Disneyland "Sunsetting" annual passes, WDW next?

[brb1006]

There's also the AP gangs with custom motorcycle jackets who every time I've seen them a security guards is not far behind. But most just find them cringy.

There's also the entitled APs who act like Karens.

I forgot about the Disneyland AP Gangs until now.

 

[LovePop]

Disneyland HAS to do this. When they reopen later this year, they will not be able to accommodate all of the APs. So they have to cancel the program. They only have a few hotels, so hotel guests will be guaranteed entry (unlike WDW) and they will sell passes to locals allowing a certain number of visits, but a reservation will be needed. Think “SoCal Flex 10-day ticket” or “Midweek Unlimited Pass.”

The DL AP program isn’t dead forever, anyway. Planned to return in a few years.

I was hoping to get Disneyland AP right around now, but I guess it will never happen. In a few years the kids will be too old and be gone.

 

[MisterPenguin]

While there are upsides to having APers, there are downsides:

• The locals who go twice a week (or more) are only paying the equivalent of $10 per entry (or less). The park is losing $9,000 per person on this type of local APer. Their claims of how they spend *more* in DL become a bit hollow at that point.

• Those who go that often sometimes become the biggest, whiniest critics of Disney. Since everything Disney has to offer has been done a hundred times over, they're constantly crying for new stuff. For guests who only visit once a year (or less often), there's very little cry for new stuff.

• Vloggers: While I'm not against vloggers per se, the AP allows *everyone* to be a vlogger. You have vloggers with less than 100 subscribers... why are they even bothering? You can't make money from that. DL has an inordinate number of vloggers. If they had to pay more to enter, then that would cut down on their numbers and only the better, more popular ones who are actually making a profit from their amateur vlogging would be around.

• AP accounts without black out dates become very problematic on peak days. Disney can raise the price of a day-ticket to MK on Christmas to $150 to discourage crowds, but an unlimited APer can just show up at no extra cost. Disney can't do surge pricing on APs that don't have black out dates.

An AP system that limits the amount of days, or provides a discount for unlimited number of days just makes more sense for any business that has a pay-one-price at the door. Otherwise, you wind up giving away your product for pennies.

I'm sure there will be flex passes and discount deals. But the era of locals swarming the parks for just a few bucks per visit are gone.

 

[SamusAranX]

There's also the AP gangs with custom motorcycle jackets who every time I've seen them a security guards is not far behind. But most just find them cringy.

There's also the entitled APs who act like Karens.

Yes, because resort guests or those who dropped 10k on their once a year WDW trip never act entitled.

There's buttholes in every "group" doesn't mean the whole group is.

 

[ToTBellHop]

Yes, because resort guests or those who dropped 10k on their once a year WDW trip never act entitled.

There's buttholes in every "group" doesn't mean the whole group is.

Yes, but Disney would prefer the jerks with money. Thus all the parties and private tours that popped up pre-pandemic.

They must be losing a fortune having to forgo those now. The rich people who are too wealthy to catch COVID-19 have to wait in line with the masses. Yuck.

 

[Cmdr_Crimson]

As they have mentioned that they were looking into new "Membership Offerings" You have to wonder if they are looking at a route how some other parks have introduced a membership based pass system like Six Flags has...The more money you throw at them in a selected tier gives you more the perks.. And I'm sure a Diamond Elite or what ever they decide to call it isn't going to be chump change for it.. Here's an example from Six Flags..

 

[JohnD]

Disneyland has announced it is "sunsetting" annual passes and refunding everyone with a future scheme to be announced I guess sometime in the future.

Could this happen at WDW where there are less passholders? What do you think the changes will be? This is an extreme move no one saw coming.

There's a big difference. DL has been closed for almost an entire year.

 

[tirian]

While there are upsides to having APers, there are downsides:

• The locals who go twice a week (or more) are only paying the equivalent of $10 per entry (or less). The park is losing $9,000 per person on this type of local APer. Their claims of how they spend *more* in DL become a bit hollow at that point.

• Those who go that often sometimes become the biggest, whiniest critics of Disney. Since everything Disney has to offer has been done a hundred times over, they're constantly crying for new stuff. For guests who only visit once a year (or less often), there's very little cry for new stuff.

• Vloggers: While I'm not against vloggers per se, the AP allows *everyone* to be a vlogger. You have vloggers with less than 100 subscribers... why are they even bothering? You can't make money from that. DL has an inordinate number of vloggers. If they had to pay more to enter, then that would cut down on their numbers and only the better, more popular ones who are actually making a profit from their amateur vlogging would be around.

• AP accounts without black out dates become very problematic on peak days. Disney can raise the price of a day-ticket to MK on Christmas to $150 to discourage crowds, but an unlimited APer can just show up at no extra cost. Disney can't do surge pricing on APs that don't have black out dates.

An AP system that limits the amount of days, or provides a discount for unlimited number of days just makes more sense for any business that has a pay-one-price at the door. Otherwise, you wind up giving away your product for pennies.

I'm sure there will be flex passes and discount deals. But the era of locals swarming the parks for just a few bucks per visit are gone.

In my experience, off-season mornings at DLR could be lovely, but the daily afternoon swarm of APs ruined the place. Every time I was in the Cali parks, I witnessed groups of teenagers and entitled adult-children push and shove to get their tables, their viewing areas, their favorite character interactions. Unfortunately, many people behaved with a smug satisfaction that it was their very own, personal playground.

