Intersting article about Disney in the Sentinel

[ChrisnKim913]

We are passholders and live within a hours drive and I have to agree with a lot of what this article says. It's ridiculous trying to get Fastpasses due to the 30 day threshold. Blocking out months at a certain park would be it for me. If parks will be blacked out for months at a time, I expect (wait this is Disney, so no I don't) some money back or ap prices to drop if this were to take effect. Is that something I think Disney will do, not a chance. But I can't see paying more money for less.

 

[cindyfan]

I am also an AP holder.... and the last price increase pretty much made me turn away. I already had 2 trips planned this year so kept my AP.... but I really doubt I will renew next year. It really has gotten out of control. And I agree the value has greatly diminished!! It is very sad when a company.... any company..... would in a sense begin to turn their backs on their loyal guests! And I do feel that is where they are headed! I am still hoping they will see what they are doing and fix it before it's too late!

 

[Missyrose]

Attendance is down, but revenue is way up. Disney really doesn't care if a fraction of its audience is displeased with the current state, the rest are spending more than enough money to make up for it.

 

[cindyfan]

.........It's ridiculous trying to get Fastpasses due to the 30 day threshold. Blocking out months at a certain park would be it for me. If parks will be blacked out for months at a time, I expect (wait this is Disney, so no I don't) some money back or ap prices to drop if this were to take effect. Is that something I think Disney will do, not a chance. But I can't see paying more money for less.

Agree! But "paying more for less" is exactly what seems to be happening the last few years!

 

[quandrea]

Agree with the article. We have had APs for many years now. Our passes expire in October. We are headed down in September for one more trip with the current passes. Won't be renewing. When we go for our two week visit in January we won't be going into the parks. We will however be going to Universal for three nights. We also cook in our villa way more than we used to. Perhaps Disney doesn't care, but I wonder if there will be some negative effects if enough of their base group of fans behaves in a similar manner. I don't expect we will ever hold APs again.

 

[jetdoctor]

I have not seen the survey I hope I get it soon. They don't want us locals coming as much. We live about 20 minutes away and go very often. We don't spend our money on their precious resorts as often or buy their DVC's as often. Look at DLR. Their unrestricted annual pass is $1000. Bob Igor want attendance down with the same or more revenue. plus I remember getting survey before the price increase last year asking if overcrowding was an issue. I really believe that we will see a no block out date premium pass go in upwards of a $1000 in the near or not so distant future.

 

[jetdoctor]

And thank God we people who are frustrated get to have a voice. Here come all of the apologists to defend Disney.

 

[loves to dive]

I've been an AP holder for 3 years now and plan on renewing mine this year. I'm not a Florida resident so I pay full price. As long as the AP renewal costs less for me than PH tickets would for the amount of days I go, I'll continue to buy it. If they put black out dates on the regular pass, I won't buy it but it looks like the survey was targeted more toward Florida residents who buy the discounted one. Not apologizing for Disney but the regular pass is available to Florida residents so they can get one without the blackout dates. The only reason I bought my first one was because I knew how many days I was going to be there that year and it was cheaper, when it doesn't save me money, I'll go to buying tickets at discount vendors for length of stay.

 

[Missyrose]

And thank God we people who are frustrated get to have a voice. Here come all of the apologists to defend Disney.

No one is defending Disney, but there comes a point when folks realize they can scream as loud as they want and Disney just isn't listening. You can choose to vote with your wallet. But the current frustration is that seems to play into exactly what Disney wants, fewer repeat visitors who don't spend a lot and more once-in-a-lifetime folks who spend tons on resorts and all sorts of trip extras. Until those people stop going, Disney isn't going to hear a thing its longtime fan base is saying.

 

[Spaceguy55]

I'm a FL R silver pass holder. Normally I just make monthly payments and go about 2 or 3 times a year. If this was to happen I was thinking that I would just not renew, then when I wanted to go , say for Star Wars or maybe even Avatar "if they started this by then" I would just buy a 3 day pass and then upgrade to a AP before the last day. Even if they were to restrict the FL resident tickets , I still could buy a regular pass and still upgrade before the last day is used...

