WDW to prevent AP holders from visiting parks many mornings

[Jonfw2]

Here are quotes from Blog Mickey's web page. I apologize in advance for the bold highlights, but I needed to focus on those aspects of the quotes or my statement. Thanks for your patience.

"One way that Disney could use the new system is to devote a small ratio of “all-day” entry windows for Annual Passholders per day and a larger ratio of 12pm or 5pm (or any other time of their choosing) to spread out demand at their theme parks." ...

"Ultimately, this sounds like a system that would allow Disney to further control when a Passholder might be able to visit a theme park. If you have an “all-day” Park Pass, nothing changes. You can still enter the theme park when it opens, enjoy your day, and park hop per current rules. However, if Disney wants to add additional Annual Passholders to their theme parks in the afternoon, they might allocate more Afternoon Entries on a specific day and allow Passholders the opportunity to visit on a day that might otherwise be sold out of “all-day” Park Passes."

There it is in black and white. A small amount of all-day entry, allow Disney further control, and visit on a day that might otherwise be sold out of "all day" park passes.
If there are any days when the Passholder bucket shows all-day reservations are unavailable while the ticket holder/resort bucket still has all-day availability it is again, a breach of contract. Partial day block-outs are still a breach. Even if it shows the presence of afternoon entry choices for passholders while ticket holders/ resort guests have all day entry choices it is a breach of contract.

If Disney wants to have that kind of behind-the-curtain manipulation power, they need to disclose it. They need to say outright they are taking away all-day reservations and giving them to ticketed guests. Their playing with partial day entry and unilaterally deeming it adequate or even with a unilateral refunds is not legally adequate. They could get sued again.

"Could", "sounds like", "if", "might"...

A bit more gray than black and white, no?

 

[Ms Bibbidi]

.

 

[Jonfw2]

IF this person is an insider, it shows the present intent in the current design on this new system -- Disney "owns" the design. They would have to "own" this as another attempt to throttle annual passholders.

Okay, okay...question:

The premise that this system could be used to dramatically limit the number of AP's who can make an all day reservation- that is conjecture, not fact- correct?

 

[whiteness]

"Could", "sounds like", "if", "might"...

A bit more gray than black and white, no?

Although, realistically, one should parse this as "eventually shall." As we both pointed out, Disney is in the business of selling us stuff. Not giving us stuff for free, if we (or someone else) would be willing to pay extra for it. No matter what it is, if they find a way to monetize it, they will.

 

[Sandisw]

https://blogmickey.com/

Again, it’s speculation that they could do this. Not that they are.

The big unknown is that we have no idea how many pass holders enter later in the day. Disney does.

Say they allot 20k spots for Mk on any given day to pass holders. But the data shows that on average, 50% of those pass holders don’t even tap in until afternoon.

So they don’t need to keep the all day bucket the same..or they do because it won’t ever fill up now.

. And, because of the option to book partial days, it’s also possible that availability for full days last longer, even if they reduce it because people like me who don’t always go first thing have an option that matches my park style.

I know people assume that Disney will 100% use it to block pass holders and that morning slots will go immediately but I am not there yet.

Right now, pass holders are limited to how many they can hold outside of reservations. Wouldn’t it be a big benefit if they added the option that these afternoon and evening reservations can be held in unlimited numbers? Or more than just the 5 they are restricted to now?

 

[Ms Bibbidi]

.

 

[Jonfw2]

https://blogmickey.com/

Again, it’s speculation that they could do this. Not that they are.

The big unknown is that we have no idea how many pass holders enter later in the day. Disney does.

Say they allot 20k spots for Mk on any given day to pass holders. But the data shows that on average, 50% of those pass holders don’t even tap in until afternoon.

So they don’t need to keep the all day bucket the same..or they do because it won’t ever fill up now.

. And, because of the option to book partial days, it’s also possible that availability for full days last longer, even if they reduce it because people like me who don’t always go first thing have an option that matches my park style.

I know people assume that Disney will 100% use it to block pass holders and that morning slots will go immediately but I am not there yet.

