I'm really mad... Disney is going to lose my business!!!

[TigrLvsPooh]

Our family has taken 50+ trips to WDW over the last 10 years... we are loyal annual passholders... and I just have to say that I am sooooo mad right now over this weekend room rate situation!!! No discount at all for AP on friday or saturday nights. What is up with that??? Rack rate??? Are they joking???

If I didn't already have the airfare booked and our villa booked I would cancel the whole trip. Please tell me that someone else out there thinks this is a load of @$#&!!! If this is how Disney is going to work their discounts from now on then there is no way I'll renew our APs. Why should I cough up $1800 to renew if this is what the future holds?? It's like a slap in the face. It's fine if they don't want to give APholder discounts on rooms, that is their right, but it doesn't mean I have to agree with it... and it sure doesn't mean I have to renew or even keep going to WDW.

Looks like the Murphys might have to find a new vacation spot!

 

[Mich Mouse]

I am so disappointed as well! This has never happened before to us...AP rates have always been available.

 

[wdwmaw]

I have not traveled as much as you but I feel the same way. This hit us hard several years ago when we traveled over the holiday. The day to day pricing was enough but for some reason AP discount could not be tacked onto a couple of our days at the end of our trip. Disney has priced christmas out of our budget.

We have also found the availability at many resorts is non existant or they only want to offer the most expensive room to AP holders.

We were hooked on Disney with our AP's but have found over the past several years the one long trip with pkg. discounts ( esp. free dining ) is a much better way to go.

I know the AP is not for room discount, but it was for me.We are booked for free dining this Oct. and we did not renew our AP's. We will continue to go to Disney for now, as there is no other place we would like to travel. This is my opinion and I am ready for the flames as to the purpose of the AP !!

I personally think that there should be discounts and then there should be AP holders discounts and the AP holders should receive by far first choice, the bigest discount, and/or the most choice. If anyone consumer at Disney should be treated special, it should be AP holders.

 

[wdwmaw]

I just wanted to add that I do suppport the 40% for military, they deserve the best discounts. Thank you for serving and I wish the families could go for free.

 

[CAJUNWDWFAN]

I'm an AP holder and I purchased the 4/3 deal for my upcoming trip. It's better than the AP discount. And not to step on anyone's toes but the AP is meant for park admission. If you bought the AP for room discounts, you bought it for the wrong reason. The room discounts are only a perk of the AP.

 

[collcass]

I just wanted to add that I do suppport the 40% for military, they deserve the best discounts. Thank you for serving and I wish the families could go for free.

It would be great if it was more than just another marketing ploy. After all, TWDC is a for profit business which is what I remember when I get irked by their absolutely ridiculous rates, there "promotions" that extend to certain people only ,etc.

First, we knew we'd love WDW so we bought our AP on our 1st family trip down there last year. Although the rates we received last 4th of July were great and did save us money, we really were hoping for good rates this year to make it worth while. Obviously, that won't be the case.

I am sure I am going to get flamed by this if it is taken wrong: Please understand I support the military 100% and I am not saying military personnel don't deserve to be thanked

my husband was in the Army (82nd Airbourne) for 5 1/2 yrs + 4 reserves. He fought in Desert Storm. He served his country. Apparently, TWDC doesn't consider veterans on the same level as an active member of the military. It is extremely irritating because he served just like anyone else. They all served their country and should be recognized for such - not just current active personnel.


Again, it isn't that I don't support the military. My annoyance is more toward TWDC marketing dept who are strictly attempting to boost attendence and using this discount as bait. Of course, that is their job and they do it well

 

[RFrank9504]

It kinda stinks, but then we get the florida resident discount so that makes up for it. Just be happy to be going-I see lotsa people canceling trips on here....

 

[dburg30]

I'm an AP holder and I purchased the 4/3 deal for my upcoming trip. It's better than the AP discount. And not to step on anyone's toes but the AP is meant for park admission. If you bought the AP for room discounts, you bought it for the wrong reason. The room discounts are only a perk of the AP.

Yep, I bought the AP's because it made sense for my park admission, since I knew I was going to be there more then the 'breakeven' part. It was nice to be able to buy the DDE and I did get an AP rate for my mid nov stay, but that was just gravy

 

[PrincessV]

As a FL resident living 2 hours away from WDW, I've used AP and FL resident discounts for weekend stays extensively, so I'm not at all happy with this trend.

That said, AP discounts weren't always the best rates to be had and this appears to be the case once again - be sure to check Expedia, Travelocity, Hotels.com. In the past 6 months, I've found better rates there for WDW resorts than either an AP or FL discount could get me, especially for Sat. nights.

 

[TigrLvsPooh]

I didn't buy an AP for room discounts... but when they released the discount this morning I sure didn't expect it to be Sun-Thurs only. We check-in to OKW on Sunday, so I am in a situation where I have to have a room friday and saturday, and I have to stay on property because I need to take ME, so I am forced to pay rack rate. It sucks. And I'm mad. I don't like being forced into doing something I don't want to do.

People with no AP, who are doing the 4/3 deal are getting a much better price than I am and I've been to WDW 4 times in the last year. That makes no sense. I'm already stuck with 1-day tickets from last October I was forced to buy so I could do the Bounceback offer. It's just a lot of nonsense.

 

[Mary2e]

I have to agree with the OP. We've gone nearly as much, and just last year, the AP rate for value season at the cabins was only $159 per night - we jumped on it.

