Is it a pass holder or locals mentality that's the issue.

[Kramerica]

So, I should start off by saying that I've never seen an issue myself, but I know enough cast members, listened to enough podcasts, and heard enough stories to know that some pass holders have quite an entitled mentality. Again, not talking about all pass holders, probably just a very small minority, feel like Disneyland or World owes them something. That because they own that yearly pass, they should be prioritized above other lowly park hoppers. But here's the thing-

I'm not so sure it's about being a pass holder. I think it has more to do with being a local. I'm over a thousand miles from Disneyland, so I'm not a local by any stretch of the imagination. But I once heard someone on here relating going to Disneyland like going to the movies as a local. Is it the same as a New Yorker being bothered by all the tourists? I just wanted to get your guys' thoughts on this.

 

[Californian Elitist]

What exact issue are you referring to?

There are annual passholders out there who feel entitled. I ran into a few of them when I worked at the park. Disneyland really is like going to the movies for a lot of locals, including myself. It's definitely not a vacation spot. I feel like it's the same for the other theme/amusement parks in Southern California. Going to Magic Mountain, Knott's, Universal, etc. is like going to the movies for me as well. It's something to do for the day.

 

[George Lucas on a Bench]

I wouldn't say entitlement is an annual passholder issue, just a general issue with people.

 

[Deleted member 107043]

No comment.

 

[Rich T]

The large percentage of locals/passholders has some downsides (crowds, crowds and crowds), but it also works in DL's favor; it gives Disney a financial motivation to keep "plussing" attractions to give locals something new to come see.

When they banished the Fantasmic Blanket Brigade Encampment, they eliminated my only real gripe with some frequent visitors.

 

[GiveMeTheMusic]

The large percentage of locals/passholders has some downsides (crowds, crowds and crowds), but it also works in DL's favor; it gives Disney a financial motivation to keep "plussing" attractions to give locals something new to come see.

When they banished the Fantasmic Blanket Brigade Encampment, they eliminated my only real gripe with some frequent visitors.

People can complain about Fantasmic FP all they want, but not having hobo encampments all along the river starting at 1 or 2pm is a huge plus.

There are entitled APs, and there are entitled day guests. It's gotten harder to tell the difference because as Disney charges more and more, entitlement among all guest demos goes up. APs paying $1439/year for a Premier feel like they should be getting something more since that same pass was $749 just a few years ago. It's a human nature thing - I'm paying double, so the expectation goes up.

Day guests and multi-day guests (especially those staying at DLR hotels) are paying more than ever and as a result, have higher expectations.

This why cutting guest-facing services and entertainment is BAD idea (it's always a bad idea, but really bad right now). People are paying more than ever and expect more than ever as a result (that's called human nature) - so cancel the parades! Cut attractions staff by a third! Charge $37.95 for a t-shirt made on crappy Hanes material!

Guest entitlement won't abate until Disney starts treating its "luxury product" like a luxury product and not acting like they're going out of business instead.

 

[westie]

I see the opposite. I see "Traveler Joe" and his pack of 5 acting entitled because they've paid for the flight, hotel and tickets and have a must see attitude while AP'ers have a more "lets hit our faves and leave" attitude. The "must get my moneys worth" guest is far more frightening than some guy who wants to ride HM on a friday night.

 

[Deleted member 107043]

When they banished the Fantasmic Blanket Brigade Encampment, they eliminated my only real gripe with some frequent visitors.

The Fantasmic Blanket Brigade! lol Best thing on the internet today.

 

[Phroobar]

Millennials are the most entitled people ever.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

Millennials are the most entitled people ever.

Yes. I'm a millennial, and my generation is utterly embarrassing.

 

[StarWarsGirl]

Millennials are the most entitled people ever.

As someone who is a millenial, I wish you wouldn't make such generalizations. Yes, there are some from my age group who are entitled, but not all.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

As someone who is a millenial, I wish you wouldn't make such generalizations. Yes, there are some from my age group who are entitled, but not all.

