Reply from Terri Schultz re DVC AP return

[wishicouldgomoreofte]

Schultz, Terri A. (Terri.A.Schultz@disney.com)To:you Details
Good Morning –

First I want to thank you for your note, I realize that the ticket changes we have had to make due to COVID-19 do put our Members in a difficult spot when trying to make decisions about future stays.

I wish I could provide you an exact date that Annual Passes will return, but the truth is that date has not yet been established. While we are slowly beginning to increase our park capacity, it is still unclear when AP tickets will be available for sale again. Rest assured as soon as soon as we can begin offering them again, we certainly will. We are all excited for the day when our operations will be “back to normal”.

Please take care,
Terri

 

[Marionnette]

Schultz, Terri A. (Terri.A.Schultz@disney.com)To:you Details
Good Morning –

First I want to thank you for your note, I realize that the ticket changes we have had to make due to COVID-19 do put our Members in a difficult spot when trying to make decisions about future stays.

I wish I could provide you an exact date that Annual Passes will return, but the truth is that date has not yet been established. While we are slowly beginning to increase our park capacity, it is still unclear when AP tickets will be available for sale again. Rest assured as soon as soon as we can begin offering them again, we certainly will. We are all excited for the day when our operations will be “back to normal”.

Please take care,
Terri

Well, that was a whole lot of nothing. At least you got a response and that does tell us that emails do get read.

 

[The Jackal]

A whole lot of fluff there. Disney is choosing not to offer them to all people who that are eligible to purchase them. Per FL regulations theme parks can run at 100% capacity. WDW management has chosen not to, instead they are limiting your guest experience and making people purchase more expensive daily tickets, increasing guest spending, which increases their profits. Ticket prices never went down and you get less for it. Reduced hours, no fireworks, no parades etc…

 

[sssteele]

DVC does not decide when annual passes will be available. That's up to Disney Ticketing.

 

[DisneyOutsider]

Part of this might have to do with the possibility that Disney doesn't know what kind of AP's they will be offering. I would not be surprised if they are completely scrapping the AP model as we knew it and building a new AP model from the ground up, and that's why DVC (who has no control over AP's) can't say anything meaningful.

 

[Marionnette]

Part of this might have to do with the possibility that Disney doesn't know what kind of AP's they will be offering. I would not be surprised if they are completely scrapping the AP model as we knew it and building a new AP model from the ground up, and that's why DVC (who has no control over AP's) can't say anything meaningful.

I would agree with this if it were not for the fact that sales of new APs to select former AP holders and AP renewals are happening right now. If they truly wanted to scrap the current AP models, Disney would freeze all AP sales and renewals until such time that the new APs can be sold.

 

[DisneyOutsider]

I would agree with this if it were not for the fact that sales of new APs to select former AP holders and AP renewals are happening right now. If they truly wanted to scrap the current AP models, Disney would freeze all AP sales and renewals until such time that the new APs can be sold.

Or- they're allowing a certain portion of the customer base to be grandfathered by continuing to allow renewals because they'll be happy to take more cash while they sort it all out.

I don't think that allowing folks to renew APs dispels the notion that they could be doing away with the old AP tiers. It's different from the strategy in Anaheim, but WDW can handle the demand, and I think DVC will still get their discount off whatever the product is.

I think the silence overall is what makes me feel this way. It's a great opportunity for them to realign everything from park reservations (done) to fastpasses (in the works)... I think it's a near certainty they've at least seriously considered an overhaul to APs.

 

[dclpluto]

The email sounds like a generic email that she has been sending everyone that asks about annual passes.

 

[10CJ]

Or- they're allowing a certain portion of the customer base to be grandfathered by continuing to allow renewals because they'll be happy to take more cash while they sort it all out.

I don't think that allowing folks to renew APs dispels the notion that they could be doing away with the old AP tiers. It's different from the strategy in Anaheim, but WDW can handle the demand, and I think DVC will still get their discount off whatever the product is.

I think the silence overall is what makes me feel this way. It's a great opportunity for them to realign everything from park reservations (done) to fastpasses (in the works)... I think it's a near certainty they've at least seriously considered an overhaul to APs.

They are also allowing qualified people to buy new vouchers. Not renewals. If they were going to do something completely different I am not sure they would be issuing vouchers like that.

 

[Sandisw]

They are also allowing qualified people to buy new vouchers. Not renewals. If they were going to do something completely different I am not sure they would be issuing vouchers like that.

Exactly. I just don't think they would have come out with the recovery offer for those who canceled in 2020...or had them expire during closure...if the plan was not to continue. Once those guests got their refunds, they were done as an AP holder.

But, WDW allowed them back in. That leads me to believe that they plan on doing it. And, I did overhear a conversation at GS in Epcot last week where a guest was allowed to upgrade his ticket to an AP...it sounded like he didn't know about the recovery offer, and the CM explained it to him and upgraded his tickets! So, they are even telling guests about it when it came up!

