Private Cabanas at Magic Kingdom: Last Day to Rent One - February 17, 2017

[mom2rtk]

It wasn't profitable enough because they didn't have enough folks booking it and that is because they did a horrible job marketing it ... they actually didn't market it, just assumed folks would stumble across it on the website. And the initial price point.

They do EMH for free, so other than ice cream and drinks cost, any money they collected was more than they got for EMH. What they needed was a realistic price point to start with, a legit marketing of the event and then they would have sold out their max numbers. That would have been a nice pocket of change.

I don't disagree with that. But once you've swung and missed, it's hard to get the green light to go ahead with modifications. They aimed too high on this and it perhaps cost them the chance to make it successful.

Or maybe $75 a head (I'm thinking that's about where it ended up but could be wrong) just wasn't enough for the accountants. It sounds like a lot to us, but it might not have been far enough into the black zone for them to want to give it another go.

 

[pangyal]

I think it's the price that is most surprising to me with these. Whenever we go to Vegas, we always get a cabana on a few of our pool days, mostly for the guaranteed shade as we spend the day at the pool. We usually pay between $200-$350 depending on where we go that day (we stay at the Mirage, where the cabanas are really pricey, but often book a cabana elsewhere to try out new pools). And that's with drink and food service all day, plus more seating and amenities than these. And, good for the same amount of people as the MK ones.

I suspect they picked $650 as they would actually book too well at a lower price point, leading to lots of grumbling.

 

[buzznina]

You've obviously never been there during Christmas week. Last Dec. 29 in MK the only place DS and I could find to sit and eat our popcorn was on a fake rock next to a garbage can.

Nope, not Christmas week but we have been during Thanksgiving week, is that close enough

 

[Disneybuckeye]

It will be interesting to see if these are successful if they put some in other areas of the park. All the way past space mountain is way too far away from where we spend most of our park time for me. If they dump the Tangled restrooms and put some there that would be a winner.

 

[DVCcurious]

Can we stop with discussing what Walt would have done and wanted?

Walt would not have wanted you to post this.


Here are some facts:

1) Disneyland was expensive when it opened. It was never intended to be something "everyone" could enjoy. There used to be a joke: you can take your kids to Disneyland or you can send them to college, but you can't afford to do both

2) There was an issue with a strike about 1940 (I don't feel like looking up the specific year). The animators believed they weren't being paid enough. Did Walt "stand up for the little guy" and give them all a huge pay increase? Or did he hire other animators? Not only did he hire other animators he made his striking animators clowns in the movie Dumbo. The clowns all sing "we're going to hit the big boss for a raise".

3) Walt Disney gave personal tours to "VIPs". He didn't provide this service to the normal riff-raff

4) Club 33 was designed as a place for the well-healed to get away from the dregs who were in Disneyland. It was (and still is) an "exclusive club" for the elite.

So Walt was a money-grubbing-corporatist-right-wing-Mr. Burns-evil-Mr. Scrooge.....or something. He was not like John Lennon who wanted everyone to share the wealth....as he lived in a penthouse next to Central Park....hmmm maybe Walt Disney was like John Lennon!


These "exclusive" tents are exactly what Walt Disney would have wanted.

 

[DOOM1001]

I think it's tacky.

I have to agree.

 

[chartle]

Jingle cruise can be done over night. The haunted mansion overlay closes the ride for about a month. That's a big difference.

Thought it was more like 6 weeks total, 3 to put it up 3 to take it down.

 

[rteetz]

Thought it was more like 6 weeks total, 3 to put it up 3 to take it down.

That is probably correct, I just estimated with a month before. WDW clientele is very different than DL. 3 weeks before and after is not something WDW management wants to do because of that.

 

[disneynutz]

IMO cabanas will be in all of the parks, all of the deluxe resort pools and maybe other pools if there is a demand. I also expect the prices to increase as soon as the trial is over and the demand increases.

Bill

 

[jade1]

IMO cabanas will be in all of the parks, all of the deluxe resort pools and maybe other pools if there is a demand. I also expect the prices to increase as soon as the trial is over and the demand increases.

