Walt Disney World does it again. They now hate people that drive

birdhombre said:

One could also make the argument, why should people who drive cars have to subsidize the cost of Disney buses? If people want to be car-free and have Disney cart them around all week, make 'em pay for it [as a separate line item].

I think you're looking at the busses in the wrong way. Without the busses Disney would have to support a larger road network, have more police on staff, build bigger parking lots, etc.

I know, I was just sort of playing the other side. From a business standpoint, HW's soft drink policy saves them money on first aid and ambulance fees, because fewer guests are dehydrated. But from the customer side, one could see it as subsidizing a bunch of freeloading soda guzzlers. Obviously Disney has a vested interest in keeping people on property, and the transit system is part of making that happen.

I may be wrong but I would be very surprised if the HW "free" drink policy had much, if anything, to do with first aid and ambulance fees. That policy is all about the marketing power of the word "free." You can charge people more on an all in basis but if you include something for "free" many people will prefer it over the lower all in cost without getting something for "free."

That was likely the initial reason, but I recall an interview a few years later where Will Koch mentioned the unintended savings. I'm not finding it in the googles, so maybe it was a video interview.

Their per-cap spending went up to. I wonder what effect this thing will have on Disney's per caps for resort guests.

I imagine their per caps will go up, too.

1) People with cars spend more money so they can park.

2) People without cars use the "free" buses, which in turn get more crowded, people get sick of that crap, so they now call for a Minnie Van and spend $25 to get somewhere else on property.

I don't think that it's a coincidence that this fee was rolled out after the successful launch (and subsequent price raising) of the Minnie Van service.

Holiday World was looking to increase attendance and used the marketing power of "free." And it worked. Disney is at a different point and rather than looking to increase attendance, is looking to reduce it somewhat (at least at certain times during the year). The parking change is consistent with what they did with ticket price increases: if you are looking to thin the herds, the thinning should be with customers that you are more willing to lose than the customers you prefer.

I know it’s not entirely relevant, but here’s some more proof that people will find a way to go to Disney, regardless of circumstances:

In one of the groups on Facebook this morning, there was a dead serious post from someone, asking if she could use her EBT to pay for food and merchandise on her upcoming trip in May.

People suggested that she was absolutely insane, but she insisted that “the trip is already paid in full and she lost her job” - anyone who questioned her or told her that she’d be better off canceling her trip and getting her money back, sans deposit, was called “insensitive”, “judgmental”, and “on a high horse”.

She eventually deleted her topic after too many people told her what she didn’t want to hear, but it’s jut crazy to me that anyone in a situation like that would even still *think* about taking a vacation that is a few months away, without first finding another job.

I wonder how she is going to pay for resort parking...

I think you meant to say "I wonder how we are going to pay for her resort parking"'

Raven-Phile said:

She eventually deleted her topic after too many people told her what she didn’t want to hear, but it’s jut crazy to me that anyone in a situation like that would even still *think* about taking a vacation that is a few months away, without first finding another job.

I'm in shock that it was on the table in the first place, given that it's obvious that she's living paycheck to paycheck. We're saving up for two years (on top of our regular emergency, college, and retirement contributions) to afford to go.

Obviously you are doing things wrong. Isn't your kids happiness right now what is important???

If she needs to eat while on her already paid for vacation can't she just use her EBT card at Walmart and buy food to put in a cooler? I wouldn't know I've never had an EBT card or been to Disney but I've packed many coolers on the way to amusement parks...

I don't know that woman or the details of her circumstances but this isn't black or white in my opinion. If I had a paid in full vacation planned for the kids, and they knew it was coming, I'd do just about anything to make it happen for them, even if I lost my job. If none of you have ever made choices that looked bad on paper but came from the heart then more power to you.

I dunno. I tend to be super conservative with my money, so I'd never plan a vacation that was potentially going to impact my food availability if I lost my job. But even if I did for whatever reason, I'd hope I'm a competent and trustworthy enough parent to explain to my kids that we have to cancel the vacation because financial responsibility is a value that we aspire to.

I hear a lot of stories like this (my wife is obsessed with parenting blogs) and I always wonder what the cost is to a child's values and appreciation of what they have.

HeyIsntThatRob? said:

What differed from a single day Disney trip to a full on Disney vacation is that we felt captive. If we wanted to leave the park, we had to wait for a bus. Sometimes with waits as long as 45 minutes.

Perhaps that new sky ride transportation system Disney is building will make a great substitute for the long wait for the bus.

Magic kingdom still makes me feel that way. We were just talking about this today - in order to leave, you need to take a bus, monorail, or boat - there is no other way to get out. The other parks are way less of a hostage situation.

That was a deliberate choice by Mr Disney. He wanted to build the sense of arrival to Magic Kingdom.

I think we all know that, but with changing sensibilities, pretty much everyone is annoyed by it at this point.

Speaking for myself, I actually enjoy the sense of anticipation approaching Magic Kingdom. I also like approaching Cedar Point on the causeway -- as you drive along there's that epic coaster skyline.

The sense of anticipation is great. The sense of “okay, I’m done here, please just let me get away from all of these people and back to my car before I have a nervous breakdown” that happens about mid-day, however, is not.

I’m well aware that’s by design, but when the express monorail is closed going out, and accepting incoming traffic only, and the ferry boats are scarce, your choices are extremely limited. Yesterday, I was in a similar situation - I was very thirsty, cranky and just wanted to be back at the pool with a drink in my hand. To top it off, I had to pee, and there was no bathroom within the walls of MK with less than 20 people waiting and I couldn’t wait - so, I hopped the resort monorail (after waiting at the chain for another one because they had filled up, stopped at contemporary, used the bathroom, grabbed a water, and then had to wait 3 more monorail cycles to get out, due to the sheer volume of people using that particular service. I don’t think people realize you can walk from there to MK.