Has anyone decided not to renew annual pass?

[danyoung56]

I'm not renewing this year, but it's more a matter of timing than cost. I've had an AP for many years - I even had the Premier for a couple of years, till it got too expensive. My current AP expires on Sept. 26th, and my next trip starts the 29th. I'm going to just buy a 4 day park hopper for this trip. Then, before my next spring trip in 2017, I'll pick up another AP, and it will be good for spring, September and then the next spring. My current Tables in Wonderland card doesn't expire till late October, so I can still use it this trip even without an AP.

If I can get 3 good trips out of one AP, that makes good financial sense.

 

[DisneyFans4Life]

We renew every year. We're only 75 minutes from the parks and make a lot of day trips throughout the year on top of a couple shorter trips.

 

[DiSnEyF@n]

Mine expires in August but I won't be renewing bc we will MAYBE go once next summer, so it doesn't make any sense to renew... We went 3 times in the last year, so I'd say I got my money's worth lol

 

[Phonedave]

However, this trip will also be bittersweet for us both as we have decided to not renew our annual passes and will be planning this as our final goodbye to the resort and its parks. We have watched the decline in quality of the parks over the last decade (especially Epcot), the mishmash of direction in planning, the severe increase in pricing for everything from accommodations and tickets, to food and merchandise. It is clear to us that the new direction for the parks is one of wealth and exclusivity. The new pricing changes are leading to a single, inevitable conclusion: only the wealthy and those not so wealthy that are willing to shell out extravagant amounts of money will be the future customers of Disney parks.

With that said, we will be enjoying ourselves immensely on this trip and reveling in what was once a fully affordable, sensible choice for our vacations. Now, our money is MUCH better spent on other choices. Will we miss it all? Yes, terribly but what will we be missing really if all it amounts to is spending time and unreasonable amounts of money at a place that is, in so many ways, a pale shadow of its former glory?

I hope that somehow, someway, the parks and their management will see beyond the dollar bill and realize the legacy they are leaving behind in the name of profits alone. I don't hold much hope but I can't help myself. We are happy and looking forward to this final trip and I know we will have a wonderful time at Walt Disney World. I suppose, for the last time.

We are pretty much in the same boat - sort of. We have not quit WDW, but we have scaled back out visits a great deal. There is mcuh better value elsewhere.

However, as I was explainnig to my daughter on this last trip (just got back 2 days ago). Despite the excessive pricing and decline in quality, WDW is doing something right, because they are still packing the crowds in. I really dont think it has reached a point where anyone is going to look beyond profits. Why would they? WDW is a business. They have priced a product that is currently at capacity (or pretty close to it) there is no reason to change. Untill people start staying away in significant amounts, nothing is going to change.

-dave

 

[pax_65]

We've been DVC members and AP holders for over 15 years. During most of that time we went to WDW usually 2-3 times a year. But as has been stated, the increasing costs and declining value has us looking at other options. We are now going to WDW once every two years and using our DVC points in other ways. At that frequency, an AP no longer makes financial sense, even with the DVC discount. In May, I even considered getting a 5-day pass for our 10-day trip since Epcot's Futureworld is in such poor condition and so many attractions in the Studios are closed/under construction. But the price difference for a 10-day and 5-day is so small (like $50 or so), I just got the 10-day pass (and ended up not using all the days).

I'm not a negative person... I love Disney and hope this is just a "rough patch" that will resolve itself in time. I hope so.

 

[NearTheEars]

We're renewing, but likely at the seasonal level. Since they've added blackout dates to what our current tier is, we figure why not just drop all the way down, especially since it includes free parking now.

What's unfortunate is that our pass renews July 27, but we won't be able to use it for a few weeks due to blackouts.

I don't think we'll miss the hot summer or holiday weeks too much.

