Disney's NextGen Initiative

[IzzyB]

The times we used it, we had to register it at check in. The first time we stayed on property we got all of our magic bands and associated the card at that time. The next time we stayed we used DVC points and they sent us new magic bands. We were told that charging and room keys would be off of the new ones and that our tickets would be on the old ones unless we wanted to go through and connect the new ones.

This could all very well change in the future no doubt though.

Yes, I believe it will all change once all people are on the MM+ system. I think in the future the website will allow you to connect a credit card to your band. Which is why I said to him that everything is way too far out to tell what will and will not work. Also, since he is using his 14 days all in a row and not going to a different Disney place months later, it might also work different. In that he will continue to be able to use that band with the credit card already on there. I also think already you can link multiple reservations to one band, so your experience might have already changed.

They have started Passholder testing, but I don't know of anyone selected yet to participant. I keep crossing my fingers a band will arrive in my mailbox one day or I get an e-mail I probably won't be so lucky, but you would think they would pick people that go a lot and I do go a lot.

 

[Jon84]

Thanks guys, seems to be a big grey area! I'll keep an eye on things and update here with my experiences when the time comes!

 

[Mad Dog]

Another cost adjustment to pay for Next Gen. Magic Kingdom one day ticket increased to $99 effective tomorrow. My Magic equals= less live entertainment, less parades,less EMH's, a dearth of significant new attractions, and higher than inflation cost increases for tickets, food, merchandise and lodging. And they pay the management people that came up with the NG idea bonuses??? It's like Alice In Wonderland.

 

[UNIrd]

I didn't know Disney raised prices again. Damn they're early this year. It's funny to see people get riled up when Disney raises prices but not so much when Universal does it. I guess they see the return on investment.

 

[Nick]

I didn't know Disney raised prices again. Damn they're early this year. It's funny to see people get riled up when Disney raises prices but not so much when Universal does it. I guess they see the return on investment.

No one would care about price increases at Disney if they were adding new attractions at the same pace that Universal currently is.

 

[TylerDurden]

No one would care about price increases at Disney if they were adding new attractions at the same pace that Universal currently is.

Universal's ticket prices have been very comparable to Disney's before their period of rapid expansion.

 

[Nick]

Universal's ticket prices have been very comparable to Disney's before their period of rapid expansion.

Both companies are raising prices well over what inflation should be. There's no denying that. However, speaking of the here and now, it's much easier to swallow these things when you look at what Universal is doing right now. Not so much with Disney these days.

 

[OLSinFLA]

And don't forget part of the reason for the high one-day pass is to discourage people from wandering off Disney. Since most people take 4 or 5 day passes anyways, it comes down to this kind of conversation: You can add another day at Disney for $30 or spend $92 for a day at Universal.... Disney originally did the Magic Your Way pricing (less per day as you go) deliberately to discourage one day visits elsewhere (knowing the other parks would match their ticket prices).

 

[ThemeParks4Life]

Cost of a ticket in 2004: $55
Cost of a ticket in 2014: $99

How many new rides have we gotten in that time span? 1 High C/Low D Ticket.

 

[kimlovesfl]

When I left Disney in 1985, the cost of a one day ticket was $19. Back in the mid-70s, a 2 day ticket book, which included going to Discovery Island, was $19.

 

[Nick]

That's not exactly true, but I know what you're saying.

 

[Ultimate17]

Cost of a ticket in 2004: $55
Cost of a ticket in 2014: $99

How many new rides have we gotten in that time span? 1 High C/Low D Ticket.

