So Many Changes at Walt Disney World

[SeventyOne]

Some random changes I came across today that the internet has not told me about:

Port of Entry (or whichever Tower at World showplace it was) has turned a register into a wine bar, the Mercantile at Canada is now subtitled "Refreshments" and has a wine bar back amid the plush huskies and moose. There's like a wine bar in every nook and crannie.

The Canadian mini-bar has come and gone a couple times over the past year or so. Last time I was there, it didn't even have a register, they gave you a drink and escorted you over to the main register to pay. (Politely, of course, they are Canadian.) But the Port of Entry one is new to me. Getting to a point there may be more alcohol points of sale in EPCOT than there were in Pleasure Island. If there was any doubt as to that park's current raison d'etat.

But I'm sure booze in MK will be limited to one--ehr, four restaurants.

Refurb walls all over Mexico, the promenade, lagoon waterfront, and all the area of showcase plaza - particularly the rose garden walkway. I think it's for the Art festival thing in January but it's not helping holiday crowds.

Wait for it, wait for it ... new tequila bar! Agreed that's the worst place for construction at busy times.

 

[Nick]

Wait for it, wait for it ... new tequila bar! Agreed that's the worst place for construction at busy times.

Ah... but that's where you're wrong! It's for the new Margarita stand! Remember, Elsa kicked the old one out.

 

[Joel]

Also, every sngle Joeffrey's coffee at Epcot had its own liquor-filled coffee drink. Gingerbread, Crazy Elf, Peppermint Cocoa - each one (and Epcot has lots of these locations) had its own unique drink and a giant 6ft tall sign telling you it was offering it.

thats awesome

 

[epcyclopedia]

thats awesome

Was a little surreal. 6ft tall 3-sided triangular prism sort of sign, like a shopping directory or a movie advert. All three sides have the same thing. White background. Name of drink in giant letters, photo of the drink floating in space the size of your head, and then smaller text detailing the booze contents.

 

[GadgetGuru]

Screamscape has an article blaming all of the recent upcharges on new overtime pay rules affecting Disney World's management. If true, it does explain why Disneyland + others haven't seen all of the upcharges.

 

[UniversalRBLX]

Some of these changes lead me to thinking that it could be a way to "pay back" all the money lost for Disney Springs and it not doing as well as they thought.

 

[Viator]

Screamscape has an article blaming all of the recent upcharges on new overtime pay rules affecting Disney World's management. If true, it does explain why Disneyland + others haven't seen all of the upcharges.

To be fair, it sounds like Disneyland's version of MM+ may finally arrive next year; but I could be wrong about that. Regardless, I think it's a manner of multiple factors, like Avatar/MyMagic/NFL being major pains to Disney right now; not to mention SWL costing at about a billion (and that was confirmed by Iger).

 

[Mad Dog]

Screamscape has an article blaming all of the recent upcharges on new overtime pay rules affecting Disney World's management. If true, it does explain why Disneyland + others haven't seen all of the upcharges.

I believe that a Federal Judge blocked that ruling. Those changes are in limbo now, and doubtful that the Trump administration will proceed along that route.

 

[s8film40]

I believe that a Federal Judge blocked that ruling. Those changes are in limbo now, and doubtful that the Trump administration will proceed along that route.

You know I thought I had heard that too. I actually was talking with a WDW manager friend a few days ago and asked him if he was doing something work related that I knew about and he said he could only be at work one hour that day due to the new salaried overtime requirements. So apparently those restrictions are in place. Now if it's something where they put it in place early or are worried about them applying retroactively or something I don't know.

These changes do indeed have a pretty big impact on WDW and the theme park industry as a whole as it's very common for management to be in that pay range and frequently taken advantage of. I know this would have had a big impact on me had I not left WDW either in more time off or more pay.

 

[UNIrd]

Screamscape has an article blaming all of the recent upcharges on new overtime pay rules affecting Disney World's management. If true, it does explain why Disneyland + others haven't seen all of the upcharges.

I think that did have an effect where I work too.

 

[Mad Dog]

You know I thought I had heard that too. I actually was talking with a WDW manager friend a few days ago and asked him if he was doing something work related that I knew about and he said he could only be at work one hour that day due to the new salaried overtime requirements. So apparently those restrictions are in place. Now if it's something where they put it in place early or are worried about them applying retroactively or something I don't know.

These changes do indeed have a pretty big impact on WDW and the theme park industry as a whole as it's very common for management to be in that pay range and frequently taken advantage of. I know this would have had a big impact on me had I not left WDW either in more time off or more pay.