Bill

Sure hope so, it's will be perfect for our nephew with special needs. Will make the day much more enjoyable for his mom and dad and any of us along those trips.

Tacky thinkers (and those that think its only for elite guests) can keep walking.

 

[jhaig]

Those tents make it look either a flea market has popped up or the UN is passing out relief supplies.

Sadly, people will probably pay this huge price and more tent cities will pop up at the other parks. If there was air conditioning, maybe it would be nice.

 

[DisneyWishes14]

Nope, not Christmas week but we have been during Thanksgiving week, is that close enough

Unless you had phased closures like we did, no, not close enough.

 

[disneynutz]

Those tents make it look either a flea market has popped up or the UN is passing out relief supplies.

Sadly, people will probably pay this huge price and more tent cities will pop up at the other parks. If there was air conditioning, maybe it would be nice.

Sadly, Disney is for the people with money, maybe different levels of spending but some will spend thousands, some tens of thousands, some hundreds of thousands during their Disney obsession. Disney posts billions in yearly profit and is constantly looks for ways to increase attendance and guest spending. All we can do is go along for the ride and see what happens next.

Bill

 

[Zbornak]

Here are the pics I took today, like I said in my previous post all the tents were reserved (there are 4 in total)
From the outside you want really see them other than the top, this is an area on the side of Space Mountain that was rarely used

You go into the area through a break in the hedge by the wall

saw people being escorted by a plaid to the vip viewing for FoF wearing a lanyard with the same name "kingdom cabana" Porter family

Thanks for the awesome pics! Looks nicer than I was imagining for a temporary structure.

 

[coozieman]

Not worth $80/person (assuming you have the full 8 people), IMO. For us, this is nothing but a money grab.

So what's wrong with it being a money grab?
Disney is a business...
And they're in the business of making money...
Making money allows for expansion and improvements....
Improvements are good...
End of story...
Mic drop.

 

[Jedimike]

Anyone have information on where the reserved firework and parade viewing is?

 

[Shanti]

Disney is not taking anything away from the consumer by adding this "money grab" cabana option. In this instance, I am not being charged more for a product I already have use of. This is not a case where something was taken from me, yet I'm still being charged the same price. This is an add on that isn't affecting my trip if anyone else uses it.

It actually does take things away from the consumer:

1. The cabanas utilize space that could otherwise be turned into attractions/streetmosphere that everyone gets to enjoy. This will be especially problematic if the cabanas prove successful and more of them are added around the parks. The current push to maximixe profit is coming at the expense of continued innovation in the Magic Kingdom.

2. Reserved seating for fireworks used to be available at no extra charge to all ticket holders via FastPass: now you have to pay extra for it via a cabana or dessert party.

3. Bench seating for the general public has been removed to make space for these cabanas.

 

[mom2rtk]

So what's wrong with it being a money grab?
Disney is a business...
And they're in the business of making money...
Making money allows for expansion and improvements....
Improvements are good...
End of story...
Mic drop.

And we know this will be plowed back into expansion and improvements, and not just into executive bonuses..........how?

 

[robinb]

Sure hope so, it's will be perfect for our nephew with special needs. Will make the day much more enjoyable for his mom and dad and any of us along those trips.

Tacky thinkers (and those that think its only for elite guests) can keep walking.

Just because your nephew can use the tents and your family can afford them makes them no less tacky or for the 'elite guests'.

 

[cgattis]

In France they are not that common, but if you come to the Netherlands or Belgium they are very common. In stores, stations mainly. Sometimes gas stations and restaurants, in Belgium theatres. The money is used to pay for the cleaning lady. Hey, Europe pay-toilets even inspire art -> The musical Urinetown was inspired by the writer travelling through Europe on a budget.

But to come back to the topic, if the tents stay they need A/C n the summer the heat will be even more intense than outside, regardless of being in the shade.
I think the theming / more permanent structure will come when they are successful.

They're all over Paris. I grudgingly visited many of them.