News Disneyland cancels Annual Pass program

[flynnibus]

My guess going forward will APs will have a limit of x number of days. The problem isn't the person going 50 times a year, its the person going 250 times a year.

I think the opposite... I believe they will tolerate the person coming 'as much as they want' - They will just limit the opportunities to come (limits on # of APs reservations for certain days, blackouts, other restrictions, etc).

Disneyland still very much has a desire for 'bodies in the park' -- The problem is the lack of controls to shape when those bodies show up. Making periods reservation required will solve that.

Simple changes like taking away free parking will create deterants to curb some of the 'drive by visits' that strain Ops in uneven ways compared to typical visitor patterns.

Doing it this way Disney can still encourage people to come... the APs that need to come all the time still can... and Disney can spin some image of 'its like what you were used to!! just modified...'

Limiting # of uses would also cut down on 'short visits' - but is a much bigger hammer with much bigger collateral damage.

 

[Basil of Baker Street]

I think the opposite... I believe they will tolerate the person coming 'as much as they want' - They will just limit the opportunities to come (limits on # of APs reservations for certain days, blackouts, other restrictions, etc).

Disneyland still very much has a desire for 'bodies in the park' -- The problem is the lack of controls to shape when those bodies show up. Making periods reservation required will solve that.

Simple changes like taking away free parking will create deterants to curb some of the 'drive by visits' that strain Ops in uneven ways compared to typical visitor patterns.

Doing it this way Disney can still encourage people to come... the APs that need to come all the time still can... and Disney can spin some image of 'its like what you were used to!! just modified...'

Limiting # of uses would also cut down on 'short visits' - but is a much bigger hammer with much bigger collateral damage.

Very possible as well.

 

[CaptinEO]

From today's investor call, they found that less crowding in the parks keeps people happier and the happier people are the more they will spend.

I much prefer this approach to the "pack em in" approach.

 

[drizgirl]

From today's investor call, they found that less crowding in the parks keeps people happier and the happier people are the more they will spend.

I much prefer this approach to the "pack em in" approach.

Well stop the presses.

They're still counting the days until they can pack the parks again. Count on it.

 

[SuddenStorm]

From today's investor call, they found that less crowding in the parks keeps people happier and the happier people are the more they will spend.

I much prefer this approach to the "pack em in" approach.

Disney's known this for years.

 

[MisterPenguin]

Both Chapek and Iger have referenced the overcrowding problem of the parks (most notably DL and MK).

They've been utilizing a lot of financial carrots and sticks to spread out crowds from peaks to dead times.

Chapek admitted just now in the 1Q call that COVID provided an opportunity to wipe the slate clean of how the parks operate and begin to put in new systems for crowd control, which presumably means the new AP options and possibly a never-ending reservation system.

 

[Tamandua]

Both Chapek and Iger have referenced the overcrowding problem of the parks (most notably DL and MK).

They've been utilizing a lot of financial carrots and sticks to spread out crowds from peaks to dead times.

Chapek admitted just now in the 1Q call that COVID provided an opportunity to wipe the slate clean of how the parks operate and begin to put in new systems for crowd control, which presumably means the new AP options and possibly a never-ending reservation system.

They'll make this case while they're legally required to keep capacity down, then when the tide turns back the other way, they'll talk about all the potential for "growth" that comes with increasing capacity.

It's not impossible to imagine a Disneyland in the post covid era where people have gotten used to not going during the shutdown and continued to stay away while the experience is diminished. I went a few times in the 90s when I was a kid and it was always packed. By the time I was in my mid 20s, Disneyland was giving everyone free tickets on their birthday to boost attendance (and those of us with annual passes were given a gift card with the equivalent of a single day ticket price). I never would have thought as a kid that Disney would ever need to give tickets away to generate interest, but that's where they ended up a decade later. Maybe we'll see Disney end up in that part of the crowd cycle again, and then they'll miss the old days when they worried about having too many customers.

 

[PiratesMansion]

They'll make this case while they're legally required to keep capacity down, then when the tide turns back the other way, they'll talk about all the potential for "growth" that comes with increasing capacity.

It's not impossible to imagine a Disneyland in the post covid era where people have gotten used to not going during the shutdown and continued to stay away while the experience is diminished. I went a few times in the 90s when I was a kid and it was always packed. By the time I was in my mid 20s, Disneyland was giving everyone free tickets on their birthday to boost attendance (and those of us with annual passes were given a gift card with the equivalent of a single day ticket price). I never would have thought as a kid that Disney would ever need to give tickets away to generate interest, but that's where they ended up a decade later. Maybe we'll see Disney end up in that part of the crowd cycle again, and then they'll miss the old days when they worried about having too many customers.

Of course, this whole situation is unprecedented, and anything might be possible. But I don't foresee a circumstance where they are able to reopen, get back to normal capacity, and the park ISN'T crazy busy.

