News Round Up 2016

[lockedoutlogic]

You can now book ADRs? I'm confused.

It's March 10th...reservations are walled off for the "spring"...that's a pointless "announcement". Even for Hollywood and vine

 

[soniam]

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/

Being a rope dropper that stays onsite and uses a car, this is a little annoying. I wake up at the crack of dawn to get in early, and by virtue, get a close spot. Now they want to let the unwashed, sleeping in masses pay for my spot

OK, it was a little tongue in cheek, but it does rub me the wrong way. I feel lately like I just got a soap and brush massage at a German spa/bath. They scrub your skin raw, until it hurts and you are pink and stinging, then they hit you hard on the buttocks with the brush. I actually paid for this once. I guess I am paying for it again

 

[Eoghann]

Ninja'd. :-/

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

I'll give you Australia... that's why I've never been there.

But while the plane tickets are expensive the rest of the European trip can be a bargain (unless you do Adventures by Disney in which case it costs a fortune) and Disney is getting expensive a lot faster than the other options are. The Alps, The Pyrenese, The Camargue... there are so many things worth seeing.

 

[Eoghann]

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.

It's not at all solvable... why do you think I'm grumpy about. Brainwashed people cannot be reasoned with or dissuaded.

I don't know what you spent on 10 days at Disney but there are many places you can fly to in Europe that wouldn't cost more than 10 days of Parks, hotels and food at Disney.

 

[pork]

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.

It's also possible we do understand the concepts of pushback and don't find it necessary. It's not the entire consumer bases job to join in when someone stops finding value in a product.

It's great you like other vacations. Everyone should go where they feel happy and find value. But to be upset that the majority of people on a WDW message board prefer to vacation at WDW seems a bit silly.

 

[Eoghann]

It's also possible we do understand the concepts of pushback and don't find it necessary. It's not the entire consumer bases job to join in when someone stops finding value in a product.

It's great you like other vacations. Everyone should go where they feel happy and find value. But to be upset that the majority of people on a WDW message board prefer to vacation at WDW seems a bit silly.

Well it is if you completely miss my point sure...

 

[luisov]

I've always thought the parks tickets are a really good value. You can watch a good 2 hour concert/show for the same money in Las Vegas. At Disney you have a full day of character interaction, as many attractions and rides as you can do, great atmosphere, a couple of parades per day and a good firework display. Sounds like great value to me. Can't say I have the same opinion on food and resort pricing.

 

[TwoMisfits]

Disney is not a value...you can cruise to Grand Turk and the Bahamas for 7 days during a holiday week for 2/3 the costs of the absolute lowest end Disney hotels/tickets/dining costs. I know - that's my next year pre-booked plan (and yes, tips, island tours are included in that cruise cost while I don't count alcohol and souvenirs b/c they are extra on both)...and I don't have to fly to my cruise (so another HUGE savings)...

I've also got a weekend trip to Charleston, SC and a week long Pittsburgh, PA/Columbus, OH planned this year with full entertainment, food, and hotels which are world's cheaper than Disney...

 

[jlundeen]

Disney is not a value...you can cruise to Grand Turk and the Bahamas for 7 days during a holiday week for 2/3 the costs of the absolute lowest end Disney hotels/tickets/dining costs. I know - that's my next year pre-booked plan (and yes, tips, island tours are included in that cruise cost while I don't count alcohol and souvenirs b/c they are extra on both)...and I don't have to fly to my cruise (so another HUGE savings)...

I've also got a weekend trip to Charleston, SC and a week long Pittsburgh, PA/Columbus, OH planned this year with full entertainment, food, and hotels which are world's cheaper than Disney...

Money is not the only way to measure value. It's not always just about cost. Not saying everyone else should feel this way - just my opinion.

 

[Budshark]

We've talked about all the changes Disney is making, and mentioned ESPN, underperforming segment, padding their pockets, etc. But there actually is a driver that is much closer to home.

