Rumor Pre-Arrival Survey - AP Discounts, Lightning Lane Pre-Booking Discounts, Hotel Upgrades

[monothingie]

Interesting to see where their mindset is on what their big challenges are for the next 2 years.

Notable Topics included:
Price points for per day Pre-Purchased MPLL.
$400 or $300 AP Pass Discounts
Hotel Room Upgrades

 

[monorail81]

Interesting…did they offer you a space for any additional comments?

 

[mattpeto]

They created a bunch of monsters when they added Genie+ as a ticket add-on. I'll be curious if they think their current system would still provide as much value if more people just auto purchased it.

Genie+, for it's flaws, had more value if you were willing to game it because it didn't use Tiers.

 

[Fido Chuckwagon]

I’m confused. You can **already** purchase LLMP up to 7 days before your arrival if you are staying on site. What is the difference that they are surveying?

 

[monothingie]

Interesting…did they offer you a space for any additional comments?

No.

My Takeaway is that their early numbers for the rest of 2026 are abysmal. I think one of their main strategies is going to be bringing back the annual passholders through steep discounts in passes.

The one part of the survey that was unusual, and I don’t know why it didn’t capture all of the questions, was regarding upgrades for booked hotel rooms.

I have a distinct feeling that when they further segmented the different hotel room categories, it threw a lot of people off, especially considering what you were paying versus what you were getting. This upgrade concept seems like a way to overcome that.

What was unclear was whether it would work like an airline upgrade where it’s a complementary upgrade to a “better” accommodation, or it would be additional notifications to guests about available paid upgraded options.

 

[HauntedPirate]

Donnie when he reads about any possible AP discount:

 

[ToTBellHop]

Donnie when he reads about any possible AP discount:

He’s on his way to this thread

 

[gorillaball]

I’m confused. You can **already** purchase LLMP up to 7 days before your arrival if you are staying on site. What is the difference that they are surveying?

Apparently, seeing interest in discount if you purchase at 7 days vs closer to or during trip.

Seems silly to me, better value at 7 days by having more options on selections. But I realize the common public maybe doesn’t purchase at 7a 7 days out.

 

[bmr1591]

As an out of state passholder, that discount would definitely encourage me to renew on a year I was considering not renewing.

 

[kgoose23]

As an out of state passholder, that discount would definitely encourage me to renew on a year I was considering not renewing.

Totally agree with this. As out of state DVC we used to get a very good discount on our passes and that has been missed especially as our kids aged into tickets. We also would consider going back to two trips a year if this was the case along with a decrease in the lightning lane. Everything has just gotten a little bonkers price wise in recent years especially with the removal of perks. This was the first year we haven’t renewed our passes since 2014 and I felt Disney forced my hand with it

 

[Ayla]

As an out of state passholder, that discount would definitely encourage me to renew on a year I was considering not renewing.

Even though you're still required to make a park reservation?

 

[Fido Chuckwagon]

Even though you're still required to make a park reservation?

The park reservations are silly/annoying, but since there are basically always reservations available for every park every day (and they only ever sell otu on holidays like Christmas maybe a few days before), they don’t really matter.

 

[Ayla]

The park reservations are silly/annoying, but since there are basically always reservations available for every park every day (and they only ever sell otu on holidays like Christmas maybe a few days before), they don’t really matter.

What's the current number of days AP's can hold reservations for? Three?

 

[Fido Chuckwagon]

What's the current number of days AP's can hold reservations for? Three?

Sorcerer & Incredi can hold 5. No reservations needed after 2 pm except for MK on the weekend.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

..:yeah…everything is fine in the swamp

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

The park reservations are silly/annoying, but since there are basically always reservations available for every park every day (and they only ever sell otu on holidays like Christmas maybe a few days before), they don’t really matter.

Then drop the stupid &$&!ing pretense

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Apparently, seeing interest in discount if you purchase at 7 days vs closer to or during trip.

Seems silly to me, better value at 7 days by having more options on selections. But I realize the common public maybe doesn’t purchase at 7a 7 days out.

…yeah…they have wanted banked revenue in advance since the days of the office of strategic planning…so that been “awhile”

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

No.

My Takeaway is that their early numbers for the rest of 2026 are abysmal. I think one of their main strategies is going to be bringing back the annual passholders through steep discounts in passes.

The one part of the survey that was unusual, and I don’t know why it didn’t capture all of the questions, was regarding upgrades for booked hotel rooms.

I have a distinct feeling that when they further segmented the different hotel room categories, it threw a lot of people off, especially considering what you were paying versus what you were getting. This upgrade concept seems like a way to overcome that.

What was unclear was whether it would work like an airline upgrade where it’s a complementary upgrade to a “better” accommodation, or it would be additional notifications to guests about available paid upgraded options.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Totally agree with this. As out of state DVC we used to get a very good discount on our passes and that has been missed especially as our kids aged into tickets. We also would consider going back to two trips a year if this was the case along with a decrease in the lightning lane. Everything has just gotten a little bonkers price wise in recent years especially with the removal of perks. This was the first year we haven’t renewed our passes since 2014 and I felt Disney forced my hand with it

They spread the word back in 2017-18 that you…and therefore I…were bad for business. Because they invented an “Unlimited” pool or people that will pay the maximum price for the minute. You would not and never will…so the word filters amongst the world of travel agents and wholesale distributors. It was only those that were wanted. You can pay your dvc dues and be gone otherwise. Rent them to a whale.

That strategy failed after the dust from the “free money plague” petered (no pun) out…

My amateurish take on this is that the Margins are getting to close to redline with the losses and they have to capitulate on the backbone segment that they had tried to “retrain”

Had they done this in 2022 when the problem became evident…they may have hid the problem altogether.

Instead their knickers are exposed

 

[bmr1591]

Even though you're still required to make a park reservation?

It’s annoying, but reservations are a non-issue besides that.