News Disney Park Pass System announced for Walt Disney World theme park reservations

[mightynine]

If more changes are coming, I, for one, can't wait to see how they try to shove IP into whatever the new tiers would be called.

 

[Comped]

I can shed a little more light here, though much of this may be known (I haven't been following much).

Basically, the CA lawsuit is the burden here and it is prohibiting them (albeit voluntarily so far) from operating Park Pass in FL and Magic Key Reservations in CA as intended.

It's quite odd to be blocked out on specific days (due to tier) but then also blocked out on other days while the park is not full. So they are continually having to reallocate Park Passes and Magic Key Reservations to ensure that APs receive the last of the inventory. APs right now have the top priority in reservations (behind Club 33 and Golden Oak). Then resort guests and day tickets. I believe the goal was to prioritize resort guests over APs and then day tickets last. This is obviously exasperated on weekends (which is why until now only APs at both parks for weekdays was availabile).

In any event, the program will be completely overhauled and there is a lot on the table. I assume that by now they have landed on a final version (I haven't heard much on this in a couple months).

Safe to say that block outs + park pass is not going to be the long term experience. You can read between the lines there a bit to guess what they may try next. I've heard some crazy, crazy things regarding this (as I did with Genie+). I imagine the final solution won't be as hectic as what was floating around.

I'm guessing they're going to make even more blackouts and restrict APs on both coasts even more, unless you pay a large amount of money?

 

[Disney Glimpses]

I'm guessing they're going to make even more blackouts and restrict APs on both coasts even more, unless you pay a large amount of money?

It's possible low tier passes actually win here.

 

[MisterPenguin]

I'm guessing a discount club. It's the only thing that makes sense.

It's like having any-time day tickets. The more you buy, the cheaper the day-ticket until you hit a minimum fee.

A Park Pass is a huge boon to those who go *a lot*. If, e.g., you pay $1,000 for a Park Pass, then if you go weekly for about 50 times in a year, then your admittance fee is only $20 per visit. You go several times a week, you could wind up paying the equivalent of $5 a visit.

A vacation club lets you pay a fee up front, e.g., $500, but then you can buy as many day tickets you want for the year at $30 each (for example)... for whatever availability you can find... there's no explicit or implicit promise of a guaranteed entrance on the day you're going.

Yeah, it'll be much more expensive than for those used to paying the equivalent of $20 or $5 per visit, but, for those who go that often, it will still be cheaper than the current day-ticket system.

 

[Jrb1979]

I just find the whole thing funny. One side of their mouth they are saying the hate pass holders and the other side they are doing things to please them.

 

[mikejs78]

I just find the whole thing funny. One side of their mouth they are saying the hate pass holders and the other side they are doing things to please them.

Where do they ever say they hate pass holders?

 

[Jrb1979]

Where do they ever say they hate pass holders?

Chapek stated matter-of-factly that Annual Passholders do not bring as much value to the company in terms of revenue.

 

[mikejs78]

Chapek stated matter-of-factly that Annual Passholders do not bring as much value to the company in terms of revenue.

Can you link to that quote?

 

[MisterPenguin]

Chapek stated matter-of-factly that Annual Passholders do not bring as much value to the company in terms of revenue.

That's why I hate my less productive children.

 

[Jrb1979]

Can you link to that quote?

Disney's CEO comments about Annual Passholders leave some reeling

At the end of Disney's Quarter 3 financial call yesterday, Disney CEO Bob Chapek chimed in to discuss the differences between passholders and ticketed guests.

www.kennythepirate.com

 

[mightynine]

Can you link to that quote?

LMGTFY - Let Me Google That For You

For all those people who find it more convenient to bother you with their question rather than to Google it for themselves.

lmgtfy.app

 

[monothingie]

That's why I hate my less productive children.

 

[Vegas Disney Fan]

I'm guessing they're going to make even more blackouts and restrict APs on both coasts even more, unless you pay a large amount of money?

That would be the easy and logical solution… so not likely, instead they’ll come up with some ridiculously complicated system that requires hiring an attorney to explain the fine print instead.

I'm guessing a discount club. It's the only thing that makes sense.

It's like having any-time day tickets. The more you buy, the cheaper the day-ticket until you hit a minimum fee.

