TSM standby-less test Oct. 6-9

[mom2mickeyfan]

DH doesn't just tolerate WDW, but I can only elevate that to "likes" WDW. Getting him to parks 5/6 days would be his limit. And while you are right in the cost per day only being $10 more pp, we don't do the math that way. I take the total price and divide by days. So $2200/5 = $440/day for 8 of us (one is < 3). If it goes to $2300 for 6 days (I think that's about right??) it's still $383/day. We'd not only pop in for a few hours at that price. (I do get how you're looking at the math, though, of adding a day. DH would not.). For us the expectations of a $383 day would be just as high as for a $440 day. Does that make sense?? I'm tired. .

Makes sense to me and our family thinks the same way. Besides, when I use to get most everything that we wanted to do in the park done in one day but now takes 2, that is still extra money I didn't have to spend last year. We stay off-site, so it is an extra day of parking, extra dining in the park and extra water and snack purchased so that $10 extra per person for 1 extra day can add up in a hurry especially if you have a family of 4 or 5. We would never, even staying onsite, be a family that pops in to the park for a few hours. If if it truly did only cost $10 for the extra day, I still want to get a full day out of it. That is just how our family works. We go rd to closing and then take a day off then do it again. We normally do 3 park days and have managed to get most everything we wanted done until this past summer. I don't want to have to pay extra to do 6 half park days instead of 3 full park days no matter how little it cost. Because really there is more cost to visiting a park than the cost of the ticket.

 

[mom2mickeyfan]

"I'm stacy, and I'm a commando."

I'm StacEy, and I'm a commando too!! .....honestly!

 

[jcemom]

Because really there is more cost to visiting a park than the cost of the ticket.

It depends. We stay onsite so we are paying Disney food prices regardless of whether it's in the park or at the resort or Downtown. We have found that the extra $10 park day is the cheapest thing we can do with our few hours (arrival day, departure day, sleep in day, etc). We can't do anything else for $10 per person. If we go downtown we buy stuff. Mini golf costs more than $10 each. The only thing cheaper than $10 is staying at the resort to swim and do resort activities, and we usually get enough of that throughout the week.

I like value for my money too, but sometimes less really IS more. If we go until we drop we're grouchy and arguing with each other and generally unhappy. That is not a good value for my dollar, IMO. I will not pinch every single penny and squeeze every second out of every day to get my money's worth. If we are happy at the end of the day, then I feel that I got my money's worth, and sometimes what makes us happy is a 3 hour park day for $10 each.

ETA: Maybe onsite vs offsite makes the difference, I don't know. Vacation style is probably part of it too. Even if we were offsite we would spend more than $10 per person plus parking plus the extra cost of a Disney meal. The kids would want to shop, mini golf, ride go karts, something. All those little things add up.

 

[cakebaker]

I like value for my money too, but sometimes less really IS more. If we go until we drop we're grouchy and arguing with each other and generally unhappy. That is not a good value for my dollar, IMO.

Same here, we want quality vs quantity. We found after a couple of commando trips, that we had a hard time even remembering what we did. It was all such a blur of days that they sort of melded together. So, we slowed down, enjoyed the moments and we like it much, much better.

We still manage to get to rope drop, we still stay late sometimes, but we don't ever do open to close in any park. I'm a bit of a neat freak, but in that Florida heat I can't stand wearing the same clothes all day. A few hours at the resort to cool down, rest and get a fresh change of clothes on makes all the difference in the world!

I think that's a big advantage to staying on site. It's much easier to pop back and forth between our resort and a park. Depending on where we stay, it can be just minutes away from a park. Makes it quick and easy.

 

[minnie-apple-mouse]

It depends. We stay onsite so we are paying Disney food prices regardless of whether it's in the park or at the resort or Downtown. We have found that the extra $10 park day is the cheapest thing we can do with our few hours (arrival day, departure day, sleep in day, etc). We can't do anything else for $10 per person. If we go downtown we buy stuff. Mini golf costs more than $10 each. The only thing cheaper than $10 is staying at the resort to swim and do resort activities, and we usually get enough of that throughout the week.

