Originally Posted By CuriouserConstance With issues like this, while I may personally hate paying extra because I'm not rich, I almost always see it from the business perspective and side with the company. It's just the capitalist world we live in and while everything isn't great and wonderful in capitalist society, it sure beats the alternatives!
Originally Posted By DBitz2 >>"I just do not understand charging for the fireworks" I don't understand the thinking that they are charging extra for the fireworks. They are charging extra for Mickey's Halloween Party, the fireworks are just being included as part of the Party.<< Well said. You are right. My personal gut feeling on why they really made the fireworks exclusive to the Halloween party is because they won't have much else to offer in the way of entertainment and this is a way of giving party goers something. I attended all of the Halloween parties in DCA up until last year, when I didn't. If you are not into the trick or treating, which I am not, they didn't have much else to offer. A few kiddie dance parties and a street show at the end of the night. I attended the fabulous hard ticket Halloween parties held in Disneyland in 1995 and 1996. Those parties had a lot to offer. It wasn't just trick or treating. There was great Halloween atmosphere in most of the lands which gave the whole park a different "vibe" that made it a different experience than normal. This was achieved with decorations, special lighting and effects, fog in some areas (they cranked up the Fantasmic fog machines in Frontierland and New Orleans Square), and appropriate music and audio effects. But, atmosphere wasn't all. There were hayrides up and down Main Street. Pumpkin carving demonstrations. The Jungle Cruise was turned into a "hide and seek" experience. (You hunted for plush characters hidden in the scenery) The Columbia was taken over by pirates and there were "ghosts" in the scenery. There were dance parties. But, there were also themed bands playing in other areas. The Haunted Mansion featured some extra ghosts on the exterior upper balcony one year. And, special lighting both years. There were some "extra" pirates in P.o.C. There were lots of characters out that you don't usually see. There was a character and costume cavalcade. Perhaps the centerpiece of the evening was the witch flyover. Yes, about every half hour, a witch flew on Tinkerbell's wire over the Castle and cast a spell on it, upon which it became overgrown with thorns (a lighting effect), and, three villainesses appeared for meet and greet. On the alternating half hour, the spell was reversed and three princesses came out. (The second year of the party, the villainesses and the princesses did musical production numbers before their meet and greets.) Those are a few of the highlights. I've also been to the wonderful Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party in the Magic Kingdom. I would be willing to bet that the Mickey's Halloween Parties in Disneyland this year will not have anything near comparable to offer. I hope that I am wrong, but, my gut feeling is that will be the case. So, offering Halloween Screams exclusively is one easy way for them to take things a small notch above what they had been offering in DCA. I stopped going to the DCA parties because they were just the same old same old pretty much every year. But, the prices kept creeping up and they kept getting more crowded to the point where it wasn't that fun the last year that I went because of the crowds.
Originally Posted By 999HAUNTS I took PB to the DL Halloween event in 1996. We had a blast. It did have a much different feel to it than the recent DCA events have had.
Originally Posted By mickeymorris1234 Wow, if Disneyland offers all that for this party, then I might have to buy some tickets, that sounds like a blast!
Originally Posted By DBitz2 Re: post 43, it was a blast, but, I wouldn't count on it being that good with today's Disney. Here's what they are revealing thus far about what to expect - <a href="http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2010/09/boo-hard-to-believe-but-its-almost-halloween-time-again-at-disneyland-resort/" target="_blank">http://disneyparks.disney.go.c...-resort/</a> The offerings are pretty sparse compared to what I listed from the 1995 & 1996 parties. They could still yet announce more things. But, I'm not confident that it will be as elaborate.
Originally Posted By Yookeroo "Okay, that is so true. But to me, it is just wrong. Wrong in the way I feel it is wrong for SixFlags to charge for their version of a FP. And for people with enough money to buy their way into the carpool lane." This is called capitalism. Is it wrong for Disney to charge more for the Grand Floridian than the All Star resorts? "I do not begrudge their need to make a profit. But, again, to me, this borders on discrimination." Is it discrimination to charge more for Blue Bayou meals than corn dogs from the cart?
Originally Posted By rhodri Let's charge extra for HM at Christmas or SW at the same time of year. It's just capitalism right? Shoot, why not go all the way back and charge admission and sell ticket books! All The Market Will Bear!!!
Originally Posted By iamsally >>>>But, again, to me, this borders on discrimination.<<<< I chose my words very carefully. But these days on LP that just does not seem to matter. Twice I said, "to me." My feelings, nobody else's. I said, "borders on" not that Disneyland is legally discriminating. Sheesh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Let's take this to WE.
