News Disneyland Cancels Its Annual Pass Program - Theme Park Insider & OC Register

[StarWarsGirl]

The anti-AP sentiments in this thread are obviously coming from jealousy when you get down to it. The reality is, people who live nearer to Disney Parks™ with APs get to (or got to) go all the time for a good value and you didn't. And furthermore, it's also reality that AP business in the state of California was more than likely the majority of DLR's business. All you had to do was visit the parks on days when APs were blocked and there were about as many people there as Galaxy's Edge opening summer.

To continue on with reality, pure unbiased un-jealous reality, Disney would prefer the parks crowded with APs and making a killing with food and shopping (Look at the majority of events in recent history, which are all focused on selling food, booze and merchandise--absolutely not appealing to tourists in any way--they didn't care about your business) than empty parks with a few tourists who paid for entry that day.

I'm not really jealous at all. I have a WDW AP, I'm there twice a year, and I've been to DL 4 times (with a fifth trip in the works whenever reopening happens). I was a DL AP at one point to get two trips in one year in. I also have a season pass to my local park. And bonus, I don't live in California. I'm good.

DL APs have had some of the most rude, entitled behavior, from gaming the system so the GAC had to be revamped to the DAS to being rude to CMs as was noted earlier on this thread. Not to mention the vloggers walking around with their phones, and the people who talk through the rides (so annoying for those of us who haven't been on the ride before!). Some locals I've found to be absolutely lovely, but others think they own the place. The only thing that's worse is some of the WDW guests who have their own meltdowns because "I paid x amount of money for my trip and I expect things to go this way!"

 

[Figments Friend]

( deep thoughts )

It's been two years this weekend since I was last at Disneyland.
It's been almost a year since Disneyland closed its gates to the public due to the Covid Apocolypse.
Disneyland is still closed......but I see a bright spot :

Just realizing now.....
That the next time I visit Disneyland, it will be a Park with capacity restrictions and no Annual Passholders.

( thinks for a minute )

Sounds fantastic.
Can't wait!



-

 

[TP2000]

( deep thoughts )

It's been two years this weekend since I was last at Disneyland.
It's been almost a year since Disneyland closed its gates to the public due to the Covid Apocolypse.
Disneyland is still closed......but I see a bright spot :

Just realizing now.....
That the next time I visit Disneyland, it will be a Park with capacity restrictions and no Annual Passholders.

( thinks for a minute )

Sounds fantastic.
Can't wait!



-

I love that outlook!

And you are exactly right. This is indeed a huge silver lining.

 

[mickEblu]

I love that outlook!

And you are exactly right. This is indeed a huge silver lining.

I think it’s absolutely fair for non locals to be happy about this change. Hell, I’m intrigued. It’s the AP bashing I find kind of narrow minded and hypocritical.

With that said I wouldn’t get too happy, we all know some sort of AP program will be coming back eventually.

 

[TP2000]

With that said I wouldn’t get too happy, we all know some sort of AP program will be coming back eventually.

Yes, that's true. But I would love it if it's a system the tourists could plan around. So they know that if they choose to go on President's Day Weekend, or the middle of July, or Columbus Day Weekend, there will be no AP locals clogging up the place and Instagramming their popcorn buckets.

 

[Californian Elitist]

I think it’s absolutely fair for non locals to be happy about this change. Hell, I’m intrigued. It’s the AP bashing I find kind of narrow minded and hypocritical.

With that said I wouldn’t get too happy, we all know some sort of AP program will be coming back eventually.

The thing is, perspective is important. An annual passholder who for multiple times per year may annoy the guest who is from out of town and doesn’t go as often. But that same out of town guest who is on day three of a five-day visit isn’t thinking about the guests who are there for one day and it possibly being their first visit. Five days in a row? What about those who can only afford to go for just one day? Should that five-day guest then consider the guest who can only come for one day, maybe even once per year?
There are so many scenarios I can think of where someone could end up with the shorter end of the stick.

