Uk Has Lost The 'magic' For 2005

[Andrew DEREK UK]

The UK's leading Florida and USA specialist, has just released its new 2005 Brochures and the Magic is missing!

Over the years in these brochures the DCL Magic and Wonder were always available and you could book packages from the UK in pounds sterling, with tips and taxes included.
Good to avoid exchange rate risk.
However on the new brochures out this week the Magic is gone. Not just for the 'Gap' in the summer, but for the full year, all of 2005. There isn't even a mention of the DCL Magic anywhere, it no longer exists!
This is a pity for everyone! Firstly UK passengers will hear less of DCL ,and there are a lot more other cruises now available, and Carnival and RCCL will get the British. Full lists of their dates are given. If you do know of DCL you will have to book in dollars through an American agency, and organise your own flights etc.I am sure our Holiday companies will loose commission as well.
DCL will loose out as well, as other lines benefit with booking and repeat customers, and not being in the major tour operators brochures is in fact very stupid.
This has been caused by not making the announcements soon enough and not letting tour operators make block reservations. Corporate sponsors seen to benefit though!
I wouldn't go as far as to say DCL is anti British, but is policy this time will cut UK customers down to the Wonder only, so it does hurt them and us, even if the California trips do well, they will miss out on Bulk UK customers on the normal Caribbean seven day trips!
All this for a date to announce everything together! DCL should get there act together for next year!

 

[KaitlinsMom]

"This has been caused by not making the announcements soon enough and not letting tour operators make block reservations. Corporate sponsors seen to benefit though!"

I completely agree - We have been trying to get our relatives to come with us for quite some time - They have not heard of the Disney Cruise - When we tell them about it, they seem real excited about finding out more -

A lot of British do travel to CA - But I am sure more go to Fl due to rates and travel time (it is a 11 hour flight to CA)

As I mentioned in another post - there is a ton of money in CA - So DCL will not lose on this one -

I actually respect the travel industry in the UK for not printing DCL - They needed the info to get their brochures printed. If DCL was not ready, the other cruise lines were - and they are the ones that will get the UK business -

 

[Amberle3]

Not related to the UK, but to DCL...

I ordered the "new" DCL cruise brochures for my agency a few weeks ago. They came earlier this week. Looking at the unopened box I was thrilled and filled with anticipation. At long last I would know what the Magic was doing for Summer 2005! I ripped open the box and...

The "new" brochures go through April 2005 and not beyond.

So it's not that DCL is late in getting the information out to the UK. They're not sending it out anywhere at the moment. I've been checking their travel agent website daily and there's no mention of the Magic and next summer. There's only been 4 items in the "latest news" since the beginning of the year, and 2 of them have to do with the pin trading cruise.

When Disney guards something, they tend to do it fairly well. Unfortunately they don't always think things through thoroughly.

 

[Andrew DEREK UK]

I just find it a bit sad, DCL and Disney make a lot of having a big annoucement, and shoot themselves right in the foot by doing so.

I think more and more people like to plan ahead, having something to look forward to and a Cruise is usally a more expensive holiday to you do a lot of plannig and book early.

I am sure they will do very well in California and everyone is entilted to a bit of Magic,

But this is a big circle,

THEY DO NOT THINK ABOUT INTERNATIONAL TRAVELLERS> FEWER BOOK> DISNEY FEELS THEY DO NOT APPEAL TO UK MARKET>SO THEY THINK OF US LESS AND SO ON.

But in the UK brouchures today great big pictures of all of the CARNIVAL SUPERLINERS, Double pages all the dates, and even an extra pick up in Barbados for the UK market!

RCCL and Carnival open them selves up to all markets and maybe thats why they keep bringing out more superliners!

 

[Amberle3]

I think there are several factors involved with this. I've been giving this a lot of thought, hopefully this is somewhat coherent (I have a bit of a fever at the moment)

1) I'm sure that DCL will end up having to do a separate brochure for the CA cruises if they move the Magic there for the summer. They can't use the regular brochure, or if they do then they have to trash their tradmark "every cruise stops at Castaway Cay" line.

2) I'm also sure there's no doubt that the cruises out of CA will fill up. If they do 3/4 day sailings. Virtually every other cruise line there does 3/4 day sailings and they've proven very popular. Disney doing them will fill I'm sure. And since a lot of the people who book those are local, they don't need as much in the way of advance notice.

3) Someone at Disney planning I'm sure thinks that a year is plenty of notice to give people for vacation planning. They're wrong, but I'm sure that's what they think. They should look at how far ahead the ships actually take bookings, and then realize the number of people that book more than year in advance.

