News Disneyland cancels Annual Pass program

[Mac Tonight]

Even without the AP program, I have zero doubt that Disneyland will have any problems filling up their 25% capacity reservations for probably the entire first year upon re-opening. And once restrictions are further reduced, it will continue as before. You don't simply take something like Disneyland away for over a year, and then wonder if people will pack the place once it's back. Disneyland is a cultural institution.

I think it's short-sighted to think the AP alone was what made Disneyland popular.

 

[DanielBB8]

If someone is interested in food, they should try it themselves and not rely on other people’s taste buds to inform them if said food is good or not.

Sometimes I bring my own food into Disneyland and they taste 10 times better in the park.

 

[Mac Tonight]

If someone is interested in food, they should try it themselves and not rely on other people’s taste buds to inform them if said food is good or not.

It's always worse when you see someone eat something that they rave about, then you try it and find it just, "meh".

 

[brianstl]

Yeah, I fully expect there to be a new "membership" program of some sort that encourages repeat visits, especially for locals. Given where we are with technology reservation slots seem like a real possibility. I'm very curious what implications this has for the industry both in the LA region and at large in the future. Historically Disney has often set the standard for everyone to follow.

I think the new program will all be tied to how much money you spend in the parks and resorts. I am sure there will be some sort of membership that allows unlimited visits if you are willing to spend around $5k. Every other tier will limit the amount of times you can visit the parks per month. You will be able to earn extra visits if you spend enough money in the parks or stay in a Disney hotel. They will probably add better discounts than under the old AP's to further incentivize guest spending.

If you listen to the investor calls, it has become clear that their goal is to increase the per visit spending of pass holders. Repeat visitors aren't worth it to Disney if those visitors aren't spending enough money to justify the extra staffing levels their presence requires.

 

[TP2000]

I think realistically Disney saw this as the opportunity to kill off APs and all grandfathered add-ons, while maintaining some good will by being able to blame COVID for it.

Agreed. For TDA and Burbank, this was truly the shiniest silver lining of the Covid mess.

They had a once-in-a-hundred-years chance to get a Do Over for the mess they created, and they grabbed it.

 

[Stevek]

Agreed. For TDA and Burbank, this was truly the shiniest silver lining of the Covid mess.

They had a once-in-a-hundred-years chance to get a Do Over for the mess they created, and they grabbed it.

 

[Deleted member 107043]

I think the new program will all be tied to how much money you spend in the parks and resorts. I am sure there will be some sort of membership that allows unlimited visits if you are willing to spend around $5k. Every other tier will limit the amount of times you can visit the parks per month. You will be able to earn extra visits if you spend enough money in the parks or stay in a Disney hotel. They will probably add better discounts than under the old AP's to further incentive guest spending.

Sounds logical to me. The US parks were at capacity (in some cases over capacity) pre-pandemic. My view is that a future long term growth strategy for DLR shouldn't prioritize more visitors, it should focus on increased spending through improved guest experience.

 

[Californian Elitist]

It's always worse when you see someone eat something that they rave about, then you try it and find it just, "meh".

Exactly. Sometimes it actually is good, but it sucks when someone has hyped up something that’s not even that great. Reminds me of when I tried butterbeer for the first time. I liked it and have bought it multiple times, but it’s nothing like what fans were screaming and raving about. I’d never wait in a long line for butterbeer. It’s good, not great.

 

[Mac Tonight]

Exactly. Sometimes it actually is good, but it sucks when someone has hyped up something that’s not even that great. Reminds me of when I tried butterbeer for the first time. I liked it and have bought it multiple times, but it’s nothing like what fans were screaming and raving about. I’d never wait in a long line for butterbeer. It’s good, not great.

That's a good example. I've heard mixed things about it, but would probably be open to trying it at least once. Sometimes too, the experience of where you eat or drink something plays a HUGE factor in whether or not you enjoy it. I tried VooDoo Donuts in Portland and loved it. But the ones at City Walk didn't bring about the same reaction.

There's a brand of cola in the Czech Republic that I was told before trying, "you're either going to immediately love it, or hate it". I love it, but I can also weirdly understand why people wouldn't. It's best straight from the tap into a cold mug, but whenever my friends visit, they bring a bottle. It's nostalgic for me now.

 

[brianstl]

Sounds logical to me. The US parks were at capacity (in some cases over capacity) pre-pandemic. My view is that a future long term growth strategy for DLR shouldn't prioritize more visitors, it should focus on increased spending through improved guest experience.

Exactly, attendance isn't and hasn't been the problem for them. The problem before COVID had been increasing complaints from their guests that are buying tickets, staying in their hotels, eating full meals at their restaurants, etc about crowds and a diminished park experience that results from those crowds. They need to find a way to thin the heard some on a daily basis.

This isn't about stopping poor people from going to Disney parks. Poor families aren't the ones buying 99% of the Annual Passes. It is about making sure that the poor family that saves for years to take a Disney vacation has an experience that is worth the thousands of dollars they spend to take their family to the park. They don't want that poor family, middle class family or rich family going back home telling their friends and family it wasn't worth it because the parks were too full and they weren't able to do anything.

