Bookings for WDW packages significantly down according to Pete Werner?

[Clare]

Originally Posted by Nimbus

It's a fact that the price of food, hotels and tickets at Disney are all increasing. It's not just your opinion. Prices are increasing all the time.

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Glad you said that as I had someone elsewhere totally dispute the whole Disney price/increase issue (hence why I put just my opinion).

[neatfrk]

As a semi-related note - not sure if anyone on here follows Tom Bricker's blog, but he's reporting that the MK Mickey & Minnie meet-n-greet has been converted to automated photography instead of a Photopass photographer.

disneytouristblog/au...magic-kingdom/

Add this to the list. Now, you walk in awkwardly greeting the mice and there isn't even a Photopass human being present (only the Cast Member ushering guests in and out). Instead there's a pair of automated cameras clicking away at preset intervals. For me this nonsensical change perfectly encapsulates the discussion here.

Everyone gets the same angle, shot a few seconds apart and then you sift through the results to load the ones you like. Forget the human part of the equation. Want a photo of your child's very first interaction with Mickey? No problem...a camera across the room will capture it from a fixed position. Super personal.

As experience that contributed to the "Disney Magic" is now handled by a traffic camera. Have a magical day!

Honestly...how much could they have been paying that Photopass cast member? Isn't whatever that cost was worth the personal Disney touch for thousands of guests?

I can only hope this is a test and will go the way of talking Mickey.

[AliceCooper9]

I can only hope this is a test and will go the way of talking Mickey.[/QUOTE]

This is not a test. They are rolling out these cameras.
Tinkerbell, Darth Vader, Chewbacca, Mickey and Minnie etc.

[CosmicGirl]

Originally Posted by neatfrk

As a semi-related note - not sure if anyone on here follows Tom Bricker's blog, but he's reporting that the MK Mickey & Minnie meet-n-greet has been converted to automated photography instead of a Photopass photographer.

disneytouristblog/au...magic-kingdom/

Add this to the list. Now, you walk in awkwardly greeting the mice and there isn't even a Photopass human being present (only the Cast Member ushering guests in and out). Instead there's a pair of automated cameras clicking away at preset intervals. For me this nonsensical change perfectly encapsulates the discussion here.

Everyone gets the same angle, shot a few seconds apart and then you sift through the results to load the ones you like. Forget the human part of the equation. Want a photo of your child's very first interaction with Mickey? No problem...a camera across the room will capture it from a fixed position. Super personal.

As experience that contributed to the "Disney Magic" is now handled by a traffic camera. Have a magical day!

Honestly...how much could they have been paying that Photopass cast member? Isn't whatever that cost was worth the personal Disney touch for thousands of guests?

I can only hope this is a test and will go the way of talking Mickey.

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Unfortunately, Tink was the test and this seems to be the rollout...

[neatfrk]

Unfortunately, Tink was the test and this seems to be the rollout...

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What a horrible move by Disney. Just seems dumb and impersonal. As a shareholder, I for one would be OK with a few less pennies in my next DIS dividend if it meant having an actual human being there to capture the priceless moments we all know these automated cameras won't.

[thingy003]

Originally Posted by neatfrk

As a semi-related note - not sure if anyone on here follows Tom Bricker's blog, but he's reporting that the MK Mickey & Minnie meet-n-greet has been converted to automated photography instead of a Photopass photographer.

disneytouristblog/au...magic-kingdom/

Add this to the list. Now, you walk in awkwardly greeting the mice and there isn't even a Photopass human being present (only the Cast Member ushering guests in and out). Instead there's a pair of automated cameras clicking away at preset intervals. For me this nonsensical change perfectly encapsulates the discussion here.

Everyone gets the same angle, shot a few seconds apart and then you sift through the results to load the ones you like. Forget the human part of the equation. Want a photo of your child's very first interaction with Mickey? No problem...a camera across the room will capture it from a fixed position. Super personal.

