Would you really?

[AnnK]

Granny you are right about the exec's offering discounts on AP's. Based on the responses they don't have any incentive to offer DVCers a discount because many will buy them anyway.

Some families, like mine , will decide at some point during their time in DVC, that they don't need the AP. Planning trips within the calendar year ( especially when you kids hit middle/high school years) just isn't worth the effort. This is the FIRST year that we did not renew our AP's. We went in Feb, and only entered the parks for one day, and then 1 e-night, and we were there for 12 days!!!!! It may take awhile before Disney starts to feel the loss, but when you consider our family is 7, ( plus many of teh friends and family that we bring along) multiply that by the number of drinks/Mickey bars etc that we will not buy because we are in the parks less, it can really start to add up.

I did speak with someone at BWV and what he told me is.... Disney offers DVCers what THEY consider to be the best pass/discount for us, and that is the UMP. He also indicated that they don't feel any pressure to compete with USF/IOA. He feels that until they feel the need they will not offer any further admission discounts.
I am not holding my breath waiting for a discount. I don't feel I am "owed" anything because I bought into DVC. I am happy with my hopper because I feel it is the best value for my family based on what is available to me right now.
If Disney offers a good discount I would happily buy an AP,until then, I am content with what I have.

 

[PKS44]

With the obvious caveat that we have no idea if DIS is a representative of all of DVC or WDW DVC or whatever I would also be curious to know how many DVC families are more than 2 people, (we are) how the age range breaks down toddlers/teens/etc...This would be very relevant as I believe nationwide the demographics are set to kick Disney in the pants big time over the next few years IMO...

Here is why...Disney has been riding the crest of a wave of children known as the echoboom-children of baby boomers.
More and more of the echo boom are becoming teens or even twenty-somethings-most of these will be more attracted to the thrills of USF/IOA and "turned off" by what Disney does best- clean family fun...Until they have toddlers/young children of their own-- which is probably another 10-15 years off. The other big demographic is the boomers who are 50-65 over the next few years and not going to flood the parks. I don't think Disney can compete for the thrill ride crowd (like they are trying in DCA)-it is not who they are-- EPCOT/MGM can go after the boomers but not the echoboom and both parks will need to be tweaked up a notch to capture the boomers desires for both nostalgia and new experiences. MK the crown jewel will suffer attendance drops and AK is just a big mess in need of complete overhauling...

BTW what applies to the parks goes for the movies as well--> If you want to know what will succeed look at what the boomers will want...In their 20's they thought their generation invented identity crises creating a boom in the self-help and identity finding world. In their thirties and forties they reinvented raising families and Disney and others have enjoyed the spoils. Fifty year old men will probably go for faster cars and younger women, in an attempt to recapture their youth while fifty year old women- well I have never had any idea what women want at any age so I won't even try...

Paul

 

[vernon]

Ann , I think you miss the point. NO ONE is saying they are owed anything. IMHO it is in Disney's interest to give us a break, Disney will make more money that way. I want the best value for my holiday $ , in an ideal world Disney will give me that value and they will get my $$$ , if they don't offer value my $$ will go elsewhere.

Granny even if those figures are correct ( 60% of people have LOS or AP's ) to discount those tickets by say $200 per ticket is not going to lose as much as Disney will make from half of the remainder ( 20% of the total ) spending like me an extra $1000. I would also bet that there are people ( again like me) if they split their vacation between resorts ( say 5 days at BWV and 4 days at VWL) would get a LOS pass for ONE of the stays not both. You're assuming that because they use a LOS pass as their prefered ticketting option, they have a LOS pass for their WHOLE vacation. That may not be a correct assumption.

I also think that people who frequent these boards have above average levels of "pixie dust fever " LOL and are stronger Disney fans than most. Because of that I feel the level of AP's will be higher in this forum than is actually the case in the "general public" JMHO.

I also feel that as Paul touched on, as time goes by and more members have had repeated visits to WDW the desire to "park bash" will deminish. People just won't feel the need to be in the parks all day every day. As that feeling increases the ability to justify spending large sums on AP's is going to diminish. Personally I'd be happiest with a park pass that allows me entry to the parks ( or even just Epcot) after 5.00 so I can go eat there and take in maybe a couple of rides ( so any kids feel like they have had their "daily Disney fix" ) at a relatively minimal cost. I think the low season with "blackout dates " could work for a lot of people.

