Paid FP options coming soon to WDW?

[chaoskids]

Hahaha - yes I asked that question. I copied it here like two pages back

The test is probably floating the paid for FP rumor and seeing how everyone reacts to it. It was also originally toxic..... so now the ideas being tossed about are more generally accepted.

 

[Doug M]

Exactly what I've been thinking! Looks like going back to $x for entrance plus $y per ride. Which was fine when it only ran $5 to enter the park, but something else entirely at $100+.

Yea if it went back to the old system they better reduce entrance fee to 10 bucks or something or we will definitely never be back. There are other places to see, including theme and amusement parks.

 

[Doug M]

We do that-often.

Difference is (like I mentioned above) is "everybody is at a different point in our WDW lives".

We did roughly 10 trips last year on a $505 (tax included) AP (hopper). I think it was like $650 this year?

So a 365 day hopper for roughly the same as a 4 day hopper.

And yes, EPCOT is a nice stroll at 80 degrees (many times this winter) when its 30 below actual temp back here.

Also just a drop into MK for HEA is well worth it as well, as is Pandora.

So yes, we walked around a lot for $500, but def more than a week.

People always quote these ultra low costs for their vacations due to things like AP or DVC, but also usually not tell the whole cost. I noticed you said how cold it was back home during those trips. I will assume you have to fly to visit those 10 times. Those 10 trips with just travel become quite expensive, not to mention lodging costs.

I remember a thread where someone tried to claim he sends 8 people to WDW for 1800 a year for the last 20 years or however long on his DVC. contract. He conveniently did not include yearly maintenance costs for the points, he was just dividing the initial chunk of money by the years. Also didnt include park tickets.

Per trip costs do become cheaper the more times you go, but only for 1 part of that trip, just as longer trips become cheaper, but only for ticket per day costs.

 

[jade1]

I know that we have no real idea of what will happen. But, if the benefit for staying onsite is the 'perk' of being able to pay to make FP+ early, I am going to be less than happy.

Yea will be interesting.

Maybe Disney could make an Auction App, and auction every SWGE FP for 24 hours at the 60 day mark.

Would get the "true value" anyway.

 

[jade1]

I will assume you have to fly to visit those 10 times. Those 10 trips with just travel become quite expensive.

Most were $29 one ways, some $39 and a few $49. (mentioned that above) We never fall for the seat assignment and fit in the included small travel bag.

 

[jo-jo]

Exactly, if Disney’s people are reading our boards(which they most likely are) we are giving them a lot of encouragement to do this. Some people are posting so positively about this, Disney is probably feeling happy. The prices that are being thrown out are ridiculous for an average income family. Once they start charging for FP, there will be no going back......it will become more and more expensive over time.

I'm already surprised at what people will pay for the tours and such. And when you read how some people do 3 or 4 up charges for each trip. Now granted I can even see how perhaps a couple with two working, can afford these things, but I don't know how family can afford to even do a basic trip with 3 or 4 kids.

 

[Doug M]

Most were $29 one ways, some $39 and a few $49. (mentioned that above) We never fall for the seat assignment and fit in the included small travel bag.

Where do you get 29 one way per passenger to be able to do that 5 or more times a year? Most airport fees and taxes come close to that amount by themselves.

 

[jade1]

Where do you get 29 one way per passenger to be able to do that 5 or more times a year? Most airport fees and taxes come close to that amount by themselves.

$29 includes tax, as does $39 and $49.

It's gone insane up here. Sun Country is now competing at $49, with Frontier and Spirit. All are direct flights and have only been delayed a couple times, just don't care at that price.

 

[Katrina Y]

I'm already surprised at what people will pay for the tours and such. And when you read how some people do 3 or 4 up charges for each trip. Now granted I can even see how perhaps a couple with two working, can afford these things, but I don't know how family can afford to even do a basic trip with 3 or 4 kids.

I can see some people getting themselves into credit card trouble with this.

 

[jade1]

Where do you get 29 one way per passenger to be able to do that 5 or more times a year? Most airport fees and taxes come close to that amount by themselves.

Great now I (anybody can) looked and Frontier is $44 (not $29 but still) tax included, so about $20 plus tax and fees.

For many days in April, this is very late to be buying spring break flights but thinking about it. Have the AP but wonder if DVC has anything.

 

[Doug M]

Great now I (anybody can) looked and Frontier is $44 (not $29 but still) tax included, so about $20 plus tax and fees.

For many days in April, this is very late to be buying spring break flights but thinking about it. Have the AP but wonder if DVC has anything.

Pretty good rates then, so roughly 100 bucks PP with 0 bags. Should be able to get a few days trip on that. Where I fly from its usually 400 PP so I'm already 1600 in before I do anything else.

 

[Remy is Up]

I'm already surprised at what people will pay for the tours and such. And when you read how some people do 3 or 4 up charges for each trip. Now granted I can even see how perhaps a couple with two working, can afford these things, but I don't know how family can afford to even do a basic trip with 3 or 4 kids.

Noone said disney is cheap. It's an option among a million other options for a vacation. When it gets stale or you become jaded by price increases or policy changes you either approach a disney trip differently or find another vacation destination. I dont understand all the uproar on message boards when the reality is, at this point, We have zero facts. If you are still upset when the facts come out and unhappy. Vacation elsewhere. If it made me as upset as some appear to be. Then I'd certainly stop going.

 

[jade1]

Pretty good rates then, so roughly 100 bucks PP with 0 bags. Should be able to get a few days trip on that. Where I fly from its usually 400 PP so I'm already 1600 in before I do anything else.

