News Round Up 2016

[soniam]

Problem is that $15 won't be optional - you will have to pay for the available services whether you use them or not

Oh, I know. That's what angers me the most.

 

[cmash95]

25% isnt bad over 10 years and remember costs at the resort have gone up considerably in that time. Meat costs, bread costs, not to mention the cost of eggs have skyrocketted over the past few years not to mention the 1.00 dollar an hour increase in wages in just the last two
years. Disney isn't a charity folks and the costs have to come from somewhere so of course food and the dining plan are going up. Frankly I blame the dining plan for alot of the erroding of quality in meals and part of the raise in prices. Those of us who don't stay on property and don't have the food plan have to make up the difference in what the dining plan saves the user

 

[rteetz]

A resort fee would be a detriment to Disney.

Today you pay $350 which is high for what you get. But you get ME, free parking, extra magic hours, free shipping to hotel, etc. We all know we are over paying, but it's inherently "worth it".

Add on a resort fee to cover those things. $15! Heck yeah I'd pay that! But wait - you're telling me the room is $350 and I'm paying only $15 for the things that make it worth $350? The room is a ripoff!!!

Hmm. Ok. Let's go the other way. My room is $195 (not bad. It's convenient on property $30 more than offsite - I can hang!). A resort fee of $170 per night for ME, EMH, wifi, shipping?????? What a fricken JOKE! No way I'm playing that game. Those things aren't worth that!

This is a case where the whole is better than the pieces. If you separate them out you can't win. Better to play the shell game and say look at the combined value! Yea it's a lot but you get so much! It's part of the magic...

But you don't pay $350. You pay more like $450+ at least for a deluxe it's less of course for moderate and values.

 

[Mac30188]

To be honest, the fee is a rather trivial change for the consumer. This is in essence a price hike, but done in a way to protect those costs from room discounts and promotions. If anything, I believe the reaction shows the connotation of the hidden fee is worse then just hiking prices. Disney should just raise room rates by an extra $20 and be done with it. It would generate less negative publicity and it would generate more money.

 

[lockedoutlogic]

stopped doing the dining plan many years ago, its a rip off

I looked at the deluxe recently...it just doesn't work...you have to literally overload meals right to left - and the prices are laughable if you look at the historical context - and what's fun about that?

It just makes it more of a burden at a significant cost.

 

[lockedoutlogic]

To be honest, the fee is a rather trivial change for the consumer. This is in essence a price hike, but done in a way to protect those costs from room discounts and promotions. If anything, I believe the reaction shows the connotation of the hidden fee is worse then just hiking prices. Disney should just raise room rates by an extra $20 and be done with it. It would generate less negative publicity and it would generate more money.

There's no way to prove it - because we don't have the data and never will - but I think "the management" is dealing with a price ceiling at some of the onsite hotels.

Which could explain charges after checkin as opposed to upfront prepaying for rooms and services.

I can tell you that it's a fundamentals shift from the previous sales philosophy.

 

[lockedoutlogic]

25% isnt bad over 10 years and remember costs at the resort have gone up considerably in that time. Meat costs, bread costs, not to mention the cost of eggs have skyrocketted over the past few years not to mention the 1.00 dollar an hour increase in wages in just the last two
years. Disney isn't a charity folks and the costs have to come from somewhere so of course food and the dining plan are going up. Frankly I blame the dining plan for alot of the erroding of quality in meals and part of the raise in prices. Those of us who don't stay on property and don't have the food plan have to make up the difference in what the dining plan saves the user

You can't compare 100% discretionary spending to basic necessities.

There is no diminished demand on milk or meat. There is for an amusement park.

Can we stop with the hack interpretations of laisse faire? There's no such thing as the free market and never has been.

 

[lockedoutlogic]

Terms like price gouging may sound neat but it doesn't apply here. Luxury items don't have price gouging laws because you don't actually need them. If you don't like the price you don't go.

There's also options like six flags providing cheaper services. 55 bucks gets you in there but you lose the option to bring in food and pay similar food prices to Disney inside.

Good old Gordon would be ashamed you lumped him in such mundane normal business practices.

As far as I recall there are no "gouging" laws anywhere...With perhaps the exceptions of utilities and public services...

There are antitrust laws...and banking regulations...but those get shot out the window on a near daily basis.

It may not be starving children "aggregious"...but consistent price increases in the same calendar year with no increase in quality and no devaluation of currency does qualify as "gouging" to me. I am not an Economist...however.

 

[jade1]

I mean...you're messing with us, right?

Accepting price gouging is bad for EVERYONE...you're freedom of choice schlepps the negative side effects off on everybody.

When they feel like they don't have to earn your business...quality is sacrificed to pursue profits. Econ 101

Not talking to you (us) at all.

Just asking Eoghann why he would be "tried" of other guests vacation habits, and how "he" gets to decide what vacations are more or less magical than others?

 

[lockedoutlogic]

Not talking to you (us) at all.

Just asking Eoghann why he would be "tried" of other guests vacation habits, and how "he" gets to decide what vacations are more or less magical than others?

Well...I gave you an answer...but you have to accept that perhaps everything associated with Disney isn't made of "magic"...the cerebrum has to be used at some point.

 

[jade1]

Well...I gave you an answer...but you have to accept that perhaps everything associated with Disney isn't made of "magic"...the cerebrum has to be used at some point.

Who said everything?

 

[soniam]

Well...I gave you an answer...but you have to accept that perhaps everything associated with Disney isn't made of "magic"...the cerebrum has to be used at some point.

No, I am convinced that my poo is way more magical at Disney than anywhere else ... Man, it's late, and I need to get up early, again. I should probably go to bed

 

[shakes]

The math becomes increasingly difficult to justify each time they do this...

