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

[kittyab]

I actually think the morning event will be a success.

Well it is cheaper and it includes a meal. But you only get to ride 3 rides. I wouldn't do this, not worth the cost to us.

Honestly AP holders will not do these events. Why pay $$$ for a AP and then more for a few extra hours?

 

[disneyseniors]

My point was that most people's budgets aren't thrown off by an additional $4/person on something. $16 additional for a family of four is a LOT different when it comes to a family's budget than an additional $600 is. Both % increases may be "astronomical", but the impact on the family budget is significantly different.

Might as well give it up, Angel Ariel no way to win this argument with loads of common sense; just doesn't work in this case

 

[disneyseniors]

I never argued that point at all. You're missing my point. Which is fine, that's your choice, but I'm not going back and forth on it anymore.

Do they have an emoticon for hitting your head against the wall??????

 

[draybook]

I never argued that point at all. You're missing my point. Which is fine, that's your choice, but I'm not going back and forth on it anymore.

Believe me, some of the knuckleheads on this site LIVE to argue with people, no matter how ridiculous their argument is.

This event WAS and IS a money grab. Nothing more, nothing less. Extra paid hours in the morning and evening. Extra PAID fireworks viewing spots at the expense of FP+(which was rammed down our gullets).....yeah, Disney cares about the guests and not their wallets......


This event was a failure, folks. I now some of you have been wearing your rose colored glasses for so long that they're a part of your skin, but it's the truth. You guys need to put down the pixie dust and have a nice dose of reality

 

[Mambo Junkie]

So, after 63 pages, let me ask this: Don't you think this would fly off the shelves in July and August? When the days are hot and the crowds are the biggest? I can see it being an easy exchange for families that time of year -- you hit the resort during the day, the park at night and you get small crowds and short lines. And it's cooler. You get families with kids 11 and up, and I can't imagine not doing it if it's offered.

last night I had an epiphany (which is sad that I had and epiphany about WDW instead of the real world) that the two first ones are about figuring the logistics -- how many CMs they need, how much ice cream they REALLY need, stuff like that. So as long as they are getting answers, I think they'd have to call it a success.

But the more interesting question to me is this: If you could exchange one day of your multi-day passes for this, and the crowds were capped at 8000, would you do it? Enter at 7, leave at 1, 10-1 are DAH guests only. I think it makes all the sense in the world, but I'm curious as to what others think.

If it flies well enough to actually SELL out, yes, I can see this being a hit, especially when it's hot. It all depends on how many tickets they plan to see for this event.

 

[Tarheel girl 1975]

Well it is cheaper and it includes a meal. But you only get to ride 3 rides. I wouldn't do this, not worth the cost to us.

Honestly AP holders will not do these events. Why pay $$$ for a AP and then more for a few extra hours?

It's not worth it for us either, but people seem much more inclined to purchase an event that includes a meal. Restaurant prices are so inflated at Disney that people can easily justify the cost of the Morning Magic or whatever they're calling it. And as much as I hate to admit it, Disney would be leaving money on the table if they didn't offer something like this for Arendelle in Epcot. The capacity of the restaurant should limit attendance. Although my concern is that they would overdo it and start offering multiple events in different lands.

We generally don't pay for uncharge events though since I'd rather use that money to extend my vacation instead.

 

[JimmyV]

We just got back. I plan on posting a "My Observations" thread soon. But as far as the DAH issue is concerned, we were at the MK for EMHs on Wednesday, and were at the MK up to the point of "regular" closing time on Thursday. We saw a handful of people with credentials but they were few and far between. Certainly not enough to impact regular guests from 7:00-11:00. As for value, "free" EMHs on Wednesday got you everything you could ever want in terms of rides and short lines. Yes, we had to pay $4.00 for a Mickey Bar. But there is no way that I would pay $149 for Thursday's experience given what the park was like at midnight on Wednesday. Also, there was virtually no marketing of the event. We had a split stay at POFQ and the Dolphin. We saw no mention of the event in either location. Maybe this was the result of doing online check in and bypassing the front desk at POFQ. But without this Board, we would have never known about this. Also, one member of our group, (staying in a separate room) is a Premium Platinum Annual Passholder, (or whatever it is that you call the pass that works for both DLR and WDW with no blackout dates) and he didn't get any kind of notice or an offer for a freebie. It's unclear to me what Disney's goal is here. But if it is to sell 3,000-5,000 of these passes, they have no shot unless they make major changes in price and marketing. Bottom line....evening EMHs are your friend.