EBITDA
Disney underperforms in EBITDA. By a significant margin. As recent as 2013 Disney had a 10% EBITDA gap to 2 of its peers (Six Flags and Cedar Point). Because of the Comcast buyout, and the fact they don't report Theme park specific EBITDA its hard to do a comparison, but there are some estimates out there. See the graph below:

So that was 2 years ago... what happened in 2015?
Six Flags 40.1%
Cedar Point 36.5%
Disney? 34%

Disney has closed the gap substantially. But Shanghai, capital expansions, wage increases are all going to put pressure on Disney.

The point being, we can all look at the profit, look at the features, etc. But as a business (right wrong otherwise) you are measured on EBITDA. Its the easy metric.

And when it comes to Theme Parks, Disney was not the best. They are closing that loop. Its going to cost us all more for the magic. Period. And the market will tell Disney which option to take.

1. Higher prices, provide the magic, keep the EBITDA at 40%?
2. Manage prices, lose the magic, EBITDA at 40%?

Either way the "market forces" are going to demand Disney get closer to industry leading EBITDA. It doesn't mean they have to go cheap and drop all services though. Apple is a good example of a company that has high prices, high margin. But... now you have to see Post 2 which is coming as soon as I finish typing.

 

[pork]

Well it is if you completely miss my point sure...

Well I must have missed the mark then. Sometimes posts with condescending tones don't inspire me to read carefully.

 

[EricInPA]

It's not at all solvable... why do you think I'm grumpy about. Brainwashed people cannot be reasoned with or dissuaded.

I don't know what you spent on 10 days at Disney but there are many places you can fly to in Europe that wouldn't cost more than 10 days of Parks, hotels and food at Disney.

I don't know what we're supposed to be dissuaded from. Disney isn't going to be emboldened by message board defenders and decide to push prices higher.

Re: other vacation destinations: obviously there are places that bottom line after everything is added up come out ahead by a few hundred, or more ahead of Disney. I just don't consider them equivalent vacations because what "vacation" means varies person to person.

 

[rteetz]

The Disney being a good value is all personal opinion. I like the great discussion going on but it seems to maybe over taking this thread a bit. Maybe we can take this to one of the price increase threads.

 

[skier_pete]

Apple is a good example of a company that has high prices, high margin. But... now you have to see Post 2 which is coming as soon as I finish typing.

Hmmm. Apple, I would say another company that relies on the brainwashed masses to overspend on their products. Apple was a superior innovator at one point, but now I don't even think they have the best products on the market and they still get away with a 50% price premium and people drooling over releases. How long until Apple buys Disney?

 

[EricInPA]

The Disney being a good value is all personal opinion. I like the great discussion going on but it seems to maybe over taking this thread a bit. Maybe we can take this to one of the price increase threads.

You're right, you're right, I'll try to pull this back on topic

Marvel released the second trailer for Captain America Civil War:

 

[Spacedog1975]

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.

You're speaking my language. I'm happy with one-and-done (though not $100), or free with ads. I will never, ever, ever spend actual money on a sprite.

 

[Budshark]

The Disney being a good value is all personal opinion. I like the great discussion going on but it seems to maybe over taking this thread a bit. Maybe we can take this to one of the price increase threads.

Didn't see this before I posted... I'll walk away from the topic.

 

[jade1]

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

It seemed good size actually but not sure how much draw it will have.

I doubt many rushed here.

 

[graychef]

Not sure if rteetz covered this earlier, but new challenges are coming to the Wine & Dine Half Marathon Weekend.

Lumiere's Two Course Challenge and the Wine & Dine 10k:
http://www.rundisney.com/wine-and-dine-half-marathon/#lumieres-two-course-challenge

 

[skier_pete]

Not sure if rteetz covered this earlier, but new challenges are coming to the Wine & Dine Half Marathon Weekend.

Lumiere's Two Course Challenge and the Wine & Dine 10k:
http://www.rundisney.com/wine-and-dine-half-marathon/#lumieres-two-course-challenge

Question: Both the races are at 5:30 AM. I thought at least one of the races used to be at night. I seem to remember a friend racing and then they kept Epcot open late to celebrate.

Not a runner so I am not sure on this as my idea of vacation does not involve any of the following:
1) Getting up at 4 AM.
2) Running