Best part is that in the article in the Orlando Sentinel yesterday, Disney justified the increased cost by saying:
"Our pricing reflects the high quality and breadth of experiences we offer and our ongoing commitment to investing in our parks," Disney spokesman Bryan Malenius said Saturday.
:rofl:

 

[TylerDurden]

Best part is that in the article in the Orlando Sentinel yesterday, Disney justified the increased cost by saying:
"Our pricing reflects the high quality and breadth of experiences we offer and our ongoing commitment to investing in our parks," Disney spokesman Bryan Malenius said Saturday.
:rofl:

That's actually a real business strategy. I mean, for one thing, there's the obvious law of elasticity and how a profitable company hikes up prices until people stop paying (clearly not an issue for the always-crowded Disney World). But on another level, price levels can actually contribute to the perceived value of the park. A lot of people would think nothing much of the NextGen system, until they see the price hike associated with it. All of a sudden, Disney looks like a really hot commodity. His statement is a great little bit of PR...he's not talking about new attractions, just the "high quality" with which we, the consumers, should associate Disney with. I mean, you can't really convince people you're the Maserati's of the business if you have GM prices. With a comparatively inelastic theme park like Disney, this is a legitimate marketing tool.

 

[IzzyB]

Every park raises their prices. Universal will follow quickly and then Sea World. And before you say, but yes, Uni is adding all these rides, they followed Disney in price hikes long before they were building rides. IOA first real addition since the creation of the park was HP, which was 10 years after the park originally opened. Yet their one day ticket kept on rising right behind every Disney hike. And I bet you they probably used the same line at one point or another.

So really this is not something we should even be talking about. Prices will rise, less people will be able to afford to go, demand will eventually go down, and at some point prices will raise less. Prices don't rise on inflation, that is a mistake people make. Prices rise based on DEMAND. It is basic economics, supply and demand. Yes, there is a basic break even point for any product and you hope to be able to charge more than that so you make money, but sometimes demand doesn't allow this. Which is when a business fails. And yes, over time the break even point raises because of inflation, which again, you hope to be able to raise your prices so the hit is not taken in your profits, but again, if demand is not there this may not be able to happen, again making a failed business. You also make the mistake that quality costs more, so higher quality means you get charged more. But if the demand is not there for that higher quality product, the higher price might not be able to be charged or if it is charged no one will buy it. If the demand is there for a lower quality item, a price increase can be done and if people still buy it, guess what? Another price increase will happen. This happens until Supply and Demand meet each other where there is enough supply to meet the exact demand. This rarely happens though, normally you end up raising the price to the point where there is more supply than demand and then you back pedal

 

[TylerDurden]

^thats the thing that makes me laugh...you have a great point about Universal competing with Disney well before they began rapid growth. Yet all of a sudden, Universal can do no wrong because they added Transformers and a parade in the last couple of years. Its how business works, folks...

 

[Felipe]

^thats the thing that makes me laugh...you have a great point about Universal competing with Disney well before they began rapid growth. Yet all of a sudden, Universal can do no wrong because they added Transformers and a parade in the last couple of years. Its how business works, folks...

Come on, way to minimize...

Aside from the business strategies and inflation and all those VALID aspects and arguments, you cannot deny that right now seeing the efforts that each park makes, and considering the bang for the buck, it hurts much less when Universal raises ticket prices than when Disney does. Disney's recent efforts and new offerings directly benefiting the guests do not compare to all that Universal has been bringing lately, and continues to bring, might I add.

Although I definitely lean to Uni on my personal preference, I can still make an unbiased assessment based on facts and numbers, and that's what the facts and numbers show. Universal has been doing more than Disney. We can list it out, but I'm sure that you already know it.

Sure, Universal was in way worse shape than Disney a few years ago, but today or even going back several years, Disney has not shown as much investment and progress as Universal, from a guest perspective. So, when you as a guest see ticket prices increase (again, outside of inflation and all those arguments) you look at Universal and say, "OK, look at all these improvements and new attractions. The value of the resort definitely increased, so although the added cost hurts, I can see where that money is going and at least I'm getting more and new enjoyment with every price increase. Disney... not as much." I'm not saying Disney isn't doing anything... But they're not doing as much as Universal. So that's why it hurts more from Disney than from Universal. I hope that makes sense.

 

[Nick]

This is the main thing: sure, the prices are raising across all theme parks and are mostly the same, however, people voice disdain for ticket price increases when they don't feel they are getting their money's worth for what they are paying anymore. Think about all the entertainment CUTS Disney has announced within the past few weeks and then you expect me to feel fine with paying even MORE money to parks offering less and less?

