Premium Passholder 20% -- GONE

[ParentsOf4]

Why would you ever believe you are their most loyal customer? Buying an AP is a discounted ticket. If you're staying in a DVC, I don't care how much you plunked down to buy into the program, you're paying less in the long run than a family who visits once a year for 4-5 years. Disney is losing money on you. You are not their best customer.

I think your main point is that DVC members pay their money upfront. I agree with this. However, there are a few facts that seem to conflict with the rest of your post:

• WDW continues to build DVCs. Disney clearly is making an incredible profit off people who buy into DVCs, they simply are making their money upfront. See http://forums.wdwmagic.com/threads/holy-price-jump-batman.855424/#post-5205259 for an analysis of the profit margin.
• Disney is making a lot of money from DVC sales and wants to keep its current DVC members happy in order to not adversely impact future sales. Of course, things could change once Disney stops selling DVC points. However, I don't see that happening in the foreseeable future.
• Disney currently is offering a $300 discount on the Premium Annual Pass exclusively to its DVC members. It doesn't make sense for Disney to offer these incredible discounts if Disney did not highly value its current DVC members.
• I'm not sure why you think DVC members pay less than "a family who visits once a year for 4-5 years". Even Disney doesn't make this claim when selling DVC points. The true break-even point for a direct purchase from Disney is well over 10 years. Really, how many families go to WDW for 10 straight years?

 

[WDW1974]

This would bother me if I had a premium AP and not a regular and if I spent much ... oh, and if I didn't have CM friends who have been willing to share their 40% holiday discounts (I mean, buy gifts for me since I oh so deserve what I get!)

 

[Longhairbear]

I think your main point is that DVC members pay their money upfront. I agree with this. However, there are a few facts that seem to conflict with the rest of your post:

• WDW continues to build DVCs. Disney clearly is making an incredible profit off people who buy into DVCs, they simply are making their money upfront. See http://forums.wdwmagic.com/threads/holy-price-jump-batman.855424/#post-5205259 for an analysis of the profit margin.
• Disney is making a lot of money from DVC sales and wants to keep its current DVC members happy in order to not adversely impact future sales. Of course, things could change once Disney stops selling DVC points. However, I don't see that happening in the foreseeable future.
• Disney currently is offering a $300 discount on the Premium Annual Pass exclusively to its DVC members. It doesn't make sense for Disney to offer these incredible discounts if Disney did not highly value its current DVC members.
• I'm not sure why you think DVC members pay less than "a family who visits once a year for 4-5 years". Even Disney doesn't make this claim when selling DVC points. The true break-even point for a direct purchase from Disney is well over 10 years. Really, how many families go to WDW for 10 straight years?

I think I am one of the lucky ones. My break even point was 3 years, mainly for the amount of use we got out of our membership at the time. The first 3 years we did pay the maintenance fee which basically blows away my break even point, but since then we only pay that fee. The fee is much much less than paying for a similar room, especially with the higher room rates. Not that it matters, but we bought our DVC at $89 per point direct from Disney. Today's prices scare me, but we'd add on in CA if they ever build more out here. And that's only to guarantee a DVC villa which at times now is near impossible. I'm sure my break even point would be longer than 10 years.
The other poster mentioned DVC = WDW, or something to that effect which is wrong in my case. Again, I'm one of the lucky ones because I live in CA and can use my membership here, and not go anywhere near WDW for years, which just happens is now the case. We haven't been to WDW in going on 3 years. A discounted PAP, or a free membership to D23 is not going to make us go back. Universal might though.

 

[wdwmousetales]

So i asked about this at guest services and they told me since California has a higher sales tax that is why they kept the 20% discount. Wow what an excuse.

 

[kittybubbles]

[*]Disney currently is offering a $300 discount on the Premium Annual Pass exclusively to its DVC members. It doesn't make sense for Disney to offer these incredible discounts if Disney did not highly value its current DVC members.
[/LIST]

I'd like to think that Disney highly values its guest, but I'm really not sure i can agree that they even value their DVC'S members. I've mentioned before that Disney needs to see DVC members much in the same light as FLorida residents for these are folks that are willing to visit yet these folks have a lot of options in Orlando.

