Disney confirming to TAs: BRP now REPLACES AP codes

[A Mickeyfan]

This is getting to be along thread, I don't know if this has been addressed but I was wondering, what about the "poor unfortunate souls" that don't have internet access to book the Best Rate Plan? I am sometimes Too Connected, only way too much, but what about people that haven't got access to a computer/internet, how can they book BR?

I am not sure either if it has been addressed, but that is a very good & valid question. I guess Disney doesn't care that everyone isn't up to the technology that they have ... and let me tell you, theirs isn't without its problems. That is something I would call them and ask??? See what type of response they give you... good luck.

 

[cobbler]

This is getting to be along thread, I don't know if this has been addressed but I was wondering, what about the "poor unfortunate souls" that don't have internet access to book the Best Rate Plan? I am sometimes Too Connected, only way too much, but what about people that haven't got access to a computer/internet, how can they book BR?

Good point. Not only did I NOT hear about these changes from Disney (and being a passholder they should have let everyone know somehow), I found out here and still haven't received any kind of word from them about the new program.

If it wasn't for here I would have never known about it nor known to log on to try it out and see.

 

[rcraw45425]

Well, with our AP's (mine and 1 DD, DH and other DD have been using up existing PH's and we bought MYW's last time), we have so far gone ~12 days and have a reservation coming up in October for HP and one booked for APril '06(plan to buy DH and DD AP's this coming trip so we don't have renewals all at one time). I have saved oodles off rackrate thanks to the AP discount and comp upgrades at GF and YC. I have more than recouped the $700 investment. I will probably keep my CR reservation for APril even though rack is a killer, but I may be rethinking our 4 trips a year. I was even contemplating a trip in January before our AP's need to be renewed, we had YC at $199 a night AP this past Feb. Maybe not now. I plan to wait till Sue Ellen with Dreams gets back from vacation and pose these questions to her. She is a moderator on the Resort board, maybe she'll have some positive news.

 

[lillygator]

I'm with you. I bought my first ever regular annual pass last January. When it expires in January 2006 I will have used it to get into the parks for 36 days making it a heck of a deal, about $12.00 per day. I'm thrilled that Disney offered me a "frequent visitor" perk by making an AP available. On top of that I've got an AP rate on rooms twice already the "old" way. What a bonus, saved well over $2500 from rack rate. I've booked Best Rate rooms at the CBR and GF in Demember saving an additional $600.00 from rack rate. They offered me the chance to buy into DDE which has saved me more than I can figure (We enjoy good food and good wine). I wish other companies would treat me as "poorly" as some of you feel Disney has.

Shelly

I am so with you on this.

Since WDW has been doing this for so long we all have come to expect the discounts. I always book a room at a rate I can afford whether or not discounts come out. Am I happy when they do? You betcha! But if they don't I am not going to complain to Disney that they have done me wrong etc...WDW is not going to be able to make every booking customer happy. They are going to try for the masses - if the best rate program goes over well, I am sure they will keep it for a while, but as always things change pretty frequently.



I am a fan of the best rate program so far. I have two reservations booked, one in October and one in December and one with the infamous glitch in November.

 

[kirbsam]

I'm with you. I bought my first ever regular annual pass last January. When it expires in January 2006 I will have used it to get into the parks for 36 days making it a heck of a deal, about $12.00 per day. I'm thrilled that Disney offered me a "frequent visitor" perk by making an AP available. On top of that I've got an AP rate on rooms twice already the "old" way. What a bonus, saved well over $2500 from rack rate. I've booked Best Rate rooms at the CBR and GF in Demember saving an additional $600.00 from rack rate. They offered me the chance to buy into DDE which has saved me more than I can figure (We enjoy good food and good wine). I wish other companies would treat me as "poorly" as some of you feel Disney has.

Shelly

Great post, and long overdue. You are using your ap, and feeling great about it. You know that even if all you ever get is admission and dining it is worth the money. When life gives you lemons, make lemonade. Thanks for reminding us that the glass is actually more than half full.

 

[Fred20]

. I plan to wait till Sue Ellen with Dreams gets back from vacation and pose these questions to her. She is a moderator on the Resort board, maybe she'll have some positive news.

