Will you pay $150 for the new "Disney After Dark" event in the MK?

[DVCcurious]

I just can't see how After Hours can coexist with evening EMHs because I can't see that what you get on Thursday at midnight is worth $149 more than what you can get on Wednesday at midnight.

exactly. So if what you say is true....and we know After Hours is here to stay......doesn't that mean EMH will follow the mighty dodo bird into extinction?

Disney will push on-site benefits like Magical Express, bus transportation to the parks, and the 60 day FP+ window.

Will that be enough or will people start staying offsite?

 

[Planogirl]

exactly. So if what you say is true....and we know After Hours is here to stay......doesn't that mean EMH will follow the mighty dodo bird into extinction?

Disney will push on-site benefits like Magical Express, bus transportation to the parks, and the 60 day FP+ window.

Will that be enough or will people start staying offsite?

Wasn't the resort fee supposed to pay for Magical Express? If so in a sense it is also an item that has to be paid for. But then EMH was also touted as being paid for by the resort fee but then if they take away EMH...

I know, we don't know for sure yet.

 

[JimmyV]

exactly. So if what you say is true....and we know After Hours is here to stay......doesn't that mean EMH will follow the mighty dodo bird into extinction?

First, EMHs might just get limited to the morning. I can definitely see pm EMHs going away. Second, all of this discussion seems to be limited to the MK. I can't imagine that there would be enough interest behind a paid after hours event at the other parks. Maybe in 2025 when Star Wars land is fully functional you might see something like that. But certainly not in its transitional state. So I am not ready to write off EMHs completely. But pm EMHs at the MK may very well become a dodo bird.

 

[Hannahinwonderland]

exactly. So if what you say is true....and we know After Hours is here to stay......doesn't that mean EMH will follow the mighty dodo bird into extinction?

Disney will push on-site benefits like Magical Express, bus transportation to the parks, and the 60 day FP+ window.

Will that be enough or will people start staying offsite?

My gut feeling is that soon, FP+ in general will become an on-site only perk. I definitely don't see these new hours co-existing with EMH for the reasons stated.

 

[mom2rtk]

exactly. So if what you say is true....and we know After Hours is here to stay......doesn't that mean EMH will follow the mighty dodo bird into extinction?

Disney will push on-site benefits like Magical Express, bus transportation to the parks, and the 60 day FP+ window.

Will that be enough or will people start staying offsite?

I swear I saw a post yesterday that said they saw a new ad promoting free transportation to the parks. Maybe they're ramping up already?

 

[AquaDame]

I won't since we rarely take advantage of the free EMH we get by staying onsite. By the end of the day my husbands dogs are spent and we are heading back for sleep and an early morning. I much prefer mornings over evenings so I let it happen... pre-marriage I'd be out till midnight too!

 

[Hikergirl]

I think that non-DISer are probably MORE Likely to pay for this than Disers are. Because most of us on the DIS have been to WDW many many times. Most people don't go multiple times every year, every year, or even every other year. I think that most people go to WDW a couple times EVER, and if it's a once in a lifetime trip, they are more likely to pay for extras. If I"m spending 33 days in WDW this year, a couple extra rides on 7DMT might make me go "meh, whatever" but for someone who has never been before, that might be a lot more appealing. Maybe I'm way off base, but that's how my mind works.

I completely agree with you. I don't think this event is for the multiple times a year guest, the year/every 2 year guest or the DVC owner. I don't even think its for once in a lifetime guests who are staying onsite. I think its for the rest of the population, who may not have considered WDW because they already have other day plans. Or maybe they've heard how bad the crowds were, and how you have to plan your rides 1 to 2 months in advance and they don't want to deal with all that nonsense for a vacation. This event gives them a little taste of Disney, and maybe it gets them to decide to book a whole week the next year.

I've said it in this thread and others, it does appeal to some people. I don't think its fair to dismiss why it appeals to them because you (general DISer) know of a million reasons why its not worth it.

 

[snayak]

But rather than comparing what After Hours gets you as compared to a typical afternoon in the MK, shouldn't you be comparing After Hours to what you would experience 24 hours earlier by going to the EMHs offered at the MK on Wednesday? If you go to the free EMH on Wednesday, aren't you saving significant wait time, getting cooler temperatures, lower crowds and fewer strollers? And if the answer is: "Because we stay off site", then it probably warrants looking at whether the $600 (for a family of four) shouldn't be better allocated to an on site hotel. For a six night stay, that averages out to $100 per night. There isn't a single off site property that is priced so low that a family of four couldn't add $100 per night to that total and not get a room on site. If you can find an off site hotel for $70 per night, one can easily add $100 to that, get on site, and then enjoy free EMHs all week long. I just can't see how After Hours can coexist with evening EMHs because I can't see that what you get on Thursday at midnight is worth $149 more than what you can get on Wednesday at midnight.

That is a very rational argument - and I agree, After Hours & evening EMH isn't really an issue unless you are a small group with time constraints i.e., professional attending a conference alone, or party of 2 or so in town for 3 days Thursday - Sunday w/ no MK EMH available. If I had a 10 day trip planned, on site, with 10 day tickets I would NOT consider DAH over EMH. If I had a 4 day trip planned I would consider buying a 3 day ticket + DAH, only because 4 & 5 day tickets cost the same.