 

[**Stacy**]

My AP expired in June 2015, I no longer got excited about going to the parks. I live 45 minutes away so last minute day trips are more my touring style, I like to pick my park for the day right as I have to pick an exit or keep driving straight for MK. FP+ is too much for me to deal with, the crowds make me anxious and to be honest I was just burned out on Disney. I went to DTD a few weeks ago to check out the changes and I still felt no magic/excitement bubbling up, then got a little upset that DTD seemed to have grown an outlet mall while I was avoiding parking lot h-e double hockey sticks. I probably won't renew this year. I might consider Universal but I was also thinking a couple 3-4 day (non-Disney) cruises might work well around my new rotating 3 day work weeks.

 

[LAKid53]

I'm a FL resident with the plain old annual pass. Currently pay $39.85 monthly for my pass (paid $36 previous year). If I decide to renew in October, the monthly payment goes up to $48. I don't give a flip about MM...never used it...but if I want to keep the same level of pass, I'm forced to pay for it. I didn't have a problem with Disney adding free parking to all levels of AP..it should have been one of the perks all along. But I'm not happy that I'm now forced to pay for something I'll probably never use, if I want to have a pass without blackout dates. I thought about renewing at the Gold level, until I looked at the blackout dates for next April. Ends the day BEFORE the SW Dark Side 5k. Since my previous 5-7 trips a year to WDW will now be to participate in runDisney events (January, February, April, November), the Gold would have been perfect. Except for April 2017....

Yes, I'm renewing, but not happily.

 

[ajrwdwgirl]

Not renewing, mainly because we decided to do a couple Disney cruises next year instead of park based trips. We will go to the parks a couple days before our cruises but not enough to justify a annual pass. We were also given some tickets from a friend who won them in a charity auction so that gives us a cheaper quick trip.

 

[disney4life2008]

I think the locals are renewing. Simply because we have a payment plan, but I guarantee if disney eliminated that plan, it would elimimate over 60 percent of us.

 

[zengoth]

We think about it every year, but as many FL residents say, the payment plan still makes it worth it. This is the first year we're doing the "blackout" summer. We rarely went during hot months anyway, but I have to say the "blackout withdrawal" has made me a constant lurker on these forums in order to at least feel like I have some Disney in my life. We'll probably visit Disney Springs and tour the hotels during the Blackout Summer, so it's still a good daytripper deal. Breakfast buffet at the Animal Kingdom Lodge, pasta bar at Port Orleans, drinks at HOB, tonga toast at the Poly are always a part of the year anyway.

 

[TaoBoxer]

I have been a FL resident AP holder since 2000. I am a dual resident and because of my generous schedule made it the WDW about 25 days / yr on average.
I decided last fall to no longer renew my AP because the price has risen so much. In 2000 I paid about $160 and now it is over $500. I feel that the parks have gotten dirtier and the people (guests) less friendly and more inconsiderate. I have also noticed that I have less and less interest in dealing with the people as the crowds increase.

I still love Disney, but looking at the opening of Frozen yesterday, I saw the photos and said to myself, I am glad I am not there.

Has anyone else changed and not renewed?

I am strongly considering it. Which is saying a lot, since we stay on property 3x's a year , for the past 11 years. Just seems to be losing the "Magic".

 

[draybook]

Ours expire on September 8th. We check out the next day and won't be renewing.

 

[FrostyNaples]

I have been a FL resident AP holder since 2000. I am a dual resident and because of my generous schedule made it the WDW about 25 days / yr on average.
I decided last fall to no longer renew my AP because the price has risen so much. In 2000 I paid about $160 and now it is over $500. I feel that the parks have gotten dirtier and the people (guests) less friendly and more inconsiderate. I have also noticed that I have less and less interest in dealing with the people as the crowds increase.

I still love Disney, but looking at the opening of Frozen yesterday, I saw the photos and said to myself, I am glad I am not there.

Has anyone else changed and not renewed?

As long as our Disney Visa continues to cover 100% of our two AP's each year, no reason to stop getting it.

Now only if we could buy into DVC......