Big changes coming to Annual Passes

[flynnibus]

Well, one thing is for sure, the AP was worth it for a 21 day stay earlier this year....

21 days? Tell your parents you actually want to go out and see the real world...

 

[halltd]

I honestly don't know what the big deal is. This seems super awesome. The radio station I listen to in the mornings said today in their news section that the new $1000+ pass allows you into BOTH parks...California and Florida. Talk about a bargain!

Yes, this is seriously what they said.

 

[FigmentsFangirl]

21 days? Tell your parents you actually want to go out and see the real world...

We tried that, the Real World thing, didn't care for it

 

[DisneyJeff]

I honestly don't know what the big deal is. This seems super awesome. The radio station I listen to in the mornings said today in their news section that the new $1000+ pass allows you into BOTH parks...California and Florida. Talk about a bargain!

Yes, this is seriously what they said.

Now if they had a super high-speed monorail that connected DLR to WDW... That would be worth it!!!

 

[Andrew C]

Now if they had a super high-speed monorail that connected DLR to WDW... That would be worth it!!!

That is what red eye flights are for.

 

[halltd]

Now if they had a super high-speed monorail that connected DLR to WDW... That would be worth it!!!

Disney Hyperloop!!!

 

[ford91exploder]

I honestly don't know what the big deal is. This seems super awesome. The radio station I listen to in the mornings said today in their news section that the new $1000+ pass allows you into BOTH parks...California and Florida. Talk about a bargain!

Yes, this is seriously what they said.

The premier passport has ALWAYS allowed access to DL and WDW and it's always been almost 2X the cost of a regular annual pass

 

[Disneyhead'71]

OK, at one point in my life I was such an addict that when pushed to do "real world" stuff, I relented, but I couldn't let it go completely. So I went on a "Disney Resort Inspiration Tour". My favorite Disney Resort is Wilderness Lodge, so we stayed at Old Faithful Inn. We really like The Grand Californian so we stayed at The Ahwahnee Lodge in Yosemite. Although The Grand Floridian isn't my favorite place to stay, it is beautiful. So we hit The Hotel Del Coronado.

How does one treat a WDW addiction?

Step One- 4 nights@The Grand Californian followed by 3 nights@The Hotel Del.

Step Two- 4 nights@Portofino Bay followed by 3 nights@The Don Cesar.

 

[halltd]

The premier passport has ALWAYS allowed access to DL and WDW and it's always been almost 2X the cost of a regular annual pass

Yes, but they quoted the price as $1,049 and called it out by name as the Signature Plus Pass. One of the hosts asked if it was for Disneyland in California and the person doing the news said, "Well, both. It's a signature pass for both." Then they went on even more to ask if it really got you into all the parks and then it just went downhill as someone asked how many parks where there and the response was, "There's three, right...I think these are just the Disney parks."

To top it all off they said "well I'll be there this weekend" referring to their visit to Halloween Horror Nights at Universal.

 

[George]

I've refrained from commenting on this thread, largely because the price increase, while huge, isn't astronomical (However, Disneyland's is), and, frankly, I can still afford it if I'm planning to take two trips in a year.

However, by comparison, I can buy Six Flags season passes right now for $65 each. Those are good the remainder of 2015 and all of 2016, at every Six Flags park in the country. They include parking, food and merch discounts, bring a friend free and discounted days, etc. Comparing Disney and Six Flags is, of course, apples and oranges in many ways. But I wonder...is WDW actually 12 times as good as Six Flags?

For another $80, I can add a dining pass that provides two meals, a snack, and unlimited soft drinks. Again, the food a Six Flags in inferior to Disney in virtually every way, so the comparison is tough. But for $80 at WDW, that gives me about two days of food if I stick to counter service.

Disney isn't close to getting to the point where I can't afford it. But it's getting close to the point where I honestly have to ask if it's worth it.

