What is going on with Disney parks?

[Callie]

The desert party was around $20 when we first did it. We barely thought it was worth it then...

 

[disneygirlsng]

I feel the opposite of the majority on here. I'm loving Disney now more than ever. Now, yes there are things that I don't necessarily like or agree with, but I can't think of anything significant enough that they've done that would deter me from visiting or to decrease my visits. Not near the breaking point, actually loving it so much that I will very likely be relocating to the area within the next 1-2 years. Now if they get rid of rD, then I will riot. I typically take several vacations each year and looove those ones too, but Disney will always keep bringing me back.

 

[Chickinvic]

The desert party was around $20 when we first did it. We barely thought it was worth it then...

I'm not sure when the parties started. I know at DL I first was "aware" of a Fantasmic dessert buffet/party with special reserved viewing in 2005. I'm sure they did it before then, but that is when it came on my radar. I decided not to do it since as I recall the price for it was the same as the price for admission to the park lol. Of course, that was only about $50 or so back then lol. I found it outrageous that a dessert thing would cost the same so I never did it.

 

[DGsAtBLT]

The desert party was around $20 when we first did it. We barely thought it was worth it then...

I think it would have been around 2014 or so when we decided against the dessert party and did a Crystal Palace breakfast instead, both sitting around $25 a person. We couldn’t justify some desserts and a place to watch the fireworks at that price. You can imagine my feelings on the current pricing

 

[TwoMisfits]

For me it is more about my experience as a guest than the price so much as far as "breaking point". I find WDW does not value me as an offsite guest. I hate the planning nightmare that WDW has become. So many here will always jump to their defense whenever anything remotely critical is said about WDW, but this is how I feel. I don't want to have to pick what I'm doing or where I'm eating so far in advance. I am on vacation. Also, as an offsite guest, I can't get any decent fastpasses anyways (and please don't tell me to try hitting refresh all day on my phone - not interested in that kind of "vacation" thank you). Disney has designed it that way with the huge advantage to onsite guests. I have no problem with perks for onsite guests such as extra opening hours just for them, but IMO every paying customer should have equal access to a good experience during regular operations. I have paid just as much to visit the park that day as the onsite guests. I honestly think the parks would be better if they scrapped their entire fastpass program. Having been to Disneyland pre-fastpass I can tell you that even during crowded times such as Spring Break the waits were never as bad as they are now with the damned thing.

WDW, I'm pretty much there at breaking point. The only desire I have to go now is for after hours events (lower crowds, no need to have other people with all the good rides since everyone has equal chance at the rides).

DL is a much better experience for me. They give perks to onsite guests, but not to the point where it is interfering with the enjoyment of offsite guests. Their fastpass system requires that you actually be there and make the fastpass reservations on the day. Much, much better system IMO. I regret that I'm not closer to DL anymore (I'm from the West Coast originally). In all my years of living out west (my whole life until 2013) I felt no need to travel to WDW. Now that it is easier geographically to get to WDW, I'm leaning more towards scrapping it and just doing Universal Orlando and throw in an After Hours party if I can time it right.

Since I'm only going once a year usually, and it is a big expense either way (airfare from Canada, exchange rates, tickets, etc), I'm not as concerned about the ticket price increases as that is a drop in the bucket of what I'm paying. I'd far rather see more reasonable crowds (hence the willingness to stick to After Hours parties).

That was when I stopped - when FP+ went into effect. There are so many amusement parks where I can be on an even footing with my ticket, where I can also decide what I feel like doing THAT day...

I have kids who liked repeating rides...who would see a ride and instantly say "no way"...who would wake up and want to go swimming before going to a park...who wouldn't want to be in the theme park in the rain...

So, I've been away awhile...my breaking point came early, but I'm still sitting on non-expiring tickets to make me want to go back.

In a theme park, I don't want to be near a phone...I want to be chatting with family and friends...I've done a bunch of theme parks where that was the case...and I'm planning another one next year.

