What will Disney let you pay for next?

[dbark923]

I think we need to give the new CEO a nickname. I will suggest Big Bucks Bob or Charge for it Chapek. Forgive me if I spelled it wrong.

I think the commonly used "Bob Cheapek" or "Bob Paycheck" have been pretty good nicknames.

 

[pants]

Paying for reservations is definitely a realistic possibility. Len Testa tweeted that in the source code for making reservations in the Disneyland calendar there is a field to insert the cost of making a reservation.

 

[manning]

I keep seeing people making the argument that Disney is a company and they have to deliver for their shareholders, as though that justifies what they've been doing. I completely understand the concept. That being said, what Disney is doing is damaging its core image.

Disney resorts and parks have, in recent memory, ALWAYS been expensive, but they have provided some value for the high prices they charged. FastPasses included with your tickets, free airport transfers with your resort stay, free parking at your resort if you drive, free onsite transportation, Extra Magic Hours for onsite guests, etc.. Disney has been rapidly removing all of those perks and replacing them with paid alternatives, all while raising their prices. The fact is that it's cheaper to stay at the Waldorf Astoria than it is to stay at a Disney moderate resort now, and there are virtually NO benefits to staying at a Disney resort, sans the 30-minute early park entry (Woo hoo?) and bus, boat, monorail, and Skyliner transportation (my bet for the next thing to upcharge for).

Personally, I can't see how all this won't start having a financial impact on Disney, and I think it will start with this next 18-month period during their 50th Anniversary, where Disney has failed to really provide anything "special" beyond some projection mapping, a couple new nighttime shows, and a cloned Ratatouille attraction that's been ready for 5+ months and held so they have SOMETHING new to show off. We shall see if Guardians and Tron can be made ready before the 50th celebration is over.

Frankly, I think that Disney is rapidly approaching a bad stretch with the parks where the people who have all the nostalgia for the older/original attractions stop being their core demographic and they are left with a ton of reimagining to do, along with a lot of time developing/building new attractions, to keep the parks relevant. Lord knows it takes them forever to get a new attraction built and running. Time will tell though.

but they have provided some value for the high prices they charged. Wrong, they provided LOTS of value for the high prices !!!

 

[Party.Of.4-NY>>>FL]

100% agree with you here. For just $15, Disney Genie will magically grant you an ADR of your choice. This is definitely coming in due time.

Instead of having a smoking and non-smoking section, they'll have a Disney Genie++ section and a normal folk section for dining for the low, low price of $5/pp.

Count me as someone who wouldn’t be surprised. The window seats at Cali Grill and Sana’a immediately come to mind.

 

[Sandiz08]

This thread is depressing, I could have never thought of some of these things lol. We are already thinking our next disney trip might be our last for a long time.

 

[Illinois76]

but they have provided some value for the high prices they charged. Wrong, they provided LOTS of value for the high prices !!!

The issue here, my friend, is there are lots of us that still think it’s lots of value.

I personally don’t care for the ‘the way it used to be’ opinions.

 

[GinaLuvsWDW]

I arrive on Sept 12. I fear this may be my last WDW trip. It used to be so easy to book. I knew when value seasons were, free dining, how to optimize fast pass and EMH. There was no stress in figuring out transportation. I parked my car at my home airport and life was magical until I returned.
Now I have no idea how to figure anything out. I’m locked into certain parks that I booked way in advance and can’t change. I gave up on sit down meals a while ago, but at least I knew the good QS and didn’t have to run for an ADR. Now I would do one or two table service, but can’t get reservations and places still have days blocked out. And QS is mostly mobile order with certain pick up times. It’s too much work. It’s supposed to be vacation. I come to escape being on my computer and meeting deadlines. But now this is work! And they charge me for all this extra work!
I want a much less stressful trip than this, with more spontaneity. I’ve never been to Universal Orlando but I think that will be my next theme park experience. Never thought I’d give up Disney, so glad I never got that tattoo…

 

[browneyedgirl1683]

Oooh, I'm cynical and want to play. My guess is charging a congestion tax for choosing to walk around different lands during the busy time of the day. Want to avoid paying a congestion tax? Why not pay for after hours events? More money but hey, you can walk around as you please.

I'm also envisioning a metro card system for the use of Disney transportation.

 

[kwdw]

This is depressing because so many of these will come true. I really, really hate paying little fees that all add up to a lot. Dislike that business approach. Sigh.

 

[Spaghetti Cat]

Never thought I’d give up Disney, so glad I never got that tattoo…

You'd need to buy the rights to show that tattoo, or cover it in public.

 

[DisOrBust]

You are all missing the easiest one of all: ParkPass+

With paid Genie+ and LL, Disney can increase their revenue by adding or deleting ride capacity now. Theoretically, they could put a smaller amount of ride vehicles in service at park opening, drive up wait times, and then once people don't want to wait 3 hours in standby for Test Track, add capacity as more and more people pay the upcharge. Do you honestly think they are going to have all 3 Soarin' theaters open at 11am? Of course not if not enough people paid up that morning for Genie+, but they can bring the third one online after noon once standby exceeds over an hour and just have LL and Genie+ use that one while everyone else uses only 2.

So why wouldn't Disney do this with park reservations? "Trying to get into a park for a high demand day that has no more park passes available? With ParkPass+ added to your tickets, you can get into any park at any point of normal operating hours. You can even park hop before 2pm! Now you can access any Disney Park on any day, giving you more flexibility for your vacation!"

