News Round Up 2016

[LSLS]

These prices are easy to find:

The lowest rack rate - and I assume Disney would consider rack rate in the survey - at Boardwalk currently (for a standard room) is $459, the maximum at Christmas is $730. The average price, and admittedly how I calculated average isn't truly right but more of a mean but good enough for these purposes - is $540 a night.

The Poly low price is $508, high is $793, mean is $609.

None of these numbers are ANYWHERE in the vicinity of $350. Again, I just don't see Disney blowing smoke in a survey like that.

A PP mentioned maybe they would lower prices and add a resort fee. First off - this is Disney so unlikely. Second off - if they are going to lower prices $150 and put in a $15 resort fee, I'm all for that.

(These calculations make me feel really, really good about the $175 per night it cost me to stay at the Poly with DVC.)

Unless the question has to deal with the price you would pay after discount (for example, if the Boardwalk is booked at a slow time during a 25% off discount, that would put it right around the $350 mark). Maybe the first step is to see if the fee would go over during a discount time? Or maybe to avoid the all negative feedback they first put out a lower price to make people think it was actually a good deal to add the resort fee?

 

[Roxyfire]

I believe that once you have a deposit, your quoted price is firm.
If you make changes, that may be a different story.

Well that's sorta good to know. Things are pretty firm unless there's some sort of discount.

 

[skier_pete]

Dumb question incoming, this doesn't effect existing reservations, right? I'm not paying off until the yearly bonus cycle in August.

I believe that once you have a deposit, your quoted price is firm.
If you make changes, that may be a different story.

Yes - if you've booked the DDP already, they won't change the price on you. If you've booked a package but not added it yet, you are probably stuck.

 

[soniam]

News

Joy and Sadness coming to Epcot in April

https://disneyparks.disney.go.com/b...aymax-in-newly-expanded-epcot-character-spot/

It seems, at least, that sadness is coming to the entire park I wish it were more of joy though.

 

[eXo]

Magic Express isn't worth the $15 I could have spent on Uber which would have gotten me there in 30 minutes compared the the 2 hour long fiasco it ended up being.

And yea, Uber Black can pick up at the airport. I'd much rather wait in baggage claim to get my stuff than wait in some roped off area for 4 times as long waiting for our bus.

 

[Budshark]

It seems, at least, that sadness is coming to the entire park I wish it were more of joy though.

Without Sadness there can be no Joy. Maybe Disney found out they were spreading too much magic, and without some sadness the magic wasn't being appreciated??

 

[Roxyfire]

Yes - if you've booked the DDP already, they won't change the price on you. If you've booked a package but not added it yet, you are probably stuck.

I did when I saw some of the price increases. It's not a great deal but having a 9 year old will somewhat insulate me from some of the higher prices based on some math.

 

[KilroyWasHere]

My last off-topic comment...if you are going to post off-topic, then you can hardly moderate those who do so as well. It sets a bad precedent in my opinion.

You have to be kidding me, right? Misery loves company I guess....

 

[KilroyWasHere]

Ok, I will no longer post my articles in this thread unless they relate.

Post your articles - any complaints are just ridiculous.

 

[Mr. lncredible]

That happened when they raised ticket prices. I think it went from $64 to $68 or $69...too lazy to look it up.

I just priced it this weekend and it was still ~$62 per ticket for the 7 days. Today it is $73.49.

 

[rteetz]

Rumor

The frontierland expansion is still in early development. However there is a a consensus that something big needs to be done for the 50th at WDW by people within Disney. We just need to hope that it's more than a parade and new fireworks.

 

[skier_pete]

So - not sure if this is NEWS or just a reminder - but tonight is

"TCM - Treasures from the DISNEY Vault"

An interesting line-up tonight includes 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea followed by a "making of" special. There's also a 1966 Dick Van Dyke movie called "Robinson Crusoe U.S.N" that I had never, ever heard of before - one he made just two years after Mary Poppins, and 2 years before Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. Set your DVR Disney fans. (Edit: Just found out on wkipedia that this movie is the only one Walt Disney ever received a story credit on!)

http://www.tcm.com/disney/

 

[lockedoutlogic]

News

Dining plan increase likely coming.

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

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.

 

[Budshark]

Rumor

The frontierland expansion is still in early development. However there is a a consensus that something big needs to be done for the 50th at WDW by people within Disney. We just need to hope that it's more than a parade and new fireworks.

That is interesting... if we map out the timeline:
Oct 2016 - 45 years
2017 - Avatar
2018? - Toy Story Land
2019? - Star Wars
2020?
2021 - 50th MK Anniversary (something "big")

So no Epcot... but we have a slot in there that assuming TSL and SWL proceed as expected they'd have an open year to address Epcot... but they'd have to announce soon. Inquiring minds want to know...

 

[sachilles]

Magic Express isn't worth the $15 I could have spent on Uber which would have gotten me there in 30 minutes compared the the 2 hour long fiasco it ended up being.

And yea, Uber Black can pick up at the airport. I'd much rather wait in baggage claim to get my stuff than wait in some roped off area for 4 times as long waiting for our bus.

Having flown into Orlando many times in the last 2 years for non Disney stuff, I have to say it's one of the slowest baggage claims I've encountered around the country. I suspect it might have to do with sorting out all those yellow tagged bags. Just a word of caution about the speed of grabbing your own bags. Use as you will.

 

[Budshark]

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.

But you get dessert that you wouldn't be buying... so if you actually price out EVERYTHING you get... its a deal!

My wife likes it because it budgets and character dining is depressing to pay for without it. So for table service character dining, it makes sense.

Anything else... you end up with desserts you don't and shouldn't eat, and a bucket load of snacks at the end of the trip.

 

[Phicinfan]

That is interesting... if we map out the timeline:
Oct 2016 - 45 years
2017 - Avatar
2018? - Toy Story Land
2019? - Star Wars
2020?
2021 - 50th MK Anniversary (something "big")

So no Epcot... but we have a slot in there that assuming TSL and SWL proceed as expected they'd have an open year to address Epcot... but they'd have to announce soon. Inquiring minds want to know...

I thought 2020 was phase 3 at DHS??

 

[Eoghann]

Found it...View attachment 155622

I have two comments to this.

1) Its not hard to fake a web page (in fact people do it all the time). The pricing is odd, but on the other hand I could totally see Disney doing this so who knows.
2) They literally took a photo of the screen? Have they never heard of the Print Screen key?

 

[sachilles]

2) They literally took a photo of the screen? Have they never heard of the Print Screen key?

They have little Ipad kiosks at the park. They pull you aside and have you take the survey on them, so not your device to get a screen grab from.

 

[Eoghann]

Easy to remove content, difficult to add. But you're right, there are some absolute wizards out there.

Not really that big a problem. You just fake the web page then take a photo of it.