Annual passes discount: Wouldn't it be ironic?

[Doctor P]

Now, I swear I am not saying this to be mean and I am CERTAINLY not wishing this at all, but wouldn't it be ironic if Disney announced that annual pass rates beginning 2005 would be increasing by $100 as of January 2, 2005 (and to make the story even better, that they are forgoing the increases in other passes for the present time)? Talk about letting the air out of the happy balloon real fast!

[dianeschlicht]

I really didn't think you were that much of a pessimist!:p

[The4OfUs]

Aren't the prices on the website that Doc pointed someone to the 2005 rates? :confused:

[Lori in CNY]

Actually, I wouldn't be surprised at all if all pass media prices increase in January as it seems like they have been doing this on an annual or semi-annual basis, however.......... I would be INCREDIBLY surprised if they ever increased by that amount and there are 1000's of annual passholders (not just DVC members) that would be beyond upset.

I think this discount is awesome and I'm curious to find out if they are actual activated passes or vouchers. If they are vouchers, I would buy them asap and just activate when you're ready. :sunny:

[trampslady]

Doctor P------what is wrong with you?

[Horace Horsecollar]

Originally posted by Doctor P
but wouldn't it be ironic if Disney announced that annual pass rates beginning 2005 would be increasing by $100 as of January 2, 2005 (and to make the story even better, that they are forgoing the increases in other passes for the present time)?
Yes, it would be ironic. But it's very, very unlikely.

AP rates go up a modest amount every year. But they never go up anywhere near $100. Disney isn't going to kill AP sales by pricing APs at a rate above what most people are willing to pay.

[DVCcollector]

Our guide told us the purchase does not bevcome active until you pick up your pass and use it for the first time. We are ordering as many as we can get adn we aren't even going for another year and a half. We were told it would be just fine that they wouldn't activate till we went to guest services and got our passes and used them.

[CarolMN]

Increases for 2005 for UPH tickets have already been announced. It appears that those went up by about 3.7 - 3.9 %.

Annual passes (and most other park admission media) were last increased in March 2004.

It is reasonable to expect a price increase for APs/PAPs in 2005, but certainly not a 25% increase!

I am expecting an increase comparable to those for UPH passes.

Best wishes -

[Sammy]

Originally posted by Lori in CNY

I think this discount is awesome and I'm curious to find out if they are actual activated passes or vouchers. If they are vouchers, I would buy them asap and just activate when you're ready. :sunny:

I'd like to find this out as well........

[Doctor P]

I definitely agree that it won't happen--though, a price increase before January 2, 2005 certainly would not at all be out of the question. And to answer the question, there is nothing wrong with me. I just don't take things for granted. I thought a couple of years ago I might be paranoid to not trust people and to expect that people are out to take advantage of you. Unfortunately, and much to my new boss's shock and surprise, I wasn't being paranoid (and I might add, I ended up getting "sucker punched" because of behaving in good faith, believing the best in people, and expecting people to honor their word) and was the victim of some unfair major retribution and disingenuous behavior on the part of a couple university administrators. So, my patience when I think I am getting a raw deal is even lower than it would normally be. But, that doesn't mean that the DVC'ers who are getting the discount shouldn't be able to take advantage of it, that it isn't a valuable perk, and I think the restrictions that are being placed on its use should help reduce misuse and abuse. I am just hopeful that they listen to those of us to can't benefit from this major perk.

[CarolMN]

Originally posted by Lori in CNY
...(snip)......I think this discount is awesome and I'm curious to find out if they are actual activated passes or vouchers. If they are vouchers, I would buy them asap and just activate when you're ready. :sunny:

Lori - it depends on where you purchase them. The following is an excerpt from the info printed on the DVC Member website:

Passes can be purchased online by visiting dvcmember.com or at any Guest Relations location at all four Walt Disney World Theme Parks and the Downtown Disney area beginning January 2, 2005. Your Disney Vacation Club Member ID card must be provided and all adults must present a valid driver's license or state identification card showing they reside in the same household. Limit 8 purchases per household.


When a Walt Disney World Annual or Premium Annual Pass is ordered through dvcmember.com, an exchange certificate will be sent to you via mail. The certificate can be redeemed at any Walt Disney World Theme Park ticket window by presenting the exchange certificate, your Disney Vacation Club Member ID card and all adults must present a valid driver's license or state identification card showing they reside in the same household. The Pass is good for 365 days from exchange certificate redemption. Renewals will be valid for 365 days from original Pass Anniversary Date.


