Wow...Outrage over Stroller Rental Price Increase...What's that About?

[drakethib]

I can see Disney's response on this.

"Due to customer demand"

 

[amyhughes]

I can see Disney's response on this.

"Due to customer demand"

Like when they dropped the gratuity from the Dining Plan, "Due to Cast Member request." yeah, who requests to lose a guaranteed 18%?

 

[nenner1]

Somebody on the other thread did get a response and it didn't even address the complaint....it basically just reiterated the pricing structure.

There are a lot of conspiracy theories out there as to why Disney is doing this....everything from a tie in to gas prices (petroleum based plastic used to make them) to childhood obesity (parents getting a double to allow older children to ride) to shopping-cart syndrome (people renting the doubles just to have extra room to tote all their souvenirs) to the growing cost of staffing CM's on what they call "Stroller _ _ LL" (repositioning strollers outside of attractions).

My humble opinion is that the reason Disney is doing it is simply because they CAN.

Yes, by all means email (even though you won't get a real response), complain and best of all BOYCOTT by finding other more reasonably priced alternatives. The sad truth however is that not everybody will do that and YES there are still plenty of people out there who WILL pay $31/day as ridiculous as that is. And what does that mean? Lots more money in Disney's pocket.

I was very dissapointed to hear this. I spend an awful lot of my disposable income at DW and on DCL and unfortunately for us everyday folks, the prices of everything at Disney are just getting out of reach.

 

[amyhughes]

I have to agree with the above poster.

When my DH and I see the Disney commercial raving about "Only $1600 for 7 days and 6 nights" I always retort with, "for a value room the size of a shoe box and tickets. Does not include travel expenses, food, or the hundreds spent on souvenirs!" With airlines making you pay now for extra baggage (which makes me so happy we drive!) and the costs of travel anyhow they probably figure they have most folks over a barrel.

Last year we brought our double stroller. Worked great b/c who wants to carry their kids all the way to the Disney Parking lot after that long of a day, and while walking the resorts as well. Next time I will purchase the Sit N Stand at Target (probably this week!) and use that for a half of what it would cost for our length of stay and I can use it for walking the kids around the neighborhood here.

I think some of what Disney is doing (DDP changes, All these evening parties at MK, this recent increase) is pricing themselves out of the average family game. The economy is not going to get any better any time soon, and as far as disposable income I could go to any number of parks that surround Disney for a fraction of the cost. May be time for a new tradition.

 

[tspann]

I have saved for 3 years to pay for our 8 day 7 night trip to WDW next week. I am litterly counting penny's to be able to feed the four of us wile we are there. By increasing the rental prices so unexpectly is ......................... I can't find the words.

 

[jody618]

I just emailed. I too hope EVERYONE takes the time to send one even if it's short and quick. They need to know they are being very unfair to families that spend a lot of money there. I have two children 5 & 7 that have outgrown umbrella strollers and I can't find one that is large enough for them. I'm afraid if I don't "find" them or rent a stroller they will be too tired by the 2nd day. They tire easily and don't sleep well in hotels. That will ruin our trip. We like to be there at opening and stay til closed but they can't handle that much walking. A single stroller will cause them to argue over who gets to ride in it the most. However, at 31 or 27 per day it is way too much money. Dilemmas.....

 

[KrisTX]

I just sent the following email-I will post if I get a reponse.


Hello-

First off let me start with…I am sorry for the below rant-I absolutely know that the person reading this is not responsible for the decision to raise the prices on a stroller rental in excess of 70%! Please forward it on to the obviously child-free person that made that choice.

We are planning to come in August for a week and I am appalled that you have raised the price of a double stroller to exceed the cost of my child’s 7 day MYW hopper plus tax. Are you kidding? My kids are too large for a cheap umbrella stroller and too young to be footing it around the parks all day. In the past we rented it for the entire stay and used it only in the afternoon/evening. So we will see how well they hang and possibly just go back and swim at the hotel or even worse-bring the big one from home and cram the already crammed monorail and busses. Oh or let them wear those annoying and dangerous Heely’s. I am fortunate because my kids are old enough to have a few choices other than being gouged.

Needless to say, I think this increase is another disgusting abuse of charging whatever you feel people will pay because you already have us there.

I hope you reconsider this insane pricing increase. Oh and please spare me the following excuses:
• increase in gasoline to produce the plastic-you already own them
• the Cast Members salary to reposition the carts-it will now be worse with more non-conforming odd shaped strollers
• your efforts to remove large children from breaking the strollers or lessen the shopping cart effect-YOU WANT them to stay in the park and buy the merchandise! I know I will shop lighter if I am going to have to carry my son on my shoulders during the insanely over crowded Wishes trample accident waiting to happen.

