New VIP Tours

[Amy]

Did anyone else see that they are adding 2 VIP tours to the tour offerings? There appear to be two packages, one for thrill rides and one geared toward the younger set. Each tour will be $299/guest, last around 6-7 hours and will not include park admission, but does include lunch at a table service restaurant.
I wasn't able to find a direct link to WDW for tour information, but from Chip&Co., here are the attractions that are supposed to be included with each tour:

The Ultimate Day of Thrills – Walt Disney VIP Tour Experience. It is held on select days and starts at the Magic Kingdom, with a thrill seeking ride on Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. Then moving to Haunted Mansion, Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, Space Mountain and Splash Mountain. After lunch at one of the resorts the tour will continue onto to Hollywood Studios where you get to enjoy the thrilling rides of Rock’n’Roller Coaster, Star Tours, Tower of Terror and Toy Story Midway Mania. Your day will end at Disney’s Animal Kingdom riding Expedition Everest and DINOSAUR.
If thrills rides are not your idea of a VIP Tour, there is another, more family friendly tour also available.

The Ultimate Day for Young Families - Walt Disney World VIP Tour Experience. This family friendly VIP tour is also held on select days and begins in Magic Kingdom. You get to enjoy The Barnstormer, Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin, Dumbo the Flying Elephant, “it’s a small world”, Magic Carpets of Aladdin, Peter Pan’s Flight, Tomorrowland Speedway, and Under the Sea ~ Journey of the Little Mermaid. After lunch at a resort the tour will continue to Hollywood Studios where you will watch Disney Junior Live on Stage and ride Toy Story Mania ! The tour concludes with Festival of the Lion King and Kilimanjaro Safaris at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Park.

They will be offered Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays and will cost $299 a person and valid park admission needed. Disney Visa Cardholders, Annual Passholders and Disney Vacation Club Members will receive a 15% discount upon booking.
Call 407-WDW-TOUR for more information.

Sounds to me like Disney is trying to compete with the front of the line passes offered by Universal. What do you think, does this sound like it is worth $300 a person?

[Wizzard419]

It's like a mini/pre-planned version of the big VIP tour I guess.

I still want to see them monetize the app/FP+ system, otherwise that was a pointless exercise.

[Amy]

It's like a mini/pre-planned version of the big VIP tour I guess.

I still want to see them monetize the app/FP+ system, otherwise that was a pointless exercise.

This could be the first step toward that ~ they can judge the popularity of this and see how many people are willing to pay for this VIP experience, then they can sort of judge how much they might charge for FP+ I for one hope they don't go down that road because I know I won't be able to pay for that ever and it would sort of take some of the magic away from me watching others sail through lines. I like the free system.

[Wizzard419]

The best route would be keep it in the same sh*tshow state that it is in, then offer extra FPs (since they are not instant front of the line) at a price that is cheap but not too cheap to be overly purchased and hurting the flow.

The only problem would be having to build out a means of doing the purchase on mobile but not in-app so that they wouldn't end up giving 33% to Apple/Google. It makes the companies furious to do it, and would probably end up banning them from promotion, but that could be more money than anything DI has ever generated on mobile.

[Goofyfan]

Hmmmm. Money Money Money.

[Amy]

Whoops ~ how did I get two posts of the same thing on here...going to have to go call the mods and hang my head in shame
Wow ~ they have to pay that big of a royalty to Apple/Google? That's a big chunk!
Yeah, I think there will be some sort of tier system happening. It is just too easy of a way for them to make some additional funds not to tap into that.

[Wizzard419]

This is why we can't have anything nice, Amy. This is also how we get ants!

[cy1229]

Two threads merged into one.

I think I just made a rope.

The tours sound ok, but I don't know why anyone would drop that kind of money for it.

I'm with Amy, Wizz, if they start making the app or FP+ pay to use, it will just add to the degradation of what should be an awesome vacation. It's pretty arrogant of a corporation to believe they can just charge for every stinkin' thing and believe it won't have repercussions at some point. But I guess Disney is apt to push the envelope as much as possible to see just how much they can get away with. I know the point of any company is to make money, but the motivation to make DLR was to have a place enjoyable by parents and kids alike. It wouldn't have been undertaken if it was going to net a loss, but the purpose wasn't first and foremost to make money. However, that's what has become priority #1, and it shows.