This year, M-F is $214 per night during regular season, and the weekend is at a ridiculous $370 per night.

Not having the discount available on Fri & Sat nights does not make it a good deal for us, and the 4/3 is better - even without the $200 gift card.

I'm disappointed that in this lousy economy, with most hotels dropping rates like crazy and still not filling up rooms, Disney would not give their AP holders a better deal than what's available to the general public.

 

[StrwLady]

It seems like Disney does this from time to time. That general public offers are better than Annual Pass offers.

Because of buying a car last April we have had to cut out Disney trips so this is the first time in quite awhile we will be going to Disney without an annual pass. Discount wise with the 4/3 deal we come out better this year. I calculated the trip with the new AP rate at the Pop with 1 adult AP and 2 8 day park hoppers and it comes out to approximately $1787. My 4/3 package comes out $1428 and I get the $200 gift card too. Even if the AP rate included the weekends the 4/3 deal would still be better.

***Side note*** When making this post, I couldn't remember off the top of my head what my 4/3 package cost, so I went to the website to reprice it. Last week, checking prices for friends, I could still find availablity at all 3 values and the moderates for my dates. Today the lowest offer that came up was the Saratoga Springs. I wonder how many AP holders booked the 4/3 deal this week seeing the AP rates are lousy.

 

[Mich Mouse]

Can anyone tell me if the 40% pin code excluded weekends as well?

I did receive one but didn't call to inquire as our dates for late March were excluded.

Are no weekends the new thing with all codes/offers?

 

[Mich Mouse]

my husband was in the Army (82nd Airbourne) for 5 1/2 yrs + 4 reserves. He fought in Desert Storm. He served his country. Apparently, TWDC doesn't consider veterans on the same level as an active member of the military. It is extremely irritating because he served just like anyone else. They all served their country and should be recognized for such - not just current active personnel.


Again, it isn't that I don't support the military. My annoyance is more toward TWDC marketing dept who are strictly attempting to boost attendence and using this discount as bait. Of course, that is their job and they do it well

I completely agree....and can't believe the discounts do not apply to veterans. I always thought they did!

 

[FSUSammy]

Can anyone tell me if the 40% pin code excluded weekends as well?

I did receive one but didn't call to inquire as our dates for late March were excluded.

Are no weekends the new thing with all codes/offers?

No it did not exclude weekends.

 

[maverick61]

I am sure many won't like my response but it is supply and demand - plain and simple

Sometimes the promo's benefit you, sometimes they don't. I am sure everyone wants a better deal but it doesn't always work that way. no sense complaining and whining about it. Shoot, look how many times I have been to WDW in my sig and I have NEVER rec'd one PIN code - Not ONE.

 

[PrincessV]

Can anyone tell me if the 40% pin code excluded weekends as well?

I did receive one but didn't call to inquire as our dates for late March were excluded.

Are no weekends the new thing with all codes/offers?

Yes and no - mine showed some dates when weekends are excluded. Others require minimum lengths of stay if arriving on a Sat.

 

[PrincessV]

I am sure many won't like my response but it is supply and demand - plain and simple

Sometimes the promo's benefit you, sometimes they don't. I am sure everyone wants a better deal but it doesn't always work that way. no sense complaining and whining about it

Well, here's the thing from a Floridian perspective...

We saw WDW through the last recession. We received many good incentives to visit WDW and become regulars and they've continued to incent us over the ensuing years. There are many, many of us who regularly stop over for a night or two at WDW, spending money on food and merchandise each visit. By alienating that segment of the population during a time of massively decreased tourism, WDW could be shooting itself in the foot.

Or. The money they're spending marketing to other areas is paying back a larger return than courting AP holders did in the past. We'll see - if AP rates suddenly become more plentiful and desirable, we'll know that the alternative marketing isn't working.

 

[edwardsfire]

I am sure many won't like my response but it is supply and demand - plain and simple

Sometimes the promo's benefit you, sometimes they don't. I am sure everyone wants a better deal but it doesn't always work that way. no sense complaining and whining about it. Shoot, look how many times I have been to WDW in my sig and I have NEVER rec'd one PIN code - Not ONE.

Agreed.

Disney is a great value, We love it and find no reason to complain.

 

[kgle]

It would be great if it was more than just another marketing ploy. After all, TWDC is a for profit business which is what I remember when I get irked by their absolutely ridiculous rates, there "promotions" that extend to certain people only ,etc.

First, we knew we'd love WDW so we bought our AP on our 1st family trip down there last year. Although the rates we received last 4th of July were great and did save us money, we really were hoping for good rates this year to make it worth while. Obviously, that won't be the case.

I am sure I am going to get flamed by this if it is taken wrong: Please understand I support the military 100% and I am not saying military personnel don't deserve to be thanked

my husband was in the Army (82nd Airbourne) for 5 1/2 yrs + 4 reserves. He fought in Desert Storm. He served his country. Apparently, TWDC doesn't consider veterans on the same level as an active member of the military. It is extremely irritating because he served just like anyone else. They all served their country and should be recognized for such - not just current active personnel.


Again, it isn't that I don't support the military. My annoyance is more toward TWDC marketing dept who are strictly attempting to boost attendence and using this discount as bait. Of course, that is their job and they do it well

It says the discount applies to retired military as well...is that not the same thing as a vet?