Jan 2018 wait times longer than Summer 2017: Disney reduced ride capacity

[tlmadden73]

And I have to raise my hand as guilty.

Complained last year, and still bought the APs. Almost even paid for the early morning magic yesterday. But then came to my senses. At least on the last part.

I'm in that boat too .. I don't like increasing prices and crowds .. yet I am looking to get an AP myself this fall and go three times from Nov. 2019 - Oct. 2020 (hopefully catch the opening of SWGE). My wife may still veto this plan considering we have pretty young kids to be doing that (2 and 6).

 

[Iowamomof4]

Our main incentive for staying onsite is two-fold: 1. "Disney Bubble" (being picked up from my resort and traveling to a park on Disney transportation) and 2. Magic Express.
EMH are not that great of a perk, imo. The morning ones are only an hour and they don't clear out offsite guests from the night ones, so you still have some crowd issues to deal with even if they aren't getting on the rides (and some probably still are getting on).

 

[mickeyluv'r]

I’m not sure on that.

We stayed at a Disney springs hotel and had access to EMH. The hotel was less than any on site moderate for the dates.

I think their research and data is telling them that on site guests don’t rate EMH as a main factor anymore. At least that’s my guess.

The DS hotels just are SO BORING though.

I see it slightly differently: EMH is a reason to stay onsite, but not reason enough to make us choose a boring hotel.

 

[mickeyluv'r]

Is it really though? I mean there are many people on here that don't use it. We didn't use it.

Sure, but you could also say that about Magic Express. Many folks stay onsite but don't use ME.

Or the DDP. That's the 3rd benefit of staying onsite.

Theming/WDW bubble is the 4th.

I think people choose onsite for a mix of those benefits. Take one away, and the incentive to stay onsite won't be as strong.

I'm a little surprised that statement is being questioned.

 

[dlavender]

Sure, but you could also say that about Magic Express. Many folks stay onsite but don't use ME.

Or the DDP. That's the 3rd benefit of staying onsite.

Theming/WDW bubble is the 4th.

I think people choose onsite for a mix of those benefits. Take one away, and the incentive to stay onsite won't be as strong.

I'm a little surprised that statement is being questioned.

I think the data backs it up, though.

I think in 2014 there were something like 36 hours of EMH.

This year there’s like 16?

And resort rates have skyrocketed in price over that time. And they still run 90-100% occupancy.

 

[jenniferhouston2]

I finally found this thread again, after it had been moved from "Theme Parks and Strategies" to "Theme Parks Community".

Just a question for the mods.. This thread has more impact on visiting strategy than most of the threads on the Theme Parks and Strategy Board (e.g. popcorn bucket refills??????)

Why the move? Thanks in advance!

 

[FortForever]

True . .I was just playing the Devil's Advocate.

I noticed you were really good at that when you played the Snow White card. I have to say that was the best move possible in comparing new rides with the old. No argument here that Snow White was not even impressive when I was a child in the 70's, and that's saying something. LOL

Kudos on the excellent, mature and polite debate/conversation. Not everyone can handle it and it's much appreciated. You make some great points.

And I would argue that EMH is a "main incentive" to stay onsite. I am just one person, but it never factors into my decision. It's a nice "extra" perk to have, that I use if it lines up, but I don't go into thinking I want EMH, so I better stay onsite this trip. What I miss when I stay offsite is the 60 day Fast passes, free parking, free transportation, free magic bands, (and using them to charge back purchases) and just being "closer" to the parks.

We are fairly local and could do day trips. Even so, we still choose to stay onsite at Disney.

The main reason we do so is to be inside the Disney Bubble and EMH. I couldn't care less about 60 day FPs, free parking, or magic bands. Of course as AP holders, we have free parking and magic bands anyway. But, even if we didn't, I've never driven to a park in my life (been a Disney regular since 1971) and never made FPs 60 days in advance. We usually don't make FPs until t he day prior, with the exception being the new Pandora rides, which I made a few weeks in advance.

We have more magic bands than I can even count. Every color and some repeats in both old and new style. I mostly decline them now unless one of the grandchildren wants a different one. Even so, they are like $13 to buy and just not any reason to stay onsite if a person wasn't so inclined.

