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Express Service Upcharge

Some people love the idea of getting to see backstage at Disney and I guess $15 for a glimpse as opposed to $100+ for the official tours is a somewhat cheaper option!

I am really disliking this new focus on the higher-earning customers at the parks. Customers seems way more fitting now than 'guests'. By no means am I the kind of Disney fan who proclaims that every add-on or upcharge event/service means that Walt is rolling in his grave, but jeez! There is a balance and lately they haven't been getting it right.
 
I think the big issue I have with this particular upcharge offering is it relies on Disney's failure to maintain an efficient method of transporting people around their own resort for this being a benefit. This isn't an upcharge thing that allows you to have a different unique experience it simply allows you to bypass the disaster of a transportation system they have. It's like they're saying "hey we messed things up, but if you pay extra we'll fix it just for you".
 
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Some people love the idea of getting to see backstage at Disney and I guess $15 for a glimpse as opposed to $100+ for the official tours is a somewhat cheaper option!

I am really disliking this new focus on the higher-earning customers at the parks. Customers seems way more fitting now than 'guests'. By no means am I the kind of Disney fan who proclaims that every add-on or upcharge event/service means that Walt is rolling in his grave, but jeez! There is a balance and lately they haven't been getting it right.

I'm all about premiums when they are reasonable but yeah.... it's getting out of hand. I noticed last night during the Candlelight Processional that maybe 75-80% of seats were devoted to people who paid for the dining package.
 
Do people really have a problem with the disney transport? I have in the past been rather impressed with their ability to move people quite efficiently given the crowds. The bus has been much faster than driving park to park.
 
I think Disneys shopping itself around. Add it all up: no succession plan, increasing revenue at all costs to make business look better, reduce staff at cost sinks like WDI to appear more appetizing.

I remember someone bidding $50B+ for Disney last decade. I don't think the offer is available anymore.

But seriously would they really do that? Seems kinda unthinkable.
 
I think Disneys shopping itself around. Add it all up: no succession plan, increasing revenue at all costs to make business look better, reduce staff at cost sinks like WDI to appear more appetizing.
It kinda makes sense, but at the same time I can't believe that they would do that. They are investing tons into the parks recently.
 
This goes against a lot of fundamentals.

Curious to see if they can even get the cast to operate it with how poorly it will be received internally.

It might go against a lot of things but since the announcement I've been asking around some friends and coworkers if they would use this service during their next visit and the majority said they would totally pay it especially if it means bypassing the ferry/monorail mess at MK
 
I think the big issue I have with this particular upcharge offering is it relies on Disney's failure to maintain an efficient method of transporting people around their own resort for this being a benefit. This isn't an upcharge thing that allows you to have a different unique experience it simply allows you to bypass the disaster of a transportation system they have. It's like they're saying "hey we messed things up, but if you pay extra we'll fix it just for you".

Do people really have a problem with the disney transport? I have in the past been rather impressed with their ability to move people quite efficiently given the crowds. The bus has been much faster than driving park to park.

I've never really had any huge problems with Disney buses or boats - it seems I may be in a minority?! The only times I've found them frustrating is at night when leaving the parks to which this service doesn't apply.

For me it isn't necessarily the waiting for the bus or the journey that is annoying but it's the time it takes to exit the park/walking to the bus stop - that can take 20 minutes+ depending on the park! The convenience for me (not that I would ever use this service) would be that I don't have to leave the park itself and not have to exit, walk to a bus stop/get on a tram to find my car. In that respect, the new service is definitely a premium version of its existing transport options rather than fee to bypass a Disney failure (for me, anyway) - albeit at the expense of 'exposing the behind-the-scenes magic'.

Then again, I commuted around Central London for a few years so perhaps the less-crowded and more punctual buses look fantastic compared to the Underground!

I'm all about premiums when they are reasonable but yeah.... it's getting out of hand. I noticed last night during the Candlelight Processional that maybe 75-80% of seats were devoted to people who paid for the dining package.

I can't speak for the this year's season, but I know from first-hand experience that all the restaurants included for the package pretty much sold out of their maximum package allocations everyday in 2014 - it doesn't leave much space for walk-ups! I have also seen tables where food was ordered, boxed up, tickets collected and food dumped after leaving the restaurant - basically people paying for a seat and not so much a 'dining and show experience'.
 
Which brings up the question: what did they do to the ferry dock and that whole area anyways?

Meanwhile, the Express monorail broke down - again - at the 7pm park close and 7pm party start tonight. So guest entry to MK totally stopped and the line from monorail moved to the ferry and went the entire length of the park entrance. And the sign over the monorail still said "5 minute wait" because no one can be bothered to fix anything.
 
