This is my suspicion. Considering all the “bad press” WDWNT gets for this kind of thing, historically, I suspect the site had to change their ways. I started following them around 3-4 years ago, and found them to be just as trustworthy as the other sites…and also often the first to break a story.
I actually liked this show. I thought it added a neat vibe to the Poly that really made you feel like you were in Hawaii.
I’m bummed by the new addition, too. It doesn’t really look very thematic to me, and we were planning a ‘bucket list’ Poly stay for spring 2023 that is likely going to need to be moved to a different hotel, because I’m not wanting to do a ‘once in my lifetime’ mega-pricey stay at Poly and having to deal with construction noise and navigating around that.
When is Disney going to focus on new ways to deliver value to guests?
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Not trying to sound sarcastic… They don’t have to any time soon. The hotels, parks and etc… are packed with people throwing money at them. They are making more profit than before the pandemic. Disney is currently being run by people that prioritize analytics & profit over creativity & guest service. (The CEO calls us “consumers” not guests / visitors. This is a very good insight to their mindset.)
It’s going to be very profitable for Disney, but suck for us until the crowds and dollars stop rolling in.
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I know the business does what the market can support, but it is disheartening. Disney ‘values’ teach kids that they can and SHOULD be different from the mainstream and they’ll shine. They should run their business that way.
Anyway, I saw the DVC news yesterday but I didn’t think of it in terms of our 2023 bucket list trip, and now I’m bummed. I won’t pay deluxe anywhere else, but my in-laws won’t stay anywhere that isn’t on the monorail, and I don’t think anyone will want to deal with construction hassle at deluxe prices. So then we stay at two different resorts, but that’s going to make mutual childcare more difficult, etc. Bleh. It’s just a bummer. And also, as someone else inferred, I seriously doubt they are going to improve other infrastructure to keep up with the new capacity.
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This is true
I would expect, then, things to simmer down late in 2023 or perhaps in the first half of 2024 at which time they may have to revisit their business plan.
Right now people are still flocking because they are taking that trip that was put off eleventy times. Or they are just itching to get back after being away for so long. Right now people have “excess” budgetary funds for vacations they never took for the past two years, so paying the exorbitant prices isn’t hurting too badly at the moment.
Everyone here knows I’m a TA. I’m a low volume TA. I have been exceptionally busy for the past 8 months or so (Africa here I come!!). And MANY of these trips are well over tens of thousands of dollars. Before the pandemic I personally had never booked anyone for that big a trip price-wise. When I tell them what it will cost to do what they want, I expect them to scoff. They don’t. They have the money right now.
But give it another 18 months. That well will run dry and Disney will have to rethink how its operating.
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Exactly!! Well said!! 
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It’s already beginning to happen in terms of how people are thinking. How many people here have said, “I can’t keep paying these rising prices”? And these are people who are die-hard fans. It hasn’t hit their bottom line yet because people plan so far out for these trips. But it’s coming.
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I think we might end up just postponing our big family trip for 2023 into 2024 or 2025. Maybe in 2023 we’ll go with just our household and stay at a value instead. We are fanatical enough about Disney that we’ll stomach the price to value ratio. The in-laws probably would not.
I hope you’re right.
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I’m calling my TA today to cancel my DLR trip at GCH. My DW finally agreed it was too much for too little value versus what was offered pre-pandemic. She’s gonna join me at Universal that week.
I’m hopefully that things will change and will try to go in late 2023. (Right now, as you know, I’m on the Universal hype train for 2022! So pleased with them and their offerings/prices)
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So, I’ve been thinking about the financial aspects of things, and how it impacts us personally. I’m rather glad I bought into DVC when we did, although I did go through a period wondering if it was a good idea.
But, thinking forward, if I just look at the cost of maintenance fees for our DVC points (factoring in inflation), I’m managing to get to stay in a Deluxe resort going forward for less than the price of a value resort, in a way. (Ignore the up front costs for the sake of discussion, although I’m not dense enough to realize that plays a role in the picture.)
And yet, we are also thinking with ticket prices to Disney being as high as they are, we might not actually WANT to (or be able to afford to) go to Disney itself. But then, we have a home base. There is no reason we can’t do Universal or other fun things in the area and skip Disney altogether in the future if finances prove a roadblock, yet stay at our DVC.
And I keep thinking about that…the fact that even I find myself wondering if our trips to Disney will be reduced significantly if current things continue as they are now.
Ultimately, I actually doubt they will. I think, as you say, that in another year or two, Disney will have to once again regroup. When they do, those doubts I have about being able to even go to Disney will probably disappear.
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This is the thing, right? What we are paying for tickets and food this time (budgeted based on reservations and listed menu prices) is equivalent to what our entire vacation (airfare aside, and as we know that’s another nightmare altogether) back in 2018! It really shocked me when we sat down and added it up
This is a common song being sung among DVC owners right now.
I am hoping so!!!
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Although, apparently I AM dense enough not to word that correctly! 
I meant I’m not dense enough to NOT realize that plays a role…
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I did hear on the DIS this week that there are “rumors” of script changes.