This is exactly what I am doing - currently I have reservations ( booked in December ) for this October which fall into the "black hole" with regard to Best Rate so I am waiting for Sue Ellen to get back before I decide what to do next

I have both the Yacht Club and AKL booked at Rack rate which I could afford but I simply don't want to pay that much for a hotel room which is used mainly for sleeping . It doesn't make economical sense to me to pay rack rates for a bed for the night

Fred

 

[WillCAD]

I'd bet there are many like me that will continue to make trips, shifting the budget around, no matter what business decisions are made, as long as we can still see Illuminations, Wishes, Spectromagic, and Fantasmic.

I'm still taking my trip in December, for MouseFest, because I have already saved money for it and made ressies for it and commited to a lot of MouseFest events.

I'm certainly not going to deny myself of Disneyworld fun to make a point. Make a point to who? How is this going to change anything other than the fact that I wouldn't get to go to Disney?

I'm not denying myself WDW to make a point - I'm denying myself WDW because without the AP rates, I can only afford a single trip per year and only if I stay off-site.

I live paycheck to paycheck, saving a few bucks each week, and I never know until 30-45 days beforehand whether I will actually be able to make a planned trip or not. I may begin planning a trip 6 months in advance, but I never commit to anything that's non-refundable until I get close - which means I can't use the BRP, and since I can't afford the exhorbitant rack rates at even the Value resorts, that means that when i go, I must stay off-site.

But after 15 years of WDW trips, Disney's behavior in the last few years have left a bitter taste in my mouth. No MKC, no Disney Club, AP bennies shrinking (remember when APs got you discounts at all restaurants and all the stores at DD?), cutbacks in all aspects of WDW operations - shows, parades, fireworks, and especially janitorial and maintenance - all of these things happened while the price of an average day at WDW has climbed steadily, along with the cost of a meal, a snack, and a Coke.

A trip to WDW can still be a magical experience, but it is fast becoming one that can only be experienced by the rich. Don't get me wrong, I don't mind paying more to get more, but these days, we're paying more and getting less, and no amount of pixie dust can fix that.

But I'm a forgiving type of person, up to a point, and I would still figure out some way to afford WDW - until this latest debacle. I cannot abide being lied to by a business. I won't stand for it without making some noise - which I did, by email.

I am not the only person who sent in an email or letter when the BRP was initiated, complaining about the terms, and who received a phone call in response assuring me in no uncertain terms that call-in AP code rates would NOT be going away. And now they are. That's a lie - and it's a deceptive business practice. It's as bad as a bait-and-switch scam, and it's the technique of a shady company.

Disney used to be about making money by providing the best vacation experience in the world to it's Guests. Service was premium, quality was paramount, and cleanliness was immaculate. And you paid more for that than you would at some other destination.

But today, Disney is about making money by any means necessary. Service is poor, quality is mediocre at best - and sometimes poor - and cleanliness is next to extinct. CMs are poorly trained and poorly informed, both at CRO and at the resort, and maintenance has been lackluster at best, with filthy bathrooms, litter on the sidewalks, cracked concrete, faded colors, and rusty metal (especially at Epcot). But they are still charging that premium price.

Much as I love vacationing at WDW, I cannot afford, nor can I abide, paying premium prices for sub-par services. I'll be back to WDW eventually, that's unquestioned, but I'm going to take the year off next year and explore some other alternatives, like Vegas.

 

[Sammie]

This is getting to be along thread, I don't know if this has been addressed but I was wondering, what about the "poor unfortunate souls" that don't have internet access to book the Best Rate Plan? I am sometimes Too Connected, only way too much, but what about people that haven't got access to a computer/internet, how can they book BR?

They can book with a travel agent, at no cost to them. I seriously doubt that many guests that can afford Disney vacations and have annual passes do not have some type of access to a computer, either at home, work, or the local library.

I think we are stretching on this.

 

[tigger1968]

Actually, I was told by a CM several weeks ago, that they were being told that phone rates would always be available in some fashion for just that reason. There will always be people who can't or won't use the internet to book. It seems reasonable to me, but it does look like someone higher up changed their minds....

 

[WDWBetsy]

Service is poor, quality is mediocre at best - and sometimes poor - and cleanliness is next to extinct. CMs are poorly trained and poorly informed, both at CRO and at the resort, and maintenance has been lackluster at best, with filthy bathrooms, litter on the sidewalks, cracked concrete, faded colors, and rusty metal (especially at Epcot). But they are still charging that premium price.