[Amy]

This is why we can't have anything nice, Amy. This is also how we get ants!

Two threads merged into one.

I think I just made a rope.......

Badumpbumptschisss But seriously, thanks for merging the two and fixing my boo-boo!

[Wizzard419]

I'm with Amy, Wizz, if they start making the app or FP+ pay to use, it will just add to the degradation of what should be an awesome vacation. It's pretty arrogant of a corporation to believe they can just charge for every stinkin' thing and believe it won't have repercussions at some point. But I guess Disney is apt to push the envelope as much as possible to see just how much they can get away with. I know the point of any company is to make money, but the motivation to make DLR was to have a place enjoyable by parents and kids alike. It wouldn't have been undertaken if it was going to net a loss, but the purpose wasn't first and foremost to make money. However, that's what has become priority #1, and it shows.

The app would never be pay to use, no one would download it (people will spend $600+ on the phone but not even consider 99 cents for good apps), but they've already degraded the system considerably (even prior to the changeover). The entire Disney model is built on your experience being a direct function of what you're willing to pay. With the system now they already reward those who spend more to stay on-property, supposedly the more expensive resorts will also be getting more passes than value resorts.

The story about why walt built DLR... that is marketing, nothing more, nothing less. Simply put, he saw money first, then used folksy BS to get people to come in.

[cy1229]

The story about why walt built DLR... that is marketing, nothing more, nothing less. Simply put, he saw money first, then used folksy BS to get people to come in.

Being that as it may, and since I never knew the man or his family personally I can't argue with it, my point is that from my chair, in my trips the last 10+ years I've seen a whittling away at the experience. When my first husband and I went to WDW in 2001 and the girls were small, we got the dining plan (there was only one at that point) and it included every Disney restaurant, AND the gratuity. We literally ate our way through Disney World, including Artist Point! I know this first roll out was too expensive to continue that way. In 2008 the girls and I got the Deluxe plan (too much food) and the food still seemed good. Our 2010 and 2012 trips we all saw a decline in the quality of the food being served. Service was still very good or better but the overall dining experience has degraded.

Extra Magic Hours are not that much of an enticement, IMHO. I don't know, maybe others love this added bonus of staying on property. I haven't noticed any decline in the rooms or service at the resorts I've stayed in. But Bay Lake Tower was definitely a disappointment in that it was small, the furnishings and finishes were banged up pretty badly (our 2012 trip) and it just wasn't very Disney. The last point is of course our opinion based on our aesthetic preferences.

Many people on these boards and others have expressed a disappointment in the way attractions and other things at the parks have declined. One gentleman in particular misses the spontaneous entertainment that used to be in multiple locations throughout the parks. There are still a few groups that perform, but most have disappeared.

It's no longer possible to sit on Main Street USA and crowd watch, unless you want to sit on the ground. There aren't any benches. There weren't a LOT of benches but there were some, where it was practical to place them.

And on and on and on the list goes. My point being that the experience of the average Disney guest has taken a back seat to making money. As long as the numbers are still there, little or no worry is paid to repeat guests still enjoying their time. Few will pay $300 per person to take a VIP tour unless (A) they're quite wealthy and (B) they haven't been there ever or in awhile. And, the people who don't pay for the service will see being pushed aside to allow the VIP'ers as yet another way they're being pumped for more. It's always more, more, more. And it gets old.

Hubby and I have talked a lot about whether we think it's really worth it to go to WDW anymore. We're on the fence, and this is a strong Disney-loving household. So there you have it. I doubt that we're the only ones in the U.S. who feel this way.

[Wizzard419]

Arguably, the system is more equal today than it was pre-80's. Remember, back when the ABC ticket still existed, you were only allowed on as many rides as you had tickets for, when you ran out you would either have to buy more or simply go home.

Benches going away, not really part of this subject since it isn't like they are going for the libertarian benches. http://www.treehugger.com/eco-friendly- ... dream.html
They just simply did away with them, presumably to allow more people to be able to stand and watch parades.

WDW really isn't designed for repeat trips, you are welcome to it, but you may be severely disappointed in the lack of change especially when you consider the higher costs to travel there, staying there, and all.

The one key with these services that Disney and Universal always strive for is that the guests do not feel any impact on their day because a VIP jumped the line on them. They try to make it as subtle as possible, to the point that you wouldn't even know they were there unless you looked up the tours.