Will the Annual Pass price increase matter to you and your vacation plans?

[disneynutz]

I still enjoy going. I'm just going to have to accept that it's going to cost more. While I'm not thrilled with this latest round of price hikes, I'm still looking forward to my next trip.

Disney hasn't been an inexpensive vacation. I guess there is a limit to how much I'll pay, but I haven't reached it yet. Clearly, some others have.

My issue is that Disney's direction is really eating away at our love for Disney. I understand price increases but the frequency and amounts are nothing but greed. Disney's website issues are a joke. We are trying to sign up to spend more money with them but we have to fight their website issues to do so. The DVC website is the worse and their sense of what's important makes me wonder what they are thinking. Trying to make a reservation and the website crashes, but they update the availability tool? The lack of information from the DVC is another thing that I don't understand.

Bill

 

[rlovew]

Yes, we have had annual passes every year for a number of years- we will buiy 1 annual pass and use 3 years worth of points durring the time those passes are valid and then take 1-2 years off from staying and going to Disney rather than going multiple times per year. Even without the change the change to our family size and location would have dictated making some changes (as it was we did not renew for the first time in ages when the passes expired last summer as we did not have a new trip until June 2016) but this raise in prices will definitely rethink how we vacation at Disney. We are looking forward to our first visit with our children this summer but after the passes we will get for the year at that time expire our vacations will be further between and may include more time at other places/non-park vacations.

 

[bisney]

We don't travel during the blackout periods and we usually get Photopass so the gold AP actually works out well for our family. We plan our trips so that we squeeze two annual trips into one 365 day period.

I'm with DVC Mike. While the latest price hike doesn't hurt our family much, I'm not thrilled with other price hikes (price of meals, TIW card, etc). Regardless, I'm still looking forward to our Disney trips. Everyone has a different breaking point and obviously some members feel as though they've reached theirs.

From a business model, I can't entirely fault what Disney is doing. Parks are overcrowded, other types of family entertainment have flex pricing (sports teams use flex pricing to charge premium prices for premium games, hotels have seasonal rates, etc, etc) so obviously both the demand and the logic is there. As a publically traded company, there is an insane amount of pressure to maintain/increase dividends in difficult economic conditions so if this is the route that Disney takes the choice is upon us as the consumer to decide whether the Disney product is worth it.

 

[bisney]

My issue is that Disney's direction is really eating away at our love for Disney. I understand price increases but the frequency and amounts are nothing but greed.

Bill: While I'm not an overly active member on the Disboards, I notice that many of your posts have a negative tone towards the direction that Disney takes and on DVC in general. I apologize in advance if that is an incorrect generalization but that is how I perceive your attitude towards the Disney product.

I say this with all due respect and am not looking for any sort of internet altercation: I'm generally curious why you continue to own multiple DVC timeshares and continue to pay for Disney product when you seem to be so unsatisfied as a consumer? There are infinite options for your discretionary spending, for the amount that one spends on Disney vacations you could travel to almost anywhere else in the world.

Speaking for myself, if I were unhappy with the Disney product I would simply sell my DVC timeshare and spend my dollars elsewhere.

 

[rfc0001]

So you bought the 4 day 4 park ticket, didn't use it, and then applied the cost to an AP that you will activate in a few months?

Although I didn't like that deal, there was another AP special that we didn't buy because we weren't sure we'd get back in time to use it. As it turned out, we did make trips during that time span, but if I had known we could have applied the cost to another ticket, we would have bought it.

Yes, although I did so before the promo passes expired. They issued AP renewal certs 7 mos. before the expiration of my current AP. I'm glad I did so in retrospect, but at the time was kicking myself since the AP price had just gone up the week before, so had I known you could renew prior to 60 days I could have saved on two price increases. Still saved $400 by avoiding this one, so can't complain

 

[kenny]

Yes it will change our plans. We are a family of 4 with school age kids. We do not always travel Easter week but do and with kids getting older were planning on it more.

Typically would have purchased AP and gone Easter and then again following Easter (if less than 12 months) or in summer for short trip (to make AP worth it). With the increase of another $400 for no black outs wild probably just go once per year and skip AP. Add to that TiW increase and Disney just keeps taking away benefits and raising prices. AP rates have not gone up 2x in 8 months. It's ridiculous. AP holders aren't the demographic for photo pass so giving me something that I don't want that costs them nothing doesn't justify it with me. Love how the email tried to spin it hat they were increasing benefits and offering more options

Kids asked this morning to do water parks next trip. Told them at $729 an AP go swim in your friends pool! Lol. Can't justify $3k in park passes

 

[dcfromva]

Kids asked this morning to do water parks next trip. Told them at $729 an AP go swim in your friends pool! Lol. Can't justify $3k in park passes

I think there are still water park annual passes, too. I think the Gold pass + water park AP might be less expensive than the Platinum pass.
Gold Pass (adult incl tax) 584.69
Water Park pass (adult incl tax) 117.15
total: $701.84

 

[automaticsoap]

Doesn't affect me -- I don't travel to WDW during the blackout periods anyway, and I'm actually a little excited about Photopass since I never used it before. I have the expectation that the AP price will increase every year and know I'll just have to adjust. I try to get at least 3 visits in on one AP.

