Disney Security cracks down on Annual passes

[CanadianGuy]

When I stop laughing I'll come back to respond to this..

Oh wait.. no.. I don't think I will... (stop laughing)

Knox

 

[micki7337]

I spoke to security at mgm yesterday. WDW right now say they are upset with annual passholders that return to the parks too often. The security person told me that they are trying to figure a way to limit the amount a person can use his or her annual pass. According to them, there are gueasts that come to the parks over 200 times a year and they feel there is no financial gain with that type of situation. Security right now is being asked to make notes of guests that are becoming familiar faces to them. That is how he got the information I am sharing with you.

If they do this then there will be tons of people not going to WDW. Then why sell annual passes at all. It seems that this rumor is hard to believe but who really knows. Stranger things have been true.
Yet I hope that this one is not true in any way shape or form......

By the way My wife and I are going to WDW in may the 4th trip in 1 year on an annual pass. I better watch out they might limit me.......

 

[SandraVB79]

I am a Disneyland Paris AP holder.
Since last year. The AP came after I had the company car + the gas card paid by the company.

Before that, I went to DLP every 2 years, and couldn't spend a lot of money in the parks, because the train and Disney resort were expensive.

Now, I go about every month, I spend huge amounts of money in their stores and restaurants (both my brother and I use DLP as a main source of decoration for our appartments) and do less and less rides. I think last weekend, we used 2 FPs and did 8 rides (divided over 3 days!).

Disney can track how much I go into the parks, because the turnstile-thingy displays my name when I put my AP in it. They know how much I spend in the park, because I use my AP for discount. And they are even able to know how many FPs I use per visit (sometimes not even 1).

In my case, the AP was a very profitable thing for Disney.

Btw, in all those times I went this year, I didn't see too many familiar faces among the CMs. The only familiar people I saw were other shareholders at the Salon Mickey (private salon for shareholders).

 

[missj1975]

]Back to the original post[/B]...it makes no sense. Each time I go to WDW parks, I buy tshirts, meals, snacks, drinks, pins...If I only go once, I don't spend nearly as much as if I go 3 times in a year! And when I'm not staying on DVC points, I also spend the night in a WDW resort hotel! Why would they want to limit the number of times I go through the turnstiles if it means I'm spending more money? The more times I use my AP, the more $$$ Disney makes! AP's encourage people to go to WDW more times, that's why they sell them. IMO.

Yes Back to the original post. I think it was meant as a joke. Seriously, Disney is not limiting annual passes. The thread was started as a joke. Does anybody have a sense of humor anymore?

 

[raidermatt]

I'm not sure what the purpose of the original post was.

But, yes, Disney is concerned about how often people use their annual passes. For everybody who can say they visited 3 times and ate at 20 restaurants, there are others who visited 30 times and ate their meals off-site on the way to their house.

Everybody is always gung ho about reminding us that Disney is a business and they have to look at the bottom line. Well, once we purchase an AP, the bottom line says that Disney would benefit most if those that don't spend much money when they are there came back less often.

Of course if you are somebody who comes back often and spends a lot, you will be more than welcome. But not everybody does that.

All this isn't to say Disney will make further changes to the APs. They already raised the prices by a huge amount at DL over the last few years, and they have cutback on the AP benefits at WDW. These are moves made to offset the extra costs of those who comeback all the time but don't spend much.

 

[jlima]

Read this. Really.

http://www.laweekly.com/news/features/keepers-of-the-magic-kingdom/2426/

 

[Michael623]

Interesting article but you should be aware that this link contains a picture of a topless woman as well as the article.

 

[All Aboard]

There may be a big strategy difference between CA and FL. I'm not sure what the marketing is like in CA, but we are inundated with Annual Pass marketing in Florida. Billboards, radio, TV, newspaper... ads specifically selling annual passes are everywhere. We receive the Mickey Monitor (printed at a cost, of course), encouraging us to go more often. We receive a letter in the mail about a month after we renew, encouraging us to treat the place "like we own it".

Perhaps there is a spending pattern difference between the two coasts, because from all I see, WDW wants to sell as many AP's to Floridians as they can, and they want us to use them.

