News Round Up 2016

[mollmoll4]

I posted something about it but it probably got lost.

Oops! Sorry. There's been a lot going on in this board the last few days.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

My question is....why not just up the price by $15 and not say anything about it? Making people pay an extra fee for all the things that used to be free will only upset the masses.

The only other things I can think of is because internet booking sites (priceline, etc.) compare base rates - prior to any fees, etc. .... so if you are searching and see an offsite place that is $200/night vs a Disney place that is $300/night - it won't tell you that the off site place also has a $35/night services charge and a $40/day parking charge (or whatever)

So Disney may be exploring "unbundling" some of those fees so the comparison is more apples-to-apples

 

[Kirkules]

I'm reading all of the comments about greed and price gouging and I'll be honest... I think Disney is one of the best values around. To be fair, I haven't seen the dramatic increases because we've only been going for about 4 years now (planning our 3rd trip for this September), but I can't think of a better value than what Disney offers me. The last 2 times we went cost us about $6,000 for 6 people (5 Disney adults and a 9 year old) for 8 days and nights at the Cabins with "Free Dining". That's about $125 per person per day. For that cost Disney picked us up at the airport (we were literally the only people on the bus) and gave us a comfortable, entertaining ride to an amazingly themed resort where we had a super comfortable cabin and our dishes washed for us daily. We had a fun boat ride to the park in the morning, 15 hours+ of rides galore (using fastpass and a little planning we never waited more than 15 minutes for a ride and hit just about everything), amazing live shows, incredible parades, great evening firework shows, a high quality sit-down dinner, a satisfying lunch, a $5-6 ice cream sundae or Dole Whip as a snack, a 30 minute ride on the air conditioned monorail and a chance to walk around some of the most beautiful resorts gorgeously decorated for Christmas as a break in the middle of the day, a relaxing boat ride back to a waiting bus at the end of the day, and a comfortable bed with a towel animal greeting us at night. It's a steal. Other things I have paid around $125 per person for... a 2 1/2 hour Broadway show, a 3 hour sporting event, a local amusement park/water park with lunch and dinner on site and a hotel for the night - none of which is even in the same solar system as what Disney offers. I get that $6,000 is a lot of money all at once, but am I the only one who thinks its an incredible value?

 

[jade1]

Few closer photos from last week with the fences down-looked ready to open, maybe it is by now.

 

[Eoghann]

Why would you be tired of someone else's vacation habits? And how do you know what trips are more magical to someone?

Because their blind acceptance of absolutely anything Disney does impacts my potential future visits.

Disney defenders on here like to trot out "free market" arguments (ignoring the fact this country hasn't been a free market economy since before the days of the company store and owners having workers shot) but they don't apparently understand that an essential pillar of such a free market would be consumers who push back rather than making excuses for the companies.

And while I cannot score the "magicalness" of any particular visit I can say with certainty it is entirely possible to have magical visits in places other than Disney theme parks. There are trips to Australia or France or Spain or the UK people could take that would open eyes, change world views and be genuinely unique and special. There are places to go on this continent or even inside the borders of this country that would cost less and give a greater reward.

 

[Maineiak]

News

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

Some observations that will make this game a home run, if they're included:

• The ability to announce a new land, but not have it completed for 6 years
• The ability to implement tiered pricing/multiple price hikes throughout the year
• A scrolling news feed on the side keeping you updated on what the internet posters say about how your parks are doing
• An annual (and increasing) maintenance fee on the game, all the while the quality declines and the enjoyment declines due to high demand, year over year

 

[crazy4wdw]

Here's a new wrinkle in Disney's ever increasing prices - premium parking charges coming to the theme park parking lots. Want to park near the entrance? Pay an extra $20 to $25.

http://forums.wdwmagic.com/threads/premium-parking-coming-to-walt-disney-worlds-parking-lots.911246/

 

[skier_pete]

I get that $6,000 is a lot of money all at once, but am I the only one who thinks its an incredible value?

You'll find the people that complain the most are the ones that have been going a LOT for a long time. It's easy to become nitpicky and cynical in that format, because after a while you realize the parks change very little while your costs keep rising.

I think one thing that does get ignored by folks here is how much entertainment options in general have risen in the last 10-15 years in price. I got NHL season tickets in 2006 which cost me $27 a seat. Today those same seats run me $52, a 92% increase.

Lift tickets over the last ten years have risen from the $75-$80 to $100-$110 a day at major ski resorts.

Disney is expensive. I would have a hard time arguing it is an "incredible value" but each of us alone decides what value it is too us. I still think I get good value out of my Disney spending. But some things I don't do. I think the $75 hard ticket events (MNSSHP and MVMCP) are the biggest rip-offs at Disney world outside of the $60 dessert parties - so I don't do them. Plenty of people love them and find value in them. To each his own.

I guess what I'm saying is, don't let negativity on the boards make you think "oh - Disney isn't worth it" - do what you are doing and decide for yourself!

 

[skier_pete]

Here's a new wrinkle in Disney's ever increasing prices - premium parking charges coming to the theme park parking lots. Want to park near the entrance? Pay an extra $20 to $25.

http://forums.wdwmagic.com/threads/premium-parking-coming-to-walt-disney-worlds-parking-lots.911246/

Meh - we were just at LEGOLand and Seaworld in California, and they both had this option. I don't anything at all against this. If you want to pay extra to park closer, that's your choice. Good for you. Of course, we don't ever have a car there.

