Resort Promotion Survey

[baler31]

Received a survey that was different from others that we have received. Seems targeted at a new discount structure tying less services to your reservation when you use a promotion.

Has options to receive additional services when booking at full price. Examples were:
free character breakfast
reserved viewing for parade/fireworks
additional booking window on dining reservations
Room ready anytime after 8am

Services removed when using a discount:
No Magical Express
No EMH
Booking must be paid in full
You pick category and room type computer assigns resort

Survey had many different sceanarios, I am posting an example of the different things. If this is illegal please remove.

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[shoes99]

I received this survey this AM, referencing a stay at CSR from Oct 2010.
I've since stayed two more times since CSR, but I found the choices interesting.

 

[Barnhill9586]

Interesting. The no EMHs would almost be a deal killer for us even if it were a deep discount. I could live with rest.

 

[baler31]

It would not let me post the screen shot of the example. The deal breaker for us would be not selecting your resort, especially as the deepest discount they featured was 35%.

I did think the many choices and sceanarios were thought provoking. I liked the reserved viewing section and being a guaranteed check in after 8am. With some of those extras and the small percentages they were offering on discounts we would choose the full price options in most cases.

 

[jackglick]

If they are taking away services for discounts then there really is no advantage to staying on site. You probably could get a cheaper room off site even with their discounts.

 

[baler31]

It did give you the option to select neither the full price or discount offers and it did then ask if you would choose to stay offsite.

 

[Tess]

Double post! And it was really slow about posting to begin with--anyone else having SlowDisItis lately?

 

[Tess]

I just completed that survey and found it disturbing on a lot of levels. The most ridiculous was the requirement to pay full price for your room in order to have the privilege of selecting the resort! None of the discounted scenarios offered you the ability to choose a resort, only the resort and room categories. The computer would choose your resort for you! No thanks. . .

Frankly, the minimal items offered to entice you to pay rack rate (which BTW, was a good deal more [$396 p/n] than I paid in October at BC even though I was to consider that this was the rate I was charged in October) versus a meager (15%) discount or even the top discount (30%) were a joke, e.g., viewing location for one of the evening shows (and I'm sure it would be first come first served--BTDT with passholders ), refillable mug for the party, quick service breakfast (entree/drink) for the party, access to EMHs, access to ME, planned child activities, ability to book dining 200 days out versus the 180 day window those with a discount would receive, guaranteed seating at select Disney restaurants (bet it wouldn't include any of the hard to get locations ) and many more options that were equally lame.

It would appear Disney is seeking to introduce more cafeteria-like options to booking, as if things weren't confusing enough for the newbies and at times those of us with a great deal of experience. Likewise, Disney will be subtracting benefits from those "room only" folks who would rather have a nice discount.

For those who get upset when they don't receive a discount via e-mail/mail, etc., this will give a whole new meaning to . Give me a room only 35-40% off discount for the deluxe of my choice (or lesser discounts for other resort categories) and I will be happy. I will not be happy if I have to pay rack just to get benefits that I already don't use, e.g., ME, EMH, kid's activities, refillable mugs, etc. in order to choose my resort.

At the end of the survey there was an open field to comment. I basically told Disney that while I understood its need to increase the bottom line, this whole "cafeteria-like" options plan seemed confusing and if I had to pay rack rate to get the room and resort that I want, I will book at Swan and/or Dolphin from now on or simply vacation elsewhere.

 

[mom of 3G's]

I just received and completed this survey this morning also. Besides not being able to pick your resort, the other scenario I didn't like was not being able to book your dining reservations until 120 days out!! For us part of the Disney experience is to immerse ourselves in eating. For the most part I checked scenarios that were full price because I didn't like the reduction in benefits with the lower-priced package. And it seemed like the higher-priced packages would let you make ADRs 200 days out. That would be the deal breaker for me.

 

[AggieTexan]

I can't say I'd be willing to pay Disney prices...even discounted Disney prices...to have no say in my resort. That's absolutely ridiculous.

I probably should just stay away from further comment, since there are all kinds of "Un-Disney-Like" thoughts in my head right now. Besides, I've already voted with my wallet. I made a reservation at the Dolphin with a teacher discount for $306.25 PER NIGHT less than my original reservation at the BWI.

 

[Tess]

mom of 3G's You did better than I--I refused all of the scenarios. If my only options are rack rate and nonsense I don't need OR minimal discount and options I am used to receiving no longer available--I refuse to choose either.

AggieTexan--we did the same for our next trip in October and saved nearly $100 per night over BC. That said, I was just thinking and wondering. . .if Disney removes EMH for its own resorts, how will it handle S&D and DTD hotels?

 

[freakylick]

Was this in reference to "room only" discounts or was it for all discounted stays? Or did it not specify?

 

[hannahdrewmom]

Disney is going to end up loosing a lot of repeat customers. Newbies and one timers that visit might be willing to pony up for what they want but the veterans are going to be unwilling to pay that sort of money for such ridiculousness. The thought of them choosing which resort for me.... You have got to be kidding! But there is also know way that I will pay 35% more to choose WHERE I stay! If I don't have the choose for my family at a reasonable rate then I will choose to make better use of my money someplace else that is willing to accept it.

It will be interesting to see what comes in the future. I"m just glad that we are having our big wingding this year because if there changes occur we will be looking else where to spend our money.

