Annual passes discount: Wouldn't it be ironic?

[Doctor P]

Now, I swear I am not saying this to be mean and I am CERTAINLY not wishing this at all, but wouldn't it be ironic if Disney announced that annual pass rates beginning 2005 would be increasing by $100 as of January 2, 2005 (and to make the story even better, that they are forgoing the increases in other passes for the present time)? Talk about letting the air out of the happy balloon real fast!

 

[dianeschlicht]

I really didn't think you were that much of a pessimist!

 

[The4OfUs]

Aren't the prices on the website that Doc pointed someone to the 2005 rates?

 

[Lori in CNY]

Actually, I wouldn't be surprised at all if all pass media prices increase in January as it seems like they have been doing this on an annual or semi-annual basis, however.......... I would be INCREDIBLY surprised if they ever increased by that amount and there are 1000's of annual passholders (not just DVC members) that would be beyond upset.

I think this discount is awesome and I'm curious to find out if they are actual activated passes or vouchers. If they are vouchers, I would buy them asap and just activate when you're ready.

 

[trampslady]

Doctor P------what is wrong with you?

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

Originally posted by Doctor P
but wouldn't it be ironic if Disney announced that annual pass rates beginning 2005 would be increasing by $100 as of January 2, 2005 (and to make the story even better, that they are forgoing the increases in other passes for the present time)?

Yes, it would be ironic. But it's very, very unlikely.

AP rates go up a modest amount every year. But they never go up anywhere near $100. Disney isn't going to kill AP sales by pricing APs at a rate above what most people are willing to pay.

 

[DVCcollector]

Our guide told us the purchase does not bevcome active until you pick up your pass and use it for the first time. We are ordering as many as we can get adn we aren't even going for another year and a half. We were told it would be just fine that they wouldn't activate till we went to guest services and got our passes and used them.

 

[CarolMN]

Increases for 2005 for UPH tickets have already been announced. It appears that those went up by about 3.7 - 3.9 %.

Annual passes (and most other park admission media) were last increased in March 2004.

It is reasonable to expect a price increase for APs/PAPs in 2005, but certainly not a 25% increase!

I am expecting an increase comparable to those for UPH passes.

Best wishes -

 

[Sammy]

Originally posted by Lori in CNY

I think this discount is awesome and I'm curious to find out if they are actual activated passes or vouchers. If they are vouchers, I would buy them asap and just activate when you're ready.

I'd like to find this out as well........

 

[Doctor P]

I definitely agree that it won't happen--though, a price increase before January 2, 2005 certainly would not at all be out of the question. And to answer the question, there is nothing wrong with me. I just don't take things for granted. I thought a couple of years ago I might be paranoid to not trust people and to expect that people are out to take advantage of you. Unfortunately, and much to my new boss's shock and surprise, I wasn't being paranoid (and I might add, I ended up getting "sucker punched" because of behaving in good faith, believing the best in people, and expecting people to honor their word) and was the victim of some unfair major retribution and disingenuous behavior on the part of a couple university administrators. So, my patience when I think I am getting a raw deal is even lower than it would normally be. But, that doesn't mean that the DVC'ers who are getting the discount shouldn't be able to take advantage of it, that it isn't a valuable perk, and I think the restrictions that are being placed on its use should help reduce misuse and abuse. I am just hopeful that they listen to those of us to can't benefit from this major perk.

 

[CarolMN]

Originally posted by Lori in CNY
...(snip)......I think this discount is awesome and I'm curious to find out if they are actual activated passes or vouchers. If they are vouchers, I would buy them asap and just activate when you're ready.

Lori - it depends on where you purchase them. The following is an excerpt from the info printed on the DVC Member website:

Passes can be purchased online by visiting dvcmember.com or at any Guest Relations location at all four Walt Disney World Theme Parks and the Downtown Disney area beginning January 2, 2005. Your Disney Vacation Club Member ID card must be provided and all adults must present a valid driver's license or state identification card showing they reside in the same household. Limit 8 purchases per household.


When a Walt Disney World Annual or Premium Annual Pass is ordered through dvcmember.com, an exchange certificate will be sent to you via mail. The certificate can be redeemed at any Walt Disney World Theme Park ticket window by presenting the exchange certificate, your Disney Vacation Club Member ID card and all adults must present a valid driver's license or state identification card showing they reside in the same household. The Pass is good for 365 days from exchange certificate redemption. Renewals will be valid for 365 days from original Pass Anniversary Date.


When a Walt Disney World Annual or Premium Annual Pass is purchased through any Walt Disney World Theme Park or the Downtown Disney Guest Relations location, your Disney Vacation Club Member ID card must be provided and all adults must present a valid driver's license or state identification card showing they reside in the same household. The Pass is good for 365 days from the date of purchase. Renewals will be valid for 365 days from the original Pass Anniversary Date.


