Need your opinions on this article: "Why I won't be renewing my WDW AP"

[SpideyHulk24]

Great article! You made some really good points!

 

[FeeFeeWhite]

I went on the Disney website and mousesavers and they only state FL. On the Disney site you must have a FL DL and a FL zip. If you have another place I can get into please let me know. Thanks. If they would take GA if would change our life.

 

[EsmeraldaX]

Originally posted by benebire
Barry,

It seems like a very thoughtful well written article. However, I have to disagree. I love both Disney and Universal and would never try comparing them. Its just like apples and oranges in my opinion. The things I love about Disney, I dont get at Universal and the things I love about Universal I dont get at Disney. We have visited both Universal and Disney for the last 3 years and I expect to do the same again in June. Just my opinion, but I love them both.

I agree. I love them both; but they are not comprable. If you are not into Disney movies, sure you'll like Universal better. But I prefer Disney cartoons to Jimmy Neutron. And I despised the movie Shrek...

I love both parks and will be visiting all 4 disney parks, Universal, IOA & Seaworld when I go in 10 days. But to compare them is not fair; since they offer different types of things.

 

[A Mickeyfan]

Originally posted by FeeFeeWhite
I went on the Disney website and mousesavers and they only state FL. On the Disney site you must have a FL DL and a FL zip. If you have another place I can get into please let me know. Thanks. If they would take GA if would change our life.

Give Disney a call & see what they say. I do remembering reading it somewhere.... Tell them that you have heard/read somewhere that they offered a GA resident pass that was comprable to the FL resident pass & see what they tell you... many sites that I have gone on don't give info on the FL residents info... worth a try!!!

 

[AllieKat]

Great article Barry! It looks like you've covered it all. I first went to Orlando in 2002. I spent the first 4 days at Disney parks and the last day at IOA. Within 10 minutes, I wished I had bypassed Disney all-together and spent my whole vacation at Universal. At Disney we had to utilize the baby-swap cause we had my 6 month old niece with us and several CM's were so rude to us when we'd inquire what exactly we were supposed to do for the baby-swap. Another CM actually rolled her eyes at me when I asked if I could please have some napkins (we were at one of the eateries).

Anyway, my 2003 Orlando vacation was spent entirely at the Hard Rock Hotel, IOA, USO and City Walk. My 2004 Orlando vacation will also be spent entirely on Universal grounds. Another thing, I actually prefer Disneyland over Walt Disney World. I pretty much grew up at Disneyland and have very fond memories of it, I always thought it was a magical place. I somehow thought WDW would be even better. Maybe my expectations were too high? And maybe not.

 

[FeeFeeWhite]

Called Disney - no specials for GA at all. But wouldn't it be grand.

 

[MamaKate]

Originally posted by WebmasterBarry
·Muppetvision 3-D vs: T2: 3D – Battle Across Time and Shrek 4-DWinner: T2 and Shrek 4-D (more fun, more jaw-dropping 3-D)

Although I agree Muppetvision 3-D isn't the best 3-D show, I feel "It's Tough to Be a Bug"at AK & DCA is superior to"Shrek 4D. I've seen ITTBAB alot & I never get tired of it. It's funny, cute, scary & utilizes all the senses. When I saw Shrek 4-D, I was underwelmed & felt it lacked something. But I did like the Terminator 3-D, alot.


Like others, I love both Universal & Disney and every trip I have to do both. And when I'm there, I just try to fun and not compare the two.

.
Katie

 

[Figment22]

Barry,
Your article was completly on target and highlighted all the reasons why our family no longer has AP's for Disney. Little by little all the Disney AP benefits have been cut back along with customer service, IMO. In all honesty, you find more and more Universal employees who are former Disney employees and have brought the great original Disney customer service with them over to UO. You just get SO much more for your money with a Universal AP, there is no contest. We dropped our Disney AP's after 2001 (and I might add, have not set foot in a Disney theme park since.) Universal just knows how to take care of its AP holders, even in the small things that cost little to nothing, like special AP viewing areas for parades, or dedicated entry lines for AP holders, etc. Makes you feel like you're getting special treatment while it really doesn't cost Universal a whole lot extra.

Great article.

