Inactive

[Ms Bibbidi]

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[Ms Bibbidi]

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[randumb0]

I'd be ok with them bringing back an option that doesn't include parking but I know that will cut into their revenue. For Universal, my wife's pass includes parking but mine doesn't

 

[RoseGold]

My understanding was that the taxation treatment required some kind of discount for all of Florida, not a specifically local one, like in California. That's a lot of people, especially if they have to hold park space, like the California lawsuit said they do.

I can definitely see the bean counters giving a discount on day tickets instead of an AP, or sticking with the Pixie Dust schedule. I doubt we see APs again like they were going forward. A perk like free parking seems inconsistent with the current penny pinching model.

 

[randumb0]

My park days are pretty short. I have been visiting about once a week for about 3 or 4 hours

 

[Ms Bibbidi]

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[Ms Bibbidi]

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[Ms Bibbidi]

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[dioxide45]

We renewed our Florida Resident APs earlier this year. We actually renewed into the Pixie Dust pass. I would think this is a backdoor way into the more expensive passes that are still currently blocked. Buy Pixie Dust and then when it comes up for renewal, upgrade to the higher level? I suspect those APs may be fore sale though before it would come renewal time.

For us, we don't live in Orlando, we are two hours away and our visits to the parks generally require an Orlando stay. We will often book off site accommodations (timeshares) for a week or even several weeks. We work remotely so we work durhing the day and then visit the parks after 4pm. I would love a heavily discounted after 4 pass. But since they did away with the Epcot after 4, I don't see anything like that coming back. We often go to the festival concerts at Epcot and when we do get to the parks, we are more there to just take it in. We aren't big ride people and the popcorn refills are what we eat. We might get a Dole Whip or something similar now and then. I just find it hard to justify the cost of most food. We just tend to hang out, and shop sometimes too.

I find it very odd that Disney does not track AP discount spending at the AP level. This way they could determine now much certain AP holders are helping or possibly hurting the bottom line. RIght now you just show your AP for merchandise discounts. No tracking for food and beverage spending. It would seem they could do a better job of data collection of what their AP holders are spending.

 

[Ms Bibbidi]

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[dioxide45]

They do not catch my AP spending because i pay cash at all restaurants and seldom do the merch discounts. So, Disney has no idea how much I actually spend. My cash style spending is because it is a good way to prevent ID theft. When someone takes plastic cards away to ring them up, that is a very vulnerable point for ID theft. My cards do not leave my hands. I think a lot of local passholders could be like that. There is a lot of harsh financial practices in this area in part because there are so many vulnerable seniors without family around. So, we have to be very cautious.

We like table service. It costs, but that is the event for us rather than coaster rides.

I suspect that most AP holders (local or not) are using the AP discount on merchandise. Right now that is the only way they can identify AP spending. They have no way of tracking it except on the few restaurants that offer the poultry 10% discount. It would be nice if they could bring back Tables in Wonderland. It would at least make their restaurants competitive to off site options we usually go to instead.

 

[Ms Bibbidi]

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[Ms Bibbidi]

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[kja4876]

We usually spend the morning in the parks and leave after lunch, around 1pm before it gets too hot. We also like table service restaurants and almost always eat at one, so we are spending quite a bit on food on each visit.

 

[shoegal9]

I don't think removing the free parking is a smart idea. It would be an incentive to just park at Disney Springs, take a bus to any resort and then use free transportation from there. And most locals would know that.

 

[HopperFan]

My understanding was that the taxation treatment required some kind of discount for all of Florida, not a specifically local one, like in California. That's a lot of people, especially if they have to hold park space, like the California lawsuit said they do.

Yes, likely tied to this. It is not uncommon for entities that receive tax breaks or funding to have to offer discounted tickets or free days. Locally our county/cities give funds to the Zoo, Art Museum etc and those offer discounts, a free day a month or free day via a special pass at library. Am sure it a years old deal with the state. AND the Florida residents are Disney's baseline when things get tough. They can still afford to keep going.

I'm waiting to see how the California case plays out. I believe there is a big difference between being blocked out and the park reservation system. I don't think my argument would be I should be able to go whenever I want because I'm not blocked out ... they aren't, they just didn't get one of the available reservations. I think my argument would be the reservation system is inadequate for the number of tickets Disney sold, which includes APs.

I can definitely see the bean counters giving a discount on day tickets instead of an AP, or sticking with the Pixie Dust schedule. I doubt we see APs again like they were going forward. A perk like free parking seems inconsistent with the current penny pinching model.

I don't think APs will ever go away, no matter all the complaints you hear from the top .. they know that is the constant base that pays the bills. They already eliminated several of them the last go round.

I doubt free parking goes away unless they bring back the super cheap passes that excluded parking. But I doubt those passes are profitable for Disney which is why they disappeared. I have AP at Universal as well, with free parking - my WDW and UO APs cost about the same, both free parking, difference is UO has no block out dates, early entry and discounts at all dining locations. Makes no sense for Disney to eliminate it, especially since we are just parking on long ago paid for parking lots. That money we save parking we no doubt spend plus some inside.

When UO Epic Universe opens Disney doesn't want to be the pass that locals or Florida Residents drop because they got greedy and dropped parking.

 

[randumb0]

They could track AP spending if they wanted to. Every time I buy something at Universal they have to scan the barcode on the back of my pass

 

[TheSouthernBelle]

I do agree that it's hard to quantify AP cash spending, but I think it's far less about those items like food and merch as it is tix/lodging as this is the bulk of what disney is tracking when they say that APs don't butter their bread. It's the guests that come in and buy a week's worth of tix for a family of 4. That's their money making machine. They're less likely to stay off property, dine off property and if they're a one and done, they'll go ham on merch. I know that Disney misses the mark on a lot of things, making money and tracking how they can increase revenue, is something they're good at. They're revenues are far greater for the out of town family than the locals who don't stay on property and don't buy tickets. I see very few people use cash in the parks and I would suspect with how prevalent mobile dining is, Disney has more cashless spenders today than ever.

 

[Ms Bibbidi]

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[dioxide45]

I absolutely agree. Likely to see free parking continue.

APs without parking included have no appeal. Certainly Florida Resident APs.