I am a CPA. I understand numbers and supply and demand. What I don’t get is why on earth are you alienating the largest group of future guests with this increase? Kids are merchandising machines. Don’t run the parents off. I have spent a small fortune on Disney stuff for my kids. They want more the more they visit the parks. This increase will cause great hardship for those that save YEARS and YEARS to afford a Disney vacation.

With every magical visit I am sadly reminded that I should sell our Disney stock and find a new family vacation spot.

Sincerely,

 

[WaltD4Me]

I have to agree with the above poster.

When my DH and I see the Disney commercial raving about "Only $1600 for 7 days and 6 nights" I always retort with, "for a value room the size of a shoe box and tickets. Does not include travel expenses, food, or the hundreds spent on souvenirs!" With airlines making you pay now for extra baggage (which makes me so happy we drive!) and the costs of travel anyhow they probably figure they have most folks over a barrel.

Spooky....I was reading this post and that commercial come on, the one where the coach is pulling up in front of the house and the parents are on the computer going "$1600? Oh yeah, we can do that." ..... Little do they know...

 

[sammy01]

I just emailed. I too hope EVERYONE takes the time to send one even if it's short and quick. They need to know they are being very unfair to families that spend a lot of money there. I have two children 5 & 7 that have outgrown umbrella strollers and I can't find one that is large enough for them. I'm afraid if I don't "find" them or rent a stroller they will be too tired by the 2nd day. They tire easily and don't sleep well in hotels. That will ruin our trip. We like to be there at opening and stay til closed but they can't handle that much walking. A single stroller will cause them to argue over who gets to ride in it the most. However, at 31 or 27 per day it is way too much money. Dilemmas.....

We're in the SAME exact boat. My 2 will be 4 and 7 next Jan. 09 when we go. We need something to keep up their stamina for the whole day and allow us to get quickly from place to place DS "will be 4" is a ditzer. I can't bring my jogging stroller on the plane. I'm kinda stuck!

 

[TwinmomPlusOne]

Did a stroller refinery blow up or something? Geesh, how can they justify that large of an increase?

 

[acourtwdw]

So today was the day the price change went into effect. WDW website prices haven't changed. We will see what happens. I'm sure the is a Disboard member there now that will fill us in.

 

[Alye]

I think this is Disney's attempt at profit maximization without increasing the supply of strollers.

You can imagine that at the old price, some people weren't getting strollers, yet were willing to pay for them. At this point, Disney can do two things: Raise the price or supply more strollers.. or both. Possibly with the price of petrol going up, supplying more strollers doesn't look so good, so the price is raised. When raising the price, the goal is to get all the strollers rented for the largest possible price.. thus maximizing profit on them.

It sucks, but businesses will try to apply this rule with all of their products.

 

[amyhughes]

Spooky....I was reading this post and that commercial come on, the one where the coach is pulling up in front of the house and the parents are on the computer going "$1600? Oh yeah, we can do that." ..... Little do they know...

That is funny right there. But, so friggin' true.

 

[KrisTX]

Did a stroller refinery blow up or something? Geesh, how can they justify that large of an increase?

I laughed out loud!

 

[SamIAm21]

I have been a fan of WDW strollers simply because I know where my DD is at, no worries about her wandering off in a crowd and not only that, the strollers have such nice sunshades.

Has Disney not thought about the increased impact on the buses and have they thought about how they will see far more kids in their first aid stations suffering from heat stroke/exhaustion? The best reason to get a stroller for a little one is the protection from the sun!

 

[sunny_]

Buses may be seeing a ton more personal strollers now. We have been taking our own for the last several trips because of the price. I bet a lot more people will be joining us in lugging around a stroller with the price increase!

 

[rowan]

Here is my hope about this, I wonder if anyone else has thought of it..?
As a Chase Disney Visa Cardholder, one of the perks that I can get is free stroller rentals at Disneyland but not WDW.
Maybe now they will make enough on the rentals to offer this perk to at WDW too.
I would be ecstatic. Last year we took our Sit n stand stroller for our 18 month old and 3 yr old and the one day we rented one from Disney because our kids were both sick and they could lay back better in it, they loved it so we were planning on renting this trip.

 

[ArielRae]

Disney needs to have under bus storage for these strollers so there will be more room for passengers.

 

[checkwriter]

Adding insult to injury, apparently there is also a $100 deposit fee charged to your credit card. See the thread.

It really looks like Disney is trying to drive guests to purchase its probably-vastly-overpriced $40 strollers that I'm told are now available in the parks.

Segment suggestion: do a review of a $40 WDW stroller versus a $40 Wal-Mart stroller.

 

[Stroller Boy]

This looks like a job for.....



STROLLER BOY!!!!

How did I know you were going to float this one out there!

Yea, been asleep at the switch I suppose! Seeing as how we have 6 strollers, two dedicated to Disney trips, I kinda glossed over the fact that Disney now wants you to wrap stroller rental into your re-mortgaging....If we weren't in a recession already, this will throw us into one!!!!