When a Walt Disney World Annual or Premium Annual Pass is purchased through any Walt Disney World Theme Park or the Downtown Disney Guest Relations location, your Disney Vacation Club Member ID card must be provided and all adults must present a valid driver's license or state identification card showing they reside in the same household. The Pass is good for 365 days from the date of purchase. Renewals will be valid for 365 days from the original Pass Anniversary Date.


Here's a link to a thread where DebbieB posted the entire article from the DVC Members' Website:

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=683282

Best wishes -

[BCV23]

The term used on the member web site is "exchange certificate" but it will be good for 365 days from date of redemption. So they are what we all have been calling vouchers.

I love this perk. THanks DVC.

Dr P, I feel your pain. Plus your work schedule sounds like you need to go at the most dear time in terms of point value. Ouch!!

[Mike]

Originally posted by Doctor P
I definitely agree that it won't happen--though, a price increase before January 2, 2005 certainly would not at all be out of the question. And to answer the question, there is nothing wrong with me. I just don't take things for granted. I thought a couple of years ago I might be paranoid to not trust people and to expect that people are out to take advantage of you. Unfortunately, and much to my new boss's shock and surprise, I wasn't being paranoid (and I might add, I ended up getting "sucker punched" because of behaving in good faith, believing the best in people, and expecting people to honor their word) and was the victim of some unfair major retribution and disingenuous behavior on the part of a couple university administrators. So, my patience when I think I am getting a raw deal is even lower than it would normally be. But, that doesn't mean that the DVC'ers who are getting the discount shouldn't be able to take advantage of it, that it isn't a valuable perk, and I think the restrictions that are being placed on its use should help reduce misuse and abuse. I am just hopeful that they listen to those of us to can't benefit from this major perk.


Doctor P meet Dr. Phil. Dr. Phil meet Doctor P. Have fun guys ..... :hyper:

[Doctor P]

LOL. :)

[axfather]

If the 2005 price is not published yet, what is the 2004 price?

[DrTomorrow]

Remember that, while a DVC discount is a big deal to us, we are probably not the biggest AP purchasing group. So for Disney to annoy the majority to recoup a little from the DVC minority makes no sense.

And Doctor P - with all due respect, you need to find a new job! One week of vacation, sucker punches, bad faith and "Major retribution on the part of University Administrators" - IMHO, nothing is worth that low a quality of life.

[BCV23]

BTW, anyone who buys an AP at WDW has the pass activated right away...no voucher. So this is no different than the general public.

[tjkraz]

Originally posted by Doctor P
I definitely agree that it won't happen--though, a price increase before January 2, 2005 certainly would not at all be out of the question.

Not out of the question, but also not likely. If Disney ever established a practice of raising prices right after the first of the year, people would buy passes weeks or months in advance to avoid the higher prices. They use the element of surprise to their advantage to insure that additional revenue is realized immediately after the price increase.

That said, there's no reason they couldn't do a one-time price increase this January, but it certainly won't be anything approaching a 25% increase.

There are a lot of shady things DVC/Disney could have done with this discount. It could have been more along the lines of 10% off. They could have given us a discount only on AP renewals, thus making it such that one would have to renew the pass year after year in order to get a discount.

IMO, both the level of discount (25%) and the manner in which it is being administered are more than fair. Will it suit everyone? Of course not.

So, my patience when I think I am getting a raw deal is even lower than it would normally be....I am just hopeful that they listen to those of us to can't benefit from this major perk.

As I said in another thread, if I don't see any way that this discount is a generous reward to all of us who have chosen to buy into DVC. It is an inducement to get PH/PHP users to buy APs, perhaps spending more on their ticket media not to mention spending more $$$ on food, souvenirs and other related items while in the parks.

IMO, giving discounts on some ticket media and not others is no different than the Spoodles dining discount which is only offered at Lunch or the golf discount which is only available after certain times of day.

[Johnnie Fedora]

If this perk sticks around for many years, I hope Disney also maintains the discount percentage, and not just the dollar amount of the discount. That way, the value of the perk stays constant with the ever increasing price of AP's.