 

[JimVL]

Read this. Really.

http://www.laweekly.com/news/features/keepers-of-the-magic-kingdom/2426/

 

[jlima]

Interesting article but you should be aware that this link contains a picture of a topless woman as well as the article.

oops. missed that. my apologies if I offended anyone. but I read that piece a few years ago when it came out; and this thread made me think of it again.

 

[william4192]

I have to keep this alive.

 

[cmash95]

for WDW AP's arent as important as DL. We still have DVC at WDW, so if they lose a few APers it wouldn't hit disney's bottom line as it would at DL. Don't let them kid you, if you got rid of DL Ap's you would lose close to 3/4 your guests. Yes it's that high especially in the off season. DL has and probably always will be a "local" park that tourists go to and spend a day or two. also DCA would be even more empty than it is now. WDW has a built in audience now with DVC, that's why they are builiding a dvc wing in cA. so they won't be dependent on locals. that all being said, I am an AP and it allows me to go to the parks 365 days a year, and if I want to go 365 days a year I will.
I don't of course but when I do go, we spend lots of money on food and pins and candy etc. so I don't think disney will limit my access any time soon.

 

[remain seated please]

I think CA and FL have very different demographics and dynamics. In the case of Disneyland becoming a hang-out or drop off for people, Disney should reduce the benefits of the AP's. Reducing the number of visits per month for example would not reduce the number of guests by much (IMO).

The reason is simple. Disney has trained their guests well. If they take a little bit away, people will still buy the AP's because they still feel that they are more special than the Park Hopper guests and/or the one day guests. Many AP holders like to throw their weight around as if the pass is a symbol of status or something unique. I hear the "I'm an annual pass holder" line used by guests with castmembers and other guests, as if to say "I am entitled to special treatment".

Like I said. Cut back some of the benefits and the number of visits and people will still buy the passes.

 

[AKV707]

OK, should we put security cast in with monorail pilots and bus drivers in terms of their reliability with news and rumors? This idea makes no sense. On the whole, the more an AP holder uses their AP, the more money Disney gets. As a DVC member, I know that Disney benefits greatly from all of us DVC members who come to WDW more frequently than we otherwise would. They know that we will not be paying rack rate anymore, but they no we will be dining and shopping even more.

And has been said, security cast is going to report familiar faces? How?

I am not questioning that the OP was told this, but I am questioning the veracity of the cast member's statement.

 

[remain seated please]

I find it amazing how so many hourly castmembers like to brag, spread rumors and/or report news, thus representing themselves as authorities. It's also surprising how so many people take them at their word and then spread the rumors here on boards like this one. I had several cm's who I had to reprimand for doing just this. As a manager, I respected the confidentiality of company information. It was my job to keep confidential information confidential. My castmembers were given information on a need-to-know basis.

This story about security is obviously not true. But if it were, the cm who told the guest about it should have been severely reprimanded (perhaps terminated) for sharing confidential company information with park guests.

 

[Il Postino]

I find it amazing how so many hourly castmembers like to brag, spread rumors and/or report news, thus representing themselves as authorities.

It its also amazing to see how a "Manager" likes to brag about beign a manager. There has always been rumors about every single thing related to Disney. I think instead of flaming your Cast Members and bragging about your status inside the Company, it is better to correct the information and let people decided what they want to beleive.

It's also surprising how so many people take them at their word and then spread the rumors here on boards like this one.

Want to know why? Because they are Disney Cast Members... that's why. They are the ones that run the show, the ones that are out there everyday, see everything, hear everything. I think thats why.

I had several cm's who I had to reprimand for doing just this. As a manager, I respected the confidentiality of company information. It was my job to keep confidential information confidential. My castmembers were given information on a need-to-know basis.

It is also nice to see how a "Manager" discusses how He handles and situations with CM on public boards. The fact that you are writing in past tense makes me assume that You no longer work for the company and if You do, You are in deep need of going back to your basics and re-take your IOL, and Leadership classes.

If you are not an Executive, Project Manager, Board of Director, etc... you probably are on a need to know basis as well.

