News Round Up 2020

[rteetz]

News

https://blogmickey.com/2020/01/splash-mountain-now-closed-for-refurbishment-at-magic-kingdom

 

[skier_pete]

Whenever there's this talk of prices it makes me really happy we bought into DVC 6 years ago. Our resort costs are now not much more than value pricing and when we went to DVC we decided we would forgo extras like the dining plan or doing a TS meal every day. We use the Gold AP ( at $699) and spread the ticket cost across 3-4 trips rather than $500 for a single trip - and stack our trips for 12 months. (4 trips from Nov 2017 - Oct 2018, now 4 trips from Oct 2019 - Oct 2020)

So, is the rumor about FP+ becoming a paid thing not really happening? My poor daughter read that on another website and almost had a heart attack. With the cost of her trip this past September already being near five figures, she is close to cancelling next year's trip if the FP+ rumor turns out to be true.

This rumor has been going on since before FP went to FP+. I would say there are currently still no credible rumors about this. Disney continues to find ways to make added money off the parks (shortening park hours while adding hard ticket events) without touching FP+. The problem they have now is that they give out so many FP it has made the standby lines excessively long, so people know that without FP+ they wouldn't be able to ride many of the big rides without 2 hour waits. In additional, the 60 day advantage is really the only true advantage left to staying on site. (Sorry - their lousy EMH have weakened so much.) Make FP+ a paid service would likely do Disney more harm than good at this stage, as people would be less llikely to stay on property, and less likely to come period if they knew they had to pay the extra. Smarter for them to just raise prices faster. (Oh wait, they did.)

 

[evlaina]

Ya .. probably seeing Values under $100 are done and gone. As most of us know .. who have been going a lot over the past 5 years ... ticket and hotel rates have SHOT up at a ridiculous pace.

But..the parks are still crowded as ever .. and most of us have our next trip booked, so who can blame Disney?

I genuinely don't mean this to sound rude, but in the year 2020 do people actually expect to get a hotel room anywhere reasonably nice for less than $100/night? I've mentioned a few times on these boards I work in hotel management. My hotel is $145 tonight, a random Monday in January, and I'm not in a vacation destination. It drives me nuts when guests will say "well I paid $30 less 5 years ago"...well, yeah of course you did.

While I don't WANT to pay the prices we do for WDW, it doesn't seem too far fetched for what it is. Checking rates along east coast beaches in June make them not seem too bad per night!

And totally agree with your last statement - they're a business, so if people are willing to keep shelling it out, why would you stop?

 

[TheMaxRebo]

NEWS

Hollywood Studios closing time extended from 8pm to 9pm for tonight:

https://blogmickey.com/2020/01/disneys-hollywood-studios-closing-time-has-been-extended-tonight

 

[TheMaxRebo]

I genuinely don't mean this to sound rude, but in the year 2020 do people actually expect to get a hotel room anywhere reasonably nice for less than $100/night? I've mentioned a few times on these boards I work in hotel management. My hotel is $145 tonight, a random Monday in January, and I'm not in a vacation destination. It drives me nuts when guests will say "well I paid $30 less 5 years ago"...well, yeah of course you did.

While I don't WANT to pay the prices we do for WDW, it doesn't seem too far fetched for what it is. Checking rates along east coast beaches in June make them not seem too bad per night!

And totally agree with your last statement - they're a business, so if people are willing to keep shelling it out, why would you stop?

I think the big thing is the variance of cost for on property to offsite .... I just did a quick search for tonight and there are a ton of rooms that are rated 4stars or higher for less than $125/night ... many of them with major hotel chains so you get points

plus, as a family of 5 we can get a 2 bedroom condo for like $150/night way less than a room that fits 5 would cost on property

 

[SG131]

I genuinely don't mean this to sound rude, but in the year 2020 do people actually expect to get a hotel room anywhere reasonably nice for less than $100/night? I've mentioned a few times on these boards I work in hotel management. My hotel is $145 tonight, a random Monday in January, and I'm not in a vacation destination. It drives me nuts when guests will say "well I paid $30 less 5 years ago"...well, yeah of course you did.

While I don't WANT to pay the prices we do for WDW, it doesn't seem too far fetched for what it is. Checking rates along east coast beaches in June make them not seem too bad per night!

And totally agree with your last statement - they're a business, so if people are willing to keep shelling it out, why would you stop?

Actually we got a room the weekend before Xmas at an Embassy Suites in Vienna, VA for $75. But hotel patterns in that area are an anomaly because of the overwhelming use for business travel so the weekend rates tend to be cheaper instead of pricier. But no, I generally don't expect to find anything half decent for that price. Anything under that and I worry about what the room condition will be....

 

[Firebird060]

I genuinely don't mean this to sound rude, but in the year 2020 do people actually expect to get a hotel room anywhere reasonably nice for less than $100/night? I've mentioned a few times on these boards I work in hotel management. My hotel is $145 tonight, a random Monday in January, and I'm not in a vacation destination. It drives me nuts when guests will say "well I paid $30 less 5 years ago"...well, yeah of course you did.

