Shouldn't Premium Passholders Should Get More Perks?

[Master Yoda]

I don't think anyone seriously thinks that we deserve "free" stuff. However, it only makes sense that WDW would want to give us more incentive to spend ADDITIONAL money in the parks. That is what is confusing about why they keep scaling back. It's a matter of discounting grossly inflated prices (on things like quick service dining and snacks) so they are affordable and justifiable to frequent guests. Believe me, Disney will still make a profit on the transaction.

Right now Disney is able to sell more and more of their rooms at full price. In spite of this guest spending is up at the parks. Incentive vs. no incentive is a delicate cat and mouse game that every company plays. Disney plays the game better than most. If they are not offering incentives it is for one simple reason....they do not have to.

 

[SleepingMonk]

If they are not offering incentives it is for one simple reason....they do not have to.

Exactly and they said as much at the last meeting.

"Wean the consumer off the discount...they're happy paying more for less."

When accounting runs the numbers and notices a drop they'll slowly add a discount back in, until then they couldn't care less.

 

[SleepingMonk]

Like Chris said above me, it doesn't make sense why they stop these kinds of discounts.

Because the last memo from accounting said they didn't need to discount anything when people will gladly pay full price.

So they remove a discount or raise the price until that changes, then slowly add in a minor incentive.

Even Florida resident rates on rooms are a joke at this point. It used to be a hundred dollar difference or more at deluxe resorts, now I think it's more like ten to twenty.

 

[Laura]

I've been spoiled for the last couple years with the extensive benefits of a Disneyland AP. Every year I probably save enough in discounts on food, merchandise, and parking to pay for the pass itself.

Planning to upgrade to the Premier pass before my trip to WDW in November, and it's disappointing how few discounts are there compared to here. You have to pay to tack on a Tables in Wonderland membership to have comparable discounts.

 

[devoy1701]

Exactly and they said as much at the last meeting.

"Wean the consumer off the discount...they're happy paying more for less."

When accounting runs the numbers and notices a drop they'll slowly add a discount back in, until then they couldn't care less.

I get the game. But they shouldn't lump AP into the general guest column. There should be an appreciation and reward for your commitment for a year of patronage.

But whatever. Our personal answer to this has been to let our passes lapse and take a couple months in between renewals instead of renewing every year. The last time we renewed we waited 3 months. Currently we've been almost 5 months without passes and don't plan to renew until next May. When the AP offerings become the same available to regular guests, it loses its incentive. And while it may not be much to them, Disney is loosing out on probably $2k-$3k in revenue from us during this time once you consider snacks, meals, hotel stays, and my collectible purchases.

 

[devoy1701]

Because the last memo from accounting said they didn't need to discount anything when people will gladly pay full price.

So they remove a discount or raise the price until that changes, then slowly add in a minor incentive.

Even Florida resident rates on rooms are a joke at this point. It used to be a hundred dollar difference or more at deluxe resorts, now I think it's more like ten to twenty.

I know it. We recently stayed overnight so we could enjoy Jellyrolls to its fullest and since I'm not an AP holder currently we were looking at FL Resident room rates. I think they were offering Value resorts at like $119/night or something which I thought wasn't bad...but something clicked in my head and I thought, wait a minute...we use to pay like $49-$59 for those rooms as passholders and $99-$109 for a Moderate! The FL Resident rates really are a joke anymore! Ended up choosing the Swan because even though it was more expensive, it gave us a great location.

 

[Master Yoda]

I've been spoiled for the last couple years with the extensive benefits of a Disneyland AP. Every year I probably save enough in discounts on food, merchandise, and parking to pay for the pass itself.

Planning to upgrade to the Premier pass before my trip to WDW in November, and it's disappointing how few discounts are there compared to here. You have to pay to tack on a Tables in Wonderland membership to have comparable discounts.

Even though DL and WDW share many things their demographic and hence their business model are not one of them. DL has to cater to the local market. People like you that live close by and visit often are their bread and butter. WDW pulls guests from so many places that they have to cater very little to any of them.