Here's a link to a thread where DebbieB posted the entire article from the DVC Members' Website:

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=683282

Best wishes -

 

[BCV23]

The term used on the member web site is "exchange certificate" but it will be good for 365 days from date of redemption. So they are what we all have been calling vouchers.

I love this perk. THanks DVC.

Dr P, I feel your pain. Plus your work schedule sounds like you need to go at the most dear time in terms of point value. Ouch!!

 

[Mike]

Originally posted by Doctor P
I definitely agree that it won't happen--though, a price increase before January 2, 2005 certainly would not at all be out of the question. And to answer the question, there is nothing wrong with me. I just don't take things for granted. I thought a couple of years ago I might be paranoid to not trust people and to expect that people are out to take advantage of you. Unfortunately, and much to my new boss's shock and surprise, I wasn't being paranoid (and I might add, I ended up getting "sucker punched" because of behaving in good faith, believing the best in people, and expecting people to honor their word) and was the victim of some unfair major retribution and disingenuous behavior on the part of a couple university administrators. So, my patience when I think I am getting a raw deal is even lower than it would normally be. But, that doesn't mean that the DVC'ers who are getting the discount shouldn't be able to take advantage of it, that it isn't a valuable perk, and I think the restrictions that are being placed on its use should help reduce misuse and abuse. I am just hopeful that they listen to those of us to can't benefit from this major perk.

Doctor P meet Dr. Phil. Dr. Phil meet Doctor P. Have fun guys .....

 

[Doctor P]

LOL.

 

[axfather]

If the 2005 price is not published yet, what is the 2004 price?

 

[DrTomorrow]

Remember that, while a DVC discount is a big deal to us, we are probably not the biggest AP purchasing group. So for Disney to annoy the majority to recoup a little from the DVC minority makes no sense.

And Doctor P - with all due respect, you need to find a new job! One week of vacation, sucker punches, bad faith and "Major retribution on the part of University Administrators" - IMHO, nothing is worth that low a quality of life.

 

[BCV23]

BTW, anyone who buys an AP at WDW has the pass activated right away...no voucher. So this is no different than the general public.

 

[tjkraz]

Originally posted by Doctor P
I definitely agree that it won't happen--though, a price increase before January 2, 2005 certainly would not at all be out of the question.

Not out of the question, but also not likely. If Disney ever established a practice of raising prices right after the first of the year, people would buy passes weeks or months in advance to avoid the higher prices. They use the element of surprise to their advantage to insure that additional revenue is realized immediately after the price increase.

That said, there's no reason they couldn't do a one-time price increase this January, but it certainly won't be anything approaching a 25% increase.

There are a lot of shady things DVC/Disney could have done with this discount. It could have been more along the lines of 10% off. They could have given us a discount only on AP renewals, thus making it such that one would have to renew the pass year after year in order to get a discount.

IMO, both the level of discount (25%) and the manner in which it is being administered are more than fair. Will it suit everyone? Of course not.

So, my patience when I think I am getting a raw deal is even lower than it would normally be....I am just hopeful that they listen to those of us to can't benefit from this major perk.

As I said in another thread, if I don't see any way that this discount is a generous reward to all of us who have chosen to buy into DVC. It is an inducement to get PH/PHP users to buy APs, perhaps spending more on their ticket media not to mention spending more $$$ on food, souvenirs and other related items while in the parks.

IMO, giving discounts on some ticket media and not others is no different than the Spoodles dining discount which is only offered at Lunch or the golf discount which is only available after certain times of day.

 

[Johnnie Fedora]

If this perk sticks around for many years, I hope Disney also maintains the discount percentage, and not just the dollar amount of the discount. That way, the value of the perk stays constant with the ever increasing price of AP's.

 

[Doctor P]

Right now, unfortunately, health insurance would be a big issue. It's pretty certain that I am uninsurable if I leave this job, now (and ironically, a major cause of those health problems was the exact situation I described, and it can be documented fairly well because of the regular doctor visits I had before that for other things). Bad morale does not make for a good worker nor a good colleague, and I do my best (and have done well) to not let it get me down, but sometimes it inevitably bubbles to the top when one of my bosses decides to push the same buttons that got the whole thing started in the first place. The sad thing is that the whole issue would go away if one key administrator would just have the guts to confront the retributor, and also just take a chance on my future, but unfortunately the person does not have either the guts or, after using me for their own gain, to stand behind me. And, unfortunately, they have also made overt decisions to not give me the type of necessary experience that would be required to get an appropriate job someplace else (and also use this as an excuse to deny me internal positions). Given that I would need to take a 40-50% cut in pay to move, and give them the satisfaction of driving me out (not all would want to see me go, though, and that is what keeps one going), that doesn't look like a viable option in the near future. Unfortunately, they have tainted me so that I would have trouble moving up inside, too, I fear.