While I don't WANT to pay the prices we do for WDW, it doesn't seem too far fetched for what it is. Checking rates along east coast beaches in June make them not seem too bad per night!

And totally agree with your last statement - they're a business, so if people are willing to keep shelling it out, why would you stop?

The difference is that the idea of the value resorts was that they were supposed to be a value. Thats why they are set up more in a motel style than a "hotel style" Although I agree with your point and I myself have never stayed at a value resort. I can understand the frustration of those who for them the only way they could go to Disney was stay at a "value" resort specifically since they are more akin to a motel than a traditional hotel.

But you are right people still go so whats the point, the demand is there until it isnt and then disney will have to adjust again. They like many people are making as much money as possible while the economy is good. Once we have another economic downturn or "hopefully never" large scale terror attack, then Disney will have to adjust prices to entice people to come. As of right now Disney is flexing there capital muscles and taking all the money they can. After All you have to pay for FOX, Marvel, Pixar, and Star Wars somehow. not to mention the park expansions over several countries and a 3 continents.

 

[The Pho]

I don't remember Universal's system the way you describe it unless I hadn't visited when it was that way.

They used to have kiosks just like Disney outside of most rides that would distribute fastpasses when you put your park ticket in, but they weren’t around for all that long before they just moved to charging for them. It was around 2002.

 

[tlmadden73]

I genuinely don't mean this to sound rude, but in the year 2020 do people actually expect to get a hotel room anywhere reasonably nice for less than $100/night? I've mentioned a few times on these boards I work in hotel management. My hotel is $145 tonight, a random Monday in January, and I'm not in a vacation destination. It drives me nuts when guests will say "well I paid $30 less 5 years ago"...well, yeah of course you did.

While I don't WANT to pay the prices we do for WDW, it doesn't seem too far fetched for what it is. Checking rates along east coast beaches in June make them not seem too bad per night!

And totally agree with your last statement - they're a business, so if people are willing to keep shelling it out, why would you stop?

Oh .. I agree with you. I always found the Value prices (when they were under $100) shockingly cheap at the time.

I have stayed at the All Stars often much cheaper than simply staying at a typical nice hotel chain (Holiday Inn, Hampton, etc.) in the middle of nowhere (off the interstate) on the drive down. Granted, those places include breakfast (which is probably a $20/night value when you stay with 3-4 people). But ..ya..it is often hard to find a hotel that isnt a Motel 6 /Days Inn for less than $100 while traveling across the country. Stay in a tourist area and even those motels are more than $100.

Plus .. I am sure Disney inflates the normal prices a bit so the discounts look good.

 

[skier_pete]

I think the big thing is the variance of cost for on property to offsite .... I just did a quick search for tonight and there are a ton of rooms that are rated 4stars or higher for less than $125/night ... many of them with major hotel chains so you get points

plus, as a family of 5 we can get a 2 bedroom condo for like $150/night way less than a room that fits 5 would cost on property

I was going to say that the price you can pay for nice off-property hotels compared to what you get for being on property is outrageous. You could honestly get a 3-bedroom condo less than 10 minutes off site for what you pay for a moderate. For deluxe prices you could rent a presidential suite. I am quite surprised that more people don't move off site. (Says the guy that won't move off site.)

 

[Moliphino]

They used to have kiosks just like Disney outside of most rides that would distribute fastpasses when you put your park ticket in, but they weren’t around for all that long before they just moved to charging for them. It was around 2002.

I think that's the last time I went to Universal and I vaguely remember them. I think they had a shorter return window than Disney.

 

[ksdave]

I think that's the last time I went to Universal and I vaguely remember them. I think they had a shorter return window than Disney.

Universal still includes Express as part of its Loews resorts rooms.

 

[dlavender]

I think the big thing is the variance of cost for on property to offsite .... I just did a quick search for tonight and there are a ton of rooms that are rated 4stars or higher for less than $125/night ... many of them with major hotel chains so you get points

plus, as a family of 5 we can get a 2 bedroom condo for like $150/night way less than a room that fits 5 would cost on property

Yeah, that's exactly it.

Or just look at Universal's hotels............

We usually stay at an Embassy (Lake Buena Vista South) for what the All Stars go for rack rate. Sometimes its the same as an AllStar with the discount!

For us, there are just too many great options close by to "over pay" for Disney hotels.

 

[The Pho]

I think that's the last time I went to Universal and I vaguely remember them. I think they had a shorter return window than Disney.

They were 1 hour return windows and you got to choose between 2 different times before it printed it.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

They used to have kiosks just like Disney outside of most rides that would distribute fastpasses when you put your park ticket in, but they weren’t around for all that long before they just moved to charging for them. It was around 2002.

