How Much Would You Pay

[Tardisblue]

My honest opinion is they are trying to push people to go with the annual pass...think about it. If you are one of those people that need to go during the busy times (school breaks), you are probably going to cough up the money no matter what. Switching weeks or skipping days isn't an option. You would probably consider shortening the trip a day or two, but a lot of people would justify it the other way....if I'm going to pay somewhere in the 4-500 range for tickets, why not just spend a few hundred more to get the AP? Right there, Disney has convinced you to probably take a second trip either you weren't planning on or hadn't planned on so soon, to "take advantage" of the AP. It is a win/win for them, either you pay more up front or you come back and spend more on the rest of the stuff! Our local zoo recently did the same thing...ticket prices were a steady $16 for 8 months of the year and about half that in the winter, but now it varies based on projected attendance and can easily double that on projected busy days. Membership prices, however, stayed the same. Many people are opting to buy the membership for just a couple of dollars more, which will bring them back to the zoo once or twice more than they normally would've, which generally will mean higher sales for the zoo in terms of food, rides, gifts, etc.

I think about this every time we visit Brookfield Zoo, the Field Museum, the Shedd Aquarium, and the Museum of Science and Industry. It's just a little bit more to buy a membership, but we usually only go once per year. Each place is fun for a one day visit, but we live too far out in the suburbs to make it a monthly affair. Same situation with Disney. I bought APs for my wife and I in May of 2013 with the knowledge that we would make it worth our while, and we did. Family vacation in May 2013; adults only birthday trip in August 2013; Marathon weekend January 2014; another family trip in May 2014 before APs expired.

Haven't purchased them again because it's not been worth it, but you make an interesting case.

 

[Tardisblue]

I don't think "greedy" was what anyone meant by suggesting a $0 option. Your premise of paying for for short line access simply isn't necessary or desired by most people.

This wasn't intended to be scientific or divisive, just a gauge on the sentiments of most people. So far the poll results make it clear that the majority have no interest in paying a premium (above what they are already paying in ticket prices) for wait time reductions. It's interesting to see that a lot of people use other strategies to reduce wait times, including skipping a ride altogether.

Let me ask this: What percentage of guests do you estimate go to WDW and fly by the seat of their pants rather than plan and schedule every day of their trip?

 

[monica9]

I think if you plan strategically, you won't have to wait to get onto a ride, at least once. If you wanted to go on the same ride multiple times in a day, that can get tricky. I think the families that can get up and out of the hotel early enough for RD are the smart ones who will find little to no lines on the popular rides. Our family has a hard time getting there for rope drop towards the end of the week so I envy those families that can as they pretty much have the rides to themselves for an hour or so.
That being said, I don't think I would spend more than $10/day/person to do so.

 

[monica9]

Let me ask this: What percentage of guests do you estimate go to WDW and fly by the seat of their pants rather than plan and schedule every day of their trip?[/QUOTE]
I'm not sure of the answer but I can tell you this, I feel bad for those that try.
Then again, some people just don't care enough to see everything and they are happy even if they just get on a few rides a day. Others might find waiting in line is a good opportunity to have a snack or relax in the a/c (as most lines are inside).
Me, I am not like that. We go every year and I still don't want to miss a single thing. I find my index cards with our daily schedule to be invigorating!

 

[Tardisblue]

Let me ask this: What percentage of guests do you estimate go to WDW and fly by the seat of their pants rather than plan and schedule every day of their trip?

I'm not sure of the answer but I can tell you this, I feel bad for those that try.
Then again, some people just don't care enough to see everything and they are happy even if they just get on a few rides a day. Others might find waiting in line is a good opportunity to have a snack or relax in the a/c (as most lines are inside).
Me, I am not like that. We go every year and I still don't want to miss a single thing. I find my index cards with our daily schedule to be invigorating![/QUOTE]

Index cards? Do tell.

 

[Marionnette]

Let me ask this: What percentage of guests do you estimate go to WDW and fly by the seat of their pants rather than plan and schedule every day of their trip?

I would imagine that it used to be a very large percentage of the guests. But now, with FP+ and the MDE accounts, more people are pre-planning their Disney visits. Still, I would put the number of non-planners in the range of 25%-30%.

 

[Crystal824]

My problem isn't with the price nor the profiting. My issue is with the level of complexity this adds to ticket purchases. Wasn't it confusing enough with hopping/WPF&M/(and the now-defunct) no-expiry combinations? Why add unnecessary difficulty when raising the prices across the board could result in the same level of profit

I could not agree more.