By the way, most of the time CM give wrong information, is because they get wrong information from their leaders.

Also, you might be or might have been a "manager" for this company, but ... do you want to know why we refer and call our "managers" Leaders and not Managers.... Here is a quote, that will help you get a clue...

Management is doing things right; leadership is doing the right things.
Peter F. Drucker

Good luck on your leadership quest...
Best wishes,
Il Postino

 

[TheRustyScupper]

. . . As a manager . . .

1) Not sure that is something you should brag about.
2) The way you talk is NOT found in The Disney Way book.
3) Of course, Disney no longer trains its managers.
4) They learn some policy, procedure and union info, then nothing! *
5) I thought Disney trained well, until I personally saw the weaknesses.
6) Many (maybe, most) CM's see how poor the management ranks have become.

* I actually had a conversation about the lack of management training in a "President to President" meeting once. He had the same complaints. Imagine that! The rule is to not make waves and to not let guest complaints get above your level. Other than that, many mangers don't care about guests or their employees. This is born out by the lack of communication with employees and not engaging in Continuous Improvement. (WDW actually discontinued the hourly CI program. How dumb was that? Companies want improvement, but not Disney.) Even the "monthly" One-on-One meetings with hourly employees have become a joke among many CM's.

 

[remain seated please]

It its also amazing to see how a "Manager" likes to brag about beign a manager. There has always been rumors about every single thing related to Disney. I think instead of flaming your Cast Members and bragging about your status inside the Company, it is better to correct the information and let people decided what they want to beleive.



Want to know why? Because they are Disney Cast Members... that's why. They are the ones that run the show, the ones that are out there everyday, see everything, hear everything. I think thats why.



It is also nice to see how a "Manager" discusses how He handles and situations with CM on public boards. The fact that you are writing in past tense makes me assume that You no longer work for the company and if You do, You are in deep need of going back to your basics and re-take your IOL, and Leadership classes.

If you are not an Executive, Project Manager, Board of Director, etc... you probably are on a need to know basis as well.

By the way, most of the time CM give wrong information, is because they get wrong information from their leaders.

Also, you might be or might have been a "manager" for this company, but ... do you want to know why we refer and call our "managers" Leaders and not Managers.... Here is a quote, that will help you get a clue...

Management is doing things right; leadership is doing the right things.
Peter F. Drucker

Good luck on your leadership quest...
Best wishes,
Il Postino

Believe me when I say I was never bragging about being a manager at Disney. And that's exactly what I was...A MANAGER. Disney does not believe in hiring leaders. The people who do the hiring are to insecure in their own positions to hire people with true leadership potential and skills. A member of Disney's upper management - no matter the division - doesn't care about developing their CM's. They only want people who will make them look good.

I used my prior "status" as a manager at Disney to describe how CM's are supposed to handle company confidential information. I'm sorry you read much more into it than was necessary.

 

[TDC Nala]

I think I will start worrying about it the moment I am told at the gate to a park (or PI, I have an AP for there too) that I can't come in because I've been there too often.

 

[Corpsebride]

as a resident of Southern California , and a AP holder, I must say that I am sensing a little bitterness in these posts like, how dare those CAL. AP holders go when ever they feel like it??!? Well, LOL, we do! Especially when it rains here like 4 days a year in the winter. hee hee hee!! My Df and I go a lot, I mean A LOT LOT LOT! And we drop about $100 a visit. Honestly, I dont know how you could go to Disneyland and not eat, or drink or get some kind of treat or trinket, I mean really. And , the park is always fun! And , filled with tourists. But, here in Sunny California, we welcome you from all over the country and the world , it gives us new faces to stare at , since we all recognize each other from our repetitive visits to the Mall of the Mouse, lol, I crack myself up!
We love Mickey so much we are actually having a Disney Wedding. I seriously doubt Disneyland is going to do anything about "cracking down on AP's because they come around a lot". That is what we paid the fee for, to come around a lot. If they didnt like it they wouldnt offer it. haa haa haa, this is a funny rediculous thing to reply to, but, I just had to. In fact , we are going to Disneyland on Valentines day! Cant wait!!