A lot of folks say that Disney is only out to please Wall Street. One item that is giving to Wall Street as a guide to how the parks are doing is guest spending. My understanding is that this number takes the number of guest at the resort (which to me means anyone on the property for it seems to include spend at the resturants/gift shops and such at the hotels but I am really not sure how they come to guest spend number).

Anyway, if they include a DVC memeber's staying on property in the count of guest and those folks spend no money, someone must think that is what is brining their average spend numbers down.

Now me, as a FL resident, I will stay somewhere in Orlando when I visit, but it will not be on property if I am not visiting the Disney parks while a DVC member might use their points to have a place to stay in Orlando. We both are able to visit Orlando for our vacation time and we both have been to Disney enough to see that their effort to impress us has declined. I drive up to Orlando (often just for an extended weekend) but if I do not visit Disney, I am not in the base of guest, I think a DVC member is in this base and you can't count the maintenance fees as guest spend (I hope). So a DVC member has the power to hurt guest spending more than I do as a FL resident.

Disney hit us hard this year, I have one more trip planned and I will then let our passes lapse w/o renewing. We only have one child, but the rise in price to bring her up to the same cost as our pass puts an AP out of reach for us....but when things look bad for them, they will over us a deal and we will think about it.

Anyway, my real point is that this offer might have more to do with quarterly reports to the Street then it does to you being valued by Disney.

 

[asianway]

So i asked about this at guest services and they told me since California has a higher sales tax that is why they kept the 20% discount. Wow what an excuse.

The difference is 1.25% unless you buy at one of the few scant cash registers in Osceola County. 6.5 sounds closer to 5 while 7.75 sounds closer to 10. LA county's rate is even a little higher so I actually wouldn't be surprised if some yahoo put a PowerPoint together on sales tax rates as a barrier to purchase...

 

[Rasvar]

The difference is 1.25% unless you buy at one of the few scant cash registers in Osceola County. 6.5 sounds closer to 5 while 7.75 sounds closer to 10. LA county's rate is even a little higher so I actually wouldn't be surprised if some yahoo put a PowerPoint together on sales tax rates as a barrier to purchase...

Call me weird but I almost never take sales tax into account for a purchase unless it is over $500. Even then, a 3% difference in sales tax is only $15. So 3% sales tax is worth 10% discount? Nope. It is just a more competitive market in California. They depend more on the APers there than in Florida. Sales tax argument is just a silly talking point that they think people will buy.

 

[lazyboy97o]

The difference is 1.25% unless you buy at one of the few scant cash registers in Osceola County. 6.5 sounds closer to 5 while 7.75 sounds closer to 10. LA county's rate is even a little higher so I actually wouldn't be surprised if some yahoo put a PowerPoint together on sales tax rates as a barrier to purchase...

You know what's worse? The idea of several people with decision making power inside Walt Disney Parks and Resorts thinking the Disneyland Resort is in Los Angeles County is not something I find shocking.

 

[menamechris]

Noticed something interesting today while I was checking out the new WDW website. The Premium Annual Pass does not specifically list DisneyQuest.

"Enjoy one year of unlimited same-day access to all 4 theme parks, 2 great water parks, Disney's Oak Trail Golf Course, and much more."

Only by reference of a footnote is DisneyQuest mentioned - stating that children must be accompanied by someone 16 or older.

A sign of a change to come this year?

 

[puntagordabob]

Noticed something interesting today while I was checking out the new WDW website. The Premium Annual Pass does not specifically list DisneyQuest.

"Enjoy one year of unlimited same-day access to all 4 theme parks, 2 great water parks, Disney's Oak Trail Golf Course, and much more."

Only by reference of a footnote is DisneyQuest mentioned - stating that children must be accompanied by someone 16 or older.

