Bean Counters and shortsightedness

[ttintagel]

People who can afford upcharges mind them less than people who can't? Somebody pass me the smelling salts.

 

[irlandaise]

All right, which one of you is this. LOL

JK, I know everyone on this thread would do a little basic research before dropping cash on a trip like that. All these nonsensical videos do is show their own stupidity!

Mouse trap Angry dad slams 'money-grabbing' Disneyland after spending $1,200 on tickets​

https://nypost.com/2023/09/01/tear-...ng-disneyland-after-spending-5000-on-tickets/

For those of us who refuse to give the NY Post any clicks, can someone please summarize? Did he not know the prices at Disneyland Paris before he showed up at the gates?

 

[wabbott]

For those of us who refuse to give the NY Post any clicks, can someone please summarize? Did he not know the prices at Disneyland Paris before he showed up at the gates?

Angry dad slams 'money-grabbing' Disneyland after spending $1,200 on tickets
by Alexandra Steigrad

The Happiest Place on Earth left one Canadian dad fuming over the exorbitant cost of taking his family to Disneyland.

Mario Zelaya shared his anger after spending nearly $1,200 on tickets for a recent visit to Disneyland Paris with his wife and two boys in a viral video, in which he slammed the supposed family-friendly Mouse House as a “money grabbing machine.”

“Just the tickets alone, that’s 1,100 euros, for Americans, that’s 1,200 bucks, for Canadians, that’s 1,600 dollars,” he said while revealing the bill in the background in a TikTok video that has so far amassed over 240,000 views.

“Why the hell would I do that?”

Zelaya had first bought the standard $120 per-person ticket but ponied up an additional $173 per person to upgrade to premier passes, which allow guests to join the fast lane for each ride.

“It’s crazy how overflowing Disney is. It doesn’t matter if it’s in Paris, Orlando, or California, it’s like this all the time,” he said as he showed a video of a long line for a “crappy ride” with a wait time of an hour and 15 minutes without the premier pass.
‘I made a huge mistake, I went to Disneyland in Paris. I’m almost embarrassed at how much money I spent.”

He noted that if he didn’t buy the premier passes, he and his family would have been waiting “over 25 hours” to get on the various rides.

“The crowds are just endless, my advice: don’t go to Disney,” he said, before calling Disney the “biggest money printing machine on Earth.”

Disney has enraged many of its loyal visitors by jacking up prices at its theme parks in the past year.

Over the past 50 years, ticket prices have soared by an exorbitant 3,871%, as The Post previously reported.

Zelaya’s video, which was captioned — “Here are the Disney rules: Expect crazy long wait times. If you don’t want to wait in line, expect a huge bill to upgrade to a Premier Pass. If you decide to wait in line instead because the Premier pass doesn’t cover all the rides, expect a huge bill regardless”– garnered over 360 comments.

“Such a rip off now,” one person replied. “I wouldn’t give them the satisfaction of my money now. Glad I went in the early 90s when it was affordable.”

Another added: “So true, waiting an entire two hours for a lame five-minute ride.”
“Yeah, I never understood the hype!,” a customer wrote in agreement.

Zelaya showed videos of the long lines and the need for upgraded line-skipping passes. Mario Zelaya/TikTok

“My family went once and that was enough for us. It cost us about $5,000 for a family of five and it wasn’t worth it,” added another user.

Others pointed out the high price of the “bad” food, while others called the experience a “scam.”

Disneyland and Disney World in the US have experienced a slowdown in demand amid high prices.Getty Images

Earlier this year, Disney CEO Bob Iger rolled back some of the price hikes installed by his predecessor Bob Chapek, as demand began to soften.

Even with those adjustments, Disney World in Orlando, Fla., and Disneyland in Anaheim, Calif., have seen a dip in attendance as prices remain high.

Disney did not immediately respond to requests seeking comment.

 

[Aluminum Falcon]

For those of us who refuse to give the NY Post any clicks, can someone please summarize? Did he not know the prices at Disneyland Paris before he showed up at the gates?

He knew pricing ahead, he did not like how busy it was and felt the only way he could enjoy it was the pay for the line skipping service, and on top of the tickets it cost him over $1100 for a day.

 

[irlandaise]

He knew pricing ahead, he did not like how busy it was and felt the only way he could enjoy it was the pay for the line skipping service, and on top of the tickets it cost him over $1100 for a day.

Thanks, wabbot and AF.

As someone noted earlier, he got what he paid for, which was express entry to the rides. It was his choice to pay it.

 

[fatmanatee]

Looked at some other tiktok vids of his and he was complaining that he spent 15 euros on cokes at a five star hotel. I think this is just a bit he does.

 

[Dcgc28]

Looked at some other tiktok vids of his and he was complaining that he spent 15 euros on cokes at a five star hotel. I think this is just a bit he does.

It has to be. Nobody can be that stupid.

 

[Minnie1222]

Is this the same guy? He complained about being locked out of his $140,000.00 Tesla because the battery died and he can't access the paperwork trapped inside to sell it.

 

[irlandaise]

Is this the same guy? He complained about being locked out of his $140,000.00 Tesla because the battery died and he can't access the paperwork trapped inside to sell it.