Are any of these theme parks (save Universal) on par with Magic Kingdom...no (although they are with EPCOT)...but to my kids, they are better, b/c they don't have to wait much, they can ride what they see, and they can get in and out of the parks at the beginning and end of the day in under 5 minutes (another big issue). And to my wallet - they are amazingly better, since as a party of 6, $420 for 6 summer season passes to 2 parks (the 2019 vacation we did) is WAY better $3000ish for 6 5 day passes to 3ish WDW parks (since EPCOT has been a disaster, and HS was subpar until recently)...and the other amusement and theme parks have all had the advantage of being a new experience and a fun time to check out...

So, Disney being punitive (don't want that dinner tonight - tough - give me $60 for your party of 6), being inflexible (don't want those FPs right now since it's raining or your kid wants to ride Pirates again?...oh well, you won't be able to get those rides another day), being less generous to bigger families (who normally are the ones who can only afford Disney offsite and now get treated as "lessers"), being more work (did I mention bigger families and trying to get plans all sorted together), and being overpriced for the industry (without being head and shoulders in quality above the industry)....it could be a tough decade for them...

Right now, I'm thinking of an MK day during Christmas 2020 to finally see the parks in winter...and that's only b/c my mom moved to Florida, so I do have to fit a Florida visit in somewhere next year...without mom, it could have been a longer wait...and after this visit, it might be longer b/c I won't have the tickets burning a hole in my pocket...

 

[Darkhaund]

I think in all HONESTY, they are giviving muhc more power to stockholders and are dragging people away

 

[disneygirlsng]

That was when I stopped - when FP+ went into effect. There are so many amusement parks where I can be on an even footing with my ticket, where I can also decide what I feel like doing THAT day...

I have kids who liked repeating rides...who would see a ride and instantly say "no way"...who would wake up and want to go swimming before going to a park...who wouldn't want to be in the theme park in the rain...

So, I've been away awhile...my breaking point came early, but I'm still sitting on non-expiring tickets to make me want to go back.

In a theme park, I don't want to be near a phone...I want to be chatting with family and friends...I've done a bunch of theme parks where that was the case...and I'm planning another one next year.

Are any of these theme parks (save Universal) on par with Magic Kingdom...no (although they are with EPCOT)...but to my kids, they are better, b/c they don't have to wait much, they can ride what they see, and they can get in and out of the parks at the beginning and end of the day in under 5 minutes (another big issue). And to my wallet - they are amazingly better, since as a party of 6, $420 for 6 summer season passes to 2 parks (the 2019 vacation we did) is WAY better $3000ish for 6 5 day passes to 3ish WDW parks (since EPCOT has been a disaster, and HS was subpar until recently)...and the other amusement and theme parks have all had the advantage of being a new experience and a fun time to check out...

So, Disney being punitive (don't want that dinner tonight - tough - give me $60 for your party of 6), being inflexible (don't want those FPs right now since it's raining or your kid wants to ride Pirates again?...oh well, you won't be able to get those rides another day), being less generous to bigger families (who normally are the ones who can only afford Disney offsite and now get treated as "lessers"), being more work (did I mention bigger families and trying to get plans all sorted together), and being overpriced for the industry (without being head and shoulders in quality above the industry)....it could be a tough decade for them...

Right now, I'm thinking of an MK day during Christmas 2020 to finally see the parks in winter...and that's only b/c my mom moved to Florida, so I do have to fit a Florida visit in somewhere next year...without mom, it could have been a longer wait...and after this visit, it might be longer b/c I won't have the tickets burning a hole in my pocket...

Man, I'm sorry you feel that way about FP+. If they went back to the old FP system, I wouldn't go back. I can get significantly more rides done, far, far easier, and with much less stress than with legacy FP. Planning is far from required and I can get any ride I want on the same day I'm in the park. Repeat rides? Absolutely.

