WDW to prevent AP holders from visiting parks many mornings

[tjkraz]

Have we already forgotten that Magic Key calendar with no weekends at all? Zero. For the special, more expensive weekend pass?

The cheapest Imagine Key is the only one blocked on all weekends.

The Enchant key is blocked about 70% of weekends, Believe key about 30% and the Dream Key is never blocked-out.

 

[RoseGold]

The cheapest Imagine Key is the only one blocked on all weekends.

The Enchant key is blocked about 70% of weekends, Believe key about 30% and the Dream Key is never blocked-out.

Right. If "never blocked out" means completely blocked out on all weekends within weeks (maybe days?) of releasing park reservations. It's the point of the lawsuit and all of the stuff we are talking about.

So, is only after 5 on weekends "blocked out."?

 

[tjkraz]

Right. If "never blocked out" means completely blocked out on all weekends within weeks (maybe days?) of releasing park reservations. It's the point of the lawsuit and all of the stuff we are talking about.

Ah. That meaning did not come across clearly in the original post.

I think the challenge Disney faces is trying to come up with an annual pass holder program that it can live with. I'd like to think that the Disney parks will still maximize their revenue by remaining accessible to locals who visit frequently via an annual pass. But if they can survive off MYW ticket sales...

 

[Ms Bibbidi]

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[AnnaKristoff2013]

Have we already forgotten that Magic Key calendar with no weekends at all? Zero. For the special, more expensive weekend pass?

After that, I knew Disney was capable of a lot. If that wasn't clear, the earnings call about us cheapskates made it even more clear. People thinking this will be bonus and you get even more reservations LOL. Writing is on the wall.

Yeah, everyone that has confidence in Disney not screwing over existing AP’s here, or not screwing over AP’s staying in resorts or on DVC points, is forgetting just how terribly Disney treated the AP’s in California leading up to the lawsuit. They sold a pass that included weekends and then effectively blacked out **every** single weekend for months.

 

[Ms Bibbidi]

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[MICKIMINI]

Revenge travel may not be a butterfly peak. It may be the new normal. If so, the demand on Disney will not end.

Many revenge travelers spending their stash of government stimulus money paid for their 2022 trips last year. That ship has sailed. With heating bills, electric bills, gas doubling and food way up, I think much discretionary family spending will be diverted to pay that extra 7-8K annually. What happens next year?

Dining out and travel will be low on the priority list for many IMO, but certainly not all. AP owners and AP/DVC owners are invested and higher income and more reliable than revenge travelers. Certainly, Disney isn't that blind not to see that...well, perhaps they are.

We could sell our DVC contracts, not renew AP's (already sold 4 contracts this year) and buy a big Class A motorhome and divest of Disney entirely. Maybe a beach condo somewhere. Consumers have many choices. Don't take us for granted Disney!

 

[WilsonFlyer]

Many revenge travelers spending their stash of government stimulus money paid for their 2022 trips last year. That ship has sailed. With heating bills, electric bills, gas doubling and food way up, I think much discretionary family spending will be diverted to pay that extra 7-8K annually. What happens next year?

Dining out and travel will be low on the priority list for many IMO, but certainly not all. AP owners and AP/DVC owners are invested and higher income and more reliable than revenge travelers. Certainly, Disney isn't that blind not to see that...well, perhaps they are.

We could sell our DVC contracts, not renew AP's (already sold 4 contracts this year) and buy a big Class A motorhome and divest of Disney entirely. Maybe a beach condo somewhere. Consumers have many choices. Don't take us for granted Disney!

And someone buys that contract and 5 APs instead of 4 to go with it. You get that, right?

 

[MICKIMINI]

And someone buys that contract and 5 APs instead of 4 to go with it. You get that, right?

Of course. I'm just voicing my opinion and you get that, right?

 

[Ms Bibbidi]

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[MakiraMarlena]

I'm not getting the impression that AP reservations will be solely for evenings, rather, it looks as though both types of reservation will be available. I don't see anything wrong with that. I could now book a later park reservation on an arrival day, that sort of thing. We don't have the details yet and there's a lot of jumping to the worst case scenario.

 

[Ms Bibbidi]

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[Sandisw]

I'm not getting the impression that AP reservations will be solely for evenings, rather, it looks as though both types of reservation will be available. I don't see anything wrong with that. I could now book a later park reservation on an arrival day, that sort of thing. We don't have the details yet and there's a lot of jumping to the worst case scenario.

Me neither. If I know I am not going until the afternoon and they allow me to reserve them, I won’t take the whole day

Why? Because someone else is potentially being blocked from going in the morning. Whether that is a cash guest or another AP.

I realize this rumor came from a supposed insider but I believe it was taken down? Until we get info from Disney to this actual option or changes, the rest is all just speculation, including my thoughts on what it could end up being.

Like I have shared way too much, park reservations and the buckets do not bother me at all. I do not care if Disney shifts between them as long as they meet the terms of the pass

And before it’s mentioned, giving someone the option to choose going later is not blocking that person since it was their choice.

I do realize they have done some things that people believe violated the current rules..

And if they want to change the terms and conditions of APs, they can. They just need to do what they did last year. Give people who have active passes a chance to use or completely refund them because they won’t honor them for use.