 

[scrapquitler]

This wasn't intended to be scientific or divisive, just a gauge on the sentiments of most people. So far the poll results make it clear that the majority have no interest in paying a premium (above what they are already paying in ticket prices) for wait time reductions. It's interesting to see that a lot of people use other strategies to reduce wait times, including skipping a ride altogether.

Let me ask this: What percentage of guests do you estimate go to WDW and fly by the seat of their pants rather than plan and schedule every day of their trip?

Based on conversations that I over hear in the parks and things I've discussed with people at home who go on a once or twice in a lifetime type WDW Trip, I'd say that "MOST" people go and fly by the seat of their pants. I'm always surprised by the number of people who don't know about FP+ (or FP before that), ADRs, etc.

 

[usd2bmd]

My issue with this is that Disney can control the lines...right now. It's easy, it would be difficult on their bottom line but if they simply cap how many people they let into the park. I don't mean level "it's insane here, you can't move" Christmas Day busy either.

They can do it, they just don't want to. So maybe it's time they really considered a 5th gate. Somewhere for the people to go to alleviate the crowding. We haven't been in 6 years and I really our August trip may be it for a long while. We have plans for Disneyland next year, but after that I think we will go back to cruises and maybe even Universal. I want Disney to still be my happy place, but I am afraid they are more concerned with the bottomline than the guest experience.

I wish that locals (or any group of guests) had the impact on WDW as the CA locals do in Disneyland. Maybe then they would stop trying to pack the parks full of guests at the expense of everything else.

 

[JohnDaleswife]

I doubt Disney is going to entertain a 5th gate idea, simply because it will cost them money. It would be great, sure, but they are not going to do anything that will cost them money. But I did see where Universal is opening another water park. I just love to see more and more competition coming though.

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

Yeah you are. Six Flags is a day park. WDW is an immersive experience (or can be). Talk about brand loyalty. Do you know anybody with a Six Flags tattoo? Neither do I.

 

[kathy884]

I already think $100 a day is quite a bit, but it is in line with other tours and vacation experiences when I think about it. We on trips normally just do one day at Disney and that's what it costs approximately. // And at the moment I'm burned out on Disney, Universal, and SeaWorld so really not interested in going to Orlando period even if it was a free trip (would rather pay the money to go to other vacation destinations that I'm interested in if it's travel with just my immediate family). But if we did have an extended family gathering in Orlando that worked with our schedules (I love hanging with the extended family and I have to admit that despite my burnout, Orlando is a great backdrop for that), I probably would go down with my son who loves Orlando and pay the price to go with the other family members even if they were doing the $200 a ticket thing ($100 plus premium). DH would definitely stay home as he doesn't care for Orlando at all. Somehow, though, I don't see my extended family being willing to pay that much, but you never know. // So bottom line no trip to Orlando at all if I'm the initiator and up to a $100 premium if my extended family are the initiators and decided to do this and we're just along for the ride.

 

[monica9]

Index cards? Do tell.[/QUOTE]
I'm super OCD but also can get easily disorganized and am very visual so like to see it written out.
I have different colored index cards for each day. I put in large letters on the front of the index card DAY 1 and underneath it which park eg. DAY 1 MK. On the bottom right corner I write the park initials and the time the park hours.
on the lined back of the index card I write on top right corner which park has extra magic hours ( I just like to know just in case our plans have to change for some reason)
then on the lines I write the time and what we are doing at that time. General stuff like (reservations and fp+ times, parades) eg. 8am- B-fast Quick Service @ Resort, 11:15 Lunch @ Crystal Palace ressie # 702344632
At the way bottom of the card I will right how many TS, QS and Snacks we will end up using.

All of this can change, I know that and we arent' too rigid but I like to have a plan and be able to see it.

 

[Tardisblue]

Index cards? Do tell.

I'm super OCD but also can get easily disorganized and am very visual so like to see it written out.
I have different colored index cards for each day. I put in large letters on the front of the index card DAY 1 and underneath it which park eg. DAY 1 MK. On the bottom right corner I write the park initials and the time the park hours.
on the lined back of the index card I write on top right corner which park has extra magic hours ( I just like to know just in case our plans have to change for some reason)
then on the lines I write the time and what we are doing at that time. General stuff like (reservations and fp+ times, parades) eg. 8am- B-fast Quick Service @ Resort, 11:15 Lunch @ Crystal Palace ressie # 702344632
At the way bottom of the card I will right how many TS, QS and Snacks we will end up using.