 

[PKS44]

I find myself agreeing with Vernon and his ideas for limited park passes...The pass described by someone on the Tokyo post about the Tokyo parks - the one that allows admission but no riding-that might be something US Disney needs to look into...They do seem to be transforming themselves from theme parks to into expensive themed shopping malls under the guidance of a shopping mall guy like Pressler.

Some sort of system of pass reform might be needed to address the changing market. This is not far from what Walt had originally with a lower admission fee and all the tickets to ride. This might allow serving the various market niches more precisely-giving the unlimited riding power to the young and restless and yet not pricing out the older folks who want to shop/eat and enjoy the ambience...and the nostalgia appeal to those boomers by having A, B, C,...E ticket books again...

Paul

 

[Snowgod]

As the current economic climate continues to erode the attendance to the parks, Disney may have to rethink its best customers. DVC is a commitment to attend the WDW but not the parks. We love to go to the resorts and visit the BW an DTD. The parks are becomming to expensive for more than a day here and there. We love the parks and used to go just to eat at some of the restautrants, but now eat outside the parks and head out to Orlando for less expensive fun. If we got the FL Discount, we would stay at WDW and not leave. Those of us who express our opinions here on th DIS are a minority of the DVC but what we say is extremely important. Perception is reality and our perception is that Disney is too expensive.

 

[AnnK]

Vernon,
I am actually answering BEFORE anyone states the obvious, that we should not expect anything more than what we paid for( rooms).
I myself agree that a there should be a significant AP pass discount for DVCers. I mentioned the conversation wth the CM at BW because I felt it was important for members to hear that Disney thinks they are offering us the BEST PASS DISCOUNT that THEY think is good for us. ( the UMP) The truth is that very few DVC members see the value in the pass. ( and that includes me!)
I also agree that Diseny is missing out on the opportunity to tap into a large market of people. We joined when BWV opened. We have taken many trips during this time. Our children who ranged in age from 15yrs old down to an infant are now 20yrs down to 5yrs. Needless to say, things have changed. We honestly were not spending as much time in the parks as we used to, that's why we went to the hopper plus. I thought I would miss the AP, but on my trip in Feb, I didn't miss it. I will be there for 12 days in Nov and another 12 in Feb, I will better be able to decide if it was a good choice after that. If I had an AP I would have only had it for my trip in Feb, and then my upcoming trip in Nov, and then I would be looking at a huge layout for 7 AP's in Feb. So far I only went to the parks for what 1 day in Feb, and then however days I may go into the parks in Nov. Disney could get me to buy an AP, If the discount was good enough. Otherwise I will use the hopper, which will reduce my time in the park, and all the money we would spend. The point I wanted to make is that I don't believe Disney owes me, I am not angry or upset, but I do think that is is in their best interest to start thinking about DVCmembers, and getting us into the parks.

 

[leanne2255]

I am pretty much in concensus (sp) with the majority of the posts. We purchased a 5 day Park-Hopper, but will spread that out over our next 2-3 visits. i.e. less time in the parks, less time spending money IN the parks. I firmly believe Disney is losing out by not providing discounts to DVC members. After all, we are their most LOYAL following. Otherwise, we would not have bought into DVC in the first place.

 

[Dean]

It would take more than the FL resident discounts to keep us in the parks, we are FL residents and haves scaled back dramatically doing other things.

True, the WDW discounts have nothing to do with true legal resident status and WDW can set whatever rules they want on this.

I would also agree that WDW doesn't "owe" us anything however DVC has the responsibility to get members as much value as they can in any reasonable way possible. And in that regard, they have been falling down on their job.

 

[WebmasterDoc]

I truly amazed at the inconsistent comments these threads always invoke.

The usual reason given for "why Disney should give DVC members a big discount" is becaues we are such loyal customers who have devoted ourselves to returning for the next 40 years.

In the next breath, we then emphatically state that unless some nebulous discount is provided- Disney will never see us again.

We can't have it both ways. Either we're devoted guests or we're not. While several have stated that they are spending less time and $$$ in the Disney parks, until Disney can verify that as an actual fact, there is likely to be no change.

Vernon is correct, Disney can offer us any type of discount they choose (FL Residence included)- it's just that they choose not to at this time- probably because enough of us truly are devoted fans and are still in attendance.