Am I correct in assuming that the "95" at the end of your username means you're 20 or 21 years old? If so, take it from someone just a few years older. When you get out into the workforce your peers will embarrass you with their behavior.

 

[GiveMeTheMusic]

Millennials are the most entitled people ever.

By all means, demonize an entire generation who have nothing to do with this topic, as entitled Disney guests span all ages and socioeconomic backgrounds.

 

[Deleted member 107043]

As a long time Disneyland customer I can tell you that I'm witness to mostly negative impacts to the experience as a result of management catering to local APs. I don't blame APs though, I blame Disney.

A consequence of providing a product or service that is inexpensive and convenient to use is that it loses its uniqueness leading to the chance that regular customers will take it for granted, which damages the brand. This is exactly what I've seen happen at Disneyland since the introduction of APs in the 80s.

 

[GiveMeTheMusic]

As a long time Disneyland customer I can tell you that I'm witness to mostly negative impacts to the experience as a result of management catering to local APs. I don't blame APs though, I blame Disney.

A consequence of providing a product or service that is inexpensive and convenient to use is that it loses its uniqueness leading to the chance that regular customers will take it for granted, which damages the brand. This is exactly what I've seen happen at Disneyland since the introduction of APs in the 80s.

There's another factor though - Disneyland APs have been available for decades and up until very recently were extremely affordable, what we would now consider ludicrously cheap. And yet, the parks had substantial off-seasons and didn't suffer from guest overwhelm as they do now.

The 50th, I believe, was the turning point. Disneyland became cool again and the build since then has been unstoppable. Everyone wants to go all the time now. They want the Mickey ears, they want the whole experience. I think this is partially due to a lack of aspirational entertainment options - Disneyland is optimism in three dimensional form, and most of the entertainment world has become extremely pessimistic in its content. It's more appealing than ever.

Disneyland, at 60 years old, has finally become a victim of its own success, and management is too chicken blank to make the hard changes needed (like killing monthly payments).

 

[Deleted member 107043]

The 50th, I believe, was the turning point. Disneyland became cool again and the build since then has been unstoppable.

Agreed. I'll add that elaborate seasonal events like Halloweentime, Disney's deliberate dominance over Christmas in the SoCal theme park market, and other seasonal/year-long celebrations like the 50th, were all designed, either wholly or in part, to keep local AP traffic flowing through the gates. It didn't happen all at once; it's been a slow steady climb as Disney has learned to leverage that audience, but here we are.

 

[Phroobar]

I think @GiveMeTheMusic hit it right on the button. However, I think the whole AP thing started to change before DCA was built and Disney forums became popular on the internet back around '98. People could talk to each other about their love for Disney. They told others and the thing just got bigger since. It's similar to that "it's cool to be geek thing" that has been going on for few years now.

 

[StarWarsGirl]

Am I correct in assuming that the "95" at the end of your username means you're 20 or 21 years old? If so, take it from someone just a few years older. When you get out into the workforce your peers will embarrass you with their behavior.

By all means, demonize an entire generation who have nothing to do with this topic, as entitled Disney guests span all ages and socioeconomic backgrounds.

This^^

 

[G00fyDad]

Entitlement is something that knows no race, creed, sex, or age. There are people that think this way no matter how old they are. I see it everyday in my area alone. Yes, I see more of it in WDW, but that only means that it is a congregation point for "ME" attitudes. People everywhere have this attitude that YOU owe THEM.

One of my favorite Louis CK bits: (language)

 

[StarWarsGirl]

Am I correct in assuming that the "95" at the end of your username means you're 20 or 21 years old? If so, take it from someone just a few years older. When you get out into the workforce your peers will embarrass you with their behavior.

You would be correct. However, entitlement, as was previously stated, spans many generations, not just ours. I've also dealt with, frequently, people who assume that I will behave a specific way just because I happen to be young and it's not true, which is why I wish people would not make such generalizations about an entire generation. It's like saying all baby boomers are old and cranky, maybe true of some, but not all.