I agree with all your points. Disney actually shouldn't be part of the argument. They are doing what any company would do. What is really interesting is the amount of money people are willing to spend on Disney. We're in the same boat you're in. We can afford Disney, but the value has become an issue. Several years ago, we quit eating most of our meals at Disney. Now, we're staying at Beach Club (DVC) for a couple of days in December before visiting family for Christmas and we're not doing any themed parks. Despite getting DVC annual passes of some type the years we go to the parks, by not going to the parks for a year we save 2 grand and then some. The renewal discount doesn't even come close to covering that. Also, having grown up in the area, I have always enjoyed the rest of the amenities on property. A couple of days of Stormalong Bay, tonga toast, Disney springs, checking out that new bowling alley, visiting friends, golf, resort hopping, etc. is quite fun and right up there with going to a theme park at least for me.

Anyway, if people are willing to pay the price, they're going to charge it. Simple as that. The real question @ParentsOf4 should dig into is WHY so many of us are willing to shell out the dough.

 

[Horizons '83]

Well, one thing is for sure, the AP was worth it for a 21 day stay earlier this year....

But; looks like Rumplestiltskin was right, All magic DOES come with a price

Wow, that's just... I mean to get 21 days off is one thing but then to pay for 21 day trip at Disney no less is different ballgame.

 

[ParentsOf4]

Anyway, if people are willing to pay the price, they're going to charge it. Simple as that. The real question @ParentsOf4 should dig into is WHY so many of us are willing to shell out the dough.

Image baby, image.

A vacation at "Disney" is still part of the Great American Dream, even if fewer and fewer can afford it.

Disney will be in a world (pun intended) of hurt once that bubble bursts but it's going to take a genuine tragedy for that to happen.

For some reason, the following dialogue from Chinatown popped into my head as I typed this:

Jake Gittes: How much are you worth?
Noah Cross: I have no idea. How much do you want?
Jake Gittes: I just wanna know what you're worth. More than 10 million?
Noah Cross: Oh my, yes!
Jake Gittes: Why are you doing it? How much better can you eat? What could you buy that you can't already afford?
Noah Cross: The future, Mr. Gittes! The future.​

After a month of WDW bliss following the DHS redo announcement, it's once again beginning to feel like Noah Cross is running Disney.

 

[PhotoDave219]

Image baby, image.

A vacation at "Disney" is still part of the Great American Dream, even if fewer and fewer can afford it.

Disney will be in a world (pun intended) of hurt once that bubble bursts but it's going to take a genuine tragedy for that to happen.

For some reason, the following dialogue from Chinatown popped into my head as I typed this:

Jake Gittes: How much are you worth?
Noah Cross: I have no idea. How much do you want?
Jake Gittes: I just wanna know what you're worth. More than 10 million?
Noah Cross: Oh my, yes!
Jake Gittes: Why are you doing it? How much better can you eat? What could you buy that you can't already afford?
Noah Cross: The future, Mr. Gittes! The future.​

After a month of WDW bliss following the DHS redo announcement, it's once again beginning to feel like Noah Cross is running Disney.

Its Chinatown, Jake.....

 

[ford91exploder]

Image baby, image.

A vacation at "Disney" is still part of the Great American Dream, even if fewer and fewer can afford it.

Disney will be in a world (pun intended) of hurt once that bubble bursts but it's going to take a genuine tragedy for that to happen.

For some reason, the following dialogue from Chinatown popped into my head as I typed this:

Jake Gittes: How much are you worth?
Noah Cross: I have no idea. How much do you want?
Jake Gittes: I just wanna know what you're worth. More than 10 million?
Noah Cross: Oh my, yes!
Jake Gittes: Why are you doing it? How much better can you eat? What could you buy that you can't already afford?
Noah Cross: The future, Mr. Gittes! The future.​

After a month of WDW bliss following the DHS redo announcement, it's once again beginning to feel like Noah Cross is running Disney.

It does indeed ... I never felt the bliss because I think the 'additions' are going to be 'value engineered' to nothing.

 

[ford91exploder]

OK, at one point in my life I was such an addict that when pushed to do "real world" stuff, I relented, but I couldn't let it go completely. So I went on a "Disney Resort Inspiration Tour". My favorite Disney Resort is Wilderness Lodge, so we stayed at Old Faithful Inn. We really like The Grand Californian so we stayed at The Ahwahnee Lodge in Yosemite. Although The Grand Floridian isn't my favorite place to stay, it is beautiful. So we hit The Hotel Del Coronado.

How does one treat a WDW addiction?

Step One- 4 nights@The Grand Californian followed by 3 nights@The Hotel Del.