 

[rlbates13]

Attendance is down, but revenue is way up. Disney really doesn't care if a fraction of its audience is displeased with the current state, the rest are spending more than enough money to make up for it.

And this....is what it boils down to. Disney, or most any other large corporations, in 2016 do not care one whit about loyalty or what we consider a "core customer" unless it affects the top and subsequently the bottom line. If revenue were to drop or more importantly net income and thus dividends per share were to drop, then annual passholders, dvc owners and other loyal customers might become more important to them. But...for corporations these days, the ONLY thing that is important is profits and more profits. I tell people all the time that in today's world.....follow the money. That is the most important thing in almost any issue: corporations, politics, social issues, etc....follow the money.

To make it simple, consider this....if the parks and resorts are full....and profitable, and there is no need to offer discounts and loyalty offerings to customers, then Disney would rather see AP go away. They only need us......when they need us.

 

[lockedoutlogic]

I've been an AP holder for 3 years now and plan on renewing mine this year. I'm not a Florida resident so I pay full price. As long as the AP renewal costs less for me than PH tickets would for the amount of days I go, I'll continue to buy it. If they put black out dates on the regular pass, I won't buy it but it looks like the survey was targeted more toward Florida residents who buy the discounted one. Not apologizing for Disney but the regular pass is available to Florida residents so they can get one without the blackout dates. The only reason I bought my first one was because I knew how many days I was going to be there that year and it was cheaper, when it doesn't save me money, I'll go to buying tickets at discount vendors for length of stay.

Lol...that's a hamster wheel.

If they increase the cost of both tickets and passes each year...they will never collide...but you will end up double in 10 years...which has already happened.

And that is not "inflation"

 

[lockedoutlogic]

And this....is what it boils down to. Disney, or most any other large corporations, in 2016 do not care one whit about loyalty or what we consider a "core customer" unless it affects the top and subsequently the bottom line. If revenue were to drop or more importantly net income and thus dividends per share were to drop, then annual passholders, dvc owners and other loyal customers might become more important to them. But...for corporations these days, the ONLY thing that is important is profits and more profits. I tell people all the time that in today's world.....follow the money. That is the most important thing in almost any issue: corporations, politics, social issues, etc....follow the money.

To make it simple, consider this....if the parks and resorts are full....and profitable, and there is no need to offer discounts and loyalty offerings to customers, then Disney would rather see AP go away. They only need us......when they need us.

Agreed.

We are in a prolonged "travel boom"
And that's when Disney couldn't care less About aps, Florida residents, and DVC (unless they are in the office at Saratoga about to sign the papers for additional points)...

What's different now is that they have double all their prices in 10 years and everyone has swallowed it and ask for more..

When a recession hits (which is inevitable)...then we'll see
How much damage they've done. And we'll see if the alienated customer remembers...and doesn't fall for the gimmicks hook, line and anchor...

 

[jetdoctor]

And this....is what it boils down to. Disney, or most any other large corporations, in 2016 do not care one whit about loyalty or what we consider a "core customer" unless it affects the top and subsequently the bottom line. If revenue were to drop or more importantly net income and thus dividends per share were to drop, then annual passholders, dvc owners and other loyal customers might become more important to them. But...for corporations these days, the ONLY thing that is important is profits and more profits. I tell people all the time that in today's world.....follow the money. That is the most important thing in almost any issue: corporations, politics, social issues, etc....follow the money.

To make it simple, consider this....if the parks and resorts are full....and profitable, and there is no need to offer discounts and loyalty offerings to customers, then Disney would rather see AP go away. They only need us......when they need us.

See when Disney knows that we people that have come all of are lives got upset about something they know that some other guy will just take my place. So be it that is capitalism.

 

[jetdoctor]

Agreed.

We are in a prolonged "travel boom"
And that's when Disney couldn't care less About aps, Florida residents, and DVC (unless they are in the office at Saratoga about to sign the papers for additional points)...

What's different now is that they have double all their prices in 10 years and everyone has swallowed it and ask for more..

When a recession hits (which is inevitable)...then we'll see
How much damage they've done. And we'll see if the alienated customer remembers...and doesn't fall for the gimmicks hook, line and anchor...

the only way that we will see change is if most of us speak with are wallets. I have always been a Disney apologetic but those days are changing

 

[Accident]

They ran this survey at the start of the year. Not a good sign it came out to more than once.