I like value for my money too, but sometimes less really IS more. If we go until we drop we're grouchy and arguing with each other and generally unhappy. That is not a good value for my dollar, IMO. I will not pinch every single penny and squeeze every second out of every day to get my money's worth. If we are happy at the end of the day, then I feel that I got my money's worth, and sometimes what makes us happy is a 3 hour park day for $10 each.

ETA: Maybe onsite vs offsite makes the difference, I don't know. Vacation style is probably part of it too. Even if we were offsite we would spend more than $10 per person plus parking plus the extra cost of a Disney meal. The kids would want to shop, mini golf, ride go karts, something. All those little things add up.

Same here, we want quality vs quantity. We found after a couple of commando trips, that we had a hard time even remembering what we did. It was all such a blur of days that they sort of melded together. So, we slowed down, enjoyed the moments and we like it much, much better.

We still manage to get to rope drop, we still stay late sometimes, but we don't ever do open to close in any park. I'm a bit of a neat freak, but in that Florida heat I can't stand wearing the same clothes all day. A few hours at the resort to cool down, rest and get a fresh change of clothes on makes all the difference in the world!

I think that's a big advantage to staying on site. It's much easier to pop back and forth between our resort and a park. Depending on where we stay, it can be just minutes away from a park. Makes it quick and easy.

 

[TwoMisfits]

DH doesn't just tolerate WDW, but I can only elevate that to "likes" WDW. Getting him to parks 5/6 days would be his limit. And while you are right in the cost per day only being $10 more pp, we don't do the math that way. I take the total price and divide by days. So $2200/5 = $440/day for 8 of us (one is < 3). If it goes to $2300 for 6 days (I think that's about right??) it's still $383/day. We'd not only pop in for a few hours at that price. (I do get how you're looking at the math, though, of adding a day. DH would not.). For us the expectations of a $383 day would be just as high as for a $440 day. Does that make sense?? I'm tired. .

I agree with your Math. I don't value any of the lesser 3 parks (EPCOT, DHS, or AK) as a $100 park, so when I buy tickets, I'm not saying "it's only $10/day for each of us to get an extra day"...I'm saying "okay, at an average of $60/day, I might be happy enough in those lesser parks." But funny story tonight, my kids actually told me that EPCOT is boring and old, DHS has so little to do and so could we rethink doing Disney next year and just do Universal again. And maybe we could just buy a 1-day MK pass to see NFL or do a party to see it? These kids were Disney fanatics before our Universal trip last year and even then, they'd wistfully looked at Disney's signage every time we'd come back to Bonnet Creek. But now, even they have noticed (over their wee years) how little has changed and improved in the lesser parks and how much Universal has done (yes, they watched the Harry Potter special on tv and were amazed).

And you know what? It would cost me less to have a 1 day MK pass or party (heck even 2 parties) and the Universal passes...

So, we have decided to get our off-site condo booked and then wait and see what Disney offers - it will take a ticket price deal next year to get us in the parks for any type of length of stay ticket - we really just have so little to do that's new and exciting outside of MK...and we haven't been since 2012 (so that's really sad)...

 

[mom2mickeyfan]

I think that's a big advantage to staying on site. It's much easier to pop back and forth between our resort and a park. Depending on where we stay, it can be just minutes away from a park. Makes it quick and easy.

I think that depends on if you are using Disney transportation. Most all of the off-site resorts that we have stayed at in Orlando, we are hitting Disney property in 10 to 15 minutes. There is one we like to stay at called Silver Lake that you drive out of the back of the property and in less that 2 minutes we come out at the red light that goes into the Animal Kingdom resort area. There have been others we can see and/or hear the fireworks from different parks. We have used Disney buses to hop when we wanted to keep our close parking place and have waited for buses longer than it takes to get to most of the places we have stayed. If you drive your car to the park or are in the park close to the resort you are staying at, then I agree that you can get to your resort pretty easily.

I understand that popping in for a few hours works great for many guest. It just doesn't for our family. We love being in the park! We don't understand the idea of sleeping in and coming to the park later. I am very much not a morning person but when I am at Disney is the only time I am eager to get up and moving. I've been known to even wake up before the alarm and have to get myself to go back to sleep. We can't wait to get to the park and don't want to leave once we get there.

