Why no love for passholders on rates?

[Sinclare]

This new system is just trying to milk every last dime from passholders. After seeing the $59 a night passholder rate listing I (on dis near the dates for October) I called to book. I guess I was just overly excited and didn't see the next half of the line that said from 11/26 to 12-4. What really supprised me though was that with this "Passholder" "SPECIAL CODE" they quoted me $79 a night at a value plus $10 for an extra adult.

It used to be that being a passholder meant something, now it's not worth squat. You can get the same rate with a AAA card. I mean $79 a night as a "special rate" is just insulting. Considering the price for the PAP and as much time/money as I spend there they would cut PH's a break like they used to.

Now I know you're supposed to just "reserve" your room at price and "hope" they knock the price down if they just "decide" to drop rates; yea right. With gas prices the way they are and their blood sucking new pass holder "benefits" I'm afraid I'm going to have to break our tradition of going to WDW for vacations.

I know this is a bit of a rant and that some people actually like the new system but I'm not one of them. I'm going to miss you Mickey but you can only suck so much money out of me

[NeverlandClub23]

I agree with you (although we will continue to let Mickey suck money out of us ). We used to get great discounts on our rooms with an AP code. On our upcoming trip during the value season I got $10 a night off of our POR stay and $40 a night off of the Poly, which is good but not great. I don't want to sound ungrateful but really if we hadn't received any discount I would have cancelled our room at the Poly because to me it's not worth $320 a night (and I love it). When we stayed at POR in 2004 we got the room with a room only discount code for $100 a night and that wasn't during value season! Disney's been getting stingier every year that passes with codes.

[OK GRUMPY]

I agree and I am thinking of not renewinng our passes or going back for a long time. I have a reservation for December but I don't think I will go back Theres only palces in the US that I'm looking at tring instead of going to Disney every year.

[NeverlandClub23]

Originally Posted by OK GRUMPY

I agree and I am thinking of not renewinng our passes or going back for a long time. I have a reservation for December but I don't think I will go back Theres only palces in the US that I'm looking at tring instead of going to Disney every year.

I know what you mean! My DBF and I were looking into going to Hawaii next year and with everything included it's just $1,000 more for the same amount of nights at WDW. And we drive to WDW! Of course we could go to WDW cheaper but with ticket prices steadily going up, benefits going down for people who don't do the packages, and discounts being slim it's more and more expensive to have the kind of trip we want. Ok, I'm done throwing a pity party.

Not to mention that the DDE card went up in price as well.

[WDW Poly Princess]

I'm just so happy that they got rid of Best Rate that I'll take what I can get at this point I think that a big factor in how deep of a discount you get is which season you go in, ie bigger discounts when crowds are low.

[Dis31]

I just saved over 800 with my AP for Thanksgiving !!!! But I can remember a few years ago when we stayed at WL for 120 a night.

[Tikiman]

I don’t think after this year we will ever purchase an AP again. There is no discount for the Polynesian concierge this December and I won’t hold my breath for next summer being any discount since there was none this summer.

It is like they are trying to scare you away from purchasing an AP. In fact with rates climbing and service declining I think Disney visits will be much fewer. We went to Maui this summer for 10 days and lived like kings and spent less than we will going to WDW in December for 6 days. Even at value season prices the room is going to cost $645 a night after taxes. The only good thing that has happened is we purchased our APs before the increase.

[hightown]

I posted this on the codes board but yesterday, made an AP ressie for 10/31 - 11/5 at POP for 444. Today, there is a general public package code out. For same 5 nights at POP am paying 414 plus get two - 1day base tickets. I did book the package and cancelled my AP ressie. I have a AP but DD doesn't and we'll use the two 1days and save her non-expiring tickets.

Universal says that they will give their best discounts to their best customers - their AP holders and from what I've seen, that's very true. Disney obviously does not feel that way.

My spending habbits have changed greatly with changes in economy (price of heat, gas, etc) + the diminishing benefits of having an AP. Have gone from Concierge & Deluxe to Moderate or Dolphin or POP for this trip because need to really cut costs. For a couple of years, spent 23-26 days in WDW resorts. So far this year, 2 at CSR and rest of that stay at Dolphin and Universal. I'll add 4 more in November at POP.

But as long as Disney is filling their resorts, there'll be no changes in their pricing philosophy. We need to vote with our pocketbook. Have discovered cruising is a wonderful substitute!

[NeverlandClub23]

Originally Posted by hightown

I posted this on the codes board but yesterday, made an AP ressie for 10/31 - 11/5 at POP for 444. Today, there is a general public package code out. For same 5 nights at POP am paying 414 plus get two - 1day base tickets. I did book the package and cancelled my AP ressie. I have a AP but DD doesn't and we'll use the two 1days and save her non-expiring tickets.

