Increase in Ticket Prices, Parking, and AP's

[Tekneek]

I was more referring to people who apparently have reached that point and then continued on, developing what comes across as an odd fan-hostility toward WDW.

No doubt I can be negative and cynical. I have fundamental disagreements with Disney over the direction of some things, specifically all of Epcot and Tomorrowland at MK. I think the evidence speaks for itself with these. There is less to do at Epcot today than there was in 1990, and what there is to do has almost nothing to do with what Epcot was supposed to be about. I'm not even being cynical here, I think anybody would have a hard time refuting that.

I am pretty certain I'm not the demographic Disney cares to appeal to any longer. Perhaps they reserve the superior guest service for their deluxe resorts, of which I have never stayed and likely never will. I don't know if the declining guest service in the parks is due to business decisions, but it hasn't been a one or two year cyclical condition. It has been ongoing for a while now.

If you ever read the book called The Disney Way, you will see how there are some companies that were once inspired by the Disney guest service and now are certainly leaps and bounds ahead of Disney (this part isn't what the book is about, it is my opinion). I can remember that Disney level of guest service. I am stunned when I go through an area and see Castmembers being openly sarcastic, rude, and unhelpful. Being a bit of a Disney fanatic, I almost never need to ask a CM for anything, but I watch and listen to their interactions with other guests. It was a longstanding concept that they would never leave you with "I don't know" as an answer, but it seems routine these days. I can only surmise that the culture is in decline due to neglect, or specific business decisions to lower the quality. Regardless of how it is happening, it is a change in a wrong direction.

For me, the magic was always in the service. All of the rest was just the setting for the magic to take place. I think Disney might now believe that all the attractions and intellectual property actually are the magic. I can believe that because that supports what I see. That is what I see is going on. Not that they want us to be unhappy. More a fundamental difference between what the magic really is. Disney of today thinks it is ride tech, promotions, magic bands, etc, that are magical. I think it is CMs that amaze you at every turn and a forward-thinking guest service attention to detail that doesn't simply apologize for bad show.

[waymickey]

Prices on all the menus seem to be going up too. It is sad that they charge more and have idle buildings and maintenece that sits untouched. But like so many others I will go again and over look these things. I still think Disney is better than most theme parks but their lead is getting smaller and smaller.

[Tekneek]

I still think Disney is better than most theme parks but their lead is getting smaller and smaller.

Me too.

[ransam]

Look at it this way.
if you go to worlds of fun in kansas city, it's $45, if you wanted to add fast pass it's another $40.

at six flags it's $52 for a single day ticket and another $35 for a fast pass.

so a day at MK isn't that much more expensive considering for the admission you get fast pass.

[Tekneek]

so a day at MK isn't that much more expensive considering for the admission you get fast pass.

Those other "fast pass" things you're talking about are actually express/front-of-the-line access, right? That is not what FastPass is.

FastPass is the scheduling of a ride time. FastPass+ is about scheduling your ride times up to 60 days in advance, which even further diminishes the value of a 1 day ticket. Families who find they have free time and want to try Disney for a day will be paying the most for the worst Disney experience possible (though, they may not know what they are missing with the inability to schedule FP+ times or get into table service restaurants).

[seanyred]

Those other "fast pass" things you're talking about are actually express/front-of-the-line access, right? That is not what FastPass is.

FastPass is the scheduling of a ride time. FastPass+ is about scheduling your ride times up to 60 days in advance, which even further diminishes the value of a 1 day ticket. Families who find they have free time and want to try Disney for a day will be paying the most for the worst Disney experience possible (though, they may not know what they are missing with the inability to schedule FP+ times or get into table service restaurants).

At Six Flags their Flash Pass works very similar to Disney's Fast pass. You don't go to the front of the line you just get to wait less. But it is an add on feature and it has multiple options depending how much you want to pay. Let's face it everything is expensive and the cost of most everything goes up every year.

[Ian]

Ian talks about his reaction to this round of price increases on the INTERCOT Insider Live Podcast Episode 52.

