Big reduction on Annual Passholder discounts at Walt Disney World mini-golf courses and boat rentals

[NearTheEars]

The ferry still gets you to the MK right? ...

Anyway, I mentioned earlier that we never used these specific discounts and I started thinking what would be my tipping point.

I think if they cut all of them, even the merchandise (we buy most of our parks merch heavily discounted at the outlets), and we would be OK.

But if the free parking went away, that might be the end for us.

We typically break even on the AP after just the first few months each year, but if we had to drop $17 each day to park I think we'd rethink our options.

 

[sjhym333]

Meh...if you factored non-guaranteed discounts into the purchase price of a product, then that's your fault.

It's an annual pass. It should be bought based on the basic value of having year round admission to the theme parks.

That would be true IF that is what Disney is selling. But they aren't They market and sell AP's as just not park admission but it also includes other things. Their own marketing says
"Enjoy a year of magic with a Walt Disney World Annual Pass! Join in the fun of exclusive events and receive valuable discounts on select options including dining, merchandise, recreation, tours and more." I am not sure why that concept is hard to understand.

 

[jakeman]

That would be true IF that is what Disney is selling. But they aren't They market and sell AP's as just not park admission but it also includes other things. Their own marketing says
"Enjoy a year of magic with a Walt Disney World Annual Pass! Join in the fun of exclusive events and receive valuable discounts on select options including dining, merchandise, recreation, tours and more." I am not sure why that concept is hard to understand.

Must be just as hard as not falling for marketing and evaluating a product objectively based on its intended purpose.

 

[sjhym333]

Must be just as hard as not falling for marketing and evaluating a product objectively based on its intended purpose.

Not hard at all. Disney gave me a nice handy dandy booklet that told me everything my pass included. It is 16 pages long. Only one of which talks about admission into the park. I guess Disney thinks the other things included in the pass are important to take the time to do that. The obviously think that the other things are equally important to their guests. Again it is Disney that markets their product.

 

[afb28]

Government stimulus isn't always spent the way the government wants people to spend it, on themselves boosting local or US companies. Many people use it to pay off bills and debts.

I never said I didn't see how businesses use this market. I simply stated when some people save money on gas they use it for other items they got behind on, not always an upgrade on a Disney vacation.

And all I ever said is that now consumers have more money so it's understandable that disney would raise prices in such an economy, so I'm not quite sure what you're trying to establish here.

 

[jakeman]

Not hard at all. Disney gave me a nice handy dandy booklet that told me everything my pass included. It is 16 pages long. Only one of which talks about admission into the park. I guess Disney thinks the other things included in the pass are important to take the time to do that. The obviously think that the other things are equally important to their guests. Again it is Disney that markets their product.

And it's you that falls for the marketing.

 

[mergatroid]

My kids were into renting the small watercraft every summer over the last few years. I don't recall ever getting 30% off with my AP at the marinas (maybe 20%), and I'd ask every time which discount gave the best (DVC, AAA & AP) I'll have to pull out the old pile of receipts I know I have around here someplace to see what they did give me.

Update: My daughter was the one who gave them her card last summer and as she recalls, between the three the discounts were 15% (AP) 10% (DVC) and 10% (AAA)... so no changes there within the last 6 months.

We've regularly rented small craft at both DD and the Contemporary marina and have always received a 30% discount as far back as I can remember.

 

[Victor Kelly]

Disney goes into the details of the brochure just like the tour books do, to show that the theme parks are just one thing to do. Granted, they are the main thing to do, but there is real golf, water sports, hiking, running, horse back riding, fishing. There really is a lot to do in WDW. But, if those things are being subtracted or reduced from AP holders, then the AP holders are not getting what they were paying for. It would be a reduction of services while price remains either constant or increases.

 

[sjhym333]

And it's you that falls for the marketing.

So I am assuming that you believe that Disney cannot be trusted when it issues Annual Passes that is says will include certain things?

 

[jakeman]

So I am assuming that you believe that Disney cannot be trusted when it issues Annual Passes that is says will include certain things?

It's not a matter of trust. It's understanding what you are purchasing.

I've said multiple times in this thread that I buy the annual pass for admission. The discounts are nice, but they do not factor into my decision.

As for your booklet that you are holding to the same authority as the Constitution, I would bet a nickle that there is a caveat in there that discounts may change at any time.

You perceive the value of an AP as the non-guaranteed discounts associated with the pass. That's kind of your problem as now it's led to this hilarious bit of moral outrage over mini-golf.

