Not sure $149 Disney After Hrs event is doing well... (ETA: reviews in 1st post)

[Mikie]

So who do we think they will give free tickets to next week....
Annual passholders staying on site? Guests at a moderate hotel?
Assuming they still will have low sales numbers they want to boost

They've tried DVC (frequent visitors) and value/families, maybe Walk up day guests at the ticket booth? or Deluxe and focus on people with a short stay?

 

[Kimberly9701]

Who would lay out $149 a ticket when there are reports of random freebies?

I would. As you just said, these 'freebies' are random. If someone wants to go they will pay. Another person getting in for free does not devalue my ticket.

 

[Kimberly9701]

They've tried DVC (frequent visitors) and value/families, maybe Walk up day guests at the ticket booth? or Deluxe and focus on people with a short stay?

This would have made more sense. Short stay, small family, deluxe guests. Is this a fact about AoA? And if so, was there a reason given? DVC I understand.

 

[HopperFan]

So who do we think they will give free tickets to next week....
Annual passholders staying on site? Guests at a moderate hotel?
Assuming they still will have low sales numbers they want to boost

Word from inside, last night sold less than the first night. Tickets were given away. Many folks wearing Birthday Buttons in the parks were given pairs of passes as they left.

This will fail if Disney doesn't get that they have to MARKET IT!

 

[Kimberly9701]

Same. I'd be at the gates demanding a refund.

"I shelled out $150/head for an ultra-exclusive, non-crowded event. You're telling me that you decided it was not crowded enough, so you handed out free tickets to make it more crowded?" No.

As much as I would have loved to attend for the grand sum of $0, I wouldn't begrudge those who had paid for being angry about it.

If you are staying concierge, and someone else gets upgraded for "free", would you demand your money back? Are you not being provided the service that you paid for?

 

[Love Tink]

I just don't personally see the point in blind speculation about something negative that Disney MIGHT do. There is enough moving and shifting that we KNOW about -- whether we're currently planning a trip or not. I guess I focus my discussion here. But to each his own... vive la difference, etc., etc.

I keep seeing posts along this line, "They haven't done it yet, so what is the point of worrying about it?"

Do you really not see the value in trying to anticipate the future? I do it all the time - I try to figure out when my kid's French test is going to be, so he can start studying in time. I look to see if it might rain on Friday, since that will affect the field trip. I start researching if I get the feeling my editor is going to ask me to write a certain book. Shoot, a lot of people make very good livings anticipating a wide variety of financial trends.

The people on here are Disney experts and are often planning or thinking about multiple trips down the line. It makes sense we would want to be looking ahead and trying to anticipate the coming changes.

 

[bcrook]

Word from inside, last night sold less than the first night.

Maybe they will decide to focus on customer service, open the parks up for longer hours, and fully staff so more people can enjoy the small fortune they spend on a trip to Disney.

 

[bcrook]

I keep seeing posts along this line, "They haven't done it yet, so what is the point of worrying about it?"

Do you really not see the value in trying to anticipate the future? I do it all the time - I try to figure out when my kid's French test is going to be, so he can start studying in time. I look to see if it might rain on Friday, since that will affect the field trip. I start researching if I get the feeling my editor is going to ask me to write a certain book. Shoot, a lot of people make very good livings anticipating a wide variety of financial trends.

The people on here are Disney experts and are often planning or thinking about multiple trips down the line. It makes sense we would want to be looking ahead and trying to anticipate the coming changes.

Absolutely.

 

[Love Tink]

If you are staying concierge, and someone else gets upgraded for "free", would you demand your money back? Are you not being provided the service that you paid for?

Yes, if I were paying for concierge and the room was full of people who got it for free, I would have a problem with that. I am not willing to pay full price for something that many others get for free. It shocks you that some people would feel this way?

 

[tarak]

So who do we think they will give free tickets to next week....
Annual passholders staying on site? Guests at a moderate hotel?
Assuming they still will have low sales numbers they want to boost

I vote for AP holders, but mostly because I'm checking into the Poly next Thursday and have APs for my daughter and me.

 

[DoingDisney]

Word from inside, last night sold less than the first night. Tickets were given away. Many folks wearing Birthday Buttons in the parks were given pairs of passes as they left.

This will fail if Disney doesn't get that have to MARKET IT!

I don't know yet this even is going to fail - there are a lot of people who spend a lot of money on things I think are foolish, but its their money to spend.

