Wdw ,money grabbing ?

[DonnaD]

I am not going to get into the money grabbing issue but feel compelled to point out that the monorail ( plus Disney buses and boats) are the opposite of a rip off. They are completely free for anyone. You don't even have to have a ticket or be staying on site to use them!

[disney332]

Originally Posted by Chewie

Wow , that told me !Listen guys Im aware Disney is a business. Its a personal view and whilst I can see your points I don't necessarily agree! I've visited DW for 30 years , visiting about 18 times . Yes I love it ! But like my wife whom I love to bits . I feel criticism is valid particularly when its someone/thing you have a love, affinity with. WDW is not perfect , although it strives to be and of all the worlds theme parks its Number 1.Like I say its a personal view, observation and its clear I'm in the minority. Still its a forum and its great to see other peoples views. But gets people Talking /Typing

See more...

I would suggest that if you get many replies to a post that provide contrary views to yours, then it is reasonable to question your own perspective.

Disney 332

[The Thornes]

A Disney based forum is always more likely to take the pro Disney side

[disney332]

I think the issue is that people forget that Disney is a business.

Disney are very very good at creating the illusion that it is anything but.

Disney 332

[archibald]

OP - you missed the biggies - the fast pass and the adr - guaranteeing that everyone will panic and book as many as they can, and then set in stone their days to the Disney Parks, rather than playing it by ear and hitting the water parks on the nicest days, best evenings for fireworks etc etc. Because you are able to book, you must book or you 'ruin' your holiday, and so more dollars to Disney. They must be so proud of that idea - I would be!

[lovewdw]

I've never disputed that Disneyworld in general is Very expensive.
However it's up to the individual to decide if its value for money and worth the cost.

My view is that we are going to see significant increases over the next few years, each of the parks has only a limited capacity and as numbers reach that capacity visitor experience suffers (as parks feel overcrowded, lines too long).

Disney will try to balance supply and demand and the only way they can reduce demand is to increase prices.

We are seeing seasonal pricing being introduced to try and spread the demand more evenly, I don't see this as money grabbing.

How many have complained on the dibb that parks feel crowded, busier than last year?

I predict a future of higher prices, but if that means a better experience, it will still be good value.

[dizneemad]

It really bugs me that people always jump on Disney while the other parks never get mentioned.
Universal no longer do free fastpass it is now a payable option, I am sure should Disney do this you will be moaning another rip off.
You do not have to pay for the extra's that is your choice park a few rows back for the same just walk a little, but if you could afford it and save your legs that is your choice.
Free iced water is available at many a location in Disney so if you require it , just ask.
The list is endless but at the end of the day the choice is always down to you, no one is making you spend your hard earned cash!

[macdonald]

Disney is a massive money making business and i have felt cheated many times, i loathe the "pay extra for special events" days! We have already purchased our tickets and then told to leave most evenings at 7pm during Oct! these events are great for US citizens who come in the park esp for Halloween with the one day special ticket,but for the rest of us to already have entry and then told to pay again to stay is CRAZY! ..Trouble is Disney have us hooked so we will keep paying! ...

[Nimbus]

Originally Posted by Chewie

Ok guys its my first post but I have to ask , is Disney getting greedy ?

See more...

If by "greedy" you mean they are business and they want to make more profit than they did last year just like every successful business wants to do, then yes.

However, let's just go through your points:

Originally Posted by Chewie

I've been going to WDW for over 30 years but ive noticed this when Disney started charging for the Monorail ( Hopper)

See more...

Erm, you don't have to pay for the monorail at all. It's free. The "hopper" option allows you to visit more than one park per day on the same ticket (i.e. it's cheaper than buying 2 tickets - one for each park) and has nothing at all to do with the monorail. You've always had to pay for the hopper option. Disney UK tickets all come with the hopper option included and have done for many years.

Originally Posted by Chewie

Now I hear they charge to park closer to the entrance , extra $15.

See more...

Yes, you can choose to use the preferred parking option if you want to park closer to the entrance if you want. It's your choice though. You don't have to give Disney any extra money if you don't want to.

Originally Posted by Chewie

I've heard that they intend to charge more at peak times.

See more...

Or another way to look at it, you pay less if you visit during "value" times.

This is already been implemented but only for 1 day tickets. There are 3 types of 1 day ticket - Peak ticket, Regular ticket, and Value ticket. A Regular ticket is the price you would pay if Disney hadn't adopted this new price scheme for 1 day tickets (and is the same price Universal charge for a 1 day ticket). Peak tickets cost a bit more whilst Value tickets cost a bit less.

They are gently trying to encourage people to visit during the quieter periods and discourage people from visiting during the busy periods. As it only applies to 1 day tickets, then it doesn't really affect most people.

Originally Posted by Chewie

There also seems to be a higher charge for Tickets bought that include the water park.I wanted a 3 day pass to include access at the water parks but its more expensive than a standard 3 day park ticket

See more...

Well, yes. That's always been the case.

A 3 day ticket with the waterpark option gives you 3 days at the main parks plus an additional 3 visits to the waterparks (so, potentially, 6 days in total).

Why would asking you to pay more for something extra be considered greedy? Did you expect to get entrance to the waterparks for free?

Originally Posted by Chewie

Some years ago bottled water started appearing just at the same time drinking fountains disappeared and those that were available were warm.

See more...

Disney have always sold bottles of water to drink. And they still provide the same water fountains they always have (and, yes, many of these are a bit warm). This hasn't really changed at all.

You can also get free chilled water from any quick service restaurant if you ask for it. For free.

So it seems most of your concerns are unfounded.

Yes, every year Disney charges more for tickets, more for food/drinks in the parks, more for souvenirs, and so on. They also continue to offer more enhanced features for guests to choose to pay for (more choice is a good thing IMO). But this is no different from everywhere else. And because attendance (=demand) keeps on increasing, they'll keep on increasing the price to match the supply. This is just the standard "supply and demand" pricing model that most businesses adopt.

[macdonald]

i think Chewie if you are on trial here, you would be better off pleading guilty!