Paid FP options coming soon to WDW?

[AnnabelleTheTalkingTree]

The other advantage is if they implement the new system and its paid they face less backlash then if they take away the free FP later.

You might be right, but I'm not actually sure that this would be true. They've already, very recently, done away with Magical Express and included Magic Bands. Extra Magic Hours are no more, and the replacement for that is not on par with EMH in terms of value. The perks of staying on site are very quickly dwindling, and in a post-Covid climate where LOTS of people have been financially strapped to say the least, I'm not sure that a cash grab by Disney would be better received now than it would be somewhere down the line. The optics of it just seem SO bad, not to mention, in poor taste, given the current climate.

 

[Jrb1979]

You might be right, but I'm not actually sure that this would be true. They've already, very recently, done away with Magical Express and included Magic Bands. Extra Magic Hours are no more, and the replacement for that is not on par with EMH in terms of value. The perks of staying on site are very quickly dwindling, and in a post-Covid climate where LOTS of people have been financially strapped to say the least, I'm not sure that a cash grab by Disney would be better received now than it would be somewhere down the line. The optics of it just seem SO bad, not to mention, in poor taste, given the current climate.

It may seem bad but as it's been shown they don't care. Remember Chapel said there is UNPRECEDENTED DEMAND. This has been their chance to change things they have always wanted to change.

I personally would love if they completely dropped the scheduling of FP and made it like Universal's. I hate planning my vacation down to the minute for each day.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

You might be right, but I'm not actually sure that this would be true. They've already, very recently, done away with Magical Express and included Magic Bands. Extra Magic Hours are no more, and the replacement for that is not on par with EMH in terms of value. The perks of staying on site are very quickly dwindling, and in a post-Covid climate where LOTS of people have been financially strapped to say the least, I'm not sure that a cash grab by Disney would be better received now than it would be somewhere down the line. The optics of it just seem SO bad, not to mention, in poor taste, given the current climate.

I do agree with you but when you're strapped cash going to Disney is probably not the biggest thing on your radar. At least right now revenge travel is big but if you're one of the people who lost your job, health insurance, can't pay rent, groceries are costing you an arm and a leg (which all of those things a lot of people have experienced) you're probably not even considering Disney in the first place. Most of the people I know who are traveling big right now are ones that didn't vacation last year, they basically have excess vacation funds due to that and aren't ones who have been hugely impacted by the pandemic in the financial sense. They aren't the strapped cash people. Of course people don't necessarily have to like paid add on options and it may negatively impact the feeling of value of the trip but they still aren't the strapped cash people. We've been car shopping for about a month, we don't intend to buy for months down the road but people are more than willing to pay cash outright for new cars right now or pay above sticker price (one Telluride we looked at was $48,000 being sold for $55,500 and it was already sold before it made it to the dealer). They aren't strapped cash either. It honestly would just add fuel to the fire of feeling priced out, justifiably so but I don't put anything past Disney after they put those awful $600 tents up in MK

 

[ForWhomTheMouseTolls]

As an executive at publicly traded companies in the past, you realize that earnings calls are SALES EVENTS. All of these things you are highlighting to prove your points are essentially sales talking points 101 for executives trying to make shareholders feel good.

The parks at 25% capacity, or were.Multiple hotels are closed. DVC direct sales are low compared to previous periods. How is any of this unprecedented demand? It’s hype.

 

[AnnabelleTheTalkingTree]

It may seem bad but as it's been shown they don't care. Remember Chapel said there is UNPRECEDENTED DEMAND. This has been their chance to change things they have always wanted to change.

Even if that's not just smoke being blown up shareholders' behinds, unprecedented demand in this very moment isn't necessarily indicative of what demand will be like in a year, or two years, once we are beyond covid. PENT UP demand isn't the same thing as UNPRECEDENTED demand as far as I am concerned. Right now, people are dying to travel. They are dying for a bit of excitement and fun. They are dealing with limited travel options. And, most tellingly, they are willing to pay lots of money even for an extremely watered down experience .... RIGHT NOW. But a year or two years down the road, when these cuts and changes can't be written off as "health protocol," will people still be willing to pay quite so much for less than they've become accustomed to over the past decade of fastpass+ and all the other perks that have gone by the wayside? Maybe, maybe not - time will tell, I suppose. But I don't necessarily believe that Chapek's "unprecedented demand" equals a free pass for Disney to do whatever they want. I think it would be shortsighted of Disney to make decisions like that without looking forward.