 

[Popsicle]

Barry, your article was beautifully written, and I can understand your sentiments. Don't know why I think you're a teddy bear, but reading it made me think that my teddy bear is sad. I understand being sad about Disney.

We've always done both Disney AND Universal since our very first visit. Every year we try another of the attractions in the area.... Sea World, Busch Gardens, Kennedy Center, in addition to those two.

I hate some of the things that have happened to Disney over the last 12 years. The shortening of hours, even in the summer, the removal of one of the best shows they had down there, Hunchback, and so many other LITTLE things that add up.

But since the trip is only a once a year thing, I keep going back. Maybe it's the ways the parks are laid out and the available space. At Disney, you seem to have more area (with the kazillion acres of land they own), but those quet, people watching, sitting areas make those parks more appealing to me.

Maybe it's age, but I find the Universal parks so frenetic. Last year I took advantage of the buy one year get a second year free annual pass. The thought has never entered my mind to buy a Disney AP. They have never offered any real incentives for me, not being people to stay onsite.

The attractions at Universal are WONDERFUL. Terminator still elicits a cheer from us at the end of the show. Shrek was so cute (motherfletcher.) Jimmy Neutron was such a seamless transition from Hanna Barbera.

Last year, I whipped that Universal annual pass out like a gunslinger in a gunfight at just above every venue where I purchased something. Going with 4 other people, with the free parking, with the discounts EVERYWHERE, Universal came up with a wonderful incentive to visit their parks. But I still prefer Disney (even being the cheap creature that I am.)

Maybe if I lived in Florida, and Disney AP would be worthwhile, but being a Northlander, it really never made sense to buy one. Though we're always there in August, it might be the first week in August, it might be the second, third or fourth week. Couldn't take the chance that I'd use the annual pass for more than one trip with Disney.

Now we have the added fear of a possible purchase of Disney by who knows whom. We can only hope it's a group that understands the special place that is WALT Disney World and that they will have the vision to bring back some of the real magic for us old timers.

(sorry this is so long and rambling.)

 

[UKDEB]

I love WDW and USF equally and can't imagine a trip to Orlando without visiting <i>all</i> the parks. I've been an Annual Passholder of both for several years, but I too have been considering the wisdom of 'renewing' my WDW membership (I don't actually renew, I just buy another pass when I need one). It's a while since I stayed onsite at WDW (the biggest incentive to hold an Annual Pass) and, although I usually manage to get in two trips within each 12 month period, it does occur to me that I might be better off with park hoppers which don't expire if I don't use them. All that said, I probably <i>will</i> continue to buy APs for the flexibility they provide - I never feel I've 'wasted' a day if I only visit for a couple of hours.

 

[robvia]

I think what Barry is trying to get at, is that

Disney is not building "Fun Rides" anymore.

Plus the time in between rides is too long.

Promoting birthday, and anniversary celebrations doesn't stack up to a 400 foot tall roller coaster in Ohio.

I'm going to SFMM in March, and Hershey this summer. Disney, nope.

 

[Muushka]

Barry, we feel you pain, man.

A few years back when WDW changed their AP policy, I became the biggest PRO-Universal ANTI-Disney person ever born. We purchased several USF APs (at a great rate of $99 for vouchers (remember them Disney?)). We are all set for several years. At that point I vowed I would never buy a WDW AP because of the fact that they have such a lousy opinion of their customers that visit frequently. But we own at DVC, and we do visit at least once a year. So, we compromised and buy their rip-off AP's about every 2 to 3 years.

I would love WDW to realize that the way they reward their most loyal customers is not good. I hope your letter goes far. On the Disney-DVC boards the atmosphere has changed in the past few months. Last time the AP thread for discounts for DVC members was written, surprisingly, most people on the thread said that they thought the AP were a rip-off and that they should offer better discounts (for DVC members-I digress, sorry).

Anywhoo, good luck with your letter writing. I agree that the admission prices are totally out of whack and that their rides are lame at best for many. Yes, the parks are beautiful, but they come with a very high price. And really not that thrilling.

 

[BarryHom]

The article has now found a home at www.usoinfo.com...

http://www.usoinfo.com/News/wdw-annual-pass-renewal.htm