Out Of State APs Continue To Take A Beating

[Devil13]

So with the news today those of us who are out of state took another gut punch.

With only the top tier available it seems more and more like they don't actually want us there anymore, or at least they don't want us to come back multiple times in a year.

I never understood the pricing structure for out of state since we generally stay at their hotels, buy their food and visit less often yet we get punished for it by paying the most for APs.

Using my scenario as an example, I try to get down from the Boston area about 3 times a year, if possible, usually totaling about 20ish days. I never come down at any peak times (ends of August/April/February for the most part), stay on site and never leave.

Why can't I get a Pirate Pass? Why can't I pay monthly? Is there some FLA to MA currency conversion that I'm not aware of?

 

[mom2rtk]

The locals are valuable because they can plug holes in attendance at a moment's notice. Unfortunately out of state APs generally aren't seen as able to fill that role.

Perhaps they figure you'll keep coming several times a year with or without an AP?

I'm not defending it. Just saying that might be the thought process.

 

[Devil13]

But what holes are they plugging? Hypothetical case is someone who lives 15 minutes away, pops in, hops on the People Mover after a bad day and then goes home without doing anything else. I know that's what I'd do if I lived that close. Not saying that everyone is that close but it's a possibility.

Problem is that I can't do that. I REALLY have to make an effort to get to the parks.

Free parking? Means nothing to me as I'll Uber in from MCO (yeah, that's because ME is gone). 5 Days of reservations? Another benefit that doesn't matter because I'm staying on property. If not, and I'm there for a week, I can't even guarantee a full week of reservations for my trip.

Completely understand huge hotel discounts for in state. That makes sense because it puts in-staters in the same position that out-of-staters are in with respect to paying more per day on things outside the actual park admission.

Not taking it out on you or anyone else in here. I'm just frustrated once again by a system that I think is flawed.

 

[elaine amj]

Umm...practically every park anywhere has reduced pass prices for locals. It absolutely does plug in holes. Locals show up during slow times when others are less likely to vacation. They also show up in times like the pandemic. after 9-11, and hurricane seasons when out of towners were reluctant to travel.

Another reason could be that locals have to suffer the extra traffic and chaos caused by a park in their state. Thus, this is a nice perk to keep the locals happy.

I'd absolutely appreciate a lower price to any park I was local to.

Anyway - this changes nothing for us oyt of towners. It's a small (rather normal) price increase but otherwise nothing much changes between the Platinum Pass and the Incredi Pass that I can tell. Out of towners were never entitled to any other APs other than the DVC Gold Pass.

 

[fla4fun]

Well, if it makes you feel better, they eliminated the resident discount price on the top tier pass, so if I were to renew my pass next May, I am getting hit with an almost $400.00 increase over what I paid for my last renewal. Disney gets all of us where it hurts - right in the wallet.

 

[focusondisney]

I agree with you @Devil13. But I’m just not surprised because out of state residents have always had to buy the highest priced full access AP. Unless you are also a DVC member. We aren’t & have had a full price annual pass for going on 10 years. Which is why I’m not the least bit sorry that Florida residents no longer seem to be getting a discount on that highest priced Incredi Pass.

 

[Devil13]

Another reason could be that locals have to suffer the extra traffic and chaos caused by a park in their state,,,

Oh yeah, I'd hate to suffer with the thought of some extra traffic to walk in on a random Tuesday instead of fighting traffic to the airport and paying 2K to fly 3.5 hours and hop in a cab to get to my hotel.



It's not the increase that bothers me, it's the whole system.

 

[Devil13]

Well, if it makes you feel better, they eliminated the resident discount price on the top tier pass, so if I were to renew my pass next May, I am getting hit with an almost $400.00 increase over what I paid for my last renewal. Disney gets all of us where it hurts - right in the wallet.

Definitely not happy about that. I wish we all had the same opportunity or at least something close. If there are 4 options, could we have 3 the same? I don't even care about the fact that I have to drop $5200 for the cover charge all at once. Would just like some options.

 

[JimmyBean42]

The only thing I was confused on was only being able to hold 5 days of park reservations at a time. So if a family (out of town or Florida resident) is staying at a Disney property, they can only book up to 5 park day reservations at a time? What if it's a 7 to 10 day trip? They're just hoping for openings when they are there then?

