Paid FP options coming soon to WDW?

[TheMaxRebo]

Personally, I'd like to see an à la carte approach. Every attraction has a scan station and the attraction cost is based on popularity. You build your "menu" before going to the parks.

And we could categorize the rides from, I don't know, 'A' to 'E', and each level has a different price and you need one of those tickets or coupons to get on the ride

 

[hertamaniac]

And we could categorize the rides from, I don't know, 'A' to 'E', and each level has a different price and you need one of those tickets or coupons to get on the ride

OK....that was insightful. But, implementing a pricing structure tied to a pre-purchased menu via MB or other seems viable.

 

[hertamaniac]

Disney isn’t going to do anything that turns off a large segment of the market and immediately devalues high margin items like VIP tours and club level rooms. If you want all the rides with little or no waits you can do it now if you are willing to pay the price. If you won’t pay that price, you probably won’t be willing to pay the price that Disney would have to charge al a carte to make up for the revenue they currently make on tours, VIP packages, club rooms, after hour parties, the general public they would turn off from attending the parks, reduced hotel bookings and the money the make from good neighbor hotels for the right to offer 60 day FP+.

I agree with your assessment. However, my statement is what I would like to see, not what I will see.

 

[TDSAXX]

I agree with your assessment. However, my statement is what I would like to see, not what I will see.

And some people would rather pay per ride especially if it guarantees them a ride on that attraction.

Why are you so eager to pay for something that is currently free.

 

[hertamaniac]

Why are you so eager to pay for something that is currently free.

How is it free? Don't you need to purchase a ticket/pass to enter the park that includes access to most/all of the attractions?

What if the entry ticket was substantially less, but had no attractions included. Then you build your menu to suite what attractions you want to attend. For me, it might cost less and I can now target the attraction(s) that appeal to me and not pay for the ones that don't.

 

[TDSAXX]

How is it free? Don't you need to purchase a ticket/pass to enter the park that includes access to most/all of the attractions?

What if the entry ticket was substantially less, but had no attractions included. Then you build your menu to suite what attractions you want to attend. For me, it might cost less and I can now target the attraction(s) that appeal to me and not pay for the ones that don't.

FP is free. Disney ticket prices only move in one direction (Higher). If they start charging for FP, it will be on top of what you are paying for your ticket now.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

OK....that was insightful. But, implementing a pricing structure tied to a pre-purchased menu via MB or other seems viable.

Just interesting how seems to be moving backwards to older systems. Obviously people would adapt buy not sure how well it would go over

 

[Alynw]

Personally, I'd like to see an à la carte approach. Every attraction has a scan station and the attraction cost is based on popularity. You build your "menu" before going to the parks.

Your are probably pretty close to what I think Disney is actually going to do. I believe their going to re-tier all the rides with all the very popular rides getting a pay fp option. When they roll this out, some time next year for 50th(imo), I also think they will incorporate some form of the VQ system as well so the folks that refuse to pay for a top tier fp will still have another option besides a 4hr standby line. U will eventually have the option for pay fp, regular fp and a form of vq. I dont believe Disney is going to make any ride a pay fp option only, there will always be a free option to ride any ride, thats why we pay what we do for the tickets, but they will add a pay to ride option and its coming real soon, imo.

 

[Searc]

Personally, I'd like to see an à la carte approach. Every attraction has a scan station and the attraction cost is based on popularity. You build your "menu" before going to the parks.

That's what cheap, tacky carnivals do. No way that would fly at Disney.

 

[Searc]

I agree. It becomes really apparent what you're spending and how much each attraction is costing you. For a vacation destination that already has a word of mouth of being too expensive, I think that would be a mistake. For people who are prone to considering the value of everything (I fall into that category), it would really put the cost of things front and center all day long. It would really interfere with my enjoyment of my vacation.

To that point, I am a frequent Disney visitor. My DH is not. Our last trip in Sept, it really bothered him how much we were spending on food while there (we spent a lot at F&W) because the amounts were front and center every time. I have never blinked an eye at the price of food while there because I know going in it is ridiculous. If he goes with me again, I'll definitely be getting the DDP, even though it's a rip off, just so he won't complain about the prices.