 

[lodgelady]

We bought DVC so we could afford a warm weather vacation at Disney each spring. *BUT* as we add up the numbers, we are coming to the realization that passes for all of us are still over 1/3 of our vacation expenses. In addition, they are the ONLY expense that cannot really be curtailed. The price goes up every year!!! YES we can drive instead of fly; we can cook for our selves or eat at McDonalds , but because there are no substantial savings to be had on passes we are looking at making those kinds of trade-offs in order to go to the parks EVERY year. I suspect we will grow tired of all that scrimping and just skip going to the parks. The other issue to me is a feeling of freedom on vacation- to come and go in the parks. If we are going to relax at Disney(is this a contratiction in terms?) I want to feel free to skip days (which you don't with LOS passes), or only go for partial days (which we don't with park hoppers) Annual passes are impractical due to school schedules AND for a family of 4 they are a HUGE upfront investment. It would be perfect if DVC members were offered a real discount or a more flexible option to go to the parks....sigh

 

[mnlovesdisney]

I would most certainly spend more time in the parks if they offered me a better deal. With a family of four and having a middle class income it is very diffult to justify much time in the parks with what the hopper passes currently cost. As for all the people purchasing AP's, I wonder how many of them live is close proximity to WDW. We live in Minnesota and one trip a year is all we can do, if that, so AP is not an option. I enjoy eating at EPCOT but don't do this as often as I would like because of admission price to the park. Out of a week's day we usually only have 2 to at the most 3 days out of hopper pass that we use. Cost is definitely an issue for us. When they do offer discounts we do often use them, such as at Disney Quest and restaurants at Market Place and various hotels, etc. So I am sure if they offered a better deal on park admission we would use that also and spend more time in the parks.

 

[PKS44]

DEAN: DVC has the responsibility to get members as much value as they can in any reasonable way possible

DOC:[Others argue] ...we are such loyal customers who have devoted ourselves to returning for the next 40 years.

In the next breath, we then emphatically state that unless some nebulous discount is provided- Disney will never see us again.

We can't have it both ways. Either we're devoted guests or we're not.


Lodgelady: I want to feel free to skip days (which you don't with LOS passes), or only go for partial days (which we don't with park hoppers) Annual passes are impractical due to school schedules AND for a family of 4 they are a HUGE upfront investment. It would be perfect if DVC members were offered a real discount or a more flexible option to go to the parks.


ME:
I don't agree that DVC has the responsibility as described. They have a responsibility to make a profit and maintain the property in good condition. Neither of those things has anything to do with value particularly as it relates to park admissions.

I don't think the loyalty deserves any reward, and those that are arguing that and then threatening as Doc suggests are equally misguided. I don't think that is what they are saying. What they are saying is you have this market captured to a degree now let's see if you can get more out of it by giving us a little more. No one should be arguing for something for nothing (and I would call loyalty almost nothing). It should be a trade where both parties feel enriched....And as Doc suggests- that will only happen if their investment in giving up some revenue from admission charges translates into overall increase in revenue for Disney in the long and more likely also the short (next quarter) run.

This brings me to lodgelady and my original comments here and on another thread about pretending to be a Disney exec...There are precedents at Disneyland and Tokyo Disneyland to approach admissions differently than they do at WDW. In Tokyo and in the old days at DL there are admissions without ride privileges, or limited privileges by way of tickets. In Disneyland they used to sell a 5 days for the price of 2, but those 5 days were consecutive from the first day.

Going back to tickets or different admission levels probably would be too much of a change and require, wristbands and the investment may not pay off. But giving DVC members the special LOS pass at a 10% discount already leans towards the more days than you pay for idea I am pushing...Clearly they feel they can't sell LOS at full price toDVCers. If they could they would not discount them...I wonder how many they actually sell at this discount. If people felt they were getting extra days for "free" but they did not last forever like hoppers they would be more inclined to visit the parks more(spending accordingly) and they would also be attracted to the deal since they would not feel compelled to go everyday and squeeze the value out of those park days at full price or LOS prices. Right now it is 5 days for the price of 4.5 , how about 5 for the price of 3 ( a 40% discount of sorts) That would sell better I would think and might satisfy the market desire expressed here by the non AP holders and those not wanting to make that huge investment in AP.