I imagine for Disneyland it'll be a fairly swift recovery.

 

[Tamandua]

Of course, this whole situation is unprecedented, and anything might be possible. But I don't foresee a circumstance where they are able to reopen, get back to normal capacity, and the park ISN'T crazy busy.

I imagine for Disneyland it'll be a fairly swift recovery.

You never know what will happen. They opened galaxy's edge and with it increased capacity... And attendance fell. I think a lot of people will go at first, realize it's not what it used to be, and stay away for a while after that. I just got back from Disney world and while I enjoyed my time away from California, it made me realize that I don't need to go back to Disneyland for a long time until things do back to normal. The covid Disney parks experience isn't worth it in my opinion.

 

[PiratesMansion]

You never know what will happen. They opened galaxy's edge and with it increased capacity... And attendance fell. I think a lot of people will go at first, realize it's not what it used to be, and stay away for a while after that. I just got back from Disney world and while I enjoyed my time away from California, it made me realize that I don't need to go back to Disneyland for a long time until things do back to normal. The covid Disney parks experience isn't worth it in my opinion.

That's true, but we have no idea how long it will be before Disneyland is actually open with attractions again or how long the covid operations will be in effect. It may well be shorter than we are expecting if the vaccine deployment is truly primed to speed up as some are reporting. But I don't think it's outrageous to predict that the place will be swarmed, if not from minute one of opening the gates, than from the moment the covid restrictions are dropped.

I think the Galaxy's Edge situation is different because we are now talking about the entire park. There are plenty of local diehards who have not had access to their happy place for about a year, and plenty of people in the area who will be looking for something to do to feel normal again. And, of course, you have a huge local audience right there and smaller parks that are easier to fill than in Florida. Maybe they still won't care about Galaxy's Edge, but they also haven't been able to ride Pirates or Indy or Space Mountain for a year either. The crowds will be back sooner or later.

Disneyland Park in particular will likely fill to whatever capacity they are allowed to set from the moment they are allowed to open their gates, even if it takes the resort awhile to fully get back to what it was pre-closure.

 

[Disney Analyst]

You never know what will happen. They opened galaxy's edge and with it increased capacity... And attendance fell. I think a lot of people will go at first, realize it's not what it used to be, and stay away for a while after that. I just got back from Disney world and while I enjoyed my time away from California, it made me realize that I don't need to go back to Disneyland for a long time until things do back to normal. The covid Disney parks experience isn't worth it in my opinion.

I’d argue Galaxy’s Edge at Disneyland was their first time trying this new method of trying to lower crowds and increase spending, even if potentially unintentional. And increase spending it did, oh and the park experience was summer bliss.

And attendance remained relatively flat I believe, and weren’t reports that once Rise opened attendance increased? We will never truly know I guess, as Covid interrupted that.

 

[Darkbeer1]

6 things Disneyland’s new annual pass plan must get right

Disney’s reputation as a leader in customer care means the launch of its new loyalty plan will be closely followed throughout the entire marketing world.

www.ocregister.com

>>

1. Price per visit​

2. Fans, family, affordables​

3. Useability​

4. Flexibility​

5. Amenities​

6. Execution<<​

 

[flynnibus]

6 things Disneyland’s new annual pass plan must get right

Disney’s reputation as a leader in customer care means the launch of its new loyalty plan will be closely followed throughout the entire marketing world.

www.ocregister.com

>>

1. Price per visit​

2. Fans, family, affordables​

3. Useability​

4. Flexibility​

5. Amenities​

6. Execution<<​

I spent more time fighting the ocregister's stupid website then that article was worth. Don't click people.

 

[SuddenStorm]

I spent more time fighting the ocregister's stupid website then that article was worth. Don't click people.

I clicked the link and it brought me straight to the article.

 

[Tamandua]

6 things Disneyland’s new annual pass plan must get right

Disney’s reputation as a leader in customer care means the launch of its new loyalty plan will be closely followed throughout the entire marketing world.

www.ocregister.com

>>

1. Price per visit​

2. Fans, family, affordables​

3. Useability​

4. Flexibility​

5. Amenities​

6. Execution<<​

Perfect example of OCR having nothing new to report and still posting articles anyways.

 

[flynnibus]

I clicked the link and it brought me straight to the article.

After telling it to off about location...
After dealing with its paywall modals...
After dealing with it not liking private browsing...
After opening it in another browser so it will open under the free article limit...

 

[SuddenStorm]

After telling it to ****** off about location...
After dealing with its paywall modals...
After dealing with it not liking private browsing...
After opening it in another browser so it will open under the free article limit...

Huh, I didn't have to deal with any of that. I was using Firefox on mobile, clicked the link, and it brought the article right up.

 

[DCBaker]

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

It would be nice if they gave their consumers the respect to tell them what it it?

not announcing an announcement

 

[Tamandua]

"Potrock described the new program will be consumer-centric."

Doubt...