 

[Narcoossee11]

The email sounds like a generic email that she has been sending everyone that asks about annual passes.

This is totally true.
Disney has a team that answers ALL emails and they use cut and paste forms.
The advantage of this team, they can forward your email to several depts that can help you if need be.
NO leader looks at your email before they go through those cm's.

 

[dclpluto]

This is totally true.
Disney has a team that answers ALL emails and they use cut and paste forms.
The advantage of this team, they can forward your email to several depts that can help you if need be.
NO leader looks at your email before they go through those cm's.

yep I just got a email this morning said exactly the same thing.

 

[ScarSimone]

The email sounds like a generic email that she has been sending everyone that asks about annual passes.

Of course it is, people below her pay grade have 20k unread emails in their in boxes! I am sure its staffers responding, she probably has a different email address used internally.

 

[mousestruck]

Unfortunately they have us over a barrel. We have to purchase tickets to reserve parks for a future trip, without knowing if or when APs will return. I have been waiting to purchase tickets for our late December/early January trip, but I will have to bite the bullet if I want to make sure we can get into the parks - and hope that I can upgrade them to APs if they return by then.

 

[Bjaiken77]

Unfortunately they have us over a barrel. We have to purchase tickets to reserve parks for a future trip, without knowing if or when APs will return. I have been waiting to purchase tickets for our late December/early January trip, but I will have to bite the bullet if I want to make sure we can get into the parks - and hope that I can upgrade them to APs if they return by then.

I’m in the same boat. I have an October trip planned. I’m holding off for a little while longer. Then, I’ll just have to book the dates that I want to go to the parks. We probably will go less days without an annual pass and just chill at the resort.

In my state (Maryland), they are ending the State of Emergency effective July 1. Fireworks are coming back. Masks are no longer required. I’m thinking 2-3 weeks is a lot of time for the full picture to take place, so I want to try to wait at least that long. I feel your frustration though.

 

[ScarSimone]

Unfortunately they have us over a barrel. We have to purchase tickets to reserve parks for a future trip, without knowing if or when APs will return. I have been waiting to purchase tickets for our late December/early January trip, but I will have to bite the bullet if I want to make sure we can get into the parks - and hope that I can upgrade them to APs if they return by then.

It has not been in an issue in the past. I purchased a park ticket to cover the 50th as my AP would be expired. I has not aware that they were allowing renewals outside of the 60 day window. I called and upgraded to an AP renewal. Of course, this is assuming APs go back to some semblance of what they were. Disney has always been good with upgrading tickets, I hope that that does not change.

 

[Marionnette]

Unfortunately they have us over a barrel. We have to purchase tickets to reserve parks for a future trip, without knowing if or when APs will return. I have been waiting to purchase tickets for our late December/early January trip, but I will have to bite the bullet if I want to make sure we can get into the parks - and hope that I can upgrade them to APs if they return by then.

Well, there's always Universal ($479.24 for 2-park Preferred AP) and Sea World ($408.03 w/tax for adult platinum), both of which are currently selling APs AND those passes have no blackout dates. Total = $887.27 AND they both offer a monthly payment plan (with deposit). AND no park reservation systems!

Compare that to a Disney Platinum AP which sold to DVC members for $957.44 before the shutdown. No blockout dates but also no payment plans available. And if there are no park reservations available, well that's just too bad for you, AP holder!

Now, to be fair, I would much prefer Disney to either of those parks. And I do believe that AP sales will resume when Disney parks return to 100% capacity. But if I didn't have a drawer full of unused, no date/no expiration passes and a handful of AP Gold vouchers, I (as in "me, personally") would seriously be rethinking my commitment to visiting the parks.

 

[sethschroeder]

Well, that was a whole lot of nothing.

I think it further affirms that DVC will offer a AP discount and is planning on such.

Sure could just be made up but I feel there is a more vague way of addressing it if there was talks of AP being removed.

 

[sssteele]

They are also allowing qualified people to buy new vouchers. Not renewals. If they were going to do something completely different I am not sure they would be issuing vouchers like that.

We bought discounted renewals when we were at WDW in April. Also upgraded from Gold to Platinum.

 

[Bjaiken77]

Well, there's always Universal ($479.24 for 2-park Preferred AP) and Sea World ($408.03 w/tax for adult platinum), both of which are currently selling APs AND those passes have no blackout dates. Total = $887.27 AND they both offer a monthly payment plan (with deposit). AND no park reservation systems!

Compare that to a Disney Platinum AP which sold to DVC members for $957.44 before the shutdown. No blockout dates but also no payment plans available. And if there are no park reservations available, well that's just too bad for you, AP holder!

Now, to be fair, I would much prefer Disney to either of those parks. And I do believe that AP sales will resume when Disney parks return to 100% capacity. But if I didn't have a drawer full of unused, no date/no expiration passes and a handful of AP Gold vouchers, I (as in "me, personally") would seriously be rethinking my commitment to visiting the parks.

How far off would you think Disney parks are for returning to 100% capacity. What percent are they at now?