Evening Magic Hours for Deluxe Guests Only

[JakeAZ]

I've said this on these board before and I'll say it again...Disney's parks haven't been for "the masses" in a long time. Overpriced lodging (all levels, including "value"), food, souvenirs, experiences, extras, etc. Now factor in flights and time off of work (a good portion of this country doesn't get paid time off).

I mean come on, there were like 10+ dessert parties. There is an arrival basket with $35 worth of stuff they sell for $349. Nothing is priced in reality.

They have one job...to get as much money out of you while you are there. Then rinse and repeat for the next guest who takes your place.

Right now, there is a pent up demand for all things travel. That won't last forever. Disney knows people have started to gravitate and become more comfortable with VRBO and off-site lodging. They need to get out ahead of that and make their "Deluxe" properties more attractive. They will soon be booking into 2023 (when most of this "revenge travel" should be subsiding). This is an effort to make sure those Deluxe rooms keep getting booked.

They don't need to offer this to the current crop of Deluxe guests. Most Deluxe properties / DVC are close to being sold out from Oct 1 - the end of the year. This is an effort to maintain that going forward.

 

[Nabas]

So my family stays moderate or swan/dolphin for 7 nights non hoppers. I may consider switching and doing just 2-3 nights deluxe with hoppers. I would have to look at the math but I wonder how many others would do the same and what the difference in spending would be with less time.

Next vacation we are going to italy which is the same amount of money as a Disney vacation and we will see how this Disney change goes.

Although we don't have the details yet, we can guess that one park will be open for 1-2 hours at night.

The Moderates and Swan/Dolphin are excellent hotels. I just don't see the value of spending hundreds more just to stand in Standby lines late at night, especially with non-hopper tickets. After all, you're already talking about a long day at one park. Do you really need to stretch that out another hour or two?

Worse, we know how EMH worked in the past. The park with EMH always seemed to be more crowded than normal. I found I enjoyed myself more by avoiding EMH.

If Disney really wants to make a Deluxe Resort worth it, how about throwing in 3 no-restriction FastPasses?

Heck, Universal gives its Deluxe Resort guests (nearly) unlimited Express Pass all day long.

 

[DuvalDisneyDad]

So who is gonna stay at the value resorts when Disney prices those guests out?

Nobody, that’s chapeks master plan, tear down the all stars resort area and build a more exclusive shareholder resort.

 

[MillauFr]

Buh bye Disney. I know when I’m not wanted

I’ve never had money; my parents never had money. I’ll never have money.

If you don’t want me cool, I’ll use my PTO in europe or Japan

Why on earth wouldn't you just go to Disneyland instead? We stay at the Candy Cane Inn on Harbor just a 10 minute walk from the front gate. Free breakfast and free parking. $169 a night. The rides are far better in California, the weather is far better, and it doesn't require extensive planning.

 

[Meglen]

Although we don't have the details yet, we can guess that one park will be open for 1-2 hours at night.

The Moderates and Swan/Dolphin are excellent hotels. I just don't see the value of spending hundreds more just to stand in Standby lines late at night, especially with non-hopper tickets. After all, you're already talking about a long day at one park. Do you really need to stretch that out another hour or two?

Worse, we know how EMH worked in the past. The park with EMH always seemed to be more crowded than normal. I found I enjoyed myself more by avoiding EMH.

If Disney really wants to make a Deluxe Resort worth it, how about throwing in 3 no-restriction FastPasses?

Heck, Universal gives its Deluxe Resort guests (nearly) unlimited Express Pass all day long.

My family loves the parks at night and hate the parks in the morning if it's a emh night we would do a resort day and hit parks afternoon or later than hop to the night park. I wish this was an option for everyone all the time. Again I love the parks at night heh

 

[SarahWI]

Worse, we know how EMH worked in the past. The park with EMH always seemed to be more crowded than normal. I found I enjoyed myself more by avoiding EMH.

the distinction is the number of guests able to access these evening hours is about 25% of all rooms that are onsite. I have no idea how many rooms there are at the swan/dolphin/springs area but this will translate to a significantly lower number of people vs prior EMH.

edited: I was going to Google search the number of rooms but holy cow there were a ton of Springs area hotels that could access EMH.

 

[DuvalDisneyDad]

Why on earth wouldn't you just go to Disneyland instead? We stay at the Candy Cane Inn on Harbor just a 10 minute walk from the front gate. Free breakfast and free parking. $169 a night. The rides are far better in California, the weather is far better, and it doesn't require extensive planning.

To be fair, Tokyo Disney sea looks like the best theme park in the world.

 

[JakeAZ]

this will translate to a significantly lower number of people vs prior EMH.

Yep! Finally making it a real “perk”

If everyone has access to something (like the early morning admission), it’s not really a perk. It’s just “included”.

