Geemo
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jan 23, 2012
43.7% of all statistics are made up on the spot.
"on the spot"
Well, this isn't true anymore. The lower-level APs often drive huge crowds at historically "off-season" times, and then a lot of times when they're blocked become the new "off-season," such as it is.This ^^^ We've been socal select APs for many years. Basically they block the days we don't want to go anyways due to crowds. School holidays and weekends we are blocked which are super busy. I think the socal select passes helps act like an equalizer.
This. When they stopped selling these before, my daughter renewed twice when she didn't even want to because she thought if she didn't renew, she'd never be able to get that pass type again. I think she visited once each of those years because she didn't have time to visit more.Anyway, I'm surprised that people even perceive this as a "crowd-cutting" measure - it's a profit-making measure, as is most everything Disney does, because business. It locks current SoCal pass holders into renewing so they don't "lose" their pass option, and certainly most people who wanted to buy an AP still will get a different one. It's kind of amazing for them that they can do this and have people think they're trying to cut crowds. Kudos, Disney.
Actually it would most likely result in about 30% of all passholders not renewing and when I say get rid of payment plan, I mean even for renewals. Getting rid of unlimited annual passes would be the end of Disneyland, the vast majority of people are locals, especially during the off season.I doubt getting rid of the payment plans is enough. I believe they need to get rid of the unlimited annual passes all together and move to a points system. You would get an allotment of points but it wouldn't be unlimited.
Does reducing attendance automatically reduce earnings? We live halfway across the country but we visit family in Anaheim about three times a year. But we almost always stay away from the park because the crowds are insane. When we do go, however, we eat at the restaurants and buy souvenirs. Often spend a night in a park hotel too. Don't the local crowds spend next to nothing besides the pass itself?
From Disney research
It's not that they don't eat at the restaurants and buy souvenirs it's that they spend less at restaurants and souvenirs.
But they can add capacity, they have simply chosen not to do so, there is a lot of space still available. Now that the eastern gateway isn't going to happen, they could even build a new Downtown Disney there and reclaim the existing Downtown Disney for theme park expansion.The thing is if you need to cut attendance you just have to raise prices until you price enough people out, the locals are currently getting a discount and so some that may be priced out by buying the normal prices are still able to go.
If you can't add capacity you have to either price people out, or lower the quality of the product enough that less people want to go.
I have an AP and visit about once per month. I always buy food and more often than not, merchandise. I've purchased 4 Dooney and Bourkes this year. Having an AP has caused me to spend way more money than I would have if I didn't have one. If I only visited once or twice per year, I would have only purchased 2 purses at a maximum. Lots less on food, too.
I may be in the minority (and I don't think I am), but a large part of my day visit includes eating, drinking and window shopping. I've been on all the rides so many times over my lifetime that I honestly don't need to ride any of them ever again, yet I still enjoy spending a day at Disneyland each month.
Which explains why Disney might value the customer buying a 5 day park hopper more. It costs almost as much as the SoCal Select, customers only use the park for 5 days, and many of them come from out of town and spend more at Disney on lodging, food and souvenirs in spite of the ticket cost.When our APs were cheap(our first SoCal selects were around $120), we spent money like crazy everytime we went, about 3-4 days a month. we ate breakfast lunch and dinner in the parks, kids got popcorn and ice cream, bought souvenirs, pins etc. now that even the so cal select APs tripled in price we stop at Starbucks for breakfast and eat dinner outside the park. oftentimes bringing at least a couple sandwiches. Sometimes we only get the kids an ice cream or churro. Overall we spend much less annualy due to the higher cost of APs.
Which explains why Disney might value the customer buying a 5 day park hopper more. It costs almost as much as the SoCal Select, customers only use the park for 5 days, and many of them come from out of town and spend more at Disney on lodging, food and souvenirs in spite of the ticket cost.
I actually think it varies over time. Sometimes attendance numbers are weak, and the local APs are a higher priority since Disney can mobilize them for quick results with a well placed offer or special event. But when attendance numbers are strong, and crowding becomes a negative, then the out of town visitors who come in, drop a bunch of cash in one swoop (then get out of Dodge and make room for the next batch) are a higher priority.I could see why someone could assume that. Its common in the business world to jump to conclusions based on certain statistics. Personally I would rather have a steady stream of income, from someone that came one day a week or two every week for life, rather than someone that came for 5 days once every ten years.
I actually think it varies over time. Sometimes attendance numbers are weak, and the local APs are a higher priority since Disney can mobilize them for quick results with a well placed offer or special event. But when attendance numbers are strong, and crowding becomes a negative, then the out of town visitors who come in, drop a bunch of cash in one swoop (then get out of Dodge and make room for the next batch) are a higher priority.
Does reducing attendance automatically reduce earnings? We live halfway across the country but we visit family in Anaheim about three times a year. But we almost always stay away from the park because the crowds are insane. When we do go, however, we eat at the restaurants and buy souvenirs. Often spend a night in a park hotel too. Don't the local crowds spend next to nothing besides the pass itself?
At this point they would have to do something really unpopular (which would be the point wouldn't it)
I say:
Get rid of all "local passes"
Get rid of all payment plans
Do not allow renewals for those that already have them.
With the new hotel, expand on site privileges including getting rid of Magic mornings in order to have EMH be more enjoyable at DL.
Then reevaluate
100% agree. Getting rid of payment plans would weed out a bunch. Personally, I think there should be no so cal pass at all. Everyone should pay the same fees, regardless of where they live.