Disneyland ending AP program as we know it

[DisneyPrincess1]

OK....just heard the Disneyland Annual Passes were being ended to revise them for the future. What is everyone's thoughts on the same thing happening at Disney World?

 

[dina444444]

OK....just heard the Disneyland Annual Passes were being ended to revise them for the future. What is everyone's thoughts on the same thing happening at Disney World?

They aren’t going anywhere. Disney already stated in an email to premier pass holders that we will have the opportunity to renew down to WDW only passes by the end of April.

 

[Krandor]

Magic Express is a free service that a lot fewer people use now than they did 10-15 years ago. While it upsets a lot of people in the community, the general population probably doesn’t even know when DME is.

CMs being let go has been a constant thing for decades. Mass layoffs, then mass hirings. The hirings will come. They weren’t going to lay off 31,000 CMs without covid.

FP+ is being replaced by Genie. This has been known. And even if it’s a paid FP system, I’m not sure how anyone could complain. Disney is the only theme park chain to offer a FP like system for free for YEARS.

The re working of DL APs were probably coming, but it’s coming faster because of Covid and the impossibility to satisfy 1,000,000+ people (not including non-APs) with 2 parks that will have a total capacity of no more than 50,000 people per day.

Agree.. and lets be clear. Disney never offered free MDE and free FP system out of the kindness of their hearts. They offered them because they it made them more money on the backside in terms of keeping people in the bubble and eating on-site (for MDE) or getting people out of lines and into stores where they can spend money while waiting on a ride (for FP+). If that equation changes then those free offerings are going to be looked at again. MDE I expect just isn't serving its purpose to disney anymore. FP+ I expect still is so we'll see it back in some form in the future.

 

[Krandor]

OK....just heard the Disneyland Annual Passes were being ended to revise them for the future. What is everyone's thoughts on the same thing happening at Disney World?

WDW is not going to cancel annual passes.

Now is it possible that AP tiers and benefits get restructured before they go back on sale for anybody or get migrated to some kind of "membership system"? Very possible and if they are going to doing it before you turn back on general sales would be the time to do.

 

[gottalovepluto]

OK....just heard the Disneyland Annual Passes were being ended to revise them for the future. What is everyone's thoughts on the same thing happening at Disney World?

Imho if WDW changes it won’t be done the same way. DLR is closed to infinity for now so nobody is planning to arrive and use an AP in the next couple months. If WDW drastically changed their program (as DLR appears set to do) they would need to give a LOT more notice to current holders.

 

[dina444444]

Imho if WDW changes it won’t be done the same way. DLR is closed to infinity for now so nobody is planning to arrive and use an AP in the next couple months. If WDW drastically changed their program (as DLR appears set to do) they would need to give a LOT more notice to current holders.

Wdw is also allowing current pass holders to renew.

 

[Mit88]

Wdw is also allowing current pass holders to renew.

I think that was part of the point Pluto was making. Allowing AP holders to renew would mean there is at least a decent amount from out of state that have planned trips based on their renewal of their pass. If you take all these passes away and refund, you might lose a lot of those out of state reservations for later this year. So either they’d have to rip the bandaid off and start fresh immediately, or you give guests a clue as to when this would go in to affect. If they were to say “effective immediately” you’d probably have a lot of people in February/March/April that have trips planned that have APs. Whatever they decide to do will likely be easy to just reveal during an annual price hike (maybe in March, more likely March 2022 or 2023)

 

[ford91exploder]

The point is, we can’t praise Universal because there’s going to come a time where they also increase prices, and as someone that loves most theme parks, there’s no way I’d ever pay 450 dollars for Universal Hollywood with or without Super Nintendo World.

we have the top tier universal passes and yes the price does increase every year but unlike the Disney passes the perks are not reduced every year yes they change depending on what Universal wants to market year to year. And valet parking has been suspended because of covid but another parking perk took its place.

the point being in universals world repeat customers are considered a good thing, In the Disney universe they are not.

What Disney forgets though is the repeat fan is who encourages many of the very profitable ‘one and done’ trips. But thats a symptom of the fact that Disney executives don’t visit the parks as a guest so they have no idea of the park experience.

 

[DebbieB]

I’ve heard that DL on an average day is around 80% AP. If they open at 25%, how would that work? Most likely they will have a reservation system similar to WDW. You would have a lot of unhappy AP’s, feeling they are paying for days they can’t use.

I could see a 5 or 10 day no expiration or a longer expiration where you would not feel you are paying for days you can’t use.

 

[Mit88]

we have the top tier universal passes and yes the price does increase every year but unlike the Disney passes the perks are not reduced every year yes they change depending on what Universal wants to market year to year. And valet parking has been suspended because of covid but another parking perk took its place.

the point being in universals world repeat customers are considered a good thing, In the Disney universe they are not.

What Disney forgets though is the repeat fan is who encourages many of the very profitable ‘one and done’ trips. But thats a symptom of the fact that Disney executives don’t visit the parks as a guest so they have no idea of the park experience.

How are Disney repeat customers not considered a good thing? The only reason the prices for APs doesn’t get discussed often is because they’ve been a steal ever since their existence. Disney has done ALOT to appease APs for many many years and anyone that doesn’t see that is just another “Karen” that expects more than they deserve. $600 a year for a WDW AP. Are you kidding me? People are paying 1/3 of that for Netflix. Just because Disney doesn’t welcome APs and regulars into their parks by bowing down and kissing their shoes doesn’t mean they don’t care

 

[Mit88]

I’ve heard that DL on an average day is around 80% AP. If they open at 25%, how would that work? Most likely they will have a reservation system similar to WDW. You would have a lot of unhappy AP’s, feeling they are paying for days they can’t use.