 

[whiporee]

I have not seen the survey I hope I get it soon. They don't want us locals coming as much. We live about 20 minutes away and go very often. We don't spend our money on their precious resorts as often or buy their DVC's as often. Look at DLR. Their unrestricted annual pass is $1000. Bob Igor want attendance down with the same or more revenue. plus I remember getting survey before the price increase last year asking if overcrowding was an issue. I really believe that we will see a no block out date premium pass go in upwards of a $1000 in the near or not so distant future.

I'm just curious -- what is it you think they owe you? You've come to their parks and you've paid your entrance fees, and they've offered the chance to buy a ticket that if, if you choose to got more than once a month, makes sense compared to a regular ticket. You could buy an AP and go every day and have your thousand dollar purchase be worth 36,000 compared to daily purchases.

Or you could not. That's a choice. But Florida taxes don't subsidize Disney -- in fact, the tourist taxes generated by the industry Disney created in Orlando help keep the rest of our taxes low compared to the rest of the country. Why do you assume Disney owes some level of loyalty beyond what they already do, which is offer Florida residents a discount. I grew up in Orlando. Bought a house there last week. And I can promise you that the Mouse built that town. Without Disney, Orlando might as well been Ocala -- middle of the state, no real infrastructure, just a (now defunct) naval training base and airport. Disney has give much much much more to we residents of central Florida have sacrificed in return. And that's not enough?

But you're talking here as if Disney decision to increase prices or add blackout dates -- or even actively discourage local residents from attending -- is some sort of affront, an insult to this supposed loyal customer base (the same base that wants to pay less than the out-of-state visitor who is buying full price tickets and staying in their precious hotels and eating onsite and spending a lot more money) that is entitled to better.

Disney has done plenty right by AP holders and Florida residents, and the fact that they don't want to do more may be unfortunate to those who take advantage of their offers, but certainly is no sign of disrespect or disregard. If I were them and I was spending a few billion on expansions, I'd want every single person coming to stay at my resorts, eat my food, buy my merchandise. I'd want to maximize every single excitement and enthusiastic dollar I could, and make sure that every person through the gates was paying as much as I could get them to pay. I wouldn't want 30,000 AP holders flooding my gates on opening day, making the guests who paid the full ride less satisfied. And if it were your company and your billions invested, you would, too.

 

[lockedoutlogic]

...and her comes the capitalist cavalry with the classic pincer movement...

It's not whether Disney "owes" anyone anything...that's not the argument. It's whether it's a longterm good business decision to modify longstanding policies to force certain costumers away that have been an important structural piece of their clientele for 40 years...

That's the question and it is very much something to speculate on...

And Florida's taxes aren't low because they make "good tax policy"...

It's because they don't invest enough in their communities...they pass legislation designed to keep most of their population in their "strata" for life...and they spent the second half of the 20th century attracting those that had no interest in investing in their communities or paying a fair share...

...but they have good weather...though if the Gulf of Mexico is gonna be 90 degrees every summer...that's gonna be interesting going forward

So we'll see how that goes. Get your ponchos

 

[rlbates13]

When a recession hits (which is inevitable)...then we'll see
How much damage they've done. And we'll see if the alienated customer remembers...and doesn't fall for the gimmicks hook, line and anchor...

This...will probably play out just like Disney would expect it to. When times are good (the past few years), Disney could afford to take away or limit some "loyalty" benefits and still watch their business grow. But...as with normal cyclical business cycles, what goes up, usually comes down eventually and when the travel and entertainment business hits a lull, Disney will come running to their former loyal consumers with benefits and enticements in hand. And.....wait for it.......we will come running back with goofy grins (pun sort of intended) to take advantage of the great offers. Disney knows we will. There just isn't enough willpower amongst enough die-hard Disney fanatics to stay away or stay mad very long......unless of course the product took a permanent nose-dive.

In Team Burbank's eyes.......this is, to quote Lord Cutler Beckett, "just good business".

 

[lockedoutlogic]

They need to replace the rich, 60 year old fake and bake CEO with a homeless, 30
Year old with a pile of debt...

Someone who might "think about the future"