BUT - I do wonder if this event would be doing better, or would do -even- better in the future, if it weren't for all the price increases and cuts at disney recently. The entire cost of a disney trip for a week has gone up well over $1000 for our family of 2 (just 2) in the last couple years, and thats not including this year's increases. Ticket prices up again, food prices through the roof (increases as much as 35% this year alone, for the exact same food, though rumors are chefs have been told to decrease portions and cut quality). If my trip is costing me $1000+ more than it used to, I am going to be less likely to splurge on things like this event. On top of that I imagine even for first timers, maybe even MORE for first timers, with the much higher cost of a trip, such a splurge (when they don't really know or see the difference) would be even less likely.

I mean, who is this geared towards? I would think this kind of even would have to appeal more to repeat guests than first timers. First timers are usually just enamored with WDW, they don't know to book their fast passes or their ADRs let alone know/see the value in this kind of even. I still remember "planning" (compared to how we plan now we just winged it, we still look back on that trip and shake our heads a bit) our first trip - I didn't even look at any special events, dinners, desert parties, access, nothing. Was not even on the radar. If for some reason a first timer had this event cross their radar, I imagine first timers would look at their trip invoice and say "I just spent $1600 on tickets for my family of 4, why am I going to spend another $600 for 3 hours ???" - just can't see the appeal to first timers who don't know the value of the event. That leaves me with repeaters - these are the people who are going to have seen the massive increases in prices over the last few years - and I think they are going to be less inclined to be spending even more, on top of the much more they are already spending.

 

[DoingDisney]

Yes, if I were paying for concierge and the room was full of people who got it for free, I would have a problem with that. I am not willing to pay full price for something that many others get for free. It shocks you that some people would feel this way?

Couldn't agree more. If the point is that this is exclusive and they are offering greatly reduced crowds. I buy my ticket for the smaller crowds/empty parks ... every single ticket they give away for free devalues my ticket. Its one more person putting demand on the rides that I want to go on. Even if it means someone gets the cart on mine train I wanted and I now have to sit on cart forward or back, even if I don't have to wait a second more for the ride, my ticket is still devalued. Heck even if it means I see more people walking the streets when I was looking forward to a mostly empty park, for that eerie experience, each given away ticket, devalues it.

 

[Kimberly9701]

Yes, if I were paying for concierge and the room was full of people who got it for free, I would have a problem with that. I am not willing to pay full price for something that many others get for free. It shocks you that some people would feel this way?

I've read several stories of "pixie dust" here. Being upgraded from a value or mod to a deluxe...being upgraded to concierge. That family who received the 'pixie dust' does not at all relate to your vacation. You paid for something and you were provided with it. This is the same with professional sports games...theatre...concerts...etc etc etc. Someone will always get something for free.

 

[Love Tink]

I've read several stories of "pixie dust" here. Being upgraded from a value or mod to a deluxe...being upgraded to concierge. That family who received the 'pixie dust' does not at all relate to your vacation. You paid for something and you were provided with it. This is the same with professional sports games...theatre...concerts...etc etc etc. Someone will always get something for free.

Don't tell me what I am allowed to think affects my vacation. It wouldn't bother you. It would bother me.

Additionally, a family getting upgraded to a different hotel room is in no way comparable to the DAH situation. One doesn't affect other patrons. One does.

 

[bcrook]

I don't know yet this even is going to fail - there are a lot of people who spend a lot of money on things I think are foolish, but its their money to spend.

BUT - I do wonder if this event would be doing better, or would do -even- better in the future, if it weren't for all the price increases and cuts at disney recently. The entire cost of a disney trip for a week has gone up well over $1000 for our family of 2 (just 2) in the last couple years, and thats not including this year's increases. Ticket prices up again, food prices through the roof (increases as much as 35% this year alone, for the exact same food, though rumors are chefs have been told to decrease portions and cut quality). If my trip is costing me $1000+ more than it used to, I am going to be less likely to splurge on things like this event. On top of that I imagine even for first timers, maybe even MORE for first timers, with the much higher cost of a trip, such a splurge (when they don't really know or see the difference) would be even less likely.

