Pleased about annual passs blackout dates

[Rags13]

Sorry to say that I am pleases with the reported annual pass blackout dates for the summer months. I love Disneyland but on my last trip, it was just way to crowded after 5:00pm due to the mass of local annual passholders. I live out of state and visit Disneyland once or twice a year. Disney world has has had blackout dates on their annual pass for years.

 

[ArchOwl]

Sorry to say that I am pleases with the reported annual pass blackout dates for the summer months. I love Disneyland but on my last trip, it was just way to crowded after 5:00pm due to the mass of local annual passholders. I live out of state and visit Disneyland once or twice a year. Disney world has has had blackout dates on their annual pass for years.

DL has had blockout dates on their annual passes for years as well, except for Premium of course.

 

[Malcon10t]

Sorry to say that I am pleases with the reported annual pass blackout dates for the summer months. I love Disneyland but on my last trip, it was just way to crowded after 5:00pm due to the mass of local annual passholders. I live out of state and visit Disneyland once or twice a year. Disney world has has had blackout dates on their annual pass for years.

Disneyland has had blackout dates for years. (Premium excluded.) The blackout dates look similar to previous years.

 

[Rags13]

Then what was the big change I heard about on the Disneyland podcast? They made it seem like it was a new change starting next summer. I guess I will just have deal with the crowds.

 

[sonnyjane]

Then what was the big change I heard about on the Disneyland podcast? They made it seem like it was a new change starting next summer. I guess I will just have deal with the crowds.

I'm not sure what podcast you're referring to, but as the others said, blockout dates are nothing new. If you'd like to know specifically when each type of pass is blocked, you can check out these calendars on Disneyland's website: http://disneyland.disney.go.com/passes/blockout-dates/

 

[Rags13]

I was referring to the Disneyland edition podcast on the dis unplugged 5/24. Good discussion on annual passes and prices. So apparently only cast members are blacked out all summer. I was wrong. No change to annual pass dates, just a huge price increase. Maybe the price increase will cause more people to purchase the pass with blackout dates.

 

[Halloweenqueen]

OT, but the WDW podcast and DL podcast are worth checking out. This board is owned and operated by the people who do the weekly podcast. They recently celebrated 5 years of the podcast.

 

[SuzanneSLO]

Sorry to say that I am pleases with the reported annual pass blackout dates for the summer months. I love Disneyland but on my last trip, it was just way to crowded after 5:00pm due to the mass of local annual passholders. I live out of state and visit Disneyland once or twice a year. Disney world has has had blackout dates on their annual pass for years.

We have purchased WDW APs in the past and they had no block out days. When did WDW start having blackout days on the non-resident APs? -- Suzanne

 

[fctiger]

Take it from someone who has an AP for a few years now OP, the block out dates are the same as they always been! And I dont think they will change any time soon! They seem to be all very reasonable with each level of passes!

 

[Disney Dreams]

...I love Disneyland but on my last trip, it was just way to crowded after 5:00pm due to the mass of local annual passholders. I live out of state and visit Disneyland once or twice a year....

Locals who have premium annual passes love Disney too. They have just as much right to enjoy the Park as you do. They paid (a LOT) for their AP.

By the way, they are not the only ones coming into the Parks after 5pm. When do you think all the tourists who choose to go back to their hotels for mid-afternoon naps come back to the Park?

Let's not blame the locals for everything. They are just enjoying the use of the pass that they bought.

- Dreams

 

[Rags13]

Ofcourse AP holders have every right to go as me. They just get to do it alot more and for a lot less . I don't have any statistical data, but based on my own experience, Disneyland reaches peak attendance in the evening. In comparison Disney World reaches peak attendance mid day and thins out after 5pm. There are just more people in the LA area that swing by after work. Christmas time was the most obvious. Nobody there until the evening, then it was horribly crowded. The next day...poof, everyone was gone again until that night.

 

[fctiger]

Disneyland has always been a more local park unlike WDW which depends more on out of state and foreign tourist to keep it going. Thats really the difference. DLR has 3 hotels and two parks, if they filled all of those hotels to maxiumum daily they wouldnt even get a quarter of the fraction to fill both parks. WDW on the other hand has 16 hotels and four parks and it has to do EVERYTHING it can to keep those hotels filled and end of the day WDW push to get tourist to come to Florida year round while DLR push locals to come year round. There is also a reason you can go to various countries and see advertisements for WDW, but never see one for DL pass Texas unless they are pushing for a major event like whats going on next week.

WDW needs the tourist, DL needs the locals, they both play to very demographics and mandates! Obviously they want more tourist in DLR as much as they want more Floridians at WDW, but end of the day the backbone is for DLR is the AP locals and WDW is foreign tourism that go to that resort in large packs all year long depending on the time of year and the continent!

