day pass is less... and the Express Pass costs a fortune. Up to $140 per person per day on top of your ticket in the summer, $55-$85 on the cheap end. At Disney you get 3 Fast Passes included per day, Universal none.

What I am saying is that I have visited the parks two to four times a year for many years. I have seen it all - really, attractions, shows, tours, restaurants, resorts, shopping, recreation... Sometimes "cheaper" isn't the bottom line, it is what you get for the money. Right now, I don't feel that my park experiences are inline with what I am paying, so I'm not going to pay more. There are many things that I haven't seen at Universal, and new places to see in Central Florida. Sure, paying $15 dollars to see Bok Tower and Gardens may not be a dollar per hour equivalent to Disney, but if it is $15 that you enjoy, then it is worth the money, same with the Orlando Eye, etc. That is why I never criticize people who spend money at WDW in ways that I wouldn't. I just post my perspective that applies just to me.