Frustrated with DCP park access

[Shannon G]

Just a bit of a vent here, but I really wish they'd either open up AP sales or scrap the park reservations, at least for cast members. DD is down there working in the DCP, and one of the touted benefits has always been free admission to the parks. Too bad cast member park reservations are largely blocked out for spring, and the few available go very quickly. DD would love to go to MK, but CPs are blocked out for all of March and April. She had 3 days in a row off a few weeks ago and couldn't get into a single park. If AP passes would open up I'd offer to split the cost of an AP with her - we plan on spending 4 - 5 days there when I go down at the end of her program and I'm going to be buying her a hopper for that anyway. I just feel bad for the kids like DD who have planned to do the DCP for years, only to find the benefits so much less than they were. She's still having a good time, but is definitely frustrated at how difficult it is to actually use her park admission.

 

[Narcoossee11]

I hear you BUT :
Park reservations are here to stay. Disney spent over 15 years in planning and Billion dollars creating it.
If they sell AP's , more guest in park, more busy. Less CM's Park days available.
CM member always have holiday season blocked.

 

[Brian Noble]

I really wish they'd either open up AP sales or scrap the park reservations, at least for cast members [...] DD would love to go to MK, but CPs are blocked out for all of March and April

Over the next 21 days, there are exactly six days in which one can still buy a day ticket to MK---and the first of those is ten days from now.

It seems unlikely that they are going to reinstate free admission to CMs to that park while they are actively turning away people who would pay to be there.

 

[Kingoglow]

It seems unlikely that they are going to reinstate free admission to CMs to that park while they are actively turning away people who would pay to be there.

This seems accurate.

As an aside, is it strange that OP created a new thread to complain on behalf of another adult?

 

[RoseGold]

She should be able to qualify to get a Pixie Dust pass.

Not that I think she should have to give her money back to the mouse to do this, but that is an option.

 

[Marionnette]

As an aside, is it strange that OP created a new thread to complain on behalf of another adult?

No. We see it a lot. Nothing wrong with it.

 

[Shannon G]

This seems accurate.

As an aside, is it strange that OP created a new thread to complain on behalf of another adult?

I get why they are doing it, financially. I would even consider buying her an annual pass, if that were an option, but my understanding is that they are not selling them at the moment. I also was not aware that there had "always" been blockout dates. I was under the impression that it started with COVID. Again, I can understand it, but I think the free admission is still touted as a benefit, and perhaps not all understand that it is so restricted. Also, unlike regular hopper tickets, they can't get around the restriction by booking another park, if available, and then hopping to the park they want - if they are blocked out of a park, they can't hop there either.

As for the quoted post, I personally don't see anything wrong with venting about an experience my teenager is having in a college program. Yes, she's technically an adult. Does that mean I can't feel frustrated on her behalf and talk about it?

 

[CaptainAmerica]

Park reservations are here to stay.

I agree with this part, but...

Disney spent over 15 years in planning and Billion dollars creating it.

No. Park reservations were an accident they stumbled into when they decided to scrap FastPass+. FastPass+ was supposed to be the system that would help them predict crowd levels. A guest making FP+ reservations for Mine Train, Peter Pan, and Space Mountain was essentially making a Park Pass reservation for Magic Kingdom, 10 years ago.

 

[Shannon G]

She should be able to qualify to get a Pixie Dust pass.

Not that I think she should have to give her money back to the mouse to do this, but that is an option.

Thanks for the suggestion. I didn't realize that any annual passes were available right now. Do you know what they require for documentation to qualify as a resident? She has a lease, but it is through the DCP, so I wonder if they would say she's not really a resident since it's temporary for the program.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

I get why they are doing it, financially. I would even consider buying her an annual pass, if that were an option, but my understanding is that they are not selling them at the moment. I also was not aware that there had "always" been blockout dates. I was under the impression that it started with COVID. Again, I can understand it, but I think the free admission is still touted as a benefit, and perhaps not all understand that it is so restricted. Also, unlike regular hopper tickets, they can't get around the restriction by booking another park, if available, and then hopping to the park they want - if they are blocked out of a park, they can't hop there either.

