Why Disney? Why?

[sethschroeder]

And in particular they ought to be giving people with PPO ADRs an opportunity to change their ADRs

Except you still have breakfast which is what the ADR is for.

 

[Jacq7414]

Disney releases park hours. You make park by park plans including dinning reservations. You make fastpasses. Then about 45 days before your trip, Disney changes the park hours throwing things into chaos. Anyone else annoyed by this? I've heard all the reasons why they do this and they don't seem valid to me. Why can't they either come out with the hours and leave them alone or delay coming out with them. Just don't change them!

Yea it’s annoying. We had a trip the week after Easter. I purposely made PPO breakfasts at CRT and Crystal Palace. They then changed the entire week to open at 8 am. I was a little annoyed because if that had been the case when I first booked the reservations, I would have done later breakfasts.

 

[Jacq7414]

I booked my first PPO breakfast yesterday for the week after Easter. I told myself if they change park hours, I'll have a nice breakfast and then hit the park. If this was my only day planned for MK I'd have to cancel the breakfast. We went the spring break before last, and I don't remember them adding much for hours, at least in the morning.

We went the week after Easter this year and MK definitely had its hours changed. It opened at 8 am pretty much every day

 

[Unvoiced_Apollo]

I actually keep hoping Disney expands its morning hours since RotR is opening up when I'm there. But I wasn't planning on it at the time, so I can understand being annoyed at changes (especially those that lost their reservations because of the media event the day before its opening).

 

[DGsAtBLT]

More hours are almost always a good thing, but it’s frustrating they sometimes add them on within that 60 day window instead of having them longer in the first place.

They should be extending them long before FP are booked. I can see why they may not be able to finalize 180 days before dining opens up, but there’s no excuse for 60,
IMO. The hard to get FP are near impossible to move around, I think dining is easier to deal with.

 

[jen7233]

Yes, the hours changes is something that we have to watch for that can change our plan. It can put a change in our plan. We don't do ADR for breakfast in parks, but I can understand why that would be bothersome to those with ADR. For us, it's general planning with what parks/what days, as we like to rope drop early and do EMH, and hours changes can have me relooking my FP strategy.

 

[teachmedis]

We went the week after Easter this year and MK definitely had its hours changed. It opened at 8 am pretty much every day

Yeah I agree that it's likely to see a change. I'll either change it or keep it when the time comes. I have 3 days factored for MK this trip. That should be plenty even minus an hour for breakfast.

 

[rangerxenos]

I actually keep hoping Disney expands its morning hours since RotR is opening up when I'm there. But I wasn't planning on it at the time, so I can understand being annoyed at changes (especially those that lost their reservations because of the media event the day before its opening).

I am disappointed that they haven't continued the EEMH at Hollywood Studios into December with RotR opening. I'll be there on the 5th, and am expecting a total madhouse if they don't open until 9 a.m. Hoping they might change again before my trip...

 

[DisneyDar]

This is the way Disney works: They are profit driven. There are algorithms they they use, depending on hotel capacity, park tickets, fast pass bookings, and dining bookings, plus season, previous crowd history and new attraction crowds. They put it all in a big pot, swirl it around and voila, park hours are adjusted. They do NOT take into consideration your plalns.

 

[MomOTwins]

Except you still have breakfast which is what the ADR is for.

Nope, that's like saying "so what if you book a character meal and no characters show up: you still get the food and that is what the ADR is for." Just like characters are a benefit of a character meal, early ride access and eating before the rides are available is a benefit of a PPO reservation. We plan short trips so typically only have one day or a half-day per park, and there is no way I would waste valuable park-open time on a breakfast. PPOs let me eat without missing the valuable first couple of hours after the park opens when wait times are lower, and get early access for rides I can't get a FP for.

 

[Rach3975]

Nope, that's like saying "so what if you book a character meal and no characters show up: you still get the food and that is what the ADR is for." Just like characters are a benefit of a character meal, early ride access and eating before the rides are available is a benefit of a PPO reservation. We plan short trips so typically only have one day or a half-day per park, and there is no way I would waste valuable park-open time on a breakfast. PPOs let me eat without missing the valuable first couple of hours after the park opens when wait times are lower, and get early access for rides I can't get a FP for.

While I agree about the true value of a PPO breakfast for visitors, Disney doesn't promise anything beyond a meal, which they're still providing. That's why I always make my PPO reservations knowing that I'll cancel if park hours change. If EMM hours are released before you book dining, that's something to pay attention to, too. Park hours are unlikely to change to 8 am if there's an EMM scheduled.

 

[Unvoiced_Apollo]

Nope, that's like saying "so what if you book a character meal and no characters show up: you still get the food and that is what the ADR is for." Just like characters are a benefit of a character meal, early ride access and eating before the rides are available is a benefit of a PPO reservation. We plan short trips so typically only have one day or a half-day per park, and there is no way I would waste valuable park-open time on a breakfast. PPOs let me eat without missing the valuable first couple of hours after the park opens when wait times are lower, and get early access for rides I can't get a FP for.

I actually don't find this analogous, and here's why: character meals are a PREMIUM (not to be confused with Signature) table service compared to other table service restaurants. You are literally paying for the service of characters at meals (which is why they are more expensive than the average sit down restaurant).

PPO ADR's on the other hand are just "nice if you can get them". Otherwise, don't you think they would raise the prices during those times? With extra ticketed events like EMM, why would Disney be at all concerned about whether or not someone's ADR is no longer PPO unless they thought they could get more profit from them?

