Annual Passes Anytime Soon

[Chuck S]

I don’t think it’s appropriate to have the signed document reflect the incorrect benefits and expect the guide telling people the contract is wrong as a way to supersede it.

Except they do also include the statement in writing that perks can be discontinued without notice. The parks and resorts closed without much prior notice, too. Even after DVC opened, you could not reserve nights at the cash resorts that remained closed, like Port Orleans using points...Do they owe compensation for that? I'm sure that language didn't change in the sales contracts to reflect some Disney collection options were unavailable. Cruises still aren't operating, should they strike that language from contracts?

 

[Grumpy Mouse]

They have a right to substitute, not that they WILL substitute. And what would you consider a suitable substitute for the AP?

What is a 'suitable' substitute is irrelevant. What is relevant is here is yet another conflicting, confusing statement (promise) meant to mislead the purchaser to BELIEVE that should a benefit be unavailable that DVD WOULD substitute something. Which of course is not true, they're reserving the RIGHT to substitute, nothing else.

Sort of like 'it depends on what the definition of 'is' is'...

The contract is full of misleading and quite frankly contradictory statements... like the offer of benefits, then the right to terminate them at any time, followed by their right to substitute them. Which one takes precedence? If you're an attorney then feel free to chime in, but not interested in lay opinions.

The language in this portion of the contract pretty much guarantees that a complainant could only seek relief through a court of law - where the odds are highly in Disney's favor.

As I understand it, the disclosure of 'possible' benefits in this contract was completely due to the state of Florida demanding it - something Disney was opposed to - so they made sure to cover their backsides...

And while you MIGHT conclude they've done nothing illegal - what they've done is highly unethical.

 

[Chuck S]

A right to substitute is not a "promise" to substitute, especially if no substantially equivalent substitute is available. If you think you have a case, why not contact the Florida Timeshare department? That doesn't require a lawyer or a court case.

 

[Shikedants]

Right. The return on your investment is the discounted accommodations. Nothing more.
I think that comes across as very entitled.

Outlay for 300 pts = $40,000
2 annual dues payments since pandemic $4,500
Total days in parks since 2019 = 2 (for our family of 4 and only after an additional $800)
The request in my OP = "consider....make them [DVC Members] eligible to purchase"

Very Entitled? Ugh!

 

[RoseGold]

I don't even care about the perks. I have a white card! I just want a full price AP, as has been available at WDW for my entire lifetime.

 

[quandrea]

If anyone had an active AP during the park closure, call the VIP Passholder line, they will check to see if you qualify to purchase a new (not renewal) AP. I was able to purchase a new pass that I can activate on my November trip. Your eligibility has to be vetted through some sort of Guest Recovery group, they will tell you whether you qualify, and will put you on a list for a call back. The call back has been taking 30 days , longer for some people, mine took 27 days. They approved me, I gave them my CC number, and a voucher for a DVC gold AP was added to my MDE account. Keep your DVC Membership number handy, you will need it if you are approved. The VIP AP number is 407-939-7277

I wonder how long this is offered? We did have APs during the closure, but I don’t need an AP until February and I don’t want to spend the money on them right now.

 

[Grumpy Mouse]

I don't even care about the perks. I have a white card! I just want a full price AP, as has been available at WDW for my entire lifetime.

I just want Disney to decide. As I posted in another thread, I'm sick and tired of the silence and rumors. Decide what your future AP program looks like (if any), and DVD/DVC decide what the benefits looks like. Decide so that every visitor and every member can make an informed decision about their future with Disney.

At my age life is too short to put up with this crap; we'd like to do Disney as our retirement destination, but if it's too expensive, we'll find something else to do. We're not married to Disney. Plenty of other great things to do.

Disney: decide. There's nothing impeding your decision now.

 

[Chuck S]

I don't even care about the perks. I have a white card! I just want a full price AP, as has been available at WDW for my entire lifetime.

Did you have one during the closure? Did you call the VIP AP Line?

 

[DisneyCowgirl]

Of course the DVC deal is for a room with no guarantee for anything else. But it is reasonable for us to send letters to Disney asking them to start selling annual passes again, and if you feel strongly about it, I encourage you to do so.

A better argument might have been that with the price of admission to parks being prohibitive without AP, we will now be using our DVC just as a hotel room while we visit and spend money at other area attractions.

 

[CSLucas]

Outlay for 300 pts = $40,000
2 annual dues payments since pandemic $4,500
Total days in parks since 2019 = 2 (for our family of 4 and only after an additional $800)
The request in my OP = "consider....make them [DVC Members] eligible to purchase"

Very Entitled? Ugh!

Absolutely agree. Also, I really don't see the relevance of pointing out that people who previously had an annual pass can purchase a new one, or of pointing out that Disney isn't legally obligated to sell you an annual pass (I'm pretty sure nobody is trying to say that they are). It's funny to me that people seem to completely understand the logic of making annual passes available to former passholders (they are loyal Disney people so of course Disney should reward them for that faith!) and yet they can't accept the same logic as applied to another loyal (arguably more loyal when you consider the financial outlay) group. Nobody is buying DVC because they just love to visit Orlando, FL. And while Disney certainly doesn't guarantee anything beyond the existence of a hotel, it seems pretty foolish to me to pretend like the parks and the ability to go to them more frequently isn't the draw on which Disney is selling, and it is perfectly reasonable to request that that customer base be given some special consideration in the discussion around annual passes (which is what OP did).

