Mid Day Discount - Why no love for this?

That's certainly very fair, Kevin (as you always are). It sounds like most of your clients are the "typical" guests so these tickets wouldn't appeal to them. And I totally agree that those of us who hang out here are far from typical. Heck, we always check the early hours schedule to make sure we don't go to that park that day.

As this thread has shown, these tickets are probably appealing more to folks like us who aren't first-timers and don't feel the need to spend 14 hours in the park every day of our trip. On our recent visit, there were a couple of days when I don't think we were in a park for more than 4 hours and that's without APs, just regular 9-day passes (and we didn't even end up using all 9 days).

So I do think there is a market for these tickets. It's just a different market than you may usually encounter as a Dreams agent.
 
I can see the appeal of a mid day ticket for someone like me. Currently my girls are 11 and 14 so old enough that we could go to a park on our arrival day depending on how late the parks are open when we travel. (Unless we take the airline that services our area where we would leave at 1 PM Mountain Time have a layover from 2:30 to 9:35 PM in Pacific Time Zone and land at 5:58 AM in Orlando. Return flight is leave at 5 PM from Orlando land at the same hub we would use on the arrival trip landing at 8:35 PM Pacific Time and the final flight would be at 9:20 PM landing at 12:14 AM the next day Mountain Time. If we fly using our primary airline (the one we use unless we have to use a different one because ours doesn't go there or the other one is a direct flight because it is to their hub we would leave at 6:25 AM Mountain Time land at our hub airport at 7:53 AM in the same time zone leaving at 9:40 AM and land at 3:56 PM with the return times being 2:20 PM in Orlando 4:54 PM Central Time, 8:33 PM Central Time and 9:58 PM Mountain Time). Because the idea of a 7 plus hour layover is not on the agenda we take our normal airline. Now that I have a preteen and a teenager there is a possibility that they could do a park day on our arrival day if we also had a day in the middle where we planned a resort day or even going some where off property where we might want to go to the parks for a few hours in the evening we might look into getting a 2 day ticket on our arrival day. This is not something that I would purchase ahead of time as if we are too tired once we have a long day flying, navigating the airport, taking ME to the resort and getting settled we might just get some rest or find something to do that is not going to a park.
This is definently something however that I would use if we were going on a cruise out of Port Canaveral as we would definently have to arrive the day before due to the times with our area. Considering that for a 2 PM flight home we would need to be at the airport around 11 AM and the time it would take to get to the airport and the time that I have heard that you get off the ship in the morning I would plan on getting a flight the next day so on that day it would make sense to have another park day.
 
We love this ticket option, and think it's perfect for us but did wonder how many other people would really want this kind of ticket. We have super weird Disney travel habits. We go often. We don't like to be rushed in the morning. One of us usually has to work part-time while we on vacation and we do that in the morning. Hanging around the resort is part of the vacation for us. We don't want to spend more than about 6 hours in a park anyway.

But, we are happy like this because we go often. We don't feel like we have to do everything each trip.

I would guess that a lot of the people that feel like we do have annual passes (we usually do).
 


I've been pondering this idea for a few days and there's a few thoughts that I have that I want to toss out there. I was looking at a week in October as an example. Let's say that we planned to attend MNSSHP on Sunday and then go to the parks on Monday through Thursday using this ticket without the park hopper option, and then check out on Friday. This would be a 6-night stay, so not quite a full week, but close.
Each day, Epcot and AK close at 9 and the Studios closes at 10. Due to the MNSSHP, the MK closes at 6 each day except for Wednesday when it stays open until 9pm.

We would be able to have 9-10 hours in Epcot, AK and the Studios, but realistically, how much could we accomplish? Remember....we are going in OCTOBER. This is a busy time and we are arriving in the park at noon or later. In Epcot, we can only get a FastPass for Soarin' OR TestTrack. We would have to ride the other one standby. It would be even worse over at the Studios, and without the hopper option, we only have one day to experience the park. Animal Kingdom is probably the most realistic park to be able to completely enjoy in the 9 hours that would be available, but the animal encounters (Maharajah Jungle trek and Pangani Forest) would definitely have to be done early in order to get them in before dark.