I mean, who is this geared towards? I would think this kind of even would have to appeal more to repeat guests than first timers. First timers are usually just enamored with WDW, they don't know to book their fast passes or their ADRs let alone know/see the value in this kind of even. I still remember "planning" (compared to how we plan now we just winged it, we still look back on that trip and shake our heads a bit) our first trip - I didn't even look at any special events, dinners, desert parties, access, nothing. Was not even on the radar. If for some reason a first timer had this event cross their radar, I imagine first timers would look at their trip invoice and say "I just spent $1600 on tickets for my family of 4, why am I going to spend another $600 for 3 hours ???" - just can't see the appeal to first timers who don't know the value of the event. That leaves me with repeaters - these are the people who are going to have seen the massive increases in prices over the last few years - and I think they are going to be less inclined to be spending even more, on top of the much more they are already spending.

Maybe it appeals to locals who don't need a regular ticket to get in? $155.50 per ticket for 7 hours of low crowd fun.

MAYBE, then. it isn't much more than a 1 day ticket.

But who buys 1 day tickets? That is a terrible deal already.

 

[Kimberly9701]

Don't tell me what I am allowed to think affects my vacation. It wouldn't bother you. It would bother me.

Additionally, a family getting upgraded to a different hotel room is in no way comparable to the DAH situation. One doesn't affect other patrons. One does.

You can think whatever you want. I'm just pointing out facts.
If I'm at a baseball game and 300 free tickets are given out..this could make the line I'm in for a hot dog longer. If I'm at a resort and a guest was upgraded, said guests may take the last pool chairs...etc etc etc. I could focus on that..or I could just go about my day without such negativity and hostility. It a person's choice what kind of attitude they wish to have. But a fact is a fact. If a service/ticket that I paid for is given to me, then there is no valid argument of why I should get a refund.

 

[DoingDisney]

I've read several stories of "pixie dust" here. Being upgraded from a value or mod to a deluxe...being upgraded to concierge. That family who received the 'pixie dust' does not at all relate to your vacation. You paid for something and you were provided with it. This is the same with professional sports games...theatre...concerts...etc etc etc. Someone will always get something for free.

Don't tell me what I am allowed to think affects my vacation. It wouldn't bother you. It would bother me.

Additionally, a family getting upgraded to a different hotel room is in no way comparable to the DAH situation. One doesn't affect other patrons. One does.

Since they aren't sharing your room with you, upgrading someone's room type isn't nearly the same thing. Actually a much better example would be if you paid for your room, and then Disney allowed some other guests to have access to your balcony for free, or maybe to sleep on your couch/floor. That's a pretty perfect analogy I think. Hey you still get to enjoy the room you paid for, other people are just going to be in it now, and didn't pay for it. Of course, their impact on your experience in a park is going to be smaller than their impact on your experience in your room, but the principle is the exact same.

 

[tstidm1]

From seeing a report from fellow board member @Accident on the Trip Report Forums, I would do this on a Solo trip or with my Mom (if she wanted to be up late). It is overpriced for my tastes at $149, but I could see myself spending $99 for this event and I'm staying on site in two weeks. This is one of those things that would be fun for me. I may be part of the problem with this, but I enjoy unique experiences. It's why I do Disney World over Six Flags or Cedar Fair Parks. How many theme parks have three Dark or Water rides yet alone six or seven of them?

 

[3DisneyFanz]

Word from inside, last night sold less than the first night. Tickets were given away. Many folks wearing Birthday Buttons in the parks were given pairs of passes as they left.

This will fail if Disney doesn't get that have to MARKET IT!

I think they are and they're trying to do it by word of mouth. People are going and talking about how low the crowds are and how much they liked it. This will spark interest and while some will hope to hit the freebie others will just bite the bullet to see what happens. Their hope is that eventually enough good will is spread that the tickets will sell and when they do there will be a lot more than 500 people.

The only other thing that I can see where this is a positive for Disney is as a training opportunity. If they are ramping up part timers for summer having them learn with low crowds is probably preferable to trying to cover rife operations while fighting with faulty FP and people grumbling after 45 min waits for Small World.

 

[ravenclawtrekkie]

But who buys 1 day tickets? That is a terrible deal already.

It is a terrible deal, but one-day tickets are the vast majority of what I sell at the ticket booths, and plenty come through on will call as well. Florida residents buy one-days, people from Wisconsin and Minnesota and Oregon buy one-days, people from Canada and Germany and New Zealand buy one-days. I don't understand it, but I explain the upgrade policy and send them into the park.

And Magic Kingdom ticketing CMs sell more one-day tickets than I do - their sales goals are the lowest of all 4 parks as a result.