 

[DVC Mike]

Yes it will change our plans. We are a family of 4 with school age kids. We do not always travel Easter week but do and with kids getting older were planning on it more.

Typically would have purchased AP and gone Easter and then again following Easter (if less than 12 months) or in summer for short trip (to make AP worth it). With the increase of another $400 for no black outs wild probably just go once per year and skip AP. Add to that TiW increase and Disney just keeps taking away benefits and raising prices. AP rates have not gone up 2x in 8 months. It's ridiculous

You raise a good point here. One of the groups that may be impacted more than most are families with children still in school. They must pay a lot more if they've been going to WDW during spring break or Christmas - the times when parents who don't want to take their kids out of school for a Disney trip.

True, they still have summer break, but the other two options provided a cooler and less humid time to visit WDW. Now they must pay a lot more for that privilege if they've been buying AP's.

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[Brian Noble]

My last two planned visits were over blockout periods, so I would need a Platinum. I still would have bought the AP, because it is still less than the two MYW tickets plus one Memory Maker package I'd've otherwise bought, even at regular Guest pricing.

But, I'm also planning many fewer trips to WDW over the coming years, independent of this pricing change. Now that both kids are in high school, with multiple varsity sports/band/orchestra/etc. our family schedule limits us to summer vacations for foreseeable future. I've got other places I'd rather be in July than central Florida. And, as the kids start heading to college, with its attendant expen$es, we'll be doing more drive-to vacations with fewer fly-to trips, pretty much ruling out anything farther than the mid-south/mid-atlantic.

 

[Brian Noble]

Every time a perk gets eliminated or prices rise, we see a lot of complaints immediately and people venting about Disney, almost like a family member or friend has betrayed us. In most cases, as time goes on, I think most of us simply adjust and move on. But there is a moment of anxiety and frustration that occurs initially.

I've noticed this as well, and here's my take on why. Disney is in the business of selling happiness. That's not the same as "Disney wants me to be happy," but it is easy to confuse the two. So, when Disney raises prices significantly, or changes how FPs work so that those of us who were in-the-know have less of an advantage vs. casual visitors, it feels personal. It feels like Disney doesn't care about my happiness anymore.

And, realistically, they don't. It doesn't matter to Disney if I'm more happy than I was before. All that matters is if they are making more money selling happiness overall.

 

[disneynutz]

Bill: While I'm not an overly active member on the Disboards, I notice that many of your posts have a negative tone towards the direction that Disney takes and on DVC in general. I apologize in advance if that is an incorrect generalization but that is how I perceive your attitude towards the Disney product.

I say this with all due respect and am not looking for any sort of internet altercation: I'm generally curious why you continue to own multiple DVC timeshares and continue to pay for Disney product when you seem to be so unsatisfied as a consumer? There are infinite options for your discretionary spending, for the amount that one spends on Disney vacations you could travel to almost anywhere else in the world.

Speaking for myself, if I were unhappy with the Disney product I would simply sell my DVC timeshare and spend my dollars elsewhere.

I guess that I see myself as someone who posts the truth which is often negative which seems to be against the tide that Disney can do no wrong. Slowly Disney is chipping away at our love for the product and we have sold several of our contracts. At one point we would refer several buyers to DVC per year but as we experienced DVC changes and room issues we stopped doing so.

A visitor to the DIS sees plenty of posts on how magical Disney is and how people love their DVC, I provide a truthful and often dissenting opinion.

Bill

 

[suebeelin]

Buying annual pass for my son and I for our trip in January ($40 extra).

Was going to buy AP for hubby for our trip in dec 2016 (he can't join in January). Instead, I'll buy him a 10 day pass. Deciding between the hopper and non hopper ($437 vs $377). Much cheaper.

Will save $150 or $200 just buy getting the 10day pass over the AP.

Then we skip a year of Disney. Maybe sell one of our two contracts. We shall see.

So yes, it's changed our plans. We were going to go every year. Now we won't go in 2017.

 

[n2mm]

I guess that I see myself as someone who posts the truth which is often negative which seems to be against the tide that Disney can do no wrong. Slowly Disney is chipping away at our love for the product and we have sold several of our contracts. At one point we would refer several buyers to DVC per year but as we experienced DVC changes and room issues we stopped doing so.

A visitor to the DIS sees plenty of posts on how magical Disney is and how people love their DVC, I provide a truthful and often dissenting opinion.

Bill

We feel the same way. I expect increases as I've been a passholder for 20 years, but this one takes the cake. The increase of over $120 for the pass I normally get and they try to justify it by throwing in the photopass that I have no desire to get. Plus multiply that increase by every member of your family, so now that photopass cost over $400 for a family of 4 that travels during the holidays because of school schedules. Plus a 50% increase for the TIW card with no extras to even justify that type of increase. Greed is the only word that comes to mind. I took my rose color glasses off a long time ago. We eat more and more off property already, so no big change there for us.