The day we visited MK in 2012, the park stayed open until 1:00 a.m. We spent 16 hours in the park that day counting our pre-opening breakfast and I was skipping on the way out (yes, I act like a kid when I'm at Disney ). We got in the park at 8:00 a.m. and left at midnight. But then we took the next day off. We would much rather do it this way because we truly love to be in the park. If it is open and we are going that day, we want to be there! That is how this family rolls. I know this isn't how everyone tours but it is how our family likes to.

 

[KimBean]

I think that depends on if you are using Disney transportation. Most all of the off-site resorts that we have stayed at in Orlando, we are hitting Disney property in 10 to 15 minutes. There is one we like to stay at called Silver Lake that you drive out of the back of the property and in less that 2 minutes we come out at the red light that goes into the Animal Kingdom resort area. There have been others we can see and/or hear the fireworks from different parks. We have used Disney buses to hop when we wanted to keep our close parking place and have waited for buses longer than it takes to get to most of the places we have stayed. If you drive your car to the park or are in the park close to the resort you are staying at, then I agree that you can get to your resort pretty easily.

I understand that popping in for a few hours works great for many guest. It just doesn't for our family. We love being in the park! We don't understand the idea of sleeping in and coming to the park later. I am very much not a morning person but when I am at Disney is the only time I am eager to get up and moving. I've been known to even wake up before the alarm and have to get myself to go back to sleep. We can't wait to get to the park and don't want to leave once we get there.

The day we visited MK in 2012, the park stayed open until 1:00 a.m. We spent 16 hours in the park that day counting our pre-opening breakfast and I was skipping on the way out (yes, I act like a kid when I'm at Disney ). We got in the park at 8:00 a.m. and left at midnight. But then we took the next day off. We would much rather do it this way because we truly love to be in the park. If it is open and we are going that day, we want to be there! That is how this family rolls. I know this isn't how everyone tours but it is how our family likes to.

This is us too! One time DH and I were talking about doing a longer trip that way we could take days "off" and rest, play golf, etc. My dd (12 at the time) says WHY?? I would hate it if we were at Disney and didn't go to Disney!! She said I hope I'm old enough to go to the park on my own when you guys do this trip. Cracked us up and I realized the RD to Close strategy never wore her out over the 5 trips she has been. LOL! That being said on our upcoming 10 day trip it won't be RD to Close everyday but pretty close and we will be at a park everyday. It's not for most people but it is for us.

 

[Josh Hendy]

...

If you look before and after than time, you can see a change in the numbers and quality of attractions added to the parks.

1992 Splash Mountain
1994 Tower of Terror
1995 Extra Terrorestrial Alien Encounter
1996 Barn Stormer
1998 Buzz Light Year, Fantasmic, Animal Kingdom Park
1999 Test Track, Winnie the Pooh, Rock n Roller Coaster, Journey into Your Imagination, Kali River Rapids
2002 Journey into Imagination W/ Figment
2003 Mission Space, Mickey's Philharmagic, Wishes
2004 Stiches Great Escape, Turtle Talk with Crush,

MYW Introduced Attractions during first couple of years already being constructed.
2005 Soarin', Lights Motors Action
2006 Expedition Everest, Seas with Nemo and Friends, Kim Possible World Showcase Adventure

2007 Monster Inc laugh floor. Grand Fiesta Tour w/ Three Caballeros, Jedi Training Academy, Finding Nemo the Musical
2008 Toy Story Midway Mania
2009 Sum of all Thrills,
2010 Captain EO returns
2011 Mickey at town Square, Disney Jr live
2012 Little Mermaid, Enchanted Tales with Bell, Storybook Circus, Agent P world Showcase
2013 Princess Fairytale Hall
2014 Seven Dwarfs Mine Train

Looking at the attractions before and after that date, you can see a big difference. People who who frequent the the table service restaurant talk about the simpler menus and closer tables since free dining has been around.

...

I think what we are seeing now from New Fantasy Land to FP+ is an attempt at a "quick fix" to allow ever increasing attendance into the park.

Sadly, this list shows that there has not been a genuine, headliner, e-ticket ride added since Everest in 2006. And there apparently won't be another one added until at least 2015 with the "Soarin'" style 3D attraction in Avatarland ... at total of 9 years, whereas in the past a headliner was added at least once every 2 years.