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Nope, that's like saying "so what if you book a character meal and no characters show up: you still get the food and that is what the ADR is for." Just like characters are a benefit of a character meal, early ride access and eating before the rides are available is a benefit of a PPO reservation. We plan short trips so typically only have one day or a half-day per park, and there is no way I would waste valuable park-open time on a breakfast. PPOs let me eat without missing the valuable first couple of hours after the park opens when wait times are lower, and get early access for rides I can't get a FP for.

It's a strategy for park touring just like various other strategies out there. I believe a large benefit, especially for MK, went out the window when Main Street opened earlier.

It's always a gamble though to book a PPO and use it for ride strategy (and it's a controversial enough topic here on the DIS). It's the same for even EMH. We did that one morning back in 2017 so we could try and ride 7DMT during EMH. After walking all the way back there we found out it was down.

If you're there for the actual meal inside the park adjustment in hours won't change that. At least after your meal you'll already be in the park and can just begin your day without thinking about security, ticket turnstiles, etc

 

[TheBigErn]

This is the way Disney works: They are profit driven. There are algorithms they they use, depending on hotel capacity, park tickets, fast pass bookings, and dining bookings, plus season, previous crowd history and new attraction crowds. They put it all in a big pot, swirl it around and voila, park hours are adjusted. They do NOT take into consideration your plalns.

This argument fails during Thanksgiving and Christmas. Those times are always busy. I don't need an algorithm to tell me that.

 

[MikeandReneePlus5]

You used to be able to saunter up to a CM by the train station pre-opening and just SAY you had a PPO ressie and they waved you right through whether you had one or not, they had no way to verify Ah...the good old days.

 

[MomOTwins]

I actually don't find this analogous, and here's why: character meals are a PREMIUM (not to be confused with Signature) table service compared to other table service restaurants. You are literally paying for the service of characters at meals (which is why they are more expensive than the average sit down restaurant).

PPO ADR's on the other hand are just "nice if you can get them". Otherwise, don't you think they would raise the prices during those times? With extra ticketed events like EMM, why would Disney be at all concerned about whether or not someone's ADR is no longer PPO unless they hought they could get more profit from them?

Well I literally do pay extra for the PPO advantage because if I can't get an expensive PPO breakfast, I just get a $3 pastry at the quick service at my resort. And I expect a lot of others do as well. The price for BOG breakfast has gone up considerably since they started letting guests into the hub, making Crystal Palace no longer an option for PPO access, and that probably had something to do with it.

I don't think it is necessarily true that if Disney perceived a benefit to PPOs, they would charge more. For example, Narcoosees costs exactly the same for a reservation time during the fireworks as a reservation in the early evening, but the fireworks view is definitely a benefit there. Same for World Showcase restaurants that have a fireworks view.

 

[sethschroeder]

Well I literally do pay extra for the PPO advantage because if I can't get an expensive PPO breakfast, I just get a $3 pastry at the quick service at my resort.

You don't though. The meals are not more expensive based on the timing of the meal. PPO is not bookable and is simply a loophole in the system to get a upperhand at rope drop.

For example, Narcoosees costs exactly the same for a reservation time during the fireworks as a reservation in the early evening, but the fireworks view is definitely a benefit there.

They can also sit you without a view, cancel the fireworks, or change the time of the fireworks. If Disney starts charging for PPO or Fireworks views (like a Dessert Party) then you have a point. I can understand why you would be frustrated but the two are unconnected (unlike Character Meals which the characters are tied to the meal experience).

By the way the previous poster was simply stating that if PPO was bookable they would command additional $$$ compared to the standard breakfast costs which are already high.

 

[Unvoiced_Apollo]

You don't though. The meals are not more expensive based on the timing of the meal. PPO is not bookable and is simply a loophole in the system to get a upperhand at rope drop.



They can also sit you without a view, cancel the fireworks, or change the time of the fireworks. If Disney starts charging for PPO or Fireworks views (like a Dessert Party) then you have a point. I can understand why you would be frustrated but the two are unconnected (unlike Character Meals which the characters are tied to the meal experience).

By the way the previous poster was simply stating that if PPO was bookable they would command additional $$$ compared to the standard breakfast costs which are already high.

Pretty much everything I was going to say in response

 

[monkyby87]

...PPO is not bookable and is simply a loophole in the system to get a upperhand at rope drop.

Exactly. It's always been an unadvertised perk, but it's not a guarantee of anything other than food. Using it to get a head start on the rope drop crowd is merely a touring option that some people utilize. Currently Disney doesn't really prevent it, likely because they know that's the reason people do it in the morning. But they don't owe anyone anything other than food when they do that.

 

[kaytieeldr]

This argument fails during Thanksgiving and Christmas. Those times are always busy. I don't need an algorithm to tell me that.

But how busy? Sure, they use all the data posted above, plus off-site hotel bookings. But (shock alert ) situations change. People book actual last-minute trips. An anticipated new attraction is ready early. There's another incident that causes people to not fly, for months afterwards.

You used to be able to saunter up to a CM by the train station pre-opening and just SAY you had a PPO ressie and they waved you right through whether you had one or not, they had no way to verify Ah...the good old days.

Yeah, darned technology

You don't though. The meals are not more expensive based on the timing of the meal. PPO is not bookable and is simply a loophole in the system to get a upperhand at rope drop.

d
Exactly. It would be interesting to see what effect a, say, $10 per person surcharge until 9 AM would have - on both ADRs and complaints