By now, you've probably heard that the Wand that's stood next to Spaceship Earth for the past eight years is being dismantled. Which many Disneyana fans have chosen to take as a sign that Walt Disney World has finally turned a corner. That -- from here on in -- the Mouse will concentrate on delivering a top quality guest experience to all WDW visitors. Meaning that the bad old days of continual cost cutting are now finally behind us.
Well, far be it from me to drag a little reality into Fantasyland. But over this past weekend, I learned that cost cutting is still alive and well at the WDW Resort.
"And where is Disney nickel & dime-ing us now?," you ask. Would you believe it's at that annual event that's designed to celebrate the Season of Giving -- Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party?
Strange but true, folks. This after-hours hard ticket event (Which was originally dreamed up 'way back in 1986 as a way to get Central Florida residents to come out to the Magic Kingdom during the first week of December. Which -- back then -- was an extremely slow time of year for the resort) -- has grown from being just this simple 2 night-long holiday-themed affair to becoming Disney's Christmas Cash Cow.
I'm serious. In 2007, "Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party" will be presented on 19 different nights. Starting on November 13 and continuing right up until December 22, upwards of 25,000 guests will enter the Magic Kingdom on each of these special evenings and then enjoy a wide variety of holiday-themed entertainment.
Mind you, it's not just the number of nights that "MVMCP" is presented on annually that's been expanding. The price of this holiday hard ticket has also grown in size over the past twenty-plus years. Where back in 1987, it only cost an adult $17.95 to gain admission to the Magic Kingdom's after-hours Christmas event ... Nowadays, a same-day ticket to "Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party" will cost you an eye-popping $47.95.
Of course, there are those that will tell you that -- what with the presentation of the special holiday version of "Wishes" as well as "Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Parade" -- that that $47.95-per-person price tag is really worth it. Particularly since -- in addition to all of the holiday-themed entertainment that you get to see as you wander through the Magic Kingdom that night -- you also get free hot chocolate & cookies, a souvenir button as well as a complimentary photograph to commemorate your after-hours visit to this theme park during the holiday season.
Which is all well & good. Except that -- starting in 2004, as a cost-saving measure -- the Walt Disney Company discontinued the free "Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party" commemorative button. And starting last year, Disney also did away with the complimentary photograph.
The way I hear it, Magic Kingdom managers got so many complaints from party-goers last year once they learned that this particular free perk had been cut from MVMCP that ... Well, it was felt that something had to be done in advance in order to prepare for all the guest complaints that they were sure to receive at this year's event.
"So what are they going to do?," you query."Reinstate the complimentary photograph at 'Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party?' " Hardly. What Disney decided to do instead last week was create an explanation that Magic Kingdom managers can then use to placate any angry guests that they encounter at this year's after-hours holiday event. Which goes like this ...
"Instead of waiting in line to have a complimentary picture, Disney's PhotoPass will be covering the party and offering party Guests 50% off all 5x7 photos and the ability to view and share online at no charge. To lessen the Guest perception of the 'take away,' specialized MVMCP event borders and PhotoPass cards have been created as a keepsake for the Guests. Guest Relations will be armed with a number of 'discount codes' which Guests can redeem for a free photo online as Guest Service Recovery."
It's hoped that -- now that they'll have these "discount codes" at their disposal -- Magic Kingdom managers will then be able to quickly placate any angry MVMCP guests that they encounter at this year's event.
More to the point, as time goes by, WDW managers are hoping that fewer & fewer MVMCP goers will remember that this event used to feature a complimentary photograph or even realize that this perk has been cut. So that these folks will then happily shell out the extra bucks necessary to get a souvenir photo of this after-hours holiday event. A souvenir that -- right up until 2005 -- used to be a freebie.
Obviously, Mouse House managers never intended that this particular informational leaflet be leaked to the public. Otherwise, they never would have included a description of the ABC Christmas parade tapings that featured this clearly-meant-to-be-private joke :
"Coming back for its 23rd year, the Emmy Award Winning ABC Walt Disney World Christmas Day Parade will tape from Main Street, U.S.A. on December 1-3. This year promises to be bigger and better than the last, with new acts on the Castle Stage and Regis and Kelly back in the host booth in Town Square. And don't forget, in order to accomodate Regis' ego, the Town Square Christmas Tree will not be loaded until December 6."