 

[circus4u]

Used to be AP holders, making 3or 4 trips per year from Arizona until 2016-2017 time frame. We stopped renewing and going to WDW because we felt the value was no longer there at that time. From what I see now, it's even less value. We loved Epcot, but the lands are stagnant, nothing like what they were when it originally opened. I would have liked a new country to have been added, but have absolutely no interest in Brazil. We still take a couple trips per year, but rather than see a make believe country, we see the real thing. Next year's countries will include Spain, Italy, and Germany. The second trip next year will include Thailand and possibly China. You know what, it's just as expensive (maybe less) to visit the actual country and culture than the "Disneyfied" version.

 

[JKalai]

Same deal for me. I was planning to go back to Japan and hit areas I didn't get to see this year, but enjoyed TDR so much, we're adding a couple of stopover days for Tokyo just to go back to the parks.

[ETA: other than where to buy tickets and checking crowd calendars to choose our three park days - we did next to no planning/research for TDR and had a blast]

We did hardly planning either and had so much fun.

...and it's not even just the price gouging. We stayed at the Miracosta and ate at Megellans which were both VERY expensive but it was worth it's value.

 

[Morieris]

I've reached my breaking point. Last trip finally reached the point where the heat, the people and the price pushed it from fun to stressful. I'm also becoming extremely disenchanted with Disney as a whole with the way they treat their employees as well as their nonsense within the entertainment industry. Indie theaters losing any chance of showing old fox movies was a huge punch in the gut. Powell taking the fall for Chapek, the constant refusal to pay employees fairly, or just cutting them all together... As someone who really isn't into the stuff their studios are putting out, and not a fan of how they're treating the parks... What is there for me to like anymore?

This is me. I can't justify paying a bucketload of money to be hot, crowded, and know that the Cast Members trying to make it happen are being paid less than peanuts. Wouldn't enjoy it.

Just today I overheard a family saying they were going for a quick trip over the weekend and wondered if they paid 700$ for 2 nights at one of the Value resorts.

 

[rteetz]

Just today I overheard a family saying they were going for a quick trip over the weekend and wondered if they paid 700$ for 2 nights at one of the Value resorts.

That had to have been a AoA family suite.

 

[mshanson3121]

So, I've been away awhile...my breaking point came early, but I'm still sitting on non-expiring tickets to make me want to go back.

Are any of these theme parks (save Universal) on par with Magic Kingdom...no (although they are with EPCOT)...but to my kids, they are better, b/c they don't have to wait much, they can ride what they see, and they can get in and out of the parks at the beginning and end of the day in under 5 minutes (another big issue). And to my wallet - they are amazingly better, since as a party of 6, $420 for 6 summer season passes to 2 parks (the 2019 vacation we did) is WAY better $3000ish for 6 5 day passes to 3ish WDW parks (since EPCOT has been a disaster, and HS was subpar until recently)...and the other amusement and theme parks have all had the advantage of being a new experience and a fun time to check out...

So many parallels here. I too, have a set of free, non-expiring comp tickets burning a hole in my pocket, basically the only reason why we're considering another trip. We too, find that our children prefer the other small theme parks. In fact, when we mentioned to the kids we were considering going back next summer, while our son was happy, our daughter actually said no. She wants to either go someplace new, or go back to the "other" parks. Why? "They have a lot more rides." Now, technically, no they don't - they have about the same amount as MK, but, what she means is that she can get so many more rides done in a day. The longest line we have ever waited in on a busy summer's day, was about 20 minutes. Most lines are 5-10 minutes, max. This means they can re-ride their favorites over and over again. We don't have to book rides in advance, or meals in advance. We can be totally, 100% flexible. Four days at Disney will cost us $2125 - and that's WITH the Canadian resident discount. Four days at the other theme parks, will cost us $600.

 

[James From Utah]

Disney dramatically rose wages for the cast members which is the driving force for the price increases and entertainment cuts. Attendance at Disneyland isn't down because the park is too expensive, it's down because of the new blackout calendars. Unless you have signature or above, you're blacked out for the entire summer. If anything, the number of tourists coming is actually up.

