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

[Kimberly9701]

Sure it was, the "exclusivity" they are selling.

By your logic if I plan my trip in advance, and book for a nice dead time of year, in Mid January or something, and then Disney decides during my trip to offer free park admission, just open the gates, and the parks are flooded to capacity, MK has 60 000 people in it, lines are hours long ... guess I wouldn't be justified in complaining either right ? Because hey, they didn't give out more than the allocated amount of tickets, so nothing was taken away ?

Have you read one account, from someone who was actually there, that the park was crowded?

We're talking about a significant number of attendees possibly having gotten in for free. 300 free tickets to a baseball game when they are selling maybe 30,000 seats? A drop in the bucket. 300 free tickets given to random passer-bys outside of the ballpark an hour before the game starts right behind home plate, where you're also sitting and paid $500 for that seat (and you found out about the extra 300 people in the section after you got to your seat) is more likely going to make an impact to your experience.

And I'm not sure anyone is saying they deserve to get refund.

If you go back there is quite a few people who have stated that. One I quoted in my first post a few minutes ago. However, none of these people seem to like the idea of the event. So the chances of them buying a ticket are pretty much non existent anyway.

 

[3DisneyFanz]

Wow! Then I can see how this extra hours event could appeal to some. If they are already paying $124.00 for a MK one day peak admittance, why not shell out $25.00 more for an empty park.

This is crazy money.

Thanks for sharing.

The difference is you're typically getting 10+ hours of the full spectrum. Maybe I want to eat at Harbor House, BOG and Friar's Nook or grab a cinnamon roll at Gaston's. I can't do that "after hours". To me that even is a ride night and nothing else. Disney would lose significant money on us in this event compared to what we drop on an all day trip.

 

[jbish]

But you'd never know for sure, because Disney doesn't release numbers and would not release them to you. I guess you might sue and try to get them in discovery, but that sure woudl seem like overkill.

One of the things I've learned in life is to try to never get upset about what other people have. If I thought the event was worth the money and I bought it, I wouldn't care how someone else go in. My decision is a good one or bad one based on my experience, not someone else's.

I DO, however, wish Disney would stop giving free tickets to the event, because two nights in, you can ALREADY see it setting up feelings of expectation on this board, which is followed by people being disappointed and angry over the fact someone got something they did not. So now we'll not only have people complaining about the event and the supposed loss of benefit hours Disney had given in the past, we'll have people complaining that OKW got the free tickets this time instead of the Poly, and people trying to come up with strategies for getting comped tickets. And then, when Disney takes away the comped tickets, we'll have people mad that Disney has taken those away.

But people DID find out about the freebies. And in my example, I would have also found out because I'm a DVC member and I, presumably, would have gotten the email about it. Disney knows that news about giveaways to DVC members or guests of AOA was going to get out - no way that it wouldn't.

 

[Barbara C]

I think it's pretty clear - I paid $150 for something that the company itself demonstrates the next week has a value of $0 by giving it away not once but many times over, thus setting the market price at $0. I ask the company to adjust my price paid to the new market value and many companies will do this when an item or service is discounted within a certain period of time from the original sale.

Actually, the fair market price is what someone has actually paid. And since people have paid the entrance fee - that is the market price. What the owner of the ticket decides to do with it after the fact (whether it be a paid ticket holder or Disney) has nothing to do with the market price. I think it would be a tough argument to get your money back.

 

[Kimberly9701]

The difference is you're typically getting 10+ hours of the full spectrum. Maybe I want to eat at Harbor House, BOG and Friar's Nook or grab a cinnamon roll at Gaston's. I can't do that "after hours". To me that even is a ride night and nothing else. Disney would lose significant money on us in this event compared to what we drop on an all day trip.

And that is the difference. It's OK not to choose to attend this event!! But if someone else sees value, (and I definitely would love to be in a stroller free low crowd MK, so I hope this stays around!) then let them spend their money how they see fit. It does not effect you one way or the other.

 

[jbish]

If you go back there is quite a few people who have stated that. One I quoted in my first post a few minutes ago. However, none of these people seem to like the idea of the event. So the chances of them buying a ticket are pretty much non existent anyway.

