Disney announces new Ticket system for WDW

[MillauFr]

I think I’d want to be the only one with my hands around all that data if I were Disney... but I’d also think they want to build a first class in-house IT operation... so what do I know?!

It would be pretty hard for Disney to attract IT talent. Their pay isn't the best and their stock options would never be lucrative.

 

[MillauFr]

Such garbage: "new ways to deliver the best experience possible for our guests" - this does nothing for the customer, and it isn't intended to.

It's just another option for them to up the prices, and hide it behind a new system.

Its more complicated, and its going to cost you more, and they are selling this as "best experience possible" .... BS.

How else would suggest Disney reduce demand for their product? I would much rather have them raise prices than allow the park to go down hill and turn into a dump.

 

[shoreward]

I anticipated I'd need to buy my tickets for next June on Undercover Tourist this week...now I know I will be. I'm guessing the first full week of June won't be a value season for ticket prices under the new system

Here is a word of warning on UT tickets. If you want them to be valid for next June, you will need to purchase electronic (emailed) tickets. This message is displayed (not prominently) on their website:

If your first date of use for this ticket(s) is after February 28, 2019, please select E-Tickets above and read the policies for that ticket.

The message is displayed when clicking on the type of ticket you are pricing out.

 

[firefly_ris]

It would be pretty hard for Disney to attract IT talent. Their pay isn't the best and their stock options would never be lucrative.

It would be hard for Disney to get IT talent because they have a history of laying off their department, outsourcing the work for cheaper and making the people they are laying off train them.

 

[Iowamomof4]

If I'm understanding everything correctly, this change will actually not affect me much. Our tickets are always part of a MYW package. Other than a likely price increase, it sounds as if everything else will basically stay the same for my family. Oh, one distinct difference: The first time we went to Disney, we activated our package tickets a couple days early since we were doing a split stay and the tickets were with the second part of our stay. It seems to me that will no longer be allowed.

 

[rteetz]

How else would suggest Disney reduce demand for their product? I would much rather have them raise prices than allow the park to go down hill and turn into a dump.

They could build more high capacity attractions, and add more parades and shows to spread out crowds. Once upon a time MK had two parades, and each other park had one.

 

[tlmadden73]

They could build more high capacity attractions, and add more parades and shows to spread out crowds. Once upon a time MK had two parades, and each other park had one.

They are trying (but not very hard when they keep closing attractions for budget reasons).
If they were concerned about spreading out crowds you would think they would keep things like PlanetWatch and Stitch open and put something .. ANYTHING in that empty Wonders of Life pavilion.

I guess they are building more attractions all over, though I think that DHS is the only park to truly get net-new attractions.
Tron replaces Stich
GoG replaces Energy Pavilion
Ratatouille is new .. but not if you consider how many attractions have been out of operation in the Wonders of Life Pavilion for the past decade or more.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

How else would suggest Disney reduce demand for their product? I would much rather have them raise prices than allow the park to go down hill and turn into a dump.

If you're only raising prices you'd have to do it significantly in order to shoo away enough people to make a measurable impact. That's part of the problem. Every price increase prices some people out but if you have others taking those people's places it doesn't do a whole lot. A severe price increase probably would drop the attendance and yet at the same time a severe price increase could be a PR nightmare.

People who presently cancel their trips or decide not to go back for X amount of time typically do it for a multitude of reasons.

 

[Farro]

They are trying (but not very hard when they keep closing attractions for budget reasons).
If they were concerned about spreading out crowds you would think they would keep things like PlanetWatch and Stitch open and put something .. ANYTHING in that empty Wonders of Life pavilion.

I guess they are building more attractions all over, though I think that DHS is the only park to truly get net-new attractions.
Tron replaces Stich
GoG replaces Energy Pavilion
Ratatouille is new .. but not if you consider how many attractions have been out of operation in the Wonders of Life Pavilion for the past decade or more.

Tron replacing Stich is huge. It's a ride upgrade, not just a replacement. Same with GoTG. Same with Rat ride. Do we know there is nothing else replacing the Stitch ride? And rumors of dark ride in England, those are additional rides, not just replacements. Those are strong rides to spread out park attendance, rather than everyone just trying to get in Galaxy's Edge.

 

[DisFanDad]

How else would suggest Disney reduce demand for their product? I would much rather have them raise prices than allow the park to go down hill and turn into a dump.

Or, they could ... shocking thought here, meet demand. Open more parks, more attractions, actually increase the capacity. Sure they are building stuff now, after years and years of not doing so, but even where they are building they aren't adding much capacity. And of course, we are seeing cutbacks and closures, we have also seen seasonal shifting in staffing and running rides / attractions below their capacities, which increases wait times and make the parks feel more crowded than they are.

Of course, implicit in your question is that they actually want to reduce demand, they don't, they want to increase it as much as possible while cutting costs as much as possible, which is what they have been doing for a few years now.

 

[mshanson3121]

NM

 

[DisFanDad]

They could build more high capacity attractions, and add more parades and shows to spread out crowds. Once upon a time MK had two parades, and each other park had one.

And again, run their attractions at full capacity, creating slower times of year again with lower waits having people opt to move to those times.

