$399 DVC Premium Annual Pass-Extended?-Speculation

[erionm]

So was just online looking at annual pass price. It said I was viewing DVC prices and listed the Premium Annual Pass as $699? Realize it was just on sale for $399 and got a few that way, but will need another for one of my kids in a few months. It said the regular AP was $425, but PAP $699. Hoping this is a computer thing and they are still more like the FL local rate of $559? Please no lectures about how I should have bought more at the cheaper price, I have kicked myself enough already and had other priorities. Thanks.

The DVC Member Price for a new PAP is $559. The price for someone who is not a FL Resident or a DVC Member is $699.

I have verified this on the Member Website site and the WDW Ticket Store via the Member Website.

 

[Sammie]

You can schedule your Disney experience before you leave home on the device you use to post here.

After you arrive, if you don't have a computer/pad/i-phone etc. there will be kiosks in the parks and assistance available at the resorts.

 

[JuliaNC]

The DVC Member Price for a new PAP is $559. The price for someone who is not a FL Resident or a DVC Member is $699.

I have verified this on the Member Website site and the WDW Ticket Store via the Member Website.

Glad it was just a computer glitch for me, as I looked at it that way too. Thanks.

 

[Sammie]

I was all for FP+ thinking that the regular FP would still be available, but it won't be. Once you sign on with FP+, that is all you can do. And no more than 1 FP+ for the same ride. And no FP+ in more than 1 park.

You want to ride SpaceMountain more than once in a day, be prepared to wait in a standby line. Today I was in AK and rode the Safari ride 4 times, 3 of them with fast passes. That will not be possible with FP+.

During testing you were still able to use regular FPs if you wanted to, in the future you will not be able to.

Anyone who hates having to plan all their dining reservations 180 days out, get ready to having to do the exact same thing for your FP+. On the bright side you'll never get up in the morning again and wonder 'which park should I go to today?'

I'm really really not looking forward to this.

Doug, this is not personal toward you, but from reading all the other forums discussing this, I think this is the reason for Fastpass+

While you are able to ride 4 times on Safari with little or no wait, others are not.

So many times what we dislike in changes, we have brought on ourselves.

 

[BWV Dreamin]

You can schedule your Disney experience before you leave home on the device you use to post here.

After you arrive, if you don't have a computer/pad/i-phone etc. there will be kiosks in the parks and assistance available at the resorts.

Maybe we will finally get to try Toy Story Mania. Yep, that's right. Still haven't rode that ride because the lines are soooo long. We don't do rope drop or say in parks till 3am. So maybe this change will give us the opportunity finally!!

 

[pjzkent]

So I got a guest survey today asking about my experience with the $399 PAP, asking the type of questions I would expect if Disney was researching to possibly continue this perk. I purchased 2 vouchers in Oct, plus upgraded my AP and 2 park hoppers we bought on UT, plus bought 5 PAP vouchers before the end of the year.

We are in Colorado, and WDW airfare alone has made more than 1 trip per year cost prohibitive, but I loved being able to say yes when the kids wanted to hit the water parks AND DisneyQuest!

Anyone else received this survey?

 

[jcf]

No...I wish I did as I had to argue with 2 people about the expiration date being from time of activation rather than purchase.

Ultimately, it was changed as a "one time exception"

 

[twinklebug]

...t I loved being able to say yes when the kids wanted to hit the water parks AND DisneyQuest!

Anyone else received this survey?

No survey here yet, but hope it comes. I'd buy it again.
I'm sure reducing the cost of the PAP will ultimately work in their favor as we've started wandering offsite more to entertain ourselves.

 

[Chuck S]

No...I wish I did as I had to argue with 2 people about the expiration date being from time of activation rather than purchase.

Ultimately, it was changed as a "one time exception"

Both are correct. If you purchased an actual AP, not a pre-payment voucher or will call, then it would expire one year from the date of purchase. If you purchased a voucher or received a will call number, then it is one year from the time the voucher/will call number is redeemed for the actual pass. But the voucher/will call number for this particular $399 special must be redeemed by 12/31/2013, they also have an expiration date.

 

[TDluvsDaisy]

So I got a guest survey today asking about my experience with the $399 PAP, asking the type of questions I would expect if Disney was researching to possibly continue this perk. I purchased 2 vouchers in Oct, plus upgraded my AP and 2 park hoppers we bought on UT, plus bought 5 PAP vouchers before the end of the year.

We are in Colorado, and WDW airfare alone has made more than 1 trip per year cost prohibitive, but I loved being able to say yes when the kids wanted to hit the water parks AND DisneyQuest!

Anyone else received this survey?

I got my survey yesterday and completed it. We definitely wouldn't be going 4 times this year without that discounted PAP. I bought 3 of them.

 

[huskies90]

Anyone else received this survey?

