Intersting article about Disney in the Sentinel

[jetdoctor]

Here's the flip side of all of this: I've always been bothered by the fact that since I don't live in Florida I have to pay SOOOOOO MUUUUUUUCH MOOORRRE than folks that happen to live nearby. Frankly, I'm glad they're raising the Florida resident fees. I think they should pay the same amount as I have to pay. I've visited WDW as much as some of the locals. Why charge them so little and me so stinking much? Honestly, I've sat across a table before at EPCOT from a guy and his wife that paid peanuts to get in while my ticket for the week cost a king's ransom. Of course that sticks in my craw.

You want 60 day access to FPs? You wanna go during peak times? Then do it like the rest of us do, and buy a regular ticket.

The only perk is that we get to pay in payments. So why does it bother you. The price difference is $100. https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/passes/platinum-plus-annual-pass/purchase/. So our cost for my Tickets every year is $2479.17 for a family of 3 + TiW $150. How are you paying SOOOO much more? A non out of state would pay $2779.17 FL residents save $25 on TiW. Guess what most of us Disney Nutz Stay on Property as well, so your argument is not valid. Plus we keep the parks full when travel times are slow

 

[Hikergirl]

I don't understand why? We Payed for our tickets just as much as the next person

It was a joke, but there is some truth to it. The weekends are crazy busy due to alot of local traffic and since I don't have the luxury of going every weekend it would be nice if the one weekend I was able to be there wasn't spent in very long lines.

 

[Josh Hendy]

I then realized that this thread was more so locals/APers/the people that find anything and complain about it to death like spoiled brats all complaining about this ...

I'm surprised I haven't been bullied off of these forums yet

Name calling is bullying.

 

[Hikergirl]

Look up the Florida resident AP cost. It'll make you a little outraged.

Well I'm not really going to be outraged, I'd love to have a discount and live close enough to go everyday.
However, I do think the perk for you guys should be the discount without strings, except maybe some blackout dates. Over the course of the year I'm sure you guys give plenty of money to WDW on top of what you paid for your APs. Seems wrong to keep you out, or force you to pay extra just because a new attraction opens.

 

[PuppyJonathan]

Name calling is bullying.

What I gave was a comparison of two similar things, not flat out saying it. I'm not saying they are, in saying they are like. Thank you for intentionally trying to read through my post and find any hole in it just to fire back at me

 

[LittleDreamer]

Why don't they just make another ticketed event. Would APs pay $50 for a few hours first look at new areas? It lets the park dress rehearsal the new areas with a controlled number and the feed back could likely be less colored by "invested need to like it". Plan a week of Passholder sneak peaks limit each night to 1000-1500 guest (or whatever the civil engineer estimate is a light crowd to be). Organize it far enough ahead so that if sales are low you can attempt to combine different nights together. Then have some free Darth Vader Cupcakes on standby for when the rides inevitably break down.

I'm just trying to think of the headaches blocking APs from the parks would be. "Oh, I'm sorry we opened a new ride you can't come to this park today, but any of the other parks is fine." Also is the system going to enforce this entry or will it be up to the greeters to stop APs. And what if they are doing a soft often. Are APs banned during those times too? A soft opening means a new attraction is open but if you don't tell everyone beforehand that is going to create some Anger at the gates. On the opposite end what if they miss launch dates like with RoL? "I know we told you you couldn't come but you can?" This method just seems like it would be headaches for Guest Relations.

 

[jade1]

Why don't they just make another ticketed event. Would APs pay $50 for a few hours first look at new areas? It lets the park dress rehearsal the new areas with a controlled number and the feed back could likely be less colored by "invested need to like it". Plan a week of Passholder sneak peaks limit each night to 1000-1500 guest (or whatever the civil engineer estimate is a light crowd to be). Organize it far enough ahead so that if sales are low you can attempt to combine different nights together.

Yep, or as I have said for years-could just charge for FP+ at new attractions (or give them to onsite guests), SB those that want to wait for no extra charge. FP+ could in turn pay for all new attractions, or at least a large portion of it. After they have been paid for (or the % desired) they can become free FP+ going forward.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Why don't they just make another ticketed event. Would APs pay $50 for a few hours first look at new areas? It lets the park dress rehearsal the new areas with a controlled number and the feed back could likely be less colored by "invested need to like it". Plan a week of Passholder sneak peaks limit each night to 1000-1500 guest (or whatever the civil engineer estimate is a light crowd to be). Organize it far enough ahead so that if sales are low you can attempt to combine different nights together. Then have some free Darth Vader Cupcakes on standby for when the rides inevitably break down.