The quick serve is already wrong. If I eat the best quickserve on property - Wolfgang puck express - twice a day...I'm still only barely getting to $40 a person. Where's my savings? Laying under the tap at pop century and chugging mr. Pibb?

Can we finally call the dining plan what it was always meant to be? A bait and switch scam.

agree 100% btw, you need to update your sig. That's a $24 egg scramble at BOG now

 

[TheMaxRebo]

A resort fee would be a detriment to Disney.

Today you pay $350 which is high for what you get. But you get ME, free parking, extra magic hours, free shipping to hotel, etc. We all know we are over paying, but it's inherently "worth it".

Add on a resort fee to cover those things. $15! Heck yeah I'd pay that! But wait - you're telling me the room is $350 and I'm paying only $15 for the things that make it worth $350? The room is a ripoff!!!

Hmm. Ok. Let's go the other way. My room is $195 (not bad. It's convenient on property $30 more than offsite - I can hang!). A resort fee of $170 per night for ME, EMH, wifi, shipping?????? What a fricken JOKE! No way I'm playing that game. Those things aren't worth that!

This is a case where the whole is better than the pieces. If you separate them out you can't win. Better to play the shell game and say look at the combined value! Yea it's a lot but you get so much! It's part of the magic...

Also, if you start charging explicitly for services they better work flawlessly

if you are waiting what you feel is too long for a resort bus to come or if the wifi is spotty, etc - much more complaining if you are being charged separately for those services than if they were "free" or "bonus" services

 

[beer dave]

News

Teaser trailer for Disney's Magic Kingdoms a game that lets your build your own Disney parks. No release date has been announced.

Are you sure this isn't solicitation of ideas? Maybe this represents a cost cut in imagineering.

 

[lockedoutlogic]

agree 100% btw, you need to update your sig. That's a $24 egg scramble at BOG now

...duly noted

 

[lockedoutlogic]

Not true, prices at the restaurants are being increased at a much higher rate. They are pushing towards making it a savings (just in the direction you wouldn't think they could). $24 for a cronut.......

But they only started jacking up the prices at the restaurants at a fever pitch AFTER the dining plan rolled out.

It is a scam...they're hitting us with the Dutch door.

I...for one...have NEVER said that prices should remain the same...they have always went up and always will.
I think jacking them independent of larger economic trends and more frequently is bad long term business.

Nothing is more indicative of that at wdw than the 10 year history of the restaurants.

 

[lockedoutlogic]

This isn't a certainty - but I would say based on memory that prices have risen about 30-50% in the last 10 years. In 2006, Buffets were running around mid-20s for dinner and high teens for breakfast, and now are in the high thirties for dinner, mid to high 20s for breakfast. A typical QS meal was $6-9, and now I see usually $9-12. Soda was maybe $2.50 now $3.50.

I tried to track down some 2006 prices - best I could do quick maybe a good example - Hoop Dee Doo was raised to $59, $55 and $51 in Tier pricing in 2007. Current prices are $72, $67 and $64. Increase of 21-25%. The 2 TS credits it would cost you on the DDP to see the show in the meantime have gone up 80% in cost.

It's not uniform...but there's more than just simple price increase.

The $26-$28 dollar steak from 2003 is now a minimum in $44 dollars...trust me...if there's one thing I know it's menu prices. That's like a 75% increase.

Some places it's been less...some it's probably more. Buffets...ironically...are probably better in comprison. But they know that few people consume the amount of food necessary to cut into the margin - largely because everything is SCHEDULED to oblivion and the average meal time is shrinking.

What's a more popular comment on Crystal palace these days than "we're gonna miss our fastpass"?

Other things have eroded the value of the food. They have obvious reduced choices...no doubt to increase bulk purchases or limit expectations. That is a net increase of cost to the customers/lack of value.

They also use the scheduling system to shoehorn people into uncomfortable situations or even limit restaurant staffing and operation. Watch closely...there are empty tables in sections even when crowds are heavy. That's not a random choice. It's big brother manipulating their stomach.

Dining used to be part of the show...and in ways a means to an end at Disney parks. It doesn't feel that way anymore. And people suck it up...so it will get worse.

I mean...be our guest is not good - frankly. But I noticed that I can book a recently released 10-11:30 dinner reservation for the last weeks of March. 11:00 pm?

It's a cattle drive...and a high priced one at that. Just an decline in quality/experience of several fronts. That was shielded by the dining plan - no question.

 

[jlundeen]

So, for those of you who are in the know: Does Disney have any control over pricing/quality in the restaurants not owned or operated by them? I know that many of them are independently owned...just wondering how much leverage Disney has with menus and prices.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

But they only started jacking up the prices at the restaurants at a fever pitch AFTER the dining plan rolled out.

It is a scam...they're hitting us with the Dutch door.

I...for one...have NEVER said that prices should remain the same...they have always went up and always will.
I think jacking them independent of larger economic trends and more frequently is bad long term business.

Nothing is more indicative of that at wdw than the 10 year history of the restaurants.

I think what the concern is now for Disney though is that it isn't just price increases in a vacuum - it is coupled with reduced experience and lower quality with what you are getting

Increasing prices is one thing if the experience keeps pace, but that doesn't seem to be the case

The problem is:

Disney: So we are pulling characters out, reducing some park times, raising prices on food including the dining plan - lowering the quality of that food, reducing choices of said food, the parks are not as clean, the maintenance isn't as good, and the amount of surly CMs is increasing .... and we are delighted and excited to tell you about a new magical experience - you can now choose purple as a standard Magic Band Color!

Disney fans: OMG PURPLE!!!! I GOTTA BOOK 3 MORE TRIPS RIGHT NOW!!!!!