 

[mnlovesdisney]

PKS44,

Your idea would work for me. That would allow us to enjoy some more meals at EPCOT and half days at the park without feeling we were wasting our money. Using hopper passes and not spending the full day at parks feels like a waste of money so we don't do that.

 

[Dean]

Originally posted by PKS44
I don't agree that DVC has the responsibility as described. They have a responsibility to make a profit and maintain the property in good condition. Neither of those things has anything to do with value particularly as it relates to park admissions.

DVC has no responsibility for profit. Maybe I should have said that if DVC was to offer additional programs, it was their responsibility to offer the best program possible from a member standpoint.

 

[Dreamfinder2]

We've been fretting over our DVC purchase for over a year now (feel free to call me indecisisve; I prefer the label "cheap.") We've done a lot of comparison shopping, and it's apparent from TUG and other sources that DVC, based on room quality and amenities alone is just about as good as it gets, and is actually competitive in price to the top-end timeshares such as Marriott (except for the annual fees.) Last time I looked, DVC is the only property that is even on Disney grounds. I've concluded that the property itself is the steak; everything else is just sizzle. The sizzle's not bad, but it isn't going to influence my decision. Disney's as good at it gets, if that's what you like! The more I look, the more it makes sense for us.

BTW ... this may belong on the rumors board or somewhere else, but did I hear somewhere that the parks offer a "shopping pass" that lasts an hour? You go to guest services, they take an imprint of your credit card, you run in one of the parks to get that last-minute goody, and if you can make it back out in an hour, they don't charge your card. Otherwise, they treat it as a one-park ticket. Did I dream this or what? Gotta do some research... unless someone can save me some time!

 

[DVCajun]

Hey there, fellow cajun, you didn't hear an empty rumor! That's true, and a pretty nifty perk if you ask me! The way I heard that it works is you actually buy the ticket, but if you get back in an hour they refund it. Either way, it's pretty cool if you really just want to grab something quickly and be on your way. I wish they did similar things for the restaurants, but that would obviously take longer than an hour. Give us an inch and we ask for the mile!

 

[lyndon1]

I prefer to be a dreamer or an "Imagineer". I believe that the fine folks at Disney will eventually reward DVC members with a lifetime "DVC" pass option. A pass exclusive to the growing family of what is known as the Disney Vaction Club. Other options may include discounts on current pass offerings but why not create something that will continue to promote and reward current and future DVC owners. Walt Disney said " If you can imagine it, we can create it".

I believe we have a large group of "Imagineers" with in the DVC community. I'll be waiting. How about you ?

Lyndon


97' Offsite
98' Offsite
99' Offsite
00' Contemporary - Tower
00' DCL Wonder ( 3 day )
01' AKL
01' Aug DVC
02' DCL Wonder ( 7 day Western Cruise )

 

[HorizonsFan]

DVC has no responsibility for profit.

Huh? Why else would DVC exist? Unless you're looking at DVD as the profit making entity and DVC as all of us...

 

[Dean]

Originally posted by HorizonsFan

Huh? Why else would DVC exist? Unless you're looking at DVD as the profit making entity and DVC as all of us...

DVC is the management company of several timeshare resorts and DVD is the arm of Disney that is the developer and sales aspect. Since we were discussing the responsibilities of the board and management, I did not think the DVD component of sales were relevent. So I'll state again.

I do not feel that DVC as a management company has any responsibility for profit per say. That does not mean that there will be no aspect of profit, like food and beverage sales, but any profit would go to reduce fees and not into Disney's pocket. It is certainly inappropriate for them to attempt to make a profit on the exchange alternatives. I do realize that paying the other entities (DC, DCL, etc) will not be an exact science and there will be some years when there is a loss and others when there is a small profit but the goal should be to break even on this entity.

 

[Laurajean1014]

If I was allowed to have FLA resident price passes, my family would spend more time on vacation in WDW. When we fly down, we go to WDW (maybe 1/2 day at outlets and maybe one day at US).

We absolutely love WDW and our DS, 5 yo, is hooked! So, even though we've seen just about everything in WDW, we love to walk around and admire what we've missed being park commandos!

Maybe if we spent less on tix, we would travel down more often, definitely spend more (disposable) funds, and be even more deeply greatful to the Disney family..