 

[Tess]

Was this in reference to "room only" discounts or was it for all discounted stays? Or did it not specify?

All discounted stays. . .there was no "package" option in the scenarios--not that I ever use a package either.

 

[sndral]

I kind of wondered if they were seriously considering charging for DME based on questions in a survey I filled out last month about my recent stay @ AKL. In my case, the convenience of EMH causes me to go straight to WDW. If I was arranging for/paying for my own transport I'd certainly spend a few days at Universal since I was hassling w/ transportation anyway.
If in order to get a discount I had to give up EMH, then the advantage of staying on property is lost. A note in that regard, how will they enforce it? When I was in EMH parks this December I wondered what mechanism they used to sort out people with old room cards flashing them to get on rides - very easy system to cheat, IMO and I suspected there were people running around w/ old room cards who were not currently staying on site - I like the wristband system better, will they do that or give different colored room keys?
The idea of having no clue which resort I was going to be 'assigned' to makes me shudder, even with discounts Disney Deluxe rooms are not cheap, and to pay that much money and end up in a studie @ the 'deluxe' SSR - yikes. Would they do tiered pricing on deluxes - group A is Epcot Area, goup B is MK area (including WL & BLT,) Group C is AKL and SSR (outlying deluxes.) More for views? There are resorts (AKL) where I happily pay more for a view - others, where a water view is of a swimming pool - no thx.
On the whole, no clue which resort I'm going to get, coupled with no advantage to staying on site and having to pay transport - might as well rent a car and stay @ an offsite resort where I can chose.
The set aside viewing for parades, etc. is worthless, IMO, as would be the breakfast 'benefit' - another cattle herd moment where there'll be far too many let in, much like MVMCP has become and long lines or waits for Characters and lackluster food.
Be interesting to see next quarters financial numbers, they merged WDW with the other parks to obscure how much attendance/room occupancy had dropped in Fl. last quarter, and that these ideas are being tossed around suggests worse numbers are coming.

 

[Nebraska_Disney]

What has become obvious is Disney, in their plight to get people to FL, have been using various levels of promotions and discounts to entice people. With that said, it is hard to change the dog's food after you get him hooked on it ! I know we have looked at various options and ended up upgrading where we would have stayed due to the promotions. After doing this for several years now and still a soft economy in the U.S. they are trying to figure out how to ween all of us off the promotional teat

How do they do that? They start asking us what we would live without or what they could take away and we would still be happy. I have been to Orlando 6 times in the last 8 years. Only the last two trips did we do it all with Disney and that was mainly due to the promotions. Now, take away the promotions and we in turn start staying off property, not using the dining plan, having to rent a car and probably not going to the parks every day of our trip, but probably half. In the end, does Disney gain anything? I don't think they would. Their prices have continued to go up, so the same discount from 4 years ago is really about half based on current prices.

Here is what I would not tolerate giving up to stay on property:

1) No choice in which resort I am staying at
2) No DME
3) No EMH's

Speaking of EMH's, would those who are eligible get a different type of KTTW card vs those who were visiting on a promo? I'd hate to be a CM if that came about

 

[baler31]

Disney is going to end up loosing a lot of repeat customers. Newbies and one timers that visit might be willing to pony up for what they want but the veterans are going to be unwilling to pay that sort of money for such ridiculousness. The thought of them choosing which resort for me.... You have got to be kidding! But there is also know way that I will pay 35% more to choose WHERE I stay! If I don't have the choose for my family at a reasonable rate then I will choose to make better use of my money someplace else that is willing to accept it.

It will be interesting to see what comes in the future. I"m just glad that we are having our big wingding this year because if there changes occur we will be looking else where to spend our money.

It seems as though they are targeting the discounts towards new clients. I think they believe they have the repeat visitors already. There are no longer bounceback offers and very few AP discounts being offered.

If I did not know what I was doing some of the items offered would make me think I was getting a deluxe disney experience or on the other hand a good deal with minimal service.

We will def. stay offsite more if AP discounts and bouneback are discontinued. We typically choose lux. accomodations for our stays and without a discount for onsite and the Ritz (had a great stay there) and soon Four Seasons opening it will not make sense for us anymore.

 

[baler31]

As a side note free dining was not an option on any of the choices.


The only deal breaker for me would be not being able to choose my resort. We rent a car, don't use the DDP, rarely use any EMH's. We would pay more to get more, ie true reserved parade viewing, other tours, less crowded parties.

 

[midnightlouise]

There's no way I would stay on-site if I couldn't choose my resort. Swan & Dolphin and Bonnet Creek are great alternatives and I wouldn't hesitate to stay at either one. Hoping at some point Disney realizes that people do know they have other options! (Even if we have so far chosen not to take advantage of them because of Disney's promotions...)

Of course, when I was a kid, they only chance of a discount required sitting through a time-share speech

Maybe they are hoping for a return to those days...like the rest of us, they can just keep dreaming...

 

[mcd2745]

Sure sounds like they are guaging what guests feel are most important to them to see what the could possibly eliminate with the least amount of backlash.

Not being able to choose my resort would be the biggest deal-breaker for me as well. There are many resorts (approx half) that I have no desire to stay at. Second most important would be ME.

As for EMH...I would not mind at all if they eliminated them and re-introduced E-Ride nights. Dining reservations would be tricky. If people using a discount get a shorter window, that would be fine, but I'd never get the DDP then.