Paid FP options coming soon to WDW?

[vcb]

Agreed. We are spending nearly 10k to do a 10 day trip to Disney and Universal. I have no issue giving Disney a whole lot of my money. But we are a family of four, and rides are super important to us. A FP system like this is not something we’ll pay for, and I really think we’d moved Disney to every other year or every 3 years as my kids get a bit older and go elsewhere.

Everyone has a personal line where it just becomes too much of a money grab and as much as I love going to Disney I think this would cross my line if they do a pay to play system like this without keeping an free/included option. I agree with other posters - the way people vacation at Disney World is not comparable to Universal, other theme parks, or even Disneyland. They need to offer some sort of included FP with as large and busy as DW is or people’s experiences are going to suffer. At least in the past people could say, well, it’s crazy busy and some of the lines were too long, but I did get to ride my top three rides each day so that was awesome. Take that away/only allow it for families willing to tack on thousands of dollars to their already expensive trip and people are going to feel a lot differently.

YES.

We have started to move our vacations to every other year as well. To be honest, if they do this with FP's, we will continue to wait one or two years in between trips.

 

[dvc lover 1970]

Wow!! I do not agree with a pay for FP system but I am certain it is coming. This is the new normal pay more and get less. As long as people accept it it will continue. Why stay on property? This. Is a total money grab. I wish they would get rid of FPs all together.

 

[New Mouse]

What kills me is that this is a product of people paying for things like the boo bash, park tickets at full price with 40% of the experience etc.

 

[Kelly014]

What kills me is that this is a product of people paying for things like the boo bash, park tickets at full price with 40% of the experience etc.

People are desperate for normalcy though, I really don’t think people will be content paying for a full price ticket with 40% offerings two years down the road or anything. And Boo Bash isn’t a watered down Halloween party, it’s an after hours party that is priced similarly to pre-covid after hours parties.

 

[New Mouse]

People are desperate for normalcy though, I really don’t think people will be content paying for a full price ticket with 40% offerings two years down the road or anything. And Boo Bash isn’t a watered down Halloween party, it’s an after hours party that is priced similarly to pre-covid after hours parties.

Boo bash is actually a paid emh option that used to be free... but you made my point for me

 

[GoingSince1990]

I’m really in awe of Disney’s PR skills, given that so many people are wondering whether Disney would ever try to monetize the “free” Fastpasses that they have in the past given away so benevolently, while at the same time they are absolutely cleaning up selling “Boo Bash” tickets.

 

[0FF TO NEVERLAND]

Well if Disney wasn’t thinking about doing it, all they need to do is read this thread and see the amount of people who are kind of cool with them charging in one way or another.

No wonder they do as they please. I’ll pay for fastpass, tons of money, but please oh please give me back my 25 cent noodles.

Yay they did it!! Noodles back

 

[Kbrb]

Free Dining doesn’t cost them money. They make a fortune off it. You pay rack rate, they’ve dumbed down menus and artificially inflated prices and it really does “feel like” you’re saving money.

The deals we get in the uk used to mean my family of 3 got a free quick service ddp. No way where we getting a deal worth 6 meals 6 snacks day rack rate or not. Now they have taken it away it’s saving them the cost of all that food, over 2 weeks as we still have to eat and the prices for the hotels have gone up….

 

[cakebaker]

The deals we get in the uk used to mean my family of 3 got a free quick service ddp. No way where we getting a deal worth 6 meals 6 snacks day rack rate or not. Now they have taken it away it’s saving them the cost of all that food, over 2 weeks as we still have to eat and the prices for the hotels have gone up….

If you stay at a value, yes it can save money - but Disney is still making a fortune off the meal plans, free or not- and they don't always have free dining. When you're paying for it, doesn't matter where you stay, you aren't saving money unless you dine at the expensive restaurants and pick the most expensive items on the menu. Even then, the savings comes from the over-inflated menu prices at those restaurants. QS is much more reasonably priced and quite often these days just as good. Regardless, the meal plans are highly profitable for Disney. They'll be back.

 

[Kelly014]

Boo bash is actually a paid emh option that used to be free... but you made my point for me

How so? Genuinely curious, I am not a Disney OG so I am sure many things have changed over the years.

ETA: ah, forgot that EMH used to be nights sometimes too. Honestly, EMH never benefited us a ton. I never felt like our days lined up quite right with them and I didn’t like basing all my plans around EMH. I’m sure we benefited from it a few times but it wasn’t a huge draw for us. I am way more excited about an extra 30 minutes daily, whenever that starts. Also, EMH and boo bash seem like an apples and oranges comparison, but to each their own!

 

[Grasshopper2016]

How so? Genuinely curious, I am not a Disney OG so I am sure many things have changed over the years.

I think New Mouse might be overstating things a bit to make a point. But the point, I believe, is that it used to be quite common for Disney to have evening Extra Magic Hours (free for onsite guests) that ran until midnight or later. I think there were even some that went until 3:00 a.m.