What a maroon!

Apparently he's trying to make a career out of being a professional victim.

 

[Minnie1222]

According to his Quora replies, he's an investor, tech entrepreneur, and self-made millionaire. With that stellar bio, it's safe to assume he's done plenty of pre-trip Disney research, and is only faking a distress for social media.

 

[Suger Mag]

It has to be. Nobody can be that stupid.

Negativity has become very popular. Not only are we kinda hard wired to be attracted or excited by it.... many of the algorithms in these social medias are designed to promote the negative posts. People always like to complain ... now more than ever, and I think social media encourages even more.

This article has some interesting perspectives on the topic and reviews and summarizes some research...

https://www.vox.com/the-highlight/23596969/bad-news-negativity-bias-media

But if you want the Journal article for more stats and meat.... here you go also

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41562-023-01538-4

 

[Disney Bobby]

Negativity has become very popular. Not only are we kinda hard wired to be attracted or excited by it.... many of the algorithms in these social medias are designed to promote the negative posts. People always like to complain ... now more than ever, and I think social media encourages even more.

This article has some interesting perspectives on the topic and reviews and summarizes some research...

https://www.vox.com/the-highlight/23596969/bad-news-negativity-bias-media

But if you want the Journal article for more stats and meat.... here you go also

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41562-023-01538-4

Vox? Probably not the best source for complaining about complaining. Media like Vox is part of the problem, not the solution.

 

[cheryl.UK]

Well here's my take, from a personal perspective. In 2019, I priced up a 3 week holiday to CBR from the UK for a friend. I just retrieved the quote. £9,375 for a family of 4 for 3 weeks, economy flights with a 3 weeks in CBR basic room with 4 x 3 week WDW tickets and free dining and $400 free Disney dollars. I just priced it again. Same holiday, same dates but with the quick service dining plan and only 4 x 2 week tickets (as they have done away with the 3 week tickets), £14,463. That's a 54% increase in 4 years with 7 less days in the parks. This, alongside the rate of inflation in the UK is why you're seeing less Brits in the parks. My friends went in 2019 and had intended to come with us in 2022 but couldn't afford it. Neither could they in 2023 or 2024. They are still hoping for a trip for 2025. They had been intending to go 2019, 2021, 2023, 2025. Even with Covid they were panning on 4 trips. That's now down to 2...hopefully.

 

[Dcgc28]

Negativity has become very popular. Not only are we kinda hard wired to be attracted or excited by it.... many of the algorithms in these social medias are designed to promote the negative posts. People always like to complain ... now more than ever, and I think social media encourages even more.

This article has some interesting perspectives on the topic and reviews and summarizes some research...

https://www.vox.com/the-highlight/23596969/bad-news-negativity-bias-media

But if you want the Journal article for more stats and meat.... here you go also

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41562-023-01538-4

You just have to wonder is the complaining legit or for attention. This article in question is clearly for attention all of the things that person complains about is very easy to find in a google search.

All the prices, all the rides, all the wait times and all the menus.

I get it’s trendy to dump on Disney and I feel no sympathy for the billion dollar empire. But at some point it’s your own fault if Disney robs you.

 

[Suger Mag]

You just have to wonder is the complaining legit or for attention. This article in question is clearly for attention all of the things that person complains about is very easy to find in a google search.

All the prices, all the rides, all the wait times and all the menus.

I get it’s trendy to dump on Disney and I feel no sympathy for the billion dollar empire. But at some point it’s your own fault if Disney robs you.

very true, I think many of these 'influencers/bloggers whatever do sometimes thrive on attention. Of course there is financial compensation, but it is also very much satisfying from the attention seeking aspect to see all your hits or number of followers or views etc. Nevermind that his schick is kinda fake or some kind of self imposed stupidity, I think the popularity of negativity helps these 'over the top' stuff get the views...

 

[Disney Bobby]

Drama queen, but he ain't wrong.

 

[OKW Lover]

Nothing specific to add to this thread. Just wanted to say that I'm a recovering bean counter AND a huge Disney maniac. I see changes in Disney, but I don't judge them all to be negative. I also don't ascribe them (positive or negative) to the bean counters.

All the changes are simply that - changes. Some will like them. Some won't.

 

[Minnie1222]

I'm at WDW now, and with the exception of MK yesterday (a party day), all the parks have been packed to the brim this past long weekend. It felt like the infamous week between Christmas and New Year. If the Bean Counters can manage to turn a slow week in September into December, they're doing something right for their company.

 

[Aluminum Falcon]

I'm at WDW now, and with the exception of MK yesterday (a party day), all the parks have been packed to the brim this past long weekend. It felt like the infamous week between Christmas and New Year. If the Bean Counters can manage to turn a slow week in September into December, they're doing something right for their company.

I wonder what caused the blip? Seems random, i know Yom Kippur happened this past weekend but that doesn't typically have a huge impact.

 

[Jrb1979]

I wonder what caused the blip? Seems random, i know Yom Kippur happened this past weekend but that doesn't typically have a huge impact.

I don't know what caused the blip. I will say the strange thing is as busy as it is resorts still have lots of availability and most restaurants you can get reservations day of.