When is that major AP overhaul happening?

[Disney Irish]

I am not sure that would do much. As there are credit cards or saving each month for upcoming renewals.

How does everyone feel about this? Would it do much?

You'll lose a percentage of APs. But APs are always going to need their Disney fix. So you'll have a large portion just find a way to finance it another way. For example. like the secondary market such as a local Credit Union offer a "loan" to finance the AP.

 

[DanielBB8]

Let’s reverse the argument. If Disney is still offering the Annual Passes, why wouldn’t they offer the monthly payments? Say $600 is just too much for someone for a sofa, a salesman will offer a monthly payment or a layaway to save the sale in a line of credit. The AP isn’t a product. It’s merely an opportunity to visit the park. It’s more like a subscription service. Best solution is stop selling the APs entirely, but that makes no sense since it’s the entire reason for the parks’ growth. I think the best option is the 4, 6, 8 ticket pass for locals that expires in a rolling 12 months cycle with ample blockout dates that match the Deluxe pass with the $400, $500, $600 price points. For everyone that wants APs, offer the Signature APs that start at $1000 to $1200. Or they can just tweek the system to gin up demand because it works.

 

[fctiger]

Let’s reverse the argument. If Disney is still offering the Annual Passes, why wouldn’t they offer the monthly pass? Say $600 is just too much for someone for a sofa, a salesman will offer a monthly payment or a layaway to save the sale in a line of credit. The AP isn’t a product. It’s merely an opportunity to visit the park. It’s more like a subscription service. Best solution is stop selling the APs entirely, but that makes no sense since it’s the entire reason for the parks’ growth. I think the best option is the 4, 6, 8 ticket pass for locals that expires in a rolling 12 months cycle with ample blockout dates that match the Deluxe pass with the $400, $500, $600 price points. For everyone that wants APs, offer the Signature APs that start at $1000 to $1200.

The best option is to have an AP program. They can simply limit the amount of passes they sell if they were that concerned. They are clearly not though so here we are.

And what you're suggesting is simply park hoppers. Again if Disney wanted to they could simply sell more park hopper deals but DON'T limit their expiration to just two weeks like it is now. At the very least like six months or something would go a long way and it would encourage people to buy 4-5 day passes more. WDW for example all their park hopper tickets had no expiration dates. Maybe they do now but I doubt its just two weeks like it is at DLR.

In fact I had an ex-girlfriend that grew up in Florida and her family would just buy park hoppers to use in the summer and go a few times in the season. She never owned an AP because they never went enough to justify buying one although they went several times a year. When she moved to California she suggested we do the same thing. I told her it didn't work that way and they want you to basically use the tickets in one visit. She was really surprised they didn't do that here. And so instead we ended up getting Deluxe APs for a year and I think maybe went to the park 6 times lol.

But yes there are MANY ways Disney could get people to use other passes. They clearly DON'T want you to. I think people just have to accept this. They want people on APs because they want them to go as much as possible, not less. Ir that was the case they could offer what you're suggesting alongside the APs at least as another option, right? That will never happen for a reason and why the day passes have gotten so ridiculous. End of the day if you want to go to the park at least 5-6 times a year you have no other real option but APs.

 

[George Lucas on a Bench]

You all just need to grow up and stop going to amusement parks for children.

 

[DanielBB8]

The best option is to have an AP program. They can simply limit the amount of passes they sell if they were that concerned. They are clearly not though so here we are.

And what you're suggesting is simply park hoppers. Again if Disney wanted to they could simply sell more park hopper deals but DON'T limit their expiration to just two weeks like it is now. At the very least like six months or something would go a long way and it would encourage people to buy 4-5 day passes more. WDW for example all their park hopper tickets had no expiration dates. Maybe they do now but I doubt its just two weeks like it is at DLR.

In fact I had an ex-girlfriend that grew up in Florida and her family would just buy park hoppers to use in the summer and go a few times in the season. She never owned an AP because they never went enough to justify buying one although they went several times a year. When she moved to California she suggested we do the same thing. I told her it didn't work that way and they want you to basically use the tickets in one visit. She was really surprised they didn't do that here. And so instead we ended up getting Deluxe APs for a year and I think maybe went to the park 6 times lol.

But yes there are MANY ways Disney could get people to use other passes. They clearly DON'T want you to. I think people just have to accept this. They want people on APs because they want them to go as much as possible, not less. Ir that was the case they could offer what you're suggesting alongside the APs at least as another option, right? That will never happen for a reason and why the day passes have gotten so ridiculous. End of the day if you want to go to the park at least 5-6 times a year you have no other real option but APs.

Yes, if Disney wants to sell park hoppers that cost as much as the lower priced APs then that’s an option while reducing attendance, but that works contrary to the intention of APs to increase frequency of visits to increase ancillary business. That’s why this discussion should never be about merely AP pricing, blockout dates, monthly payments, and frequency of visits.

 

[fctiger]

Yes, if Disney wants to sell park hoppers that cost as much as the lower priced APs then that’s an option while reducing attendance, but that works contrary to the intention of APs to increase frequency of visits to increase ancillary business. That’s why this discussion should never be about merely AP pricing, blockout dates, monthly payments, and frequency of visits.

