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Disney Club is ending
- Thread starter raven
- Start date
I found out about this a while back. I would like to know what they plan on doing for all of the unknowing people who are renewing their memberships.
THE FANATIC
New Member
DISNEY CLUB
Below is a copy of the letter that I sent to news papers in Florida and California as well as Disney Corporate. Disney chose to respond with a form letter of the kind that everyone will recieve that asks any question about the club closing. Maybe if enough people question their real motives they will give some real answers.
I just learned that the Disney club will cease operations on December 31, 2003. They are replacing it with a credit card where you will earn points with each purchase. Just what everyone needs, another credit card in their wallet. They
closed the hunchback show with no plans to replacing it. All they can do is put in more character meet and greets. I can see that I will be spending more time at universal. With attendance down you would think they would be doing more to attract guests not alienate them.
The credit card will be a visa type card and you will earn points for using it. With these points you can buy Disney stuff. Based on similar programs with other cards you will more that likely have to spend a tremendous amount to get anything good. On my Amex card it costs 44,000 points to get one park hopper pass. That's $44,000.00 spent. That same number of points will get me two
round trip airfares anywhere in the US.
They've raised ticket prices, discontinued many of the classic shows that made Disney, raised the price of parking, iscontinued the Disney club, what's next? Will they start charging for re-admission? If they really want to make some money it's a good idea. After all, that seems to be the only thing the current Disney management seems to care about. Not attracting more guests and keeping the repeat guests coming back. Walt started the Magic Kingdom Club / Disney Club. He must be spinning in his cryo-chamber seeing what's happening to his dream.
The point is they are not going to do this club anymore not that they are changing it. Just think, no more toll free numbers to make reservations for hotels, breakfasts or dinner. They will also get a good piece of change for every purchase you make while trying to get enough points to get any kind of perk at all.
I've been going to Disney since 1978, my first trip. Every time I go now I find myself spending less and less time there. Not because I'm getting older, but because it really doesn't have the magic that it use to. They really need to clean up their act. Try to bring back the magic, not with hype, not with rides and shows but with all of the little things that made Disney more than just another theme park. Granted, they can't totally dismiss the bottom line but if they just stopped worrying about it and cutting costs for the sole purpose of increasing the profit margin people would notice and attendance would increase as would the profits. All the advertising and special events (not so special when they have them every year) will not increase attendance or profits. Keeping Disney parks a cut above the rest will and it will do that by word of mouth. I run an information web site devoted to all of the parks in the Orlando area so I will keep going to Disney to keep up the site. I just won't spend as much time or money there as I use to until Disney gets it together. It may have been started by a mouse but it's the people, the fans that made him
an American icon, not the stock holders. I am truly disappointed and saddened in this latest round of "HOW MUCH CAN WE STICK IT TO THE GUESTS BEFORE THEY SQUEAK?" game.
--
STEVE DETERRA
THE ORLANDO FLORIDA THEME PARK
FANATIC
http://disney.orlando.home.att.net
e-mail: disney.orlando@att.net
Below is a copy of the letter that I sent to news papers in Florida and California as well as Disney Corporate. Disney chose to respond with a form letter of the kind that everyone will recieve that asks any question about the club closing. Maybe if enough people question their real motives they will give some real answers.
I just learned that the Disney club will cease operations on December 31, 2003. They are replacing it with a credit card where you will earn points with each purchase. Just what everyone needs, another credit card in their wallet. They
closed the hunchback show with no plans to replacing it. All they can do is put in more character meet and greets. I can see that I will be spending more time at universal. With attendance down you would think they would be doing more to attract guests not alienate them.
The credit card will be a visa type card and you will earn points for using it. With these points you can buy Disney stuff. Based on similar programs with other cards you will more that likely have to spend a tremendous amount to get anything good. On my Amex card it costs 44,000 points to get one park hopper pass. That's $44,000.00 spent. That same number of points will get me two
round trip airfares anywhere in the US.
They've raised ticket prices, discontinued many of the classic shows that made Disney, raised the price of parking, iscontinued the Disney club, what's next? Will they start charging for re-admission? If they really want to make some money it's a good idea. After all, that seems to be the only thing the current Disney management seems to care about. Not attracting more guests and keeping the repeat guests coming back. Walt started the Magic Kingdom Club / Disney Club. He must be spinning in his cryo-chamber seeing what's happening to his dream.
The point is they are not going to do this club anymore not that they are changing it. Just think, no more toll free numbers to make reservations for hotels, breakfasts or dinner. They will also get a good piece of change for every purchase you make while trying to get enough points to get any kind of perk at all.
I've been going to Disney since 1978, my first trip. Every time I go now I find myself spending less and less time there. Not because I'm getting older, but because it really doesn't have the magic that it use to. They really need to clean up their act. Try to bring back the magic, not with hype, not with rides and shows but with all of the little things that made Disney more than just another theme park. Granted, they can't totally dismiss the bottom line but if they just stopped worrying about it and cutting costs for the sole purpose of increasing the profit margin people would notice and attendance would increase as would the profits. All the advertising and special events (not so special when they have them every year) will not increase attendance or profits. Keeping Disney parks a cut above the rest will and it will do that by word of mouth. I run an information web site devoted to all of the parks in the Orlando area so I will keep going to Disney to keep up the site. I just won't spend as much time or money there as I use to until Disney gets it together. It may have been started by a mouse but it's the people, the fans that made him
an American icon, not the stock holders. I am truly disappointed and saddened in this latest round of "HOW MUCH CAN WE STICK IT TO THE GUESTS BEFORE THEY SQUEAK?" game.
--
STEVE DETERRA
THE ORLANDO FLORIDA THEME PARK
FANATIC
http://disney.orlando.home.att.net
e-mail: disney.orlando@att.net
Also, the only hopper pass that the Disney Stores will sell for the club members now is the 6-Day hopper plus tickets. The regular ticket prices went up a little but it is still cheaper to get them at the Disney Store (outside of FL) than it is to get them at the gate. So, the savings actually was sent to everyone, even non-Disney Club members.
This is official since I read the notice myself at work yesterday.
This is official since I read the notice myself at work yesterday.