Some folks are speaking as if the absence of the AP program means those who had APs won’t be returning. Lol they absolutely will. Maybe not in the exact same fashion, but they will and the mentality of many Disneyland guests will not change. We’ll still see folks staking out spots for parades, Fantasmic!, and firework shows hours before they begin. We’ll still have folks talking during the rides, repeating the spiels, and possibly guests continuing to show up in the evenings. Like it or not, that behavior is part of the culture of Disneyland that has developed over the decades. I remember being very tiny in the 90s and my mom telling us we needed to make sure we got a spot for Fantasmic! early. My mom speaks of similar experiences of her time as a child with the family at the park. Some things don’t change very much.

It’s the culture and should be expected. If people don’t like it and don’t want to accept it, simply don’t visit. There’s a whole other Disney theme park property on the opposite side of the country and multiple foreign ones. Take your pick.

 

[TP2000]

It’s the culture and should be expected. If people don’t like it and don’t want to accept it, simply don’t visit. There’s a whole other Disney theme park property on the opposite side of the country and multiple foreign ones. Take your pick.

Choose Tokyo! Trust me.

 

[CaptinEO]

What cuts? Disneyland is closed right now, so other than layoffs (which no one here rejoiced over) and changes due to state governmental restrictions there's been none. If you're talking about WDW no one on this side of the forum really cares about the loss of Magical Express or Extra Magic Hours at a resort thousands of miles away from most of us.

I certainly do. Magical Express is a highlight of visiting Disney World. It set them apart from other vacation spots and was a world class luxury.

 

[mickEblu]

Yes, that's true. But I would love it if it's a system the tourists could plan around. So they know that if they choose to go on President's Day Weekend, or the middle of July, or Columbus Day Weekend, there will be no AP locals clogging up the place and Instagramming their popcorn buckets.

Although I’m not going to lie and say “poor tourists” is something I ever thought about when walking into a crowded Disneyland, I like the thought of everyone having a chance to experience Disneyland in an ideal (or at least not chaotic) state. Myself included. Kind of piggy backing off @raven24 ...this is life. There’s a lot of people in this world. If I go to Rome and there are too many locals or other Italians visiting from Northern and Southern Italy do I have the right to be upset? Also who are we kidding? If Disney gets or had their way, the park will be just as packed with vacationers/ tourists. Again, people need to direct their anger towards Disney, not APs taking “advantage” of the offer. But it’s easier to blame other people and not the company/ theme park you love so much and still want to visit. Ultimately, Disney is in control of how many people they let into Disneyland.

 

[CaptinEO]

The anti-AP sentiments in this thread are obviously coming from jealousy when you get down to it. The reality is, people who live nearer to Disney Parks™ with APs get to (or got to) go all the time for a good value and you didn't. And furthermore, it's also reality that AP business in the state of California was more than likely the majority of DLR's business. All you had to do was visit the parks on days when APs were blocked and there were about as many people there as Galaxy's Edge opening summer.

To continue on with reality, pure unbiased un-jealous reality, Disney would prefer the parks crowded with APs and making a killing with food and shopping (Look at the majority of events in recent history, which are all focused on selling food, booze and merchandise--absolutely not appealing to tourists in any way--they didn't care about your business) than empty parks with a few tourists who paid for entry that day.

I disagree. I used an AP a lot but I know that I was part of the problem. Disney over relied on annual passholders and didnt tier them right. They created an inverse relationship where weekends were dead and weekdays and off season were packed.

The goal of their passes should be to make every day as packed as possible but they ended up making the high and low tiers so far apart financially that they just flipped the busy days of the year.

Disney would much rather make money from everyone buying tickets, parking, food, and merch (with no discounts) and being able to substain crowds than relying on APs.

I think dynamic pricing (if used right) will help them with reaching the price point needed to keep the parks packed without needing to sell APs.