 

[disneyseniors]

Ok, can't believe I read all 11 pages!!! I agree with all the points that have been brought up repeatedly.
I have another one to add: We have always used a trained WDW travel agent. Our first visit with her was in 2010. She rewarded us with a very nice tote bag of excellent quality. The next time in 2013, we received a beautiful Disney photo album, as a gift from
WDW for being return customers. Our next visit in 2015 we received nothing. We now get a plastic envelop to put all our papers in. Oh, I forgot, one time we got a very nice organizer for our papers, not plastic and not cheap.

What does all that mean? We don't feel like valued repeat customers any more. It was one of the little things that disney did before the money grabbers invaded, that made us feel a little special.

The other thing I would like to add: No more extended training at Disney University, I think it was called, for CM's. NOw I hear it is one or 2 days. And it shows in attitude of some of the CM's. They also have replaced experienced CM's with cheap college students to decrease costs. The old training given to CM's is very much missed now. The living conditions and wages these kids are earning is a joke. HOw can they be happy and serious about "good show" now?? The "show" was the most important thing in Walt Disney's day and was taught to all employees.

As a previous poster, DGsAtBLT said, " In the past 10 years WDW has shifted from a long term game to a short term game"
I think that is quite evident in the way CM's are treated and guests are treated now.

 

[Q-man]

So here’s a question. If you could sit down with Chapek tomorrow and tell him two things he could do *in the next six months* to improve the quality of the guest experience relative to the price Disney wants to charge, what would they be? I’ve heard a lot of support for a stunt show and roaming aliens at SWGE. Both sound to me.

Bring back all the streetmosphere, EMH, longer normal operating hours, and night parades that created lifelong emotional bonds to the parks and quit looking at guests as revenue centers to separate every penny you can from to please Wall St as we do notice and it doesn't endear us to the mouse.

BTW- You can change it from Chapek to Cheapek.

 

[Q-man]

The Millennials grew up on Harry Potter. Gen Z is maybe the SW sequel trilogy?

The leading edge of Gen Z was 12 when the first SW hit the screen and are likely the biggest original trilogy fans.

 

[Q-man]

A Topic for another day but I'd give anything to go back to getting FP's in the park the SAME day I'm there. I was always the runner, it worked great. And giving away a few FP's once in awhile was always a moment

I used to log over 10 miles a day as the runner.

Our kids loved giving away the FPs that ended up in conflict with our meal reservations. Seeing a downbeat family of the same size, that had no idea how the system worked, and handing them FPs starting in 15 minutes for Soarin' was magical for both parties.

 

[mshanson3121]

Disney dramatically rose wages for the cast members which is the driving force for the price increases and entertainment cuts. Attendance at Disneyland isn't down because the park is too expensive, it's down because of the new blackout calendars. Unless you have signature or above, you're blacked out for the entire summer. If anything, the number of tourists coming is actually up.

Most vistors aren't AP holders, which makes this moot. Likewise, they have already announced attendance was down.

 

[Q-man]

They will get into a cycle of raising prices and then when attendance drops try to raise them more to meet budgeted revenue. It becomes a vicious cycle which doesn’t work. Then they will cut back on the little things to try and save a few dollars but the little things won’t add enough to the bottom line. Then they will try to reduce prices on ancillary costs that people don’t really care about ie a dollar discount on magic bands. The one thing they will not do is what would bring guests back and that’s roll back the cost of admission and APs

In the past, Disney pretty quickly oiled the economic downturn wheel with free dining. I used to argue there was no way to shut off the free dining tap when competing against cruise lines and all inclusive properties. Disney proved me wrong.

As a family of 4, we stayed in the GF in 2009 with free deluxe dining for under $250 a night.

 

[BorderTenny]

The leading edge of Gen Z was 12 when the first SW hit the screen and are likely the biggest original trilogy fans.

Uh, no. I'm a late Gen X-er, and the first SW hit the screen about 5 weeks after I was born. Z comes after X.