[Doctor P]

Right now, unfortunately, health insurance would be a big issue. It's pretty certain that I am uninsurable if I leave this job, now (and ironically, a major cause of those health problems was the exact situation I described, and it can be documented fairly well because of the regular doctor visits I had before that for other things). Bad morale does not make for a good worker nor a good colleague, and I do my best (and have done well) to not let it get me down, but sometimes it inevitably bubbles to the top when one of my bosses decides to push the same buttons that got the whole thing started in the first place. The sad thing is that the whole issue would go away if one key administrator would just have the guts to confront the retributor, and also just take a chance on my future, but unfortunately the person does not have either the guts or, after using me for their own gain, to stand behind me. And, unfortunately, they have also made overt decisions to not give me the type of necessary experience that would be required to get an appropriate job someplace else (and also use this as an excuse to deny me internal positions). Given that I would need to take a 40-50% cut in pay to move, and give them the satisfaction of driving me out (not all would want to see me go, though, and that is what keeps one going), that doesn't look like a viable option in the near future. Unfortunately, they have tainted me so that I would have trouble moving up inside, too, I fear.

[lightningcoach]

We had Fla Seasonal passes and they increased by 35- 40 dollars in price. In fact the renewal price if you renewed before the expiration date was what the discounted rate was last year if you renewed before the expiration date. Craziness.

[BillPA]

Central Florida has other places to go, at US/IOA an AP is $169 for 2 years. So if the Mouse get too greedy where do you think people will go? Even with this new deal, 2 years of APs will cost a DVC owner about $575. So I don't see any MAJOR price increase, the Mouse does know a few things about business, and keeping loyal customers is key to the sucess of any business.

JMHO

[joepoe]

Originally posted by DVCcollector
Our guide told us the purchase does not bevcome active until you pick up your pass and use it for the first time. We are ordering as many as we can get adn we aren't even going for another year and a half. We were told it would be just fine that they wouldn't activate till we went to guest services and got our passes and used them.

This is indeed true for a first time purchase, but renewals are always active as of your anniversary date.

[joepoe]

I think if AP rates went up instead of down, it would mean Disney wants to sell more Park Hoppers. If there were an increase, the break-even point for whether one purchases a park hopper vs an AP would change dramatically, and only people who plan to spend 10 or more days a year in the parks would probably buy the AP's.

Let's remember that this new discount is designed to ultimately increase revenue in the parks by decreasing the cost of getting into the parks, and encouraging more *short* visits where you don't necessarily ride the rides, but buy souveniers or food.

You can bet that Disney has hordes of financial accounts that analyze and calculate every price point and its projected effect on attendance.

[POOH&PIGLET]

Originally posted by Doctor P
Now, I swear I am not saying this to be mean and I am CERTAINLY not wishing this at all, but wouldn't it be ironic if Disney announced that annual pass rates beginning 2005 would be increasing by $100 as of January 2, 2005 (and to make the story even better, that they are forgoing the increases in other passes for the present time)? Talk about letting the air out of the happy balloon real fast! :laughing:

[Muushka]

:D

[TDC Nala]

Good freakin' grief, Doctor P. Get yourself a decent job that'll let you have some vacation.

[elfbo]

I was in a really bad work situation about this time last year. But when it got to the point where it was affecting my family and my health, I knew that I had enough. I found a better situation and didnt suffer from any more health effect (cept allergies, cant make them go away) and my family and life is much happier now. So seriously. We may not be long on this world and to live your life miserable and ruining your health over a job is never a good thing in the long run. Improve your situation, everything else will improve along with it.

Oh and, just because one or 2 people are out to get you, doesnt mean that everyone is and therefore you really should try to give everyone else the benefit of the doubt.

[Forever a Princess]

I hope not! Then I wouldn't be able to afford the "better" toilet paper.

[elfbo]

Originally posted by Forever a Princess
I hope not! Then I wouldn't be able to afford the "better" toilet paper.

Do you mean the 2-ply or the quilted?


I noticed at my work the other day, the bathrooms that visitors have access to has higher quality toilet paper than the rest of the bathrooms in the building.

[SueOKW]

Dr P - thanks for the giggle - I really needed it today!!!!!