 

[whiporee]

Summer hours in the past 3 years have all had regular park closings of 11 or later, with EMH even later on some days. If this event starts at 10, it would take away at least that 1, or 2 or 3 hours from regular once a week - more, of course, if Disney likes the event and runs it more than one night.

I know I'm repeating myself, but I really think those late night hours are going away, if they aren't already gone. While I think it's unfortunate, given what I've heard about those hours, it makes sense because they just aren't used very much. They don't seem to be an enticement -- they are more of a benefit -- and they are far and beyond what most other theme parks offer. So I think we're headed toward a 10 pm closing, period, and then EMH and DAH guests being the ones who stay until 1 am. DAH make no sense at all if you're keeping the park open until midnight or 1 on a regular basis. But I also don't see the benefit of staying open that late (from a WDW standpoint) if the park ends up sparsely attended during those hours -- you're incurring cost to benefit a very small number of guests without revenue attached. But if people are paying and planning to stay late, you might entice more of them out of the park during the day, and that would be a benefit because it reduced crowds during the day while maintaining the same overall traffic numbers.

I don't disagree that if it were to happen, Disney would be taking away something that had been a previous staple of park attendance, and the general consensus is that anytime that happens, it sucks. But at least you'd know in advance the hours for your ticket and could plan accordingly instead of waiting for the decision to be made.

 

[mom2rtk]

So, after 63 pages, let me ask this: Don't you think this would fly off the shelves in July and August? When the days are hot and the crowds are the biggest? I can see it being an easy exchange for families that time of year -- you hit the resort during the day, the park at night and you get small crowds and short lines. And it's cooler. You get families with kids 11 and up, and I can't imagine not doing it if it's offered.

last night I had an epiphany (which is sad that I had and epiphany about WDW instead of the real world) that the two first ones are about figuring the logistics -- how many CMs they need, how much ice cream they REALLY need, stuff like that. So as long as they are getting answers, I think they'd have to call it a success.

But the more interesting question to me is this: If you could exchange one day of your multi-day passes for this, and the crowds were capped at 8000, would you do it? Enter at 7, leave at 1, 10-1 are DAH guests only. I think it makes all the sense in the world, but I'm curious as to what others think.

And don't you think the Christmas party would fly off the shelves the last week before Christmas? Or over Thanksgiving week? The problem is they can't hold it those weeks for the same reason they can't do an after hours party in the peak crowds of summer.

 

[WillAustin]

If it flies well enough to actually SELL out, yes, I can see this being a hit, especially when it's hot. It all depends on how many tickets they plan to see for this event.

I still can't imagine them only letting 1000 people into the park at that time.

 

[Kimberly9701]

Do you know what the word "devalue" means? It means to reduce the value of something. If 400 people pay $150 and 600 people pay $0, the value of the ticket has gone down.

What is ridiculous is thinking you can dictate to other people how they are allowed to feel about something. (Unless you are an adolescent. They do that a lot.)

The market value is still $149.
There can be no argument to that.
Well there can be, but it just doesn't make sense. Unless a price is reduced or advertised that ticket price can not actually lose value solely because certain onsite guests were offered as a gift.

 

[mom2mickeyfan]

So there has been some talk that this event might be targeted to off site guests, but here is what this off site family would do. If we wanted to experience MK after hours, we would just rent an onsite room on the day that EMHs is offered. We could experience EMHs for 2 days and have free parking for 2 days! We could even get a tent campground site and get the benefit for 10 people and parking for at least 2 cars for 2 days. Sure we would lose 1 hour and we would have to buy our own Mickey bars but I think the savings of a $75 campground and 4 free parking fees (2 cars for 2 days) over 10 x $149 and parking of 2 cars for 2 days makes it easier to give up that 1 hour and the free ice cream and drinks.