And the two will probably never change since they are so different in size and population area!

 

[bumbershoot]

Disney world has has had blackout dates on their annual pass for years.

Only on the FL resident passes, which I believe aren't called APs, but Season Passes.

Locals who have premium annual passes love Disney too. They have just as much right to enjoy the Park as you do. They paid (a LOT) for their AP.

By the way, they are not the only ones coming into the Parks after 5pm. When do you think all the tourists who choose to go back to their hotels for mid-afternoon naps come back to the Park?

Let's not blame the locals for everything. They are just enjoying the use of the pass that they bought.

- Dreams

Exactly. I'm not local, but I have no annoyance for locals who go often. Not at all!


Blockout dates are for when the park is already going to be busy. With tourists. They don't want to make it worse, so they block the lower levels of APs (all 3 of 4 levels, including the Deluxe AP I have, have various blockout dates) at varying levels, so the only massive crowds are made up of tourists with normal tickets, or Premium and Premier AP holders.

And since locals can buy Premium and Premier APs, you have NO idea if the people you see using APs are locals or if they are from Iceland.

Ofcourse AP holders have every right to go as me. They just get to do it alot more and for a lot less . I don't have any statistical data, but based on my own experience, Disneyland reaches peak attendance in the evening. In comparison Disney World reaches peak attendance mid day and thins out after 5pm. There are just more people in the LA area that swing by after work. Christmas time was the most obvious. Nobody there until the evening, then it was horribly crowded. The next day...poof, everyone was gone again until that night.

I don't read the crowd levels the same way you do, not at all. People simply don't like to wake up early on vacation, and don't understand how much you can get done in those early hours. Let's LET THEM continue to do that! It allows the early risers to have that quiet time.

It's the same at WDW, though, just on a different scale since there are SO many more people there. Starts off slower, gets more packed as the day goes on.


The AP holders who are doing it more cheaply are the ones with very blocked years. Those who can go much more often are paying just what you can, if you were to buy an AP (deluxe, premium, or premier).

 

[pixiewings71]

Ofcourse AP holders have every right to go as me. They just get to do it alot more and for a lot less . I don't have any statistical data, but based on my own experience, Disneyland reaches peak attendance in the evening. In comparison Disney World reaches peak attendance mid day and thins out after 5pm. There are just more people in the LA area that swing by after work. Christmas time was the most obvious. Nobody there until the evening, then it was horribly crowded. The next day...poof, everyone was gone again until that night.

Well a lot more maybe, but for a lot less? Not always. I've had an AP a few different times now but I'm not a local, even tho I live in CA. So I have to buy a Deluxe or Premium AP, then I have to multiply that by 4 because we have 4 people in our family, then we have to budget for gas to drive (because flying is just way too much $$!), money for a hotel, money for food, we have to pay a pet sitter for our dog, cats and fish. Now, I understand Disney doesn't necessarily get all that money, but it's still not super cheap to go. When we do go we spend as time as possible in the parks, all day long.

That said, I do know a lot of people who go after work, and to be honest, if I had that ability I would do the same thing. BUT I would still (probably) have a DAP or PAP.

 

[DebbieB]

Only on the FL resident passes, which I believe aren't called APs, but Season Passes.

Florida Residents can buy a regular annual pass at a discount or a seasonal annual pass. Only the seasonal has blackout dates.

 

[MrsPinup]

I don't read the crowd levels the same way you do, not at all. People simply don't like to wake up early on vacation, and don't understand how much you can get done in those early hours. Let's LET THEM continue to do that! It allows the early risers to have that quiet time.

hear hear! I LOVE early mornings!!!

 

[fctiger]

hear hear! I LOVE early mornings!!!

LOL, complete opposite for me! I love it at night! The shows, energy and pretty lights all over the resort does it for me!

 

[pixiewings71]

LOL, complete opposite for me! I love it at night! The shows, energy and pretty lights all over the resort does it for me!

me too, I love nighttime in the parks!!

 

[HydroGuy]

I was referring to the Disneyland edition podcast on the dis unplugged 5/24. Good discussion on annual passes and prices. So apparently only cast members are blacked out all summer. I was wrong. No change to annual pass dates, just a huge price increase. Maybe the price increase will cause more people to purchase the pass with blackout dates.

I think that is the idea. To change the mix of visitors at DLR and to price some people out of APs.

 

[3Minnies1Mickey]

I think that is the idea. To change the mix of visitors at DLR and to price some people out of APs.

Priced us out....of course we have to buy 6 APs! So we will settle for a trip every year and a half or so.