Some workplaces may have jumped the gun & started it, but now it's on hold and probably dead. So now they'll save all that money they thought they had to spend and lower mgt. will go back to working long hours for little reward.

 

[Nick]

To be fair, it sounds like Disneyland's version of MM+ may finally arrive next year; but I could be wrong about that. Regardless, I think it's a manner of multiple factors, like Avatar/MyMagic/NFL being major pains to Disney right now; not to mention SWL costing at about a billion (and that was confirmed by Iger).

DL's MM+ is going to be VERY different from WDW's though. It won't impact park experience nearly as much and FP reservations will only be able to be made on the app day-of. The physical media of FP will also still exist in DL.

 

[bob albert]

DL's MM+ is going to be VERY different from WDW's though. It won't impact park experience nearly as much and FP reservations will only be able to be made on the app day-of. The physical media of FP will also still exist in DL.

So everyone with a phone will be competing at the same time when the fastpasses become availible? That sounds worse.

 

[Nick]

So everyone with a phone will be competing at the same time when the fastpasses become availible? That sounds worse.

If you've ever been to DL you know it's a much more laid back experience. I'm sure passes will go quick, but I don't think it will be nearly the problem it is in WDW. Even as a tourist I tour DL much more leisurely than I do WDW.

 

[Bobharlem]

No capacity closures at Disney world this year so far (none on the 4th of July, none today nor yesterday). Did the massive jack up in price do the job or is this a sign of trouble for next year? (I doubt Pandora will spike it much)

Adding the fact cast member main gate/passes were a magnitude more generous this year than last. So what's going on?

 

[GadgetGuru]

Has Universal had a regular number of closures?

On one hand, it could just be that people are sick of Disney's price hikes. But, another $20 a ticket on a several thousand dollar vacation (plane tickets and hotels) isn't all that much in my mind.

Now, if Universal and all of the I-Drive area hotels are seeing issues, that would speak more about consumer confidence in the economy.

 

[GAcoaster]

MK is usually the only park to start turning away guests at Disney and it has not so far this year. Some of that is the new manager who I've been told doesn't want to turn guests away until absolutely necessary. I heard at one point yesterday there was a record or near record number of guests in the park at one time. Apparently the logic is that the new hub, backstage bypass road and added area in NFL make those closings less necessary. I still wouldn't want to be there when it's that crowded and would be pissed if I had just paid the $125 for a one day ticket and it was that packed.

 

[Mad Dog]

No capacity closures at Disney world this year so far (none on the 4th of July, none today nor yesterday). Did the massive jack up in price do the job or is this a sign of trouble for next year? (I doubt Pandora will spike it much)

Adding the fact cast member main gate/passes were a magnitude more generous this year than last. So what's going on?

Looking at DHS wait times for Christmas Eve & Christmas day, on the Touring Plans app, the DHS (and AK) crowds were in the low to low moderate levels like you see in late Jan., early February . MK & Epcot seemed busy though. It looks like DHS really misses having SOA holiday lights displays that attracted lots of people. That and so few attractions and a really smallish park in area at this point in time. In past years, DHS & AK were always 9 or 10 on the scale. This year 2 and 4's for the weekend.

 

[Disneyhead]

MK is usually the only park to start turning away guests at Disney and it has not so far this year. Some of that is the new manager who I've been told doesn't want to turn guests away until absolutely necessary. I heard at one point yesterday there was a record or near record number of guests in the park at one time. Apparently the logic is that the new hub, backstage bypass road and added area in NFL make those closings less necessary. I still wouldn't want to be there when it's that crowded and would be pissed if I had just paid the $125 for a one day ticket and it was that packed.

More foot space doesn't create carrying capacity for the park. The fact the parking lots never filled leads me to believe that they did not have record crowds yesterday. And it was not uncommon in the past to have multiple parks in phased closing during the Christmas week. The only logical conclusion that can be drawn is that there is simple less people there this week than in previous years.

 

[epcyclopedia]

I do think the tiered ticket pricing and such finally managed to steer some people out of the parks during peak periods and into the slow periods.

I also think the marathon week is earlier in 2017 starting on the 4th so that seems to have sucked up some capacity by having folks move their trip by just a week or so.

For all the talk of one day tickets and once in a lifetime guests, they're the minority from my experience. Or rather, people with a one day ticket may have been here several times before - even earlier this year. The one day first timers are like finding a unicorn.