 

[Angel Ariel]

So, after 63 pages, let me ask this: Don't you think this would fly off the shelves in July and August? When the days are hot and the crowds are the biggest? I can see it being an easy exchange for families that time of year -- you hit the resort during the day, the park at night and you get small crowds and short lines. And it's cooler. You get families with kids 11 and up, and I can't imagine not doing it if it's offered.

IMO, that would depend highly on what the time for the event is in the summer. right now the timing is appx 10pm-1pm for the event. I can see doing that with kids in the 11 y/o and up range you referenced. But summer hours are usually longer, and the park doesn't usually close until 11 or midnight. I don't think a 12am-3 am event would be as popular with the 11 y/o to probably 15 y/o set. Most parents won't keep kids out til 3am..even 2am would be a stretch for most families with kids in the 11-15 y/o range at least. I also don't know how well it would go over if they started closing the parks earlier than they have been in summer to accommodate this event.

But the more interesting question to me is this: If you could exchange one day of your multi-day passes for this, and the crowds were capped at 8000, would you do it? Enter at 7, leave at 1, 10-1 are DAH guests only. I think it makes all the sense in the world, but I'm curious as to what others think.

no,I don't think I would...even if it were just dh and i. we'd do PM emh, but the additional $100+/person (since there's not a huge difference between say a 5 day and a 6 day ticket), wouldn't be worth it for just 3 hrs of limited crowds. just speaking for us, not discounting the value others see in it.

 

[mom2rtk]

The market value is still $149.
There can be no argument to that.
Well there can be, but it just doesn't make sense. Unless a price is reduced or advertised that ticket price can not actually lose value solely because certain onsite guests were offered as a gift.

The current cost is $149.

I don't think the value is considered to be that unless they are able to sell enough tickets to maintain the event over time.

In other words, we don't know the market value yet.

 

[Kimberly9701]

I think all of these pages boil down to these few things-

Some people hate the idea of DAH

Some people love the idea of DAH

The people who won't buy a ticket now, because it was offered for free to others, probably just don't see the value in it anyway, regardless of if it would have sold out or not.

We all vacation differently.

We all spend our money on things we feel are "worth it".

No one is right or wrong with what they choose to spend their own money on.

It is NOT possible at this point to conclude if this event was a success.

----
After soo many pages of comments the Things listed above are all we still really know.
And we knew the same before page 1.
Lol

 

[Kimberly9701]

The current cost is $149.

I don't think the value is considered to be that unless they are able to sell enough tickets to maintain the event over time.

In other words, we don't know the market value yet.

As of now it is $149. We can't compare it to a price of $0.

If they end up not selling enough tickets at this price point, which we don't know yet, then the value could change. But for right know we know a segment is paying $149...it's just frustrating to not know how many. Lol

Edited to add- The devalue would occur if the park was crowded. The entire experience being sold is an "exclusive" after hours with limited attendees. If it was crowded --Then someone could claim that they didn't get what they paid for. And the entire "value" of the event would be diminished

 

[mom2mickeyfan]

 

[DoingDisney]

Interesting thread so far

 

[mom2rtk]

I still can't imagine them only letting 1000 people into the park at that time.

My personal hunch is that they planned to start low, let positive press get out about the event, then inch it up over time. I bet they were caught off guard when they couldn't even sell that many.

 

[JimmyV]

As of now it is $149.

Not sure what the "it" is in this sentence. Are you agreeing that this is what the cost is, or are you reiterating your earlier point that this is what the market value is? Market value is not what the seller sets as a price. It is what a sustainable number of buyers is willing to pay. Neither event has sold out and at both, many free tickets had to be given away to prevent the park from being a ghost town. These circumstances do not define a market price. I can stand on a corner selling lollipops for $100 each, all the while giving away free samples to drum up interest. If only 2 people pay me $100 for a lollipop, then the true market value isn't $100.