Logic behind Best Rate Program

[C.Ann]

. As for the childs AP comment my SIL was going to buy a childs AP last year to use for discounted room rates and when she asked she was expressly told no this was no the case and that is had to be an adult pass for the discount..

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At one point in time - not too long ago - someone actually posted the email they received from guest relations at WDW that stated it was perfectly acceptable to use a childs AP for discounted room rates.. Perhaps the CM your SIL spoke with didn't have the correct information - which wouldn't be a surprise.. Take a look at all of the different threads and all of the people who have spoken to CM's on the phone and you'll see that a different answer is given depending on who you speak with.. Always best to request your info in writing..

 

[CharlesTD]

Oh I agree C.Ann it seems you could ask 10 different people and never get the same answer twice so I am going off the info that was given by guest services at DTD so I take it as the truth but like you said you never know.

 

[Brian Noble]

I love Jim's site, and read it semi-regularly. However, he has been known to write inflammatory articles that get lots of play on message boards, generating lots of traffic to his site, and therefore lots of ad revenue.

Pretty much anyone with any claim to inside info at Disneyland says that it has been actively moving to cut down on passholders, but that's been done in the obvious way: raising prices sharply. Several folks claim to have heard Oiumet say, out loud, that the passes at DL are way too cheap for what they offer.

However, WDW is a different beast---a much smaller fraction of the gate is composed of passholders. The change in AP rate bookings seems much more likely to be related to the fact that the Resort bookings are up up up. Even before this change, AP rates have been less generous, and general public discounts (other than package plans) have been non-existant. Occam's Razor suggests that the simplest explanation---the resorts are full---is also the right one.

There is also one piece of evidence counter to Jim's hypothesis. If WDW were so intent on cutting down passholders, they probably would not have bothered offering the Disney Dining Experience to them for less than the Florida Resident rate.

 

[DMRick]

As for the childs AP comment my SIL was going to buy a childs AP last year to use for discounted room rates and when she asked she was expressly told no this was no the case and that is had to be an adult pass for the discount. The free dining is not really much of a discount when you think about it especially when you are still paying rack rate for the room we looked at how the dining goes as for payment etc like upscale dining and CM"s etc and it is not really that big of a savings

Next time your SIL has a question like this, I suggest she write to guest services. There is a big turn around of CM's and they all can't be expected to know all the correct answers. In writing, from GS is the way to go. I have a name of an excellent person in the executive GS, and she seems to be very firm on her responses. She also gives her full name, and a ref number with each response, so it can be shown at check in and they can follow up on it.

As far as the free dining goes, it is a great deal for many staying mod - value. If a family of 4 goes, the savings is much better than the AP discounts. Just the two adults alone save over $70, and once you add the kids, the meal savings makes the room price much less than the AP rates. So yes, Disney is still giving a great discount, to fill rooms, just giving it in a different way, and a way that would only be useful to me, if I hadn't spent all I have spent on AP's.

 

[NCombs]

I love Jim's site, and read it semi-regularly. However, he has been known to write inflammatory articles that get lots of play on message boards, generating lots of traffic to his site, and therefore lots of ad revenue.

Pretty much anyone with any claim to inside info at Disneyland says that it has been actively moving to cut down on passholders, but that's been done in the obvious way: raising prices sharply. Several folks claim to have heard Oiumet say, out loud, that the passes at DL are way too cheap for what they offer.

However, WDW is a different beast---a much smaller fraction of the gate is composed of passholders. The change in AP rate bookings seems much more likely to be related to the fact that the Resort bookings are up up up. Even before this change, AP rates have been less generous, and general public discounts (other than package plans) have been non-existant. Occam's Razor suggests that the simplest explanation---the resorts are full---is also the right one.

There is also one piece of evidence counter to Jim's hypothesis. If WDW were so intent on cutting down passholders, they probably would not have bothered offering the Disney Dining Experience to them for less than the Florida Resident rate.

Yes-Knowing who Jim Hill is, is an important piece of information. What he is writing is not fact, it is a hypothesis.

 

[CharlesTD]

Thanks Rick if you could PM me the info for the CM that would be great.

 

[DMRick]

Thanks Rick if you could PM me the info for the CM that would be great.

You have it via PM.

 

[CharlesTD]

Thank you very much it is appreciated.

 

[Zip-a-dee-dude-da]

To those attacking Jim Hill, Go to the site and read the article.......He didnt even write it! JHMedia is a site with all kinds of information most of it disney but not all. And his writers are all disney lovers not bashers...the article is very sound from a business sense. The AP problem is WAY worse in California and the new park leadership wants to cater to thos e who spend the money (in general Not AP HOLDERS) Im not saying all ap holders dont spend money but statisticly they spend less. its all about numbers and you can bet if the numbers go down financially the old program will be back and quick.

I LOVE DISNEY but am a realist and will not make excuses for every company action like some of you out there. They are big business and the bottom line is the bottom line

 

[NancyIL]

Thanks Rick if you could PM me the info for the CM that would be great.

The NEW rules for making AP resort reservations require that the AP holder be an adult.

