Provide Disney+ to families / guests?

Question

Hello - I'd like to cater towards families with children for my STR.  Should I be providing Disney+ as a free amenity to these families?  Is the ROI worth the extra cost?

Bruce Woodruff · Answer

@Marc Shin......Dude, you are killin' it with the questions. You've got a book's worth already :-) I admire your perseverance!

Hint - maybe ask a few questions per post. Just my $0.02

Michael Baum · Answer

Hey @Marc Shin, hehe like @Bruce Woodruff said, you are single-handedly increasing the topics for searches! :)

I wouldn't provide any streaming services. Get Roku TVs and setup guest mode so they can use their own accounts.

Super easy to do and most families will have a Disney+ account anyways.

Andrew Steffens · Answer

I think it may be nice but generally not necessary.  We provide smart TVs at all listings so people can log in to their own accounts, and most people with kids will have something of their own they can use.  It cannot hurt to provide it, and it is cheap - but mostly not necessary IMO

Sarah Kensinger · Answer

Since everyone already purchases the streaming services at a year subscription, just provide a smart tv with logins to all the popular streaming services.

Lauren Kormylo · Answer

Families with kids are likely already subscribed to it, and can use their own login to watch it.  Have you thought about adding a game room for kids?  Look at some of the properties in Gatlinburg/Pigeon Forge area for ideas.  If I had the room in my STR, that's what I'd do.

John Underwood · Answer

I see it as most people are so wore out from being at the parks all they that they pass out and get up early to do it again.

I don't even turn on the TV when I'm there.

Kids have tablets to watch their stuff and play games on.

Collin Hays · Answer

We provide basic cable TV or YouTube TV, depending on the location of the property. Each has plenty of channels for the kidlets.

As a side note:  Are kids even watching TV anymore? I own a group of franchise hair salons. We used to have nice big TV monitors in the lobbies.  After some observation, we decided it was just noise - no one was watching it; they were looking at their phones.  So we tossed all of the TVs and no one said a word.

Ricky A. · Answer

I think the downsides far outweigh the upside.  If a family with kids values D+ then the probably already have it, so providing smart TVs where they can log into their subscription is sufficient.  For families with kids that don't have D+, providing it likely doesn't move the needle because it's not important enough for them to already be subscribed.

I think providing streaming services (that require login) can have huge downsides if the service gets logged out.  Do you provide the login credentials upfront in case the service gets logged out?  Do people take those credentials home with them and continue using your account.  Or do you provide the credentials when they call to complain that the service is logged out?  Does that inconvenience cause them to ding you when they leave a review?  Do you need to update your credentials once they check out so they don't continue to use your account?

To me, it's a lot of downside with very little upside.  I suggest having smart TVs and let them log into their own accounts, preferably with a guest mode so they auto-log out after a certain number of days.

For catering to families, I would concentrate on providing amenities like puzzles and games.  Depending on the location and properties, consider having a game room.

Ashley Kehr · Answer

I think this can depend on your location and why people come to the airbnb. Are you in a location where there is lots to do and the families most likely won't watch that much tv? I have two cabins where one has no streaming subscriptions provided. Anyone can login to their own. The second cabin has Youtube TV, hulu, and Netflix. So far we have never had anyone comment about the lack of or the convenience of having it. So from experience I can't say it has been beneficial or not to our profit. I would also take a look at other listings in the area. Are they offering Disney plus in their listings or other paid subscriptions? If you are one of the few that aren't then you might want to include it. I think this is something that won't make someone choose your property over another one if it has Disney plus or not but I do think it adds to the guest experience of the convenience of it. That it can impact your 5 star review more than what you can charge on a daily rate. Which then in turn consistently having 5 star reviews can increase your nightly rate. Here is a great episode to check out about doing these small but impactful gestures to enhance the experience at an airbnb.

Provide Disney+ to families / guests?

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