 

[Californian Elitist]

Although I’m not going to lie and say “poor tourists” is something I ever thought about when walking into a crowded Disneyland, I like the thought of everyone having a chance to experience Disneyland in an ideal (or at least not chaotic) state. Myself included. Kind of piggy backing off @raven24 ...this is life. There’s a lot of people in this world. If I go to Rome and there are too many other Italians visiting from Northern and Southern Italy do I have the right to be upset? Also who are we kidding. If Disney gets their way, the park will be just as packed with vacationers/ tourists. Again, people need to direct their anger towards Disney, not APs taking “advantage” of the offer. But it’s easier to blame other people and not the company/ theme park you love so much and still want to visit.

Swear, I was thinking of the exact same Rome analogy. I’ve wanted to see the Colosseum all my life. I planned, spent lots of money, and finally got there in summer of 2019. The Colosseum was PACKED with both tourists and locals. Should I have been mad at the locals for being there? I’d say no because it’s their home. They live there and have every right to be there. I wasn’t mad at the tourists either because I too was a tourist. It’s a major historical monument and summer time. Obviously it was going to be crowded. I could have complained and went home but I instead accepted it and enjoyed my visit.

Ideally, it would be nice if everyone had a nice visit according to their own standards, as you said. But everyone can’t and won’t be pleased. And yeah, Disney should be blamed for some of the issues people have with annual passholders.

 

[Sailor310]

I have only gotten to ride in the wheelhouse of the Mark Twain once. And that was because I had my friend's cute 7 year old with us. I can't begrudge the tourists that get to ride. I can always try again next week. This might be the last day of their one-time-ever trip from Australia.

After I get my ride on the jump seat in the steam engine, I might point out how to do it to interested tourists.

 

[Vegas Disney Fan]

Mickeblu do not question my resolve! I wouldn’t go no matter what because I’d never want it to become like Target. Mickeblu when I first started going there, I’d get goosebumps when drinking in the intoxicating aroma. Now when I go in, I barely even register the smell!!!!!

Having an AP definitely changes the park experience in some negative ways but I think it also changes it in some very positive ways.

While I may not get the same rush when I see the castle on my 10th DL trip compared to when I see the castle on my once a year visit to WDW I also don’t get to spend time just relaxing and taking in the sites and sounds at WDW like I do at DL.

I’ve spent entire days at DL where I only went on 2-3 rides, the rest of the time was just spent enjoying the beauty of the park with friends, I’ve never had that experience at WDW because there’s a million things I “have” to do because I won’t be back for a year.

I’ve been to DL hundreds of times and thankfully it’s no less special now than it was my first trip nearly a decade ago. Having said that I understand why people wouldn’t want something that was once special and unique to become commonplace, I lived in Utah for nearly 20 years and stopped noticing the natural beauty, when I go back to see family now I’m amazed at the incredible scenery. I now live in Las Vegas and the glitz and glamour of the Strip, the casinos, and the clubs that drew me here 2 decades ago are now things I avoid at all costs.

 

[Vegas Disney Fan]

I think it’s absolutely fair for non locals to be happy about this change. Hell, I’m intrigued. It’s the AP bashing I find kind of narrow minded and hypocritical.

With that said I wouldn’t get too happy, we all know some sort of AP program will be coming back eventually.

I think people happy about this news may be sadly disappointed, I don’t see this resulting in shorter lines, they may even get worse. Currently half the people in the park are APs, many not caring to do more than a couple rides, eat, hang out with friends, and see the fireworks, if those 35,000 APs are replaced by even 20,000 day guests who are trying to do every ride in the park the end result is going to be longer lines, and ultimately a higher percentage of frustrated guests because they paid $150 and aren’t getting to do everything they wanted.

The loss of the AP program will definitely make the restaurants and pathways less crowded but I’m worried we’ll see longer lines and more frustrated guests, even with fewer people.

 

[unmitigated disaster]

I did have an AP from about 2002-2004 or 2005. We sat down and figured out that if we went twice a year for 6? I think days total it was cheaper to get APs. So we did.

I've learned along the way Friday nights are an awful time to go on many rides; people chanted or shouted along with the narration. One time I heard literally nothing of the narration in the descending room of Haunted Mansion thanks to the cluster of clearly locals who shouted the whole thing in sync.

I think dropping APs is long overdue, but I'm wondering if they'll come up with a good replacement that works.