 

[PamNC]

with the article AT ALL. I do not think they are trying to "thin out the herd." I'm an ex-cast member who actually worked in Marketing and I can assure you this is not the case. What I have heard from folks who still work there is that this program came to fruition because Passholders were calling CRO daily asking about discounts. You can take this information as 99.99999% accurate.
They are constantly trying to INCREASE the # of passholders, not decrease.

The article is correct, however, when it states that this program is "the end of the world" for the passholders who can't book 120 days in advance...of which I am one. I'm totally against it and I've voiced my concerns to guest services. I'm sure it will do NO good, because the folks who can book that far in advance will do so and this test (that is what it is) of the new program will go just fine.

PamNC

 

[Susiesnowflake]

Just want to reply to Pam's post... people are calling Disney daily not only to check on discounts but also to try to get answers and correct information. I find it incredible that a business of such magnitude cannot properly train their employees to provide accurate, consistent, up-to-date information and facts. Most of us know that you can call 3 times a day, talk with 3 different CMs, and be told 3 different things. I always find that I am left wondering when I hang up the phone and that just shouldn't be. And this is not a blast at those working in CRO. There are many wonderful, outstanding CMs. The system is just deeply flawed, and because of that, Disney is making it necessary for guests to be calling and calling.

 

[bicker]

I don't think the system is "flawed". It is as it is, because that is what we customers have demanded. We customers have never done anything to reward Disney for making things more consistent (and yes, they have made some changes in that regard over the last 15 years). On the contrary, we customers wax poetically when a CM bends or breaks the rules for us, when we encounter something wonderful that wasn't clearly outlined in the terms and conditions, etc. As much as we complain about getting different answers from different CMs, that seems to have insufficient negative effect on the purchasing decision to warrant significant improvement effort, especially when we customers are demanding that Disney direct their resources in other directions, such as new attractions.

The down-side of this is that it does result in excess calls from the most regular guests in order to pin the company down with regard to a policy. Clearly these changes are intended to address that. It is a low-cost solution to the problem, and one that apparently is forecast to have less negative impact on revenues that it will have positive impact on costs.

 

[DMRick]

The NEW rules for making AP resort reservations require that the AP holder be an adult.

She was looking for a contact person..I gave her that.

 

[NCombs]

To those attacking Jim Hill, Go to the site and read the article.......He didnt even write it! JHMedia is a site with all kinds of information most of it disney but not all. And his writers are all disney lovers not bashers...the article is very sound from a business sense. The AP problem is WAY worse in California and the new park leadership wants to cater to thos e who spend the money (in general Not AP HOLDERS) Im not saying all ap holders dont spend money but statisticly they spend less. its all about numbers and you can bet if the numbers go down financially the old program will be back and quick.

I LOVE DISNEY but am a realist and will not make excuses for every company action like some of you out there. They are big business and the bottom line is the bottom line

It's not attacking Jim Hill. It's really just making people aware to not take everything on the internet as fact. Who did write it (I really have no idea)? Are they a Disney executive? Otherwise, it is hypothesis and theory. It may be very sound reasoning but it's not like it's coming straight from the horse's mouth.

Nobody is making excuses for every company action. Disney could stand to make a lot of improvements in a lot of different areas. But, the flip side is other people need to realize Disney is a business with stockholders and you are completely right the bottom line is the bottom line. It's not all about spreading pixie dust unless pixie dust is the shareholders' return.

 

[lillygator]

(in general Not AP HOLDERS) Im not saying all ap holders dont spend money but statisticly they spend less.

do you have a link to those stats?

 

[Lewisc]

do you have a link to those stats?

I'm not the poster and I don't have a link but I recall reading that frequent visitors, AP and DVC, spend a lot less on souvenirs. I've seen a DVC member go so far as to bring a cordless blender to mix his own adult beverages. I don't think you'll see many first time visitors doing that.

I'm much more likely to skip places like SC-FI diner in favor of fewer meals in the better restaurants. I probably spend as much on restaurants.

 

[DMRick]

I'm not the poster and I don't have a link but I recall reading that frequent visitors, AP and DVC, spend a lot less on souvenirs.

That would make sense, since we go so often, how many sweatshirts can we use
However, we (and many AP holders we know) try to do something new, which makes up for it, on each trip. Either a tour, a gathering special, a boat rental, etc. Each visit means a new dining experience, and I don't mean at the food court. Not all spend more, however, we do fill empty rooms, and even at AP prices, money is being made. Obviously they make money off our meals, otherwise why entice us to spend less, with a discount card (DDE). We are also (IMO) more loyal, and less likely to spend our dollars over at Universal. Many first timers fit in Universal or Sea World. While we do that sometimes, not often.

 

[cindybasket]

Another question then....don't know the answer...

Passholder needs to be an "adult" - does that mean they have to be 18 or just that have had to pay for an adult pass instead of a child? If I am not mistaken my 11 & 15 year old are legally not adults but they are adult passholders according to what I paid for their APs.

If someone goes to say that a credit card also needs to be in the same name as the person booking the reservation - for my son's trip to New York City last year he was able to get a pre-paid credit card from USAA so it is do-able from my eyes.

 

[planning06]

If Disney was overwhelmed with people constantly calling for AP discounts, why didn't they just publish the discounts for all on their website? Or did they? They could show it as an incentive to purchase an AP if they wanted more people to purchase APs and hopefully, stop non-APers from calling all the time trying to find the information.