A sign of a change to come this year?

Swell.... scarey as it may be...I may not be renewing my PAP if they keep removing stuff.....starting to be less of a value every day

 

[JimboJones123]

Noticed something interesting today while I was checking out the new WDW website. The Premium Annual Pass does not specifically list DisneyQuest.

"Enjoy one year of unlimited same-day access to all 4 theme parks, 2 great water parks, Disney's Oak Trail Golf Course, and much more."

Only by reference of a footnote is DisneyQuest mentioned - stating that children must be accompanied by someone 16 or older.

A sign of a change to come this year?

Somebody in legal better get a huge slap on the wrist for not bothering to look at crappy copy writing.

 

[menamechris]

Swell.... scarey as it may be...I may not be renewing my PAP if they keep removing stuff.....starting to be less of a value every day

Yeah, it appears to be very intentionally omitted. As if Disney is releasing themselves from false advertising if DisneyQuest is no longer offered sometime in 2013....

 

[WDW1974]

Yeah, it appears to be very intentionally omitted. As if Disney is releasing themselves from false advertising if DisneyQuest is no longer offered sometime in 2013....

You just never know. TDO has wanted to shut the place down for almost as long as they wanted PI dead. ...Having such a huge empty space was something they desired much less, more so when Virgin closed down.

Now, if Splitsville is successful, they may be more likely to shutter DQ. I haven't even set foot in the building (other than the gift shop where they don't have one item that has DQ on it) in about a decade now myself.

 

[Hakunamatata]

Now, if Splitsville is successful, they may be more likely to shutter DQ. I haven't even set foot in the building (other than the gift shop where they don't have one item that has DQ on it) in about a decade now myself.

Can one get a generic Disney Parks Christmas ornament there?

 

[WDW1974]

Can one get a generic Disney Parks Christmas ornament there?

Probably. ... If so, I'll have to pick one up for @Lee.

 

[asianway]

You just never know. TDO has wanted to shut the place down for almost as long as they wanted PI dead. ...Having such a huge empty space was something they desired much less, more so when Virgin closed down.

Now, if Splitsville is successful, they may be more likely to shutter DQ. I haven't even set foot in the building (other than the gift shop where they don't have one item that has DQ on it) in about a decade now myself.

Yep, they've had no DQ merch since around the time Chicago closed.

 

[Nmoody1]

reduction in discount, but how long til an increase in price? I don't really see the benefit of a premium pass now, I wont be renewing this year, when you compare what Disney are doing to the building action going on at Universal, poor Mickey doesn't have much to offer me now I can't get my pins reduced. I'm not that fussed on a 100 minute line for a Mermaid or to meet Belle in a glorified school play.

 

[celluloid]

My sister, brother are now purchasing Universal Annual Passes for those same reasons Nmoody1. Universal wants their attention and money more and it is worth it for them to take a break from WDW.

 

[hokielutz]

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/the-...annual-pass-discount-20121227,0,6632953.story

Go comment on the news article and let TDO hear your opinions.

34 replies on this one article is not going to tilt a needle much at all.

I had AP & PAP from 2006 to 2011. The 20% discounts allowed us to purchase some really nice items from the shops and tons of Christmas decorations.... but increasing the AP by 10% and cutting the discount in the same year is a real chop job by the company. I love WDW... but there has to be a breaking point somewhere in the future with all of these price hikes.

 

[hokielutz]

You just never know. TDO has wanted to shut the place down for almost as long as they wanted PI dead. ...Having such a huge empty space was something they desired much less, more so when Virgin closed down.

Now, if Splitsville is successful, they may be more likely to shutter DQ. I haven't even set foot in the building (other than the gift shop where they don't have one item that has DQ on it) in about a decade now myself.

I'm not sure Splitsville, with its 24 lanes, really is enough to replace DQ. From the pictures I've seen it appears to be 2/3rds restaurants and bars, and 1/3 actual bowling.