Will DVC count as a "Deluxe Resort" for extended park hours

[Nabas]

What's more, the original Disneyland pricing model was $1 for admission, plus a fee for every attraction you wanted to ride. Ticket books didn't come with admission until several months after the park opened, and even then they were limited.

If you wanted to ride more, you had to pay more, and that was true from the very beginning. The idea of pay-one-price/ride-all-you-want admission didn't come around until WDW had been open for almost ten years.

Separate admission and ride tickets was the standard for all amusement parks. Walt Disney simply emulated what everyone else did in the industry when he opened Disneyland in 1955. The all-inclusive ticket that Disney created for the opening of Epcot in 1982 was an innovation that other amusement parks soon copied. (I remember my 2 local amusement parks switching over the next year.)

The big difference is that the $1 admission at Disneyland translates to about $10 today!

I'd be completely onboard with the change if WDW charged $10 for admission!

 

[Marionnette]

Sounds like a good read. I'll check it out. I think what may bother me about it is the fact that someone who is staying at a cheaper resort can't even come into the park at all when it is open for the more "elite." The rides aren't the only reason people go into a park. And won't this cause the park to close early in order for the higher-paying customers to have their time? Park time will be taken away from the lower-paying customer. Honestly, I'm not super upset about this, but I don't feel great about it. I am just explaining why I think some people may be upset about it. Maybe more who are upset can chime in, so we can understand all perspectives.

How is this different from the parks closing early for a corporate event or hard ticket event? Those who are willing to pay have always gotten "more", it's just that this move is more visible.

I'm not crazy about the optics but it's about time that Disney did something to make deluxe guests feel like they're getting something for the high price tag those rooms command. When the Waldorf and Four Seasons offer a level of service that far exceeds Disney's flagship resort for a lower nightly fee, there's got to be something extra at Disney that those resorts cannot offer.

 

[limace]

How is this different from the parks closing early for a corporate event or hard ticket event? Those who are willing to pay have always gotten "more", it's just that this move is more visible.

I'm not crazy about the optics but it's about time that Disney did something to make deluxe guests feel like they're getting something for the high price tag those rooms command. When the Waldorf and Four Seasons offer a level of service that far exceeds Disney's flagship resort for a lower nightly fee, there's got to be something extra at Disney that those resorts cannot offer.

Well, those corporate events weren’t multiple times a week. And it’s always been annoying- your ticket costs the same if it’s good for 10 hours of admission or 16. And if Disney closes parks early, they can basically sell those last few hours twice.

Heaven forbid they commit to increasing the quality or level of service at deluxe hotels.

 

[Retired2018]

I'm not sure if this has already been brought up, but if it includes everyone staying at a Deluxe - including DVC villas, then what about the renters of DVC points? Disney will not be making anything off that room and yet they will be offering discounted or free FP options to these stayers? By anything, I mean normal reservation cost, I realize they will be getting the yearly fees from the owner.

I'm in the camp of yes, I do feel bad that those staying in a lower cost hotel are not able to have the same offerings. But, pretty darn happy that I'll be getting the perk.

 

[Marionnette]

Well, those corporate events weren’t multiple times a week. And it’s always been annoying- your ticket costs the same if it’s good for 10 hours of admission or 16. And if Disney closes parks early, they can basically sell those last few hours twice.

Heaven forbid they commit to increasing the quality or level of service at deluxe hotels.

The (in)frequency of those events doesn’t change the fact that Disney has always been willing to shorten park hours in favor of paid events. And we're not even sure that park hours will be shortened on the nights that Deluxe and Deluxe Villa guests have extra hours. The argument is moot at this point. Let's revisit it IF shortened hours become a reality.

 

[erionm]

I'm not sure if this has already been brought up, but if it includes everyone staying at a Deluxe - including DVC villas, then what about the renters of DVC points?

It's solely based on the resort you are staying at. It doesn't matter if it's a renter, owner, cash guest, etc.

 

[Retired2018]

Yes, well, that was the point I was trying to make. The renters, who are paying an owner and not Disney, may have been paying Disney for a Value or Moderate. Now, without a penny in Disney's pocket for their room, they are entitled to whatever extended hours or potential FP perks are given. Doesn't quite seem like it's in Disney's best interest.