Over time, Disney began to cut back on free EMH and replace them with paid Disney After Hours events. And, at the same time, they did the same thing with the morning EMH---slowly cutting back on them and replacing them with paid Early Morning Magic events.

Just before the pandemic, Disney had cut EMH way back to something like one or two hours per park per week. And now, of course, they have eliminated EMH altogether. (With the promise of 30 minutes early entry every day at every park for onsite guests to be implemented at some undetermined point later this year.)

In addition, Disney has cut back on regular park hours for everyone. It was not that long ago that the parks tended to open earlier and stay open later (sometimes much later) for everyone, not just onsite guests, on many days. That meant that you got a lot more park time (and more rides/shows/etc.) for the cost of your ticket. Even before the pandemic, though, Disney had cut back on hours (while simultaneously raising the cost of tickets). With the same number of guests compressed into a substantially shorter time window, the crowds are much bigger and the lines are much longer. The only way to avoid the lines then becomes to shell out the big bucks for EMM or DAH. More money in Disney's pocket.

 

[Kelly014]

I think New Mouse might be overstating things a bit to make a point. But the point, I believe, is that it used to be quite common for Disney to have evening Extra Magic Hours (free for onsite guests) that ran until midnight or later. I think there were even some that went until 3:00 a.m.

Over time, Disney began to cut back on free EMH and replace them with paid Disney After Hours events. And, at the same time, they did the same thing with the morning EMH---slowly cutting back on them and replacing them with paid Early Morning Magic events.

Just before the pandemic, Disney had cut EMH way back to something like one or two hours per park per week. And now, of course, they have eliminated EMH altogether. (With the promise of 30 minutes early entry every day at every park for onsite guests to be implemented at some undetermined point later this year.)

In addition, Disney has cut back on regular park hours for everyone. It was not that long ago that the parks tended to open earlier and stay open later (sometimes much later) for everyone, not just onsite guests, on many days. That meant that you got a lot more park time (and more rides/shows/etc.) for the cost of your ticket. Even before the pandemic, though, Disney had cut back on hours (while simultaneously raising the cost of tickets). With the same number of guests compressed into a substantially shorter time window, the crowds are much bigger and the lines are much longer. The only way to avoid the lines then becomes to shell out the big bucks for EMM or DAH. More money in Disney's pocket.

Fair enough! I would love to see longer hours, and it makes sense that shortening hours is just going to make things more congested, so people will pay the premium to avoid that. We love MNSSHP in large prt due to the shortened ride lines, though that cost is a lot easier for me to stomach. I know there’s a trend of Disney taking things away, but I’ve probably just gone long enough to start to see some of that.

 

[TexasChick123]

The sad thing is that most people can’t afford all these things and are racking up huge cc debt. Americans are notorious for charging up cc’s and then being under a lot of crushing debt for years. It all goes back to the famous saying: A fool and his money are soon parted. Yes, some people can afford this. Yes, some are willing to spend it AND can afford it. However, the masses cannot. The Boo Bash is a great example. Can we afford it? Yes. Am I willing to shell out $159pp plus tax for a 3-hour Halloween party at Disney? No! The problem, as has been stated many times now, is that there are many clamoring for the opportunity to pay for this, and many nights are sold out.

Many people think they have unlimited funds when it comes to Disney trips during the planning and executing phase. Then…a few months later…those bills start to roll in. All of a sudden, it’s “Whoa this was expensive.” For some people, the sky is the limit with Disney because they go so rarely. That isn’t going to be a lot of us on these boards who visit more than most. I’m rambling, but I definitely think Boo Bash is only going to embolden them to charge for FPs. What will be interesting will be whether or not staying on-site gets you any FPs as a perk.

 

[New Mouse]

Also, EMH and boo bash seem like an apples and oranges comparison, but to each their own!

This is exactly the conditioning that Disney wanted people to think as they slowly went from "free" emh to smaller cheaper paid versions to "party" versions with a huge upcharge...all while still charging resort guests in their room price for the emh that no longer exists.

Disney makes these changes over years to generate that sentiment that we are getting something new and cool thats worth paying for all the while forgetting the past.

 

[New Mouse]

We love MNSSHP in large prt due to the shortened ride lines, though that cost is a lot easier for me to stomach. I know there’s a trend of Disney taking things away, but I’ve probably just gone long enough to start to see some of that.

MNSSHP used to be what Boo Bash is...limited lines, limited attendance until they figured out they could just raise attendance and make a lot more $ with no additional overhead. They are now advertising boo bash exactly as the halloween party was in its infancy. Rinse and repeat the cycle.

 

[luv2cheer92]

i am not as well versed in max pass but a lot of people I know who have been to both coasts prefer that and it does make sense once you sit me down and explain it(it hasnt been explained to me since before the pandemic so I do need a refresh). We are staying on property at Universal on our upcoming trip and once I can compare I will definitely have a better thought of which I think is better.

