Early Entry officially over!

[dmfuru]

UMMMMMMMMM,

I just checked the wdw resort link from gcurling's previous post and it says nothing/nada/zilch about early entry (being available). The disney website mentions room charges, babysitting, etc, but nothing about EE.....

 

[Poohbear123]

I am going to WDW in 12 days.....hopefully we will know the outcome before than, that way I can re-arrange my schedule and sleep later....

 

[AKASnowWhite]

Also, if you check park hours on the official site...it says that "park operating hours have not been established for the month you requested"....and I requested OCT. AND NOV. 2001!!! DH says don't worry....yeah right - Hakuna Matata - whatever! I'm really annoyed that all my planning may be down the tubes here....

 

[Leia's Mom]

They are officially over. I got the official word this evening. I called. They are "replacing" it with a Character Caravan. 14 characters will come to the resorts in the mornings to "see the guests off" to the parks. They will still respect the PS for Cindy's. The hours are still being "determined" right now. Looks like AK and Epcot will be opening later.

 

[Werner Weiss]

Originally posted by dmfuru
I just checked the wdw resort link from gcurling's previous post and it says nothing/nada/zilch about early entry (being available). The disney website mentions room charges, babysitting, etc, but nothing about EE.....

That's true! Earlier today Disney's Resort Benefits included the following section:

From Resort Benefits page, earlier today (10/19/01)
Early Entrance: Get a jump on the fun with selected attractions in a different Theme Park opening early each day.

Sunday: Disney-MGM Studios
Monday: Magic Kingdom® Park
Tuesday: Epcot®
Wednesday: Disney-MGM Studios
Thursday: Magic Kingdom Park
Friday: Epcot
Saturday: Magic Kingdom Park

Now, this infomation has magically disappeared.

This certainly suggests that Disney is giving themselves the option to eliminate Early Entry. But there's a big problem with this. The Early Entry information is still in all sorts of printed brochures, on travel agency Web sites, and in Birnbaum's Walt Disney World Official Guide.

If Disney really eliminates or substantially modifies Early Entry, many guests will be very unhappy -- especially those who don't find out about it ahead of time. And if enough on-site hotel reservations are cancelled every day (by guests who do find out ahead of time), any savings from eliminating Early Entry quickly will be wiped out.

As of now, it may or may not be accurate to say that Early Entry is officially over -- but the the change on the Web page is a bad sign.

 

[All Aboard]

AAHHHH!! Several times today I checked that link and held my breath. Each time the info was still there. Now this! Looks like it's really happening. Again, I hold out hope that Saturday MK EE remains.

 

[baileybrad]

I think the worst thing about the curtailing of EE is that the lies that are coming out of the Disney company about the whole thing. Hopefully, I can say this on the Rumor board. Just flat out lies. And the whole thing with the park hours, is sick. You follow through on a trip during the off-season and you will be in a packed park situation because they are chopping the heck out of the hours and shredding the show schedules. So much for attempting to follow a normal lifestyle pattern.

 

[mouselover2001]

However, I do have a phone number for "Michael Eisener's Office" that was given to me after 45 minutes on the phone today. I REALLY laid into them. I suggest anyone who can does the same. I refuse to stay on-site, and heck, I refuse to even GO with the current shabby state of affairs. If you are interested in calling the phone number they gave me, email me, and I will pass it on. I don't know if it would be kosher to list it here. My email: dunlapjm@yahoo.com

 

[HorizonsFan]

Folks, calm down.
Disney didn't do this to ruin your vacation. Disney did this because there are fewer people in the parks. If there are fewer people, EE isn't needed. You can do everything you want to do in the hours they are open.
I don't think this is going to last forever.
Stay off-site if you will, but that's not going to make EE come back any sooner. In fact, the fewer people in the hotels the LESS reason they have to bring back EE.

 

[Quentin Disney]

Since it seems to be true that EE is over for now, I hate to be like this, but you will have to deal with it. There are many changes around the resort that I don't like, but during a time of great uncertainty, not opening the park an extra hour is a cost-effective move. Besides, I have visited the parks at opening many times (non EE), during busy periods as well. I had no trouble getting on attractions with long lines. It can be easily done at MK. All you have to do is wake up early to get to it.

What's the point of me ranting? You all will still send out e-mails anyway. I'm not stating my opinions against your vacations because I'm a disgruntled Annual Passholder, it is all that people will talk about on this board now. It will probably come back when business picks up anyway.

 

[mouselover2001]

You are wrong. I am a disgruntled AP holder too, but I realize that like many other benefits, if we sit on our hands and continue to just grace them with our presence, they aren't going to reward us with the return of ee. They will just figure that we took it lying down, and so it was OK to eliminate it. Do you REALLY think it will just come back of its own accord? No, it will only come back if enough people demand it. WE are the CUSTOMER here. I speak with my wallet.

 

[HorizonsFan]

Sigh...
Take it personally if you want to, but this is a business move. By "speaking with your wallet" you're probably going to make it worse.

