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How Much Would You Pay For VIP Viewing Of Fireworks And Parade At Disney World?

Disney Fireworks

It’s amazing what some people will pay to get special treatment at Disney World (myself included).  Disney World has been testing a number of different premium packages lately that give people extra access to special parts of the parks.  They rolled out early morning paid access to Magic Kingdom, including Seven Dwarfs Mine Train without having to wait in line.  I’m guessing it was successful because they followed up with a similar package at Hollywood Studios.  Every once in a while there’s a free perk for certain festivities, like fireworks viewing for Chase cardholders at EPCOT.  But, the majority of the time you’re going to spend a decent amount of cash for special access.

Special thanks to Mike L for sending this one along.  For the low, low price of $650, you can have access to your own private cabana at Disney World’s Magic Kingdom.  According to Blog Mickey (where you can see a ton of pictures):

The Kingdom Cabanas are located in a fairly out of the way spot near Space Mountain, and can accommodate up to 8 people. The cabanas include a space to relax, cold beverages, some snacks and fruit, electronic device charging, a small refrigerator, a one-time delivery of ice cream and desserts, personalized Mickey ears, and reserved viewing space for parades and fireworks.

I’m trying to figure out how I would justify $650 for a cabana.  Assuming you had 8 people in your party, that’s a premium of about $80 a head.  If I further assume you saw value in all of the provided amenities, maybe you could get $20-$40 per person in value out of drinks, snacks and desserts.  Personalized ears can add on to that price, though I don’t know which ones you’re getting.  I see the basic black ones with names engraved on the back in one of the pictures, but only two.  I think it’s safe to assume you can average $25 a head in value.  Adults might drink more water/soda than a kid, but I don’t see many children getting more than $25 consistently from this list of amenities.

I don’t put any value in the electronic charging since you can bring your own battery.  Whatever you do, don’t buy one of the overpriced batteries available at Disney World kiosks.  Just don’t.

That means you’re paying about $50 a person for VIP parade and fireworks viewing.  Again, assuming your party consists of 8 people.  These numbers go up significantly with a smaller group.

Would I Pay $50 For VIP Viewing?

The Disney VIP guide service we’ve used a few times over the years is much more expensive now.  It’s also much more expensive than this cabana service.  That’s even with the discount they’re offering for DVC members.  I think I’ve been priced out of the VIP guide service but I love the parade and fireworks.  Our whole family does.

There’s no way I would pay for this if I didn’t have a group of 8 to split it across.  I’m trying to figure out how I’d justify it if I did.  I really think there’s no realistic way I could justify the cost.  With a bit of planning, it’s easy to find good places to watch the parade and fireworks.  That’s especially true with the new areas for fireworks viewing they added in the pavilion in front of the castle.  Heck, you can even FastPass the fireworks now.

Yup.  In the end, I’d choose to pocket the cash and find a way to contribute that money to Mickey some other way.

Would You Pay For A Cabana At Disney World’s Magic Kingdom?

The post How Much Would You Pay For VIP Viewing Of Fireworks And Parade At Disney World? was published first on Pizza in Motion

8 Comments

  1. I think Disney has followed the airlines in trying to increase their ancillary revenue any way they can, and are getting pretty good at it. I remember thinking the desert parties for $29 when they first came out were outrageously priced. Now they sell out months in advance @ $79/$47 for adults/kids. It seems like anytime Disney adds something like these parties or cabanas, they end up selling out. All they need is a tiny percentage of guests to purchase these add on for them to be successful. I personally wouldn’t pay for the cabanas, but I bet they are attractive to quite a few people.

    1. Shaun, I’m not a buyer of the cabanas but I bet they fill them, especially with just a few. Disney is the master of incremental revenue, and they make us feel good while doing it (most of the time).

  2. The cabanas are perfect for people wanting to have a birthday party inside the park or corporations having a function within the park. My co-worker has a teenage son with MS and he was excited about the addition of the cabanas

    1. Benjamin, I totally missed the birthday party aspect here. For what I spend now on my children’s birthday, scheduling a Disney trip around their birthday and booking one of these isn’t the worst idea in the world.

  3. My first thought was, “What a wonderful idea! You would have a fixed and private ‘home base’ for your family *inside the park for the whole day!” That would be the biggest benefit for me: someplace that an extended family could regroup, rest, and not have to travel back to their hotel. We tend to splurge on a hotel close to the parks so that we can go back during the early afternoon for a nap. With the cabana, a big family could concieveably buy several cheaper and farther hotel rooms and use the money saved on having a cabana. This might be particularly nice for a multi generational group with grandparents who would rather sit, young teens just trying out their solo wings, and etc.. Everyone would know where to meet and be comfortable. Too pricey for me, but I can see the value. Heck, I think I’ve been priced out of Disney in general, though.

  4. There is definitely a market for this. My brother-in-law bought a cabana at a water park last summer and, while it was a bit overpriced, it was very convenient to have a place for the day to drop your things, get food/drinks, rest out of the sun, etc. You’re really paying for the convenience more than anything and everyone has a different perspective of its worth. I, for one, wouldn’t pay for it.

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