Sorry - timing issue between the time I started my post and when I finished it. Posting while at work. ***shhhhh***

Meanwhile, any thoughts to my response to your baseball game analogy?

 

[DoingDisney]

Have you read one account, from someone who was actually there, that the park was crowded?

That's not what you said, you said that as long as they didn't give out more than the allotted tickets no one had a right to complain. Are you changing your position now ?

The point was, that according to your view, that as long as they don't give out more than they allotted tickets no one is justified in complaining because you are still getting what you paid for, nothing was being "taken away", then in mid January when I have planned and paid for my trip if Disney decides that they aren't going to charge admission and opens up the parks, and MK fills to capacity, ... I have no right to complain.

If you want to change that to something more nuanced, like that people shouldn't complain and their tickets aren't devalued unless the allowing of others in for free materially impacts their experience, I'd probably agree with you. Then we could just discuss whether or not allowing these people in affects the experience of others.

I should go though, I don't want this to be considered an argument - if you'd like to continue - please take it to PMs.

 

[bcrook]

The difference is you're typically getting 10+ hours of the full spectrum. Maybe I want to eat at Harbor House, BOG and Friar's Nook or grab a cinnamon roll at Gaston's. I can't do that "after hours". To me that even is a ride night and nothing else. Disney would lose significant money on us in this event compared to what we drop on an all day trip.

You don't have to convince me it's a terrible deal. I would never pay for the MNSSHP either.

 

[DebbieB]

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.

What I was thinking, why buy the tickets in advance when the possibility is out there that you could end up getting invited for free. I think they are discouraging people from buying the tickets waiting to see who gets invited free. DVC members got free tickets last week, I'm sure any members who were thinking about buying held back this week thinking they may get an invite.

 

[3DisneyFanz]

You don't have to convince me it's a terrible deal. I would never pay for the MNSSHP either.

Oh but many moons ago those events were great. Low attendance, cookies, hot chocolate, free pictures of your family along with the special parades, fireworks and everything was open all for less than half of this event. Over time greed won out and the parties are not what they once were. I think they are a perfect example of the path DAH will take if it actually starts to succeed.

 

[Kimberly9701]

That's not what you said, you said that as long as they didn't give out more than the allotted tickets no one had a right to complain. Are you changing your position now ?

The point was, that according to your view, that as long as they don't give out more than they allotted tickets no one is justified in complaining because you are still getting what you paid for, nothing was being "taken away", then in mid January when I have planned and paid for my trip if Disney decides that they aren't going to charge admission and opens up the parks, and MK fills to capacity, ... I have no right to complain.

If you want to change that to something more nuanced, like that people shouldn't complain and their tickets aren't devalued unless the allowing of others in for free materially impacts their experience, I'd probably agree with you. Then we could just discuss whether or not allowing these people in affects the experience of others.

I should go though, I don't want this to be considered an argument - if you'd like to continue - please take it to PMs.

I'm not arguing at all. Just trying to bring some common sense in the mix.

Sorry - timing issue between the time I started my post and when I finished it. Posting while at work. ***shhhhh***

Meanwhile, any thoughts to my response to your baseball game analogy?

My response is the same. If I attend a game that is sold out due to tickets being retailed OR if I am at a game that is at full capacity due to a number of tickets given for free. Either way my tickets are not devalued.
It's the same in this situation.
IF the event had sold out.. And then Disney gave out hundreds of tickets going past capacity of the event.. Only then would there be a valid argument.
But that is not what happened.
I understand that facts can be pesky at times.. But the Disney hate can be dialed down a bit in this "free ticket" scenario.

 

[3DisneyFanz]

And that is the difference. It's OK not to choose to attend this event!! But if someone else sees value, (and I definitely would love to be in a stroller free low crowd MK, so I hope this stays around!) then let them spend their money how they see fit. It does not effect you one way or the other.

I think the jury is still out on the ultimate impact of these events. Until all variables are known I don't see any harm in discussing things. Lots of people do lots of things with their money that I think are crazy but to each his own.

 

[Kimberly9701]

Example-- I have season tickets to the Cincinnati Bengals

IF a game is not sold out they do not show it on local television here.