I hate setting an alarm on vacation but I can also appreciate the fact that when I get to the parks early, the lines are considerably shorter. It helps that I work a shift that starts at 4:30am🚑 so I am normally waking up at 2:30am on most days so "sleeping in" for me is getting up at 5am⏰.

This ticket looks appealing on paper, and I can see where people who have been to WDW many times and know exactly what they want to do (or skip) might have a use for it. Unfortunately, I am not sure that it is marketed towards those that are "in the know". I have a feeling that there will be a lot of people who are looking to save money and who want to sleep in and hit the parks at noon. They will arrive and find the crowds have set in and lines are already 90-120 minutes long. Those who have been there since rope drop are hitting the restaurants for food so the lines there are forming too. I doubt this will be a magical experience for a first-timer.

I'm not 100% clear on the purpose of this ticket. Is it to try an reduce the amount of people showing up at rope drop? I didn't think that was a big problem. Is it to try and get people to come later in the afternoon instead of in the morning? Are people just not staying in the park? I am confused about how this works to disperse the crowds. Can someone explain it please?
 
I'm not 100% clear on the purpose of this ticket.
Good question. I think it's just a way for Disney to address some of the criticism over rising prices. If this can make a stay several hundred dollars cheaper for a family, that could mean the difference between coming and not coming. Having a more affordable option is a good thing.
 
Good question. I think it's just a way for Disney to address some of the criticism over rising prices. If this can make a stay several hundred dollars cheaper for a family, that could mean the difference between coming and not coming. Having a more affordable option is a good thing.

This and it means these guests aren't eligible for the extra, extra hours at Galaxy's Edge so also pumps up value of that
 


Yup, like I may ha e mentioned before, can almost look at it like the new mid day ticket is now the "base" ticket and then you can add on the mornings for an extra charge and/ore any after hours hard ticket even for an extra charge
I think you hit the nail on the head. I don't think that this is necessarily a "deal". I think it's just a way to make this a "base" ticket. People who are staying on property and want to take advantage of EMH can't take advantage of these discounted tickets as well. It's one or the other...you either fork over the cash for your "upgraded" tickets or you stay out of the parks until after noon. I wonder if they will start offering more paid events in the morning again. Was there really a crowd control motive behind this decision? Was it really about trying to shift crowds away from park opening? I find that hard to believe.
 
A couple of things...


These were the reasons that this ticket got "no love", not because we are "locals".

Love your answer, Kevin! I was the one who originally asked. Didn’t think there would be so much analysis on this. Lol! I really wanted to know the answer. Thanks for the great explanation.

Yes, we aren’t typical. 😂
 
I've been pondering this idea for a few days and there's a few thoughts that I have that I want to toss out there. I was looking at a week in October as an example. Let's say that we planned to attend MNSSHP on Sunday and then go to the parks on Monday through Thursday using this ticket without the park hopper option, and then check out on Friday. This would be a 6-night stay, so not quite a full week, but close.
Each day, Epcot and AK close at 9 and the Studios closes at 10. Due to the MNSSHP, the MK closes at 6 each day except for Wednesday when it stays open until 9pm.

We would be able to have 9-10 hours in Epcot, AK and the Studios, but realistically, how much could we accomplish? Remember....we are going in OCTOBER. This is a busy time and we are arriving in the park at noon or later. In Epcot, we can only get a FastPass for Soarin' OR TestTrack. We would have to ride the other one standby. It would be even worse over at the Studios, and without the hopper option, we only have one day to experience the park. Animal Kingdom is probably the most realistic park to be able to completely enjoy in the 9 hours that would be available, but the animal encounters (Maharajah Jungle trek and Pangani Forest) would definitely have to be done early in order to get them in before dark.

I hate setting an alarm on vacation but I can also appreciate the fact that when I get to the parks early, the lines are considerably shorter. It helps that I work a shift that starts at 4:30am🚑 so I am normally waking up at 2:30am on most days so "sleeping in" for me is getting up at 5am⏰.

