News Disney introduces new Florida Resident Theme Park Select Pass and add-ons for other passes

[articos]

Don’t forget, DL has offered the ability to purchase blockout day tickets at an additional fee per day as part of their AP program for years. This is filling in extra capacity at parks that might be slower as well as balancing crowds and setting up future AP expectations for 19 and beyond.

 

[dreamfinder]

At a quick glance, the same days are blocked out for Easter/Summer/Christmas in both and it seems more days are blocked out with Theme Park Select. For the same price, why would I want Theme Park Select? I'll stick with Silver, thank you.

Select gets you into Epcot for the whole summer. That is the big difference. DHS and AK are pretty much a match for Silver dates. MK and Epcot have those scatter blackout days with Select that Silver doesn't. If you want SOMETHING in the summer, then you pick Select, but if you want more MK and Epcot days, then you pick Silver.

 

[RustySpork]

Select gets you into Epcot for the whole summer. That is the big difference. DHS and AK are pretty much a match for Silver dates. MK and Epcot have those scatter blackout days with Select that Silver doesn't. If you want SOMETHING in the summer, then you pick Select, but if you want more MK and Epcot days, then you pick Silver.

They should have called it the Shopping at Epcot Select pass.

 

[JohnD]

They should have called it the Shopping at Epcot Select pass.

Agreed. I think this pass only works for locals who live within driving distance and can do day trips. "Hey let's look at the blackout dates. X park is open. Let's go." If you live any further away which requires a stay, I don't think this pass is worth it. You're limiting yourself to which parks you can attend on what day.

 

[JohnD]

Select gets you into Epcot for the whole summer. That is the big difference. DHS and AK are pretty much a match for Silver dates. MK and Epcot have those scatter blackout days with Select that Silver doesn't. If you want SOMETHING in the summer, then you pick Select, but if you want more MK and Epcot days, then you pick Silver.

Yeah, I noticed that. Not worth it to me to have a pass where I travel four hours, stay on-site, then be limited to only one park during the summer. Then be blocked out more often at the other parks during the year, including the same blockout dates for Christmas and Easter.

 

[RustySpork]

Yeah, I noticed that. Not worth it to me to have a pass where I travel four hours, stay on-site, then be limited to only one park during the summer. Then be blocked out more often at the other parks during the year, including the same blockout dates for Christmas and Easter.

Hopefully everyone else feels the same way and it doesn't last long. I still see this as an opportunity to raise the prices of the other passes while pointing at this one as adding "plenty of value" at the silver price point.

 

[Rodan75]

At a quick glance, the same days are blocked out for Easter/Summer/Christmas in both and it seems more days are blocked out with Theme Park Select. For the same price, why would I want Theme Park Select? I'll stick with Silver, thank you.

I'm sure that is a temporary situation. I wouldn't be surprised if either Silver goes up in price or disappears completely by the next price increase next spring. I think this is a test to see if they can manage the multiple calendars effectively.

 

[JohnD]

I'm sure that is a temporary situation. I wouldn't be surprised if either Silver goes up in price or disappears completely by the next price increase next spring. I think this is a test to see if they can manage the multiple calendars effectively.

That's my fear that Silver disappears. Considering both passes are the same price.

 

[tissandtully]

Why would timeshare rooms have anything to do with locals? We have houses and apartments.

Eh, I'm an hour and a half away and own DVC just cause it's a good distance to get away, but not too far. We're Gold Pass though.

 

[CJR]

Granted...”regionals”...not entirely locals.

My premise here is this: regionals disproportionately patronize Epcot festivals...and that has allowed the neglected Park to limp along when their should have been a DCA crisis 10+ years ago. Perhaps the work started in the 90’s May have been followed through with?

We’ll never know

I actually think a good portion of the crowds are actually CM's. Most real, full time, local people I know only go to Disney a couple times a month, if that. My friends who are CM's brag about how they go there after they're off and on their days off. It makes sense a bit too, because the College Program provides buses from the housing to the parks. They can go and drink without driving "home". I mean, you're talking thousands of people when you look across the whole resort, including third parties. Most live real close too, making it easy to swing by on a day off.