Soooo ... In the weeks ahead, it's going to be interesting to see who's going to make the bigger stink. WDW visitors (Once they realize that Mouse House managers now want them to forget that "Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party" ever used to feature a complimentary photograph) or Regis Philbin (Once Philbin finds out that WDW managers are making fun of him behind his back).
Your thoughts?
Disney merchandising has been like this for a long time now. Anything that gets them to the magic number... What's interesting is the photo-pass discount. A lot of guests get that anyway so it'll be interesting to see if it ultimatly results in Disney losing more money than they're saving. Incidentally it's hard to say they're gouging the price if people still readily pay it Jim. It's not like central Floridians don't have options we're willing to use during the holidays...
I've never had the opportunity to be at WDW for the Christmas celebrations, it's something I'd love to do.
To me, I dont think the lack of a button and photo would be that much of a big deal. Fristly I would be buying the special pin which i'm sure will be available to buy (I only get pins for events, hotels etc that I get actually attend so my pin collection is more of a "I was there" collection).
Secondly, I think the Disney PhotoPass is the best thing introduced to the park for years especially now you can get the CD of every photo for $120 or so. My wife and I got the CD just from our week visit to New York and the dozen visits to the World Of Disney store where we had tons of photos taken with various characters; once we added all the various borders and signature combos we had something around 130 pics on the disc (so less than $1 each to have them all to print at will). So weighing it up, it's either one free photo from the night in the old system or now with the photopass I would be able to get as many pics as I want throughout the night and let the photopass cameraman/woman snap away all of which will be included on the disc which I would be ordering anyway and thus can either still be considered free or brings down the per photo cost of buying the disc (whichever way you want to look at it).
In short, anyone who is that bothered about the lack of free photo needs to look at PhotoPass more, take advantage of the system and just get them to snap away for your entire trip, get all those family photos all holiday in all the key locations and with all the characters, more importantly get all the family rather than 1 always missing taking the pics, then just get them all on the disc and print them at will. Forget the 5x7 or 8x10 prints, they are a rip off, pay $120 which i know is a lot, but if you've got 700 photos on there, then thats less than 20cents a photo, that's got to be value for money for proffessional high quality family photos.
(1) The free photo was discontinued in 2006.
(2) On 10 of the 19 dates, the price is $40.95 rather than $47.95. 6.5% tax applies to both.
(3) An increase from $17.95 to $47.95 in 20 years is an annual rate of 5%. An increase from $17.95 to $40.95 in 20 years is an annual rate of 4.2%. Somewhat more than inflation, yes. Outrageous? I don't think so. If you paid $36.95 in 2005 and $47.95 this year, yes that hurts a little. But $36.95 to $40.95 is just business as usual. It's your choice.
I've been to this event 2 of the last three years, and I never got the free photo. The lines were alweays too long to bother waiting for it.
Personally, the 50% off PhotoPass photos is worth more to me than a free picture that I have to carry around the rest of the evening. With the amount of photos we usually buy through photopass, that 50% savings could cover one of the family's admission tickets.
...and to add, that comment about Regis's ego is very humorous!
While I enjoy the Photopass System, I feel it is still in the developmental stage. The day I can ride Space Mountain, smile big for the camera and then hand my photopass card to the photo lady, I will stop whining. Until then I will continue to use my digital camera to "steal" the photograph of me.
I also feel that it is horrendous to charge people to download a digital copy of a photo of themselves. I feel you should be able to download the raw for free, but the system is probably set up where if the raw was downloadable, then any of the perks you can add to the photo could probably be hacked around. So I just use printscreen and photoshop.
all this being said, I actually approve this move by WDW. Personalized photographs are giving way to the PhotoPass system which I think is awesome because i'd rather have a digital file than ANOTHER analog artifact to contend with.
and since when did the wand come to symbolize cost-cutting? or is it just the fact that the wand wasn't removed until several years AFTER the event it was celebrating?
I do agree that eliminating the photo seems sort of "nickel and dime". That being said, we've been to MVMCP a few times now, and NEVER gotten the free photo. The waits are just WAAAAAY to long.