 

[chalee94]

A better argument might have been that with the price of admission to parks being prohibitive without AP, we will now be using our DVC just as a hotel room while we visit and spend money at other area attractions.

This is exactly what I have been doing during the Pandemic. Fogo de Chao was a great lunch - lots of fun offsite restaurants in a touristy area like Orlando. Winter Garden has a beautiful downtown area to visit. Harry Potter Land is fun but doesn't require a lot of days to visit.

I get the arguments that we should get special consideration since we have made financial commitments to the Mouse, but I have been a member long enough to understand that Disney does not agree with those arguments. (And if they didn't before, Chapek is not the guy who is going to start caring what we think.)

Hopefully, we will hear something by August...

 

[chalee94]

"Hello Ms. Castillo –

I hope this note finds you and your family doing well. I appreciate you taking the time to write and share your concerns with me. I can certainly understand your disappointment.

As it relates to the Walt Disney World Annual Pass program we do expect it to return, but when remains the question. Ever changing COVID protocols that are very difficult to predict, have precluded a precise answer to the question of when. I understand the predicament this puts many of our guests & members in, but I can assure you as soon as the program can return it will, and we will communicate it as soon as we know.

I appreciate your patience and membership.

Have a magical day,

Terri"

Google tells me this is Disney speak for a suggestion that is not family friendly...

 

[Eastcoast02]

So many people come out swinging in defense of Disney. You may not agree with someone but that does not invalidate their feelings. The OP was just sharing them with DVC; and I'm sure DVC already knew they were going to get this kind of feedback. Are we really fretting over their losses associated with Covid? LOL. If anything feel for the people who were laid off and displaced.
I don't need to grab a calculator to realize that since buying in 2017 everything has gone up substantially while the value has gone well.....down. Wayyy down.

I had to buy 2 day park passes for my family of 4 for around $1000 and I think I had a 3 day window to use them. Park pass reservations are here to stay. The flexibility has gone out the window. I think for me the biggest appeal to the gold AP is getting some of that flexibility back. Whatever they do, I'm expecting it to create quite a stir. Otherwise I would have expected them to rip the band-aid off by now for at least the Florida parks.

 

[CarolynFH]

I wonder how long this is offered? We did have APs during the closure, but I don’t need an AP until February and I don’t want to spend the money on them right now.

It’s still an offer. Call the Passholder line to be put on the list for a callback. Each case is being evaluated separately, and people have been allowed to purchase new AP vouchers that they can activate whenever their next visit is. Maybe you’ll qualify too. I haven’t read any mention of an end date, but I’m sure there will be one - you can ask!

 

[sssteele]

If anyone had an active AP during the park closure, call the VIP Passholder line, they will check to see if you qualify to purchase a new (not renewal) AP. I was able to purchase a new pass that I can activate on my November trip. Your eligibility has to be vetted through some sort of Guest Recovery group, they will tell you whether you qualify, and will put you on a list for a call back. The call back has been taking 30 days , longer for some people, mine took 27 days. They approved me, I gave them my CC number, and a voucher for a DVC gold AP was added to my MDE account. Keep your DVC Membership number handy, you will need it if you are approved. The VIP AP number is 407-939-7277

I had existing Gold APs that expired shortly after an April trip. We went to Guest Services at the International Gateway, and received a "renewal" rate when we upgraded to Platinum. (Needed for a trip over Xmas) The new passes are active the day the old passes expired.

 

[10CJ]

Absolutely agree. Also, I really don't see the relevance of pointing out that people who previously had an annual pass can purchase a new one, or of pointing out that Disney isn't legally obligated to sell you an annual pass (I'm pretty sure nobody is trying to say that they are).

Disney is not advertising that some previous passholders can purchase a recovery AP. Looking back, some people on here knew this info in January. I just found out about it a couple weeks ago. It seems there are people in this thread who might be in this group and do not realize it.

I assume this is because there is still a lot of uncertainty and they do not want to flood the system with too many AP yet. So they have not opened it up to new APs at this time. However given that they are selling some APs I would expect them to open up more options in the future.

People saying they are going to sell their DVC because they can’t buy an AP right now seems short sighted.

 

[dnc999]

Disney has no responsibility for providing any return of your investment other than providing you a comfortable room equivalent to your point usage. Anything else beyond that was extra and should not have been considered when deciding to purchase.

If the parks closed permanently tomorrow, Disney would owe you nothing except to provide you a comfortable room.

I feel the magic.

 

[kanerf]

I believe the Disney bean counters will study attendance numbers this summer without AP purchases and then decide rather to bring them back. We probably won't seem them until September.

 

[Chuck S]

I had existing Gold APs that expired shortly after an April trip. We went to Guest Services at the International Gateway, and received a "renewal" rate when we upgraded to Platinum. (Needed for a trip over Xmas) The new passes are active the day the old passes expired.

Were you given the option of a new pass with a new expiration date for more $? I'm guessing you were not. I'm thinking to buy a new pass, not linked to the original pass expiration date, you have to go through the guest recovery phone number for the time being.

 

[Maistre Gracey]

Outlay for 300 pts = $40,000
2 annual dues payments since pandemic $4,500
Total days in parks since 2019 = 2 (for our family of 4 and only after an additional $800)
The request in my OP = "consider....make them [DVC Members] eligible to purchase"

Very Entitled? Ugh!

Yup. Very entitled.
Sorry, but while $40k is nothing to sneeze at, others who stay at deluxes for cash can pay much, much more.
You bought a timeshare, not park admission.