I see the pass as an admission ticket. So while I'm bummed that a discount has been reduced, I am actually able to sleep at night without worrying if a major corporation is trustworthy or not.

 

[dreamfinder]

The AP benefits reductions are fairly recent they began in earnest when Premium AP/Premier Passport purchase discount at WDW was reduced from 20% to 10% in 2012 and it's just been downhill from there. I was AT WDW when the cut went into effect, I was NOT pleased.

While the merch discount cut may stink, wasn't it only 2-3 years earlier that they had added any discount on merchandise at all? I seem to remember it being a big deal, and added on a "temporary" basis they kept extending every few months before making it permanent.

 

[sjhym333]

It's not a matter of trust. It's understanding what you are purchasing.

I've said multiple times in this thread that I buy the annual pass for admission. The discounts are nice, but they do not factor into my decision.

As for your booklet that you are holding to the same authority as the Constitution, I would bet a nickle that there is a caveat in there that discounts may change at any time.

You perceive the value of an AP as the non-guaranteed discounts associated with the pass. That's kind of your problem as now it's led to this hilarious bit of moral outrage over mini-golf.

I see the pass as an admission ticket. So while I'm bummed that a discount has been reduced, I am actually able to sleep at night without worrying if a major corporation is trustworthy or not.

And I have said multiple times on this thread that I am happy that people buy annual passes just for the admission. That is great. But where you and I will continue to disagree is in two things. First is you don't speak for all of us and second is I didn't make up or offer the discounts. Disney did. Since I paid for my AP for the entire package that Disney sold it for when I bought, I feel I have a right to be frustrated. And I have also said multiple times here that I don't think anyone here is frustrated about the golf discount per se but about the perception that Disney keeps increasing prices as they take away benefits. That is true. So while I am glad that you are happy with your AP as is, that is not true for everyone.

 

[jakeman]

And I have said multiple times on this thread that I am happy that people buy annual passes just for the admission. That is great. But where you and I will continue to disagree is in two things. First is you don't speak for all of us and second is I didn't make up or offer the discounts. Disney did. Since I paid for my AP for the entire package that Disney sold it for when I bought, I feel I have a right to be frustrated. And I have also said multiple times here that I don't think anyone here is frustrated about the golf discount per se but about the perception that Disney keeps increasing prices as they take away benefits. That is true. So while I am glad that you are happy with your AP as is, that is not true for everyone.

You have the right to feel whatever you want. It doesn't mean your feelings are valid.

If you bought the AP and the "entire package" as it stood at the time of purchase and expected those discounts to remain for the life of the pass, then you neglected to read or understand the purchase you were making. Therefore you are responsible for your own current frustrations.

I'm sorry you're unhappy. Perhaps if you approached your purchases better it would lead to less sadness in your life.

 

[sjhym333]

You have the right to feel whatever you want. It doesn't mean your feelings are valid.

If you bought the AP and the "entire package" as it stood at the time of purchase and expected those discounts to remain for the life of the pass, then you neglected to read or understand the purchase you were making. Therefore you are responsible for your own current frustrations.

I'm sorry you're unhappy. Perhaps if you approached your purchases better it would lead to less sadness in your life.

The problem with boards like this is that it is hard to tell what a persons tone and feelings truly are. As an AP holder for well over 20 years I am very aware that the things that Disney offers can change at a moments notice. We could have a long conversation (and we kind of have been. lol) about the integrity of changing conditions mid-purchase. Someone here mentioned that Disney could easily keep things in force until a pass renews. We could also talk about how Disney keeps doing what they do because they really don't care and most AP holders will just let this go by without saying anything. That is ok also.

You misread my thoughts as unhappiness. I am not upset about the change in these two discounts. I have used both on occasion and the change will probably give me pause to use them in the future, but on the whole these two don't really mean a hill of beans to me.

I have said here that I am not renewing my pass after 20 plus years. It has nothing to do with any one thing. It is the combination of things Disney is and is not doing and how I perceive WDW in terms of value. I realize that many people continue to see value. I am happy for them. WDW is a great place and offers many great memories for our family. But between the crowds, the lack of real additions, the homogenizing of the parks, the prices and such we no longer see the value in an AP. It is a shame for our family and it is a shame for Disney. We have stayed at every resort on property, we have eaten at just about every restaurant and have bought a lot of stuff over the years. We have been loyal customers and they have lost us. I am not upset or angry. It is just the reality of Disney for us. Have a great day.