But, based on the direction taken in the last couple of weeks, my opinion is that EMHs are being phased out to be replaced by DAH. Might as well start up-charging now before Rivers of Light rolls out because guests can't complain that they've "lost" something...right now there is no ROL, if you want to go please pay $70-$150/person/night thank you very much.

 

[lugnut33]

I voted "Not Sure". I don't care about any "free" food or drinks, the ONLY thing that would make this worthwhile is having virtually no lines that exceed 5-7 minute wait TOPS because 3 hours is limiting and I don't want to waste it in line. Also, we don't know how they are going to clean out the park for the the event - if they pull a MNSSHP type clean out - than no thank you - not good enough. $150.00 for 3 hours is BIG money and I'd only be interested if it was worth my while.

Let me warn you right now, I will be that guy walking around the park without a ticket. I won't even try to ride and attraction, I'll just be there eating, shopping, enjoying the evening. Unless of course they escort me out and I doubt they are going to do that.

 

[Angel Ariel]

exactly. So if what you say is true....and we know After Hours is here to stay......doesn't that mean EMH will follow the mighty dodo bird into extinction?

Disney will push on-site benefits like Magical Express, bus transportation to the parks, and the 60 day FP+ window.

Will that be enough or will people start staying offsite?

Without EMH we would not consider staying onsite. We'll use SOG as long as we have access, but past that w/o EMH there's very little reason for us to stay onsite. That's the main benefit for us.

 

[thegajone]

Funny, because there is no way I would pay over $200 for one meal. Talk about an overpriced experience. At least in my opinion.

At least a couple times a year my wife and I eat at a nice steak house here in town (Jeff Ruby's) that serves A5 Wagyu at $20 per ounce. We end up paying about $500 for the 2 of us after tip, and let me tell you, it's worth it every time. It is most certainly not an overpriced experience!

$150 for 3 hours in MK though? I'll just stick with the steak. But I have to admit, based on the results of this poll, it should be pretty lightly attended, so it's getting more and more tempting to check out. We have a MK day planned for May 8th anyway (Mother's Day), and it's the 2nd to last day of our trip, so there's at least a chance. But if wifey says the budget forces me to choose between this and Jeff Ruby's, it's a no-brainer.

 

[Tiki Sean]

Honest question. Not being sarcastic. Did the people who contacted you know about the price before they contacted you, or was price one of the things that they wanted more info on?

They knew the price already.

 

[JimmyV]

They knew the price already.

Thx.

 

[labattblue]

Let me warn you right now, I will be that guy walking around the park without a ticket. I won't even try to ride and attraction, I'll just be there eating, shopping, enjoying the evening. Unless of course they escort me out and I doubt they are going to do that.

You will be doing very little eating and I'm not even sure how much shopping you will be doing. Based on whats been announced, except for Casey's and Starbucks, no restaurant options will be available during these "events", and I have to believe except for the Emporium, most of the stores will close at regular park time or shortly thereafter.


I guess if you want to stroll around the park in the middle of the night with nothing to do, they will let you do it until you grow tired of it.


That being said, I don't like this idea one bit.

 

[monkistan]

Not for me. Right now, I could afford it, but there doesn't seem to be a lot of value in it. $50/hr? Nuts to me. I'm feeling more and more like my money is going less and less far at Disney. I'm starting to become one of those people who will vacation elsewhere soon. I love Disney, but I'm getting less out of it for my money than i used to.

 

[labattblue]

Does anyone believe this is being targeted at off-site guests? Aren't a majority of off-site guests where they are because staying on-site is beyond their means? So they will stay off-site to save money, and then pay $150+ per person for an event that runs into the middle of the night? Huh?


Somewhat related note...regardless of on-site or off-site doesn't the target audience shrink dramatically for an event that runs from 11PM-2AM?

 

[parith1114]

The magic must have gone to their heads...that's more than a one day ticket. HELL NO!

 

[MakiraMarlena]

doesn't the target audience shrink dramatically for an event that runs from 11PM-2AM?

Obviously families with young children are not the target audience for the nighttime event. While for the morning event, they're definitely the target.

 

[Mikie]

Does anyone believe this is being targeted at off-site guests? Aren't a majority of off-site guests where they are because staying on-site is beyond their means? So they will stay off-site to save money, and then pay $150+ per person for an event that runs into the middle of the night? Huh?


Somewhat related note...regardless of on-site or off-site doesn't the target audience shrink dramatically for an event that runs from 11PM-2AM?

I've only stayed on site of late, but I definitely get the impression on the boards that people don't stay off site due to lack of means. They do it based on the value per dollar spent. For the price the same family could do a couple value rooms or moderate rooms, they get a full house, laundry, more bathrooms, kitchen and a pool and they decide that's more valuable to them than the buses, EMH and proximity of onsite hotels.

I assume these folks may weigh the new offerings and decide whether the lure of lower crowds (possibly after spending the day hours somewhere non-Disney) will be worth their entertainment dollars.

 

[MakiraMarlena]

agreed, there are all sorts of reasons why Disney guests stay offsite, and most of them have nothing to do with their being unable to afford onsite. It's really being assumed that most WDW guests would want to stay onsite but they don't because they can't afford to. Which is not the case in most circumstances. I know WDW has a lot of resorts, but even if all of those resorts had every room filled to capacity, most of the guests in the parks would still have come from offsite.

And then you've got the convention traffic, there is a lot of that in Orlando and they are either not paying for their rooms, getting them heavily discounted, or writing them off as business expenses.