There is always a lot of opinions and arguments about what Disney should and should not do, what attractions to add, and basically how to run the theme park business. We have been going to Disney resorts since the early 1990’s and have seen a lot of changes. Some for the better, some not so much. This week a blog I read regularly (DVCFan.com) published a survey: Top 10 controversial Disney and DVC Debates: We Want Your Opinion! I encourage you to take the survey and make your opinion known.

Keep reading to see how I answered and my rational for doing so.

Do you think Disney should keep the Park Reservation System for Annual Pass holders, or should it be removed?

This is all about load leveling. I can see why Disney wants to control the park attendance. Nothing kills the magic like a very crowded park. One way they do this is by offering discounts on tickets and resort packages to encourage attendance during “slow” times. These are “date based” tickets and park management can pretty well tell how crowed the parks will be due to ticket sales. However, annual pass holders can go to the park pretty much anytime. This makes it harder to predict attendance. They do impose blackout dates on Annual Passes during busy times to give non pass holders a chance at the parks.

Grandma and I are annual pass holders and I really don’t have a problem with reservations. It is a little annoying but not a huge deal. I would be afraid that they would resort to some other method to control the attendance that would be much worse if reservations were not offered. So I answered to keep the reservation system.

Do you prefer the old FastPass+ system, or do you think Lightning Lane is better and worth the extra cost?

This is an easy one. I really liked the old paper FastPass system. Granted you had to walk around the parks and collect the FastPass Ticket, but I did not see that as an issue. The old system held your place in line while you shopped or dined. You were doing multiple things at once. You did not have to be glued to your phone to snag a pass. You did not have to plan your visit with the precision of a military campaign. Go to the ride, insert your park ticket, get a return time. DONE!

The issue with Fastpass is that Disney management could not put a value on it. People were spending more at concessions and shops, but not in a way that they could say Fastpass is gaining us XX dollars in revenue. By charging for the privilege, however, it is very easy to put a number to it. I think that this was very short sighted and greedy. As you can probably tell I chose to resurrect the Fastpass system. I know that Fastpass is not Fastpass+. I just want Fastpass back.

Should DVC lift restrictions on resale buyers or continue to roll out this controversial restriction?

In case you don’t know, DVC changed the rules on how you can use your points if not bought directly from Disney. The new rules state that if you bought your points other than directly from Disney, these points can only be used at your “home” resort. This restriction only applies to the newer properties such as the Riviera and Villas at Disneyland Hotel. DVC already put in restrictions that DVC perks only applied to members that bought a minimum amount of points directly from Disney. This make 2 classes of DVC members, Direct or Blue Card members and resale members. Before this restriction all DVC members could treat their points as a pool to draw from when making reservations. The only reason I can see why this was done is greed. I said remove this restriction.

Do you think Disney should offer more perks to Annual Passholders and DVC Members, or are the current benefits enough?

Of course More Perks are better! Disney is always messing with the perks. I would love to see a new Annual pass that covers both WDW and DLR. They used to have such a thing in the past and I would love to see it again. How about annual pass holder Magic Band+ or something along those lines.

As you can tell, I voted for more perks.

Do you prefer using a MagicBand or MagicMobile for park entry and purchases?

This is easy one for me. MagicBand all the way. I really hate digging out my phone to do things. MagicBand is very convenient and easy. Just Tap and Go. My fear is that they will do away with the MagicBand and just go to a phone app. All I can say is they better get better at making mobile apps!

Do you think Disney’s price increases are justified by the experience, or is it becoming too expensive?

I do not think there is any controversy here. A Disney vacation is too expensive period. It was expensive in the old days as well, don’t get me wrong. It is very expensive to run a theme park. However, I always felt that I got my moneys worth and then some. Now not so much. The rides are in terrible shape. Some only operate in a restricted mode. (Dinosaur for instance) The parks are also really showing their age. They are a bit shabby around the edges. And the price keeps going up and up. Disney management also finds new ways to charge for the privilege of going to the Disney bubble. I would love to see all Disney execs take a 30 percent or more cut in pay and put that money back in the parks and lower prices over all. Executive pay has gotten way out of hand, but that is post for a different blog and different day.

Do you think renting DVC points is a good way to maximize ownership, or does it compromise the DVC experience?

Another strictly DVC question. I am really neutral on this one. We have rented out our points in the past. It gives non members a taste of what it is like to be DVC. So I do not think it compromises anything. I really don’t see this as much of a controversial subject per se. What is an issue is the commercialization of renting out DVC Points. What I mean is there are entities that have thousands of points. These “owners” use somewhat unethical/illegal means to snap up the prime reservations at the 11 month mark. I strongly suspect automated scripts that make the reservations. They can then walk the reservations to make sure they have all the availability locked up. These reservations are then “rented”for profit. DVC could make changes to keep this from happening, but seem unwilling to at this time.

Do you support the reimagining of classic attractions, or do you think Disney should preserve the originals?

Walt once stated that Disneyland would never be finished. I agree. Attractions do need to change. Societal norms change, so should our portrayals. The world is not static and the parks should never be. Now it is nice to have some nostalgia and be able to relive past experiences. However, change is inevitable. That said, the reimagining should be in keeping with the original spirit of the attraction such as what was done with Peter Pan’s Flight and Pirates of the Caribbean.

Are DVC maintenance fees becoming too high, or do you think they are reasonable for the quality of the resorts?

Another one that non DVC owners have to worry about. DVC has condo association dues that are assessed on a per point basis. These dues go towards the maintenance and up keep of the resort. Some resorts have higher upkeep and thus have higher dues. Unfortunately costs continue to rise and this cost is passed on in the form of higher dues. This is somewhat controllable as you can choose a resort that has lower dues. I would love to have lower cost, but I also love how well most resorts are maintained. I do not think that the dues are out of step with what we are receiving.

Do you prefer using the Disney Dining Plan, or do you think paying out of pocket offers better value?

This is another easy one. We have never used the dining plan. While some people are able to save money with the plan, I suspect that most do not. Grandma and I are more of a pay as you go type of people. It is just one more thing to have to keep up with and plan for. As you can tell from my posts, we are more Ad Hoc than the Dining Plan requires.

Conclusion

What do you think?

What Questions would you add?

Do you agree with my assessment and answers? Or am I just an old luddite that is out of touch?

Please let me know in the comments.

Until next time