Really? Forgive me, but the majority of posts that I read do not reflect this. Sure, every hotel/resort has a bad day when employees don't do their best. But does this mean that Disney World as a whole is dirty and untidy or that their CMs don't care? I beg to differ.

I won't argue that the consistency among CMs is lacking. But this happens in all large companies and even our own government.

And I'm sorry - but your being an AP holder does not make you any more loyal than those who go every year or more. It only makes you someone who has a ticket that allows entry 365 days a year. That's it.

Have you traveled more and perhaps taken advantage of great rates they've offered during slow times? I'm sure you have. But that doesn't make you loyal, and I would imagine most people weren't thinking that them doing so was saving the company. They were grabbing a great rate when travel was down and using it to their advantage. Which is not a bad thing. But I don't define that as loyalty. That's my opinion.

I'm sorry that this AP/BR situation has made so many people angry. And as for someone calling you and telling you something a couple months ago. Isn't it possible that the higher-ups changed something after you received the call? Does that mean the person who called you lied? No. It just means that someone with more authority is possibly changing the program. Do we even know this is fact at this point??

I guess I'm one of the few who believe if I purchase an AP, it's so I can save on park admission. I personally don't care what Disney has historically done in terms of AP rates. It's a benefit that they market as periodic discounts. Unfortunately, discussion boards like this promote it more loosely as a given. And I personally don't think Disney owes AP holders any more than admission into the parks 365 days a year.

 

[PrincessMo]

Another vote for the best rate plan here too !

I have had 30 days admission from my AP plus 10 days AP rates the old way and 7 on the new BR system booked at 120 days. I have also ordered a DDE card for Oct trip.

I wil renew my AP in Nov when it's due no problem !!

I was checking the AP best rate site out last night and was really surprised to be offered 42.5% discount on Poly GVC for 23-29 DEC. We snapped that up right away. I LOVE THE NEW SYSTEM

That's a great rate!!! Wish i was offered that on the BRP...I would book then too. Only getting like %15 (maybe not even) off of 10 nights at the Grand in mid-December. If I was offered a better rate I would love it too.

 

[EjandMD]

WilCad-
I think you make a valid point. My DH and I have no kids yet. But when we do we won't get to go there as much as we do now. I live in Michigan so as AP holders we may hit two trips with 10-14 days at the most. We don't live paycheck to paycheck but we save a lot, and don't spend money willie nillie. So when we go, like this Dec., we are not buying each other christmas gifts. We don't drive fancy cars or wear desinger clothing. But we are both young attorneys who owe A LOT to my student loan so we watch every penny. When we have kids, we will probably save all year for that one trip and we will probably be lucky if we stay at moderate or else it's all value for us.

So good for all the people who can take 35 days off of work, I wish I could. But also remember those people are in the minority.

I don't think you feel like Disney owes you anything. They don't owe me anything either, but gosh when you look at how much they make a year you would think, like Vegas they would want to give you a deep discount on your room cause your just going to spend that same money elsewhere at the parks or DTD.

 

[rcraw45425]

EJandMD, have to laugh, you said once the kids come the trips will slow down, think again! Our girls are 8 &10 now, we go more than ever. We are blessed by the fact that DH has a well paying job (I hear you about the student loans, they will get easier, eventually!). IT is very stressful though. He works 14-16 days per month, 12 hour shifts. When he is off we like to have fun, and we are lucky to live within driving distance. WE have found that we can spend as much on a weekend trip to the mountains as we can on a short three to four day WDW trip. A girlfriend and I had lunch last week and we agreed, both of our husbands enjoy WDW as much as our kids. Enjoy your time together but don't think the trips will slow down once the babies come

 

[Bella2000]

We were just discussing this last night and a friend (sr mgmt in hotel business) who refers to me as a "Disney Freak" said - it didn't make sense from a business perspective (non refundable rate, only online) and he found it interesting that people put up with things from Disney because it's Disney and we're Disney freaks (that word again). Hmmm interesting thing to ponder.

Do I except certain business changes at Disney that I would not at other companies? I know that my expectations of Disney are high but do I also give them more leeway due to my Disney sentiments? I'm not naive but it made me wonder - when Disney got rid of the MKC card and then early entry I was very unhappy. I wrote letters. If Disney stops the Disney Visa after people have used it exclusively for points would that be the last draw? (I don't have a Disney Visa I'm just using it as an example). Disney is an entertainment company that relies on good PR and yet they have this habit of floating change that may not be consumer-centric and depending on the negative reaction it (sometimes) is removed, or tweaked if there is enough discontent. Is this good business or does Disney just feel they have the market and the control? "Do it and beg forgiveness afterwards" is a method that many businesses use thinking most people will just except it and move on.

