Would You Still Own DVC if APs were No Longer an Option

[WilsonFlyer]

Just throwing this out there, after a comment from your fearless leader today that rubbed me way the wrong way. Since most of us are likely deplorables on at least two levels now (DVC and AP holders), it begs the question of whether you and your family would retain your ownership of DVC should APs not be an option in the future.

I won't repeat the comment from the earnings call here just yet. I'm still too infuriated to repeat it.

But to the main question, let's take a poll and see. I'm curious to see if there's any parallel going on here that's real.

 

[Her Dotness]

Since we can go only once annually if that, we've never had an AP.

So, sure, we may keep our points if things don't keep supporting the new slogan, "Pay more for less."

 

[Sparky984]

Ok I didn’t listen to the earnings call and a quick search doesn’t show anything about a DVC comment. Someone want to fill me in?

 

[DebbieB]

Ok I didn’t listen to the earnings call and a quick search doesn’t show anything about a DVC comment. Someone want to fill me in?

Ticket Holders are more favorable (or something like that). Nothing like alienating half your audience.

I don’t know. I typically go 2 or 3 times a year. Tickets every time would get expensive.

 

[gregskellington]

I don't go enough to need one so I don't care.

 

[SLThomas318]

If we couldn’t buy an annual pass then we would only take 1 trip a year… I’d be selling some contracts. Ticket prices are insane… if we had that cost for every trip along with airfare and food then we would not visit as much.

Not sure what the comment was, but you’d think they want annual pass sales. Our annual pass “locks” us into multiple Disney trips… we go multiple times to “justify” the cost and since we go multiple times we like to do the extras… sit-down meals and experiences… we’ve added on to our DVC so we can go more…

 

[npatellye]

We would keep DVC but would spend much less money on-site. APs keep us in parks at least 10 days a year. While we are in parks, we duck into shops with our kids and let them buy some things.

Without APs, we would only do 5 or so days in parks, buy less stuff in parks, and spend more time actually relaxing and perhaps going to SeaWorld and UOR.

We bought DVC for pre-paid lodging. The Gold APs were a nice side perk, as is the Sorcerer’s Pass. Beyond that, I’m fine with spending less by being in the parks less.

 

[Zach197]

My family has never purchased AP’s. If we lived closer to Florida I probably would but being from the northeast and going 2 or 3 times a year doesn’t justify the cost.

 

[DVCsloth]

Kind of the other way around for me. Don't think I would have an annual pass if I wasn't a DVC member.

 

[karrit2000]

This exact issue is what has me seriously considering selling off my DVC contracts. I used to average 2-3 trips per year pre-covid. Stayed mostly within the bubble on most trips so ate mostly on property. I can't justify keeping it if I have to buy a multiday ticket everytime I choose to visit. As it stands now my next WDW/DVC trip will most definitely include multiple days visiting the other huge Orlando theme park which up until now I've only ever spent 2 days at in the past 25+ years.

 

[thank_the_phoenicians88]

I’d still own and would just visit the parks less frequently. We have grown to love the resort days where we just relax at the pool and take it easy. If we didn’t do the annual passes, I suspect we would only go twice a year and make one trip solely a Disney parks trip.

I don’t necessarily think his comment was intended to alienate us, but it doesn’t surprise me. Ticket holders likely are families that go once a year and spend a small fortune between the hotel, tickets, and food. I have a couple who only took their kids to Disney once. They wanted to make that trip extra special so the splurged and ate at the nicest restaurants, stayed in a deluxe resort on cash rates, and paid for the extras. Disney doesn’t make as much off me when I just go to swim at the pool and pack lunches to eat at the parks haha!

 

[robinb]

Kind of the other way around for me. Don't think I would have an annual pass if I wasn't a DVC member.

Me too, but its a “chicken and egg” situation for me. I have an AP because I own DVC and I still own DVC because I have an AP.

I had a trip in November 2019 and didn’t renew my AP because I didn’t have plans until Oct 2020. Then, I was frozen out of getting an AP in June 2020. We cancelled our 10/20 trip and finally returned in May 2021. It almost broke me to pay for a 10-day pass instead of an AP. After that, I realized that I did not want to go yearly to WDW and pay through the nose for their current pricing system. We got APs when they were offered again and we used them in September and plan to go back in May.

If think that I would probably sell my DVC points if I couldn’t get an AP and save over 2 or more trips.

 

[TCRAIG]

Without the opportunity to purchase an AP of any type - I would probably go once a year for 2 weeks rather than 4x a year for a week each and sell off some of my contracts…

 

[bumbershoot]

Given that I haven't stepped foot in a park other than two DVC parties since...December 2016?...annual passes don't play a big role in my life anymore. I wouldn't mind if that changed, but it's been my reality for a little bit.

And actually I'm not sure if I've purchased more than maybe one WDW AP, maybe two, since buying DVC in 2009.

 

[DVCsloth]

Me too, but its a “chicken and egg” situation for me. I have an AP because I own DVC and I still own DVC because I have an AP.

I had a trip in November 2019 and didn’t renew my AP because I didn’t have plans until Oct 2020. Then, I was frozen out of getting an AP in June 2020. We cancelled our 10/20 trip and finally returned in May 2021. It almost broke me to pay for a 10-day pass instead of an AP. After that, I realized that I did not want to go yearly to WDW and pay through the nose for their current pricing system. We got APs when they were offered again and we used them in September and plan to go back in May.

If think that I would probably sell my DVC points if I couldn’t get an AP and save over 2 or more trips.

We keep our annual pass active even if we only go for a week or so some years. We are Florida residents as well, so we usually buy the Silver Pass, now I believe its Pirate pass. If we end up going during a blackout time we just upgrade to the next pass (try to remember not to do this at MK) usually huge lines. I have been actually eyeing the weekday pass since I'm noticing the weekend crowds are becoming more and more crowded.

 

[Ruttangel]

Over the years I've seen many people quote AP savings as a financial justification for buying direct rather than resale.

 

[Matty B13]

Just another reason to buy resale points and not worry about it.

We buy AP's if it works, but will go to 4 or 5 day tickets for a 7 day vacation if they take away AP discount.

 

[Marionnette]

Right now, I have a folder full of unused, tickets that are not date-based and won't expire until 2099. I also have 3 DVC Gold AP vouchers, so I'm good for a while. It's the other crap that is going on at Disney that has me looking into selling off most of my DVC contracts and freeing myself of the pressure to visit regularly.

 

[cvjw]

We stopped buying annual passes years ago when we discovered Disney cruises. We had much rather spend all that ticket money on a cruise instead of being in an over crowded park.

We have old non expire tickets that we use for a day or two every now and then. We usually just rent our points out to pay for cruises.

 

[Sparky984]

We bought DVC for the resort upgrade/savings. The reason we bought direct was for discounted APs.

Disney is not operating DVC and AP situation in good faith. They market being able to buy discounted APs as a perk but then do not offer them. If advertised, APs should ALWAYS be available to those being targeted, or they should be removed as a perk.

Additionally they’ve pushed DVC for a constant stream of people and 50 years of hotel bookings and then take the money and complain it’s not enough because these same people theyve asked to come over and over don’t spend the same as a one time visitor. What did they expect?