Premium Passholder 20% -- GONE

[George]

Plus, the merchandise offerings are much less interesting than they used to be. We spent one night in the Art of Animation resort just to check it out and they did have really nice looking, themed, fabric shower curtains. We were interested in buying until we found out they were $99. You expect mark ups in a place like WDW, but they've entered an alternate reality where the average consumer doesn't have the foggiest notion about prices and value.

 

[Hakunamatata]

Plus, the merchandise offerings are much less interesting than they used to be. We spent one night in the Art of Animation resort just to check it out and they did have really nice looking, themed, fabric shower curtains. We were interested in buying until we found out they were $99. You expect mark ups in a place like WDW, but they've entered an alternate reality where the average consumer doesn't have the foggiest notion about prices and value.

It's a resort. You will pay resort prices. I've ween worse.

 

[menamechris]

I can't help but think DIsney is foolishly playing into Universal's plan. Universal knows that beyond their one-day ticket (which always keeps pace with Disney), their rates are extremely reasonable. Annual passes are kept at a reasonable level, their passholder discounts are good, and they have huge projects that will certainly bring a leap in attendance - and will soon be able to stay onsite for a reasonable price.

Universal already has the market on locals in Central Florida. You are hardpressed to find a family living in Orlando who doesn't have an annual pass to Universal. Disney, not so much - they have priced out the locals - and continue to show that they have little interest in guests satisfaction or loyalty - they are only interested in the buck they can make off of you today.

 

[JimboJones123]

Imagine how cool it would be to get 25% off those virtually free drinks that WDW gets from Coca Cola? We usually restrict everybody to one a day. Now, at 30% discount days at Sea World San Antonio, we feel free to get drinks every hour or so.

Amazing how a good deal opens up the wallet.

Maybe then we would actually order 4 meals for the 4 of us instead of splitting 2 and snacking on granola bars we brought in.

 

[puntagordabob]

Wow...this is really a disgusting move by TDO...

 

[George]

It's a resort. You will pay resort prices. I've ween worse.

I've been to a lot of resorts and NFL games within the last couple of years and I ain't seen much worse. I know they're making less merchandise sales because every time I'm at the world I strike up conversations with strangers (some interesting and strange opinions too...I've thought about writing things down and then doing a trip report just based on what people said though I have a slight paranoia that someone who reads the boards will read it and be angry Maybe I could start convos with, "so do you read WDWmagic"). My family is talking about spending more money on travel this summer and going to Cali. On our recent trips we've gone to IoA and SW and I know we're not alone in spending more time off property. I've been going to WDW for 40 years and for the first time in my life I hesitate on recommending it. Really, the ball is in Disney's court. They can up the value of the resort again or not.

Imagine how cool it would be to get 25% off those virtually free drinks that WDW gets from Coca Cola? We usually restrict everybody to one a day. Now, at 30% discount days at Sea World San Antonio, we feel free to get drinks every hour or so.

There's a theme park in the southern part of Indiana (Holiday World) where you get free Pepsi products and suntan lotion all day. It's a huge draw.

 

[Figments Friend]

Personally, I came from from my last trip with a resort mug, and a handful of pins. Normally I'm picking up a few more things for myself than that, especially if I'm staying for a week. But with this discount being reduced, the incentive to buy anything will be that much less....

-
I will chime in to say that i could have posted the above myself, and if you knew my 'spending habits' on past visits to WDW, the above would be shocking in comparison.

The last two visits recently i came home with just a few purchased pins. I also came home with a new Resort Mug, but that was 'free' due to the package plan i was on at that time.

I used to spend big bucks on t-shirts, EPCOT items, loads of pins ( before i learned and came to my senses..) and a lot of other things. Now i look at the merch and kind of shrug my shoulders. It is pricey enough these days to get through the gate that there is now a lot less spare cash on hand to spend on such goodies.

 

[DisneyCane]

There is a price point where you can make more profit by selling less items at a higher profit margin. It takes less overhead to sell less things. I think this is what they are doing. When I was consulting for a movie theatre once I analyzed their concession stand when they were considering lower prices. In a nutshell, if they halved the price they would have to sell significantly more than double the product to make the same profit. Disney has a lot more bean counters that are more qualified than me with a spreadsheet that I threw together.

 

[BlueSkyDriveBy]

There is a price point where you can make more profit by selling less items at a higher profit margin. It takes less overhead to sell less things. I think this is what they are doing. When I was consulting for a movie theatre once I analyzed their concession stand when they were considering lower prices. In a nutshell, if they halved the price they would have to sell significantly more than double the product to make the same profit. Disney has a lot more bean counters that are more qualified than me with a spreadsheet that I threw together.

Using that logic, which is financially sound but toxic to customer satisfaction, I would expect TDO to start shuttering large sections of the resorts if not entire resorts themselves, like Carribean. I wouldn't be surprised to see at least one or two of the older, less popular resorts permanently shuttered in the future.

Once EMH is gone, there will be less incentive to stay on property, given the constant increase in room rates. If there's enough of a drop-off in resort bookings, it would certainly be fiscally prudent for Disney to shutter a resort or two, to further reduce their overhead and labor costs.

I'm guessing TDO has already done the math, and realized that a family wouldn't cancel their vacation to WDW if they couldn't stay at their favorite resort. Many families are forced to select their second or third choices, anyway, so this wouldn't be unexpected. It's rotten for guest satisfaction and customer good will for the long haul, but Disney doesn't seem too worried about that anymore.