 

[Zorro]

I’ve been to DL hundreds of times and thankfully it’s no less special now than it was my first trip nearly a decade ago. Having said that I understand why people wouldn’t want something that was once special and unique to become commonplace, I lived in Utah for nearly 20 years and stopped noticing the natural beauty, when I go back to see family now I’m amazed at the incredible scenery. I now live in Las Vegas and the glitz and glamour of the Strip, the casinos, and the clubs that drew me here 2 decades ago are now things I avoid at all costs.

My AP eyebrow raising moment came from an instance I observed while riding the DLRR. This toddler was being fussy for some undefined reason, and an older lady sitting nearby said to the child in a sweetly grandmotherly tone, "Child, you shouldn't be acting like that in such a wonderful place. You probably don't get to be here very often." The child's mother then nonchalantly said, "Oh, we're here every week. It's really not that special of a place for her." There is a certain virtue to scarcity, and in a way I feel sad for that child - a child that doesn't realize just how special a place Disneyland truly is.
I do have a contrasting story though. Another time on the DLRR, I sat behind a set of grandparents with their kindergarten-aged grandson, and this child was psyched about getting to riding the Winnie the Pooh attraction. You can imagine what he kept asking at each stop. Those three were having a great time.
Just two anecdotes - I'm not drawing any broad inferences from them.

 

[mlayton144]

Agree with the sentiment that if I lived close to DLR (or WDW for that matter) I would be all-in on buying an AP and visiting more often. Everyone will look at things from their own perspective. What is best for the resort? What does the Disney Corp want to be? With lex luthor at the helm - the most profitable company it can be. But the cynic in me believes his strategy lacks vision in that it will just be cut cut cut until the product naturally becomes a cheap worthless ticket that has milked every dollar out of “the product” where the creativity and truly special place it was designed to be eventually will be gone. What a horrible thought

 

[Curious Constance]

Ultimately, I don’t blame APs. They are well within their rights to use their APs however they want to get the most value out of them. I also don’t blame tourists for deciding not to come at all because it’s too packed to justify spending the thousands it will require to make the trip.
I think at the end of the day, it was just bad business for Disney to continually raise prices and make the parks more unattainable for anyone other than people who were spending next to nothing per day to be there. They could only do that for so long. Eventually nearly everyone but APs would be priced out, and the cost the APs would need to be to make up for that would be too high. And then where would they be.
I think they need a better balance. And I’m hoping the new memberships will bring that.

 

[shambolicdefending]

Multiple things can be true at once...

For example, I think it's true that the AP program brought in a lot of revenue and served a valuable purpose.

...and I think it's ALSO true that the AP program had problems.

Frankly, it was just too big. Free monthly financing made the barrier to entry too low, and DLR couldn't raise prices fast enough to balance demand. They did a lot of things to shift the pressure points, but the core problem remained.

I think history will show that the final nail in the AP coffin was the summer of 2019 when Star Wars flopped. A lot of things were blamed for that fiasco, most of them deservingly, but I think the most clear message was the most obvious one: People didn't come see Star Wars because they were afraid of and/or sick of the crowds.

Fairly or not, APs always got most of the blame for the crowds. So, when the expected tsunami of guests turned out to be an embarrassing trickle, the writing was on the wall. The AP program couldn't just be jostled and casually remodeled anymore. It had to be rebuilt from the ground up.

I don't know how they would've gone about it had the pandemic not happened, but I'm confident they still would have.

As someone who's experienced the parks as both a local AP and an out-of-state irregular, I'm not sad to see APs go. The issues have been obvious for a long time, and I think the resort will probably be better off with a replacement.

 

[drizgirl]

I think history will show that the final nail in the AP coffin was the summer of 2019 when Star Wars flopped. A lot of things were blamed for that fiasco, most of them deservingly, but I think the most clear message was the most obvious one: People didn't come see Star Wars because they were afraid of and/or sick of the crowds.

I agree. Someone was always going to pay for that fiasco. Between that and the pandemic, none of this should come as a surprise.