If I felt the money was actually being reinvested, people wouldn't even bring up the prices. Universal offers an insane value for what they are offering right now ($180 for an AP?!). Not only is it hundreds cheaper to get an AP for Uni, but I feel like i'm experiencing a much superior product, which means i'm getting my money's worth. I don't feel like during Uni's down year's they ever let their parks get into as bad of shape as 3 of WDW's 4 parks currently are in either.

 

[TylerDurden]

Come on, way to minimize...

Aside from the business strategies and inflation and all those VALID aspects and arguments, you cannot deny that right now seeing the efforts that each park makes, and considering the bang for the buck, it hurts much less when Universal raises ticket prices than when Disney does. Disney's recent efforts and new offerings directly benefiting the guests do not compare to all that Universal has been bringing lately, and continues to bring, might I add.

Although I definitely lean to Uni on my personal preference, I can still make an unbiased assessment based on facts and numbers, and that's what the facts and numbers show. Universal has been doing more than Disney. We can list it out, but I'm sure that you already know it.

Sure, Universal was in way worse shape than Disney a few years ago, but today or even going back several years, Disney has not shown as much investment and progress as Universal, from a guest perspective. So, when you as a guest see ticket prices increase (again, outside of inflation and all those arguments) you look at Universal and say, "OK, look at all these improvements and new attractions. The value of the resort definitely increased, so although the added cost hurts, I can see where that money is going and at least I'm getting more and new enjoyment with every price increase. Disney... not as much." I'm not saying Disney isn't doing anything... But they're not doing as much as Universal. So that's why it hurts more from Disney than from Universal. I hope that makes sense.

You're not getting it...yes, Universal can be seen as a better value NOW, but think about how they got to the prices they are currently at; by raising them when they WEREN'T investing in the parks, BEFORE Potter. If this was truly about value and how much of your admission price gets re-invested, yes, I agree Universal should be raising prices, but from a much lower point than where they are now.

- - - Updated - - -

This is the main thing: sure, the prices are raising across all theme parks and are mostly the same, however, people voice disdain for ticket price increases when they don't feel they are getting their money's worth for what they are paying anymore. Think about all the entertainment CUTS Disney has announced within the past few weeks and then you expect me to feel fine with paying even MORE money to parks offering less and less?

If I felt the money was actually being reinvested, people wouldn't even bring up the prices. Universal offers an insane value for what they are offering right now ($180 for an AP?!). Not only is it hundreds cheaper to get an AP for Uni, but I feel like i'm experiencing a much superior product, which means i'm getting my money's worth. I don't feel like during Uni's down year's they ever let their parks get into as bad of shape as 3 of WDW's 4 parks currently are in either.

Value is subjective. Universal has less attractions, less square-footage, etc. so if you look at it that way, their value isn't that insane. Meanwhile, I think a Cedar Point ticket is a great value because I love Dragster, Millennium Force, and Maverick. My smaller kids probably wouldn't think Universal OR Cedar Point are good values because the number of things that they enjoy in either park isn't large.

 

[Vyrus]

You guys also have to remember, before Comcast bought out Universal, Blackstone owned them, and they are known for sitting on properties and not investing into those theme parks. The ONLY thing they did right was invest in Potter and as soon as they saw dollar signs they sold.

Comcast not only sees the theme park division as expandable, but its HIGHLY profitable and they understand the manta of 'if you build it they will come'.

Disney is resting on its laurels, yes, but they have a huge laurel to sit on, 4 theme parks 2 water parks, endless hotels and a HUGE infrastructure in place.

The people who are complaining the most are those of us who visit the parks constantly. But the family from the upper mid-west who goes to Disney every 3 or 4 years wont because they don't know any better.

The price increase sucks yes, but it is what it is and I won't fight it. I buy my annual pass so I'll never have to worry about a $99 day pass, and most people won't either especially with FL resident deals for us.

We have new management in place right now, but its not looking good

 

[Brian G.]

This is the NextGen thread guys, not ticket prices. Please take the ticket price talk over there.