As for issues at MK transport being common or not - constant monorail downtimes for months due to the failing automation update. Scheduled downtimes nearly daily coupled with frequent train breakdowns.

Getting into and out of MK is not going well lately.
 
And this is one of the main reasons I love staying on site at Universal. Everything's close enough for a beautiful landscaped walking path stroll, or a quick trip on a water taxi. Or leave the parks and have a leisurely few drinks & enjoy the entertainment at the Citi Walk clubs. Vacation like vacations are meant to be. No stress, just leisure & relaxation.:)..At WDW, the traveling, especially at closing, is a pain. :(
 
I think Disneys shopping itself around. Add it all up: no succession plan, increasing revenue at all costs to make business look better, reduce staff at cost sinks like WDI to appear more appetizing.

Disney as a whole is way too big to be sold anywhere. Now, certain parts could definitely be spun off and sold. I can easily see ESPN and the parks being sold off.

Just to do some math, Disney's market cap is today at $156B. ATT bought Time Warner for a 35% premium setting a precedent in the media industry. That means Disney would be looking for an bid of at least $210B.
 
It would seem pretty outlandish to imagine Disney selling off the parks. I wouldn't put it past the Chinese to do something crazy tho.
 
And this is one of the main reasons I love staying on site at Universal. Everything's close enough for a beautiful landscaped walking path stroll, or a quick trip on a water taxi. Or leave the parks and have a leisurely few drinks & enjoy the entertainment at the Citi Walk clubs. Vacation like vacations are meant to be. No stress, just leisure & relaxation.:)..At WDW, the traveling, especially at closing, is a pain. :(

Disney would stick toll booths on those walking paths.

Best grab the :popcorn: for this one guys..........

I really used to love Disney, I put up some of my Christmas decorations yesterday and a lot of them are Disney, a whole tree is decorated Disney, Most family photos up around the house are from Disney, I am a proud owner of a Framed share on the wall, I've made many, many trips to Orlando and Paris, I Own DVC, I've had annual passes several times I've eaten at nearly every on-site restaurant and stayed in all of the deluxe hotels, I really did used to love Disney.

But......

In recent years I see them more as a price gouging, money grubbing, uncaring ruthless money machine which has lost it's morals, the very morals which made it what it was.

All of these increases and uncharges arent magical additional services for their guests but more a means of covering their ineptitude and neglect from over the years, Disney lost their way and now they are trying to find ways of patching up their lack of investment whilst plussing the balance sheet

Over spends, lack lustre new shows, cheaping out on new attractions and under spending in the larger ones opening soon~ish, all whilst not investing and living of the coat tails of past glorious and nostalgia have got us here.

I come to these latest new bus routes... This doesn't have me thinking oh great, way to go Disney what a fab idea, it says more like fix your transport system for everyone so everyone can get somewhere in a timely manner, it's says to hell with onstage and what our guests can see, and it says we lack ambition, It Says we have over spent on magic bands and Avatar and we need to find quick mediocre ways ways to make bank these days. Tents, dessert parties, paid boats are all examples of this.

It all comes across as very desperate and doesn't shout class and quality, you know, the same class and quality Disney used to be renowned for and the very reason I brought into DVC.

The saddest thing of all is that the fans lap it all up, which makes Disney think they are doing good so they churn out more and more of the same.

Avatar will open soon (maybe ) followed by TSL and Stsr Wars and the crowds will go crazy yet it won't change a thing, the same old clueless money grubbing hierarchy will still be st the helm rubbing their hands together thinking what s great job they are doing for the Walt Disney company, well it ain't all about the bottom line Disney.

As you can probably tell by now my long love affair with Disney is wavering and probably teetering on the edge of extinction, so much so that I've seriously considered selling my ownership, pulling down the Christmas tree, changing out all of the family photos and burning that framed stock on the wall I was once so proud of.

:ears::thumbsdown:

*Will edit this one I get to a pc*
 
I mean before it was unthinkable to do Orlando and no Disney. Add a third universal south gate and a new alt park at the marketplace along with the sea world parks stuff and it would be rather easy. Disney could even end up being a once every few trips deal for some people as it is for me.
 
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I men before it was unthinkable to do Orlando and no Disney. Add a third universal south gate and a new alt park at the marketplace along with the sea world parks stuff and it would be rather easy. Disney could even end up being a once every few trips deal for some people as it is for me.

I've been down on Disney for a while now and whilst I'll happily use my DVC to stay on property I'm just as happy to avoid their parks and restaurants, and I have done, on several occasions and am doing so again in March.
 
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