Annual Pass advice needed

[jimim]

I disagree with your statement that no one knows anything. Sorry. Chapek, CEO OF Disney and McCarthy, CFO Of Disney have reported and spoken about considerably more than what you just said. They capped the number of annual passes they distributed at WDW. They lowered gate attendance caps to help with guest experience quality and they will not bend on that decision. They want the right mix of guests between ticketed guests and passholders. They do not want infrequent guests turned away at the gates so they want to reserve some park spaces for them. They intend to exercise more control over who enters their parks, when and how often. They want to remain a world class destination resort and not somebody’s private playground. However, most importantly, they capped the number of annual passes sold. Now, people do say they are not renewing for many reasons. Eventually, when Disney has enough non-renewed passes where they can have enough inventory to re-open sales for a reasonable time they will do so. They might tweak the program too. So, WHEN is when they have enough inventory. All of this comes from Disney.

And all of it is bull. There was always enough room. All I hear is how busy the parks are but I will see for myself when we go back for almost 2 weeks so that should give us a good of how true it is. They don’t care if that one family didn’t get turned away which only happens literally New Year’s Eve. I can’t remember the last time the parks were at max. Busy yah but really season pass holders overflowingcthe parks. Yah ok. What they care is if that one family turned away had 5 credit cards in thier hands foaming at the mouth to charge away. If they had an 8 hour private tour set up for multiple days. It’s a joke. A complete joke. And by saying they will release a limited number of tickets when available will just make the demand rise. Right now I can buy tickets for the next 365 days. They will sell them to me for trip after trip after trip but not a pass. Yah ok. Always room at the inn if paying day by day after day after day after trip after trip but season pass orders. GET OUT! It’s a joke a complete joke and if you buy into what you typed which yes was said. Well I don’t really know. It’s sad really sad.

 

[Disneyfan754321]

So what a cast member told me yesterday, they believe that here in the next few weeks they will open up shortly.
Like us many people that bought AP last October ( they expire in September if you used them right away) , they are downgrading or not renewing them. We have 30 days after they expire to renew. I guess waiting for things to settle.
Upgradeing them if they come available is not an issue.

 

[Racergirl24]

Follow up question since it looks like we will be buying the Pixie pass, If my parents want to buy my kids their pass as a gift, but my parents aren't FL residents, can they use their credit card to purchase them or no, Ill have to use mine and them reimburse me? Thanks

I can speak to this with my own experience. We own homes both in California and Florida. Our primary (billing) address is in California. We have been pass holders (WDW) for a while. Our first pass was purchased online, we proved residency at the gate when we were issued cards (ownership docs/bills). To renew we call passholder customer service and they process our renewal manually. There is a lockout feature if your billing address is not in Florida. Buy your own passes, it's way easier with a Florida billing address.

 

[Ms Bibbidi]

So what a cast member told me yesterday, they believe that here in the next few weeks they will open up shortly.
Like us many people that bought AP last October ( they expire in September if you used them right away) , they are downgrading or not renewing them. We have 30 days after they expire to renew. I guess waiting for things to settle.
Upgradeing them if they come available is not an issue.

I tend not to believe this source as reliable. I know -- cast member. Not every piece of chit chat from a cast member is true. IF Disney issued some release of news to cast members to tell guests saying that new annual annual passes would start in the next few weeks, it would be all over the social media and reputable news outlets.

But, last November 2021, when sales were halted, a blogger apparently asked their unnamed Disney source when sales would restart. Then, that blog and many other blogs said the sales were expected to restart in "2022." Now, this was 2021 and the issue was whether or not they would start for all the holiday crowds that wanted to buy APs, renew or convert tickets to APs. Also in those blogs was the rational that Disney didn't want to add to the already overwhelming revenge travel and holiday crowds jamming the parks. They said Disney wasn't ready, not enough attractions open, not enough staff etc. All of that may have had some truth, but was not the reason. They all guessed at the reason sales stopped.

So, people expected new sales would open in January 2022; that's "2022" and the holiday crowds are gone, right? Nope. Then the bloggers guessed, after spring break, first week of May, early August after school started, September 8th like an anniversary, and now end of 2022. All of those were just guesses and rumors.