I could see a 5 or 10 day no expiration or a longer expiration where you would not feel you are paying for days you can’t use.

It doesn’t work, which is why this is happening right now. Hundreds of thousands of “non ticket paying” guests for ~30-50k guests per day (Total between both parks) is financially irresponsible to reopen a park after over a year of being closed. I think once this plan comes to fruition and DL parks are reopen, the competitors (Universal, Cedar Fair, Six Flags) May throw shade towards Disney, but I guarantee they will have all wished that they had done the same thing. When those parks have only passholders coming through the gates and they see very little in gate revenue, it’s going to kill them, which in turn will impact guest satisfaction down the line

 

[New Mouse]

It doesn’t work, which is why this is happening right now. Hundreds of thousands of “non ticket paying” guests for ~30-50k guests per day (Total between both parks) is financially irresponsible to reopen a park after over a year of being closed. I think once this plan comes to fruition and DL parks are reopen, the competitors (Universal, Cedar Fair, Six Flags) May throw shade towards Disney, but I guarantee they will have all wished that they had done the same thing. When those parks have only passholders coming through the gates and they see very little in gate revenue, it’s going to kill them, which in turn will impact guest satisfaction down the line

And they will lose the long term revenue from those who have supported them for years. Finding a balance would have been more responsible.

 

[Mit88]

There was a gas station in my home town that opened up right around when I got my license 15 years ago. They had a program that with every 50 gallons of gas you bought, you’d get 5 gallons for free. It lasted for about 10 years, and they no longer have that program. Are people picketing that gas station for taking away that rewards program? No.

If a deal is too good to be true (Very reasonably priced APs), chances are it won’t last forever. If a company gives you something for free (FP+, DME), chances are it won’t be forever.

MoviePass was too good to be true. And they’re out of business because of that model

We don’t know what will come of the next DL membership program, but people will undoubtedly pay for it. There’s like a 15 year waitlist for Club 33, a membership that costs a lot in not just an initiation fee, but also a yearly fee.

 

[StarGirl11]

Does anyone have a copy of this email? I’m a Premier and didn’t receive it, and I’m trying to figure out how my situation will be handled.

I have a WDW Platinum AP Renewal certificate sitting in my account. I wasn’t expecting that renewal certificate to get activated until DL reopened and my Premier Pass finally expired, given that my Premier Pass expiration has been extended throughout the pandemic.

Does anyone know how situations like mine will be handled? When they cancel our APs will the cancellation date be the date they cancel it or the date it originally expired, and will my renewal activate at that point? Do you think there’s any chance Disney will let me turn my renewal into a *new* certificate? I really don’t want my AP renewing now as due to Covid changing all of our plans we don’t expect to be even in WDW now until either Thanksgiving or Christmas time, and I bought renewal premised on the fact that it wouldn’t kick in till DL reopened and my Premier expired. And now they’ve cancelled the Premier...

No clue since I never get the emails. Period. So I have to rely on word of mouth from other Premiers for news. I tried to fix this so many times. Never even got the Premier magnet in my 6 years of having it. I swear it was like I never existed in their system.

So can't help you there.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1350191072769568768

Legit wondering how the day for day is going to work for Platinum holders (access to all parks in the chain).

I mean if this means I get it added on to mine as well and get use all the way into 2022 I am not complaining. But the way it worded speaks more to Gold who don't have access to all of them vs Platinum.

I'm probably in the minority and really don't care for USH. The park's nice enough and I like Universal enough (I have Premier for USO). But I absolutely hate the drive to USH and that's enough to keep me away. I love HP and I refuse to make that drive up there again unless I'm staying on property. Which probably won't happen.

 

[Disney Bobby]

I could see a lot of blackout days for all AP unless you have a resort reservation.

 

[dina444444]

I could see a lot of blackout days for all AP unless you have a resort reservation.

I think it’s more likely that we will see some form of the flex pass, signature and signature plus return all with major price hikes. I think both so cal style passes are done as well as the deluxe pass.
Edit: I also think there will not be a monthly payment option.

 

[RamblingMad]

As a locals park, I see some form of AP coming back once they reopen.

 

[Disney Bobby]

I think it’s more likely that we will see some form of the flex pass, signature and signature plus return all with major price hikes. I think both so cal style passes are done as well as the deluxe pass.
Edit: I also think there will not be a monthly payment option.

I'd be surprised to see the monthly payment option go away. Companies like that consistent income coming in monthly. That's why a lot of your electric and gas companies like the payment plans that you pay the same amount each month and then settle up on a yearly basis.

But who knows at this point. Nothing would surprise me.

 

[Eric Smith]

As a locals park, I see some form of AP coming back once they reopen.

It definitely is. They just needed to immediately deal with the issue of how they could possibly handle all of their AP holders whenever Disneyland and DCA reopen at reduced capacity. If they kept it the same way, you'd have a ton of ticked off AP holders because they wouldn't be able to use their AP as much as they would like.

The announcement makes me thing that they're going to introduce some kind of pay month to month pass because of the reference to a membership.

 

[amyamya]

Why do WDW and DLR differ so much when it comes to APs? I realize the size of the parks is a major reason, but why do so many less Florida locals get APs? Is it because the entire state of FL gets a discount for tickets? In CA only the people in So Cal get discounts, the rest of us are stuck paying full price or getting an AP and then needing to pay for transportation and lodging.