I'm sure much of the reasoning is, as Jim suggests, fiscal in nature. I doubt the gridlock that the photos created really helped matters much. That being said, the discount (provided it's on your ENTIRE order, and not just a) the MVMCP pics or b) a max $ amount (say, 50% off your first $25), is, at least, a decent replacement. Not great, but decent.
Being able to add the ride photos to the PhotoPass would be excellent.
I'm already sold to just getting the CD, i did the print screen photoshop option last trip and now I really regret not buying the CD. My plan is just to get as many photos taken as possible, then add all the border combos etc just really get as many pics for the money; I'd drag one of their camera guys around the park with me to photo entire days if they'd let me.
Has the price of the Christmas event gone up since they dropped the included photo?
Yeah, I see this as offering a better experience. Like other people have said, you are avoiding having to stand in line. You are also going to be presented with a potentially larger array of photos to choose from, not just the one standard location they offered (I assume) in the past. This actually gives those attending a better choice.
The problem is, when offering that many photos, it is going to cost more - thus, I can see why they are not giving it away for free.
I also find the Regis comment difficult to believe. I cannot see Disney letting something like this slip into an official communications...
I feel like i'm taking crazy pills!!!
Get your facts straight. The photo was discontinued not only in 2006, but also in 2006 at the Mickeys Not So Scary Halloween Party as well.
Along with the buttons.
But you know what? They still give you AS MUCH complimentary hot chocolate and cookies (and applejuice and apples) ALL NIGHT LONG.
It still snows on main street.
You get to see 2 shows before the week of christmas (which, um I stay clear of disney, its so crowded!) that are spectacular. Also the fireworks show.
And while the free photo was a nice momento, NOW you can choose to take a picture most anywhere in the park, instead of on their droopy backdrop.
As for the pins. They were nice momentos. But when they discontinued the pins years ago, I started purchasing the "real" pins, which are better quality anyway. And its my "souvenier" from the party.
Ive been going to the parties religiously since 1987. Us FL residents LOVE THEM. I hate the slander of this article. Its so biased and it changes facts and leaves out information that makes this party worth the money.
bullfrog117 said:
- actually test track is doing just that. Walk off the ride, swipe your card, your on-ride photo is now on your photo pass. Using space mountain is a bad example, since that ride doesnt have a photo system (unless you're referring to Disneyland)
StrongStyle I was with you I don’t think $120 is a lot of money for the CD, verse other tourist photo’s, and it is nice to be in one or two photo’s, but how even being persistent can you rack up 700 photos? On a 7-10 night that’s a lot of looking for photographers. We are usually there for four nights’ is a $1 a picture still a good deal. You make some great points.
I have my photo form Halloween line was too long for Christmas frankly, Jim may be right they are nickel and diming us, but this is one “perk” I will not miss all that much, this issue may not have been the best illustration of the belt tightening.
I want to switch to Greenyskip's blog - can you please add it to my photopass?
Went to a few Christmas parties during the early years - frankly, the button and the free photo Were the highlights of the evening at that time. Thankfully, today's Christmas parties do not rely on buttons to make the guests feel their expectations were exceeded. As a suspicious tourist, I shooed the photopass photogs away when that program started up. Now, I am a complete photopass convert - there can never be too many of these folks. If they could add a photopass outpost in Vegas, that would be appreciated.
Disney does their best, but after 12 years in Florida, I still find it hard to get the Christmas spirit. That being said, the Candlelight Processional, Holiday Illuminations, and Christmas around the World at Epcot come pretty darn close. . .and for no extra money, unless you want the dinner package for the Processional.
Now if only they could get a new parade over there.
My problem with the MVMCP is that they just don't only keep raising the prices and taking stuff away is that they keep jacking up the attendance cap and allowing more people in these parties. There is that and the fact that the parties used to be an extra way to experience Christmas at the Magic Kingdom now it is the only way to experience Christmas at MK before December 22. That is ridiculous. I love the way DL does Christmas. You get snow, Holiday fireworks, HMH and IASW Holiday and guess what you don't have to pay extra for it. What a concept.