I get the game. But they shouldn't lump AP into the general guest column. There should be an appreciation and reward for your commitment for a year of patronage.

In a perfect, not for profit driven world, yes. But as you know we do not live in that world. Disney will raise prices and drop perks until the market forces them to do otherwise.

 

[menamechris]

Right now Disney is able to sell more and more of their rooms at full price. In spite of this guest spending is up at the parks. Incentive vs. no incentive is a delicate cat and mouse game that every company plays. Disney plays the game better than most. If they are not offering incentives it is for one simple reason....they do not have to.

I think we are talking about different things. Resort discounts and the like are very different. That is what they have to do to get you to the park. Once we are in the park (especially passholders) the incentive is to get us to spend additional money - impulse purchases. Believe me - there could be a lot more money to be made. But I think it is more of an issue of they don't want to be bothered.

 

[fosse76]

But its also what they have done to regular tickets and packages. Even things like free dining, two years ago you could get the regular package at a value resort, now you will get a counter service one.

That may have been more a result of demand than providing less benefits to guests at the Value Resorts. Park guests were unable to get into a table service restaurant when free dining was being offered, thereby forcing restaurants to turn away paying guests. The last few times I've visited during free dining it seemed much easier to get into a table service restaurant.

Yet I somewhat agree with Jimmy Thick. Many of the discounts or perks aren't really of beneficial use to most passholders. The "perks" almost seem more like fine print. And contrary to popular belief, Annual Passholders, in general, spend more money than the average guest, because they visit more often and cumulatively will spend more.

 

[Jimmy Thick]

At Universal, if you stay at one of their resorts, you don't have to wait in line with everyone else, you use their fastpass system BECAUSE you stayed at their resort. That in itself is worth staying there.

If you stay at a Deluxe, you should not have to wait in line with everyone else or use fastpasses, you should just have to show your room key and be able to use the fastpass line automatically. It would be a simple and easy to implement bonus that would make people who are AP holders, like me, and only stay at Deluxe resorts, like me, extremely happy.

Sorry if it offends people, but I spend more money, I should have more, and a instant fastpass for Deluxe guests won't hurt anyone.


Jimmy Thick-Long time comin'...

 

[wm49rs]

What about those who have purchased DVC? Or have purchased DVC and an AP? Or those who have purchased DVC and a Premium AP? I mean, if we're talking about level of monetary commitment and all?


Jimmy Thick- One surname says it all......

 

[Master Yoda]

At Universal, if you stay at one of their resorts, you don't have to wait in line with everyone else, you use their fastpass system BECAUSE you stayed at their resort. That in itself is worth staying there.

If you stay at a Deluxe, you should not have to wait in line with everyone else or use fastpasses, you should just have to show your room key and be able to use the fastpass line automatically. It would be a simple and easy to implement bonus that would make people who are AP holders, like me, and only stay at Deluxe resorts, like me, extremely happy.

Sorry if it offends people, but I spend more money, I should have more, and a instant fastpass for Deluxe guests won't hurt anyone.


Jimmy Thick-Long time comin'...

At yet none of their state side parks can even crack into the top ten in attendance :shrug:

 

[menamechris]

What about those who have purchased DVC? Or have purchased DVC and an AP? Or those who have purchased DVC and a Premium AP? I mean, if we're talking about level of monetary commitment and all?[/I]

Don't DVC members already typically purchase annual passes of some sort? And aren't there already DVC-exclusive discounts and perks?

 

[Jimmy Thick]

At yet none of their state side parks can even crack into the top ten in attendance :shrug:

But if you do stay there, you get an amazing perk thats worth staying there, I really don't see the argument about them being in the top 10 in attendance when I would think most of their business comes from people staying at Disney, and Disney should take the only real beneficial perk and offer it to guests staying at least to Deluxe level resorts.