 

[TP2000]

Sometimes too, the experience of where you eat or drink something plays a HUGE factor in whether or not you enjoy it. I tried VooDoo Donuts in Portland and loved it. But the ones at City Walk didn't bring about the same reaction.

Agreed. I have a neice whose parents live outside Portland and she was in college in the late 2000's. After she laughed at the faux SoCal poseurness of the City Walk location two years ago, she swore that the only way to enjoy a VooDoo Donut is to wait at least 20 minutes for one on a cold, rainy sidewalk in downtown Portland circa 2008 at about 2:30am with a hundred of your closest friends who also just got kicked out of the bars after last call.

That very specific Portland experience, in addition to the donut, also helps you sober up.

 

[Californian Elitist]

That's a good example. I've heard mixed things about it, but would probably be open to trying it at least once. Sometimes too, the experience of where you eat or drink something plays a HUGE factor in whether or not you enjoy it. I tried VooDoo Donuts in Portland and loved it. But the ones at City Walk didn't bring about the same reaction.

There's a brand of cola in the Czech Republic that I was told before trying, "you're either going to immediately love it, or hate it". I love it, but I can also weirdly understand why people wouldn't. It's best straight from the tap into a cold mug, but whenever my friends visit, they bring a bottle. It's nostalgic for me now.

YES. That’s the reason In-N-Out doesn’t franchise, fear of drop in quality and consistency. I agree that VooDoo Donuts at CityWalk is nothing to write home about. I liked my doughnut, but I haven’t been back since it opened.

I went to Aldi when I was in Germany for a few groceries and thought it was a cute and nice store. I don’t really like the ones here though.

 

[Sailor310]

It just comes down to price point on supply vs demand curves. There's a fixed, limited supply-DL can only comfortably fit so many people, so they have to lessen demand by raising the price. I don't know how ( short of a lottery or offering a few special cheap tickets each month) they'll accommodate the poor families.
At $1000 a day for a ticket there'd be plenty of room--- at $50 a day they'd sell out in minutes.

 

[Mac Tonight]

YES. That’s the reason In-N-Out doesn’t franchise, fear of drop in quality and consistency. I agree that VooDoo Donuts at CityWalk is nothing to write home about. I liked my doughnut, but I haven’t been back since it opened.

I went to Aldi when I was in Germany for a few groceries and thought it was a cute and nice store. I don’t really like the ones here though.

I have such a weird fondness in my heart for European grocery stores that I can't really explain. But now that's really getting off topic here, lol.

 

[Californian Elitist]

I have such a weird fondness in my heart for European grocery stores that I can't really explain. But now that's really getting off topic here, lol.

What’s the name of that Czech cola?

 

[Mac Tonight]

What’s the name of that Czech cola?

Kofola. They nicknamed is Communist Cola since it was developed during the 60's as an alternative to the more expensive "western" Coca-Cola and Pepsi.

 

[brianstl]

It just comes down to price point on supply vs demand curves. There's a fixed, limited supply-DL can only comfortably fit so many people, so they have to lessen demand by raising the price. I don't know how ( short of a lottery or offering a few special cheap tickets each month) they'll accommodate the poor families.
At $1000 a day for a ticket there'd be plenty of room--- at $50 a day they'd sell out in minutes.

They are not going to need to raise ticket prices dramatically to decrease crowds significantly, increase gate revenues, and end up with increased per guest spending. When you take away the ability of 1 million people to visit the parks everyday at no additional cost to them, you are going to get a smaller amount of people in the park everyday. Even if only 5% of pass holders are using their passes on average a day we are talking about 50,000 thousand extra people on average in the two parks combined per day. You set up a new membership program that limits the amount of total days people can use the program to get it down to about 3% usage rate per day and you end up with 20,000 less people in the parks per day.

 

[Stevek]

Exactly. Sometimes it actually is good, but it sucks when someone has hyped up something that’s not even that great. Reminds me of when I tried butterbeer for the first time. I liked it and have bought it multiple times, but it’s nothing like what fans were screaming and raving about. I’d never wait in a long line for butterbeer. It’s good, not great.

Kinda like churros at Disneyland. They're fine, I've had better at Costco.

 

[Stevek]

YES. That’s the reason In-N-Out doesn’t franchise, fear of drop in quality and consistency. I agree that VooDoo Donuts at CityWalk is nothing to write home about. I liked my doughnut, but I haven’t been back since it opened.

I was incredibly disappointed by VooDoo donuts. I can get a better donut for $1 at multiple places here in Corona.

 

[Stevek]

Even without the AP program, I have zero doubt that Disneyland will have any problems filling up their 25% capacity reservations for probably the entire first year upon re-opening. And once restrictions are further reduced, it will continue as before. You don't simply take something like Disneyland away for over a year, and then wonder if people will pack the place once it's back. Disneyland is a cultural institution.

I think it's short-sighted to think the AP alone was what made Disneyland popular.

Agree. Disneyland will absolutely have zero problem hitting 25% every day.