All of this can change, I know that and we arent' too rigid but I like to have a plan and be able to see it.[/QUOTE]

Sound similar to the Pile of Index Cards system found here: https://unclutterer.com/2014/06/17/the-pile-of-index-cards-poic-system/

 

[monica9]

Sound similar to the Pile of Index Cards system found here: https://unclutterer.com/2014/06/17/the-pile-of-index-cards-poic-system/[/QUOTE]
Wow....I love this!! Going to check it out!

I have a 7 year old daughter. I bought the very large index cards and made 1 for each day of the year starting from the first day of her Kindergarten. It was sept 5 so I made an index card for each day up until sept 4 of the following year. ON the back there are about 15 lines. I write something about that day that she did and then put the year in parenthesis. eg. Had my first soccer game. Had so much fun (2014) or lost my first tooth. I didn't cry! (2015). I write something for each day of the year and then when that same day rolls around the following year I write somehting on the next line and so forth and so on until she graduates high school. We will then give them to her on her graduation day. It's a lot of work but I get used to it and it will be nice for her to look through them and hopefully she remembers some of it!!

 

[DaretoDis]

Based on conversations that I over hear in the parks and things I've discussed with people at home who go on a once or twice in a lifetime type WDW Trip, I'd say that "MOST" people go and fly by the seat of their pants. I'm always surprised by the number of people who don't know about FP+ (or FP before that), ADRs, etc.

When we go we hardly use FP+ and never use ADRs. Sometimes we visit all parks on a single day. We plan it that way. If it's crowded here, we go there.

I also don't know the fascination with the restaurants, except one or two. If anyone thinks the food served is the best they ever had, I think they need to get out more.

 

[BSmithington]

To avoid the trash that seems to be at WDW we would pay any price. We typically do GF CL when we go, but we cannot avoid the trash interaction.

 

[Colleen27]

I voted nothing, but not because I see it as greedy. I wouldn't pay more for that because I wouldn't want any part of the level of crowd management it would take to achieve such a promise. It isn't as simple as selling fewer tickets and charging more for them. Even on the emptiest days of the year, wait times for the very desirable rides (Toy Story, Soarin', Mine Train) run much, much longer than 30 min. To ensure no guest waits more than 30min, there would have to be a system limiting repeat rides on headliner attractions and directing guests to lower demand/higher capacity rides, and that system would have to be much more rigid than FP+ (maybe FP+ combined with a no-standby policy, in which a day's ticket gets you one ride per attraction). The logistics are simply nightmarish and even if Disney did invest in something so insane I wouldn't want any part of being herded around the parks as part of a grand experiment in crowd control.

 

[Colleen27]

They can do it, they just don't want to. So maybe it's time they really considered a 5th gate. Somewhere for the people to go to alleviate the crowding. We haven't been in 6 years and I really our August trip may be it for a long while. We have plans for Disneyland next year, but after that I think we will go back to cruises and maybe even Universal. I want Disney to still be my happy place, but I am afraid they are more concerned with the bottomline than the guest experience.

I don't think it would even take a 5th gate, just some new attractions. And to be fair they are working on it, however slowly. A big part of the problem right now is that only one park is really worth a full day for most families, while the other parks lack enough attractions to disperse the crowds. Just in the past week I've seen reports of 200 minute waits at Tower of Terror because Rock N Roller Coaster was down, heard Epcot described as "shopping and dining with a hundred dollar cover charge", and read the advice that Animal Kingdom can be done in 3-4 hours. Is it any wonder that wait times are an issue when Studios has only 5 rides and several of Epcot's pavilions are aging and/or standing empty?

I do still enjoy Disney, but we've reached the point where paying more to get less is no longer something we're willing to swallow. I'm glad we had our "Disney phase" when the kids were younger, but now they're getting older there are more alternatives competing for our vacation time and money and Disney just doesn't measure up to other experiences any more. We used to go just because it was where we wanted to go; now we go for specific/special events and take our big family vacations elsewhere.

 

[Dizlvr]

To avoid the trash that seems to be at WDW we would pay any price. We typically do GF CL when we go, but we cannot avoid the trash interaction.