Whoa..Annual Pass Increase - Effective 10/4/15

[Malcon10t]

Has anyone tried a credit union or AAA for vouchers?

Mine doesn't have them. They send you to a website ran by Disney.

 

[jani3]

Has anyone tried a credit union or AAA for vouchers?

My AAA office stopped selling Disney tickets months ago. I tried buying some about 4 months ago and they said they haven't sold them in a while.

 

[anonymousegirl]

Thank goodness I bought my Premium DLR/WDW annual pass on this past Saturday at WDW. Paid $1146-ish for all 6 parks. Talk about good timing!

 

[Albort]

Theres a report going around that Disney Store has the old Premium still, worth a shot to try it if you got a store around. YMMV ofc.

 

[Malcon10t]

Theres a report going around that Disney Store has the old Premium still, worth a shot to try it if you got a store around. YMMV ofc.

It appears some are selling the old tickets, such as my local one, while others have already pulled the stock, like srgap's.

 

[gottalovepluto]

My AAA office stopped selling Disney tickets months ago. I tried buying some about 4 months ago and they said they haven't sold them in a while.

Didn't Disney and AAA "break-up" last year? I haven't seen any AAA-Disney links since that so I guess it makes sense, bummer they don't have some old tickets still though!

 

[Spacepest]

My AP expires this month and my husband and I are seriously considering not renewing.

Yeah, I get that things increase in price. I can even afford the price increases.

However, realistically...this next year and half the park is undergoing major reconstruction which I'm sure (given Disney's track record) will impact the guest experience negatively. At this point its becoming the principle of the thing, paying more for experiencing less in a more crowded park. We're seriously considering saying NO to the AP, and just buying a couple day tickets for one last trip before stuff starts shutting down in January, and then not going back until all the new construction is done (however many years that takes).

We haven't made our final decision yet...but man, these unexpected price increases are annoying.

 

[Malcon10t]

However, realistically...this next year and half the park is undergoing major reconstruction which I'm sure (given Disney's track record) will impact the guest experience negatively.

The issue is it will take 18 mos to cycle everyone out. So, they need to start with APs now, and not in 18 mos when the park is getting closer to opening Star Wars when crowds will be even worse.

In the mean time, you can check your local Disney Store (mine has 38 PAPs left this morning) and local grocery stores.

 

[rms123]

Disney store is no longer selling them as of this morning. They may have them in stock but they don't ring up.

 

[Jkpark]

I wasn't planning on renewing when our APs expire 12/5/15. Even before the increase, we felt like we got our money's worth this past year, and 2016 has a lot of non-Disneyland trips planned. We will buy a park hopper for Star Wars Race Weekend and then take a break. The idea of an AP voucher that I can renew by 12/31/16 and use all of 2017 is exciting, but I'm in AZ and it sounds like our Disney Stores and Safeways don't have any. If anyone in AZ has a different experience, please let me know.

 

[courtneybeth]

Disney store is no longer selling them as of this morning. They may have them in stock but they don't ring up.

Sounds like Mr. Mouse got the memo about the random rush and is putting a stop to it. Hope most of you got out there yesterday and snagged them while you could!

I'm also uncertain how long Disney will honor the gift cards. We're heading over on Thursday night to renew our passes with the old gift cards. I'll report in with what we experience. Crossing fingers.

 

[flyingdumbo127]

I went to the Disney Store this morning in Sherman Oaks. This is the store I called last night who told me they did still have the $549 Deluxe. That was true, they did. What was a big disappointment was it rang up as $599. The CM apologized and said he didn't know why I was told it would be $549 last night, nothing they could do. I will do the renewal this year and pay the $559. As a further FYI, yes the Deluxe AP was an old one that did say $549 on it. Be sure if you do plan a trip to a Disney Store that you find out in advance if indeed the price is the old or new.

 

[Minnie Loves Mickey]

I am assuming nobody was able to successfully buy an AP at the old prices at a Disney Store today that we know of...Correct?

 

[courtneybeth]

I was able to do it yesterday for the Premium, but I have not heard any reports about today.

 

[agamble]

I was at our local, large Safeway this morning and out of curiousity passed by the gift card aisle and noticed that they had already swapped out the "old" Disneyland tickets and AP vouchers with "new" cards that have a January 2017 expiration date. That was fast.

Good to know the new ones expire January 2017. Is that January 31, or January 1? I thought the passes always expired at the end of the current year. It's nice that they actually expire a year plus out.

 

[Serial]

Good to know the new ones expire January 2017. Is that January 31, or January 1? I thought the passes always expired at the end of the current year. It's nice that they actually expire a year plus out.

I think it was some odd date like January 13, 2017. We can probably expect another price hike from Disney before then, in which case these cards will be replaced too.

 

[agamble]

I think it was some odd date like January 13, 2017. We can probably expect another price hike from Disney before then, in which case these cards will be replaced too.

I am sure we can expect another price hike before January 2017 too. That's when we want to go next though. So we could potentially buy the passes at the beginning of next year and save them for the following January. Then we would have the price locked in. When you do it online I am sure it expires at the end of the calendar year, or that it used to. So seeing that I could buy them at the store and lock in the rate until the time we want to go is nice.

 

[bryanb]

Sad to say, but Disney just gave Universal carte blanche to raise their annual pass. Any increase they announce will look like peanuts compared to Disney. They must be very happy right now.

Actually, not sure if anyone has mentioned this, but Universal Studios Hollywood had to STOP selling annual passes. With the upcoming opening of Harry Potter next year, they now only carry "season passes" that all expire in February 2016. Anyone who carries a passport won't be able to renew it again for now.

Universal is about to be packed beyond capacity. Even though the HP section was designed for crowds, the amount of demand will be so ridiculously high. Universal knew that even if they increased annual pass prices, so many people would buy it that the parks would be overwhelmed. So they won't sell you an annual pass... at all... at any price.

This is the challenge of balancing supply and demand.

 

[mgd]

I don't think Universal HAD to stop selling passes or are doing it because they are concerned of crowds. They are doing it so they don't have anybody left over with a cheap annual pass being able to get in for harry potter. A price increase is guaranteed when HP opens and they want EVERYBODY to pay that higher price.

Even as it is now, on peak days in summer, wait times for its 6 real rides can be over an hour each, which is still longer than most disney waittimes on a peak day.

 

[sheetz]

I've heard rumors of Universal hugely increasing prices next year, too. Don't be surprised if they make Disney look like a bargain.