AP Sales Paused

[eandt]

Not to be insensitive - truly - but Florida has had to pass special consumer protection laws for timeshare sales because there's so much pressure and puffery in timeshare sales pitches. To me, that's a huge tipoff that anything not expressly promised in the contract should not be relied upon when deciding whether to buy.

It certainly wasn't "relied upon" as at least for now I don't regret our decision, just pointing out that while they are just "selling you the room" they are certainly not just "selling you the room" ... they are selling you on a host of other things as well, whether or not they can deliver them. I don't believe it to be nefarious but it's there. If they just said that all these 10's of 1000's of dollars will just get you a room for 40 years how many would still buy? But when they sell you the room PLUS a "piece of the Magic" (we probably all have differing opinions on what that means) we all asked who do we make the check out to ....

 

[CBMom01]

It certainly wasn't "relied upon" as at least for now I don't regret our decision, just pointing out that while they are just "selling you the room" they are certainly not just "selling you the room" ... they are selling you on a host of other things as well, whether or not they can deliver them. I don't believe it to be nefarious but it's there. If they just said that all these 10's of 1000's of dollars will just get you a room for 40 years how many would still buy? But when they sell you the room PLUS a "piece of the Magic" (we probably all have differing opinions on what that means) we all asked who do we make the check out to ....

I totally get it. You could never have sold me a non-Disney timeshare at any price, but I briefly considered DVC.

 

[Brian Noble]

(Signed, this UCLA grad '86).

My your knife chip and shatter this Saturday. (But thanks for beating USC).

 

[DonMacGregor]

My your knife chip and shatter this Saturday. (But thanks for beating USC).

It's gonna be a great game. Too evenly matched to call to be honest, even though Vegas likes the Bruins with Cal +7. We both played Oregon pretty evenly (and strongly). We shall see. I'll be channeling the spirit of Coach Donahue (3 Rose Bowls while I was there) and I think that will give us the edge we need.

 

[Teloria]

Here's something I don't understand fully, since I don't understand APs fully. I'm really sorry if this was already addressed earlier and I just didn't understand the words y'all used to address it...

Just last week, we purchased my mom a voucher for a Sorcerer pass. She needs to go activate it and show she's a FL resident. She can still go an activate it at any time, right? I can't imagine we lost that money or have to use the funds toward a different purchase...

 

[chicagodisneyguy]

Here's something I don't understand fully, since I don't understand APs fully. I'm really sorry if this was already addressed earlier and I just didn't understand the words y'all used to address it...

Just last week, we purchased my mom a voucher for a Sorcerer pass. She needs to go activate it and show she's a FL resident. She can still go an activate it at any time, right? I can't imagine we lost that money or have to use the funds toward a different purchase...

She can indeed activate it any time in the near future. I don't know if the new vouchers have closer expiration dates as my current pass was a Gold voucher that expired in 2030. I would think you should be able to see the expiration date of the voucher in the Mydisneyexperience app

 

[Sandisw]

It certainly wasn't "relied upon" as at least for now I don't regret our decision, just pointing out that while they are just "selling you the room" they are certainly not just "selling you the room" ... they are selling you on a host of other things as well, whether or not they can deliver them. I don't believe it to be nefarious but it's there. If they just said that all these 10's of 1000's of dollars will just get you a room for 40 years how many would still buy? But when they sell you the room PLUS a "piece of the Magic" (we probably all have differing opinions on what that means) we all asked who do we make the check out to ....

That is certainly true, but lets be fair. The AP suspensions have to do with what is going on and capacity.

Prior to 2020, something like this had never happened, and DVC has always done a great job of having perks to enhance the product.

Right now, there are just too many other factors In play here that will change things temporarily in terms of the extras.

I’m willing to give them a little bit of slack the next few years if adjustments are made to not include as much as they had.

 

[Aussie RJ]

I’m willing to give them a little bit of slack

I give them nothing. This is all about running leaner with less staff and less product. In the meantime they raise prices to even out the bottom line. Chapek said it himself in one of the shareholder briefings last year.

 

[Sandisw]

I give them nothing. This is all about running leaner with less staff and less product. In the meantime they raise prices to even out the bottom line. Chapek said it himself in one of the shareholder briefings last year.

And just like me, you get to feel whatever way you want about it all.

 

[DVC92]

That is certainly true, but lets be fair. The AP suspensions have to do with what is going on and capacity.

Prior to 2020, something like this had never happened, and DVC has always done a great job of having perks to enhance the product.

Right now, there are just too many other factors In play here that will change things temporarily in terms of the extras.

I’m willing to give them a little bit of slack the next few years if adjustments are made to not include as much as they had.

You don't know if the suspensions have to do with capacity. Apparently, they believe capacity is controlled with the ridiculous park reservation system. They may just be figuring out how to add genie+ into APs to force everyone who buys an AP to pay for it and encourage others to get APs.