;)

[Sammie]

Originally posted by Doctor P
I definitely agree that it won't happen--though, a price increase before January 2, 2005 certainly would not at all be out of the question. And to answer the question, there is nothing wrong with me. I just don't take things for granted. I thought a couple of years ago I might be paranoid to not trust people and to expect that people are out to take advantage of you. Unfortunately, and much to my new boss's shock and surprise, I wasn't being paranoid (and I might add, I ended up getting "sucker punched" because of behaving in good faith, believing the best in people, and expecting people to honor their word) and was the victim of some unfair major retribution and disingenuous behavior on the part of a couple university administrators. So, my patience when I think I am getting a raw deal is even lower than it would normally be. But, that doesn't mean that the DVC'ers who are getting the discount shouldn't be able to take advantage of it, that it isn't a valuable perk, and I think the restrictions that are being placed on its use should help reduce misuse and abuse. I am just hopeful that they listen to those of us to can't benefit from this major perk.

Dr. P I say this with the kindest intentions. I suggest some anger counseling for you. If not we going to be sending you, Best Wishes for a speedy recovery after you have a stoke or heart attack. You are one unhappy person. Life is too short to be this miserable.

What school do you teach in? Sounds like a hostile environment. As to your vacation do you not get Spring Breaks, etc?

[sgtpet]

Doctor P,

Maybe they will increase it the following year by $200 to make up for it.



:crazy:

Great thread.

[Doctor P]

Sammie,

I am actually not an unhappy person, though the last few days would not reflect that to some people. I do know that I am blessed in many ways. Like anyone, there are things that just really really eat me to the core: dishonesty, disloyalty, and people who question my integrity. I have been burned way too many times by being a team player, but at the core I care very much about other people and the organizations to which I have made a personal or professional commitment. I really get upset when people make assumptions about me or my abilities or my attitudes (and that is a statement that is unrelated to any discussions that have recently taken place on this board). The people who know me understand that I bring two seemingly incongruous things to the table--I try to always see the good in people and look for their redeeming qualities, while also being somewhat pessimistic about getting things to work out in difficult situations (i.e., I have low expectations but work toward what I want to happen and then am pleased when my expectations are exceeded). I think most of the people on these boards who have had the chance to know me in person do not find me to be unpleasant, angry, or spiteful (thank goodness! :)) So, I am generally able to keep things in pretty good perspective, but I will get angry when certain buttons are pushed and my basic being is challenged. I don't know if you can relate to this, but one of the frustrations in my work is that I get a lot of politically sensitive and emotionally charged work to do that puts me in the hot seat and in the newspapers (often being portrayed in an unflattering light). In fact one of my clients personally questioned my competence and abilities in a major newspaper just a couple of weeks ago. Obviously, the public affairs people at the university were concerned but my boss backed me up (because I always keep my superiors informed when I do this politically charged work so that when stories appear they are not taken by surprise) and I explained why I thought I was correct and was going to stand by my work. The one thing, I know it may be hard to believe from these boards, that I don't generally do is fight these battles publicly or in the trenches. Ultimately, this paid off in this situation and not only did I not end up being tarred and feathered, but the university's reputation actually was enhanced (some reporters and citizens basically checked our/my references and previous engagements and found that we are honest and careful, but also not afraid to go out on a limb in doing useful analysis). So what's the point? The point is that I am used to being attacked and on the spot, and I cannot survive in my line of work without having some semblance of a thick skin. But when something threatens (or I perceive threatens) what is truly important in my life--my family, my relationship and the time I am able to spend with my family, my health, or my ability to provide for my family I am certainly less rational and less patient. Thanks for giving me the chance to respond and thanks, also, for what I know is genuine concern. :) The other thing that people will probably find hard to believe is that I really don't take myself very seriously, am able to see humor in almost any situation, and I am always able to laugh at myself. Helps me get through the day, LOL!

[rinkwide]

You wouldn't happen to be involved in a superhero relocation project, would you?

[DrTomorrow]

Originally posted by rinkwide
You wouldn't happen to be involved in a superhero relocation project, would you?
"No matter how many times you save the world, it always manages to get back in jeopardy again!"

[msteddom]

Disneyland just had a MAJOR price increase in their APs about a month ago, so might happen. The price of the highest grade pass at DLR is $329, up from $259. The lesser passes (which have various block out dates, and no parking included) went up by about $50 each. This is the second price increase on the APs this year.