The brilliance of this for Cheapak is, just like with ride capacity, they can artificially inflate or decrease supply to increase demand, so people that have already purchased tickets, APs or MagicKeys but were shut out of a park reservation on NYE or the 4th due to artificial decreased supply can pay more to get one of the "limited supply" of ParkPass+ reservations available. They can limit Park reservations to say 70% of what they are now, and hold in reserve 30% more for people willing to pay for it. One way to decrease crowd capacity, but make people pay extra for the same things they used to get for free.

This would be the Holy Grail of Yield Managment.

I hate to say it but I 100% agree this is the future and will be tied into having an onsite reservation as well. You can only purchase park plus as an onsite guest, giving an incentive to stay onsite. They have no concern for capacity with this model but only how to increase the bottom line. If I take the emotion out of it, it is a great strategy.

If anything Covid slowed down the Genie rollout.

 

[AnnabelleTheTalkingTree]

Paying for reservations is definitely a realistic possibility. Len Testa tweeted that in the source code for making reservations in the Disneyland calendar there is a field to insert the cost of making a reservation.

You've got to be kidding me. I really don't understand how it could be possible to charge to make a reservation? I mean if there's a will there's a way, but if a res is a requirement to enter a park then why not just increase park tickets?

 

[vincep]

The issue here, my friend, is there are lots of us that still think it’s lots of value.

I personally don’t care for the ‘the way it used to be’ opinions.

Just because you are well to do doesn't mean you have to be so condescending towards those of us who don't have as much money as you do.

 

[shawthorne44]

My only hope is that they wait until after the dust settles from G+ and IA$$$ before adding anything else, and hoping that is after out Feb trip.

 

[GinaLuvsWDW]

Ok. Here’s my experience. I set my alarm. I got a boarding time for 6 hrs later, 1pm. I hung around that park for hours after hitting 5 rides and watching a show. I went to the line for Rise at 12:30. They informed me it would be another 3 hours! I wasted the WHOLE DAY. I wanted to go in the pool but now the rain is coming and I didn’t even ride. I would’ve been out of that park by 10:30. I’m so aggravated. The system is pitiful. And there are others who didn’t even get a boarding time. I see it as breach of contract. Appalling.

 

[BrianL]

Ok. Here’s my experience. I set my alarm. I got a boarding time for 6 hrs later, 1pm. I hung around that park for hours after hitting 5 rides and watching a show. I went to the line for Rise at 12:30. They informed me it would be another 3 hours! I wasted the WHOLE DAY. I wanted to go in the pool but now the rain is coming and I didn’t even ride. I would’ve been out of that park by 10:30. I’m so aggravated. The system is pitiful. And there are others who didn’t even get a boarding time. I see it as breach of contract. Appalling.

Yeah, the whole way the Vitrual Queues are handles is terrible. The thing is, you don't get a "time," you get a number, and if the ride goes down, it pushes everyone back. It really isn't tolerable though!

 

[GinaLuvsWDW]

We left the park. I never stay past 11, 12 max. That’s why we stay on property so we can avoid that searing heat. So we came back to our room and it’s black outside. I could’ve been in the pool. Maybe when the time rolls around that I can go, I’ll go back just to check out the ride. But I’m not even a Star Wars fan! It must be so upsetting to anyone who loves it, and saved, and waited through lockdowns, only to find out they just can’t ride! It’s so unfair. For me it’s annoying because I had other things I could be doing but for them, it’s a huge disappointment.

 

[Liquidice]

Ok. Here’s my experience. I set my alarm. I got a boarding time for 6 hrs later, 1pm. I hung around that park for hours after hitting 5 rides and watching a show. I went to the line for Rise at 12:30. They informed me it would be another 3 hours! I wasted the WHOLE DAY. I wanted to go in the pool but now the rain is coming and I didn’t even ride. I would’ve been out of that park by 10:30. I’m so aggravated. The system is pitiful. And there are others who didn’t even get a boarding time. I see it as breach of contract. Appalling.

Well you'll be "happy" to know that instead of this system - when Genie launches you can opt to pay some unknown amount to ride the ride and choose what time you want to ride it. Rumors are they it may be up to $25 per person to ride Rise of the Resistance, but we don't actually know yet what it will cost.

 

[GinaLuvsWDW]

I won’t be doing that anytime soon. I’ll wait for the next “big” thing. I didn’t ride Pandora for a few years. If I do continue to go I’ll just do the other stuff I like, that’s “free”.

 

[BrianL]

We left the park. I never stay past 11, 12 max. That’s why we stay on property so we can avoid that searing heat. So we came back to our room and it’s black outside. I could’ve been in the pool. Maybe when the time rolls around that I can go, I’ll go back just to check out the ride. But I’m not even a Star Wars fan! It must be so upsetting to anyone who loves it, and saved, and waited through lockdowns, only to find out they just can’t ride! It’s so unfair. For me it’s annoying because I had other things I could be doing but for them, it’s a huge disappointment.

I agree. People plan a once-in-a-lifetime trip and may really want to see RotR - not only do they have to schedule the park reservation, but then fight for the limited slots. It's a real problem! Of course, it's not as simple as allowing Stand-by either, as people would line up even if the wait time were several hours, so it's a tough situation. Usually, ride wait-times sort of control the queue as people may see 30 minutes and jump on it, 45 minutes and think it over and still get in line, an hour, maybe they do or don't, 90 minutes, ehh, probably not, but some will. With Rise, it could say 5 hours and people would STILL get in line - Star Wars fans, right?