 

[corpcomp]

I give them nothing. This is all about running leaner with less staff and less product. In the meantime they raise prices to even out the bottom line. Chapek said it himself in one of the shareholder briefings last year.

Well he's doing a wonderful job with the stock cratering from about $184 to $152. Since the execs all have stock options or restricted stock, they are taking a bath. Fortunately I activated my AP 10 days ago.

 

[Sandisw]

You don't know if the suspensions have to do with capacity. Apparently, they believe capacity is controlled with the ridiculous park reservation system. They may just be figuring out how to add genie+ into APs to force everyone who buys an AP to pay for it and encourage others to get APs.

Based on all the information I have, yes, that is indeed playing a role.

Again, people who are already booked with plans to upgrade are certainly set with having a spot.

But someone buying a new AP does not and it would be more of a hassle to sell something to people that will be limited.

Of course, they could also take this time to enhance the things you mention.

But the stoppage of this and MYW tickets are being impacted by crowds.

 

[SL6827]

I have three 4-day park tickets in my MDE. The plan was to use them in January 2022 but now the plan is for January 2023.

Makes me wonder if Disney could ever place a time stamp for use on them in case we have to push the trip out even later? I put nothing past them now.

 

[tjkraz]

I give them nothing. This is all about running leaner with less staff and less product. In the meantime they raise prices to even out the bottom line. Chapek said it himself in one of the shareholder briefings last year.

You're right, but supply and demand are going to steer the ship.

I'm hesitant to use the phrase "new normal", but our "current normal" features reduced theme park capacity, tight labor market and inflationary operating costs. The presence of Park Pass sellouts suggests Disney couldn't accommodate pre-2020 crowds if they wanted to. Right now, they're no longer in it to sell as many tickets and hotel rooms as possible. It's more about finding the highest price consumers will tolerate for the capacity that exists.

I don't agree with some of their methods. Still hate the idea of Genie+. But it's probably a little naive to think they would continue with the same level of service and same prices when they simply cannot sell as many tickets / APs as they could pre-Covid.

 

[MICKIMINI]

I have three 4-day park tickets in my MDE. The plan was to use them in January 2022 but now the plan is for January 2023.

Makes me wonder if Disney could ever place a time stamp for use on them in case we have to push the trip out even later? I put nothing past them now.

Tickets are always worth what you paid for them. If prices are higher in 2023 or whenever you actually use them, you pay the difference.

 

[SL6827]

Tickets are always worth what you paid for them. If prices are higher in 2023 or whenever you actually use them, you pay the difference.

Yes, I will pay the difference. I hope that will just be it.

 

[DonMacGregor]

But it's probably a little naive to think they would continue with the same level of service and same prices when they simply cannot sell as many tickets / APs as they could pre-Covid.

Not to mention the labor market. They are still struggling to get people back, and the cost of labor will increase significantly going forward. Just look at the labor issues they are having in Anaheim with the current MSA there:

UPDATE: Disneyland Strike Looms As Vote Date Is Set

 

[pinkxray]

I have never had an AP, probably never will.When I saw this announcement I was reminded of this scene.

Im sure many people were hoping to upgrade at the end of their trip since Thanksgiving is blacked out now. Really stinks for a lot of people.

 

[WB1971]

As I understand it, Group A (current AP holders) can still make reservations for any open day.

At the same time, they are reserving space for those people who will be booking into a Disney resort and intend to go to the parks. It would be very, very disappointing trip to book a stay at the Grand Floridian at rack rates, and then told you can't actually get into a Disney park while staying at a Disney owned hotel on the monorail loop on Disney property. The level of fail there is significantly more than denying a few locals who didn't purchase AP's in the 4 months they have had time to do it.

And yes, unfortunately there are people like DVC and other frequenters who are caught in the cross-fire. But in this world and this pandemic, you do have to choose your evils.

In the same position, as a leader, if my people told me I had to choose between disappointing some locals who didn't purchase AP's, and disappointing people who travelled here from Europe on a once in a lifetime trip to Disney staying at a Disney hotel, you can bet your last pair of socks I would make the same decision - as would almost every other successful business leader in the world.

And that decision sucks. It sucks for them to make it. It would suck for me to make it and I would hate it to the depths of my soul. But nonetheless, it has to be made and there it is.

Or get rid of the silly and unnecessary reservation system and go back to what somehow basically worked for everyone for almost 49 years. Parks would reach actual capacity during the day a few days a year and that was okay.

 

[eandt]

That is certainly true, but lets be fair. The AP suspensions have to do with what is going on and capacity.

Prior to 2020, something like this had never happened, and DVC has always done a great job of having perks to enhance the product.

Right now, there are just too many other factors In play here that will change things temporarily in terms of the extras.

I’m willing to give them a little bit of slack the next few years if adjustments are made to not include as much as they had.

Could be because of capacity or maybe it's not, who knows? This could be handled so much better by just being honest and open with their customers. Why "pause" without explanation, what is the big secret? I "paused" my add on purchase and told my guide exactly why I was "pausing" it.