Disneyland Paris Rumour: Live Your Dreams! €65 VIP Experience
You can tell I’m just about to go on holiday, because a Disneyland Paris rumour comes along that rocks the online community. This morning it came courtesy of @DisneylandBerry, and is as follows:
Live your Dreams! is a new experience to enjoy the show Disney Dreams!, just in front of the Castle in a VIP area for €65 per person
— DisneylandBerry (@DisneylandBerry) August 15, 2014
When I asked what people got for their €65, as well as a great spot to watch Dreams!, this was the reply:
@DedicatedToDLP a pair of Disney Light'Ears (more informations and reservation at City Hall & in the Disney Hotels)
— DisneylandBerry (@DisneylandBerry) August 15, 2014
I usually like to take the positive outlook, and for this it would mean more money coming into the resort, which it needs, but I’m sorry, that’s where my cup half full attitude ends. €65 to watch a show that until this point has been free no matter where you stand, and as it turns out you DON’T get free Light’Ears, but a Dreams! ppin, which makes the cost even more ridiculous!
For starters it’s an extortionate amount of money for what you get, and it brings in a horrible class system that means someone with the money to throw around can take their place in front of those who don’t, but are willing to wait maybe hours for their good spot. You could argue that the hotels have already installed a class system in Disneyland Paris, but I think anyone with a modicum of intelligence can see the difference here.
Imagine the scenario for a family of 4 who have no problem waiting a good while to get their spot at the front for Dreams!, but when they return for the next trip they find out that to get their usual spot it will cost them an extra €260, on top of what is a pretty expensive holiday already. How bad are the parents going to feel when they tell their kids that’s not something they can afford. Now any kid brought up well will understand and hopefully not be too disappointed, but it’s not a position Disneyland Paris should be putting parents in.
The more worrying thing is the culture it could bring into the resort – is it really too much of a stretch to expect to people to have to pay for the prime spots for the parade going forward? If they flash enough cash are people going to be able to bypass queues that aren’t already catered for by VIP Fastpass? Will I have to pay extra for a window seat in Walt’s or a table next to the water in the Blue Lagoon? Yes, I know it’s a capitalist world we live in, and Disneyland Paris is a business, but if we do go down this route then it’s going to make a lot of people feel uncomfortable and as if they are not worthy of the Disneyland Paris experience.
This is a holiday experience that people will have already paid a lot of money more, more each year in fact. To then charge them even more once inside, not only is it very cheeky, but it sends a message that the best Disneyland Paris experience is only for the rich, and not those who are willing to be patient and enjoy the anticipation and build up to a big show like Dreams! At €65 I’d expect a meal, not just a pin and a special area in front of everyone else.
My hope is that is just a rumour to test the waters, and after seeing the negative feedback online, of which there is a lot already, they’ll veto the idea and move on to something more constructive and frankly, more moral. People have been screaming out for decent Dreams! merchandise since its inception, surely that would be a better way to make money?
Update: I’ve been told by a couple of people, one who was actually in the resort a few days ago, that this has already started and was in action on Saturday just gone. I think the only way this could ever be acceptable is if the VIP places are NOT directly in front of where the other guests will be standing to watch – maybe to the side. Even then, the whole divide between the VIP area and the rest is not really getting with the Disney spirit. It may have started already, but that doesn’t mean they can’t stop it again when sense prevails.
Update 2 This comes from @InsideDLParis, that the number of VIP spots is limited to 40, and will apparently be mostly used be people who use other premium services, like a VIP tour guide. I didn’t even know such a thing existed. The 40 VIP spots are right in front of the Castle, but is 40 few enough so as not to make too much of a difference? I know that’s not the point, but I’m thinking damage limitation here! I guess if so few people take it up then it shouldn’t be an issue, and it probably won’t be marketed too much, so most people will probably not even know it exists.
I’m still not a fan of buying show upgrades in a Disney Park, but it may not be as much of an obvious problem as we’d initially thought, or is it?