 

[ford91exploder]

While the merch discount cut may stink, wasn't it only 2-3 years earlier that they had added any discount on merchandise at all? I seem to remember it being a big deal, and added on a "temporary" basis they kept extending every few months before making it permanent.

Merch discount has been part of AP basically forever - 2-3 years ago TDO cut merch discount from 20% to 10% on premium AP/premier passports

 

[jakeman]

The problem with boards like this is that it is hard to tell what a persons tone and feelings truly are. As an AP holder for well over 20 years I am very aware that the things that Disney offers can change at a moments notice. We could have a long conversation (and we kind of have been. lol) about the integrity of changing conditions mid-purchase. Someone here mentioned that Disney could easily keep things in force until a pass renews. We could also talk about how Disney keeps doing what they do because they really don't care and most AP holders will just let this go by without saying anything. That is ok also.

You misread my thoughts as unhappiness. I am not upset about the change in these two discounts. I have used both on occasion and the change will probably give me pause to use them in the future, but on the whole these two don't really mean a hill of beans to me.

I have said here that I am not renewing my pass after 20 plus years. It has nothing to do with any one thing. It is the combination of things Disney is and is not doing and how I perceive WDW in terms of value. I realize that many people continue to see value. I am happy for them. WDW is a great place and offers many great memories for our family. But between the crowds, the lack of real additions, the homogenizing of the parks, the prices and such we no longer see the value in an AP. It is a shame for our family and it is a shame for Disney. We have stayed at every resort on property, we have eaten at just about every restaurant and have bought a lot of stuff over the years. We have been loyal customers and they have lost us. I am not upset or angry. It is just the reality of Disney for us. Have a great day.

I will say at least you are moving on when you don't find value in a product. That's the appropriate consumer/product relationship, not that you need or asked for my approval. The same can't be said for many of the people who post here.

 

[Victor Kelly]

I agree with everyone's logical assessment of what is a value to them. While some buy the AP for just the admission, others buy because of the perks, and yet others buy because of a mixture of both. I will grant everyone this, there is not a thing Disney does that someone does not like. And on the other side Disney will try new things and combinations to see what works, how many like the changes vs. how many do not like the changes.

Two examples that have nothing to go with AP:

Dining plan: The plan has changed several times just from 2010. The number of restaurants on the plan has gone up. Almost to every single restaurant on property. Right now they only have two plans. Standard and Deluxe. In reality they need a third option, Dining My Way, where you pick the options you want ie: how many sit downs, how many table service, how many snacks. Granted you can sorta do this now, but if you buy Deluxe you need to basically have table service the whole time to break even. Then based on choices you are given a price. So if we had mixed table and counter service we would have lost money. Considering that a standard table service meal is roughly $40 per person. And don't get me wrong counter service is fairly pricey too. But OUR Perceived value came from doing all table service meals.

Memory Maker: This started with just street photographers way way back when film was used. These pictures were on a per picture price basis. Then came the digital age and photopass was born. There were photographers spread out in the parks, not as many as there are now. You walk up, card gets scanned and you have pics. But with this, ride photos were not included, neither were locations outside the parks, like the resorts. Enter Memory Maker. Everything is included, ride photos AND videos, street photographers, roving photographers, resorts, dinner shows like at the Poly. It is pretty fairly priced especially at the $169 we paid and received 617 photos. That is roughly .28 cents per picture. Which to us is a huge value.


In the end, nobody is really wrong no matter their point of view, it is the individual perception of the value of what they are receiving that governs their decisions and feelings.

 

[flynnibus]

You can argue about what MATTERS to you... and discount changes that are transparent to you

...but you can't argue about what was in the product now.. and how that may differ from how it's changed.

Fact remains... Disney trimmed the perks of the program all while the price remains the same and will go up again.

If that loss of a perk impacts you individually is a matter of your personal behaviors - that doesn't change the facts of the program.

And defending it with "well the fine print says they can change it anytime" is not a justification for why the perks should change... simply a legality saying they CAN be changed. It doesn't justify the change, nor negate the relevance of it to people who used it.

 

[George]

If you have a putter and a ball, mini golf can be free.

 

[HRHPrincessAriel]

I'd be curious to see the numbers on how many use those discounts vs who don't.
I also wonder if they used that discount to get more visitors in but don't need incentives anymore to get people in.