Episode 646 - Getting Less For More

Authored by: jcodirewolf on Friday, November 20 2009 @ 06:45 AM CST

So I got my passholder e-mail Wednesday night Disney is extending the discounted night for the MVMCP for passholders. I guess cast members announcement just preceded the Passholder announcement by a few days.

I have to say we've done the Halloween and Christmas party every year for the past 5 years. This year we have already "bailed" on the Halloween party, and right now we aren't planning on the christmas party. The ROI or cost/value ratio or however you want to work it, it's just not there this year.

BTW with the galaxy theater closed where are they doing the tomorrowland show? On the old Stitch stage?

johno

[ Reply to This | # ]

Authored by: Kfischler on Friday, November 20 2009 @ 02:20 PM CST

Who will replace Aerosmith? Instead of Bon Jovi or Van Halen, how about One Hit Wonders? Each car could have its own one hit wonders track of a few songs by various one hit wonder bands from different decades. At the end of the ride, you get to guess the names of the bands you heard. If you are right, you win priority seating for Fantasmic. Okay, maybe not Fantasmic, but at least Stitch's Supersonic Celebration 2.0. Don't like that? How about this, we could have a new Hollywood Squares, but with kids and Gary Coleman can host.

[ Reply to This | # ]

Authored by: Kfischler on Friday, November 20 2009 @ 04:22 PM CST

Apparently Flag Day is another special holiday at WDW. Special Holiday Pricing has been in effect the past two years in mid-June. Unfortunately, this price increase has pushed those TS restaurants into the "Not worth the Price" category for us and we no longer visit any of those restaurants during our annual visits. Since we now stay at a vacation home, we feel we get a better value at offsite restaurants, but this actually provides a nice relaxing break from the parks.

[ Reply to This | # ]

Authored by: richard on Saturday, November 21 2009 @ 02:56 PM CST

-- DVC members have never had free parking at theme parks as a direct benefit. They need to be staying on site or have an AP, just like everyone else. Since it is unusual for DVC members to meet neither condition, in practice they seldom pay for parking.
-- Owner's Locker is also renting strollers -- go to www.magicstrollers.com. I agree though, go somewhere other than Disney for your stroller rental.
-- Disney has for several years been playing the "let's see how much people will pay for this" game. Not only special events and CP packages, but the dining plan, strollers, and others. Eventually they will find out the hard way, and that is apparently happening now.

[ Reply to This | # ]

Authored by: FigmentRules on Tuesday, November 24 2009 @ 04:48 PM CST

Scopa mentioned the Wave Discovery Dinners. I participated in the May Dinner and it was excellent, informative and well-priced at $92. Make sure you arrive early, if other than on time, so you get the full experience of the passed appetizers and wine.

That said, I spent this past Saturday night on Cape Cod at the Chillingsworth Inn's annual Beaujoulais Nouveau celebration dinner. This was a six course marvel, with passed hot appetizers. This is also the restaurant where Julia Child celebrated her 80th birthday and serves extraordinary french food six nights a week from May through Thanksgiving. This event was $95/person. It was about twice as good as any of the signature food and wine events, in a very expensive part of the country. This would be comparable to the $325/person events, of which there is usually just one a year at F&W.

The Chillingsworth event is one of several during the season and is bargain priced. That said, the $92 Wave Discovery Dinner is at a price point that guests who frequent such venues outside Disney World will find very reasonable. The $325/person events, and $175/person events are not.

WDW, through Tables in Wonderland, also hosts occasional dinner events at Jiko. I've never had the luck of attending one of those, but reports from people I have met who've done both the Jiko and Wave events find the Jiko event superior. It comes in at a price closer to $125/person which is still well within reason.

Bottom line, it's all what you're used to.

[ Reply to This | # ]