No more annual passes in 2013?

[Disneytwins]

From a business standpoint, I would heighten the cost of an AP as well as raise food and souvie prices. Unfortunately, adding new experiences will just attract APs, who go to the parks regardless. So the only real way to gain more profit is to heighten prices.

There is a good excuse that APs need to renew yearly, but how much people are just "obligating" themselves to buy a new pass anyway regardless of new experiences?

[sir clinksalot]

Since the AP's have reached the "they cost too much for the value we personally receive from them" point, I have absolutely no problem with this.

[JMazz]

Disney pays $125 for you to get in...you spend a total of $40 at the park...Disney is still looking at a deficit of $85 per guest. Multiply that by lets say at any given time 2,000 AP holders visiting for the day and you're at a loss of $170,000 per day.

This is very incorrect. Disney isn't loosing $85. You are assuming that the cost of a one day hopper is that of retail. Disney doesn't pay its' own retail price. Disney only pays for the operating costs of a *potentail* ticket, and the maintainence of the wear-and-tear of this person using the ticket.

No one here can know what the daily cost is of any given guest (AP or tourist), but it is safe to say that APs make up for their operating costs the first time they make a purchase (no matter how small it is). We are talking a few pennies on the dollar (of that $85 "cost").

APs make a profit in the long term. I am sure of this. But do they make a bigger profit as compared to a day guest buying a hopper? I think that is a "NO". And I think this is what you are trying to illustrate???

There is a balance here, between AP guests and all other guests. Ideally APs fill in the holes that aren't filled by regular guests. Based on recent demand and the parks being swamped consistanly, I predict that the lower tier APs will disappear or have the largest increase in price the next time around. I also expect that there will be more blockouts for these passes.


I don't think Disney saw how wildly popular the parks were going to be post-CL. In this economy ppl are staying much closer to home. DLR fills the current need.

Forgive me if someone already pointed out what I said above, I am only on post # 50, but wanted to say this before I forgot... on to the rest of the thread. See you on the other side.

---------- Post added 10-02-2012 at 07:22 PM ----------

But we cant look at it as disney is losing 125 a day. First of all because no one is going to go once a month with prices at 125 so disney is not losing 125 after the 5th visit because no one is going to go that often without the pass. Second it cost no where near $125 a person to run the park on a given day and still make a profit.

The way it needs to be calculated is the price of AP plus total spent on merch and food divided by number a visits a year. Compare that number to the average cost to run the park divided by the number of guests that day and you have your answer whether or not an average AP holder pulls their weight and generates a profit relative to how often they go.

Its all speculation at this point but I'd bet that on average the AP program generates enough money to make a profit over the extra burden the program puts on the park and its operations cost.

With this calculation I imagine that most APs do in fact spend enough in merch, food, and their AP price in a year to pay for the cost they add to run the park.

this this this and then some...

[xceemora]

I wishes i could go everyday to DLR, me n my family have the AP, we sometimes r busy n have things to do we work n during free times we help the community where we go to church. Im a true big fan of Disney and a gold member of Disney D23. We have the Deluxe AP for 9 years all ready n when we renew them next year it will be our 10th anniversary.

[JMazz]

That means that as long as every guest pays at least $9 per visit, every guest is generating a profit...

Agreed. My number however, was smaller. But I assumed slightly different stats.

Either way, APs don't block out full-pay customers unless the park reaches capacity and Disney is trying to stay away from this. I suppose there is the mental barrier: ppl see that "DLR is always crowded", thus they don't go. But this is treading into another topic maybe?

[NineteenTwenty8]

Disney makes money on APs, they would have stopped selling them (and especially wouldnt have offered monthly payment plans) if they were a financial loss. The AP program is not going anywhere. APers are a 'built-in' audience in the off season.

[14 MPH]

I'll believe it when I see it.

Forget about the financial figures. Imagine all the APer's (myself included) who are told that they can't do to Disneyland the way they are used to.

Also, look at how long this discount has been going on for merchandise. It's still 20% for Premium. If Disney was hurting for money they would have stopped this a long time ago

[DJS]

Keep in mind also... APers are former ticket buyers who have decided that they would benefit more by visiting the park more than twice a year.

APers also are the greatest advertising. Word of mouth, Facebook photos, sharing the experiences, etc. as well as encouraging more people to visit with them.

It is also like a "membership" card. There is a certain clout that goes along with carrying it. Perks and discounts encourage AP holders to SPEND SPEND SPEND.

[Goofy Daddy]

The only thing I have heard about the AP system was that Disney was thinking about modifying it so that it is more like the Costco or other club membership type system. In other words it will automatically renew annually and perhaps as a monthly payment thing. I have heard nothing at all about them ending the program.

[sir clinksalot]

^ Costco doesn't automatically renew.

[JMazz]

i love how the ap's holders are so fast to get blaimed(again) for the driving of the attendance up MAYBE I am reading that wrong, but that is how i see it . there is other factors, maybe tourists are planning their vacations in off peak times and or beginning of the seasons rather then in the middle of seasons like summer or fall or winter.

Either way, we all can take a deep breath, the AP's are still gonna be around in 2013 i am just guessing and i am sure they will..

That is us (me and my party). It has almost always been us. We are the off-season tourist demographic to a "T"!!! However, we just bought our first APs, so DL just recieved some of our vaykay $$$ for a trip we have yet to take (December).

The patterns have changed so much and in so many ways, I think it will take Disney years to understand something they weren't too sure of in the first place. The crowds are so unpredictable now.

---------- Post added 10-02-2012 at 08:12 PM ----------

Four or five years ago I went on Yom Kippur, and no one was at the park. Every ride was a walk on. This last Yom Kippur the park was packed!

This is true. Had we known, we would have went to Knott's for the day. Our friends were txt'ing us pics of walk-ons and multi-re-rides. ugh. I was (and still am) quite ticked at DLR for not staffing the park properly.

[Goofy Daddy]

^ Costco doesn't automatically renew.

My membership has, for the past 6 years now. Perhaps different levels of membership have different options.

[JMazz]

My membership has, for the past 6 years now. Perhaps different levels of membership have different options.

Regional.
Are you perhaps from the south? I have family there and theirs' re-news automatically, whereas ours in the SW doesn't.

[disneychrista]

Do away with the SoCal passes. Keep the deluxe and the premium.

[NineteenTwenty8]

Im personally sick of the arrogance of many out-of-towners that feel like they are more 'deserving' of the resort and how those pesky APers should get out of the way and stop crowding 'their' parks. Im an APer and I spend hundreds of dollars of my hard earned money on a pass, I also spend ALOT throughout the course of the year on food/merch etc. , a tourist has no more importance than any APer. We ALL spend money, people need to stop with that mindset.