Because you are not getting my point at ALL
Okay, I have been working hard to understand your view on this. Here's the problem:
I am NOT talking about locals that have a deluxe or a premium. I am talking about SO CAL ap's which make up the majority of local AP holders. They pay a LOT less for a so cal ap then people who have to buy a deluxe. They can also go to the parks a lot more. If they don't go this year they can go next year or whatever.
1. There is no official Disney data that I am aware of that states that So Cal passes make up the majority, but even if they do, that really isn't relevant to what they are entitled to as Disney fans.
2. Yes, they pay less than holders of other AP-types BUT they are NOT able to go to the Parks a lot more.
- Deluxe AP holders CAN enter the Parks 315 days a year.
- So Cal AP holders CAN enter the Parks 215 days a year.
- So Cal Select AP holders CAN enter the Parks only 170 days a year.
3. If they don't go this year, they cannot go next year unless they buy another pass next year.
Just because someone lives in Southern CA and has a So. Cal. pass does not mean that they don't have responsibilities, a job, school, a family, and a million other things that keeps them from living at
Disneyland as we all wish we could.
But using that logic, local Deluxe passholders can go 315 days a year and local Premium passholders can go 365 days a year. But they won't. Just as So Cal AP holders won't go 170 or 215 days/year.
My point is that people who are coming from a distance and paying airfare, hotel, etc and then can't get in....
And this is my major disagreement with your view (which, yes, you are completely entitled to, we are just having a discussion
). Yes, you are paying airfare. It is not going to Disney. Yes, you are paying hotel. It is also not going to Disney (as you stated earlier that you are staying off-site). So, why does Disney have any extra incentive to "hold" a spot for a similar guest? You are ALLOWED to use your pass 315 times/year. How many times you actually use it is up to you. You ARE indeed spending a lot of money to come down, but NONE of it is going to Disney (hotel, airfare, etc...).
Aos, where do you draw the line? Let's say only "out of town" passholders are allowed in. So, we have eliminated all So. Cal. AP holders. What about No. Cal? Nevada? Arizona? New Mexico? Mississippi? New York? England? Where is the dividing line of those who have the right to buy AP blockout passes that allows them to go into the Park on NYE? There's just no fair way to do it with your approach. The only fair way is first-come-first-serve. If you have a valid ticket (AP, blockout ticket, daily ticket) and are in before the fire marshall cuts it off, you are in. How else could it fairly be done? I am honestly asking. it is fair. It is equitable. Everyone knows that they have to get in before the lock falls.
Now it seems we have to get there at the crack of dawn and sit there. We did not plan on getting to do much anyway but really didn't want to have to be there from opening to closing just to see the fireworks.
Now please do not misunderstand me. I COMPLETELY understand your thoughts on this part. No one really wants to get to a NYE celebration at 10am (not a set time, btw, just one that someone here on DIS through out there). VERY FEW locals that I know want to spend 15 hours at Disneyland. Remember, they are not on vacation. They are stepping out of "real life" for a day to do so, having to deal with childcare, work, who-knows-what-else. But if you want to be in DL at midnight on NYE, that's how it works.
We did it once. We will never do it again. Main Street at midnight was so tight with shoulder to shoulder people that you literally could not move. We were tired. Our feet hurt. We had both worked the day before. I had to work the next day. We had to spend over two hours to get out of the Park and get to our car. We had to drive home at 3am (started to leave the Park very shortly after midnight). DH, almost 10 years later, still tonight said that he will never ever do it again. But we did it once. And we were in the Park by noon. Just to make sure we could do it. Once. It's not easy on anyone. But hopefully, you want to do it bad enough and you enjoy it. Otherwise, no, it's not worth it.
Yes I think everyone is entitled to go to the parks as many times as they want but when the locals who can go pretty much anytime they want crowd the place up so much that the out of towners can't go to me then yes it is dissapointing.
I can see how the thought of not being able to get in can be disappointing. However, hopefully, you can see that it is not an issue of So Cal AP holders vs everyone else or local AP holders vs. out-of-towners, but each person for themselves, using the advantages that you have going for you (valid AP on that day, staying onsite, not leaving once inside) to hope for the best day you can have.
At this point we may not even do it. I have planned well in advance but NO I didn't know that the price of the blockout tickets went up. Last I heard they were 50 not 70!
I say this part with true, genuine heartfelt compassion. If this is THAT important to you. If it's what you want to do for your daughter for her birthday. If everything else about it "works" for you, don't let $20 x ____ be the thing that stops you. You can make that up by sharing a few meals, buying a less expensive souvenir, i-don'-know-your-world-but-cutting-somewhere. It's not enough to be a deal-breaker if this is your dream trip.
It is really irrelevent because at these prices they are going to eliminate alot of out of towners.
As well as people in So Cal who are watching money, as well.
I hope you can see what I am trying to convey. I understand your view and I appreciate you sharing it. I hope you are able to have a celebration for your daughter's birthday that she enjoy, wherever and whatever that may be.
- Dreams
If they stop selling tickets and you don't have one, you have no way into the Park and they will not let you in just because you have a Club 33 reservation (because you do not havo accompanying ticket).