 

[splash327]

This is an interesting spin from Raleigh ABC station. (Keep in mind this station is actually owned by Disney)

https://abc11.com/finance/disney-world-to-offer-cheaper-park-tickets-on-less-busy-days/4333817/

"Single day tickets will range from $109 to $129, depending upon how popular the day is expected to be."

 

[rteetz]

Tron replacing Stich is huge. It's a ride upgrade, not just a replacement. Same with GoTG. Same with Rat ride. Do we know there is nothing else replacing the Stitch ride? And rumors of dark ride in England, those are additional rides, not just replacements. Those are strong rides to spread out park attendance, rather than everyone just trying to get in Galaxy's Edge.

Which is why they are adding them because they know they will have increased crowds with SWGE. It shouldn’t have taken this long though. I also would argue not all of these attraction additions are high capacity. Take the Pandora attractions for example. Both are are actually in the middle to lower end in terms of ride capacity per hour. Disney needs another omnimover or pirates type ride that can put through 2000 an hour.

 

[skier_pete]

.
Tron replaces Stich
GoG replaces Energy Pavilion.

You can make these arguments that they are "replacements", but when you talk about actual absorbing of bodies it a huge difference. Stitch at most absorbed 500 people an hour. The last few times we rode Ellen's Energy ride - there were less than 100 people in the ride vehicles - they didn't even bother opening up, sending out the middle car. In fact, we got really annoyed that we picked a row, and this big family crammed into the same row as much when right behind us there were like 6 empty rows.

GotG and Tron will run at full capacity likely near 2000 per hour. And with standby waits that will typically run 90-120 minutes, that will absorb some bodies as well. Sure it's a one to one swap, but it's a one to one swap that most guests will take any day of the week, and that will add real capacity to the parks.

You really need to factor in capacity when discussing these things.

For example if you claim "Peter Pan is way more popular than Small World, look at the Stand-by line!" But Peter Pan has a capacity of 720 people per hour, and Small world takes 2700. That means in a 12 hour day, only 8,620 people can ride Peter Pan, but 32,400 can ride Small World. So even if Small World only rides at 50% capacity (which) it still absorbs more people than Peter Pan. (Not to mention it's a 20 minutes ride versus a 4 minute ride.)

But a high capacity ride that runs 75% empty (Ellen) or a low capacity ride that runs 50% empty (Stitch) both can be very effectively replaced with high capacity rides that run full from opening to closing.

 

[rteetz]

You can make these arguments that they are "replacements", but when you talk about actual absorbing of bodies it a huge difference. Stitch at most absorbed 500 people an hour. The last few times we rode Ellen's Energy ride - there were less than 100 people in the ride vehicles - they didn't even bother opening up, sending out the middle car. In fact, we got really annoyed that we picked a row, and this big family crammed into the same row as much when right behind us there were like 6 empty rows.

GotG and Tron will run at full capacity likely near 2000 per hour. And with standby waits that will typically run 90-120 minutes, that will absorb some bodies as well. Sure it's a one to one swap, but it's a one to one swap that most guests will take any day of the week, and that will add real capacity to the parks.

You really need to factor in capacity when discussing these things.

For example if you claim "Peter Pan is way more popular than Small World, look at the Stand-by line!" But Peter Pan has a capacity of 720 people per hour, and Small world takes 2700. That means in a 12 hour day, only 8,620 people can ride Peter Pan, but 32,400 can ride Small World. So even if Small World only rides at 50% capacity (which) it still absorbs more people than Peter Pan. (Not to mention it's a 20 minutes ride versus a 4 minute ride.)

But a high capacity ride that runs 75% empty (Ellen) or a low capacity ride that runs 50% empty (Stitch) both can be very effectively replaced with high capacity rides that run full from opening to closing.

Ellen’s and GMR were two huge capacity ride though and they took those away for more popular (assuming) lower capacity attractions. I have a hard time seeing Guardians being over 2000 an hour. RnRc is about 1800 an hour.

I haven’t seen any estimates on Tron.

 

[mshanson3121]

Out of curiosity, when do we realistically think we can expect to see the new prices? Will they wait until closer to Oct 16th? Or will they be out soon?

 

[leholcomb]

Regarding Tickets purchased in a hotel + tickets package - info posted by @GillianP1301:

Date-based tickets purchased as part of a Walt Disney Travel Company room and ticket package will have one of the following valid use periods (whichever is longer):
(i) the same valid use period described above, OR
(ii) a valid use period beginning on the package resort arrival date and ending on the package resort check-out date.

For example, a Guest who purchases a Walt DisneyTravel Company package with a 3-Day base ticket and a resort length of stay of 6 nights with an arrival date ofNov. 1; ticket is valid any 3 days from Nov, 1 – Nov. 7.

Told ya.

 

[rteetz]

Told ya.

This wouldn’t be the same for someone booking the tickets separately though as not part of a package. And with the package you still have a window. You will have to be strategic with your planning.

 

[leholcomb]

This wouldn’t be the same for someone booking the tickets separately though as not part of a package. And with the package you still have a window. You will have to be strategic with your planning.

Right. Trying to make incentives to book packages. I normally do everything separate but now I will look closer to packages to have flexibility.