https://www.businessinsider.com/disney-world-expensive-middle-class-2018-12
I remember when our kids were little in the 79s & 80s, my wife and I could easily afford to take them to Disneyland any time we wanted to.
A young family today with three kids is not getting off for less than $700 a day after tickets, food and a few "cheap" toys and hats.
I think that it's more than artificially trying to keep the crowds down; the real targets are the lower middle class and the poor.
He woke up the next afternoon and saw an email receipt and had vague recollections of it.
he actually wears out in the summer sometimes and I will say it's a legit conversation starter - though he did have some regerts.
I will say, this is the one area where competition doesn't benefit the consumer. In Orlando...Disney, Universal and Sea World are all horrifically expensive. Universal alone wanted $750 just to take my family of 4 for the day and that didn't include their line skipping option.
This is me. I love Disney, I admit it.
For all, and there is no charge. It is now an app that allows you to sign up for a designated slot with a 10 minute window. People with needs have their own access(I believe they use the Fast Pass line.(?)
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those with special needs, right? Or is it available to anyone willing to pony up?
For all, and there is no charge. It is now an app that allows you to sign up for a designated slot with a 10 minute window. People with needs have their own access(I believe they use the Fast Pass line.(?)
People with special needs can get a return time at any attraction, not just those with Fastpass. The return time is based on the current wait time for the attraction.
I may have to remortgage my house to pay for the trip.
And yes it is a way of life for some(a lot) of people and I mean a way of life - I know a few.
As far as I am concerned, the fast pass thing should go away.
They are the exact same thing and I've said that all along. Both Disney-fanatics and sports-fanatics ruin it for the rest of us. When you don't think with your wallet and don't hold these companies to any sort of standard, they will continue to grind out profit at any cost.
I may have to remortgage my house to pay for the trip.
Second time, we drove. I was fucking Griswold, 5 of us, Binghamton to Orlando.
Was actually a great vacation, because I PLANNED THE FUCK out of that trip.
Each day, I'd be up early, scrubbing the park map, figuring out the best way to use fastpasses - back then, they were available to EVERYONE. New, classist systems are against the spirit of the park. Should be OUTLAWED, man!
My youngest on that second trip - Billy was 9 and REFUSED to go on anything remotely threatening. So I literally dragged him kicking and screaming across the parks, from Space Mountain to the Aerosmith coaster - he even tried to back out of the Haunted Mansion, and every damned time - 10 seconds into the ride, he's hootin and hollerin and loving it, would want to get right back in line afterward!
Then it would be the same thing heading to the next ride. I literally had bruises on my legs and arms from the little shit, but I wasn't going to let him miss it.
So - fair warning. If they're ride wimps, they'll drive you nuts.
Also - BE PREPARED if you're not used to 100 degrees, 100% humidity. Those parks are a gauntlet if you're not in shape.
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Is it any more an issue than people who live and die with their favorite sports team(s)?
And yes it is a way of life for some(a lot) of people and I mean a way of life - I know a few.
As far as I am concerned, the fast pass thing should go away.
They are the exact same thing and I've said that all along. Both Disney-fanatics and sports-fanatics ruin it for the rest of us. When you don't think with your wallet and don't hold these companies to any sort of standard, they will continue to grind out profit at any cost.
Whether or not you realize it, you probably "ruin it" for someone else with whatever things you enjoy beyond a rational level. It could be a pizza place that you order from more often than your neighbors, thereby keeping the pizza place from needing to put out a coupon. It could be a store that you shop in that would have to run a sale if it wasn't for the clothes you buy.
It's impossible to price in a way that disregards the most avid customer because they're still going to beat you to the purchase at a lower price too. If it wasn't price elasticity, it would be willingness to wait in line, and if it wasn't that, it would be something else. The people who want something more than you do will find a way to buy it, even if it means that it has a ripple effect that deprives others of access.
The flip side to all of that is that frugal consumers can just as easily "ruin it" for others by allowing businesses to close, or causing businesses to produce less inventory, etc. A lot of times a band books a venue and puts one (or two or however many) performances on sale, with optional performances hidden behind it. If sales are slow, those optional performances never happen; if sales are strong, the optionals go on sale to the public. When a band you'd like to see never puts on those optional shows, who did the ruining?