 

[Sandisw]

Yes, well, that was the point I was trying to make. The renters, who are paying an owner and not Disney, may have been paying Disney for a Value or Moderate. Now, without a penny in Disney's pocket for their room, they are entitled to whatever extended hours or potential FP perks are given. Doesn't quite seem like it's in Disney's best interest.

Except they got that room paid for long ago. Yes, renters no longer stay cash guests but in the end, it may help those renters become owners which does benefit later on!!

 

[Brian Noble]

The all-inclusive ticket that Disney created for the opening of Epcot in 1982 was an innovation that other amusement parks soon copied

Cedar Point was pay-one-price at least from the mid- to late-70s. I suspect many others were as well.

The big difference is that the $1 admission at Disneyland translates to about $10 today!

This is not unique to Disney--or even to theme/amusement parks. The price of entertainment of all stripes has been rising faster than inflation for decades now: ski lift tickets/rentals, sporting events, etc. This probably harkens back to that discussion about wealth concentration, but again...not a discussion for DISboards.

 

[CarolMN]

Yes, well, that was the point I was trying to make. The renters, who are paying an owner and not Disney, may have been paying Disney for a Value or Moderate. Now, without a penny in Disney's pocket for their room, they are entitled to whatever extended hours or potential FP perks are given. Doesn't quite seem like it's in Disney's best interest.

That's true of every DVC rental, and will continue to be true even if Disney does not offer special perks to those staying at deluxe resorts.

 

[New Mouse]

This is not unique to Disney--or even to theme/amusement parks. The price of entertainment of all stripes has been rising faster than inflation for decades now: ski lift tickets/rentals, sporting events, etc. This probably harkens back to that discussion about wealth concentration, but again...not a discussion for DISboards.

But it is a valid point that at the opening of Disneyland, and upcharge like this was at least reasonable. Disney is now choosing to have their cake ( highest ticket prices in the industry) and eat it (upcharge to actually be able to.access most of those attractions) at the same time.

People wouldnt be complaining if an all inclusive, but limited pass was $20, or if the base ticket price was $50 and the upcharge was $5 per fastpass. Its the combination thats maiking the execs look dumb (not that they care).

Parks with reasonable pricing also tend to get a lot less scrutiny as you know your entry fee cant support all your desires. With Disney charging what they do they should not have downtime and the place should be spotless. The ticket prices unfortunately go to enrich the shareholders.

 

[LisaDKG]

I think what's really happening in the minds of those of us who are DVC and WILL benefit with the EMH announcement is that while we can feel empathy with those (non Deluxe-staying guests) for whom this perk used to be accessible, even more importantly, we feel fear. The fear is in the pits of our stomach - in this time of transition and restructuring especially - because we can see how one edict cast down from on high can change something important about Disney vacations will look like in the future and we wonder what is going to be the next thing coming down the pike that COULD affect us negatively - the looming uncertainty over FPs and the likelihood of a paid version is one of these possibilities.
The fear is particularly hard to manage for DVCers because we have already 'promised' that we are going to vacation at Disney for the next however many years, no matter what they change and reconfigure.
We can empathize with those who are getting a perk they used to enjoy taken away from them but more importantly we are scared about how we might be affected should Disney's gaze turn to us in its effort to turn profits.

 

[Brian Noble]

upcharge like this was at least reasonable

Reasonable is in the eye of the beholder.

Its the combination thats maiking the execs look dumb (not that they care).

We have this conversation every single time prices go up. Every single time, there is wailing and gnashing of teeth that this time Disney has priced out its customer base. Every single time guests prove that line of thinking wrong by continuing to come and continuing to pay.

As Pogo put it: we have met the enemy, and he is us.

I say this a lot, but it bears repeating. Disney is a company that sells happiness. That's not the same as "Disney wants me, personally, to be happy," but it is easy to conflate the two. Disney may well price me out of the parks. That's perfectly okay with the Mouse---and the executives have been open about this for quite a few years now. Iger was on record saying that they were willing to sacrifice attendance to (a) give those who remain a better experience (b) at a better price point for the company.

 

[CraigInPA]

Back in 1972, park admission was very cheap. You got in and got to see parades and street performers, as well as shop in the shops, play in the penny arcade (the machines required coins to play), and buy food and drink. If you wanted to ride the rides, you bought a coupon book. You needed an "E" ticket to ride Haunted Mansion and Pirates, an "A" ticket to ride the streetcar. If you ran out of tickets, you could buy more. By 1973/1974, they introduced a much higher admission price and did away with the coupons. I remember riding Pirates twice in one day (an hour wait for each), and Haunted Mansion twice, a real treat and departure from the previous year when I had to carefully budget my "E" tickets.

