New Al Lutz Today FYI

[Rainasunshine]

Anyway, has anyone else received this commemorative book? It's called something like "A Celebration of a Wish Come True" and it is apparently being sent out in lieu of the Backstage Pass magazine.

Both my fiance and I got one along with a flyer type thing for the Halloween parties. We really enjoyed pictures and such.

 

[Sherry E]

Both my fiance and I got one along with a flyer type thing for the Halloween parties. We really enjoyed pictures and such.

Oh good! I'm glad to know that other people are getting them too. So far, I hadn't seen anyone else post on the DIS about receiving a book. I was beginning to wonder if it was a sneaky trick by Disney to lure people whose APs are about to expire into renewing! (I'd see the book and be reminded of how wonderful it is to have an AP, conveniently in time to renew when it expires after the next payment...)

I agree - the pictures in the book are beautiful. Some of the scenic/landscape photos are gorgeous - I even love the balloon photo on the back cover. I'd much rather have this book than have the Backstage Pass magazine!

 

[JadeDarkstar]

on the ap price point: Id like to say they should offer states that border CA the payment plan. Just my thought if they want to test the waters and raise it again they better give some ppl options because were not all rich

 

[kkmcan]

I got one of those photo books also this week. Our APs expire next month.

 

[Sherry E]

I got one of those photo books also this week. Our APs expire next month.

I fully expected to open it up and see one big promotion for the AP and mentions of "if you renew by X,Y,Z date..." I was pleasantly surprised to not find one single reference to the AP expiring.

 

[mouseymommy]

We got a book also, but our passes don't expire until March. It was a very nice book!

 

[mysteriouspnai]

I wonder if it's a book you receive after being an AP for an extended period of time. DBF and I became APs recently and have not received this book. It sounds amazing though!

 

[taaren]

I've been an AP member for several years running now, and my AP expires at the end of the month. Didn't get a book.
Probably just a random thing?

Hmm ... if AP prices do go up this winter, we'll need to buy AP vouchers for our Dec 2013/Nov 2014 trips before the increase. I wonder if the vouchers will be able to be activated that late?

 

[longhorns2]

Thanks Hydroguy!

and thanks Bob (and Sherry!) for the updates.

I can understand Disney increasing prices, and face it, it's DL, people will keep paying. At least for those once in a lifetime or every year visitors. The AP landscape could totally change though- that will be interesting to see what happens with the local AP holders.

 

[ValpoCory]

I think Disney's philosophy on this seems to be whatever the market will bear. Back in July, David Koenig over on MousePlanet said that it was rumored that Disney was looking at the possibility of raising ticket prices again as soon as this Christmas season and again before next summer. So the rumblings are out there. It's not that surprising really. As long as attendance continues to increase despite increased prices, from a business perspective, Disney may as well keep testing how much higher they can go. I am curious what the tipping point will be. I wonder how high they will be able to raise the prices before attendance plateaus. I know it won't be much longer though before my family is priced out, at least out of doing Disney the way we have been for the last few years. Oh well, we've already started expanding our horizons anyway.

Inelastic demand. 5 day park hoppers are $290 per person. I'd pay at least double that before the price gave me pause. I'm a cheap man in every area of my life, except Disney. That is my luxury item.

 

[ValpoCory]

At this rate DCA could very well draw in excess of 11 million in 2012 as that will be the first full year the expansion will be open. That would put it 3rd in behind WDW's MK and DL as the third most visited theme park in North America.

I wonder if 12 months of CarsLand in 2013 will mean bigger attendance at DCA than 2012 did with 6.5 months of CarsLand.

 

[sheetz]

I wonder if 12 months of CarsLand in 2013 will mean bigger attendance at DCA than 2012 did with 6.5 months of CarsLand.

That's what I was thinking. (Got my years mixed up and meant 2013 instead of 2012.) I would expect 2013 to show continuing increases as that's what happened with WWoHP.

Eventually I expect DL/DCA attendance to level out at about 14/11 mil.

 

[HydroGuy]

Note that DCA is "stealing" some of DL's numbers. Here is a copy of the 2011 report:

2011 Theme Park Attendance Report

Except when DCA first opened and expectations were much higher by the clueless managers at that time, DCA has opened later than DL in recent years. Except on days when DL opened at 10AM as well during off season.

Disney only counts the first park entered in its attendance. So for me I almost always visit high season and on days when DL opened at 8AM I would go to DL first even if I planned to spend the rest of the day at DCA. DL got credit for that attendance number - not DCA. That is what Al means by "first click".

Now that DCA tends to open at the same time as DL, what that likely means is DL attendance could go down. If so it is not necessarily that people have lost interest in DL, it is because they are starting at DCA instead of DL. And DL won't get credit for those who park hopped like it did in the past. DL's attendance numbers might have been a little inflated in recent years because of this.

 

[PinkBudgie]

We got our APs in July. We didn't get any special book. Just an ad for the Halloween parties. Our pattern has been to buy APs every other year.

Getting rid of the CM parties sounds rather demoralizing for employees. That's too bad.

Also interesting to read about the GACs. I didn't realize they had that big of an impact on FP lines. Hopefully they can come up with a fair and logical solution for everyone.