 

[lockedoutlogic]

News

Reservations now available for Minnie's springtime dine at DHS.

https://disneyparks.disney.go.com/b...ime-dine-blooms-at-disneys-hollywood-studios/

Clarify "reservations available"?

 

[skier_pete]

Few closer photos from last week with the fences down-looked ready to open, maybe it is by now.

This looks very, very nice...but I can't get a feel for the size of the pool. It seems rather small.

 

[adam.adbe]

I get that $6,000 is a lot of money all at once, but am I the only one who thinks its an incredible value?

Last time I priced it, I could fly my family of three to Granada, Spain, and rent a week in a cottage and car for dollars north of the cost of a six night stay at FQ including airfare to Orlando from Chicago.

Adding in Disney's insane food costs, and the deal worked out pretty unappealing when stacked up like that. Sure I would need to spend extra for the Alhambra, but the beaches and mountains come free, and I could see them both from my private pool.

As it was, we stayed a week in Wales with family, and spent even less.

 

[LittleDreamer]

Here's a new wrinkle in Disney's ever increasing prices - premium parking charges coming to the theme park parking lots. Want to park near the entrance? Pay an extra $20 to $25.

http://forums.wdwmagic.com/threads/premium-parking-coming-to-walt-disney-worlds-parking-lots.911246/

I understand this at places like Universal with the parking garage, even with the moving sidewalks you can still travel a ways from your car to gate. I can see it working at Epcot and AK but why not just tram. MK and DHS on the other hand even the closest normal lot is still a bit of a walk.

 

[DisneyBabies]

News

Dining plan increase likely coming.

http://blog.touringplans.com/2016/03/09/disney-dining-plan-rates-increasing/

Aaaand ... they've priced us out for this. Convenience can't justify this price for food.

Found it...View attachment 155622

This is crazy. There goes their "Stay on site ... look at all the cool free perks you get!"

News

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

I.Want.This.

 

[adam.adbe]

There are trips to Australia or France or Spain or the UK people could take that would open eyes, change world views and be genuinely unique and special. There are places to go on this continent or even inside the borders of this country that would cost less and give a greater reward.

Ninja'd. :-/

If I could take a trip to Australia for Disney money though, I'd have taken a second mortgage by now.

 

[EricInPA]

Because their blind acceptance of absolutely anything Disney does impacts my potential future visits.

I really don't know how this will be a solvable problem. If people think they're still getting their money's worth, they're going to spend it and go.

Regarding the other vacations you listed, if we're talking price only, the plane tickets alone will cost more than what I'm spending on 10 days at Disney (total cost, over two trips). Having cheap, direct (2hr) flights to Orlando is a huge part of what makes Disney attractive to us.

 

[saskdw]

I'm reading all of the comments about greed and price gouging and I'll be honest... I think Disney is one of the best values around. To be fair, I haven't seen the dramatic increases because we've only been going for about 4 years now (planning our 3rd trip for this September), but I can't think of a better value than what Disney offers me. The last 2 times we went cost us about $6,000 for 6 people (5 Disney adults and a 9 year old) for 8 days and nights at the Cabins with "Free Dining". That's about $125 per person per day. For that cost Disney picked us up at the airport (we were literally the only people on the bus) and gave us a comfortable, entertaining ride to an amazingly themed resort where we had a super comfortable cabin and our dishes washed for us daily. We had a fun boat ride to the park in the morning, 15 hours+ of rides galore (using fastpass and a little planning we never waited more than 15 minutes for a ride and hit just about everything), amazing live shows, incredible parades, great evening firework shows, a high quality sit-down dinner, a satisfying lunch, a $5-6 ice cream sundae or Dole Whip as a snack, a 30 minute ride on the air conditioned monorail and a chance to walk around some of the most beautiful resorts gorgeously decorated for Christmas as a break in the middle of the day, a relaxing boat ride back to a waiting bus at the end of the day, and a comfortable bed with a towel animal greeting us at night. It's a steal. Other things I have paid around $125 per person for... a 2 1/2 hour Broadway show, a 3 hour sporting event, a local amusement park/water park with lunch and dinner on site and a hotel for the night - none of which is even in the same solar system as what Disney offers. I get that $6,000 is a lot of money all at once, but am I the only one who thinks its an incredible value?

I think that it is a great value with the "Free Dining" promo. However without the FD than you have to add another $2000-$2500 to that total for food costs. Even with the price increases I still think it's a good value for my family if there is FD. If they try to get rid of the FD I don't think the value is there for me.

 

[Spacedog1975]

News

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

I'm definitely part of the target market for this one, but I half expect the premium content to be insane and the freemium content to be slim.

 

[lockedoutlogic]

I'm definitely part of the target market for this one, but I half expect the premium content to be insane and the freemium content to be slim.

As a former rollercoaster tycoon addict...I couldn't agree with you more.

But time is hard to come by for those types of things and the online game format sucks...I don't want to run a tab...I would rather they just whack me $100 upfront...even if I never touched it.

 

[rteetz]

Clarify "reservations available"?

You can now book ADRs? I'm confused.