 

[Kay1]

I'm baffled. We live near Disney and visit more than once per month. Right now we're into Universal and IOA and went there yesterday and today ( Friday and Saturday. ) There is no way I would call it slow at all. Can Disney be that much slower than USF?IOA? We did go the weekend after the tragedy, on the spur of the moment, and because of the tropical storm, and it was very, very slow, but not now. I just wonder if they are trying to recoup their September losses by cutting back now, or if it's truly still slow at Disney. People returning from trips say no. We'll go to Disney in November ( I think ) and see what we think then.

 

[LucyStorm]

Say what you want about this being a business and financial decision, but when I have invested over $3000 of my finances in this trip, and decide not to go because I feel I am not getting the value for my dollar, it will be a financial decision as well. Disney needs to reconsider this decision.

 

[Terry in NJ]

I am with Dave (Horizon Fan) on this one.
These are business decisions being made, to combat what probably was a fiscally horrendous past 40 days. Gee, I am leaving for WDW in 8 days. I just found out about Epcot late opening and Animal Kingdom. Guess what... I'll deal with it. As far as EE, one poster nailed it... if the crowd levels are so far down, you don't NEED EE to make sure you get on all the rides.
Yes, for October and maybe even through next Spring (my guess) the hours and shows are cut. So what, get the park guides when you arrive and adjust. Let's see, complain about all the money you are spending and not get what you think you deserve? I'm pretty *&%$ glad you didn't have your trip booked September 12th, what about all those people who couldn't even get on a plane for god's sake. HELLLOOOO!!!! At least you / (WE) still get to go. Disney is my escape and my magic and I will adjust and STILL enjoy.
Get with it people, these are pretty frightening days. Our whole world has been turned upside down and inside out. There's many more serious things to complain about than what the Disney execs are doing to try to remain temporarily solvent. Let's roll with the punches and be ever so grateful for the "simple" things, like you and your family are still alive and ABLE to go to Walt Disney World.
Sheesh.

 

[HorizonsFan]

I'm baffled. We live near Disney and visit more than once per month. Right now we're into Universal and IOA and went there yesterday and today ( Friday and Saturday. )

From everything I've read, the numbers on weekends are running about the same as last year. The numbers during the week are abysmal. This probably has a great deal to do with out-of-towners not traveling as much and new discounts and adjusted blackout dates for locals.

 

[Nasi]

I've been a loyal Disney fanatic for years now. I always stay on-site.
I'm just disappointed because it's one more perk gone. Don't get me
wrong, I stay on-site to be surrounded by the magic and the ease
of transportation but they keep raising rates and decreasing benefits.
I took advantage of EE and E nights. I stayed at the Portofino at
Universal and had a fabulous room at a great rate which included
FOTL access. I may reconsider staying on site in the future. Nasi

 

[HorizonsFan]

Make the most of that FOTL access, I hear it's days may be numbered too...

 

[JeffJewell]

...there are two things that pop into my mind when I think about this. First, that eliminating EE most affects those people who both stay on site and know enough about WDW to know about and plan for EE; in other words, Disney's best and most knowledgable customers, and likely the most repeat visitors, too. Second, that EE is one of only a handful of reasons to select the All Stars over an even cheaper off-site hotel.

So if this is a "business decision" based on the fact that weekday attendance (and associatedly, hotel bookings) is down, the question becomes how good a business decision is it, when it mostly serves to discourage some of your best customers from buying right now, and to give less reason, in tight economic times, for folks to choose one of your products over a cheaper competitor's product?

My family and I happen to still be going down for our pre 9-11 planned WDW trip in December, but that is because WDW has a sentimental significance to my family that no other parks have, not because Disney is making any effort to correct the problems you mention.

You may "buy Disney" right now on the basis of supporting the company through hard times, but the majority of us seem to be more capitalistic than that. Recognizing this, some businesses, like car companies, are taking huge hits with programs like zero percent financing, just to get the customers to come back, and come back now. Disney has reacted to similar problems with a solution that will actually encourage delaying Disney trip plans or choosing a non-Disney alternative.

Jeff

 

[TiggerFreak]

With only 4 trips I am not an expert, but the few times that we took advantage of EE, the EE park was still very busy. We usually visit in early Nov to escape the crowds!

Some people have used the tactic of going to the Non EE parks and found lighter traffic there because many quests were taking "advantage" of EE at a diferent park. We have tried this and found this "reverse" thinking having some merit. I have always felt that one way to lessen the effect of the crowds is to try and not follow the pack. It usually works.

More hours open with same (or larger at EE park) crowds does not seem like a benifit. So I won't be missing EE if it truely is gone.

The "Caravan of Characters" will be appreciated as a "bone" for the ending of EE. On site resort guests could (should?) have more interaction with characters without the mob scenes that are so commonplace in the parks. In the past when we have unexpectidly come accross characters in the resorts the experience is usually more personal and enjoyable for everyone.

JMHO.