Annual pass changes coming........

[JOE DELL]

So, I've held an AP, every year, for at least 10 years now. Yes, it's the DVC AP, so it's a bit less expensive than the 'regular' AP. It was always around $100-125 less. So, now? I get to pay at least $100 more (close to what the old regular AP was) but get weeks taken away from me? Sure they 'give' me PP.....in all my trips, I've purchased PP twice...both times were when my dd was traveling with friends and I just didn't want to hang with them in order to photograph them...it was something special, and usually got a slight reduction in cost. I seldom even bring a camera with me anymore...so PP is not a 'perk' for me. Free parking? I've always had free parking.
So, as Disney has done so often, they take stuff away, raise the price and then try to tell me that's I have these wonderful new perks...my 'experience' is going to be soooo much better.

Sure, someone has to pay for the new additions in the parks...it's beyond time to make changes. But, seriously? I have to pay these rates for something I don't get to use for years? Nope, not happy about it. I was going to buy more DVC points in Feb..not now. I refuse to spend an addtl $200 (vs what I paid for my existing AP) in order to get a full 365 days of park time.

How are you going to get blackout days? If you have the regular AP now it will turn into the AP Platinum wich has no blackout also. Am I missing something here?

 

[TwinPrincessMermaids]

@goofy4tink

You would qualify for Gold. You wouldn't have to upgrade to Platinum unless you wanted. You are the same as us FLR. Unless you are determined to go during Xmas/Easter.

That's like the only difference. $100 is still less than the price of a single day ticket anyway. If you are bound and determined to go Xmas day, you can basically buy all of the year for the price of a one day admission. And frankly I think you would be crazy to go then, expanded parking or otherwise....but of course, its up to you. You have to feel the value out yourself.

The only reason we would upgrade is to get the water parks included, but we don't have premium now anyway...

 

[TwinPrincessMermaids]

How are you going to get blackout days? If you have the regular AP now it will turn into the AP Platinum wich has no blackout also. Am I missing something here?

He is DVC. That's essentially the same as FL RES as far as I know? FL RES AP = Gold, as far as I can tell? That means that he paid the same rate as a FL RES. It is not the same price as a Tourist AP, which would convert to Platinum... (its the breaks we get for paying about 20% less than the typical non FL AP.)

 

[MakiraMarlena]

I'm going for the gold AP since I have access to it. Which means my total price goes up about $20 and I have blackout dates and photo pass (which I haven't previously used). I am in WDW over New Years weekend. Was not planning to go to a park on the 31st, so I will have to add the 1st to that, but can still go in on the 2nd, 3rd and 4th. Not planning any trips around Easter...so Gold it is.

An AP with no blackout dates translates to a Platinum, but when I renew in December I will be renewing as a Gold. If I'm not going to use the weeks they take away (except for that one day on January 1) I don't see any reason to change anything.

 

[JOE DELL]

He is DVC. That's essentially the same as FL RES as far as I know? FL RES AP = Gold, as far as I can tell?

Oh geez now I'm all confused. OK we have the standard AP now, the one between SP and Platinum. I was understanding that the standard AP = Platinum and the (now) Platinum = Platinum Plus

 

[MakiraMarlena]

Standard AP prior to October 4 is now platinum. 365 days admission.
Premium AP is platinum plus, 365 days admission plus water parks and some other golf and sports stuff (Disney Quest is closing so it won't be included anymore)

Gold is a new category with blackouts only around Christmas/NY and Easter. This one has been made available to DVC members (no matter where they are from) as well as Florida residents. So a DVC member could renew to gold if they wanted. If they already have a regular annual on a voucher, that will be a platinum. There's a difference between renewing an expiring pass and cashing in a voucher for a pass already purchased prior to 10/4. If you're a DVC member and not a Florida resident you have a choice on renewal of the gold, platinum or platinum plus.

Silver equates to the seasonal pass I think, with the summer blackouts. For Florida residents only.

I have a similar pass to the Gold from Universal called a power pass. It has some limited blackouts around the major holidays also (plus some in the summer). So I just have to get used to having a Disney power pass.

 

[rfc0001]

Oh geez now I'm all confused. OK we have the standard AP now, the one between SP and Platinum. I was understanding that the standard AP = Platinum and the (now) Platinum = Platinum Plus

This Comparison Chart of old and New AP Prices/Benefits might help:

Here is my Comparison Chart of old/new WDW Passes Prices/Benefits I posted on other forums last night (DIS was down):

(click for online spreadsheet, incl. After-Tax rates)​

Sources:
https://disneyvacationclub.disney.go.com/discounts-perks-offers/ticket-tour/walt-disney-world-pass/
https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/florida-residents/passholder-program/
https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/m...enefits/WDW-AnnualPass-Blockout-Calendars.pdf
https://shop.omniticket.com/wdw/renewal/index.cfm

 

[TwinPrincessMermaids]

Oh geez now I'm all confused. OK we have the standard AP now, the one between SP and Platinum. I was understanding that the standard AP = Platinum and the (now) Platinum = Platinum Plus

Are you FL RES or a Tourist?