Universal says that they will give their best discounts to their best customers - their AP holders and from what I've seen, that's very true. Disney obviously does not feel that way.

My spending habbits have changed greatly with changes in economy (price of heat, gas, etc) + the diminishing benefits of having an AP. Have gone from Concierge & Deluxe to Moderate or Dolphin or POP for this trip because need to really cut costs. For a couple of years, spent 23-26 days in WDW resorts. So far this year, 2 at CSR and rest of that stay at Dolphin and Universal. I'll add 4 more in November at POP.

But as long as Disney is filling their resorts, there'll be no changes in their pricing philosophy. We need to vote with our pocketbook. Have discovered cruising is a wonderful substitute!

I agree. I think Disney is really trying to push their packages which doesn't benefit people who have AP's or if you're using non expiring passes from the year before.

[quartz7]

Originally Posted by Tikiman

I don’t think after this year we will ever purchase an AP again. There is no discount for the Polynesian concierge this December and I won’t hold my breath for next summer being any discount since there was none this summer.

It is like they are trying to scare you away from purchasing an AP. In fact with rates climbing and service declining I think Disney visits will be much fewer. We went to Maui this summer for 10 days and lived like kings and spent less than we will going to WDW in December for 6 days. Even at value season prices the room is going to cost $645 a night after taxes. The only good thing that has happened is we purchased our APs before the increase.

Ditto Steve! We were hoping for Dec. Poly. Concierge, too. We are still going, but it would have eased the $$ pain a little. This was exactly what my hubby and I were discussing earlier. As much as we love Disney, it really is costing us a fortune to visit. I can remember the other great perks, like the AP room at epcot. Deeper discounts. My big beef is the fact they did the Disney Visa Card first. Maybe I am just missing something here, I don't know.
But we won't be buying the AP, if we go back, we will just get the packages.

[rhiannonwales]

Originally Posted by quartz7

Ditto Steve! We were hoping for Dec. Poly. Concierge, too. We are still going, but it would have eased the $$ pain a little. This was exactly what my hubby and I were discussing earlier. As much as we love Disney, it really is costing us a fortune to visit. I can remember the other great perks, like the AP room at epcot. Deeper discounts. My big beef is the fact they did the Disney Visa Card first. Maybe I am just missing something here, I don't know.
But we won't be buying the AP, if we go back, we will just get the packages.

What youre missing as far as Disney Visa codes go is that they are getting the money for the trip, and most people will book more than they intended because "theres no interest on DW bookings" So they are getting their money and then some. Plus people are using those VISA cards to rack up points for DD. and Disney gets the interest on that as well. So i guess DW is voting with their pocketbooks as well. They see the VISA holders as being more lucrative.
Frankly i think that attitude sucks. WE (the AP holders) go to DW in good times and bad, when the economy is up and down, in good weather and bad weather. We go multiple times a year (many of us) and we keep going even when they take our perks away.

They are coming close to crossing the line where AP holders will stop going. Wonder if they will wake up in time?

[Ronald Duck]

I'll join the rant...probably my first negative post ever on the DIS

I bought my first AP this summer, and we did get a last-minute AP discount in late June for a "released" room at SSR that was a decent deal (but we were very lucky to have a heads-up TA who caught the almost-sneaky code release). The real reason we sprung for the AP this year, though, was that we had our hearts set on a pre-Christmas stay at the Poly with kids and grandkids, and now with the meagre discounts it's obvious we can't swing it financially. There are a lot of people in our family whose bubbles were burst yesterday

[Tikiman]

It was not a total surprise to me but I was still hoping that there would be some sort of discount for our room category. First time in 20 years that we have to pay full rate. I guess I should have known when there were no AP discounts for the Polynesian in July. They have been making record profits and they cut discounts and increase prices.

Sounds like the Gas companies are running Disney!!!

Until people are willing to stop going they will continue to raise prices and reduce discounts. I am getting to the point where I am willing to stop going!!!

Top all that off with the fact that they took the 50% room discount away from CMs and are making it 25% next year.

[Missus Toad]

Originally Posted by rhiannonwales

We go multiple times a year (many of us) and we keep going even when they take our perks away.

And that, I'm afraid, is part of the problem. When do we say enough is enough? I honestly don't know. We're addicts, they know it.

[rhiannonwales]

Well they already got my $$ for this year but i wont be renewing my AP until i see some improvement in the way they treat AP holders. So, no DW for us next year! It's a real shame too. My older son has all these happy memories of WDW and my 2 year old daughter isnt going to get that same experience, at least not right away.