 

[Longhairbear]

Over on another site, more disgruntled DVC members are chatting about losing the 20% after buying the PAP for $300.00 less than everyone else pays. It's just another straw on the camel's back so far, but some are ditching the dining plan as well. Others are not happy with ME making so many stops from, or to the airport, and want to rent cars to go see Harry too. Some have stopped making ADR's as nothing is available in the short term, and cook in their villas.
Perhaps We Go Shop, Garden Grocer, and Owner's Locker are poised for an increase in business. They ought to offer a shuttle to UNI from the DVC resorts for a fee once they drop off the groceries, bag of golf clubs, and the crock pot. Why drive back to their business with an empty van? " Sure, I'm going by UNI, for ten bucks I can drop you off there."

 

[bgraham34]

Wow...this is really a disgusting move by TDO...

Thats why TDO must go.

 

[fosse76]

Starting January 1 2013, Disney will be reducing the merchandise discount at Walt Disney World for Premium and Premier Pass holders from 20% to 10%. This will mean that all Annual Passholders discount will be 10%. The Premier Pass will continue to get a 20% discount at Disneyland.

Another reason to spend my vacation money and time at DL. They do more to earn it

Between 2006 and 2010, I visited WDW around 10 times and DLR 1 time. in 2011 I visited WDW 5 times. In 2012, I visited DLR 3 times and WDW 1 time. And I have had no real desire to go back to WDW. I live in New York. I hate long flights. I'm going to DLR again in February, and my flight to LA was $275 round trip on JetBlue...and I hate JetBlue. But DLR is a much more satisfying experience...and I don't even stay at a Disney-owned hotel!

 

[fosse76]

There is a price point where you can make more profit by selling less items at a higher profit margin. It takes less overhead to sell less things. I think this is what they are doing. When I was consulting for a movie theatre once I analyzed their concession stand when they were considering lower prices. In a nutshell, if they halved the price they would have to sell significantly more than double the product to make the same profit. Disney has a lot more bean counters that are more qualified than me with a spreadsheet that I threw together.

Yes, but the theory is that because the prices are lower, they will be easier to sell and people will be more willing to buy.

 

[Goofnut1980]

Funny thing, we just got back from the world on 12/20. The only reason I purchase pins is with the discount. Then I figure because its 20%, I can buy a few more. I came home with 17 pins. Next trip in May, I will most likely only buy 2-3 because the extra discount makes me wanna spend money! With no big discount, who cares.

 

[dreamfinder]

It would be a hard business to sink a ton of money into premium AP's, then buy a bunch of $20 items at a 20% discount and resell for the cost at Disney (hard to do) or for some price point in between and make any money at all. I'm not saying this doesn't happen, I just have a hard time believing it's a big deal. You could do it with higher priced items, but you sell less of those and I don't know that you could move any at all. Pssstt....I have some of those sweet Mickey Skagen watches for 8% less than you'd pay at WDW. Even if I'm wrong, and Disney is justified in removing this perk, they could replace it with another. How about you're enrolled in TiW? How about some free mini-golf? How about big discounts at the snack carts? Oh wait, I'll buy a ton of those sweet, strawberry Minnie bars and sell 870,000 at a slightly discounted price.

But there are. Plenty of people don't know that you can buy (some) parks merchandise on the Disney Store website. And even less know that WDW will sell you almost anything they sell in park, over the phone. So there is definitely a market for a "personal shopping" type experience, and several places offer this online. Even moreso if you move past the common merch, and into LE merch. Heck, look at what people were paying for the Epcot 30th pins/maps the few days after they were handed out. If you grabbed a handful of them using your PAP, and then sold them online for $5 each, heck, you could have made over $100 bucks easy that day. Or jumping in line for the latest pin or vinyl? People will still pay well over face for those on eBay just to have them. 9" vinyls retailing for $75, the PAP lets em buy a pair for $120 (2 is often the limit per person on LE), and some of them can easily be sold for that cost EACH. And I have seen several people attend an event (be it merch specific or not) and then sell a subset of their merch online to more than recoup the cost of entry. Case in point, the upcoming Marathon weekend. There are always a few people who seem to see everything that they get as part of registration, and end up recouping their entry fee. Still don't know who would pay $50 for a medal from a race they didn't run, but that's just me. Never mind looking at the hard ticket RSP merch events. People can almost always unload a large chunk of that for well over what they paid.

 

[Rook26]

I'm seriously considering changing my late January trip from WDW to DL. I miss WDW because of the size and scope, but even with the change fee for the airfare the 20% on souvenirs and food would easily make up for it. I know TDO is still getting my money, but the only way to make a statement is with your money. I'm moving my money from WDW because I can get more for my money at DL. Will they see that? I don't know. Then again trading WDW for DL isn't apples to apples by any means, that's why I'm "considering" changing my plans.

And as LongHairBear noted, I'm not doing the DDP again this time. Did the past 4 years, not this time. Not worth it anymore unless I want dessert with every meal, I can skip dessert and we can eat within our means and save money by paying out of pocket.

 

[RSoxNo1]

They just want the top 1% to pay a little more, what's wrong with that?

 

[RSoxNo1]

As far as I know the 20% discount hasn't always been there. Having said that, Disneyland is becoming more and more preferred.

 

[dreamfinder]

As far as I know the 20% discount hasn't always been there. Having said that, Disneyland is becoming more and more preferred.

Ayup. Fairly certain its something they added in late 2009, and even then it started off as a temporary thing where they extended it month by month. I recall in January of 2010 CMs having to look at their weekly special sheet thingy to see if it was still going on.

 

[menamechris]

I'm in touch with that. I haven't bought a drink in WDW (hotels, pool etc) since the price of a beer hit $6. F+B thing at Epcot????

This is one of the saddest things. It used to be a lot of fun to go have a drink at the Polynesian with friends before hitting the parks - or enjoy a margarita on a hot summer day at World Showcase. But they have simply priced me out the last couple years. I end up being ed that they screw me on the amount of alcohol - on top of screwing me on the price...