The thing that started this long thread was lack of standby access to TSMM ... a ride that I don't think is a headliner or an e-ticket attraction in any way, just a kind of simple, cheap, video-game based ride. But which is mobbed with crowds every single day from rope-drop until closing because it's in a park which people feel obliged to visit because of multi-day passes but which has an almost total absence of fun attractions that families can enjoy.

Yes, something has definitely changed at WDW. But if despite that attendance and profits have gone up then how can you argue with it?

 

[Angel Ariel]

.
The day we visited MK in 2012, the park stayed open until 1:00 a.m. We spent 16 hours in the park that day counting our pre-opening breakfast and I was skipping on the way out (yes, I act like a kid when I'm at Disney ). We got in the park at 8:00 a.m. and left at midnight. But then we took the next day off. We would much rather do it this way because we truly love to be in the park. If it is open and we are going that day, we want to be there! That is how this family rolls. I know this isn't how everyone tours but it is how our family likes to.

The part about skipping on the way out resonated with me..I have quite a few pictures DH has taken of me skipping down main street on our way out of the park at (or after) closing time. I seriously love main street then, when it's quiet and still. It's beautiful, and it totally makes me feel like skipping and singing (totally ruining the serenity of it, I know!)

You really described us, pre-kids anyway, in this quote. DD has changed our touring for the moment, as we try not to up-end her sleep routines too much, but I'm definitely looking forward to this kind of touring, and late nights on main street, on our adults only trip!!

 

[minnie-apple-mouse]

The day we visited MK in 2012, the park stayed open until 1:00 a.m. We spent 16 hours in the park that day counting our pre-opening breakfast and I was skipping on the way out (yes, I act like a kid when I'm at Disney ). We got in the park at 8:00 a.m. and left at midnight. But then we took the next day off. We would much rather do it this way because we truly love to be in the park. If it is open and we are going that day, we want to be there!

We have done the exact same thing, many times-except we would spend $10 and still go in the next late afternoon or evening-skipping the whole way.

For us-if the park/s is there/near-were going in.

 

[minnie-apple-mouse]

One time DH and I were talking about doing a longer trip that way we could take days "off" and rest, play golf, etc.

Same thing-we do those things but still go in that night esp for $10, why sit in a hotel room?

 

[mom2mickeyfan]

Same thing-we do those things but still go in that night esp for $10, why sit in a hotel room?

We aren't sitting in our hotel room but even if we only spend $10 for another day, we would end up spending pretty much the whole day there. I know for certain because this past summer we ended up doing 5 park days. All of other trips have been 3 park days with a rest day in between. We did rd to within and hour of closing all 5 days. Even with the 2 extra MK days, we still didn't pop in and out for just a few rides. Once we are there, and we are always going to be there for rd, we just don't want to leave. But we sure were more worn out from this trip because we did 5 days instead of 3. Again, I know other families don't mind popping in and out but for us, if we go, we are going to end up staying because we don't want to leave. Not sure if we are going to get a 5 day ticket next time.

 

[jcemom]

The thing that started this long thread was lack of standby access to TSMM ... a ride that I don't think is a headliner or an e-ticket attraction in any way, just a kind of simple, cheap, video-game based ride. But which is mobbed with crowds every single day from rope-drop until closing because it's in a park which people feel obliged to visit because of multi-day passes but which has an almost total absence of fun attractions that families can enjoy.

I think it's mobbed because that park has a lack of family rides. We don't feel obligated to visit because we have multi day tickets. We visit because we love RnRC, ToT, TSM and Sci-Fi. Those are always on our must do list, so DHS has to get a half day. We would not go just for TSM, but since we are there anyway, and we do have so much fun on that ride, we do it. I liked it much better when I could manage to ride two or three times with paper FP combined with rope drop though.

We aren't sitting in our hotel room but even if we only spend $10 for another day, we would end up spending pretty much the whole day there. I know for certain because this past summer we ended up doing 5 park days. All of other trips have been 3 park days with a rest day in between. We did rd to within and hour of closing all 5 days. Even with the 2 extra MK days, we still didn't pop in and out for just a few rides. Once we are there, and we are always going to be there for rd, we just don't want to leave. But we sure were more worn out from this trip because we did 5 days instead of 3. Again, I know other families don't mind popping in and out but for us, if we go, we are going to end up staying because we don't want to leave. Not sure if we are going to get a 5 day ticket next time.

