The REAL reason we think Disney CEO Chapek does not want to sell new annual passes
Chapek recently went on record to share why Disney is not selling new annual passes. Here, I take a deeper dive into why the real reason may actually be different from what he stated.
No new passes
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter at this past weekend's D23 Expo, Chapek shared the following statement. "We love all our fans equally. We love the superfans, obviously. But we also like the fans that don't have the same expression of their fandom. We want to make sure that our superfans who love to come with annual passes and use [the parks] as their personal playground - we love that.
We celebrate that. But at the same time, we've got to make sure that there's room in the park for the family from Denver that comes once every five years. We didn't have a reservation system and we didn't control the number of annual passes we distributed and frankly, the annual pass as a value was so great that people were literally coming all the time and the accessibility of the park was unlimited to them and that family from Denver would get to the park and not be let in.
Park passes
From this interview, we can gather that the pause of new annual passes and the park pass reservation system work in tandem together to create a different park experience. But, is it benefiting the Guest? Or, is it benefitting Disney?
Park passes are a great way to forecast park attendance for any given day, and that in turn means Disney can create an accurate Cast Member schedule for that day. Disney then saves money by having only the needed number of Cast Members to operate the parks on any given day.
But, it's easier to market park passes for your great experience vs controlling the budget and saving some money, am I right? As for annual passes, I do not see new ones being sold until their supply and demand rebalances. Right now, they have much more demand than they have supply.
Fewer Guests spend more money in the park. By controlling who is coming into the parks, not only are they saving money by not having as many Cast Members on the schedule, but they are also making more money by charging more for things that used to be free (or cheap) in the form of tickets, food, merchandise, resort hotels, and Genie+.
What are your thoughts? Does Disney really have their Guests in mind, or is this a money thing? Let us know in the comments below and on Facebook.
We’ve been DVC members since the 1990s and travel to Disney 2-3 times a year and stay for at least a couple of weeks each time. I’m fine with the idea of renewals, BUT I don’t like that the new pass begins the day after the old one expires. October begins our use year and we usually got passes beginning in October. But with the extensions on the passes during COVID, our passes now expire June 26. So, we renew, but don’t use that pass for the first time until October — but day one is backdated to June. It’s a waste! At least let day one be the first day we activate the renewed pass!
Haven't been to Disney World since 2017. 2018 came and went. Then came the pandemic and any plans to go went out the window. Now with all this BS building since the pandemic, we'll have not much issue with our next trip down and not going to Magic Kingdom, or Epcot. Sure we saw lines and busy areas, but before Chapek, it was all good. Now, we'd probably have a better time walking through the Bowery in NYC. Universal, we're coming back.
Disney doesn’t care about the visitor. It’s all about more profit and screw the visitor if it makes them more money. Their outrageous ticket prices is the reason I haven’t gone to Disneyland since approximately 2006. I refuse to pay their unreasonable ticket prices. Add to that their now equally overpriced add-ons make it even worse. The magic in The Magic Kingdom disappeared for me. It’s a shame as I loved both Disneyland and Disney World.
Chapek's argument for not selling new annual passes make no sense if Florida residents are still able to buy an annual pass. These are the quests that can go to the parks frequently and don't need to spend money at the parks because they live close by. Fans that live out of state aren't going to fly down frequently because of the cost of flights but when they do visit, they are the ones that spend money on dining and shopping.
Follow the money. That is where the answer lies on this subject.
We have been a dvc member for 22 years and have been going to Disney for 30 years I have never seen it this bad we have gone at spring break and the way it was before all this crap that he is doing it was fine even with the crowds the fast pass they had before worked great the genie plus is just for greed if the share holders aren't happy then they have to screw the people look at the price of a villa for a night a average price a normal family of 4 can't afford the only way things are going to change if people stop going to the parks me and my family have going other places with are dvc poor Walt he has to be turning in his grave seeing what these greedy people are doing to his company he did this for families not greedy jerks
As a new Florida resident with a 60-40 reason for moving here being able to get Annual Passes (40, job and home sharing 60), I am disappointed that APs are still unavailable. Since Chapek took over, Disney has turned into just another greedy corporation whereas Iger believed in more than just that. Catering to tourist money which, no matter how you look at it, will always be TEMPORARY money, we Floridians under the AP monthly program is practically “forever money”. I don’t know, to me, Disney should be looking at the residents as equal if not slightly higher priority. We’re “forever”, tourists are temporary, with a good amount of the trips tourists make to Disney being a once every other year trip. In this economy, I have no idea who these “twice a year” visitors are, that are not AP holders.
My family and I do not fit the whole “They won’t have dinner in the parks” people. We are huge Disney fans and wouldn’t mind dropping hundreds per visit, which we were looking to do so if the Pirate Pass wasn’t unavailable, TWICE A MONTH. Let that sink in. There are more families living in Florida like us than Disney thinks.
Anyway, we’ll keep saving our dollars until APs are available…look at that Disney, we’re even prepared for the AP price hike. You’re betting on the wrong horse here, guys. Residential loyalty is what you should be focusing on because according to a lot of FB/IG posts that I’ve read on the subject, you’re losing that, and when the tourist money well dries up and attendance is low (AND IT WILL), then what?
It’s all about the mighty dollar. Say you want to go to WDW three times or even twice a year for 6 days. They make way more money on tickets, two 6 day hoppers are more than one AP. With an AP you get food and merch discounts. With a hopper you don’t, unless you’re also a DVC member. Bob has turned the park into a place I don’t recognize and I’m almost done with it. Which makes me so sad.
The DVC members who did not renew due to COVID are the ones really getting screwed!
Exactly! All he cares about is making money, nothing more. He has never cared about the guest experience & he obviously never will. As for his explanation on why they aren't bawling APs, I agree with Kenny because Chapel's explanation is bologna. WDW parks RARELY sold out. As an out of state passholder, I agree with Marcy. Whenever I visit, I am still purchasing my meals in the parks, I am still staying onsite at a resort for multiple nights & I am still purchasing souvenirs.
You are correct, at least when it comes to WDW. The parks were only "sold out" a couple of days per year, and then often only for a few hours. Not selling APs only benefits Disney, and not the guests.
local annual passes encourage more daily visitors to ride one ride or two and then go home but not stay over night nor eat two or three meals in the parks. Thus less money for Disney. It's all about the money!
What he stated about keeping attendance down (nothing being done is for Disney's guest benefit).
I did not renew my AP. For those with AP's from out of state, like myself from PA, it definitely has them visit DW more often but nothing like for those local to DW. So I don't see why it would not benefit Disney to continue with the out of state AP's. For us it meant 2 trips per year as opposed to 1 per year or 1 every other year.
Locals regularly go to DW and I can see where Disney may be losing out, although they may have an overnight stay at a resort, have meals and purchase items (although I do see the point they are not going to spend like someone's lifetime trip)..Over time am sure they spend more !
I guess what I am trying to say is that I would think it would be to Disney's advantage to have out of state AP holders.....
You know when Chapek says no more AP it is definitely in Disney's benefit as he does nothing but take, take take!
Good question!!!
Does this also mean pass renewals are not happening either?
Renewals are still happening.
To the best of my memory things worked pretty well before Chapek started interfering. Disney made a profit. Visitors were happy. So the problem he "fixed" was, what exactly?!