Ah ok. In terms of right around that time I had been at Universal in 1999 and then not again until 2005 so I missed that whole thing but thanks for letting me know it did exist for a time.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

I genuinely don't mean this to sound rude, but in the year 2020 do people actually expect to get a hotel room anywhere reasonably nice for less than $100/night? I've mentioned a few times on these boards I work in hotel management. My hotel is $145 tonight, a random Monday in January, and I'm not in a vacation destination. It drives me nuts when guests will say "well I paid $30 less 5 years ago"...well, yeah of course you did.

While I don't WANT to pay the prices we do for WDW, it doesn't seem too far fetched for what it is. Checking rates along east coast beaches in June make them not seem too bad per night!

And totally agree with your last statement - they're a business, so if people are willing to keep shelling it out, why would you stop?

I don't think I expect rack rate to be that price but I think when you're talking including discounts the price is still really up there.

Just to give you an idea it really wasn't all that long ago that All-Star Sports was right around $100. Without a discount in September 2017 we paid $100 for All-Star Sports during the week including Sunday with Friday and Saturday being $123.00 in a Standard Room (taxes excluded). Now that was a cheaper time to go for sure. Adding a discount and it became $92.80 for the week including Sunday and $113.80 for Friday and Saturday BUT that was an upgraded Preferred room at that rate.

Now I totally understand your point but I understand other people's point too. Rapid increase is usually what I mention because people do tend to expect rates to go up. I also never compare to other places that aren't like places but that's just me.

 

[Mika02]

As for the soft summer, I find it kinda interesting the year after they do the Largest Percentage of AP price hikes they are seeing lower booking numbers. Hmm I wonder how many out of state AP holders didnt renew. I know when I get APs I tend to go at least 4 or 5 times a year. The years I dont I tend to only go once or twice. This year I didnt get a AP because I went to DLP and Europe over the summer, there was no need to renew for me. I will prob get two next year for the wife and me for the 50th but my trip in March is non AP.

Before the major Price hike it was easier to justify the AP because of the 10 percent dinning discount, the merch discount, room discounts and the memory maker it wasnt that hard to make it worth it. But now that 200+ price increase means I have spend a extra 2 grand to see the value. Which means I either have to add another trip on (not counting food) or eat and buy more stuff on my normal number of trips. I dont need more stuff and I really prob should eat less stuff, so its harder to justify and I wouldnt be suprised if that is also keeping other out of staters away from the APs and the repeat trips.

Between March 2018 and March 2019 I spent over 30 days in the parks @ a WDW Resort. Between April 2019 and April 2020, I will only be spending 10 days at a Disney resort. 5 in Paris and 5 at WDW. For me It was actually 2 grand cheaper to go to DLP for 5 days and stay the the Disneyland Hotel there then it was for me to go to WDW and stay at the Grand Floridan for the same 5 days before I do all the things I do to make it cheaper this includes the price of air fare.

Count me as an out of state AP that did not renew just didn't make sense I only could go once last year and I had tickets for that. And there was incentive to do more than that.

I genuinely don't mean this to sound rude, but in the year 2020 do people actually expect to get a hotel room anywhere reasonably nice for less than $100/night? I've mentioned a few times on these boards I work in hotel management. My hotel is $145 tonight, a random Monday in January, and I'm not in a vacation destination. It drives me nuts when guests will say "well I paid $30 less 5 years ago"...well, yeah of course you did.

While I don't WANT to pay the prices we do for WDW, it doesn't seem too far fetched for what it is. Checking rates along east coast beaches in June make them not seem too bad per night!

And totally agree with your last statement - they're a business, so if people are willing to keep shelling it out, why would you stop?

Trust me when you say value people think under $100. And you can find very quality places for that price especially with Airbnb's now being a thing. I know people who think all inclusives are around that. It's the nature of the travel industry.

 

[Brianstl]

rumor is still out there but the latest I saw was it would roll out later this year when the Genie is launched

It's been swirling for so long so I am not holding my breath but I do think at some point there will be some form of "pay for FP" but I don't think they will ever do like Universal where you have to pay for all of them, I think it will be more like expanding on what they already have were if staying Club Level you can buy 3 extra FP for $50 ... so maybe you get your initial ones included but then extra cost you something (maybe onsite gets 3 initial, offsite gets 2)

Well you really don't have to pay for all of them at Universal. You stay at one of their premier resorts and you get free unlimited express pass.

 

[rteetz]

News

https://blogmickey.com/2020/01/gues...f6ZRh7zUQtzRv3aUvhP4duYJDeqdQmcpnwanYJ2d8rH1M

 

[FrankieWinthrop]

I won’t be on property again unless I win it. I just looked at a last minute Feb, 4 night trip at our go-to offsite hotel and it’s $290. That’s less than one night at the cheapest moderate or 2 nights at a value. We just sleep in the room when it’s just us (2 adults, 2 kids). I know prices vary regionally, too, but it’d take a golden toilet that dispenses Fastpasses to get me to pay $300/night.