Some of you may be surprised ....

[Aurora]

Ian talks about his reaction to this round of price increases on the INTERCOT Insider Live Podcast Episode 52.

Some of you may be surprised ....

Not anymore. <...but still runs to listen to the podcast anyway...>

Oh, wait.

[Tekneek]

Let's face it everything is expensive and the cost of most everything goes up every year.

I don't necessarily agree that this is an absolute rule, but are service declines just as inevitable? We are destined to pay more for less until the end of time?

[Melanie]

Ian talks about his reaction to this round of price increases on the INTERCOT Insider Live Podcast Episode 52.

Some of you may be surprised ....

Don't you love when people refer to themselves in third person?

We all discuss, it's not just Ian talking to himself. lol! But yes, episode 51 isn't up yet, so it will be a bit til episode 52.

[VWL Mom]

Don't you love when people refer to themselves in third person?

[ransam]

Those other "fast pass" things you're talking about are actually express/front-of-the-line access, right? That is not what FastPass is.

FastPass is the scheduling of a ride time. FastPass+ is about scheduling your ride times up to 60 days in advance, which even further diminishes the value of a 1 day ticket. Families who find they have free time and want to try Disney for a day will be paying the most for the worst Disney experience possible (though, they may not know what they are missing with the inability to schedule FP+ times or get into table service restaurants).

Not true.
I haven't been to Six Flags, but to to WOF all the time. it is basically the same thing as fast pass.
and as far as service, the experience, and how clean the parks are, WDW is worth it.

[ransam]

No doubt I can be negative and cynical. I have fundamental disagreements with Disney over the direction of some things, specifically all of Epcot and Tomorrowland at MK. I think the evidence speaks for itself with these. There is less to do at Epcot today than there was in 1990, and what there is to do has almost nothing to do with what Epcot was supposed to be about. I'm not even being cynical here, I think anybody would have a hard time refuting that.

I am pretty certain I'm not the demographic Disney cares to appeal to any longer. Perhaps they reserve the superior guest service for their deluxe resorts, of which I have never stayed and likely never will. I don't know if the declining guest service in the parks is due to business decisions, but it hasn't been a one or two year cyclical condition. It has been ongoing for a while now.

If you ever read the book called The Disney Way, you will see how there are some companies that were once inspired by the Disney guest service and now are certainly leaps and bounds ahead of Disney (this part isn't what the book is about, it is my opinion). I can remember that Disney level of guest service. I am stunned when I go through an area and see Castmembers being openly sarcastic, rude, and unhelpful. Being a bit of a Disney fanatic, I almost never need to ask a CM for anything, but I watch and listen to their interactions with other guests. It was a longstanding concept that they would never leave you with "I don't know" as an answer, but it seems routine these days. I can only surmise that the culture is in decline due to neglect, or specific business decisions to lower the quality. Regardless of how it is happening, it is a change in a wrong direction.

For me, the magic was always in the service. All of the rest was just the setting for the magic to take place. I think Disney might now believe that all the attractions and intellectual property actually are the magic. I can believe that because that supports what I see. That is what I see is going on. Not that they want us to be unhappy. More a fundamental difference between what the magic really is. Disney of today thinks it is ride tech, promotions, magic bands, etc, that are magical. I think it is CMs that amaze you at every turn and a forward-thinking guest service attention to detail that doesn't simply apologize for bad show.

this is a very interesting post. I have read the Disney Way and everyone in my company is requred as well to read it.