Originally Posted By CuriouserConstance To me it's kind of like the same argument as to whether or not it's "fair" that people with a lot of money can afford expensive cars with all the latest and greatest safety features. Is it fair? Not really. But that's the world we live in. Some people can afford things some can't. You have to pick and choose what's important to you and make do with what you do have. Which what we DO have is a lot more than most countries with non capitalist societies.
Originally Posted By 999HAUNTS It's a choice whether to go or not. Folks that go shouldn't be made to feel like it's wrong for wanting to go, just like folks who don't wish to buy a ticket shouldn't be made to feel like they should.
Originally Posted By spacejockey Well, I wont go either way. Too much drama... Disneyland with or without Halloween time pay extra whatever. I'm going to Universal for the first time. So I hope everyone has a good time.
Originally Posted By 999HAUNTS Halloween is an expensive holiday for the HAUNTS household. That's why we save for it all year. We do the Scary Farm at least two or three times, Universal once, Shipwrecked at the Queen Mary and now this year it's the extra $20 for DL. It definitely adds up. Luckily the Universal tickets are cheaper for us this year since we have the platnum annual passes.
Originally Posted By Fowley >>while I may personally hate paying extra because I'm not rich<< We don't make much of Halloween in Australia, so because we were going to be in the USA for it this year we made the choice to do without certain things to make sure we made the party. We are by no means rich or well off, we just do without certain luxuries and stay home A LOT to make our holidays the best they can be. You guys would HATE Aussie theme parks, they are open 10am-5pm every day, not open Christmas or ANZAC days, NO fireworks and all seasonal parties have been at an extra cost, we feel so spoilt when we get to Disneyland
Originally Posted By CuriouserConstance Halloween is important in our house too. I've always loved Halloween, and now that I have kids, It's so much fun!!!
Originally Posted By doombuggy Just think, if this works out they could do the same thing for Xmas time.
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 The problem with what DL is doing is much like what WDW did with MVMCP: they are taking what was once 'free' or 'included with admission' to all guests and making you pay for it. WDW basically extorts you if you want Christmas entertainment now, but don't want to go the two busiest and MOST EXPENSIVE (they even have dining surcharges) time of the year. I have no issue with MNSSHP at MK having special entertainment because they never offered it before as part of regular admission. You are paying for something extra or special (although when I look at what HKDL is doing for Halloween, MK's same old tire stuff doesn't seem so special). That's cool. But DL offered the pyro last year nightly to all guests in an area where they get many more locals and APers than WDW does, so it's fair to question the move. As does the fact they almost doubled the cost of the party. This was an event that started at DCA about five years ago for under $20 a pop ... I think APers could buy $15 tix. It all seems a bit like gouging to me ... and using the WDW model, which isn't surprised considering George K is a WDW guy. He also was behind the ill-fated attempt to get Anaheim guests to pay for E-Ticket Nights back in 2001 in his first stint at DL. ~Spirits Haunt Year Round!~
Originally Posted By Dr Hans Reinhardt I think some perspective is needed here. Remember that all the increased revenue is what pays for stuff like Carsland, WOC, and all the continuous upkeep that makes DLR so special. Yes Disney is greedy, and I have my share of issues with the ways some things are done, but in the scheme of things the change to a series of hard ticket events seems reasonable to me.
Originally Posted By mickeymorris1234 What upsets me is exactly what Spirit pointed out. They are charging me extra to see a show I got to see for free last year. Not cool! Really though, why would I stay late at Disneyland to see RDCT for the millionth time or a dumb version of Fantasmic since Murphy is down. The halloween show was amazing. Another thing pointed out is, other than the fireworks show, by the sounds of how they are presenting it, Disneyland is doing nothing else different than what they did at DCA. Obviously Disneyland (or DCA for that matter) could do so many things to make the whole event spectacular like in the past but they decided not to. Instead here is what we are getting for 50.00. You get to go to Disneyland from 4-11 or 5-12, go to a dance party, see a fireworks show, and ride rides that you spent 72.00 on the day before to ride. The event doesn't seem to really offer anything spectacular and even though the fireworks show was amazing it is 50.00 amazing. Oh, well knowing me and my family we are going to do the halloween treat anyways.
Originally Posted By Dr Hans Reinhardt "Oh, well knowing me and my family we are going to do the halloween treat anyways." And that's exactly why they are charging because they know no matter how much complaining the fans do they'll still shell out their money for their Disney addiction.