This ticket looks appealing on paper, and I can see where people who have been to WDW many times and know exactly what they want to do (or skip) might have a use for it. Unfortunately, I am not sure that it is marketed towards those that are "in the know". I have a feeling that there will be a lot of people who are looking to save money and who want to sleep in and hit the parks at noon. They will arrive and find the crowds have set in and lines are already 90-120 minutes long. Those who have been there since rope drop are hitting the restaurants for food so the lines there are forming too. I doubt this will be a magical experience for a first-timer.

I'm not 100% clear on the purpose of this ticket. Is it to try an reduce the amount of people showing up at rope drop? I didn't think that was a big problem. Is it to try and get people to come later in the afternoon instead of in the morning? Are people just not staying in the park? I am confused about how this works to disperse the crowds. Can someone explain it please?

What time does your train leave Baltimore, Kristen?
 
I think this type of ticket is a great idea. My 15 year old daughter has high functioning autism and can’t do an entire day in a park. When she was young, we would hit rope drop and then be done mid to late afternoon. One of us would stay back with her while the other would return to the park with her brother in the evening. It killed me that we weren’t getting our money’s worth by having to pay for a full day for 2 of us.

Now that she’s a teen, getting her out of bed for rope drop is impossible. On our last trip, we got to a park early and then she met us around noon-1pm. She would stay until just before the fireworks, then go back to the room while we remained in the park. I got fastpasses for her favorites during the afternoon, so missing the low crowds in the morning didn’t matter to her. She’s fine only doing those rides once.

It’s really nice having the option of a cheaper ticket that fits with her park times instead of having to pay full price for only 6-8 hours in a park.
 
There are 2 groups that stood out to me that it would really apply to:
1) Convention Visitors...these people don't have time in the day, but would likely be interested in visiting during the evening. Full day tickets may price many out. As Disney continues to open and enhance their convention space, it makes sense to have a product that fits their needs as well.
2) Resort guests...I think for many people to be able to visit a buffet, spend some time in the pool, or just take a relaxing morning and visit other areas of the resort.

There is absolutely a market, albeit not the typical family vacation market.
 
1) Convention Visitors...these people don't have time in the day, but would likely be interested in visiting during the evening. Full day tickets may price many out. As Disney continues to open and enhance their convention space, it makes sense to have a product that fits their needs as well.
Disney actually already sells special tickets for convention attendees with late entry terms and reduced prices. I believe this is the first time they've offered them to the general public.
 
I'm all about these tickets! I have 3 teenagers who rarely roll out of bed before 10:30, even on vacation! We are planning a trip for the end of March and I'm crossing my fingers that they extend these tickets until then. Anyone heard any rumors about these tickets sticking around?
 
Yup, like I may ha e mentioned before, can almost look at it like the new mid day ticket is now the "base" ticket and then you can add on the mornings for an extra charge and/ore any after hours hard ticket even for an extra charge
I think you hit the nail on the head. I don't think that this is necessarily a "deal". I think it's just a way to make this a "base" ticket. People who are staying on property and want to take advantage of EMH can't take advantage of these discounted tickets as well. It's one or the other...you either fork over the cash for your "upgraded" tickets or you stay out of the parks until after noon. I wonder if they will start offering more paid events in the morning again. Was there really a crowd control motive behind this decision? Was it really about trying to shift crowds away from park opening? I find that hard to believe.
I don't see this as being about crowd control.
I was also wondering what is the reasoning for this, when it didn't seem like there were too many people in the parks in the morning. Rope-dropping has been a thing for so many years that continues to work.

It makes sense when Disney can have a commercial that lists the price of a 5 night vacation for a family of 4 (2 adults, 2 kids 9 and under at a value resort) and make the price seem even lower (or if they aren't really rising).
 
No love because if you’re not local it doesn’t matter. If you’re planning a trip around it it’s not practical in most situations unless you go out of your way.

Sorry, but I am going to have to disagree. For our upcoming offsite trip this November, this is going to work out pretty nicely for our family. Flying in for just a few days. We're not rope droppers, but love closing the parks down. So with MDM, we'll be able to sleep in, grab brunch and get to the gate at noon. All the while saving money on the ticket, and an additional meal that we would otherwise be likely to eat while in the park. Not perfect in all cases, but we're happy to have the option this time around.
 

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