 

[Tiki Sean]

This does not effect me on my upcoming trip next year for the most part. My AP ends in Nov and I had no plans to renew it. My wife and son just got theirs last month. I planned to just buy a 7 day park hopper next year and then plan to take 2017 off from Walt Disney World. But having said that I am not happy with the out of control price hikes that Disney has been doing. There is no way this will make the crowds any lighter come December or Spring Break. It is just a price gauge because if people can only take vacations certain times of year then they will deal with it.

Just wait until the increase on regular park tickets comes using the same sort of system. Disney might be getting more money from me on park passes but between souvenirs and food they are getting much less.

 

[sanibel93]

Every time a perk gets eliminated or prices rise, we see a lot of complaints immediately and people venting about Disney, almost like a family member or friend has betrayed us. In most cases, as time goes on, I think most of us simply adjust and move on. But there is a moment of anxiety and frustration that occurs initially.

I always wonder how many of us who worry and vent our frustration ever follow through with some of our initial thoughts, or if cooler heads eventually prevail and we just accept the changes, make minor adjustments to our plans, and move on with planning our next Disney trips.

This increasing the costs of both the AP and TiW seems like a double whammy to most DVC members.

I haven't been following too closely the responses of non-DVC members to this news. How are they taking it?

I agree with you Mike about how we worry and vent our frustrations whenever they make changes and raise the prices of the tickets. After a bit of time we all settle down and go on until the next change or raise in price. I have a bunch of collectibles from all my trips to WDW since 1973. Here, let this one blow everyone's mind when looking at the price of a ticket today, I have one adult and one child ticket book good for two days to the magic kingdom for 16 adventures(A thru E tickets, plus park admission, plus transportation to WDW Village) Price of the adult book $23.10 with tax and the child one is $17.10. I do remember ride lines being a lot smaller when you had to choose which rides to use your E tickets on since the rides were not unlimited!!!!!!

 

[zavandor]

I think we all knew something like this was coming: a few weeks ago we read that Disney was doing a survey about creating tiered tickets, with different prices depending on season. If you don't go during the most crowded days, then you can buy a Gold Passport which is a very small increase and now includes the Photopass. $20 yearly increase is normal and the addition of Photopass makes it even a better value.
So unless you're going during Easter and Christmas, this doesn't hit you. If you're going... then, I understand the pain. However, given how crowded are those weeks, I cannot really blame Disney to try to get the most money while at the same time trying to push people to visit during different periods.
If I had planned a visit in the next months, I'd buy my ticket now. I think a similar change is coming on MYW tickets as well.

 

[tup1830]

Whats interesting is the backlash Disney is getting from all areas of journalism about the tiered pricing and price hikes. Price increases happen on a regular basis and its usually just a thing on the news...but this is getting national attention, or so it seems.

What is interesting to see is that there is a reaction to sell contracts, which is a big deal. Disney is pumping a lot of $$ into DVC locations and seeing parts of the "die hard" (sorry if you're DVC, i think its officially part of the die hard club) react this way is very interesting.

Regardless of if the tide dies down...if people start selling contracts and go less...there is a lot more than just upset and forget...its a fundamental paradigm shift for those people.

 

[sleepydog25]

DVC Mike: A) "Do the recent changes in the types and pricing of Walt Disney World Annual Passes matter to you? B) Will it result in any changes to your vacation plans? C) If you previously purchased the regular Annual Pass, in the future will you be purchasing the Gold (with blackout dates) or Platinum AP - or perhaps none at all?"

A) Yes. While some point out that change is inevitable--a point with which I totally agree--it's difficult to reason one's way around the fact that Disney has upped the ante on pricing even more of late. This is the second price gou--umm--increase in eight months. Most expect price increases yearly, but Disney's a) went for two in less than a year and b) both, as with prior increases, outstrip inflation. Perhaps those who never go during the blackout periods and want the Photopass option are only moderately affected. Fair enough. However, there are a great many who do travel during some blackout periods and who have no interest in more Photopass pictures. Virtually unspoken here is the hot rumor about tiered pricing for crowded times, an idea that's just too prime for Disney to pass on. When those who don't buy APs are then forced to pay more to come in the summer, or spring break, or Christmas, will it matter to me? Yes. They'll be forced to pay more, especially if they can only come during the high traffic times.
B) Yes. We've already cancelled plans for a trip next summer and are reconsidering plans for late next fall, too. I know. We're only one small grain of salt to Disney. That, too, is a fair statement. Still, the blatant money grabs have finally affected the way we will vacation. Here's the thing: the new pricing will likely do nothing to deter overcrowded parks, and I suspect Disney knows it. The only thing that will help is more stuff to visit and spread out the crowds, and those plans are years away. We are pre-paying for the new Toys/Star Wars/Avatar lands attractions.
C) No. Neither one. Nor the TiW card. We'll enjoy parks less (thus spending less), cook in our room more, and split more meals at Disney restaurants. In the end, we can control what we spend, and we will.

 

[sleepydog25]

Regardless of if the tide dies down...if people start selling contracts and go less...there is a lot more than just upset and forget...its a fundamental paradigm shift for those people.

Exactly.