Melissa

[Doctor P]

No superhero relocation projects, LOL. An example of some of the work we do would be the following hot button topics: 1) drawing school attendance boundaries for school districts; 2) projecting population or user growth patterns for local governments to determine the amount of capital facilities they need (and hence, whether they need to go to voters for a referendum to build facilities and how much they need to ask for). As you might imagine, no matter what answer you come up with, somebody is generally going to be VERY unhappy and make that known, LOL. Frankly, dealing with strife on the DVC board and other DIS boards is a nice vacation compared to how nasty things sometimes get in the "real world", LOL.

[rinkwide]

Originally posted by msteddom
Disneyland just had a MAJOR price increase in their APs about a month ago...
Oh hooray! They're finally sweeping some of the rif-raf out of that park.

[rinkwide]

Originally posted by Doctor P
Frankly, dealing with strife on the DVC board and other DIS boards is a nice vacation compared to how nasty things sometimes get in the "real world", LOL.
You've been through a lot lately: Hostile work environment, minimal vacation time, post election trauma, non-aplicable DVC perks, DIS Boards flaming. But I bet know what's really got you down, it's the NHL Lock-out. Right?

[Doctor P]

LOL, it certainly doesn't help! But, seriously, I have been surprised at how little I have actually missed the hockey season (other than the fact that I won some Blackhawks tickets at an auction and was going to be able to go to my first NHL game in over 10 years--that I am just laughing about since the auction was for a good cause).

[jarestel]

Well, here's the thing. APs do, in fact, increase in price on a fairly regular basis. It's not beyond the realm of possibility to think that in just a few years time, they will be costing us more WITH our discounts than they cost today WITHOUT the discount. And of course, many members won't buy them today because of the cost. So I guess the point is, as long as others are paying more for THEIR passes, we will all ( mostly ) be happy with what we have to pay. It's not the absolute dollar cost that bothers us, I suspect, so much as just wanting to think we got a "deal".

[tjkraz]

The only known element here is that DVC members (adult, non-Florida resident) WILL be paying $100 / $125 LESS annually than the general public. The 80,000+ DVC membership likely has no bearing on the pricing Disney will establish for APs from this date forward.

Whether the price goes up by $5 or $50 at the next increase, DVC members are getting an attractive discount. Enjoy the discount, warts and all, and hope that the beancounters see the desired results to warrant indefinite renewal of this perk.

[Forever a Princess]

Doctor P,

I wish you the best. Please enjoy your upcoming vacation in December.

I'll keep my fingers crossed that maybe one day PH will have the DVC discount. I'll wish with you!!!

Sending Pixie Dust your way.

Renee

[NMW]

Doctor P, I have read your many posts on the new DVC perk on a couple different threads now. I am sorry for your situation and that you felt personally attacked in some of those threads. I don't mean to be rude, so please take this the way it is intended. You sound so unhappy and bitter about your job. In fact, I have seriously NEVER heard someone talk about their work situation with such bitterness. You seem (to me anyway) to hate practically every aspect of it. I hope that your job situation changes or that you make a change to a new job. Life is way too short to be that miserable with something you spend a majority of your time doing and plan on doing for the next 20 years or so. Best of luck to you.

:earsboy: :earsgirl: pirate: pirate: princess:

[Doctor P]

Thanks for the thoughts. I actually don't hate the job itself, that would really put me totally over the edge. I care about what I do, I'm actually pretty good at it, it is challenging, and I have a chance to make a difference in a lot of different ways. That, as you might imagine, can make you feel pretty good at times. The problem is the terms and administration of my employment. It's just extremely frustrating to be taken advantage of, and to have the terms of your employment unilaterally and pompously changed with no formal recourse. We all do a lot of things in life that have to ultimately be based on trust of other people and letting go--that is something that for most people is really pretty hard to do (at least at some level). I try to take people at their word, and I also am one of the most consummate team players you will ever know. I have been burned very badly by being a team player and taking people at their word. What should be good traits get twisted and misused and abused by other people. My career, at least in the short term, has been destroyed by doing the things I was asked to do (and doing them well), and then effectively being punished for doing what I was asked to do (or punished for not completing a task that I was told to stop doing and to abandon!) Politics at an academic institution can be wicked and strange sometimes, but the one thing it almost always is is vicious. So, life is often bad, but it is not always hopeless. Everyone wants to be appreciated, or at least have people try to understand. It is when neither of these happens or you perceive that they are not happening that things can get ugly.