So our thinking isn't all that different really. We normally go for 8-10 days so we are there a lot longer than you. We could not go all day every day for that long, so we need rest days in between, yet we don't like not going to a park at all. So, we plan some morning off days and some evening off days. On those days we take advantage of what the resort has to offer, because I am, after all, paying for those amenities too! LOL

 

[Priory]

As a DLR semi regular, the insane popularity of TSMM and Soarin' are always so odd to me. While both are popular at DCA, they're generally a 30 minute standby, Soarin fastpasses tend to be available almost all day, and TSMM doesn't even have fastpass. I agree with what some have said here: the insanity of TSMM (and Soarin) are reflections of the parks lacking attractions more than being about the attractions themselves.

I am happy I get to skip both next month when I visit. Makes my FP+ selection easier. (That's another point - both attractions are carbon copies of DCA rides. There is no reason for me to go on them. They don't even try to differentiate the copied rides anymore.)

 

[vacationer1954]

Because other companies do it, does that make it right for Disney to do it?

Yes. They have the same obligations as every other company. Reputation management is a requirement of today's business environment.

I guess I don't think Disney or any company should feel obligated to provide a public forum to allow people (who might include employees of competitors posing as customers) to bash them.

Very true. It is okay to be disappointed and to even express that disappointment but it is not okay to spray paint complaints on the advertising billboards that a company maintains even the ones they don't pay for.

If you have a problem with WDW, and aren't just looking to bad mouth them, Facebook is not where you go to solve it.

However Twitter does work well for that. That is a big difference between the two.

But if despite that attendance and profits have gone up then how can you argue with it?

Yes. The grocery store puts these annoying displays in the aisles making it difficult for two shopping carts to get past each other. Why? Because it is the right thing for grocery stores to do. Movie theaters put the sound up so loud that it is actually annoying at times. Why? Because it is the right thing for movie theaters to do.

As a DLR semi regular, the insane popularity of TSMM and Soarin' are always so odd to me.

I wondered about TSMM and Buzz Lightyear also. But they're fun. Big time fun.

 

[Jennasis]

Hogwash. Facebook is designed to leave comments and feedback under posts. Comparing that to defacing a billboard with spray paint is ridiculous. Facebook also allows the page manager to delete unwanted posts and there is a way to report abusive posts. If Disney can't handle the heat, they should get out of the social media kitchen (or better yet pay heed to the complaints and concerns).

 

[momof2n2]

Hogwash. Facebook is designed to leave comments and feedback under posts. Comparing that to defacing a billboard with spray paint is ridiculous. Facebook also allows the page manager to delete unwanted posts and there is a way to report abusive posts. If Disney can't handle the heat, they should get out of the social media kitchen (or better yet pay heed to the complaints and concerns).

Hogwash.
I love it.

New slogan? "Hubris & Hogwash. Brought to you by Walt Disney World"

 

[cakebaker]

Hogwash. Facebook is designed to leave comments and feedback under posts. Comparing that to defacing a billboard with spray paint is ridiculous. Facebook also allows the page manager to delete unwanted posts and there is a way to report abusive posts. If Disney can't handle the heat, they should get out of the social media kitchen (or better yet pay heed to the complaints and concerns).

I don't read their facebook page much, but did last night. There were plenty of negative comments nestled in with the glowing reports from happy guests. If they're deleting them, they're missing quite a few.

Honestly, I couldn't care less what they do with their face book page. I would never know what they do as far as editing goes because I'm not spending the time to track their page and figure out what's there now vs what went away. It's what they do in the parks and what kind of service I receive that matters to me. Me thinks some people are just looking for things to complain about.

 

[vacationer1954]

Hogwash. Facebook is designed to leave comments and feedback under posts. Comparing that to defacing a billboard with spray paint is ridiculous.

If Disney can't handle the heat, they should get out of the social media kitchen

Facebook gives the owner of the page the power to remove comments they don't like. Most companies with a Facebook presence are using it for marketing. It is absolutely analogous to a billboard. If posters to Disney's page cannot handle the heat of Disney deleting comments that aren't fair in Disney's judgment, then they should get out of the social media kitchen. What I'm saying is that if you only look at it from how you want it to be you can't understand it from the other side. There is always an other side and in this case the other side has more merit which is why Disney has been successful running that way for decades.