As experience that contributed to the "Disney Magic" is now handled by a traffic camera. Have a magical day!

Honestly...how much could they have been paying that Photopass cast member? Isn't whatever that cost was worth the personal Disney touch for thousands of guests?

I can only hope this is a test and will go the way of talking Mickey.

See more...

This really saddens me.

On our first visit we met Tinkerbell (before she was in the Town Hall) with my 14 month old daughter and the candid pictures that we got from it are absolutely amazing. This is the magic that you just can't put a price on.

Getting to the rest of the discussion we have already said that this will be our last trip fro a long time but it will be our first time staying onsite. I want to do driving holidays across Europe for the next few years so it is more about allowing the children to experience other cultures than it is about the money. Having said that we skip holidays for a couple of years and then do Florida so if you average out the cost over 3 years it is no more than going to Spain every year.

[Nimbus]

Originally Posted by Clare

Glad you said that as I had someone elsewhere totally dispute the whole Disney price/increase issue (hence why I put just my opinion).

See more...

Disney's prices are increasing. Whether it's an issue or not is another thing. Increasing prices haven't made a difference to the number of visitors in the past - in fact, visitor numbers have increased year-on-year. More people visited WDW last year than in any other year.

[Nimbus]

Originally Posted by neatfrk

As a semi-related note - not sure if anyone on here follows Tom Bricker's blog, but he's reporting that the MK Mickey & Minnie meet-n-greet has been converted to automated photography instead of a Photopass photographer.

disneytouristblog/au...magic-kingdom/

Add this to the list. Now, you walk in awkwardly greeting the mice and there isn't even a Photopass human being present (only the Cast Member ushering guests in and out). Instead there's a pair of automated cameras clicking away at preset intervals. For me this nonsensical change perfectly encapsulates the discussion here.

Everyone gets the same angle, shot a few seconds apart and then you sift through the results to load the ones you like. Forget the human part of the equation. Want a photo of your child's very first interaction with Mickey? No problem...a camera across the room will capture it from a fixed position. Super personal.

As experience that contributed to the "Disney Magic" is now handled by a traffic camera. Have a magical day!

Honestly...how much could they have been paying that Photopass cast member? Isn't whatever that cost was worth the personal Disney touch for thousands of guests?

I can only hope this is a test and will go the way of talking Mickey.

See more...

It's not a test. Disney announced this was happening last year. Here's an official FAQ about it:

disneyworld.disney.go/en...omatic-camera/

TBH, I've never really interacted with the photopass photographers at character meets. They usually just stand there in a fixed position taking photos and saying nothing. It's the other CM that normally talks to me and introduces the character. Ok, I suppose the photographer does prompt you to look at the camera and/or stand in a certain location (or whatever). But I assume the CM will do this now.

It's not like the photopass photographers were highly trained photographers. Many were simply CMs with cameras. But, yeah, having an automated camera take the photo instead of a person is a little disappointing.

[neatfrk]

It's not like the photopass photographers were highly trained photographers. Many were simply CMs with cameras. But, yeah, having an automated camera take the photo instead of a person is a little disappointing.

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Next they are going to test cardboard replicas of characters at meet-n-greets.

[JimF]

We started going nearly 30 years ago when the children were young.
We were DVC owners for 15 years but sold out as we were disenchanted. I wouldn't argue with ticket prices until recently but the food prices were increasing way above inflation for a poor quality offering. Then "free" dining happened. I don't want to choose my menu 6 months ahead so we stay outside but nearby. We still visit Florida but alternate between Disney and other parks and on some trips just chill. Orlando is one of the few places where all the family have fun at the same time but Disney don't have a monopoly on that. The parks are not as well maintained as they were in the past and the new parking charges for onsite guests may cost them in the long term. The directors' bonus pool is no doubt swelled by squeezing the parks for short term revenue but many a good business has beeen ruined by nickel and diming its customers.