Exactly. And yet people keep thinking somehow the AP program will end or that Disney secretly want it to end. It seems to be the complete opposite. They only want to increase it, just at a more premium rate. Even the 'changes' they made all its telling people is if you want more access to the park you have to buy a higher pass which of course only gives them more unlimited access in the park. They didn't eliminate anything, they basically found a way to persuade more people to buy higher end passes. And my guess is its going to work, at least for next year thanks to SWL.

 

[Phroobar]

If you have to finance an Annual Pass, you should have one.

 

[fctiger]

If you have to finance an Annual Pass, you should have one.

People finance cell phones today, something you use to text and look up stuff on the internet. I would love to know how many Iphone X are brought outright vs being on a 2 year plan. This is the American way.

 

[TROR]

People finance cell phones today, something you use to text and look up stuff on the internet. I would love to know how many Iphone X are brought outright vs being on a 2 year plan. This is the American way.

Doing this for anything other than a house is a mistake.

 

[fctiger]

Doing this for anything other than a house is a mistake.

I'm sure credit card companies agrees with you but they stay in business for a reason since everyone does the opposite of that.

 

[DanielBB8]

If you have to finance an Annual Pass, you should have one.

Annual Passes isn’t financed. It’s a payment plan. The penalty for failing to pay is usually revoking the AP.

 

[Ismael Flores]

This 'overhaul' actually sounds fine and fair. They blocked out the lower passes (as expected) but the high end passes stay the same. And even the lower passes are not completely blocked out they still have DCA as an option (although I guess for some thats close to torture ). The Signature (and my guess Premier) are left alone and the monthly payments stay as before.

This seems to be a pretty fair deal IMO. The only pass that probably has the biggest change is the deluxe and we still don't know if its blocked from DL most of the summer. My guess is they will probably have dates in July and August as well, just more limited than before.

Disney has to do something for next year and this seems like a pretty fair compromise. My guess is the prices are going to jump higher than LeBron James though so it may limit a lot more people from buying them next year when the next price hike comes. When was the last one?

I agree this seems to be the most logical way To go.
Also the noticed that even though those passes get blocked out of Disneyland they have more days to actually go to resort. So instead of being fully blocked out of both parks they now have the choice of going to at least DCA

 

[mickEblu]

I agree this seems to be the most logical way To go.
Also the noticed that even though those passes get blocked out of Disneyland they have more days to actually go to resort. So instead of being fully blocked out of both parks they now have the choice of going to at least DCA

I think it’s very likely we ll see days that are actually busier at DCA than Disneyland in spite of SWL. Especially after some of the initial craziness wears down.

 

[Ismael Flores]

I was hoping something more along the lines of , "first step in eliminating our Annual Pass program."

I would have also accepted destroying, terminating, murdering, or choking all life out of.

That will never happen, there has been reports as to why Disney, cedar fair and universal have consistently kept the annual pass program and why Disney and knotts in Southern California keep the payment program.
It is a continuous source of income monthly that helps balance of the books and reports.
One analyst predicted that the majority of passes are most likely purchase during high surges at certain times of The year. By having the monthly program that income can be split throughout the year to help the books.
It’s a win win for the parks

 

[Disney Irish]

I think it’s very likely we ll see days that are actually busier at DCA than Disneyland in spite of SWL. Especially after some of the initial craziness wears down.

And this may be the partial goal, especially with Marvel coming in a couple years.

 

[fctiger]

And this may be the partial goal, especially with Marvel coming in a couple years.

Great point! In fact we may see a big turn around the year after with DCA being the main draw IF they are going to put something big from Marvel there. But it does seem odd two years to go and not even an announcement of any rides yet. I guess they want to keep all the focus on GE for now.

 

[Disney Irish]

Great point! In fact we may see a big turn around the year after with DCA being the main draw IF they are going to put something big from Marvel there. But it does seem odd two years to go and not even an announcement of any rides yet. I guess they want to keep all the focus on GE for now.

Comic-Con is next month so we may hear something then. Or there is always at D23 next year, which is likely after the SW:GE opening, so all the focus will be on whats next.

 

[fctiger]

Comic-Con is next month so we may hear something then. Or there is always at D23 next year, which is likely after the SW:GE opening, so all the focus will be on whats next.

Did not know Comic Con was so soon. Yes I would love to hear something by then (because I'm positive I'm the only one lol). I have a feeling waiting for the next D-23 will feel too late IF the plan is to build something by the summer of 2020 but it could be in the winter too. But I can't imagine waiting that long to announce something because it seem like they would already be building it by then.

Either way fingers crossed!

 

[Disney Irish]

Did not know Comic Con was so soon. Yes I would love to hear something by then (because I'm positive I'm the only one lol). I have a feeling waiting for the next D-23 will feel too late IF the plan is to build something by the summer of 2020 but it could be in the winter too. But I can't imagine waiting that long to announce something because it seem like they would already be building it by then.

Either way fingers crossed!

Well we maybe disappointed at Comic-Con this year, just found out that Marvel doesn't have a big presentation scheduled. So we may have to wait until D23 next summer. Or hope for a Disney Parks Blog post before then.

 

[fctiger]

Well we maybe disappointed at Comic-Con this year, just found out that Marvel doesn't have a big presentation scheduled. So we may have to wait until D23 next summer. Or hope for a Disney Parks Blog post before then.

Yeah that sucks!

But in that case I'm almost certain we will hear about it before D-23. They didn't even announce the land at any special event, it was just posted on their blog so I'm certain any news will probably just come online.