Lifetime pass?

[Koda]

I spoke with someone today who said they have lifetime passes to WDW. Has anyone ever heard of this?

 

[Cheshire Figment]

Yes. Basically these are extremely very very rare. About the only way to get one is to be the first family to enter a Park when it is brand new. They cannot be bought.

 

[lizabu]

I googled it and found out that such a thing exists but there are very few of them

http://www.wdwradio.com/forums/walt-disney-world-wdw-rumors/2158-lifetime-passes-disney-world.html

 

[Designer Rose]

Like everyone said, they DO exist, but they are very rare. I think they gave some out to some people that were first in the park when Magic Kingdom opened. Not sure when else they have been given out...

 

[Never never been]

I wonder if she's a member of that family that got the whole park to themselves. They stayed in the Cinderella Suite and a ton of extremely very, very special treatment. Maybe someone will have a link to that video/news story.

 

[wbeem]

I spoke with someone today who said they have lifetime passes to WDW. Has anyone ever heard of this?

Yes. I was speaking with a CM a week or so ago while taking photos. He told me about another person who had a great photo that Disney liked. For compensation, he accepted a lifetime pass rather than a monetary payment.

 

[tlenzendorf]

My boyfriend's coworker has one. She was one of the kids at MK opening day. He is trying to convince her to bring it in so he can take a picture of it so I can see it

 

[Wadecool]

My boyfriend's coworker has one. She was one of the kids at MK opening day. He is trying to convince her to bring it in so he can take a picture of it so I can see it

I would love to see that. I can't imagine how valuable those would be.

 

[TBDave]

Jack Lindquist talked about the Lifetime Passes in his book "In Service To The Mouse". They gave one out in a radio contest during Disneyland's first summer. And they gave one to the first family at WDW's opening. But he basically says the company regrets them, because some recipients have taken unfair advantage of Disney's generosity.

He said the family would call and say, "We'll be there in two hours and we want someone to meet us to do this and this and this. We're bringing 12 people. We want to have dinner and stay overnight".

 

[ZehnJahren]

Yep, my coworker and his family were offered lifetime passes for about the cost of an AP - but he said they couldn't afford them at the time so they didn't get them. He's definitely kicking himself now!!!!

 

[WDWFreak200]

Jack Lindquist talked about the Lifetime Passes in his book "In Service To The Mouse". They gave one out in a radio contest during Disneyland's first summer. And they gave one to the first family at WDW's opening. But he basically says the company regrets them, because some recipients have taken unfair advantage of Disney's generosity.

He said the family would call and say, "We'll be there in two hours and we want someone to meet us to do this and this and this. We're bringing 12 people. We want to have dinner and stay overnight".

That is when I would go and say, "Ok, well the rest of your party will have to pay admission, you can book a hotel reservation as well as dinner reservations."

 

[nytimez]

So many people claim to know someone who has one... yet I've never seen a photo of one.

 

[asianway]

So many people claim to know someone who has one... yet I've never seen a photo of one.

Is It really a specific type of media? I always assumed there was a very short list of people who got sent a free AP each year-that's how I'd figure ruthlessly efficient TDO would do it

 

[Wadecool]

So many people claim to know someone who has one... yet I've never seen a photo of one.

Who's up for a little snipe hunting?

 

[chartle]

Who's up for a little snipe hunting?

Yes I can see a lot of urban legends around this story.

 

[TBDave]

Is It really a specific type of media? I always assumed there was a very short list of people who got sent a free AP each year-that's how I'd figure ruthlessly efficient TDO would do it

Back to the Lindquist book. He describes the lifetime pass which was given out on the radio show that first summer:

"... a little handwritten card that said 'Congratulations. You and your family will always be our guests a Disneyland'."

He said that the grandparents had died 20 years ago, and the parents had recently passed away and now the grandson had it. A beaten up, handwritten card passed down from generation to generation.

 

[tlenzendorf]

BF's coworker has hers in a bank safety deposit box. She is going thru chemo right now for lung cancer, so it's not exactly easy for her to bring it since she isn't at work very often.

 

[Eljay]

"... a little handwritten card that said 'Congratulations. You and your family will always be our guests a Disneyland'."

"You and your family..."

There's the catch. Years ago, they were probably thinking it would just be mom, dad and a couple of kids.

I don't know why, but I always sort of thought that the lifetime passes would look like an ordinary AP, mainly to maintain the privacy of the passholders. I can't imagine someone presenting a little handwritten card at the gate. But that's just total speculation on my part.

 

[PIRATEGIRL007]

Yep, my coworker and his family were offered lifetime passes for about the cost of an AP - but he said they couldn't afford them at the time so they didn't get them. He's definitely kicking himself now!!!!

seems like an odd thing you would be offered to purchase, I've only heard of them in the super elusive comp category for being first guest or doing something extrordinary.

Yes. I was speaking with a CM a week or so ago while taking photos. He told me about another person who had a great photo that Disney liked. For compensation, he accepted a lifetime pass rather than a monetary payment.

Somebody better not tell Tom Bricker.
Seriously though I can't see that as being all that true either, there are some amazing photos out there Disney has acquired and I don't see them giving away something 'money can't buy' for right to a photo.

 

[DisneyCowgirl]

I thought when OKW first opened as DVC, the initial buyers got passes for the duration of their ownership. Not really lifetime, but still a good deal.