Why the annual pass wasn't for me

[LivingLifeInFlorida]

First time annual pass holder and Florida resident. I tried the Silver annual pass for a year but didn't renew it.

I'll focus on the negatives in no particular order:

1. Fast pass ruins everything and the annual pass doesn't fix that problem. I could not get a fast pass for any of the rides I wanted to ride when I visited (even 30 days out!?!). The only way I was able to ride Snow White's D ticket ride was to get in the stand-by line during the fireworks (even then it was 30 minutes).

2. Disney closes too early now or limits hours for special events. If I wanted to visit after work on a Friday, I can't make the trip because the park is closed early or stops the "magic" at 10pm. I'm not driving after work on the I-4 for 90 minutes just to have 2-3 hours of "fun".

3. No real discounts on food at the park -- and paltry 10% off sit down restaurants.

4. All the ancillary costs add up quickly. When you factor driving time, gas, hotel room, and food purchases, the price per visit goes up significantly. If you don't live down the block, you're going to have additional expenses times the number of visits. The more you visit, the more you spend -- and when you can't ride the rides you want (see #1), what's the point?

5. Disney keeps locking out days/times from visiting by having special events. As a passholder, it's annoying that the park gets resold to me with special events constantly.

6. Extra magic hours -- Nope, not for YOU annual passholder.

Overall, there just isn't any value to it for me. I'm going to stick with the Florida Resident 3 day or 4 day tickets per year.

P.S. How is it possible that I've visited Disney like 20 times in a year and still haven't been able to get a FP for the rides I want to ride? How in the world did they come up with a system that is so mind-numbingly ridiculous. They really just want me to wait 180+ minutes in stand-by? That's a good experience?

 

[drizgirl]

Fastpass Plus is a ride rationing system. Someone always loses. Sorry.

 

[thomas998]

First time annual pass holder and Florida resident. I tried the Silver annual pass for a year but didn't renew it.

I'll focus on the negatives in no particular order:

1. Fast pass ruins everything and the annual pass doesn't fix that problem. I could not get a fast pass for any of the rides I wanted to ride when I visited (even 30 days out!?!). The only way I was able to ride Snow White's D ticket ride was to get in the stand-by line during the fireworks (even then it was 30 minutes).

2. Disney closes too early now or limits hours for special events. If I wanted to visit after work on a Friday, I can't make the trip because the park is closed early or stops the "magic" at 10pm. I'm not driving after work on the I-4 for 90 minutes just to have 2-3 hours of "fun".

3. No real discounts on food at the park -- and paltry 10% off sit down restaurants.

4. All the ancillary costs add up quickly. When you factor driving time, gas, hotel room, and food purchases, the price per visit goes up significantly. If you don't live down the block, you're going to have additional expenses times the number of visits. The more you visit, the more you spend -- and when you can't ride the rides you want (see #1), what's the point?

5. Disney keeps locking out days/times from visiting by having special events. As a passholder, it's annoying that the park gets resold to me with special events constantly.

6. Extra magic hours -- Nope, not for YOU annual passholder.

Overall, there just isn't any value to it for me. I'm going to stick with the Florida Resident 3 day or 4 day tickets per year.

P.S. How is it possible that I've visited Disney like 20 times in a year and still haven't been able to get a FP for the rides I want to ride? How in the world did they come up with a system that is so mind-numbingly ridiculous. They really just want me to wait 180+ minutes in stand-by? That's a good experience?

The fastpasses are designed to give the people staying onsite a perk, and given the increase in the number of rooms they have onsite the losers are everyone else.

However, I don't know if they still allow an AP holder make reservations and cancel them without penalty at the resorts. I was pretty sure we were able to do that years ago when we had an AP which was one of the reason I used to justify getting it, because my work schedule would often result in the need to make last minute cancellations of vacations. But if they still provide that ability you could always game the system by making a reservation at a hotel 60 days in advance so you could book your fastpasses out early and then cancel the reservation when you reached the 30 day out window allowing you to get the fastpasses when they still exist and then holding them after your reservation was cancelled because you were still in the AP window.

 

[larryz]

The only way I was able to ride Snow White's D ticket ride was to get in the stand-by line during the fireworks (even then it was 30 minutes).

Lost me right there. That ride closed in 2012.

 

[Jon81uk]

(even then it was 30 minutes).

A 30 minute wait is nothing in a theme park. Sorry but there are constantly people on these boards complaining that they couldn't ride X because there were no FP available. You can ride it, just get in standby and wait.
Surely you are better off going on the three rides you really want to do and waiting an hour for each one instead of going on six things you don't care for just because there is a FP available or no wait?

