Eh, he's probably just jealous because you can't make enough money writing for JHM to afford an annual pass. Oooooh, and look at that a "former Imagineer." Maybe one APer too many pointed out that this guy's work was slipshod compared to other Imagineers. Maybe? I don't know. Perhaps. Could be.
Seriously, though, he seems to be taking his own bias against APers and drawing a conclusion that they are therefore bad for business. Why? Because we wind up paying less per day? But the flip side is that, were it not for the APs many people would wind up going less frequently, or not at all. Which makes Disney lose the secondary income other people have since talked about. The markup on souveneirs (or soven-ears, however you freaks want to put it
) is insane. Not to mention the mark-up for food and especially alcohol. If they make a few dollars less on the gate and make up for it elsewhere, that's a "loss leader" approach that every business uses at some point or another. Supermarkets give away turkeys at Thanksgiving if you spend a couple of hundred dollars in groceries leading up to the holiday. Why? Because they make their profit on everything else you buy up to that point, PLUS they'll make money on all the trimmings you'll need for that turkey. Electronics stores will sell a HTIB system at or below cost and then convince you to buy Monster Cable to maximize the sound, or try to talk you into a new TV or an upgraded system. Worst case scenario, they hope that you'll remember that deal the next time you need something and will go back to them. It's not an uncommon sales tactic.
This is starting to remind me of the griping people had when Disney tried to get away with the early morning hour and replace it with the Character Caravan at WDW. Disney saw all the extra money they had to put into opening up the parks an hour early and decided to cut costs on that. Disney visitors, in kind, reacted by not staying on Disney properties. Let's face it, even the Value resorts are more expensive than many neighboring hotels or motels. But when you stay at Disney, it's for the convenience, the themeing...and the amenities. When the Suits tried to take away what was for many people the #1 amenity, they took a big hit. Now look at the flipside-they've returned the early morning hour AND added late-night hours under the current EMH plan, and they're having a record-breaking year. Granted, EMHs aren't the ONLY reason, but it's a big one.
I bring this up because, while I have my doubts that a former Imagineer is necessarily clued in to what the biggest of the bigwigs at Disney are thinking, if they ARE thinking that APers are more of a hassle than they're worth, I'd bet that they'd see the error of their ways the moment they tried to restrict or dissuade passholders. In short, with our tendency to go often throughout the year, even during the slow times, and spend more money on souveniers and dining because of the money we save on admission, we're worth the grief.