 

[JOE DELL]

Standard AP prior to October 4 is now platinum. 365 days admission.
Premium AP is platinum plus, 365 days admission plus water parks and some other golf and sports stuff (Disney Quest is closing so it won't be included anymore)

Gold is a new category with blackouts only around Christmas/NY and Easter. This one has been made available to DVC members (no matter where they are from) as well as Florida residents. So a DVC member could renew to gold if they wanted. If they already have a regular annual on a voucher, that will be a platinum. There's a difference between renewing an expiring pass and cashing in a voucher for a pass already purchased prior to 10/4. If you're a DVC member and not a Florida resident you have a choice on renewal of the gold, platinum or platinum plus.

Silver equates to the seasonal pass I think, with the summer blackouts. For Florida residents only.

Thank you. That's what I thought, someone told me the same earlier then hearing the DVC holders saying they would be getting blackouts with an AP got me confused

 

[JOE DELL]

Are you FL RES or a Tourist?

Fl res

 

[Gaston+Bell]

I love this. I have a florida resident weekday pass because my days off are on weekdays not weekends. I go to Disney about once a month and the current weekday select pass does not include free parking so it would be $20 each time. So with this new pass I'm actually saving about $200 a year

 

[JOE DELL]

This Comparison Chart of old and New AP Prices/Benefits might help:

Thank you.

We need a thanks button lol.

 

[TwinPrincessMermaids]

Standard AP prior to October 4 is now platinum. 365 days admission.
Premium AP is platinum plus, 365 days admission plus water parks and some other golf and sports stuff (Disney Quest is closing so it won't be included anymore)

Gold is a new category with blackouts only around Christmas/NY and Easter. This one has been made available to DVC members (no matter where they are from) as well as Florida residents. So a DVC member could renew to gold if they wanted. If they already have a regular annual on a voucher, that will be a platinum. There's a difference between renewing an expiring pass and cashing in a voucher for a pass already purchased prior to 10/4. If you're a DVC member and not a Florida resident you have a choice on renewal of the gold, platinum or platinum plus.

Silver equates to the seasonal pass I think, with the summer blackouts. For Florida residents only.

So you are saying if you are DVC and have a renewal cert prior to 10/4, you can renew Plat? (I think that is the case for any renewals prior to 10/4?) However, what about a new renewal after 10/4? They can choose Plat or Gold? Do they automatically renew Gold and have to upgrade to Plat? Are they treated differently then FL RES, even though the price is the same?

 

[TwinPrincessMermaids]

I love this. I have a florida resident weekday pass because my days off are on weekdays not weekends. I go to Disney about once a month and the current weekday select pass does not include free parking so it would be $20 each time. So with this new pass I'm actually saving about $200 a year

Yep, this is going to help a lot of our FL visitors!

 

[TwinPrincessMermaids]

Fl res

I could be wrong, but I think our Fl Res AP will renew Gold.

 

[lovethattink]

I could be wrong, but I think our Fl Res AP will renew Gold.

It might be set up that way, but the plain platinum is more equal to it than gold. And PAP would be more like the Platinum plus.

 

[tlmadden73]

I can't express enough just how this does come to change your touring mindset. We had our best trip ever this past August. It wasn't our first with our AP but it was the first where having the AP really impacted what we did and the decisions we made based on weather, etc. We didn't feel as pressed to do as much. We did feel more relaxed touring each day. Every day we enter a park we are benefiting more and more from the AP investment and it does stay in the back of our minds. It's hard to explain and I would have never thought it was a factor till we experienced it ourselves.

Good point .. but I've found that having no-expiration tickets gives you that freedom too. But alas, that isn't an option anymore.
There definitely is a nice feeling of "don't want to go to a park today .. nothing wasted" and "want to go to a park today and didn't plan on it originally? Go for it!"

If I ever get to the point (kids are old enough and have desire to do two long (or many SHORT) vacations to Disney within a year .. I will consider it. But the AP price increase doesn't effect most of us (unless it is just another incremental step into increasing REGULAR park tickets).

 

[lugnut33]

My guess is it comes down to how this is technically implemented. They can't issue the new APs any longer, so have to issue you a new one or force you to upgrade to a new once (which would cause major CSAT issues to either add blackout where you had none. causing people like me to cancel their December Vaca since a gold AP simply won't work then or force them to spring $400 for a family of 4 to upgrade to Platinum). Between those two options, giving people something free (PP Download) beats downgrading them or charging them $400. Keep in mind, they don't have to, but it's what's actually happening, which I trust more than what we are being told.

But they will get that extra money from you the next year you want to go in December.

 

[TwinPrincessMermaids]

It might be set up that way, but the plain platinum is more equal to it than gold. And PAP would be more like the Platinum plus.

If wishes were hopes and hopes were dreams....

I physically SAW a FL RES bring in an Annual Pass cert ordered online. It processed GOLD, not Plat...

 

[MakiraMarlena]

I believe if you are renewing (and this applies to a renewal, not redeeming a voucher), you will just tell them what pass you want to renew as and pay the renewal price for that pass. If you are DVC that can be gold, platinum or platinum plus. At a renewal I do not believe you are required to renew at whatever the closest equivalent to your current pass is. You can upgrade or downgrade.

In the "old days" if I had a premium plus, I could still renew it as just a premium.

So I believe I will be able to go to Guest Relations with my current AP on its expiration date and say, I am renewing it and my new pass will be Gold. If I wanted a platinum, I could renew it as a platinum. Or platinum plus.