We used to have annual passes for Tussads/Merlin (owner of Legoland, Madame Tussauds London Eye, Alton Towers etc) attractions in the UK and they charge for all queue jump passes. We never paid to skip the line, we just decided that we can either go to the park and see a two hour line and just wander round doing nothing or we get in the line and get on a ride at the end of the queue.

 

[Nottamus]

Last three trips to Disney, April 2019, November 2018, and April 2018----we managed to get a FP for FOP same day...within a few hours of ride time.

Just using MDE, took a quick break on a bench...and just kept refreshing times for FPs. NOW, we didn't try for other rides, but it seems FOP had the longest wait times, and we still managed to get it.

Sure, no one wants to be glued to a phone trying to get a FP...but why not while relaxing?

Didn't work every time, but enough to call it a success.

 

[Touchdown]

Also, the other time you can get on the big rides is at rope drop. At AK and Epcot you can hit all of them if you’re at the front of the pack. DHS you have to choose between MF or SDD but after that one you can hit the other Tier 1 FP in quick succession. Finally at MK you need to choose between SDMT, Pan, and Space Mtn (followed by Buzz) but after doing those 1-2 rides you can easily polish off the Frontierland Mtns Pirates and HM in the first 2 hours.

 

[Hank Hill]

Am a local that just purchased a Silver AP after about 2 years without an AP. When we had them in the past as FP+ started up, and for a while after, I would be able to say let's go to the park and book decent FP's on the dive over. Now I can barely get anything a week or two in advance. It is one of the reasons we decided against renewing out AP's. And since we got the new ones, it seems it is even harder to get any FP today. I checked for Friday at all parks in the evening. Nothing worth even having a FP for was available. Even at 30 days, there are just certain rides I will never get a FP for. Luckily I am close enough that if something does pop up, I will book and try to get over there. Part of being a local is I don't plan a trip and may not know in advance when we will go. So I go in and book FP's on any day I think I might go, which seems unfair to people who are planning.

When I took a trip, my problems were 1300 miles away. Now I know I have to get home to put the clothes in the dryer so we can get up and go to the kids baseball game in the morning, then I have to mow the lawn and run to the store yet this weekend, and staying until park closing is not an option I like, and right before closing time is always the best time to get in lines and not have to wait as long, so it is either wait the 90 to 180 minutes for some of these rides, or just never take them.

I don't really get Point 2 . If 2-3 hours isn't worth it, then you probably shouldn't think of going on a work day ever.I don't blame anyone for loathing I4 on Friday at about 5, it is terrible. But AK is now open late most night and used to close at 5 everyday. during F&W Epcot stays open till 10 most weekends, HS has later hours since GE opened. Halloween and Christmas parties have been going on for 20 plus year. What other events close a park in a significant way? I guess MK doesn't stay open as late as it used to as often as before, but that was really the only park you could have gone to in the past that would be open as late as you seem to want.

 

[Brad Bishop]

All good points.

One thing to remember about being an AP holder: You're filler. (and will be treated as such)

When crowds are down, they'll try to get you into parks, into dining, and hotels. You're important!

When they have people lining up at the gates you're kind of a bother / annoyance (at best just "one more person").

I only say that because I think people look at it the other way around with: "OH, I'm a passholder and I've shown my loyalty to Disney and they'll show their loyalty back to me." It really isn't like that.

Between you (AP person) or a ticket holding vacationer, they'd prefer the ticket holder as there's more money to be made there along with more spending in general (more plush, T-shirts, hats, etc.). AP people tend to spend less than your average vacationer.

It's not a knock at Disney or a knock at someone being an AP holder - more of just "how it is".

I think at other places (Six Flags) they see you more as "just another customer". You just bought your ticket differently. I don't think that's how Disney see you, though.

 

[LivingLifeInFlorida]

A 30 minute wait is nothing in a theme park. Sorry but there are constantly people on these boards complaining that they couldn't ride X because there were no FP available. You can ride it, just get in standby and wait.
Surely you are better off going on the three rides you really want to do and waiting an hour for each one instead of going on six things you don't care for just because there is a FP available or no wait?

We used to have annual passes for Tussads/Merlin (owner of Legoland, Madame Tussauds London Eye, Alton Towers etc) attractions in the UK and they charge for all queue jump passes. We never paid to skip the line, we just decided that we can either go to the park and see a two hour line and just wander round doing nothing or we get in the line and get on a ride at the end of the queue.

Totally understand, but when I went there were no 60 minute rides. The waits were all 180+ for the rides I was interested in. Not going to do that and Disney has created a system that sucks.

 

[LivingLifeInFlorida]

Lost me right there. That ride closed in 2012.

You know what I meant... that mine train ride with dwarfs.