Yes, I know not everyone gets early morning. But everyone staying in a Disney property and other “select” properties do. So it will definitely feel like everyone when you go to line up each morning!

 

[SarahWI]

Yep! Finally making it a real “perk”

Agreed! This is a huge benefit - 30 minutes in the morning is meh but “hours” on select nights sounds like a less crowded version of EMH.

 

[JakeAZ]

Agreed! This is a huge benefit - 30 minutes in the morning is meh but “hours” on select nights sounds like a less crowded version of EMH.

Couldn’t agree more!

I was dreading having to wake up early for our upcoming trip, especially after closing a park down the night before. Now we have an alternative.

 

[Nabas]

the distinction is the number of guests able to access these evening hours is about 25% of all rooms that are onsite. I have no idea how many rooms there are at the swan/dolphin/springs area but this will translate to a significantly lower number of people vs prior EMH.

edited: I was going to Google search the number of rooms but holy cow there were a ton of Springs area hotels that could access EMH.

Deluxe Resort rooms: 5000 (Grand Floridian will be losing 200 but these will become DVC so overall count is unaffected)
Villa Resort rooms: 3900-5400 (depends on how the lockoffs are booked)
Moderate Resort rooms: 7400
Value Resort rooms: 10,400
Swan & Dolphin rooms: 2300
Disney Spring hotel rooms: 2700

 

[SarahWI]

They need to get out ahead of that and make their "Deluxe" properties more attractive.

they are making the deluxe more attractive and removing actual inventory. Each building or wing that is converted to DVC removes those rooms from the hotel side and makes all the deluxe (non DVC) rooms more scarce while simultaneously selling DVC points without constructing a new resort. Converting one building at GF is cheaper and faster than constructing RIV. It’s quite brilliant on their part.

more perks and less rooms will drive market rates up for the deluxe rooms and gives the hotel arm less incentive to offer any discounts. So they can raise rack rates and not offer discounts.

We always stayed deluxe before we bought DVC in 2009 but I always was able to find an AP or visa room discount. I’m betting those discounts don’t come back for awhile at the deluxe, if ever. But paying deluxe rates or using DVC points should translate to additional perks.

 

[SarahWI]

Deluxe Resort rooms: 5000 (Grand Floridian will be losing 200 but these will become DVC so overall count is unaffected)
Villa Resort rooms: 3900-5400 (depends on how the lockoffs are booked)
Moderate Resort rooms: 7400
Value Resort rooms: 10,400
Swan & Dolphin rooms: 2300
Disney Spring hotel rooms: 2700

thanks for the numbers! I wasn’t even sure how to find the Spring area numbers. I overestimated how many of them there are.

 

[shawthorne44]

It won't be every night. It said Select Parks on Select Nights.

I could understand this more if they drew the line at truly on-site, so no good neighbor hotels.

 

[MillauFr]

To be fair, Tokyo Disney sea looks like the best theme park in the world.

It is but you can fly to California for about the same price as you can fly to Florida. It makes Disneyland a no brainer for the value crowd.

 

[Louis morrell]

If you don’t have hoppers, yes this will be an issue. Hopefully they announce the days / parks well in advance.

I have APs but you must have a park reservation for the park that the extra hours are offered and the same day they are offered if I read the the information correctly. If i am wrong please correct me. It would be a great relief.

 

[Viking7641]

Why on earth wouldn't you just go to Disneyland instead? We stay at the Candy Cane Inn on Harbor just a 10 minute walk from the front gate. Free breakfast and free parking. $169 a night. The rides are far better in California, the weather is far better, and it doesn't require extensive planning.

maybe. My problem is when I take time off I have to take all of it at once: so I either go abroad and maybe go to a foreign theme park/ Disney park for a few days or I go to Orlando

i can’t see myself spending a week+ in LA.

 

[SarahWI]

I have APs but you must have a park reservation for the park that the extra hours are offered and the same day they are offered if I read the the information correctly. If i am wrong please correct me. It would be a great relief.

Non hoppers- must have reservation at that park
Hoppers or AP - reservation at that park or reservation at another park (you have to have tapped into that other park).

 

[JakeAZ]

I have APs but you must have a park reservation for the park that the extra hours are offered and the same day they are offered if I read the the information correctly. If i am wrong please correct me. It would be a great relief.

You'll be fine. You just have to tap into your reservation park before you can hop over to the EMH park (if it's not the same as your reservation park).

 

[Jacq7414]

Another thought, will this perk be fully utilized? I feel like Deluxe Guests are more inclined to enjoy the amenities of their resort and less likely to have a go,go,go type vacation. At least that how we do it when we visit. The value rooms are just there for us to sleep in, the deluxes are an experience all their own.

We usually stay deluxe because we liked the proximity to MK with a kid. It was nice and easy to take a midday break as well. We actually preferred the night time extra magic hours so I’d utilize it for sure.