 

[Thelazer]

"Florida Resident Disney Weekday Select, Florida Resident Theme Park Select"

Who picks out these names..
Come on, "Florida Fun Pass" or "Weekday Family Pass"...
It's like Disney let the sharp pen boys pick not only the prices, but the names.

(Read this in dweeb voice)
"ah... eumm, we will call it the select, weekend, select bounus pass and it will cost 43.95.33cents, rounded up..."

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

I actually think a good portion of the crowds are actually CM's. Most real, full time, local people I know only go to Disney a couple times a month, if that. My friends who are CM's brag about how they go there after they're off and on their days off. It makes sense a bit too, because the College Program provides buses from the housing to the parks. They can go and drink without driving "home". I mean, you're talking thousands of people when you look across the whole resort, including third parties. Most live real close too, making it easy to swing by on a day off.

Cast members have no money...unless they are on the college program and their parents are paying for the partying, socializing and _____. (All college programmers can fill in the blank - though they’ll deny it )

If the locals go “only a couple of times a month”...that’s enough to weight the food and wine - especially the weekends.

Nobody is living the good life working for Disney - however - unless it’s their retirement job.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Eh, I'm an hour and a half away and own DVC just cause it's a good distance to get away, but not too far. We're Gold Pass though.

You and MANY...especially from south Florida and the north region into Georgia.

I bet you’ve been a frequent Food and wine time visitor over the years though? That time of year tends to be a magnet even if your not into booths

 

[CJR]

Cast members have no money...unless they are on the college program and their parents are paying for the partying, socializing and _____. (All college programmers can fill in the blank - though they’ll deny it )

If the locals go “only a couple of times a month”...that’s enough to weight the food and wine - especially the weekends.

Nobody is living the good life working for Disney - however - unless it’s their retirement job.

CM's have more money than you think they do. It's true that residents working part time barely make it, but people in the College Program spend about $400 a month on their rent, way down from what people not in the CP spend. They do have to share their room, but the point is, they have plenty of money.

I personally know people within the CP and they go to the parks at least two days a week, sometimes three or four, in addition to their 40 hour plus work week. Most people in the CP aren't paying student loans yet, they're not making car payments or supporting children, so they have plenty of cash. Full time employees not in the CP are less likely to visit the parks on a regular basis, in fact, I know some never do. Still, you're talking thousands and thousands of employees, the majority of which are very young and not so smart with money.

It is true the local people are most likely to go on weekends, simply because that's when most people are off from work and that's when their kids are off from school. However, most of these people will probably be keeping their kids away from the booths and Food and Wine. It's not that there are no 40-somethings getting drunk at Epcot, but that crowd is definitely ruled by people in their mid-ish 20's, many of which just happen to be the same age as the College Program people.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

CM's have more money than you think they do. It's true that residents working part time barely make it, but people in the College Program spend about $400 a month on their rent, way down from what people not in the CP spend. They do have to share their room, but the point is, they have plenty of money.

I personally know people within the CP and they go to the parks at least two days a week, sometimes three or four, in addition to their 40 hour plus work week. Most people in the CP aren't paying student loans yet, they're not making car payments or supporting children, so they have plenty of cash. Full time employees not in the CP are less likely to visit the parks on a regular basis, in fact, I know some never do. Still, you're talking thousands and thousands of employees, the majority of which are very young and not so smart with money.

It is true the local people are most likely to go on weekends, simply because that's when most people are off from work and that's when their kids are off from school. However, most of these people will probably be keeping their kids away from the booths and Food and Wine. It's not that there are no 40-somethings getting drunk at Epcot, but that crowd is definitely ruled by people in their mid-ish 20's, many of which just happen to be the same age at the College Program.

College programmers are all over the parks...by definition they are disney nuts on a summer vacation...

But lol...you don’t make any money on the College program.

Are you serious? A weeks pay doesn’t cover a nights beer...most of the time.

College program attracts the financial “secure” youngsters...as in their parents.