 

[LivingLifeInFlorida]

Am a local that just purchased a Silver AP after about 2 years without an AP. When we had them in the past as FP+ started up, and for a while after, I would be able to say let's go to the park and book decent FP's on the dive over. Now I can barely get anything a week or two in advance. It is one of the reasons we decided against renewing out AP's. And since we got the new ones, it seems it is even harder to get any FP today. I checked for Friday at all parks in the evening. Nothing worth even having a FP for was available. Even at 30 days, there are just certain rides I will never get a FP for. Luckily I am close enough that if something does pop up, I will book and try to get over there. Part of being a local is I don't plan a trip and may not know in advance when we will go. So I go in and book FP's on any day I think I might go, which seems unfair to people who are planning.

When I took a trip, my problems were 1300 miles away. Now I know I have to get home to put the clothes in the dryer so we can get up and go to the kids baseball game in the morning, then I have to mow the lawn and run to the store yet this weekend, and staying until park closing is not an option I like, and right before closing time is always the best time to get in lines and not have to wait as long, so it is either wait the 90 to 180 minutes for some of these rides, or just never take them.

I don't really get Point 2 . If 2-3 hours isn't worth it, then you probably shouldn't think of going on a work day ever.I don't blame anyone for loathing I4 on Friday at about 5, it is terrible. But AK is now open late most night and used to close at 5 everyday. during F&W Epcot stays open till 10 most weekends, HS has later hours since GE opened. Halloween and Christmas parties have been going on for 20 plus year. What other events close a park in a significant way? I guess MK doesn't stay open as late as it used to as often as before, but that was really the only park you could have gone to in the past that would be open as late as you seem to want.

Thanks for commiserating with me on this. Back in the day (maybe 2013?) MK was open till midnight and we used to love that. We would go to Epcot, eat dinner, and then head over to MK and close the park. Loved it. Now, that's all gone or locked behind "magic hours". Regarding AK, I really wished I liked the park more, but AK just doesn't do it for me. I much prefer the other three parks. If they closed AK tomorrow, I wouldn't miss it. The only thing I'm interested there is Pandora and that one ride that has a daily 240 minute wait.

 

[Vacationeer]

Unfortunately everybody has the same issues with 'D' rides as you called them. You have to make a serious effort to experience multiples of these. You have to ropedrop or get on line at closing, or wait on the loooong line. That's the way it is. HS has 5 Tier 1s. It's a bit cuckoo but we're all in a similar boat. Do what you can and strategically plan what's important to you.

I'm going for 5 days onsite and can only get the FPs I want on the 4th and 5th day. It's gotten worse than it used to be.

 

[Trackmaster]

All good points.

One thing to remember about being an AP holder: You're filler. (and will be treated as such)

When crowds are down, they'll try to get you into parks, into dining, and hotels. You're important!

When they have people lining up at the gates you're kind of a bother / annoyance (at best just "one more person").

I only say that because I think people look at it the other way around with: "OH, I'm a passholder and I've shown my loyalty to Disney and they'll show their loyalty back to me." It really isn't like that.

Between you (AP person) or a ticket holding vacationer, they'd prefer the ticket holder as there's more money to be made there along with more spending in general (more plush, T-shirts, hats, etc.). AP people tend to spend less than your average vacationer.

It's not a knock at Disney or a knock at someone being an AP holder - more of just "how it is".

I think at other places (Six Flags) they see you more as "just another customer". You just bought your ticket differently. I don't think that's how Disney see you, though.

Yes. Disney's demand is so inelastic that they're more or less guaranteed to always fill their parks out throughout most of the year. So to them, they're not as desperate to get people in the gates by any means necessary. So they revenue per person per day, as opposed to getting more and more people and crossing their fingers that they'll spend money.

As you were saying, APs are great filler. Its upfront money that will help strength their revenue position but they want to roll the red carpet out for people who are bringing in a lot of money per visit. Really do the math on how much an AP pays on a per visit standpoint. And that money has to go to Disney, don't count gas, tolls, food outside the park, hotels outside the park, and anything that Disney doesn't get. They want the people who come for 7 days, and pay fortunes to do it. They can fit more of them in and its a lot of money.

As an AP, it makes sense that we just need to hunt out and find the ghost town hours on our own. You're not going to get to just walk in during Christmas time, spring break, or another busy time, and expect the red carpet. Come back in September, after hurricanes, or other random times that kids are in school and people don't think to go to Disney. It'll be cheap, and you'll have an uncrowded park.

 

[NickMaio]

First time annual pass holder and Florida resident. I tried the Silver annual pass for a year but didn't renew it.

I'll focus on the negatives in no particular order:

1. Fast pass ruins everything and the annual pass doesn't fix that problem. I could not get a fast pass for any of the rides I wanted to ride when I visited (even 30 days out!?!). The only way I was able to ride Snow White's D ticket ride was to get in the stand-by line during the fireworks (even then it was 30 minutes).