 

[Jrb1979]

Even if that's not just smoke being blown up shareholders' behinds, unprecedented demand in this very moment isn't necessarily indicative of what demand will be like in a year, or two years, once we are beyond covid. PENT UP demand isn't the same thing as UNPRECEDENTED demand as far as I am concerned. Right now, people are dying to travel. They are dying for a bit of excitement and fun. They are dealing with limited travel options. And, most tellingly, they are willing to pay lots of money even for an extremely watered down experience .... RIGHT NOW. But a year or two years down the road, when these cuts and changes can't be written off as "health protocol," will people still be willing to pay quite so much for less than they've become accustomed to over the past decade of fastpass+ and all the other perks that have gone by the wayside? Maybe, maybe not - time will tell, I suppose. But I don't necessarily believe that Chapek's "unprecedented demand" equals a free pass for Disney to do whatever they want. I think it would be shortsighted of Disney to make decisions like that without looking forward.

I think differently just due to the things they are offering and the changes they have already made. Magic Express being cut, EMH cut to 30 mins, Boo Bash being over priced and adding more tickets for days that are sold out. IMO it's just the start.

As far as FP goes, I don't think they will make it cost too much. IMO it goes either 2 ways, everyone gets 3 free ones and after that you pay for them. Or there is no free ones and you buy bundles of FP by theme.

 

[ChipnDale79]

You might be right, but I'm not actually sure that this would be true. They've already, very recently, done away with Magical Express and included Magic Bands. Extra Magic Hours are no more, and the replacement for that is not on par with EMH in terms of value. The perks of staying on site are very quickly dwindling, and in a post-Covid climate where LOTS of people have been financially strapped to say the least, I'm not sure that a cash grab by Disney would be better received now than it would be somewhere down the line. The optics of it just seem SO bad, not to mention, in poor taste, given the current climate.

We stayed at Pop last week, we got down there friday night and stayed at a hampton for the first night (pop for 8 nights), then stopped at another hampton on the drive home. This is the first time i've looked at the cost of my hotel at Disney and thought, wow, we must be stupid for paying that. Standard Rate at Pop is around $250 a night i believe, and i paid $130 and $150 for my hampton hotels.

The Hampton rooms were bigger, cleaner, beds more comfortable, offer rewards discounts, and a breakfast. Disney now offers no perks for staying onsite.

We asked for clean sheets one night at pop, they brought them the next day while we were at the parks and literally just put them in a pile on the bed, didnt actually put them on the bed. That is not the service i expect when you spend $250 on a hotel room.

For the record, i have been in the camp of telling people to stay on property because you get the whole experience, but now, it just doesnt make any sense to.

Oh yeah, neither one of the Hampton's charged me to park my car either....

 

[AnnabelleTheTalkingTree]

I think differently just due to the things they are offering and the changes they have already made. Magic Express being cut, EMH cut to 30 mins, Boo Bash being over priced and adding more tickets for days that are sold out. IMO it's just the start.

I don't disagree with you - sadly it seems that many of the little things that make Disney DISNEY are being cut. But on that same note I feel like if they go out and say now, on top of all of those cuts, PAY for fastpass out of pocket, it's going to look bad, and say what you will, but public perception matters to their brand. Included FP+ is also the last true perk of staying on site, and I would be surprised to see it go for that reason. With resort prices being what they are, and so few onsite perks left, it seems to me that if they want people to continue to pay Disney resort prices, they need to keep that last incentive. And if Chapek thinks Disney is bulletproof, I think he is mistaken. Most people have a breaking point, whether it's financial or on principle. They do need to appeal to the middle and upper middle classes, and they need to price to that demographic to at least some extent. The ultra rich are generally not very interested in Disney vacations.

 

[ChipnDale79]

And if Chapek thinks Disney is bulletproof, I think he is mistaken.