you know i have heard people say over and over that guest service is diminsihing and maybe i just have pixie dust in my eyes but i haven't seen it. i am a 50 year old disney geek, and one of the reasons i keep coming back is that once you enter the park it's a whole new lifestyle.
I go a couple times a year, once just as a touch up for a day or two, and another as a longer vacation. Each time as i return to the real world, i am saddened by the way people are treated outside Disney.
this past february i was fortuante enough to take my 3 year old son (who might, we are stil checking have autism) for the first time and his mother. She hadn't gone in about 4 years. At least a couple times she complained about a ride missing or long ines, but she also stated over and over how happy she was that the customer service is still as great as ever.
i could give tons of examples (from when my son was crying about waiting in line, and a lady who worked at a concession stand from accross the street came over w/ a ice cream bar for him. to when waiting for Buzz and Woody he was getting impatient and the lady in charge of the line took my number down and said she would text us when our place in line since he wouldn't sit still. as we were leaving i messed up the a flight and a lady at the All star sports spent literally 2 hours fixing it, and then gave us all pens and notebooks for having to wait!, i could go on)
now having said this, we have had a couple bad examples over the last few years, but considering how many times we've been and how many cast members i have come into contact with and i can think of only 2, that is a pretty good number.

Anyway,it ***** that not everyone has been as fortunate as I have, but for me, there is still no experience as awesome as Disney, and none where i feel treats me better.

[DizneyFreak2002]

Not true.
I haven't been to Six Flags, but to to WOF all the time. it is basically the same thing as fast pass.
and as far as service, the experience, and how clean the parks are, WDW is worth it.

Six Flags' Flash Pass works similar to FastPass...

From the Six Flags Great Adventure in NJ website:

Pack in all the thrills and excitement you can with THE FLASH Pass. Six Flags Great Adventure's virtual ride reservation system holds your place in line electronically, so you can spend more time having fun and less time waiting for our most popular attractions. When it's almost time for your turn to ride, an alert is sent to THE FLASH Pass. It's that simple.

A Regular THE FLASH Pass allows you to enjoy your day at Six Flags by avoiding long lines at your favorite rides. With a Regular THE FLASH Pass, you wait as long as everyone else is waiting, but not in line—you can enjoy your free time elsewhere in the park.

With a Gold THE FLASH Pass, you enjoy a significant reduction in wait time allowing you to ride more rides with less wait.



Platinum THE FLASH Pass allows you to enjoy riding our rides with the least amount of waiting! Consecutive Riding allows you to WAIT ONCE and RIDE TWICE. Quantities are limited.

[MarkC]

Everytime I see an article about ticket prices increasing, I know a long thread is coming about how Disney is getting too expensive and service isn't the same. This is called capitalism. If you don't like it or it's too expensive-- don't go. None of us are guaranteed the right to go to Disney. I've been 25 times in the past 16 years (haven't noticed any drops in service either). I consider myself very blessed. Most people can never go. I'm guessing if you are reading my post you've also been to Disney several times. Just remember Disney is a business just like Ford or Verizon. Sometimes things work and sometimes they don't. We answer with our wallets. It's as simple as that. I realize most of us are very passionate about Disney and for good reason, but unless we are on the board of directors we have very little say in how they run their business unless enough people stop going. I don't see that happening.

[ransam]

Everytime I see an article about ticket prices increasing, I know a long thread is coming about how Disney is getting too expensive and service isn't the same. This is called capitalism. If you don't like it or it's too expensive-- don't go. None of us are guaranteed the right to go to Disney. I've been 25 times in the past 16 years (haven't noticed any drops in service either). I consider myself very blessed. Most people can never go. I'm guessing if you are reading my post you've also been to Disney several times. Just remember Disney is a business just like Ford or Verizon. Sometimes things work and sometimes they don't. We answer with our wallets. It's as simple as that. I realize most of us are very passionate about Disney and for good reason, but unless we are on the board of directors we have very little say in how they run their business unless enough people stop going. I don't see that happening.

great post and i agree.
I am all about customer service and i work for a major architect firm. when we are setting up fees and proposals, the partners have to constantly remind me that we are a business, and we are here to make make money.
Disney is the same way, I have no problem w/ them making money. The parks are getting bigger, technology is getting better, and that cost money.
and you're right, we all have the option of not going or going.
I'm in a place in my life that i can go pretty anywhere i want (not rich by any stretch of imagination, but i am stable) i often think to my self when i get home from a WDW vacation that i should go somewhere else next time.
but i keep coming back. there is a reason for that.
Most on this board i would think feels the same way.