My girlfriend got the survey but it was somehow sent to my email address so I completed it for her. She bought her $399 PAP in November. I bought 3 for Xmas for me and my 2 kids to be activated during our summer trip. I said we would not be going if it wasn't for the discounted PAP but truth be told, we would have gone anyway. I also made several comments that these type of "perks" for members need to continue as we DVC owners are the biggest Disney fans and supporters. In any other business, you always want to take care of your best customers as it has been proven that it costs 5-6 times more to obtain a new customer than it costs to keep an existing one. For some reason, it feels like since Disney already has our DVC $$, there is no need to offer us great perks and/or make us happy customers. This PAP discount is the best discount I have seen since we became members and they need to continue and offer MORE!!!!

 

[MrShiny]

Really, this discount makes perfect sense for Disney. The relatively small amount they give up in the discount is probably much more than made up by the extra spend created (more trips, more time in parks, more spending on food, etc.). Add to that the goodwill created among members and it seems a no-brainer.

IIRC, the first few years of DVC, the members recieved complimentary annual passes. That would probably be a bit extreme these days with the number of members, but really the money made of us from any sort of ticket sales is probably tiny compared to what we spend when we are on property.

 

[tjkraz]

Really, this discount makes perfect sense for Disney. The relatively small amount they give up in the discount is probably much more than made up by the extra spend created (more trips, more time in parks, more spending on food, etc.). Add to that the goodwill created among members and it seems a no-brainer.

Depends entirely on how individuals respond to such an offer.

In our case, about the only thing Disney got from us was an extra $20 for towel and locker rentals at Blizzard Beach. We bought the discounted PAPs, made unplanned visits to BB and DisneyQuest, and didn't spend a dime more on merchandise with the 20% discount than we would have spent at full price. Overall it was a net loss for Disney given the 20% savings.

Whenever a business offers an across-the-board discount, it eats directly into profit margins. Products are discounted for which consumers would have otherwise paid full price. In order to be beneficial, the company still needs to come out ahead after all of the discounting--not necessarily easy when you consider the lower margins.

 

[OrangeCountyCommuter]

My girlfriend got the survey but it was somehow sent to my email address so I completed it for her. She bought her $399 PAP in November. I bought 3 for Xmas for me and my 2 kids to be activated during our summer trip. I said we would not be going if it wasn't for the discounted PAP but truth be told, we would have gone anyway. I also made several comments that these type of "perks" for members need to continue as we DVC owners are the biggest Disney fans and supporters. In any other business, you always want to take care of your best customers as it has been proven that it costs 5-6 times more to obtain a new customer than it costs to keep an existing one. For some reason, it feels like since Disney already has our DVC $$, there is no need to offer us great perks and/or make us happy customers. This PAP discount is the best discount I have seen since we became members and they need to continue and offer MORE!!!!

But are we the "best customers"? Probably not! "best customer" would be most profitable!

I have friends who go several times a year. Stay at Deluxe resorts, buy MYW tickets upon arrival and don't worry about what anything costs.

I think in Disney's mind they are much better customers then I am. Using an AP, want discounts, eat breakfast and more meals in my room etc.

Disney has my 'buy in' they don't need to court me anymore.

 

[laura-k]

Hey all,
just jumped back on the boards yesterday to start pumping up the magic for our March trip -is the 399.00 pap still available ?
if so how do I do it ??

Thanks for any help!

 

[mckryan]

Hey all,
just jumped back on the boards yesterday to start pumping up the magic for our March trip -is the 399.00 pap still available ?
if so how do I do it ??

Thanks for any help!

No, you had to purchase the PAP or voucher by 12/31/12.

 

[mckryan]

I, too, got the survey yesterday and hoped I answered in such a way that encourages them to continue the discounted PAP for DVC members. I'm bummed about losing the 20% merch discount, and I did put that in my comments along with a big thank you for the perk!

 

[drcoulsey]

Anyone else received this survey?

I got mine yesterday and filled it out. I bought my PAP when I was at WDW in December. If it weren't for the PAP, I wouldn't be going back in March and then again in August.

 

[luckyman_apd]

Depends entirely on how individuals respond to such an offer.

In our case, about the only thing Disney got from us was an extra $20 for towel and locker rentals at Blizzard Beach. We bought the discounted PAPs, made unplanned visits to BB and DisneyQuest, and didn't spend a dime more on merchandise with the 20% discount than we would have spent at full price. Overall it was a net loss for Disney given the 20% savings.

Whenever a business offers an across-the-board discount, it eats directly into profit margins. Products are discounted for which consumers would have otherwise paid full price. In order to be beneficial, the company still needs to come out ahead after all of the discounting--not necessarily easy when you consider the lower margins.

In our case it is a win for Disney...and us. We are planning on a trip next dec for the MVMCP. We were not planning this until the PAP discount. Our next trip will be summer of 2014. We figured the passes were the same amount as we would spend on tickets for the 2014 trip. So we will probably spend money on MVMCP stuff (knowing my wife), we will be buying meals (staying in a studio) and who knows what else. We would not be making two trips if it wasn't for the PAP. We HAVE to go in Dec to get them activated for 2014.

 

[Squidrific]

I got my survey yesterday too. Like many others I answered this in a positive light and would not be taking 3 trips this year without the discount. I also put this in my comments and said that if they offered the discount again I would definitely purchase it and would take more than 1 trip per year.