As for the quoted post, I personally don't see anything wrong with venting about an experience my teenager is having in a college program. Yes, she's technically an adult. Does that mean I can't feel frustrated on her behalf and talk about it?

The parks are also still extremely short-staffed. Blockout dates have always existed, but this is the worst it's been in my memory. Usually what would happen is particular parks would get blocked for months at a time when new things opened. There were many months after New Fantasyland opened where cast couldn't get into Magic Kingdom. Same with Galaxy's Edge, Pandora, Toy Story Land, etc. But for the most part, it would only be one park at a time that would be blocked out for large stretches.

 

[RoseGold]

Do you know what they require for documentation to qualify as a resident? She has a lease, but it is through the DCP, so I wonder if they would say she's not really a resident since it's temporary for the program.

The list is on the Disney website. There are a few ways you can prove it.

 

[Shannon G]

The list is on the Disney website. There are a few ways you can prove it.

Based on what DD has been told & what I have found in some posts here, Disney doesn’t consider DCPs to be Florida residents if they don’t otherwise already qualify.

 

[IndyToThere]

The list is on the Disney website. There are a few ways you can prove it.

Yep. And to make it handy, here is the Disney page with the details:
https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/faq/tickets/proof-florida-address/

 

[Aimeedyan]

This is why every cast member I know also has an AP. Even before park reservations, they still had lots of blockout dates. It is sad.

I hope AP's go on sale soon so she can enjoy the parks more.

 

[jeneric997]

I feel for your DD. Even before Covid, CM's were kept out of parks. When my DD was in DCP HS was locked out entirely.

I tire of hearing that the parks are understaffed. The truth is Disney has plenty of PT employees that are not getting scheduled at all, for months. Their roles aren't in the parks and they can't transfer, so they sit. Disney should be more mobile with their employees and cross train where they need people.

OP Disney should be giving these kids comp tickets. They can do it if they want. I hope APs start selling soon.

 

[vinmar4]

I hear you BUT :
Park reservations are here to stay. Disney spent over 15 years in planning and Billion dollars creating it.
If they sell AP's , more guest in park, more busy. Less CM's Park days available.
CM member always have holiday season blocked.

We did not know that. My DD's boyfriend, is getting there in August, he will not be happy to hear that his family is planning on going to visit him for the holidays, but he can't go with them to the parks !
Do you know around what dates during the Holidays?
I would assume the week of Thanksgiving and around Christmas.
So sad for them.

 

[Boopuff]

I know when my DD was a CP she had a lot of blocked out dates, and if I remember correctly, we had to buy her a ticket when we went in December. But she was a CP 4 yrs ago, and I know (except for holdiays) she was free to roam the parks on her day off. I know a lot has changed. But I do remember she looked into the resident thing. It's a no=go for CP kids.

 

[JennaDeeDooDah]

How times change. When I was a CP way back in spring of 2005, there were no block out dates. If my friends and I weren't scheduled to work, we were in the parks. Of course, back then, you could also enter any park through the cast member entrance, even if you weren't working and even if that wasn't "your park" so block out dates wouldn't have really worked, anyway.

 

[scrappinginontario]

We did not know that. My DD's boyfriend, is getting there in August, he will not be happy to hear that his family is planning on going to visit him for the holidays, but he can't go with them to the parks !
Do you know around what dates during the Holidays?
I would assume the week of Thanksgiving and around Christmas.
So sad for them.

I’m sure you understand this but clarifying, your friend’s son will be able to go to the parks with them if they purchase a ticket for him.

 

[wisblue]

Our daughter is a CM and when we visit she has been getting some of the special Florida resident tickets so we can be sure that she can get park reservations and go to the parks with us.

Even on days that aren’t completely blocked out, the park reservation allotment for CMs can run out a lot faster than the ones for other guests.

I know they require a Florida address for someone to buy those tickets, but I wonder if a CP participant could get one using the apartment address, or if they require more, like a Florida drivers license or other thing showing more permanent resident status.