Costco no longer selling Disneyland Resort vacation packages

[joseph821]

On the Costco Travel website, when you go to the Disneyland Resort page, you'll find the following message: “Costco Travel is not accepting new reservations to the Disneyland Resort. Guests with existing packages through 2025 can still modify their reservations by calling (877) 849-2730.”

https://www.costcotravel.com/Specialty/Disney/Disneyland-Resort

 

[cruisehopeful]

I wonder why.

 

[joseph821]

I wonder why.

I called the Walt Disney Travel Company this afternoon to check on a few things for my upcoming trips. I mentioned Costco and the cast member told me Disney decided not to renew Disneyland travel with Costco because it would rather have vacationers book directly through Disney and the volume of business was not worth it. WDW has a lot for hotel rooms so for now WDW packages exist. The cast member mentioned with all the special ticket sales and hotel sales the company does not need Costco marketing anymore for Disneyland.

 

[LKing]

Wow, that was fast! Did they ever sell the 70th tickets?

 

[joseph821]

Wow, that was fast! Did they ever sell the 70th tickets?

No. Scheduled to start May 19th. I do not think so. Disney just had great corporate earnings and theme park revenue and profits were up as compared to last year.
Now with Magic Keys opening up again. Disneyland does not need Cosctco anymore and once it is gone -- it is gone. Locals, Key holders and out-of-town vacationers can go directly to Disneyland. I am wondering if Get Away Today packages are next.

 

[Tinkaboo]

Wow...they have had a relationship for A LOOOONNNNGGGG TIME...we bought a package many years ago- we stayed at the Carousel Inn...was really inexpensive as I recall. Too bad...I'm sure there is a back story, perhaps Costco was wanting a larger piece of the pie....and we all know how Disney doesn't share well...lol

Weren't the Costco packages the ones where you got a gift card, too? The profit margin must have been too low.

 

[LKing]

It must have something to do with California because Costco doesn't seem to be selling any Disney Cruises out of San Diego.

 

[joseph821]

Wow...they have had a relationship for A LOOOONNNNGGGG TIME...we bought a package many years ago- we stayed at the Carousel Inn...was really inexpensive as I recall. Too bad...I'm sure there is a back story, perhaps Costco was wanting a larger piece of the pie....and we all know how Disney doesn't share well...lol

Weren't the Costco packages the ones where you got a gift card, too? The profit margin must have been too low.

Yep. Profit margins were low. Disneyland has become a stronger seller of its admission tickets and packages/hotel sales promos.

 

[joseph821]

It must have something to do with California because Costco doesn't seem to be selling any Disney Cruises out of San Diego.

That is possible. Maybe CA has added new taxes and fees and it is no longer profitable and viable. Costco being cut out - hurts Costco. If Costco loses WDW that is very bad for them.

 

[LeiaOfAlderaan]

It must have something to do with California because Costco doesn't seem to be selling any Disney Cruises out of San Diego.

Wow thanks for posting this. I was recently looking at a cruise from SD for April ‘26 and now it’s gone. I will be sad to not get that Costco card!

ETA: I wonder if there are some negotiations going on behind the scenes and the packages and cruises will come back eventually.

 

[cruisehopeful]

Wow thanks for posting this. I was recently looking at a cruise from SD for April ‘26 and now it’s gone. I will be sad to not get that Costco card!

ETA: I wonder if there are some negotiations going on behind the scenes and the packages and cruises will come back eventually.

If you book through DCL, you can try to transfer the booking. I always book through DCL and then transfer to Costco. It'll be interesting if they can't do it for San Diego anymore.

 

[Huskerpal]

I guess Disney's data showed those customers where not spending enough the justify the marketing expense. Not the demographic The Mouse is looking to attract these days.

 

[LKing]

I found Disney Cruises being offered again. https://www.costcotravel.com/Cruise-Travel-Offers/20240624uDCL

 

[LAS2AMS]

I call fluff on the CM’s explanation. It’s been years since Costco had exclusive Disney savings (remember the DCA-only annual passes available only via Costco). Not everyone traveling to Disney is a Disney fanatic, and hundreds of thousands of people make decisions on vacations based upon literature reserved from Costco.

My guess is that Costco is in negotiations with Disney and DLR packages will resume, just as DCL-San Diego did.