It’s the perfect scenario...dad and mom send cash...they spend much of it in and around WDW...full time employees with no benefits...minimum wage pay subsidized under federal internship programs dating back to bush 1 and Clinton...

I hate to break down what the college program is...but that’s what it is.

 

[CJR]

.
But lol...you don’t make any money on the College program.

Are you serious? A weeks pay doesn’t cover a nights beer...most of the time.

Drinks are $5-$15. They take home about $200 week after rent. Might not seem like a lot, when you have no other bills, you can buy a few beers.

You're right though that most parents give them money on top of their low pay. BUT - I was personally in the CP and had very little help from my parents (they drove me here, that was about it) and still had plenty of money to spend at the parks. That was back when Pleasure Island was open too. I know prices have risen since then, but so has the pay, to an extent.

Point is though, you're talking about thousands of people with plenty of money, live close by, and with "free" transportation. That's a pretty decent segment and really a dominant force in those drinking crowds.

Blocking out AP's might make a small dent, but two issues still exist. 1. Those who can afford to buy over priced food and drinks can afford to upgrade their pass. 2. Disney has a large chunk of their employees, who get in free, and are at an age where they get to explore alcohol legally for the first time. So, it will still be a crazy mess, because the people buying Theme Park Select are people already spending very little time in the World Showcase during these blocked out times.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

Drinks are $5-$15. They take home about $200 week after rent. Might not seem like a lot, when you have no other bills, you can buy a few beers.

You're right though that most parents give them money on top of their low pay. BUT - I was personally in the CP and had very little help from my parents (they drove me here, that was about it) and still had plenty of money to spend at the parks. That was back when Pleasure Island was open too. I know prices have risen since then, but so has the pay, to an extent.

Point is though, you're talking about thousands of people with plenty of money, live close by, and with "free" transportation. That's a pretty decent segment and really a dominant force in those drinking crowds.

Blocking out AP's might make a small dent, but two issues still exist. 1. Those who can afford to buy over priced food and drinks can afford to upgrade their pass. 2. Disney has a large chunk of their employees, who get in free, and are at an age where they get to explore alcohol legally for the first time. So, it will still be a crazy mess, because the people buying Theme Park Select are people already spending very little time in the World Showcase during these blocked out times.

You and I know that you were more the exception than the rule...
And you also know when they did the housing fee breakdown you weren’t much over beak even. It’s actually better now because minimum has gone up.

But you also know that most (2/3 or more) of your peers at vista lay or Chatham were heavily subsidized by the folks.

It is what it is...I think you’re overstating what CMs do to parks...but they’re there for sure.

 

[larryz]

So, when you load your "Disney's Florida Resident Theme Park Select Pass" onto your MDE account, will the app tell you which park(s) you can enter on which day(s)?

 

[Ryan120420]

Don’t forget, DL has offered the ability to purchase blockout day tickets at an additional fee per day as part of their AP program for years. This is filling in extra capacity at parks that might be slower as well as balancing crowds and setting up future AP expectations for 19 and beyond.

Disneyland eliminated Blockout Day tickets back in 2014. They briefly brought Blockout Day tickets back for a few weeks in August 2017 for the final days of the Electrical Parade.

 

[CJR]

You and I know that you were more the exception than the rule...

Oh, I agree completely. We're in agreement about the CP. I had fun when I was there, but that's also how I now exactly what goes on. I know people in it right now and not a lot has changed. As far as kids getting money from their parents, it's way worse now than it was when I was there. Free phones, money to help with groceries, transportation, you name it. I think $200 was conservative for take home pay after rent, but that's just based on who I know, not all the jobs pay the same.

As far as overstating, maybe. Disney would know since most people visiting the parks for leisure (including CM's) would book FP+. I just don't think blockout dates are going to slow anything down. IF Disney limits dates on existing passes, people wanting it will just pay more so they can go. These are people with disposable income. CM's have a more limited income, but get in free and unblocked (as far as I know). If Disney's serious about limiting people, they need to look in their own house.