I'm just trying to think of the headaches blocking APs from the parks would be. "Oh, I'm sorry we opened a new ride you can't come to this park today, but any of the other parks is fine." Also is the system going to enforce this entry or will it be up to the greeters to stop APs. And what if they are doing a soft often. Are APs banned during those times too? A soft opening means a new attraction is open but if you don't tell everyone beforehand that is going to create some Anger at the gates. On the opposite end what if they miss launch dates like with RoL? "I know we told you you couldn't come but you can?" This method just seems like it would be headaches for Guest Relations.

I would have agreed with you prior to all the other events being released or lengthened.

They have EMM, they did have evening ticketed event, they have MNSSHP, MVMCP, etc. The last thing that most people want is another ticketed event.

FTR as I mentioned earlier I'm not for the blackout on new attractions for APs.

 

[Josh Hendy]

FP+ could in turn pay for all new attractions, or at least a large portion of it. After they have been paid for (or the % desired) they can become free FP+ going forward.

I might be able to accept such a radical new method of pricing their theme park admission ... if there was the slightest scrap of evidence that the traditional, "here's the whole park for one price" admission ticket system somehow limited them or caused them financial losses or insufficient profits.

 

[jade1]

I might be able to accept such a radical new method of pricing their theme park admission ... if there was the slightest scrap of evidence that the traditional, "here's the whole park for one price" admission ticket system somehow limited them or caused them financial losses or insufficient profits.

US switched to a pay more play more system..kind of like the "traditional" WDW ticket was.

It is a way to "fund" even further development though, and tie it to the MM+ investment.

Another method could offer the "NEW" attraction FP+ to Deluxe at 70 days, mods at 65 days and 60 for the rest onsite.

 

[Josh Hendy]

US switched to it.

It is a way to "fund" even further development though.

Another method could offer the "NEW" attraction FP+ to Deluxe at 70 days, mods at 65 days and 60 for the rest onsite.

As I understand it, Universal charges for Front of the Line access and they give FOTL free to deluxe resort guests. But for Hogwarts/Forbidden Journey they disallowed FOTL access and only allowed resort guests to have early-morning access to Hogwarts. It's revenue enhancement but I don't see it being used in order to enable or justify the building of new attractions.

For lack of a better word, Disney pioneered the democratic or open-access model of theme park admission. They built the most popular and profitable theme park resort in the world under that model. There is nothing in Disney's financial statements to indicate that the pricing model has caused them financial distress or that it has hampered their ability to pay for renovations and enhancements in their parks.

There are clear signs however that they have financial distress arising from non-WDW business operations, and that they're desperate to find ways to squeeze even more money and profits out of WDW ... in what seems to me to be a reckless manner that takes hardly any account of their customers' expectations not to mention their customers' ability to pay.

 

[jade1]

As I understand it, Universal charges for Front of the Line access and they give FOTL free to deluxe resort guests. But for Hogwarts/Forbidden Journey they disallowed FOTL access and only allowed resort guests to have early-morning access to Hogwarts. It's revenue enhancement but I don't see it being used in order to enable or justify the building of new attractions.

For lack of a better word, Disney pioneered the democratic or open-access model of theme park admission. They built the most popular and profitable theme park resort in the world under that model. There is nothing in Disney's financial statements to indicate that the pricing model has caused them financial distress or that it has hampered their ability to pay for renovations and enhancements in their parks.

There are clear signs however that they have financial distress arising from non-WDW business operations, and that they're desperate to find ways to squeeze even more money and profits out of WDW ... in what seems to me to be a reckless manner that takes hardly any account of their customers' expectations not to mention their customers' ability to pay.

I get that and give them (WDW) credit as well. I am saying they "could" offer more FP+ or give them to onsite guests (or early entry to Deluxe like US) to Deluxe, or sooner, or even sell (like the old e-ticket days) if it indeed would lead to more attractions. That's all.

 

[PuppyJonathan]

Looks like Universal might be doing the same:
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/trav...rsal-orlando-pass-changes-20160829-story.html

 

[lockedoutlogic]

Charging for specific rides at the current base price structure is a slippery and dangerous slope..

And this I can guarantee you: nobody on either side of this back and forth will like where this train ends up. Buyer beware.

 

[miamimi]

The only perk is that we get to pay in payments. So why does it bother you. The price difference is $100. https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/passes/platinum-plus-annual-pass/purchase/. So our cost for my Tickets every year is $2479.17 for a family of 3 + TiW $150. How are you paying SOOOO much more? A non out of state would pay $2779.17 FL residents save $25 on TiW. Guess what most of us Disney Nutz Stay on Property as well, so your argument is not valid. Plus we keep the parks full when travel times are slow

Don't knock it, being able to make payments is a big perk for a lot of people.

