DVC Annual Pass Discount - any news?

[FRANKTSJR]

The last time I bought a DVC annual pass I paid $316 dollars taxes in, I think that was 6 years ago. I wish my income would adjust to inflation as much as Disney cranks up their prices. $495 for a DVC annual pass? That is the deal they are giving these days??? That is insane.

$399 for a premium sounds alot better. I wish they would come out with a DVC night pass (3:30 PM and later) for DVC members who want to eat at Epcot etc. $199 bucks would be fair.

Sounds good to me.

 

[Judique]

The last time I bought a DVC annual pass I paid $316 dollars taxes in, I think that was 6 years ago. I wish my income would adjust to inflation as much as Disney cranks up their prices. $495 for a DVC annual pass? That is the deal they are giving these days??? That is insane.

$399 for a premium sounds alot better. I wish they would come out with a DVC night pass (3:30 PM and later) for DVC members who want to eat at Epcot etc. $199 bucks would be fair.

The after 4 pass for Florida Residents is about $185 with approx $160 renewal. Since we are matching Florida Residents annual pass price, maybe they could kick this one in for the 'wander into Epcot to eat and watch Illuminations' crowd.

 

[Bob Roberts]

I bet DVC Annual Passes are way down this year. I love how Disney offers a deal ($399 for a PAP) for 3 months only and they never do it again. Typical really of modern nickel and dime Disney Corp. I go down to Florida and use DVC at least 3 times a year. I love the DVC resorts but as far as the parks go, I could care less for the $$$$$ they are looking for out of the passes. Many DVC members will be the same as me later down the road. (Spend all their time at the resorts and no time at the parks) Unless they come out with some sort of super incentive like a DVC night pass or something.

I think that is why they keep on building new DVC's, old school Old Key West members like myself are not going to the parks any more. But all the young family's staying at Bay Lake Tower are.

I would much rather spend an afternoon at Henry Leu gardens then any theme park in Orlando. ($7 dollars vs $90 dollars) There is so much to do in Florida I am going to keep on doing what I do.

 

[Pootle]

I think that is why they keep on building new DVC's, old school Old Key West members like myself are not going to the parks any more. But all the young family's staying at Bay Lake Tower are.

I would much rather spend an afternoon at Henry Leu gardens then any theme park in Orlando. ($7 dollars vs $90 dollars) There is so much to do in Florida I am going to keep on doing what I do.

lol, I could have written the above.

I have AP vouchers I've had for years that I'll be activating next year for a family trip, but after that, I won't be buying unless they offer something really special.

I like the idea of the Florida residents' pass for use after 4 pm for dining etc. It would be a win-win.

 

[roelongo]

We would definitely love and use an after 4 pass. The last two trip we didn't even do the parks but would have gone at nite with that type of pass

 

[DonnaL]

Our last trip (mid-Dec 2012) we didn't do parks either. We each had one day left on old non-expiring tix which we were going to use for one day and check out MK Fantasyland.... the lines were so bad at park entrance we didn't even bother! We also knew we wouldn't be back during 2012 since we had a trip to Disneyland planned....so we didn't buy the PAP deal. But, we are going end of January, 2014 and most probably for two weeks (retiring in 2014!) early January, 2015....so could make good use of the PAP now!!

 

[jdkdorn]

Florida residents also have the option of using a payment plan to pay for their tickets. With 5 of us that would make the expense a little easier to handle. I know that I could just purchase 1 per month and do it that way but if they are offering a "deal" on the ticket price offer the payment plan too so that the cost all at once does not break us. Spreading $2000 over 12 months is a lot easier than purchasing them all at once.