And yes regardless of hotel tier 3 a day is absolutely fair and is something I heard rumor of returning.

With FP+ being free, I significantly preferred FP+ over MaxPass, and it's not close. But I wouldn't necessarily be opposed to a fully digital MP type system (since maxpass isn't really a FP system, just a digital way to access the paper system), if it were a similar price point to it, and included pics like that does.

 

[DebbieB]

People are desperate for normalcy though, I really don’t think people will be content paying for a full price ticket with 40% offerings two years down the road or anything. And Boo Bash isn’t a watered down Halloween party, it’s an after hours party that is priced similarly to pre-covid after hours parties.

I think that remains to be seen. With the phone lines jammed for hours, I question how “limited” it will turn out to be. My friend and I decided to bag it.

With FP+ being free, I significantly preferred FP+ over MaxPass, and it's not close. But I wouldn't necessarily be opposed to a fully digital MP type system (since maxpass isn't really a FP system, just a digital way to access the paper system), if it were a similar price point to it, and included pics like that does.

We did MaxPass at DL, loved it.

 

[lovethesun12]

The more I think about it, the more convinced I am that there will have to be a free option, at minimum for onsite guests (like universal), and it has nothing to do with people being priced out. I think WDW would actually be asking their best customers to go elsewhere and here's why.

The average length of stay at WDW is 7 days. Personally we go 10-14 days (our first trip we were offsite, all hated it because of the lines, 5/7 of us never returned; DH & I did return to try EMH, loved it, went repeatedly), with early mornings, pool afternoons, and leisurely park evenings sometimes. It's a nice, relaxing two weeks. Thoughts on how we will vacation if FP+ (paid only) comes to existence:

1) If the daily price at a park is now $400-$1200 extra, I will want to get value out of that. Bye bye breezy pool afternoons (one of my favorite parts). If I want to go to the parks as many days as I use to, it's $4000-$12000 extra.
2) I don't want to lose breezy pool afternoons, so I'll just do 4 park days instead of 10 since I can do everything easily if we buy passes and won't need EMH/FP+/14days.
3) If I can do everything in 4 park days, I only need 4 days at (expensive) WDW, not 14.
4) If I can stroll in when I want, pay to do rides when I want, I may as well stay at an awesome offsite resort. Thinking could end here, and you just saved thousands off your vacation even with the expensive passes with only 4 days at Disney vs 14. Disney changed your trip - not you. That choice would lead to this type of decision for many people who stay for a long vacation. Here's my own personal next thought:


5) But I don't want to do an entire full day at the park with young kids. What if they are super cranky and I just paid $1200???
6) Universal is now best and cheapest (by far) option for an extended vacation. Hello early mornings, unlimited express pass at a deluxe, pool afternoons, leisurely park evenings (WDW is now way overpriced for a pass similar to universal and offers way less than they use to with no ME, no dining plan, no EMH, expensive FP+).

I'm not even mad at WDW if they do this. I'm not priced out. I just would prefer Universal, because they offer all of the things Disney offers now at $4000-$12000 less.

 

[oktxregulators2020]

I think New Mouse might be overstating things a bit to make a point. But the point, I believe, is that it used to be quite common for Disney to have evening Extra Magic Hours (free for onsite guests) that ran until midnight or later. I think there were even some that went until 3:00 a.m.

Over time, Disney began to cut back on free EMH and replace them with paid Disney After Hours events. And, at the same time, they did the same thing with the morning EMH---slowly cutting back on them and replacing them with paid Early Morning Magic events.

Just before the pandemic, Disney had cut EMH way back to something like one or two hours per park per week. And now, of course, they have eliminated EMH altogether. (With the promise of 30 minutes early entry every day at every park for onsite guests to be implemented at some undetermined point later this year.)

In addition, Disney has cut back on regular park hours for everyone. It was not that long ago that the parks tended to open earlier and stay open later (sometimes much later) for everyone, not just onsite guests, on many days. That meant that you got a lot more park time (and more rides/shows/etc.) for the cost of your ticket. Even before the pandemic, though, Disney had cut back on hours (while simultaneously raising the cost of tickets). With the same number of guests compressed into a substantially shorter time window, the crowds are much bigger and the lines are much longer. The only way to avoid the lines then becomes to shell out the big bucks for EMM or DAH. More money in Disney's pocket.

I miss those days of staying on property and having EMH at Disney with it staying open to 1 in the morning and just walking on to almost every single ride.

 

[TexasChick123]

They’ve got to bring something back for onsite or else what’s the point??? Why not stay at a nicer and cheaper hotel offsite and just rent a car? Magical Express is already gone at the end of the year, so many will have to rent cars anyway. We stay onsite and still rent cars too. It wouldn’t be too much of a stretch for us to stay offsite at a nicer hotel, rent a car, and then maybe use that money we saved with the offsite hotel to buy FPs for shorter stays as someone mentioned above.