This is where i've been wrong so far, right now Disney does appear to be bulletproof. Stock prices are still around $175.

People are paying for the all the extras. I saw so many VIP tours last week.

 

[ChipnDale79]

Even if that's not just smoke being blown up shareholders' behinds, unprecedented demand in this very moment isn't necessarily indicative of what demand will be like in a year, or two years, once we are beyond covid. PENT UP demand isn't the same thing as UNPRECEDENTED demand as far as I am concerned. Right now, people are dying to travel. They are dying for a bit of excitement and fun. They are dealing with limited travel options. And, most tellingly, they are willing to pay lots of money even for an extremely watered down experience .... RIGHT NOW. But a year or two years down the road, when these cuts and changes can't be written off as "health protocol," will people still be willing to pay quite so much for less than they've become accustomed to over the past decade of fastpass+ and all the other perks that have gone by the wayside? Maybe, maybe not - time will tell, I suppose. But I don't necessarily believe that Chapek's "unprecedented demand" equals a free pass for Disney to do whatever they want. I think it would be shortsighted of Disney to make decisions like that without looking forward.

there are reports out there that a lot of Americans have saved money (if their jobs were not affected) during Covid, couple that with people not traveling last year, and then stimulus checks, people are willing to spend money to travel this year. I think the travel industry as a whole is going to see a big up tick (National Parks have for sure), the question is, how long will that last?

 

[AnnabelleTheTalkingTree]

We stayed at Pop last week, we got down there friday night and stayed at a hampton for the first night (pop for 8 nights), then stopped at another hampton on the drive home. This is the first time i've looked at the cost of my hotel at Disney and thought, wow, we must be stupid for paying that. Standard Rate at Pop is around $250 a night i believe, and i paid $130 and $150 for my hampton hotels.

The Hampton rooms were bigger, cleaner, beds more comfortable, offer rewards discounts, and a breakfast. Disney now offers no perks for staying onsite.

We asked for clean sheets one night at pop, they brought them the next day while we were at the parks and literally just put them in a pile on the bed, didnt actually put them on the bed. That is not the service i expect when you spend $250 on a hotel room.

For the record, i have been in the camp of telling people to stay on property because you get the whole experience, but now, it just doesnt make any sense to.

Bingo. I have always, always been pro-onsite. I tell everyone, stay onsite. I have absolutely refused to stay offsite. Because, "the bubble" and "the Disney experience." Because Magical Express was so convenient and easy, and the perks of staying onsite not only made for a great vacation but because they also made everything FEEL so much more special. But without the perks, objectively speaking, there is zero reason to stay onsite when you can stay offsite at a nicer hotel for less money. If the only "perk" of staying onsite is transportation to the parks, I may as well stay offsite and use Lyft/Uber to get to the parks with the money I'm saving on the hotel - and Lyft/Uber is arguably more reliable transportation than Disney transportation anyway.

 

[Chris Ehlers]

We stayed at Pop last week, we got down there friday night and stayed at a hampton for the first night (pop for 8 nights), then stopped at another hampton on the drive home. This is the first time i've looked at the cost of my hotel at Disney and thought, wow, we must be stupid for paying that. Standard Rate at Pop is around $250 a night i believe, and i paid $130 and $150 for my hampton hotels.

The Hampton rooms were bigger, cleaner, beds more comfortable, offer rewards discounts, and a breakfast. Disney now offers no perks for staying onsite.

We asked for clean sheets one night at pop, they brought them the next day while we were at the parks and literally just put them in a pile on the bed, didnt actually put them on the bed. That is not the service i expect when you spend $250 on a hotel room.

For the record, i have been in the camp of telling people to stay on property because you get the whole experience, but now, it just doesnt make any sense to.

Oh yeah, neither one of the Hampton's charged me to park my car either....

I would check out the Hilton Bonnet Creek next time. Amazing pools and restaurants and its a good neighbor hotel with Disney busses and its usually below $250 a night

 

[Chris Ehlers]

there are reports out there that a lot of Americans have saved money (if their jobs were not affected) during Covid, couple that with people not traveling last year, and then stimulus checks, people are willing to spend money to travel this year. I think the travel industry as a whole is going to see a big up tick (National Parks have for sure), the question is, how long will that last?