2. Disney closes too early now or limits hours for special events. If I wanted to visit after work on a Friday, I can't make the trip because the park is closed early or stops the "magic" at 10pm. I'm not driving after work on the I-4 for 90 minutes just to have 2-3 hours of "fun".

3. No real discounts on food at the park -- and paltry 10% off sit down restaurants.

4. All the ancillary costs add up quickly. When you factor driving time, gas, hotel room, and food purchases, the price per visit goes up significantly. If you don't live down the block, you're going to have additional expenses times the number of visits. The more you visit, the more you spend -- and when you can't ride the rides you want (see #1), what's the point?

5. Disney keeps locking out days/times from visiting by having special events. As a passholder, it's annoying that the park gets resold to me with special events constantly.

6. Extra magic hours -- Nope, not for YOU annual passholder.

Overall, there just isn't any value to it for me. I'm going to stick with the Florida Resident 3 day or 4 day tickets per year.

P.S. How is it possible that I've visited Disney like 20 times in a year and still haven't been able to get a FP for the rides I want to ride? How in the world did they come up with a system that is so mind-numbingly ridiculous. They really just want me to wait 180+ minutes in stand-by? That's a good experience?

The FP system is set up for WDW resort guests - - - - - its been like this forever now nothing new.
WDW wants more money - - not AP money but first time, let's buy everything and throw sensibility out the window, customers.

 

[SSH]

Honestly, imho, the AP is really a better choice for those who love just "soaking up" the park - meaning hanging out, people watching, eating some treats, enjoying a few of the lesser popular attractions, maybe catch an tier 1 FP day of, if lady luck is in their corner - or conversely, who don't mind the extra work and effort to play the WDW game: rope drop, continuously refresh MDE, etc. But in general, they just enjoy BEING in the atmosphere for a half or full day (or multiple trips a year) vs getting on multiple attractions.

Nothing wrong with not wanting to wait in a ton of lines! But it sounds like you'd have a lot more fun saving the AP cost and using the money to splurge on a few of the offers that will make the experience nicer for you. A 3 day pass in spring, maybe with 1 extra MK or HS magic hours ticket? A splurge on a dessert party or a halloween party? A trip to Sea World , Discovery Cove, UO...a last min 3-4 day cruise deal, since you're so close to the port...so many other ways to play in FL!

Just a thought from someone who's felt the frustration occasionally We're doing two upcoming trips and I couldn't get FPs for the attractions I was hoping for on either: and we actually had a 60 day advantage, staying at DS hotel. The problem is that our trips are just too short at 3 days each. We'll try a few times on the day we're there, but I'm not big on the whole constant refresh thing - I like getting away from the phone.

And there's nothing I'd feel that strongly about missing anyway - sure I'm a bit disappointed if I can't get on FOP, but 1 hour, day (or a 2 margaritas later) it really doesn't make that much difference to me. (But I don't have kids either - which makes a big difference - I can imagine how badly parents feel if they disappoint little ones looking forward to something.)

 

[tampabrad]

EMH are a perk for staying at a resort, with or without an AP. They were never a perk for just having an AP. Not sure why that came as a surprise to you.

As for your #4. Did you think by purchasing an AP, your drive time would decrease, the price of gas would decrease, you would lose the need for food???

Too bad having an AP didn't work out for you.

 

[drizgirl]

You are still free to book a resort and get 60 day access and EMH.

 

[LUVofDIS]

My question would be, when you are looking for FP's are you searching more than just once after the start of your 30 day window. Even with a 60 window I need to look everyday, three + times a day to get some FP's. It's a sad game that has to be played. Though there has been occasions where I still couldn't get a certain FP, though rarely.

Personally I hate FP's, max pass and even Universal's express pass. It all seems to point to classism's.

 

[LivingLifeInFlorida]

EMH are a perk for staying at a resort, with or without an AP. They were never a perk for just having an AP. Not sure why that came as a surprise to you.

As for your #4. Did you think by purchasing an AP, your drive time would decrease, the price of gas would decrease, you would lose the need for food???

Too bad having an AP didn't work out for you.

1. EMH -- just another way that makes AP less valuable. Yeah, well, I wasn't 100% sure until after we got the APs. My wife made the purchase and I wasn't up on all the details.
2. Point #4 is that if I can't get enjoyment from riding rides (I'm a ride guy), then the AP thing isn't worth it (for me). It's just not worth all the time/expense when I get there and just walk around staring at 180+ minute waits for rides. How is that enjoyable?

So yeah, no point in APs for us. Maybe, and that's a big MAYBE, we might reconsider in 2022/2023 when/if all the development is completed and there is more "value" in going more often.