Jimmy Thick-I demand more for my vacation dollar.

 

[Fractal514]

You kiss your mother with that mouth? My understanding was that the passes are for those who go to the parks often. The last time I went was in 2004. I also thought that there was some type of residency restrictions. I may be misinformed, but I am not stupid.

No, but I DO kiss yours. J/K

I never said you were stupid, just that if you thought someone was getting a better deal than you, and you weren't taking advantage of it, then yes you would be. It seems that instead you are merely ignorant, taking a very strong stance on something without knowing some or, it seems, any of the facts.

No harm, no foul.

 

[Master Yoda]

But if you do stay there, you get an amazing perk thats worth staying there, I really don't see the argument about them being in the top 10 in attendance when I would think most of their business comes from people staying at Disney, and Disney should take the only real beneficial perk and offer it to guests staying at least to Deluxe level resorts.



Jimmy Thick-I demand more for my vacation dollar.

It all goes back to my first statement. They do not offer these incentives because they don't have to. The majority of Disney guests do not stay on property but the Disney resorts are consistently booked to near capacity.

Master Yoda- Why give away the farm when you have buyers lining up around the corner?

 

[wm49rs]

Don't DVC members already typically purchase annual passes of some sort? And aren't there already DVC-exclusive discounts and perks?

There's no requirement for them to do so, and depending on their points scale, multiple trips in a year may not be a possibility for some.

But they don't get free tickets to MVMCP or MNSSHP....

They did however, get the opportunity to purchase some pretty cool-looking pins at the Star Tours launch event over Memorial Day....

 

[PlaneCrazy1978]

OK, I'll admit it. The DL AP is much better. Been there and seen it in action. But like Master Yoda is saying, a different demographic goes there. They have way more regulars and DL depends on locals buying APs. Sort of like your local amusement park. Yes, WDW has locals, and they target selling APs to those people, but that is not the large portion of their revenue. It's the families form far away that spend a small fortune that they target.

So, being a passholder, yes, I would like to see more. But I'm still happy with whatever I get. I've been a passholder for many many years, and I've seen it decline. There are alot of "nice to have" perks that went poof. But the few perks they do offer enable me to go to WDW more often and make it far more affordable than those families traveling from far away. As long as I get 3 things I am happy 1.) Room Discounts (yes, I know they are not guaranteed, blah blah, but they have been there since the beginning of APs) because I use those on my trips and they enable me to stay on property and go more often. 2.) Access to TIW. If you are complaining about only 10% of at certain restaurants, cough up the money for TIW. One or two restaurants and it's paid for. It's one of the most underutilized perks Disney offers. 3.) Merchandise discount. Which, by the way, I think they have changed the policy now. In May when I went, I used the AP at every single store in park and got 10% off everything. Has this changed?

 

[menamechris]

Yes. I am a passholder, and I still think that's greedy. Extremely greedy.

We get so much for our passes anyhow. Room discounts, TIW access, special previews, the list is long.

Do you by chance also ask your grocery store not to accept coupons? If you think you get a lot now, you should have been a passholder years ago. You would be overwhelmed with excitement.

 

[Jimmy Thick]

It all goes back to my first statement. They do not offer these incentives because they don't have to. The majority of Disney guests do not stay on property but the Disney resorts are consistently booked to near capacity.

Master Yoda- Why give away the farm when you have buyers lining up around the corner?

Simple, as a Deluxe guest, I have access to themed pools and, for the most part easier access to the parks, give or take. But since Iam paying 4 to 7k for vacation, just for room and tickets, I should have more than the guy staying at a moderate or value or much so than the guy staying off property, who are not paying as much.

If the resorts are booked to capacity is irrelevant to the fact Disney should give me more for spending more. A easy solution that would go over well for people like me is offering no waits for rides, like they do at Universal when they stay on property.

Disney makes more money from people who stay at Deluxe resorts, we just should have more than what we currently get.


Jimmy Thick-Here we go again...