 

[mom2rtk]

I might be able to accept such a radical new method of pricing their theme park admission ... if there was the slightest scrap of evidence that the traditional, "here's the whole park for one price" admission ticket system somehow limited them or caused them financial losses or insufficient profits.

It's like having their cake and eating it too.

1) Sell ticket books
2) Ditch ticket books, spike prices but call it "all access"
3) Overlay per ride pricing on top of "all access" pricing
4) Offer upsell to "all access" pricing again.

Etc. Etc........

 

[lockedoutlogic]

It's like having their cake and eating it too.

1) Sell ticket books
2) Ditch ticket booths, spike prices but call it "all access"
3) Overlay per ride pricing on top of "all access" pricing
4) Offer upsell to "all access" pricing again.

Etc. Etc........

And this is the rub...and I do apologize if i stereotyped whiporee (however...to accuse someone of claiming entitlement when they claimed none...merely asking about the thought process of pricing...is a time honored corporate defense)...

...but this represents a fundamental shift...not the "we polled guests and they want this..." Typical crap...

My beef is the "it's just capitalism..." Excuse. It's not just capitalism...it never was...it never will be.

Granted Florida has reaped billions of taxes From Disney...no doubt...but they have also given a lot back...and put up with a lot of bunk in return. Disney had special taxing and regulatory authorities Given to it In 1965 that exists nowhere else in the country...

They had quietly fought to keep labor cheap and noncommittal...which hurts the residents of Florida...

Nearly all the transportation around Orlando was built with too Much control by Disney...more than they deserve. Much of that funded at both the state and federal level.

What's "capitalist" about that? Like the Lockheed Martin research lab across town for me...that's Gipper fantasy capitalism...fools gold.

Disney is not a "capitalist experiment"

And Florida residents are a pillar of the business. This notion that all are equal is neither factual nor realistic. It's call "market segments"...different policies to different audiences based on need.

This notion that Disney Owes the residents of Florida nothing is too much of a stretch. It's just not realistic.

And besides...Florida residents pay as much lb for lb for what they get as anybody...because they have pro-rated offseason passes that are good 2/3 of the year at 2/3 of the price doesn't really make them freeloaders.

You think the schools in Osceola and Polk county are being paid for by Bob Iger and all those rich WDW employees...that's the tax base?

Florida and its people give as much as they take. To say "you can't come in May if we open Star Wars land in April because we can't get our poo together and want to be able to jack up prices at a moments notice"...is unscrupulous. And disasterous in the macro...

Surely...ye jest...

 

[TheDisneyNurse]

Well, if you don't want blackout dates, then there's a simple solution: don't buy the discounted annual pass that has blackout dates. There's nothing prohibiting a Florida Resident from buying a full price pass like I have to buy. I hold an AP and live in CT. I'd be happy to buy the discounted pass with blackout dates if it were available to me.

There are Florida Res AP's without blackout dates and there are ones with blackout dates. The reason we get a bigger discount on both is because statistically, FL residents will use their pass more due to convinence of location.

I'm not worried, there will always be a FL AP without blackout dates. I have the Gold, but I would never get a pass lower than that. AP's that block out the entire summer seem like a waste of money to me.

 

[lockedoutlogic]

Don't knock it, being able to make payments is a big perk for a lot of people.

Honestly...i might never let my passes lapse if it was just a monthly deduct...

...but i live somewhere else...so they don't feel like they need to do that for me. Which means I space out trips more and let the passes lapse...so they make less money.

But they sure do like that lump sum charge every two years...that's like sweet wine for CMB...

 

[lockedoutlogic]

There are Florida Res AP's without blackout dates and there are ones with blackout dates. The reason we get a bigger discount on both is because statistically, FL residents will use their pass more due to convinence of location.

I'm not worried, there will always be a FL AP without blackout dates. I have the Gold, but I would never get a pass lower than that. AP's that block out the entire summer seem like a waste of money to me.

I think it's very likely that the Florida rates will be discontinued in the future...it just seems to be the thought that there is no limit to what people will pay...

And unlike the sound, relatively steadying conservative growth model that has always governed the parks business...this is more 3 month gunslinger type thought these days...

They have no problem blowing pricing as long as they think it's for stock value. It's the go to excuse/justification.

This from the company that has had the worse year on the Dow 30...so when half your movies bomb and attendance flattens...just put the screws to those that have stayed the course with you for decades.

Makes sense, huh?