I have friends that just hiked Zion and the river hike looked like the lazy river in Typhoon Lagoon wall to wall people

 

[AnnabelleTheTalkingTree]

This is where i've been wrong so far, right now Disney does appear to be bulletproof. Stock prices are still around $175.

No company is bulletproof. It might look that way right now, but stock prices change, and companies succeed and fail all the time, based on their business decisions. And not all business decisions are good ones I fully admit, maybe I'm just naive and having some wishful thinking going on, but I don't think this post-Covid attitude is going to last forever. Right now maybe people have some extra vacation funds in their pockets from the stimulus, or from staying in this past year, and maybe it's burning a hole in their pockets. But that's chump change in the long term - for a lot of people, that money won't still be sitting around in another few years. It's a temporary bump to their expendable cash, but not to their earning potential. Looking a little further down the road, people are not going to be jumping at the chance to spend MORE for LESS. Suddenly instead of being happy to pay for the watered down experience, they'll be feeling the effects of the upcharges on their wallets, and their perception of the Disney brand may change, which in turn changes their willingness to sink their vacations and their savings into a Disney vacation.

 

[ChipnDale79]

I have friends that just hiked Zion and the river hike looked like the lazy river in Typhoon Lagoon wall to wall people

The GSM has been like that as well. Camp sites have been hard to find for about a year, lots of people have enjoyed the outdoors this past year.

 

[ChipnDale79]

No company is bulletproof. It might look that way right now, but stock prices change, and companies succeed and fail all the time, based on their business decisions. And not all business decisions are good ones I fully admit, maybe I'm just naive and having some wishful thinking going on, but I don't think this post-Covid attitude is going to last forever. Right now maybe people have some extra vacation funds in their pockets from the stimulus, or from staying in this past year, and maybe it's burning a hole in their pockets. But that's chump change in the long term - for a lot of people, that money won't still be sitting around in another few years. It's a temporary bump to their expendable cash, but not to their earning potential. Looking a little further down the road, people are not going to be jumping at the chance to spend MORE for LESS. Suddenly instead of being happy to pay for the watered down experience, they'll be feeling the effects of the upcharges on their wallets, and their perception of the Disney brand may change, which in turn changes their willingness to sink their vacations and their savings into a Disney vacation.

I dont disagree with you, i've said on this forum many times that disney is going to hit a wall with their upcharges and that they are going to pay dearly the next recession.

So far, they havent hit that wall, they just keep charging more and more, and offer less and less, and people keep paying. this was before covid as well.

The only way that changes is for people to stop paying for all these parties, events, and add ons. People just keep gobbling them up.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

The only way that changes is for people to stop paying for all these parties, events, and add ons. People just keep gobbling them up.

And it's the most difficult part. People understandably have an emotional connection to Disney. Vote with your wallet, and enough people do the same, it can at least provide a nudge. But keep going and it just adds to it. My dad used to always complain about Blockbuster late fees yelling at them saying he'd never come back. He was always back within a few weeks.

It's not an easy decision anyone makes though.

 

[Remy is Up]

Coming from someone who has 0 knowledge about these things- does this mean we shouldn't assume any testing we hear of is indicative of it returning soon? But it does mean at least, that it's definitely coming back?

Testing means something is happening but is not an indicator of which system or when

 

[Lisse24]

So, reading this thread, I'm hearing a couple of things, correct me if I'm wrong:

1 - Some people want an option to not wait in line for at least some attractions. There's a strong preference for this to be free or affordable.

2 - Other people do not like the FP+ system, citing the complexity that allow some to "game the system" and a belief that it bogs down standby lines.

If you're in group 1, would you be happy with a reworking of the FP+ system that addresses the concerns of group 2, but still allows some line skipping function?

 

[jpbothwell]

This is where i've been wrong so far, right now Disney does appear to be bulletproof. Stock prices are still around $175.

People are paying for the all the extras. I saw so many VIP tours last week.

Stock price is at $175 based on Disney+ and expectations for more subscriber gains in the future. That price doesn't have much to do with parks.