I just can’t get angry about something I have no control over. I control me and if I don’t think I am able to use the AP the way I need to use it, then I don’t renew.

 

[whiteness]

My response to Disney now comes in two eras: before and after their clandestine manipulation of the two bucket system. They made an AP offer. I accepted. They had no intention of honoring their commitment. Disney intended to manipulate the reservations behind the scenes in ways they knew would violate my rights. Overlay that with all the control and manipulation while in the parks.

Disney fans love the content, the safety, the cleanliness of the parks. It is not necessarily a bargain value that makes a Disney fan. But tainting what we love with all this obsessive control has got to go.

Disney has no intention of giving someone that is paying $10 per visit the same level of service, access and enjoyment as someone that is paying $120 per visit.

With every passing day, Disney is finding more ways to unbundle whatever they can from what you had previously "purchased" with your annual pass. Thereby diminishing it's value while at the same time offering those previously included things as upcharges.

Yes, it is upsetting to us passholders. But I also have to admire their ingenuity. Just look at what they have already done or are rumored to be planning:

1. Passholders thought rides were included? Now you get Genie instead of Fastpass+. They use our bodies standing in line to make those Genie+ and Lightening Lane more valuable for the tourists that are already paying $$$ and don't mind an extra few bucks.

2. You thought you were buying access on non-blockout days? Now you have to make a reservation, and you are in a different bucket than folks that purchased tickets.
2a. In the future, you might only be able to get evening reservations on days when ticket holders can get in all day.

3. Thought fireworks, parades and shows were free to everyone? Disney has upcharges for those, too. Expect Disney to make those upcharges increasingly accessible as time goes on.
3a. And, of course, they often cancel or diminish entertainment as well.

4. Thought the non-blockout days were full access days? Disney adds hard ticketed events, shortening hours and often taking away entertainment. But at least they give us a $10 discount for the $150+ events...on selected days.

5. Disney keeps increasing the price of food and beverage way beyond the inflation rate, while decreasingly portion sizes. This disproportionately affects people that spend more time in the parks (the Passholders.)
5a. Too many food offerings are designed to be Instagramable, rather than delicious. Has anyone else noticed that the quality and quantity of Festival offerings often declines after the first few days?

What's next from Disney? Who knows. Maybe they start charging for parking? Maybe they further reduce our Passholder discounts (try using them in Epcot, anyway.) Expand the reserved sections for parades and other entertainment. Require Genie+ or LL reservations for all character meets.

Disney has the data. They know where all the pain points are, and they know how to create new ones. If you think Disney is being greedy today and miserly towards Passholders today, I can assure you, you ain't seen nothing yet. As long as we are paying less per visit than other guests, Disney will use whatever clever tactic they can to try to squeeze more out of us while giving us less in return. Count on it.

 

[dcfromva]

I'm scratching my head here. It just seems like the implication is those doggone passholders are preventing more people from getting into the parks so we have to do something about it!

But, how can fault be found with the passholders making park reservations when this is the system Disney created?

I am a passholder. I generally stay at DVC and I generally go at my first opportunity (early entry, if available) and I leave when it starts to get too hot or too crowded (and I come back in the afternoon or evening). But, I think this change might cram more people in the park first thing in the morning. Who's to say that folks who are using non annual pass type tickets (or non park hopping tickets) are not going to want extract every minute of fun from their ticket (and not leave in the afternoon)--resulting in no space for the AP holders in the afternoon?

I am certain Disney has an algorithm for calculating park attendance by ticket type. The government is not dictating attendance levels--Disney is determining how many reservations can be made (by ticket type). They probably have more granularity with the magic band tracking and so on. Somehow, they managed to limp along calculating attendance and staffing levels for 50+ years. If data shows annual pass holders don't arrive until later- maybe they could allow more reservations for other types of passes in the AM (although--it's still not clear if this would cause overcrowding in the afternoon when the AP holders show up). Though, I haven't really seen low crowd levels anytime I have visited.

The other curious thing is I have not had any problems park hopping. How can that be? Carefully managed reservations in the morning, no restrictions in the afternoon?

 

[Ms Bibbidi]

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[dcfromva]

If I know I am not going until the afternoon and they allow me to reserve them, I won’t take the whole day

If they did allow afternoon reservations, I would probably use that on my arrival day. I don't believe most people would schedule the whole day if they had to go to work during the day (for example). Or, if their flight didn't arrive until the afternoon. I don't see anything wrong with offering that as an option.

 

[Ms Bibbidi]

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[Ms Bibbidi]

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[tjkraz]

But I think people realize Disney’s recent conduct warrants the fan’s response of not being so innocent in our dealings with Disney going forward. They broke the trust. They richly deserve this mistrust! Now we have to be cautious. Even before roll-out we have already become aware of how this afternoon entry option might be manipulated again in violation of our current contract. That is not jumping to a worse case scenario like it is not a rational thing for a thinking person to do. It is part of our responsibility now to be aware and prepared. Disney no longer is entitled to the benefit of any doubt in our business dealings. It is buyer beware. This is the new era and it stinks.

Playing the “what if” game is kinda fun to me, but there’s no emotional involvement in it. I have no reason to get angry based upon someone’s rumor and speculation, even if the original source is “well connected.”

I prefer to reserve anger and frustration (and optimism, and relief) for when changes are actually revealed.