Judy

 

[gray52]

I bet DVC Annual Passes are way down this year. I love how Disney offers a deal ($399 for a PAP) for 3 months only and they never do it again. Typical really of modern nickel and dime Disney Corp. I go down to Florida and use DVC at least 3 times a year. I love the DVC resorts but as far as the parks go, I could care less for the $$$$$ they are looking for out of the passes. Many DVC members will be the same as me later down the road. (Spend all their time at the resorts and no time at the parks) Unless they come out with some sort of super incentive like a DVC night pass or something. I think that is why they keep on building new DVC's, old school Old Key West members like myself are not going to the parks any more. But all the young family's staying at Bay Lake Tower are. I would much rather spend an afternoon at Henry Leu gardens then any theme park in Orlando. ($7 dollars vs $90 dollars) There is so much to do in Florida I am going to keep on doing what I do.

DVC has no interest in wether or not you go to the parks... Their only interest is that people keep buying points.

I would also think that very few DVC owners will be like you (not go to the parks). Most will keep their contracts until their kids are older, then sell.

Sent from my iPad using DISBoards

 

[JustTinking]

Our kids are in their late 20's. We have no intention to sell. We enjoy WDW as much now as when the kids were small. But as previous PP said, we do go less to the parks than we used to. We do spend more time at the resorts, and taking advantage of other amenities such as golfing or shopping. DVC remains a great way to vacation.

 

[daisyx3]

Well we are considering annual passes for our June 14/April 15 trips. Since I have a lot of time yet, I'm going to keep looking here and seeing if they offer this deal. If the magic bands stuff starts 60 days out, I figure I can wait until March to figure out our tickets. It will give me time to pay off the plane tickets I just bought, even though $220 is less than I've paid in a long time.
Daisyx3

 

[LSchrow]

Our kids are in their late 20's. We have no intention to sell. We enjoy WDW as much now as when the kids were small. But as previous PP said, we do go less to the parks than we used to. We do spend more time at the resorts, and taking advantage of other amenities such as golfing or shopping. DVC remains a great way to vacation.

i think we actually enjoy our WDW vacations more since our kids are grown (25 & 29). we spend more time relaxing, bonding, being both family and friends....the focus being on one another rather than rides

 

[chemnerd09]

i think we actually enjoy our WDW vacations more since our kids are grown (25 & 29). we spend more time relaxing, bonding, being both family and friends....the focus being on one another rather than rides

That's how our vacations are starting to become. We still have our favorites to do but its more about spending time as family and not thinking about work/school.

 

[Bob Roberts]

DVC has no interest in wether or not you go to the parks... Their only interest is that people keep buying points.

I would also think that very few DVC owners will be like you (not go to the parks). Most will keep their contracts until their kids are older, then sell.

Sent from my iPad using DISBoards

You are wrong, simple as that. The vast majority of old school members like myself are holding on to their memberships because Old Key West, Saratoga Springs, Animal Kingdom Lodge and the Wilderness Lodge are great destination resorts in themselves. I go down to Old Key West to play Golf, sit in the sun, go jogging, and to relax and get away from the crummy weather up north. There are tons and tons of members like me. Maybe not hardcore Dis board types, but there is alot.

Take a break from your planned minute by minute theme park itinerary and just relax by the pool sometime at your resort. You will be surprised.

Bob Roberts (Old School Old Key West DVC member)

 

[gray52]

You are wrong, simple as that. The vast majority of old school members like myself are holding on to their memberships because Old Key West, Saratoga Springs, Animal Kingdom Lodge and the Wilderness Lodge are great destination resorts in themselves. I go down to Old Key West to play Golf, sit in the sun, go jogging, and to relax and get away from the crummy weather up north. There are tons and tons of members like me. Maybe not hardcore Dis board types, but there is alot. Take a break from your planned minute by minute theme park itinerary and just relax by the pool sometime at your resort. You will be surprised. Bob Roberts (Old School Old Key West DVC member)

I, like you, do not have a single statistic to back my claim. Which is why I, unlike you, took the "I would think" route rather than the "you are wrong" route. You may be "old school," but please don't make assumptions about what school I come from.
Mark - ((Obviously) New School OKW DVC member, BWV DVC member, OBBCII member).

