Most benefits are gone, 200 euro more for the highest tier for way less...
I renewed just in time so I am good till next year June. But after that, I might not renew. There are not enough benefits left.
I am in serious doubt what to do after next June. If calculated correctly, I need 7 park days to justify the highest tier. My visits are usually 2 days, sometimes 3 days. This means 3-4 visits a year.
But it is also the principle, a 40% price increase for the highest tier with so many benefits removed or adjusted.
What I enjoyed about the AP are a lot of little things together.
- EMH if I go with a lower tier
Complicated, as I stay onsite so often. We stayed onsite often last few years due to the park reservations.
- Photopass if I go with a lower tier.
Yes, love this.
- private access
Not a big deal to loose it, but I like it.
- free baggage storage
7 euro per day I use it, or build in extra time to go back to the hotel, when staying onsite.
- vip spots for parade and fireworks.
Didn't need it, because I have seen them so many times, but really liked it. Especially for fireworks in the summer. Do not look forward to stand in crowded places at night.
- hotel discount
This is a hard one, I often booked immediately via
booking.com, because I hate calling Disney to find out if there was a discount.
- no discount when renewing.
Yeah... this is a bigger amount of money. It is great you can now more easily order it over the phone (they say), but the money will be missed.
Not or hardly relevant to me:
- decreased merchandise discount
Not a big issue for me, as I rarily buy merchandise.
- decreased restaurant discount
Yeah it was nice, but in the big picture, did I save that much money? The difference is a couple of euro's... hard to say.
- no parking
I dont have a car...
- Friend tickets
I dont have friends
well, yes and no. I have friends, but not friends I go to DLP with. I have my Disney buddy and she has an AP as well ( for now).
- swimming at hotels.
Never used this.
- Easier to get park reservations
With me staying onsite so often, I don't really care. I used the waitlist once, and I got it granted quite easily.
The AP parties... this is really complicated to judge, as sometimes there is really unique entertainment, but they are so busy and the hassle of getting tickets is insane.
A rare character meet & greet only for AP holders (Supposedly in a relaxed setting) Hard to judge as it is new, and also I have been going to Disney parks around the world for so many years, I have met so many characters. What is still a rare character to me? Still bummed that i missed the Sultan during 2016 half Marathon weekend and Quasimodo in 2019 during the AP party, but if I do not meet them ever in my life... can live with that
September would fit the Fall time frame though
Even when I am slightly biased. Disney Sea has very beautiful nooks and corners, and I understand that people go there just to take pictures. But as an overall park... no. And that probably has to do when I visited it when it was several cloudy, slightly rainy days. DLP is still beautiful in the rain. Disney Sea looks so much better in the sun.