 

[EjandMD]

RCraw-
I hope you're right and my DH is a much as a Disney nut as I!

 

[rcraw45425]

EjandMD, well then, you're guaranteed at least one trip a year for life then! Our kids friends keep telling us they plan to stow away in our car since we go so often. The bug got really bad last year.... we planned our usual April trip (rack rates, pre DIS board), usually go down for the big air show in Lakeland (DH's other passion, private planes). Things came up and forced us to cancel, then when we decided to rebook we wound up offsite. Well, in June of last year Disney released a GA residents code, I booked CR for ~$150 a night with tax. That was also DD10's birthday month. Then about August DH siad he'd really like to go in the fall again like we did several years ago. That's when I found this board. I booked AKL at rack rate, ordered Halloween PArty tickets. Then, decided to split stay with WL. Then general codes came out I could get WL for ~$165 a night for two nights, then no code, room went to close to $300 a night. But wait, the Poly had general code rooms available for $239 a night, hey our first (and only) split stay. BTW, DH's 45th birthday fell in there, sense a pattern? Well, at Christmas my Dad had some health problems, I was under a lot of stress, only child. Add to that I lost my mother on Christmas eve 2001, not feeling too good. Well, I get home from hospital after Dad had Pacemaker installed, kids greet me with we three decided that we need to get away somewhere warm, like Disney. I said yeah, our April trip is booked, they said, no like in the next month. Yep, we head back the first of Feb to the YC. Then April at the GF for younger DD's birthday (real pattern now!), then we had a trip scheduled for WL for other DDs June birthday. DH says cancel, it's too soon. We went to the beach instead, which they decided to dredge up sand to renourish while we were there, no swimming on Kelly's birthday. Would that have happened at Disney? Well, by the first of July DH was ready to go back, this time we had to stay at a moderate, really made us appreciate the deluxes! Needless to say, JEff's birthday this year is an actual Halloween party night. Yep, we'll be there. Now if only one of the onsite MD positions would open up there, we'd be moving in a heartbeat!

 

[WillCAD]

Really? Forgive me, but the majority of posts that I read do not reflect this. Sure, every hotel/resort has a bad day when employees don't do their best. But does this mean that Disney World as a whole is dirty and untidy or that their CMs don't care? I beg to differ.

Epcot is the worst of the parks, which pains me, because it is my favorite park, but here are some examples:
Cracked concrete on walkways between FW and WS, faded colors on all the buildings in FW, dirt in the places where walkways meet curbs and walls along the WS lagoon, rusty metal on railings along the lagoon, trash and food refuse in the outdoor seating area in Norway and outdoor and indoor areas of the Electric Umbrella, faded colors in the colored concrete in Mexico, condiment bar in EU a mess, and not a single clean bathroom in the entire park in either Dec 2003 or Dec 2004 (though they improved markedly in May 2005).

And I'm sorry - but your being an AP holder does not make you any more loyal than those who go every year or more. It only makes you someone who has a ticket that allows entry 365 days a year. That's it.

Have you traveled more and perhaps taken advantage of great rates they've offered during slow times? I'm sure you have. But that doesn't make you loyal, and I would imagine most people weren't thinking that them doing so was saving the company. They were grabbing a great rate when travel was down and using it to their advantage. Which is not a bad thing. But I don't define that as loyalty. That's my opinion.

Actually, I AM one of those who go every year, and more when I have an AP:

Aug 1990 - 10 days
Mar 1993 - 3 days
May 1994 - 10 days
Sep 1994 - 10 days
Oct 1996 - 8 days
Sep 1997 - 4 days
Jun 1998 - 8 days
Apr 1999 - 8 days
Oct 2000 - 8 days
Sep 2001 - 11 days - First AP
Jun 2002 - 10 days land/sea - First AP
Sep 2002 - 4 days - First AP
Dec 2003 - 8 days
Dec 2004 - 6 days - Second AP
May 2005 - 9 days - Second AP
Dec 2005 - 4 days - Second AP

I would define going to the same place every year for 15 straight years, forgoing any other vacation destinations, spending my entire yearly vacation budget there, and going more than once in a year on several occasions, as a form of "loyalty". Wouldn't you?