 

[hertamaniac]

That's what cheap, tacky carnivals do. No way that would fly at Disney.

I agree. It is 99.9% not going to happen, but doesn't effect what I would like to see be implemented.

 

[hertamaniac]

FP is free. Disney ticket prices only move in one direction (Higher). If they start charging for FP, it will be on top of what you are paying for your ticket now.

I think we are mixing FP and a paid menu option scenario that I brought up. I will agree that FP is included in the ticket price (but would disagree it is free; the programmers are not volunteers and someone has to pay their salaries.....like guests via the ticket prices).

 

[PrincessWithABlaster]

To that point, I am a frequent Disney visitor. My DH is not. Our last trip in Sept, it really bothered him how much we were spending on food while there (we spent a lot at F&W) because the amounts were front and center every time. I have never blinked an eye at the price of food while there because I know going in it is ridiculous. If he goes with me again, I'll definitely be getting the DDP, even though it's a rip off, just so he won't complain about the prices.

Yep. That's a big reason why people get the DDP. My DH pays our food bills while at Disney so I don't look at the check.
Also I think a lot has to do with how large a party you're traveling with. If it's just 1 or 2 a $10 or $20 charge per ride isn't that big a deal (but still cost front and center). We're a party of 5 so that's $50-$100 per ride which is a little hard to swallow. I could see getting into discussions with my kids if we paid per attraction. "Wouldn't you rather go on IASW again? Do you really like HM that much more? It cost twice as much." It's not a pretty picture.

 

[hertamaniac]

Just interesting how seems to be moving backwards to older systems. Obviously people would adapt buy not sure how well it would go over

I think it would be an implementation nightmare and disruptive to the whole bottom line. The word (not really a word) I would describe this approach is unobtainium; But I think some guests, like me, would embrace the idea.

 

[Searc]

I think we are mixing FP and a paid menu option scenario that I brought up. I will agree that FP is included in the ticket price (but would disagree it is free; the programmers are not volunteers and someone has to pay their salaries.....like guests via the ticket prices).

How about this ~ fastpass is not an extra added cost, like what is being proposed by some.

 

[hertamaniac]

How about this ~ fastpass is not an extra added cost, like what is being proposed by some.

Oh...I'm board with that 100%. But, if it does go with the extra added cost, does that mean we are starting to go down....that cheap, tacky carnival path?

 

[TheMaxRebo]

Yep. That's a big reason why people get the DDP. My DH pays our food bills while at Disney so I don't look at the check.
Also I think a lot has to do with how large a party you're traveling with. If it's just 1 or 2 a $10 or $20 charge per ride isn't that big a deal (but still cost front and center). We're a party of 5 so that's $50-$100 per ride which is a little hard to swallow. I could see getting into discussions with my kids if we paid per attraction. "Wouldn't you rather go on IASW again? Do you really like HM that much more? It cost twice as much." It's not a pretty picture.

Never mind discussions - I would have to put together spreadsheets where we average everyone's "personal enjoyment" factor multiplied by the "ride access cost" to get a "magic value" score for each attraction which would dictate which we would ride

 

[Searc]

Oh...I'm board with that 100%. But, if it does go with the extra added cost, does that mean we are starting to go down....that cheap, tacky carnival path?

If the value is based on the individual ride, yes.

 

[hertamaniac]

If the value is based on the individual ride, yes.

So are you saying that if Disney implements the FP extra cost option, it would match your statement of no way Disney would go down that path? I'm not agreeing/disagreeing, I'm just trying to understand your view.

FP extra cost = cheap, tacky carnival approach?

 

[PrincessWithABlaster]

Never mind discussions - I would have to put together spreadsheets where we average everyone's "personal enjoyment" factor multiplied by the "ride access cost" to get a "magic value" score for each attraction which would dictate which we would ride

LOL!! Yes...I may or may not currently have a spreadsheet in which I ask my kids to rank their desire to meet each character on a scale of 1-3 in order to sort by must-do-edness by park. Adding a tab for rides would not be a stretch … if I had such a spreadsheet … hypothetically … asking for a friend.