Step Two- 4 nights@Portofino Bay followed by 3 nights@The Don Cesar.

Isn't the Hotel Del - AMAZING for lack of adjectives.

 

[hopemax]

Image baby, image.

A vacation at "Disney" is still part of the Great American Dream, even if fewer and fewer can afford it.

Disney will be in a world (pun intended) of hurt once that bubble bursts but it's going to take a genuine tragedy for that to happen.

I was thinking about this yesterday...why are we so sure it will take a tragedy... 1989-1994 Little Mermaid - Lion King. In 2005, Disney needs to buy Pixar., let's quote Bob Iger

Iger said the importance of Pixar to Disney's future had become clear to him during opening ceremonies for Hong Kong Disneyland in September 2005, just a month before he became chief executive. He noticed the many characters from Pixar films featured in the kickoff parade. But there was nothing from Disney's recent animated movies, whose latest characters weren't popular.

"It was a light bulb at a very high wattage," Iger recalled.

11 years and animation goes from the top of the world to Iger needing to do something drastic. Now, people see movies multiple times per year and they may not visit WDW that often. So people can experience more movie "cycles." But movies only cost $10 not thousands so people should be more "forgiving" when it comes to movies too. Disneyland was rocking in 1995, reached a point, just prior to the 50th in 2005 (despite giving away the AP farm with $99 So Cal passes for so long) and revitalized by 2015.

Now, I'm not expecting anything drastic to change tomorrow, or next year. 5, 10? Not quite so sure, depends on how many additional price increases accompany the openings of Avatarland, Toy Story Land or Star Wars Land and how successful those projects are regarded (especially when compared to whatever the heck Universal manages to pull off in the same time frame.) Disney can certainly just become "uncool." And now Disney is more actively pursuing the "we're for the households with $100K incomes" narrative, can the American Dream survive? What people think and remember about Disney is a version of Disney that doesn't exist and hasn't for a long time, as has been repeatedly pointed out in the last 72 hours. The more that point gets made, and in more mainstream places...the option at least makes it to the discussion table, right?

 

[Disneyhead'71]

Isn't the Hotel Del - AMAZING for lack of adjectives.

Yup.

One of my 3 favorite historic hotels because of their place in literary history. Frank L. Baum wrote the The Wizard of Oz at The Hotel Del. F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote The Great Gatsby at The Don Cesar. And Stephen King wrote The Shining at The Stanley.

 

[ford91exploder]

Yup.

One of my 3 favorite historic hotels because of their place in literary history. Frank L. Baum wrote the The Wizard of Oz at The Hotel Del. F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote The Great Gatsby at The Don Cesar. And Stephen King wrote The Shining at The Stanley.

The Del also has a place in cinematic history as well 'Some like it hot' with Marilyn Monroe was filmed there and when I was there they showed it a few times, Also 'Somewhere in Time' was also set there and was also on the 'Del's cable system.

 

[asianway]

What would an AP cost if the parks were ran like they were in the 80s? $2000+?

 

[Sonconato]

The parking upgrade is very worth it for me. I live about an hour away and visit the park less due to how much parking costs. So I went to pay for the upgraded pass with parking yesterday and they upgraded it for free. So that was great and all. I just wanted to let others know to ask if they are interested in upgrading but not paying the additional cost. I upgraded at the ttc. I hate that the prices are so high and wish that parking was included without a price hike.

You stated something that I have been thinking about. Based on various articles, Disney is claiming this was done to address overcrowding during peak times. We're APer's and we go weekly and see the difference in the crowds, but keep in mind it is only on weekends. Weekdays may be entirely different. There are two crowds:

• The "busy times of year" when black-out dates are in effect and seasonal passholders cannot go.
  
  
• The off season time of year when seasonal passholders are able to attend.
  

Based on our experience, it is clearly more crowded during the off season due to the local seasonal passholders…at least on the weekends. You mentioned that you didn't go as much due to parking costs which is certainly understandable. Now that parking costs are included, and I agree, that is a much better deal for those passholders with black-out dates, is this really going to improve crowds? With that said, since we find that off season is more crowded ON THE WEEKENDS, it seems that it's actually going to get even worse. I guess we'll wait and see.