We always take advantage of EMH and it always plays into my planning. Even so, as much as I hate to say it, but even when EMH goes away, we will still stay onsite. I will be disappointed, but will still want to be in the Disney bubble, so would have to cite that as our #1 consideration.

I finally found this thread again, after it had been moved from "Theme Parks and Strategies" to "Theme Parks Community".

Just a question for the mods.. This thread has more impact on visiting strategy than most of the threads on the Theme Parks and Strategy Board (e.g. popcorn bucket refills??????)

Why the move? Thanks in advance!

I agree 100% - This thread needs to be put back in Theme Park Strategies since that's EXACTLY what it is.

 

[mshanson3121]

I'm a little surprised that statement is being questioned

Why? Disney is the one doing it. They've significantly cut EMH as it is, and instead replaced it with something that needs to be paid for. Clearly, they didn't feel that removing that perk (or considerably restricting it) would have much impact - and it hasn't. Which would indicate that it's really not that much of a perk/draw to begin with. We can see that clearly on this board for the amount of people that don't take advantage of it.

Quite honestly, I think the biggest reason people (and I mean normal people, who aren't aware of the ins and outs and are just your average Joe Blow planning a trip) stay on site is the "bubble" experience, and then also the convenience of free transportation to/from the airport/parks.

 

[uccats97]

Here is what I witnessed a few weeks ago at the Peoplemover. There was quite a line at the bottom of the escalator, so as I stood waiting, I noticed the front half of the trains were all going out empty. Only the vehicles in the back half of the train were being loaded with people. When I got to the top, you could actually see they had set red cones in the seats of those vehicles to keep them from being used. Back in the day, there were several castmembers at that ride. That was not the case that day. There was someone at the bottom, someone loading, and someone getting people off the ride.

I experienced the same thing and also saw entire trains dispatched empty. I kept wondering why groups of 4 would be the only people in the entire train, if any at all. We waited 20 min and it would’ve been 5 had they filled each train.

 

[FortForever]

I finally found this thread again, after it had been moved from "Theme Parks and Strategies" to "Theme Parks Community".

Just a question for the mods.. This thread has more impact on visiting strategy than most of the threads on the Theme Parks and Strategy Board (e.g. popcorn bucket refills??????)

Why the move? Thanks in advance!

Or maybe it's because this forum is run by travel agents and they don't want to discourage people from going to Disney? I agree it really belongs there. They moved it to a place where it will be seen much less. Even the "rumors" board would have been more appropriate.

 

[whiporee]

I agree that the writing is on the wall that EMH is going to go away. A slow bleed is better PR than simply announcing "it is going away in 6 months."
The morning/evening events seem to be popular (mainly because people are willing to pay for a very LIMITED attendance) ... so Disney would be silly to give away something that people are now willing to pay for. I mean .. I would be tempted to try them.

I am surprised they haven't done a "Early Morning Magic" at every park ... seems like it would be a huge seller at AK if it included Flight of Passage.

Also .. I think the writing is on the wall for free dining going away (or at least pile on even more restrictions to make it just not worth it like it used to). It's not like Disney needs to encourage people to come in the fall now.

It's all about supply/demand.

I just wonder when the tipping point will occur when the guests are like are just disgusted by the high cost of tickets and then all the extra "experiences" they feel they are missing out on unless they shell out even more money. Personally I don't think it will happen though. Disney is more popular than ever thanks to parents who born in the 70s/80s/90s .. now wanting to take their kids to WDW like they did as kids. Video blogs (and sites like these) make Disney always in the fore front. And Disney's acquisition of brands like Marvel and Star Wars have broaden its popularity as well.

The fans have given Disney a blank check and they are using it.

I don't think EMH is going anywhere. It's too big a perk to offer to resort guests, and they still do have 30,000 rooms to fill. Plus, for the layperson, it's fundamentally easy to understand -- the parks are open earlier and later for guests of the resorts. Additional Fps take a lot more explaining than that. After you've got your chops you realize that maybe EMH aren't a great deal but to the average person deciding between onsite and offsite, it's a pretty good incentive to get them on.

 

[hiroMYhero]

Redirecting to the original / first Len Testa Interview thread that is still on-topic on the Unplugged Board.