I'm sorry that this AP/BR situation has made so many people angry. And as for someone calling you and telling you something a couple months ago. Isn't it possible that the higher-ups changed something after you received the call? Does that mean the person who called you lied? No. It just means that someone with more authority is possibly changing the program. Do we even know this is fact at this point??

It doesn't matter what's going on behind the scenes. Even if the guy who told me those lies didn't know they were lies - if he was certain they were true - a business has a responsibility to live up to their promises. Going back on a promise is the same as a lie - it's a deceptive business practice. It's underhanded and deceitful.

Read through some of the other threads on the boards. Call center CMs in the last 3 days have still been telling people BOTH sides of the story - AP rates are either gone, or they're not. And these CMs are not saying, "I think it will...", they are all giving certain assurances one way or the other. Somebody is lying here, and it's not Goofy.

I guess I'm one of the few who believe if I purchase an AP, it's so I can save on park admission. I personally don't care what Disney has historically done in terms of AP rates. It's a benefit that they market as periodic discounts. Unfortunately, discussion boards like this promote it more loosely as a given. And I personally don't think Disney owes AP holders any more than admission into the parks 365 days a year.

That's why I bought my APs as well. I am not an idiot who doesn't understand the term "not guaranteed"; I have always hoped for AP rates and only thought I was entitled to what's spelled out in the Passholder sleeve. I have never been one of those who whines, "without the AP rates, there's really no incentive for me to buy an AP," because that is blatantly untrue. As you said, the primary benefit to buying an AP is that, for the price of about 11 days admission, you get 365 days of admission.

What I'm steamed about is that Disney said the AP call-in rates would definitely not be eliminated, and now they are telling us otherwise. No matter how you slice it, that's a lie, and that ticks me off to no end.

 

[WDWBetsy]

WillCAD, you can believe what you want to believe. But I still believe that the average joe who goes to Disney World every two years is just as loyal as someone who goes every six months. It's the desire to return - not the number of times. But that's my opinion.

I guess I tend to look at both sides and have a different understanding than some. Does that mean I think Disney is perfect? No. Do they need to improve procedures, service, facilities, policies? YES. Do I think if a clerk calls me and tells me one thing then the company changes the policy shortly after that the clerk lied? NO. Things change and you adjust and adapt. You can write letters to complain - and I certainly do. But I don't call people liars over things like this.

Perhaps Disney should change the wording on the AP sleeve to reflect their release of AP rates - from "periodic" to "occasional" so people don't misinterpret. According to dictionary.com's Usage Note on the word periodic: "In technical use, periodic means “at regular or predictable intervals,” as in the Periodic Table of the Elements. Often, however, periodic is used to mean “occasional, intermittent.” This usage can be confusing for readers who are accustomed to the narrower sense of the word ... The ambiguity can be avoided here by using occasional instead."

So I guess if I see the term periodic, I've always understood it to mean occasional - not something I'm necessarily entitled to in any way, shape or form based on historic release, especially in recent years where tourism was down. How someone can say they know and understand the rates are not guaranteed, but then they stress that they still expect them... that's what I don't understand.

If you want to nitpick all the dirt in a crack on the sidewalk or keep track of which condiment bar was a mess, go ahead. I guess I'll keep my rose-colored glasses on and just be glad I'm in a place as wonderful as Disney World. I've also been known to clean up a mess that I didn't create just so the next person doesn't have to look at it. I saw a napkin thrown on the ground at Kentucky Kingdom and threw it away - I didn't think that the park was untidy - I was irritated that a person visiting the park would drop it and not pick it up. I personally think the Disney World CMs do a fantastic job at keeping the parks and resorts clean - and they're working to improve it every day.

In this day and age when people need to escape from the horrific things going on in the world, I don't think I'll be searching out Disney flaws. And certainly not keeping track of them. I'll instead keep trying to help other DISers in pursuit of their little bit of happiness and hope the entitlement mentality goes out of style.

 

[petchie]

As much as I hate to see it, it looks like Magical Journeys had the correct information before CRO got the official word. The CRO Cast Member that posts on WDW magic just verified. http://forums.wdwmagic.com/showthread.php?t=62092

 

[dr2004]

I hate to say it , but who is going to be scared off from travelling to ZDisney and spending about 3 grand for a week vacation because gas went up a buck a gallon?