Water seeks its own level, and so does consumerism.
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In comment 14537989 Matt M. said:
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those with special needs, right? Or is it available to anyone willing to pony up?
For all, and there is no charge. It is now an app that allows you to sign up for a designated slot with a 10 minute window. People with needs have their own access(I believe they use the Fast Pass line.(?)
People with special needs can get a return time at any attraction, not just those with Fastpass. The return time is based on the current wait time for the attraction.
That's consistent across most large theme parks, and was very helpful for my wife for the rides she was able to undertake.
It's impossible to price in a way that disregards the most avid customer because they're still going to beat you to the purchase at a lower price too. If it wasn't price elasticity, it would be willingness to wait in line, and if it wasn't that, it would be something else. The people who want something more than you do will find a way to buy it, even if it means that it has a ripple effect that deprives others of access.
The flip side to all of that is that frugal consumers can just as easily "ruin it" for others by allowing businesses to close, or causing businesses to produce less inventory, etc. A lot of times a band books a venue and puts one (or two or however many) performances on sale, with optional performances hidden behind it. If sales are slow, those optional performances never happen; if sales are strong, the optionals go on sale to the public. When a band you'd like to see never puts on those optional shows, who did the ruining?
Water seeks its own level, and so does consumerism.
I guess my point is, these consumers will complain about X,Y or Z...yet they don't actually do anything to force companies to change.
Over the past couple decades, Disney has become significantly (and insanely) more expensive while cutting the product. Disney in 2000 is NOT the same product as Disney today. Visitors will bitch and complain but at the end of the day they still fork over their cash and allow the company to do as they please. It's this blind loyalty that hurts us all.
If the majority of Disney's consumer base became frugal, the company would have no choice but to lower prices and/or offer a better product. But just like a drug-dealer with addicted clients, there is a sub-set of the customer base who will go at any cost. While purely anecdotal, I know a couple families who can barely support themselves financially, yet they visit Disney annually. It's somewhat mind-blowing.
I can take or leave Disney but when it’s time to bring my now 4 year old I will deal with the bullshit because she’s going to be over the moon about going. I’m also not opposed to going in October during a school week when Disney is at its cheapest and slowest 2-3 weeks of the year.
There hasn't been very many meaningful attraction openings in the past 10 years. Resort pools shut-down at 10pm nightly, etc, etc. I could go on and on. Even Disney is indirectly acknowledging the lack of product as they have invested heavily to add attractions over the next 3-5 years.
- Which is the point of the article -
The economy is doing well, more people can afford to go, which is good for business, sort-of ...
Customers have to wait in unending lines at the rides (this dilutes the experience, especially for the deep-pocket folks, who have plenty of other entertainment choices).
The choice is easy, boost the prices, keeping the "unwashed masses" away; carefully move toward a "gourmet" experience (eliminating the elbow-to-elbow aggravation) and make a ton of money.
- Which is the point of the article -
The economy is doing well, more people can afford to go, which is good for business, sort-of ...
Customers have to wait in unending lines at the rides (this dilutes the experience, especially for the deep-pocket folks, who have plenty of other entertainment choices).
The choice is easy, boost the prices, keeping the "unwashed masses" away; carefully move toward a "gourmet" experience (eliminating the elbow-to-elbow aggravation) and make a ton of money.
Wrong.
It's knowing that you have a finite amount of product to sell and pricing that product so that your demand curve only slightly outpaces your supply curve. All you need to do is count up all the widgets you have to sell (n) and then find the highest price you can where n+1 people will still buy your widgets. It's very simple.
There's no nefarious effort to box out the great unwashed in favor of some gourmet bullshit. There's no lack of elbow to elbow crowds even with their pricing as is. The goal isn't to eliminate anyone (or their elbows).
Lay off the tube, Manny. It's barely noon where you are.
I'm talking customer experience; if you have enough deep pocket customers, (who are willing to pay more) why not try not to treat them like canned sardines ?
As a parent, try to manage three (or more) hyper-excited kids in line for a hour or more, and not lose them.
Our family has experienced this terrifying situation a couple of times; thankfully the kids were old enough to find someone that could help them.
The other factor is equipment fatigue; the machines are only designed for an "X"number of runs. After that they break down, and disaster waits.
So no, it's much more complicated than supply & demand.