4) Disney, unfortuntely, is not big on chasing "smaller" markets. I live in the Canadian prairies. We're pretty much smack dab in the centre of Canada. I can't tell you the last time I saw a commercial for Disneyland. I may never have seen a DL commercial here. WDW is promoted all the time, but even trying to get DL promo materials here is hard. Some of the travel agents here have never booked clients to DL. Why is that? Because at some point Disney decided that more people from our region go to WDW rather than DL, and it would be a waste of resources to advertise DL here. As a consequence very few people even think about going to DL. I get into mini arguments with people all the time about why I go to DL. It usually goes something like:

them: Why are you going back to DL? Isn't it old now? Why aren't you going to WDW?
me: Have you been to DL?
them: No.
me: Aside from Disneyland being Walt's original, did you know that passes for Disneyland are about half the price of WDW?
them: No, I didn't know that
me: Did you know that hotels around Disneyland are often significantly cheaper than WDW?
them: No, I didn't know that. But there's so much more stuff to do in Orlando!
me: You mean like Universal Studios and Sea World? Like they have in CA? Maybe the San Diego Zoo, the Wild Animal Park, Knott's, taking a day tour through wine country, extending the trip by a few days and going to Las Vegas (4 or so hours by car), things like that?
them: Uh, yeah.
them: So why arent you going to WDW instead?
me: >thud<

It will be very interesting to see what happens when they annouce the plans for the 50th. Will we get DL advertising here? Will promo and marketing materials suddenly become available? Who knows!

 

[CAMICKEY]

Amberle3 - I agree with everything you say except for the hotel prices being cheaper around Disneyland. I have to humbly disagree with that post. have found the exact opposite being true. Even staying at the Hyatt MCO for $ 125 is less than you would pay for any Hyatt around here. We have also stayed at the Hoilday Inn Family Suites in Orlando for an unbelievable value (I might be lucky to get a Motel 6 for what we paid there). - Mike

re-edited - Well I just checked the price for the Anaheim Hyatt for the same night I have at MCO and there is only a 4 dollar difference (CA being higher). Eating my words about the Hyatt even though it is slightly higher. It's so nice to feel humbled but at least I did. We only paid @ $75 per night for the KidsSuite at the Holiday Inn in Orlando about a mile from MK and thought it was a great value (2002).

 

[Euphscott]

I keep watching all this hand wringing and gnashing of teeth over a few months in Summer 2005 with amusement. If you try to book a cruise for say Princess or Royal Caribbean ships right now in Summer of 2005, you won't be able to do so, because for the most part, mass market lines have not set their 2005 itineraries yet, much less offered up sales.

Disney has done things much differently over the years and apparently some of it's customers have expected no change.

 

[Amberle3]

Euphscott: It's not that we're expecting Disney to do things differently at all. It's that they have their schedule for 2005 set except for a block of time during the summer. Which has led to the speculation and (pardon the pun) wonder about what Disney will be doing for those months. It just seems a little odd to plan & annouce everything except the summer.

CAMICKEY: Wow, you're kidding? I've never paid that much for a hotel room around DL. I just checked the Hyatt website and the Anaheim property is $129 during the summer. Mind you I usually say at the HoJo, or the Anabella has become one of my favourites. I think the most that I've paid for a hotel is $79. Of course I don't usually end up staying at higher-end hotels, but I won't stay at less than a 3-star either. Lately we've mostly been staying with family there, but we do still end up booking the occasional hotel. Just checked the HoJo and Anabella for the summer, prices starting at $65 for the Anabella and $79 for HoJo). But it all depends on what kind of amenities you're looking for from a hotel.

 

[Andrew DEREK UK]

It is mentioned QUOTE 'Disney, unfortuntely, is not big on chasing "smaller" markets'', WDW thinks the UK market is very large, we have TV commecials all the time, the Dinsey stores promote and our lending Floridia agent has 4 jumbo flights a day to Florida and many others to USA destinations.
I think after the USA we make up the largest by far, grop going to Disney.

I think its just they do not understand the markets, In the UK long hual holiday brouchures for 2005 are out now, TA's have to book exchange rates and also make arrangemnts with all suppliers,

We have to book in time off from work and schools, like everyone else, but co-ordinating with USA makes it more difficult.

A late annoucement in this case, hasnt just knocked out the Summer 2005 Magic sailings, its ment the whole Magic 2005 dates being dropped completely. We call it an 'own goal'

QUOTE''I keep watching all this hand wringing and gnashing of teeth over a few months in Summer 2005 with amusement. If you try to book a cruise for say Princess or Royal Caribbean ships right now in Summer of 2005''

In the UK we can book RCCL and Carnival for the whole of 2005 through our lending operator, we would like to go with DCL , but they do not make it easy for us!

