Call for Ideas: New Membership Program Perks

[VonDerrick]

A little off topic but some people will use the Brauhaus as a sort of escape from the main dining/show area and the volume level. This past season it seemed it was being used as a breast feeding lounge, too, a couple of times we were there. I think with all the PC stuff the staff was afraid to say anything so the problem seemed to increase as the season went along. So, what's worse? Screaming kids or breast feeding moms or both? And how do you prevent it? Again, off topic but I saw so many people smoking cigarettes or e-cigarettes walking around in the park and not one employee would challenge or stop it. Actually saw one guy blow smoke in the face of an employee in Ireland and still nothing. My point is maybe the employees need better training about what is PC or not and then enforce the rules. Sorry but I just had to throw that last part in here. If they started smoking in a lounge is an employee going to stop it?

Breastfeeding in public is 100% legal in Virginia and employees are specifically told, mothers can breastfeed wherever they please and not to say anything to them about it.

Smoking and such employees are told to direct guests to a designated area. But most just dont care.

 

[Rothbury]

I guess the other thing I would like to add to the benefit/perk list is this: When BGW/WC offer QQ or other benefits/perks....DON'T put restrictions as to when they can be used. As Zachary stated earlier, it was a pain to coordinate a time to get the Christmas ornament. What difference does it make to them which day I want to redeem my benefit. Obviously the Wine & Food has to be used in a specific period just as I would expect the ornament to only be available during CT. If they offer another lanyard this year it would be nice if they offered them in April/May instead of 2/3rds of the way through the season.

 

[Celticdog]

I know why they only offered the ornament and lanyard on specific days. It's marketing to balance the crowd from busy to less busy days. They choose slower days (Friday/Sunday), rather than having more people show up on a Saturday.

 

[Merboy]

As @VonDerrick mentioned, breastfeeding in public is 100% legal and rightfully so. I don't want to get on any soapbox here but I adamantly support a woman's right to take care of her baby in one of the most natural ways possible no matter where she is. Whether or not it's PC is beside the point and I wouldn't want to have a special place that set women aside for this reason.

That said, I do think the private lounge is an interesting idea. I've never been to one outside of an airport so I'm curious to know how many members are in the park at one time on a given day in each month already. As well, in other parks what is the experience like? In what ways do they deal with any challenges that have come up? I'm not very much in favor of separate lounges based on tiers as that tends to happen in society anyway and I tend to lean away from that thinking.

 

[WDWRLD]

I'm not very much in favor of separate lounges based on tiers as that tends to happen in society anyway.

But isnt a members lounge basically the same thing, its seperating say funcard holders from members? They both gain you access to the park but one pays more for more access, same thing between say basic membership and premier membership.....pay more get more.

 

[warfelg]

Eh I too am against that idea. It's one thing to say a membership gets you access to a lounge. But then to tie the type, quality, and possible location based on what membership I get?

 

[Merboy]

But isnt a members lounge basically the same thing, its seperating say funcard holders from members? They both gain you access to the park but one pays more for more access, same thing between say basic membership and premier membership.....pay more get more.

I'm not saying you're not right, I just think the memberships are more for money whereas physically grouping live people feels very wrong to me. Just a personal preference.

 

[WDWRLD]

Not olny that but each person entering needs that level membership. No one person with Platinum getting in 6 others that are basic members or non members at all. They have to do something to keep the lounce manageable or they will look like the Festhaus during HOS. Now I can see each member getting X number of guest passes per season, but even those would need black out days for like July 4th, Saturdays during HOS and days that they would expect very large crowds.

 

[Icer]

I'm not saying you're not right, I just think the memberships are more for money whereas physically grouping live people feels very wrong to me. Just a personal preference.

Are you referring to the existence of a members only lounge? Or something different that I missed?

 

[horsesboy]

Not olny that but each person entering needs that level membership. No one person with Platinum getting in 6 others that are basic members or non members at all. They have to do something to keep the lounce manageable or they will look like the Festhaus during HOS. Now I can see each member getting X number of guest passes per season, but even those would need black out days for like July 4th, Saturdays during HOS and days that they would expect very large crowds.

If I remember correctly in the brief period that we had one the rule which I believe was enforced was each pass member could bring one guest in with them.

This seems both fair and reasonable. Remember allowing them to bring someone in also acts as more or less free advertising for the program. If they see what they get someone who is on the fence might decide to buy their own membership.

 

[WDWRLD]

I can understand that but when the program is started, if ever started it should be done with the notice that the bring a guest option could be reworked over the first season. If it ever gets to the point where non members are getting in and then members can not because its already at capacity then the program needs tweaking. Ive seen it happen.....not at BGW though but where one member brings a guest.....few minutes later excorts in another, then another next thing you know theres a group. If your pass is scanned and somehow tracked in a system it would work but if its just a flash your pass then it may become a problem. Same with the Brauhaus I feel like that should be seating for members only. Theres been many times that place is slammed packed and members have no where to sit.