So, now we have a serious amount of new information not from a blogger's undisclosed Disney source (if there ever was any), but from Chapek and McCarthy when they are speaking to groups who are "interested persons" -- their shareholders, a reputable publication's journalist and D23. Remember, there could be serious repercussions if they are untruthful with these groups because there are laws on such things. Blog rumors, a casual cast member repeating rumors -- whatever. But when the CEO and CFO of a company say such things and particularly in a quarterly earnings report, it d--- w--- better be truthful. The duty is not just truth in what they actually say, but even the absence of information that could be misleading is not allowed. Stock prices and consumers depend on such statements. There are therefore, legal protections.

These are far more credible sources than a cast member who may just be parroting the blogger's statement that annual pass sales were expected to start in 2022. So, now, that rumor, that is highly probably misinformation to begin with, is being recirculated because -- since we are near the end of 2022, then new sales must be coming in "the next few weeks" (because we only have a few weeks left of 2022.

So, IMHO, this is just another recirculation of a guess by either a blogger or an unknown Disney source who was just thinking out loud, without real access to executive suite information, that was not likely to be accurate in the first place. I don't believe it. If new sales do open up before the end of 2022, I would view it as a pure coincidence. I suspect Disneyfan 754321 did not ask the follow-up questions of "Where did you hear this information that new sales would start in the next few week? and "Have you been given any official information from Disney? I suspect the CM would just say, "That's just what I've heard." Even if they heard it from a supervisor, the supervisor may be just repeating the rumor that widely circulated at the end of 2021. So, Disney has not said because it would be released through their sources and widely disseminated. I'm sorry Disneyfan and others have been told this by CMs. You have to ask those follow-up questions.

The part where the cast member said a lower tier pass could be upgraded (outside of renewal) if new passes were sold again is true (currently). But that could change if the program changes. Also, if the current pass has been used, to upgrade you will pay the difference AND the new pass will be backdated to match the old pass starting and expiration dates. So, think about that. I was given this information last February from the Passholder line CM, so that is not newly leaked information from a cast member.

 

[RoseGold]

I think it's about to be too late for 2022. We are already almost into Disney Halloween season. When November comes, it's nonstop holidays.

I can't picture any APs being for sale at the holidays. If they are going to open sales for a minute, it has to be now. And I don't think they have the data to do it yet because so few will up for renewal yet. I just renewed mine last week and I'm on the early side of what is possible.

I guess they could open it for a day just to FOMO everyone and cap it ridiculously low. Or maybe just open Pirate.

 

[Nennie]

I bought Pixie Passes for my family, with the intention of upgrading them if/when that became available. I added on the water parks, so that we can enjoy that on the weekends. We've gotten so used to our new way of touring (regular parks during the week, water parks on weekends), that we are just going to keep our Pixie Passes and not upgrade. The upgrade would be $500/ticket x 5 of us, so $2500, and I just don't see the value to get a couple more weekend non-water park days. Very lucky that Pixie Passes have worked great for us!

 

[RoseGold]

The upgrade would be $500/ticket x 5 of us, so $2500, and I just don't see the value to get a couple more weekend non-water park days. Very lucky that Pixie Passes have worked great for us!

Renewal for Pixie and Pirate are 594 and 339. That's $255 a ticket. Still not nothing, but not $500 and maybe worth it for most weekends.

 

[Nennie]

Renewal for Pixie and Pirate are 594 and 339. That's $255 a ticket. Still not nothing, but not $500 and maybe worth it for most weekends.

Thank you! I had forgotten about the Pirate Pass, and was only thinking of the Sorcerer Pass. If and when Pirate Passes become available again, I will definitely look at the calendar and do the math so see if it's worth it Thanks again for the info!

 

[Disneychick13]

Does anybody know if you have to go to guest services to show proof of Florida residency for a renewal? I had to do that last year when I activated but wasn’t sure if I have to do it again.

 

[Racergirl24]

Does anybody know if you have to go to guest services to show proof of Florida residency for a renewal? I had to do that last year when I activated but wasn’t sure if I have to do it again.

No. We did not.