If DCL had made this annoucement say late February just a couple of months earlier, I am sure they would have been included in our Brouchures.

 

[Merylj]

All info regarding DCL is hard to obtain in the U.K.
I tried to get a brochure yesterday, the staff in the travel agents looked blank when I asked for anything on DCL and could produce nothing.

Whatever happened to the Walt Disney Travel Company in the U.K? If you try their U.K web site they refer you to other tour operaters.

Anyhow I booked our cruise this morning online at Disneycruise.com
and they state this booking will be refered to their U.K division at (wait for it) Disneycruise.com

We have our reservations, so I`m happy.

Merylj

 

[Andrew DEREK UK]

I remmber the Walt Disney travel company had a brouchure out for one or two seasons a couple of years ago.

They had all the Disney hotels, some nearby, tickets included and the DCL.

But I think they didnt have their own flights so were at the mercy of the other well know operators, had ot buy from them, and so their prices were higher.

They withdrew to the internet and now as you say actually recommend other operators

Until now the best place was Virgin holidays, but they have now pulled back to the'' Wonder'' only.

The WDW promotions video does have a UK number for DCL enquiries but that is it.

The only option appears to be to book with a USA agency or DCL direct.

But you then have exchange rate risk, ( although to our favour now). And have to book all of the rest in parts of the internet etc.

 

[wendym]

We have booked our last 4 Magic cruises with Transolar holidays here in the UK. They have been great to work with and include tax and tips but we don't have to book a whole package like we would with Virgin. The last 2 we booked onboard and they transferred the booking to them. Hope to do the same with the Californian cruise next year.
Wendy

 

[Andrew DEREK UK]

Thanks for the responses, how long in advance do you book your flights? and who with, looks like schduled flights seperate from any package are 12 months in advance only.

 

[wendym]

AS I am stuck to the school holidays - I'm a teacher - I need to book as far out as possible. I usually fly with United as I can get free stopovers but this summer going with BA as I need to be back the day before school starts - this year I am paying £500 more for the two of us because I am flying in July instead of June. Ouch!

 

[Andrew DEREK UK]

Yes thats the problem, I have two kids at school so need to book within the holidays, the schools do not like to missing any days now, and so the holiday cos and flights know this and bump up the fares.

 

[natdencro]

Until our daughter worked at Epcot in Florida, we had NO idea that Disney had cruise ships! NEVER on tv/press in UK were they ever mentioned. Even now, some 4 years since she joined the Magic, coverage of these cruise ships is almost non-existent. We have Disney Holiday Videos sent to us each year, and although they contain details of the cruises, these are very limited.

In my opinion, Disney arent too bothered about "foreign" visitors on their cruise-ships (other than Canadians). They clearly can fill a ship with no problem, so dont NEED other countries money. In 4 cruises, we have only met a handful of UK guests, and 1 German family! Only CM's families from other countries seem to cruise - because of the discount available: and that is ONLY on offer if the cruises arent full!

Disney cruises are VERY expensive compared with other lines. We could have had a 2 week cruise on the Carnival Glory (same destinations as the Magic) for less than half the DISCOUNTED price! Our air fares from UK are approx $600 return, so it's not a cheap vacation.

That said: we LOVE the Disney ship - but just wish others from UK etc., could share the MAGIC!

Nat

 

[Andrew DEREK UK]

Agree, as mentioned before its a full circle (## the circle of life, ###sorry thats another story).

DCL doesnt advertise much in the UK> Pepole in UK book other lines, DCL thinks UK doesnt like DCL, decideds not to advertise in UK.

Virgin however did gaive it a lot of coverage in its previous years brouchures, but it is now cut to Wonder only.

Maybe it was a school holiday, but there were a lot of magic customers on my Virgin plane home last time!

 

[Merylj]

I think the rule with booking flights is if you see a price your happy with go for it.

The chartered airlines always or nearly always have good rates, but these are last minute deals and not for obsessive planners such as myself! Plus they all go to Sanford only, great if you drive.

Airfares seem to have taken a hike this year, our return flights from Man to MCO are 320 pounds each travelling on 28 Dec.

Merylj.

 

[Andrew DEREK UK]

There is a great difference in price, they do appear ot be increasing, but thep ound is strong against the dollar at the moment!

It appears you can only book schduled flights up to 11 months in advance.

I have been looking around and the difference in some simular trips is between £2k and £5k for a familiy.

 

[Merylj]

Um I know- pound strong against the $ but the fares are increasing, there`s no logic.
I always book online, however someone told me they find the best fare online and then their local travel agent beats it.
Maybe worth a try.
Good luck.

Merylj