Sent from my iPad using DISBoards

 

[Bob Roberts]

Old School trumps the New School every time. Its just how it is. No stats on that one either.

Bob Roberts (Old School as it gets DVC OKW Member)

 

[tjkraz]

Disney is like any other big company in that there are executives on many different levels with different goals and expectations for their department. Ken Potrock, Karl Holz, et. al. must answer for DVC profitability. Their performance (and future job prospects) are tied to how well the DVC product sells. Period.

Staggs, Meg Crofton, Kalogridis and others answer for the performance of the theme parks.

It's no different than a company like HP where you have separate divisions selling computers and printers.

There are opportunities for synergy in these situations, but the challenge is getting all parties to sign-off on such deals. Take something like the $399 Premium Annual Pass from last year. DVC certainly benefits from that. It's a great perk for members which increases good will. Helps sell new buyers on the value of DVC. More trips for owners could lead to add on sales.

But the value isn't so clear-cut for the theme park officials. They were asked to take a $300 hit on EVERY SINGLE PAP sold at the reduced price. For a family of 4, that's theoretically $1200 in lost revenue...multiplied by hundreds or thousands of families. The challenge is trying to convince the theme park division that they'll make up the difference elsewhere.

Unless both parties can see some way of benefitting from a perk like that, it just doesn't happen.

 

[Bob Roberts]

Disney is like any other big company in that there are executives on many different levels with different goals and expectations for their department. Ken Potrock, Karl Holz, et. al. must answer for DVC profitability. Their performance (and future job prospects) are tied to how well the DVC product sells. Period.

Staggs, Meg Crofton, Kalogridis and others answer for the performance of the theme parks.

It's no different than a company like HP where you have separate divisions selling computers and printers.

There are opportunities for synergy in these situations, but the challenge is getting all parties to sign-off on such deals. Take something like the $399 Premium Annual Pass from last year. DVC certainly benefits from that. It's a great perk for members which increases good will. Helps sell new buyers on the value of DVC. More trips for owners could lead to add on sales.

But the value isn't so clear-cut for the theme park officials. They were asked to take a $300 hit on EVERY SINGLE PAP sold at the reduced price. For a family of 4, that's theoretically $1200 in lost revenue...multiplied by hundreds or thousands of families. The challenge is trying to convince the theme park division that they'll make up the difference elsewhere.

Unless both parties can see some way of benefitting from a perk like that, it just doesn't happen.

Right on the button with all above. Everything here is bang on.

The problem with the theme park officials is that they assume that all the DVC members will purchase PAP's without batting an eye year in year out. That is where they are wrong. Over the years more and more members will quit going to the parks and just stay at the resorts. The Old School Members at OKW are prime examples.

Bob (Old School OKW DVC Member) Roberts.

 

[disfanforlife]

I did not buy one simply because we usually only travel to disney once in a 12 month period. We are finding that this year we will be going twice - so I wish that I had taken advantage of it. But, on that same note, I would have been fine with a regular AP - don't need the PAP. We did buy AP's when we were there a few weeks ago since we have another trip book in March. I believe that in the future, we may spend more time at resorts, but I would still want to go to the parks too.

 

[WMorganS]

Right on the button with all above. Everything here is bang on. The problem with the theme park officials is that they assume that all the DVC members will purchase PAP's without batting an eye year in year out. That is where they are wrong. Over the years more and more members will quit going to the parks and just stay at the resorts. The Old School Members at OKW are prime examples. Bob (Old School OKW DVC Member) Roberts.

I'm not sure I represent the majority, but I think most DVC owners are very price conscious.

We come down for about 10 days ever 4 or 5 months, in part because we have PAPs. But if there's no decent AP discount this year, we'll definitely use it as an opportunity to visit HP, bank some points, and take a cultural vacation, somewhere OTHER than Epcot ;-)

Dropping the AP discount right as the HP expansion is scheduled to open would totally simplify my planning!

 

[Ms.Minnie]

Please expand on HP; I'm not sure what this is....

Thanks