 

[VonDerrick]

I think you all completely overestimate the amount of people visiting a lounge a one time.

its a place to sit, grab a drink or snack, and chill and top off the charge on your phone. it's not a 5 star restaurant where people spend all day at.

 

[WDWRLD]

I think you all completely overestimate the amount of people visiting a lounge a one time.

its a place to sit, grab a drink or snack, and chill and top off the charge on your phone. it's not a 5 star restaurant where people spend all day at.

Thats just it, I actually think some would. Ive seen people who have basically taken up residence at tables in the park. They sit and read a book while their kids run free in the park. I could see some almost using them as a cabana espically in the hot summer and getting there in the morning, grabbing a table and making it thebase of operation for the entire day. It happens now, take a wander to the back corners of the Festhaus. Now im not saying this will be a huge daily problem but it could be a issue at times. Depending on size of the lounge it could become a problem.

 

[..…]

Thats just it, I actually think some would. Ive seen people who have basically taken up residence at tables in the park. They sit and read a book while their kids run free in the park. I could see some almost using them as a cabana espically in the hot summer and getting there in the morning, grabbing a table and making it thebase of operation for the entire day. It happens now, take a wander to the back corners of the Festhaus. Now im not saying this will be a huge daily problem but it could be a issue at times. Depending on size of the lounge it could become a problem.

Theoretically I could see this happening. I have no evidence to support that it would happen in practice, but if I lived closer I could see myself doing this on hot days. It would be a way to both get out of the house and avoid the heat, and since I like hanging out at BGW, the lounge would give me a place to sit and read a book or do work on my computer.

 

[belsaas]

That's just it, I actually think some would. I've seen people who have basically taken up residence at tables in the park. They sit and read a book while their kids run free in the park. I could see some almost using them as a cabana especially in the hot summer and getting there in the morning, grabbing a table and making it the base of operation for the entire day. It happens now, take a wander to the back corners of the Festhaus. Now I'm not saying this will be a huge daily problem but it could be a issue at times. Depending on size of the lounge it could become a problem.

I'm super guilty of this. Sometimes I just want to be someplace else, and BGW is pretty good at transporting me away. I'll ride some rides, then maybe find a bench back in the old animal reserve or one of the rocking chairs in Canada and just read a book, crowd watch, maybe even sneak in some meditation.

Even when I'm not looking for thrills, BGW can just be a nice place to be. And they have funnel cake.

 

[Icer]

I don't think that is something we should look down upon, not saying anyone is. It would almost be nice if BGW kinda tried to encourage this behavior. After all, wasn't that kinda the original intent of BGW?

I think an area that keeps you in the mindset that you are still at BGW, but is also a nice place to escape the temperature and hang out for a little would be smart. They need more areas where locals can just sit and hang out in their free time without feeling as though they are impeding on space or such. The only place I have felt like I can sit and hang for a long period of time is Grogan's/Annie's. Anywhere else feels too restaurant-ish.

 

[WDWRLD]

I too have gone in and spent quite a bit of time in certain spaces at BGW, a few years ago we spent about 6 hours in the Brauhaus on opening day for the season....heck David Cromwell even sat for about a hour and talked that day. Now we were buying quite a bit of food and beverage so we weren’t just taking up space.
Funny story from years and years ago, we rope dropped the Festhaus and pretty much stayed all day. We did have a group of 15 or so people and people came and went through the day but there was always a few people sitting there. We had seen multiple shows and each show the Burgermeister would come to our table and drink. We weren’t rowdy and we had spent plenty of money but by about 6pm security came and asked us to leave because according to them we had been there too long.

 

[warfelg]

Although I would say, I think the overall percent and number of park guests doing so is so small it shouldn't be a reason to say no to a member lounge.

People keep bringing up free drinks, different foods, and other ideas for a lounge. I want member only WiFi, phone charging stations, things like that.

 

[belsaas]

This thread is getting too reasonable and civil. And thus I propose: Norway.

An entire member's-only hamlet, with secret rides only we get to ride.

Complete with member's-only dining hall serving only the best in Norwegian lutefisk.

We can recover the pieces from Maelstrom at Epcot, make our own, better version!

 

[WDWRLD]

I don’t think the number of people doing it is huge either but if you walk around the park and count the number of folks doing that if the member lounge is fairly small it could in therory clog the lounge. Member wifi would be hard to monitor although the fact the park hasn’t provided wifi is odd. I know it was discussed a few years ago as something they wanted to do but so far I have not seen anything substantial for guests to use. I was given passwords that worked for a few days at various media events....so it’s there.