A Park Pass is a huge boon to those who go *a lot*. If, e.g., you pay $1,000 for a Park Pass, then if you go weekly for about 50 times in a year, then your admittance fee is only $20 per visit. You go several times a week, you could wind up paying the equivalent of $5 a visit.

A vacation club lets you pay a fee up front, e.g., $500, but then you can buy as many day tickets you want for the year at $30 each (for example)... for whatever availability you can find... there's no explicit or implicit promise of a guaranteed entrance on the day you're going.

Yeah, it'll be much more expensive than for those used to paying the equivalent of $20 or $5 per visit, but, for those who go that often, it will still be cheaper than the current day-ticket system.

An interesting idea that may work, I’ve said for a while that ending free AP parking would likely reduce AP visitation enough we could avoid all the nonsense they’ve come up with, having to pay $25 to park wouldn’t discourage the infrequent visitor (and wouldn’t even affect those staying at the hotels) but would discourage the people who come multiple times a week.

 

[HauntedPirate]

And when there are no AP holders, who does Disney turn to during an economic downturn? Locals won't be as eager to go without free parking. Fewer discounts gets rid of a lot of other people who would otherwise spend money on-property. But Bob seems eager to cut off his nose to spite his face.

 

[monothingie]

And when there are no AP holders, who does Disney turn to during an economic downturn? Locals won't be as eager to go without free parking. Fewer discounts gets rid of a lot of other people who would otherwise spend money on-property. But Bob seems eager to cut off his nose to spite his face.

Seems like he is basing this all off the DLR model. Most visitors to the DLR are locals, and they've effectively discontinued APs there and it didn't seem to hurt them.

I think he's going to find out that once the unprecedented demand vanishes, Florida is going to be a different beast.

But never mind the locals....What about the DVC Suckers?

 

[HauntedPirate]

Seems like he is basing this all off the DLR model. Most visitors to the DLR are locals, and they've effectively discontinued APs there and it doesn't seem to hurt them.

I think he's going to find out that once the unprecedented demand vanishes, Florida is going to be a different beast.

But never mind the locals....What about the DVC Suckers?

Sowing the seeds of discontent there, as well. In general, The Bob & Josh Show is doing an amazing job of alienating consumers, old and new, plus managing to upset shareholders and stock analysts. It's a rare quadfecta!

 

[monothingie]

It's quite clear they would much prefer to do away with ALL APs. They started the process last year, with the new passes, of pushing people away from APs. The massive price hikes and removal of included perks like photo pass started to thin the heard. I can expect the price hikes this year will be equally off putting.

But you sort of see where they're going with this. Notice there are no Summer AP deals yet. I mean it's clear that the temporary suspension of AP sales isn't temporary anymore. The next logical step will the paring down of perks (discounts) you get with your AP. Time to wait and see where this goes as they continue to cull the herd.

 

[Disney Glimpses]

Can you link to that quote?

I believe this is what they were referring to from the Aug 2020 earnings call:

As you know, different guests—depending on where they’re coming from—have different relative values in terms of their contribution as a guest to the park. Typically, somebody who travels and stays for 5 to 7 days is marginally more valuable to the business than someone who comes in on an Annual Pass and stays a day or two and consumes less merchandise and food and beverage. So the way I would look at it, as our constituency changes a little bit, so do our overall margins.

 

[correcaminos]

It's quite clear they would much prefer to do away with ALL APs. They started the process last year, with the new passes, of pushing people away from APs. The massive price hikes and removal of included perks like photo pass started to thin the heard. I can expect the price hikes this year will be equally off putting.

But you sort of see where they're going with this. Notice there are no Summer AP deals yet. I mean it's clear that the temporary suspension of AP sales isn't temporary anymore. The next logical step will the paring down of perks (discounts) you get with your AP. Time to wait and see where this goes as they continue to cull the herd.

Early summer actually did have discounts. I think honestly if they wanted to suspend APs entirely I wouldn't have been able to renew a month or so ago....

Also calling DVC suckers is quite rude.

 

[Disney Glimpses]

I mean it's clear that the temporary suspension of AP sales isn't temporary anymore.

It is temporary, but they can't afford to get it wrong again. It's going to take some time. FWIW, last I heard, the plan is still this year (for WDW).