Right now, pass holders are limited to how many they can hold outside of reservations. Wouldn’t it be a big benefit if they added the option that these afternoon and evening reservations can be held in unlimited numbers? Or more than just the 5 they are restricted to now?

Very well said. IF something is implemented at all and then IF AP's start experiencing a lack of available all day reservations, then I will be concerned.

 

[Jonfw2]

IF this person is an insider and that is the product they will roll-out next month, it is a virtual certainty (fact) that it will result in taking away all-day entry opportunities from the annual passholder bucket. The proof will be any time the other bucket for ticket holders shows availability and there is no availability for all-day entry in the annual passholder bucket, it is a fact that it is a breach of contract. It is not "conjecture" when the language is that explicit.

It's not conjecture, and yet the first word of your post is "IF" in capital letters.

 

[whiteness]

https://blogmickey.com/

Again, it’s speculation that they could do this. Not that they are.

The big unknown is that we have no idea how many pass holders enter later in the day. Disney does.

Say they allot 20k spots for Mk on any given day to pass holders. But the data shows that on average, 50% of those pass holders don’t even tap in until afternoon.

So they don’t need to keep the all day bucket the same. And, because of the option to boom partial days, it’s also possible that availability for full days last longer, even if they reduce it because people like me who don’t always go first thing have an option that matches my park style.

I know people assume that Disney will 100% use it to block pass holders and there will never be morning slots but I am not there yet.

Right now, pass holders are limited to how many they can hold outside of reservations. Wouldn’t it be a big benefit if they added the option that these afternoon and evening reservations can be held in unlimited numbers? Or more than just the 5 they are restricted to now?

I feel this change will benefit my family. Due to our circumstances, this is a better fit to our attendance patterns. I selfishly hope Disney does it, as long as it actually makes evening reservations easier to get, rather than just making all day reservations hard to get.

I'm guessing it will probably do both. Which will benefit some passholders (like my family) while hurting others. I hope I'm wrong about that, but I doubt it.

 

[Ms Bibbidi]

.

 

[jade1]

We can't be the only ones that often reserve during the "day of" we decide to go in.

Not sure how this is any different.

But we could just lucky.

Like its 11:22 now-I can get Epcot or AK right now.

 

[Ms Bibbidi]

.

 

[Jonfw2]

It's going to be fun when the actual news comes out and it's absolutely nothing remotely like all the speculation here.

 

[whiteness]

So, everything is picked over. Even if you have an Incredi-pass, as a local or off-site guest you can forget Christmas using your annual pass alone.

Already have this problem with ADRs. Resort guests get first dibs.

Oh well, let's see how it all pans out.

 

[Ms Bibbidi]

.

 

[Ms Bibbidi]

.

 

[MakiraMarlena]

still think it's way too premature to jump to "they are going to take away all of the all day reservations for passholders who will only be able to visit in the afternoon from now on" from this.

just reserved Epcot for Friday but I likely wont' be there until after 5 - so I could have used that afternoon thing

 

[Ms Bibbidi]

.

 

[whiteness]

You never know, Jon. Some Disney management might occasionally browse by here. Maybe they will have a different product that meets our concerns because of the feedback voices here.

I know a Disney data analyst that does. But, again, their focus is how to maximize their yield, not if the crops are happy about it.

 

[jade1]

Right now MK, AK and HS are also unavailable for ticketed/resort bucket guests so we are doing a little better today. During high holiday times and Mother's Day it was quite reversed.

Yea I just meant currently right now we could as AP offsite (which we are discussing) can pick 2 parks today, and also hop to any/all parks in an hour (the other buckets can as well but only with Epcot it sounds).

So they must be hoping enough AP guests simply pick an after noon or after 5 to free up the onsite/ticket buckets. We would pick after 5 quite often actually.

However, they then have the ability to shuffle fewer AM AP to later in the day with nobody really knowing-IF it isn't helping much.

Just IMO.

And it would give them an avenue to offer a discounted after Noon, and or an after 5PM AP.

I know folks that would snap those up over nothing currently avail.