Of course not all APs behaved that way! Many were normal, happy people who wanted to have fun. But DL’s AP privilege was enough of a problem for CMs to coin the phrase “Pass-hole.”

WDW only has similar issues during the unofficial Dapper Day and occasional CP groups who act privileged because they get to flip burgers for six months. DL dealt with it almost every day.

 

[SteamboatJoe]

As they have mentioned that they were looking into new "Membership Offerings" You have to wonder if they are looking at a route how some other parks have introduced a membership based pass system like Six Flags has...The more money you throw at them in a selected tier gives you more the perks.. And I'm sure a Diamond Elite or what ever they decide to call it isn't going to be chump change for it.. Here's an example from Six Flags..

This makes sense. Even my local zoo has a tiered membership program.

 

[Touchdown]

Having witnessed first hand what happens when all but the top tier APs (me at the time) were blocked in June 2019 (>15 min wait for any ride except Space, Splash, and Matterhorn which were all >30 min mid afternoon in late June) APs are a huge majority of Disneyland’s attendance. It’s really going to be interesting what they cook up when it’s time to pack the parks again.

 

[ppete1975]

With no covid restrictions, there's absolutely no reason to. APs fill in available space in the park and provide consistent revenue

That is the old way of thinking, now you have youtubers that go almost everyday (and dont usually spend much money) and crowds have become really bad. The original intent was to allow locals to bring people who were in for vacation or to go occasionally and not have to pay the full amount. It didnt really impact the crowds all that much and endeared them to the locals and kept the park full.
Now everyone goes for instagramming, youtubing and just going ALL the time with lots not spending a ton of money. This has caused alot of traffic and causing some first timers to not want to come back. This is my opinion only.
I think they want to keep the people who go 20 times a year, but they want to cut down on the 200+ day people.

The free AP perks (magnets etc) kind of hurt that opinion but i think thats to offer extra magic to get people who dont go often and are on the fence to get the pass.

I think the reason they offer AP exclusives is to make the APs spend money

my opinions only

 

[HarperRose]

Annual Passholders make up such a small portion of WDW guests, I'm not sure why some of you want them gone so much.

I agree, but according to some passholders, they are the ones keeping the company afloat.

 

[Gringrinngghost]

All I can say from what I said Monday:

Disney has this weird domination fetish when it comes to the Passholders. It’s honestly a program that their actions speak that they don’t want to even do, outside of selling junk that the influencers (this one excluded) will lavish over. I also think and to some extent it works, the more they can abuse their Passholders by gate keeping more and more while taking away, the more they come back. It’s literally an abusive relationship to some extent with the mainstay being psychological manipulation. And honestly in the current fiscal issue from COVID, it’s not a really good time to **** them off.

 

[doctornick]

I think they want to keep the people who go 20 times a year, but they want to cut down on the 200+ day people.

It comes down to this point IMHO. Disney does want the "loyal customers" who come a few times throughout the year. What they don't want is the people who use the parks as their personal playground/mall/after work activity.

It seems to me the best way is somehow putting a reasonable cap on number of days during the year and having a very high cost for more unlimited access.

 

[ppete1975]

It comes down to this point IMHO. Disney does want the "loyal customers" who come a few times throughout the year. What they don't want is the people who use the parks as their personal playground/mall/after work activity.

It seems to me the best way is somehow putting a reasonable cap on number of days during the year and having a very high cost for more unlimited access.

i think disneyland isnt getting rid of APs i think they are just rebooting the program adjusted to modern times. I would say the majority of people the new system wont affect.

 

[Parker in NYC]

Everything's fine.

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

Having witnessed first hand what happens when all but the top tier APs (me at the time) were blocked in June 2019 (>15 min wait for any ride except Space, Splash, and Matterhorn which were all >30 min mid afternoon in late June) APs are a huge majority of Disneyland’s attendance. It’s really going to be interesting what they cook up when it’s time to pack the parks again.

Exactly. I was there in late June and early July and it was very telling.

I think the wording of this and other recent press releases are extremely poor and show how rushed these decisions were.

It would also appear that Disney fired their best copywriters.

 

[Cmdr_Crimson]

i think disneyland isnt getting rid of APs i think they are just rebooting the program adjusted to modern times. I would say the majority of people the new system wont affect.

From the note that Ken Potrock stated...
We plan to use this time while we remain closed to develop new membership offerings that will utilize consumer insights to deliver choice, flexibility and value for our biggest fans. Once we have more information to share about future membership offerings, our Passholders will be the first to hear from us as we embark on this next chapter.”

In other words a Membership program similar to other theme parks doing Membership programs..

 

[TrainsOfDisney]

From the note that Ken Potrock stated...
We plan to use this time while we remain closed to develop new membership offerings that will utilize consumer insights to deliver choice, flexibility and value for our biggest fans. Once we have more information to share about future membership offerings, our Passholders will be the first to hear from us as we embark on this next chapter.”

In other words a Membership program similar to other theme parks doing Membership programs..

Disney has spent quite a bit of money on the “passholder” branding. It’s an odd choice from a marketing and branding decision. But if that department was all fired what else do you expect.

 

[HarperRose]

It comes down to this point IMHO. Disney does want the "loyal customers" who come a few times throughout the year. What they don't want is the people who use the parks as their personal playground/mall/after work activity.

It seems to me the best way is somehow putting a reasonable cap on number of days during the year and having a very high cost for more unlimited access.

Or as their personal babysitter.