Exactly 88 bucks, Spring Break 3 weeks out..I would never have expected that today, but like I say its insane.

Bummer, so if 4 of us went-I would have an additional $1,248 than you to use toward FP or whatev. It's just a fact of information regarding some budgets. And by the way the 0 bags is actually pretty good sized "personal item" at N/C. We have the exact size on small wheels you can pull. Don't care what we look like, we wear extra clothes down and just wash clothes down there. And there's alway Owners Locker-been thinking about it.

Bottom lines is you can see the budget has not a lot of airfare and no park passes needed for extra trips, then its DVC on dues whenever possible so.....

Just an example of us all coming at things from a different angle on what we might pay for FP.

 

[jsand99]

Noone said disney is cheap. It's an option among a million other options for a vacation. When it gets stale or you become jaded by price increases or policy changes you either approach a disney trip differently or find another vacation destination. I dont understand all the uproar on message boards when the reality is, at this point, We have zero facts. If you are still upset when the facts come out and unhappy. Vacation elsewhere. If it made me as upset as some appear to be. Then I'd certainly stop going.

It seems easy enough to just vacation elsewhere but my family, and I assume many others here, have a deep emotional attachment to Disney. I grew up with Disney and now I'm making memories at Disney with my children. Hopefully one day I will get to do the same with my grandchildren. For us it's more than the money. It's watching something you love and that used to be different turn into something else. Watching Disney change from being the gold standard to industry standard and treating their guests more like ATM's is painful to watch unfold. I think many are afraid paid fastpasses is possibly the next move towards this. I want to, for many years to come, be able to see Disney through my children's eyes and it not be an illusion. I don't want to see Disney turn into just another corporate monstrosity that only cares about the bottom line.

 

[BridgetBordeaux]

Watching Disney change from being the gold standard to industry standard and treating their guests more like ATM's is painful to watch unfold

Yes. We have seen it in the pricing and benefits associated with an on site stay that now provide less value year after year........it's not even a close call.
Some of the prices have had very large increases that were simply not justified.

 

[focusondisney]

Why are you assuming those saying 0 become paying people after some time. Can't it be that those willing to fork over "any amount" down to some amount be those that are doing the paid extra hour?

Yes, I really didn’t mean to imply that it is the same exact people changing their minds. I do of course know there are people who start out saying they won’t pay & never do. I guess I mean as a collective, generally people said they would never pay for DAH. But now there are a general group of people who are paying for DAH. And that group who will pay seems to be growing. So I can see the same thing happening with fastpasses. At first, the general consensus is to not pay. But over time, the idea of paying becomes more accepted & more people are willing to do it.

Now me, I said right from the get go that I would have paid the $150 for the After Hours at MK. We’ve been twice, planning trips because of it. In our 26 years of WDW vacations, we have taken tours, been to dessert parties, regularly buy APs, book club level deluxe rooms & have done the CL fastpasses. But we are in our 60s, house paid off years ago & work great jobs. I have no idea how people raising families are doing it. And retirement is coming for us, so I am enjoying spending on vacations now, before we have a limited income. And I can see my limit coming even before then, depending on how the next few months go. I have had no problem paying for “extras”. But I do see why so many think this is no longer paying for extras, but paying double for the normal expected theme park experience.

 

[Violetspider]

I get what you're saying.

Headliners are sold out (or too expensive)

Mid tier is available (HM, POC), but also too expensive (though cheaper than space or splash).

They go to Philharmagic. But, the push from HM and POC being too expensive now means there is a 3 show wait! Or, for $5, you can see the next showing.

They start charging for HM and I'm out! I'll take all those Disney $$$, build one in my house and call it a day! Don't I wish...

 

[DavidNYC]

I'm still skeptical about all of this. Think of what most of you are saying you think is likely - that Disney is creating a new system that makes if very likely that after you pay for park admission, you're pretty much guaranteed to have a lousy difficult time unless you fork out an obscene add'l amount of money. Club Level, After Parties, etc. Those things cater to those who can pay extra but have negligible effects on the vast majority of guests. Pretty much every proposal here will have a MAJOR negative impact on a majority of guests (unless you're assuming those majority of guests will pay what is likely to amount to double the cost of the up front admission just to get on as many rides as they were able to get on before).

I can't think of an analogous change anywhere in the past that amounts to what it would be for Disney to say you may no longer book add'l FP after your first three unless you pay. That's a huge benefit to take away. Now if it were done where some people could pay for add'l access thus just reducing free availability. That would be less noticeable and easy to market.

But think of this logically, any change to a system that doesn't price out most people CANNOT work. If it's priced high and only a few people do it - not major impact. If priced so that most people do it (or feel forced to do it) then it overloads the system and makes it so that people won't get what they feel should be the benefit.

I get a free 4th FP but have to wait 50 minutes due to mechanical difficulties. That's life. I pay $30 for a FP and wait an hour. Hell no - and I don't care about any legal terms and conditions - if you charge money for something - you HAVE TO provide. How about all the people who pay and then still can't get on the major rides because too many others have paid for them. How about all those people priced out and now you literally cannot ride any headliner with out paying.

I still say they are so far away in terms of IT capabilities to do anything that impacts the majority of guests and involves a price. And until I hear more than "I can't say more" I'm guessing there's a lot of guesswork going on here.

 

[manning]

Not surprised. Disney stands to make a lot of dough on this.

Only one explanation.

GREED

 

[manning]

I guess the biggest perk now would be transportation.

For now