I almost tend to think, in a weird way, that the ever-increasing overcrowding issues at DLR (DL, specifically) are intertwined with the AP issue in a Catch 22 sort of way. The park gets unbearably crowded, largely due to the massive number of people who hold APs, and then, in turn, a lot of folks who do not have APs go to the park on one of these crazy crowded days and decide it is too crazy to deal with and decide "Let's get an AP" so they can come back for a couple of hours here, or a couple of hours there, and do more of what they want to do when it not crowded!! It's one big vicious circle!
That is kind of what my friends (a married couple) just did in December. They had been AP holders for the last couple of years prior to 2009, and due to uncertain job situations they were not going to renew the APs when they expired in late 2009. BUT, because they like to go to DLR during the busy/popular Halloweentime season to see the decorations and during the busier/more popular Christmas season (and they really don't stay for more than a few hours each time), they knew that with the way the crowds are building, they would not have a quality experience if they just went for one day during Halloweentime and one day during Christmastime. They don't have the patience to deal with those crowds for longer than a few hours at a time, so they need APs to be able to go back for a couple of hours here and a couple of hours there on other days when it might not be as crowded! It is a vicious circle!
I realize Disney wants and needs to make money, and we all appreciate what we get at DLR for the money we spend, both in entertainment and in overall joy & magic, and we all know that we have to deal with crowds on some level and we know the best ways to avoid long lines, etc., but if they don't find a way to somehow combat this over-crowding issue (which looks as if it is only going to get worse before it gets better), then I am concerned that the quality of all of our experiences at DLR is going to be greatly affected. I mean, yes, we could all pay our money and go and stand inside the parks, but if we can't move around freely and we feel suffocated, can't walk two feet without being run over by someone or can't take photos because there are too many people in the way, can't go into shops because they are too crowded, etc., and the waits for food and rides - even with PSs and Fast Passes - are longer and longer as the prices get higher and higher, it will be very hard to 'connect to the magic' in DL. People may then all clog up DCA to escape DL or just take a break from DLR for a few years. Unfortunately, not too many people who work or live outside of SoCal have the luxury of being able to pop over to DLR on random weekdays to see things when it is less busy, so they are forced to go at times when it is more crowded. And it's getting harder to have that quality experience.
They're now listed as $439 (PAP) and $299 (DAP).
I wonder what those numbers will look like in August.
Beyond that, I wonder what the AP prices (and the crowds) will look like in 2012, when DCA is all shiny and new. I was very put off by the crowds on 12/19 (when most of the SoCal Ap holders were blocked, I think). It discouraged me from taking many photos, from looking in any shops, etc. The lines for rides were sooooo long (like POTC and HMH, for example) or soooo slow (like Buzz Lilghtyear). And even though the PAP and DAP are great bargains on a whole for what you get with them, the prices are getting so high that it is hard to justify spending that kind of money AND deal with crazy crowds even on the days when the SoCal holders are blocked! Something has to be done to manage this problem at DLR, somehow.
