Ghostrooms
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Similar to @taiwan_girl Skiplagging thread
Universal Studios in Florida offers Express Passes (which can shorten your wait time by at least 50% on most rides and 70% on quite a few) at a cost of $150-$240 per pass depending on the season.
They also offer free express passes if you stay at one of the premier resorts (ranging from $500-$800 for a standard room). This has caused a phenomenon known as ghost-rooms, where people will book rooms at the hotels, check in to get the passes, but never even set foot in the rooms. They spend $500 to get 4-5 express passes that would have cost $600-$750 (or more depending on the season). It’s mostly locals from Florida, but you also get people that had already booked cheaper hotels and just book 1 night at the premium hotel which actually gets you two days worth of express passes.
While it’s a great way to save money, it does cause problems for other guests that honestly intend to stay at the hotels. Sometimes the hotels are overbooked and guests can’t get a reservation for the dates they want, even though the rooms will be empty… It’s also problematic for the workers of the hotel. Housekeepers aren’t getting tips for rooms that aren’t used. Servers aren’t getting tips when a large number of guests aren’t on property… my take on it is that while it’s completely legal and legitimate, the people doing so are selfish pricks and recently said as much on a Universal Facebook Page, causing a firestorm of reactions… Especially since the page is run by a travel agency that actively promotes and schedules ghost-rooms.
Curious to hear your take…
What say
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Similar to @taiwan_girl Skiplagging thread
Universal Studios in Florida offers Express Passes (which can shorten your wait time by at least 50% on most rides and 70% on quite a few) at a cost of $150-$240 per pass depending on the season.
They also offer free express passes if you stay at one of the premier resorts (ranging from $500-$800 for a standard room). This has caused a phenomenon known as ghost-rooms, where people will book rooms at the hotels, check in to get the passes, but never even set foot in the rooms. They spend $500 to get 4-5 express passes that would have cost $600-$750 (or more depending on the season). It’s mostly locals from Florida, but you also get people that had already booked cheaper hotels and just book 1 night at the premium hotel which actually gets you two days worth of express passes.
While it’s a great way to save money, it does cause problems for other guests that honestly intend to stay at the hotels. Sometimes the hotels are overbooked and guests can’t get a reservation for the dates they want, even though the rooms will be empty… It’s also problematic for the workers of the hotel. Housekeepers aren’t getting tips for rooms that aren’t used. Servers aren’t getting tips when a large number of guests aren’t on property… my take on it is that while it’s completely legal and legitimate, the people doing so are selfish pricks and recently said as much on a Universal Facebook Page, causing a firestorm of reactions… Especially since the page is run by a travel agency that actively promotes and schedules ghost-rooms.
Curious to hear your take…
What say
Conservatives: "The market will take care of itself."
The market:
@LuFins-Dad said in Ghostrooms:
Similar to @taiwan_girl Skiplagging thread
Universal Studios in Florida offers Express Passes (which can shorten your wait time by at least 50% on most rides and 70% on quite a few) at a cost of $150-$240 per pass depending on the season.
They also offer free express passes if you stay at one of the premier resorts (ranging from $500-$800 for a standard room). This has caused a phenomenon known as ghost-rooms, where people will book rooms at the hotels, check in to get the passes, but never even set foot in the rooms. They spend $500 to get 4-5 express passes that would have cost $600-$750 (or more depending on the season). It’s mostly locals from Florida, but you also get people that had already booked cheaper hotels and just book 1 night at the premium hotel which actually gets you two days worth of express passes.
While it’s a great way to save money, it does cause problems for other guests that honestly intend to stay at the hotels. Sometimes the hotels are overbooked and guests can’t get a reservation for the dates they want, even though the rooms will be empty… It’s also problematic for the workers of the hotel. Housekeepers aren’t getting tips for rooms that aren’t used. Servers aren’t getting tips when a large number of guests aren’t on property… my take on it is that while it’s completely legal and legitimate, the people doing so are selfish pricks and recently said as much on a Universal Facebook Page, causing a firestorm of reactions… Especially since the page is run by a travel agency that actively promotes and schedules ghost-rooms.
Curious to hear your take…
What say
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I have never hear of that before.
I am with you LuFIns Dad, I dont think this or skip lagging is good. One of those things that MAY be okay legally, but morally or ethically, it does not seem right.
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Agree with 89th. I don't have any issue with this. The real loser is the park, who could obviously be making more money by selling their rooms to people who place value in them. As for the alleged poor souls who miss out on a room, that's just examples of people not being able to have something they cannot afford. There's nothing wrong with that.
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Agree with 89th. I don't have any issue with this. The real loser is the park, who could obviously be making more money by selling their rooms to people who place value in them. As for the alleged poor souls who miss out on a room, that's just examples of people not being able to have something they cannot afford. There's nothing wrong with that.
@Horace said in Ghostrooms:
Agree with 89th. I don't have any issue with this. The real loser is the park, who could obviously be making more money by selling their rooms to people who place value in them. As for the alleged poor souls who miss out on a room, that's just examples of people not being able to have something they cannot afford. There's nothing wrong with that.
But the people actually wanting the room can afford it. And want it. And normally want to spend more money than people using the hack for cheaper express passes.
The Brad
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@Horace said in Ghostrooms:
Agree with 89th. I don't have any issue with this. The real loser is the park, who could obviously be making more money by selling their rooms to people who place value in them. As for the alleged poor souls who miss out on a room, that's just examples of people not being able to have something they cannot afford. There's nothing wrong with that.
But the people actually wanting the room can afford it. And want it. And normally want to spend more money than people using the hack for cheaper express passes.
@LuFins-Dad said in Ghostrooms:
@Horace said in Ghostrooms:
Agree with 89th. I don't have any issue with this. The real loser is the park, who could obviously be making more money by selling their rooms to people who place value in them. As for the alleged poor souls who miss out on a room, that's just examples of people not being able to have something they cannot afford. There's nothing wrong with that.
But the people actually wanting the room can afford it. And want it. And normally want to spend more money than people using the hack for cheaper express passes.
Yes the park is missing out, and their inefficient/stupid way of addressing their market causes this. They are not maximizing their profit, and this market would look less ridiculous if they were. It's not a failure of a free market, it's just stupid behavior by a participant in the free market.