The point being that, in 1972, if you were willing to pay more, you had a different experience. In 1974, someone figured out that they could make more money by charging a higher price for admission and eliminating the coupons. This is the Disney way. If Disney makes more money by giving EHM to deluxe resort guests, they'll do it. The optics of a dual-class system aren't really a concern to them because they have a long history of offering more to those who were willing to pay more.

 

[TexasChick123]

For those who are saying that moderates and values are still expensive, I wonder if you have done a lot of traveling to high demand areas during high demand season without some kind of discount lately. The value and moderate rates seem to be in line with hotels in other high demand areas. We just spent more than I would admit on a hotel room in Amarillo, TX, not exactly a hot spot. The room was blah, but the price was high because there was some baseball tournament in town. We are going to Colorado next month, and the price of hotels is crazy high. The price of hotel rooms in the last several years has skyrocketed. We got a hotel room at half price last summer on Mackinac Island, Michigan. We thought the price tag for 1/2 was still super high. When looking this summer, we were so glad we went last summer because it was well above what we'd be willing to spend on a hotel room. Another example is that we just went to Atlanta, GA for one night, and the regular hotel room cost over $200 after taxes. Atlanta is still almost completely shut down because of lack of workers/COVID. When I tell you there was next to nothing open in the middle of downtown at night, I am not exaggerating. The nightly rate at the St. Regis was $700, and the rate at the Ritz was over $400 for a random Sunday. Hotels, rental cars, and usually plane tickets are just really expensive right now unless you can find a discount. Disney charging $200-$400/night in a value or moderate in a high demand area is just the going rate.

 

[Nabas]

As a DVC member, I just received the following email from Disney:

Dear Disney Vacation Club Member,​

​

As you begin planning your visit to “The World’s Most Magical Celebration” in honor of Walt Disney World Resort’s 50th anniversary, we wanted to make sure you’d heard the exciting news that starting October 1st you will be eligible for special theme park access when staying at Walt Disney World Resort because you are a Member.​

​

Members and Guests staying at Disney Resort hotels and Disney Vacation Club Villas, as well as other select hotels, will have a new early theme park entry benefit giving them the first chance to enjoy select attractions at EVERY theme park, EVERY day, with a valid ticket or pass and a theme park reservation for that theme park and date.​

​

Additionally, Members and Guests staying at a Disney Vacation Club Resort or Disney Deluxe Resort hotel will exclusively be able to enjoy extended evening hours on select nights in select theme parks providing more time to enjoy the Magic. Extended evening hours will begin in early October with specific dates and parks to be shared at a later time, so please be sure to check back on DisneyWorld.com for the latest.​

​

Throughout the celebration, Disney Vacation Club Resorts at the Walt Disney World Resort will offer even more with surprise appearances by some favorite Disney pals like Goofy and Pluto, who will be dressed in their EARidescent best. Plenty of fun awaits you and your family as we get ready for “The World’s Most Magical Celebration.”​

​

See you real soon!​

 

[Cabius]

I got the same email -- thanks for posting!

I did find it interesting that they positioned it as "because you are a Member" when in reality it is based on where you sleep, not your membership status (e.g. a non-member buying a cash stay gets the perk, while a DVC member staying off-site would not).

 

[CarolynFH]

I got the same email -- thanks for posting!

I did find it interesting that they positioned it as "because you are a Member" when in reality it is based on where you sleep, not your membership status (e.g. a non-member buying a cash stay gets the perk, while a DVC member staying off-site would not).

Yes, at least they stated specifically "Members and Guests staying at" but I agree there will still be confusion.

 

[DisneyStarWisher]

My friend is going early October on my DVC points. She does not have park hoppers. Wonder if she will be allowed access if that was not the park she chose to go to earlier that day?

 

[TexasChick123]

My friend is going early October on my DVC points. She does not have park hoppers. Wonder if she will be allowed access if that was not the park she chose to go to earlier that day?

My understanding is that your friend will not be able to use the extra hours unless she has a park reservation for that park if she doesn’t have a park hopper. Kind of stinks since we don’t know the dates or which parks for the extra hours yet. If they were going to announce this, why didn’t they announce all the info at once since some of the days in October are already booked for certain parks???