Sorcerer AP blackout dates vs. DVC seasons

[dismedvc]

With the new Sorcerer AP, Dec 18 - 23, 2021 are blacked out, even though those dates are in the third lowest DVC season, and Easter week Apr 10 - 17, 2022 is not blacked out even though those dates are in the highest DVC season.

I know the week before Christmas was also blacked out under the Gold pass, but I am surprised that Easter is no longer blacked out, especially since it used to be blacked out for two weeks. Not saying it is wrong, just surprised.

 

[Chuck S]

While it may seem strange that Easter is not blacked out, the info used to set those dates is likely taken from ALL the AP users, not just DVC. They may have seen many fewer locals using their APs during Easter Week because of crowds, and more locals going in Early December for the Seasonal shows. Likely far more locals have APs then DVCers, many of whom travel once per year, or once every two years.

 

[CarolMN]

Pass blackouts are about projected crowds for the theme parks. DVC seasons have nothing to do with determining ticket prices or black out dates.

 

[dismedvc]

Pass blackouts are about projected crowds for the theme parks. DVC seasons have nothing to do with determining ticket prices or black out dates.

Totally understand that, but then what do DVC seasons have to do with?
If DVC seasons are based on DVC member demand for certain dates, is DVC member demand for those dates that different than cash demand?

ETA: Re-reading the above it sounds argumentative. I did not mean it to be but did not know a better way to phrase it.

 

[Chuck S]

Totally understand that, but then what do DVC seasons have to do with?
If DVC seasons are based on DVC member demand for certain dates, is DVC member demand for those dates that different than cash demand?

ETA: Re-reading the above it sounds argumentative. I did not mean it to be but did not know a better way to phrase it.

Yes, popular DVC travel times have historically been different from popular cash guest travel times.

 

[CarolMN]

Totally understand that, but then what do DVC seasons have to do with?
If DVC seasons are based on DVC member demand for certain dates, is DVC member demand for those dates that different than cash demand?

ETA: Re-reading the above it sounds argumentative. I did not mean it to be but did not know a better way to phrase it.

No worries. I didn't read it as argumentative.

Initial DVC seasons were based on busy times for the parks (cash guests). But as Chuck posted, DVC owners behaved differently than expected.

 

[sethschroeder]

Thanksgiving every family in the US has off. Christmas season every family in the US has off. Easter/Spring Break ranges in time off over the course of 2 months.

Its likely close but the fact that there is such a range in people having time off likely helps enough to not worry about blackouts.

 

[bobbiwoz]

We have always bought Platinum because I love the NYE fireworks. This will be our last NYE in Epcot, Dec 30 in MK. When our passes expire, we’ll get the Sorcerer ones. I will hopefully just get BLT theme park view to enjoy MK fireworks and skip the crazy busy parks then.

 

[Chuck S]

When we first bought DVC, Mom and I would set aside one day of the trip for something non-Disney, since we either had to drive down or rent a car. We did Splendid China, Universal, a real hot air balloon flight, Sea World, Cypress Gardens, NASA. There is now nothing tethering me to Disney...no fast passes, no magical express, Mom passed 10 years ago, so no need to worry about wheelchair accessibility for me, yet. Disney has set DVCers free! I plan to make the most of it. There's a lot to see in Florida besides Disney Parks.

 

[MainStreetMouse]

That is exactly how we feel. Looking forward to discovering more of Orlando and surrounding area in the years to come.

 

[Sandisw]

I think this is a good point to remember for us who are DVC.

DPEP who controls ticketing do not consider us differently when it comes to pricing.

It’s all about parks and attendance of the cash guests.

Just like FL residents passes they will block days that they don’t need them to fill the parks.

DVCM haa to balance things based only on the booking of DVC, regardless of parks.

Now, with the new block out dates for Thanksgiving in the Sorcerer pass we may see adjustments down the road to point values around that and Easter if the patterns for booking DVC are impacted greatly.

I have a friend who just going then and had hoped to convert their multi day tickets to the old Golf because they go a week every summer too. Now they won’t get the savings for their family of 5 that they thought they would for this next year.

But as she said, she will renew in 2022 back down from the Incredi pass and not visit at Thanksgiving again.

 

[drusba]

The Sorcerer pass is something provided by the Disney Parks entity to DVC and thus DVC does not determine the black-out dates. Moreover, all the gold was, and the Sorcerer is, is a Disney pass provided to Florida residents to which Disney just added DVC members. Result is that overall park demand and Florida resident demand would be the things considered in determining black-out dates before anything DVC.

Also, though Dec 18-23 is in the third lowest point cost DVC season, it is a high DVC demand time. The lowest DVC demand time is Feb 1 to the Thurs before Presidents Day. Second lowest is July 7 to July 31. Third lowest is a tie among the Monday after the Princess weekend in Feb to about March 10 and the last week of April. Dec 18 to 23 actually has higher demand than any of those and also has higher demand than second half of Jan, June, August, September and the spring break weeks including the two Easter weeks

If they were actually going to make the pass leave out about three weeks based on the three highest DVC demand times, then the three weeks would be Dec 1-14 and Christmas week, and those four Thanksgiving days along with the Wine and Dine race weekend in Nov are a close fourth.

 

[jimim]

Thanksgiving every family in the US has off. Christmas season every family in the US has off. Easter/Spring Break ranges in time off over the course of 2 months.

Its likely close but the fact that there is such a range in people having time off likely helps enough to not worry about blackouts.

I like that logic. Thats kinda how my mind viewed it also.

 

[jade1]

Was also wondering if our DVC Gold switches to Sorcerer automatically on Sept 8.

Does that mean we can no longer go at Thanksgiving? No plans yet but wondering.

TIA.

 

[Chuck S]

Was also wondering if our DVC Gold switches to Sorcerer automatically on Sept 8.

Does that mean we can no longer go at Thanksgiving? No plans yet but wondering.

TIA.

If the pass is activated, it is good to go. If you have an exchange voucher...no Thanksgiving apparently.

 

[jade1]

If the pass is activated, it is good to go. If you have an exchange voucher...no Thanksgiving apparently.

Oh good. Yes it's been active and used since May.

So they can't "change" the terms\blackout dates then?

 

[Sandisw]

Oh good. Yes it's been active and used since May.

So they can't "change" the terms\blackout dates then?

No, because you have a gold pass.

 

[Yankee626]

These dates suck ! I have several contracts one being a Guaranteed Thanksgiving week at CCV . Now I cant use the sorcerers pass. This is totally ridiculous. I have to spend an extra $400 dollars per pass now because they blacked out that week. Im sure Im not the only one in this situation.

 

[Chuck S]

Surely there are other people like me, that have Thanksgiving Week booked with an unactivated gold pass, expecting to activate it when they arrive that will be completely blindsided when their park dates just disappear, as they don't follow boards and vlogs. Remember, we are but a small percentage of Disney guests. How will Disney handle them when they show up in Florida, and their reservations just disappear when they activate their pass? I think they will be dealing with several dozen to several hundred people like that.

 

[dcfromva]

Interesting developments.... I bought the gold pass, but haven't activated it yet. But, I wouldn't expect Disney to automatically switch over to another type of pass. We'll see, I guess. It doesn't matter for me because I do not have any trips planned for the block out dates.

I have some other vouchers for annual passes (no block out dates) and no expiration dates. I wonder what will happen with those?