Regardless, Disney isn’t giving up its relationship with travel agents. Get Away Today offers far more personable service than Costco and for many, that’s invalaubale. It’s also the only travel agency I’m aware of that has negotiated its own rates, promotions and perks with DLR-area hotels.

 

[joseph821]

I call fluff on the CM’s explanation. It’s been years since Costco had exclusive Disney savings (remember the DCA-only annual passes available only via Costco). Not everyone traveling to Disney is a Disney fanatic, and hundreds of thousands of people make decisions on vacations based upon literature reserved from Costco.

My guess is that Costco is in negotiations with Disney and DLR packages will resume, just as DCL-San Diego did.

Regardless, Disney isn’t giving up its relationship with travel agents. Get Away Today offers far more personable service than Costco and for many, that’s invalaubale. It’s also the only travel agency I’m aware of that has negotiated its own rates, promotions and perks with DLR-area hotels.

Might be true. Usually in negotiations, one party does not unilaterally drop the other. The Cruise business is much different than DLR packages. Costco Travel has a lot of access to its members for all the marketing. Sam's Club Travel still has Disneyland right now and Walmart, Sam's Club's owner has a lot more power than Costco. Sam's and Costco have a little over 600 stores each nationwide.

Honestly with the internet, the literature is limited. We shall see what happens with Costco. My guess is Disneyland does not make much money from the Costco deals. With Sam's Club and Walmart - Disney can leverage all its products that it sells. Costco sells a very limited amount of Disney goods.

Disney can do business with travel agents. Having travel deals just because you belong to Costco or Sam's maybe becoming a thing of the past that marketing began in the 1980s and time moves on.

 

[joseph821]

Wow, that was fast! Did they ever sell the 70th tickets?

Sam's Club is selling the 70th ticket deals.

 

[LAS2AMS]

Might be true. Usually in negotiations, one party does not unilaterally drop the other. The Cruise business is much different than DLR packages. Costco Travel has a lot of access to its members for all the marketing. Sam's Club Travel still has Disneyland right now and Walmart, Sam's Club's owner has a lot more power than Costco. Sam's and Costco have a little over 600 stores each nationwide.

Honestly with the internet, the literature is limited. We shall see what happens with Costco. My guess is Disneyland does not make much money from the Costco deals. With Sam's Club and Walmart - Disney can leverage all its products that it sells. Costco sells a very limited amount of Disney goods.

Disney can do business with travel agents. Having travel deals just because you belong to Costco or Sam's maybe becoming a thing of the past that marketing began in the 1980s and time moves on.

You’re underestimating Costco’s reach. No question their literature (on their website, not printed) inspires oodles of vacations - even if they’re not booked through Costco. For example, maybe somebody was scrolling through their website, saw information on the 70th, and thought ‘that sounds really nice, we haven’t been to DLR yet.’

I suspect Costco wants more money from Disney. We shall see.

 

[joseph821]

You’re underestimating Costco’s reach. No question their literature (on their website, not printed) inspires oodles of vacations - even if they’re not booked through Costco. For example, maybe somebody was scrolling through their website, saw information on the 70th, and thought ‘that sounds really nice, we haven’t been to DLR yet.’

I suspect Costco wants more money from Disney. We shall see.

Not understimating Costco's reach. I always read the brochures. But I do not think Costco has much leverage left anymore. You do not need Costco you can use google. Sam's Club only sells Disneyland and WDW tickets and provides "discounted rates" to WDW hotels which are never available. The perks that Costco offered were more generous than what Disneyland offered directly...those days are over.

The economy is changing right now and not for the better for the travel industry and theme parks. Costco has over 100M members in the USA and a huge majority do not use their Travel services. The internet has gutted the travel industry. You can easily book your own vacation, airfares, travel insurance and cruises....you do not need Costco or Sam's Club anymore.

 

[LKing]

Sam's Club is selling the 70th ticket deals.

Was Sams always going to sell them? Could Costco have been negotiating for an exclusive and didn't get it so pulled out of Disneyland vacations completely?

 

[joseph821]

Was Sams always going to sell them? Could Costco have been negotiating for an exclusive and didn't get it so pulled out of Disneyland vacations completely?

I do not think Sam's Club was slated to sell 70th tickets.. I belong to Costco and Sam's and only got promo emails from Costco regading the 70th tickets.