Many players buy the rest of the tickets and then give them away so the fans at home can watch on their television.

Does that at all take away from my seats? Nope.

 

[Hikergirl]

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.

You aren't promised an almost empty park though, you are promised low crowds. Disney decides what constitutes low crowds for them so if they were planning on selling 1000 tickets and only sold 500 it makes no difference since Disney sold you an experience that was going to include 999 other people. You got exactly what you paid for.

 

[3DisneyFanz]

I think all this "you got your product" talk is nice in theory but I'd love to see the reaction if in the middle of dinner service at BOG they walked in and said. "Everyone in the main dining room enjoy your meal on the house. Everyone in the library your checks on the way." Something tells me the prevailing mood in there is not going to be "Well I got what I ordered. Good for them."

 

[Kimberly9701]

What I was thinking, why buy the tickets in advance when the possibility is out there that you could end up getting invited for free. I think they are discouraging people from buying the tickets waiting to see who gets invited free. DVC members got free tickets last week, I'm sure any members who were thinking about buying held back this week thinking they may get an invite.

Oh I would be ecstatic to receive an email that I could attend for free! But I wouldn't count on it. And I would purchase them, because I see value.
The people who want to go will still purchase their tickets..maybe the DVC people didn't purchase in advance this time, that's understandable..but if they wanted to attend they would have bought them last minute bc they would have had it as a back up plan.

 

[Hikergirl]

I think all this "you got your product" talk is nice in theory but I'd love to see the reaction if in the middle of dinner service at BOG they walked in and said. "Everyone in the main dining room enjoy your meal on the house. Everyone in the library your checks on the way." Something tells me the prevailing mood in there is not going to be "Well I got what I ordered. Good for them."

I'm not saying its not disappointing that you don't get picked for a random giveaway but that is how life works. I don't see the point in stomping my feet and whining about it in order to make Disney give me something too. But maybe I'm different, if I pay for something it means I'm willing to pay for it, that doesn't change because someone else was lucky enough to get it for free.

 

[whiporee]

I think all this "you got your product" talk is nice in theory but I'd love to see the reaction if in the middle of dinner service at BOG they walked in and said. "Everyone in the main dining room enjoy your meal on the house. Everyone in the library your checks on the way." Something tells me the prevailing mood in there is not going to be "Well I got what I ordered. Good for them."

I don't think the comparison holds up because in that case, everyone had gone to dinner with the intent of paying.

I think the better example might be that if BOG had a wedding party that took up half the restaurant, but they cancelled because the bride flipped over on one of those little speedboat things and lost her memory. But the food had already been prepared and the event already staffed, so BOG went to random people in the park and asked them if they wanted to have a free dinner at BOG. Better than throwing it all away.

The infrastructure and the things were already in place. Now, the paying guests in the other room might have slightly slower service because of the free meals given out, but that would be the extent of the consequence.

 

[bcrook]

Oh but many moons ago those events were great. Low attendance, cookies, hot chocolate, free pictures of your family along with the special parades, fireworks and everything was open all for less than half of this event. Over time greed won out and the parties are not what they once were. I think they are a perfect example of the path DAH will take if it actually starts to succeed.

Not to derail the conversation...

The dining plan was like that too. On my first trip with my family in 2004, the dining plan included desserts, appetizers, and gratuity. It looked like a great deal. Then slowly it evolved. We never bought a dining plan at WDW, but what it has changed in to might be equally obscene as these after hour events.

The dessert party too. It started out at a very pricey $19.00(?) with a nice comfortable setting. Now what is it? Oversold, much crazier price, and people will be herded to a less comfortable setting. The exploitation of the events is unfortunate.

 

[DoingDisney]

You aren't promised an almost empty park though, you are promised low crowds. Disney decides what constitutes low crowds for them so if they were planning on selling 1000 tickets and only sold 500 it makes no difference since Disney sold you an experience that was going to include 999 other people. You got exactly what you paid for.

Actually people were promised a hard ticket event that you had to pay $149 per person for for special access to the parks, not an event that Disney would sell a few tickets for and then try to fill up the event further by giving away the rest.