 

[Robo]

So with the news today those of us who are out of state took another gut punch.

Why can't I pay monthly?

There is a difference in the ability for Disney to collect on unpaid monthly bills across state lines.
(Can be done, but at a much higher legal expense.)

Say a guest from out of state (Kentucky?) buys an AP on a trip in February, and goes into the parks for 12 days.
Then, comes back in May for 8 days, then decides "that's enough for one year,"
and stops making the monthly payments.
(Ain't comin' back... why continue to pay?)

20 days of WDW and just paid about 1/3 of the AP price.
Harder for a Florida company to collect from a resident from another state.

 

[Devil13]

The only thing I was confused on was only being able to hold 5 days of park reservations at a time. So if a family (out of town or Florida resident) is staying at a Disney property, they can only book up to 5 park day reservations at a time? What if it's a 7 to 10 day trip? They're just hoping for openings when they are there then?

My understanding is that the length of stay on property supecedes the 5 days. So if you stay at the Poly for 38 days, you would be covered to make reservations for those 38 days. Not guaranteed, mind you, but you are allowed to make the reservations if available for your length of stay.

There is a difference in the ability for Disney to collect on unpaid monthly bills across state lines.
(Can be done, but at a much higher legal expense.)

So like my mortgage, car payment or a credit card? Disney lawyers too busy with Scarlett Johansson?

 

[subtchr]

So with the news today those of us who are out of state took another gut punch.

With only the top tier available it seems more and more like they don't actually want us there anymore, or at least they don't want us to come back multiple times in a year.

But out of state passholders have always only had access to the top pass (other than DVC owners, who could get Gold, and now Sorcerer).

Did you expect this to change now?

@Robo explained the monthly payment issue above. Of course it's possible to track/collect debts over state lines, but Disney has chosen not to go to the extra expense or hassle to do so.

Signed, a 6-year out of state AP, always full price, always paid in full.

 

[Devil13]

Nothing new or surprising since I've been an OOS pass holder for many years as well. Just that the news today sort of opened the wound and rubbed salt in it.

I just think it's dumb all around and wanted to criticize it again in my favorite place to criticize Disney

 

[subtchr]

Nothing new or surprising since I've been an OOS pass holder for many years as well. Just that the news today sort of opened the wound and rubbed salt in it.

I just think it's dumb all around and wanted to criticize it again in my favorite place to criticize Disney

Okay. I think of a "gut punch" as more of a surprise, not a continuation of a long-standing policy.

I would have been shocked if this had changed.

The people who really got screwed are Florida resident and DVC member Platinum passholders. Unless there is an unannounced discount for them (as there has always been), they are facing a huge price increase to get an equivalent Incredi-pass.

 

[mustinjourney]

So with the news today those of us who are out of state took another gut punch.

With only the top tier available it seems more and more like they don't actually want us there anymore, or at least they don't want us to come back multiple times in a year.

I never understood the pricing structure for out of state since we generally stay at their hotels, buy their food and visit less often yet we get punished for it by paying the most for APs.

Using my scenario as an example, I try to get down from the Boston area about 3 times a year, if possible, usually totaling about 20ish days. I never come down at any peak times (ends of August/April/February for the most part), stay on site and never leave.

Why can't I get a Pirate Pass? Why can't I pay monthly? Is there some FLA to MA currency conversion that I'm not aware of?

I am completely spitballing here -- but perhaps Disney does this as a way to ensure they stay in favor with local politicians. Disney gets tax breaks from local governments, and in return, promises not to gouge the locals.

 

[mustinjourney]

Between this price increase, Genie+, and loss of DME, I'm beginning to think that Disney management has a lot of stock in Universal.

 

[Patrick N]

The locals are valuable because they can plug holes in attendance at a moment's notice. Unfortunately out of state APs generally aren't seen as able to fill that role.

Perhaps they figure you'll keep coming several times a year with or without an AP?

I'm not defending it. Just saying that might be the thought process.

I think there are two main reasons why they give the big discounts to the locals.

• I think a lot of locals would hardly ever go if they had to pay full price. Yes, when they first move there it’s all sweetness and light, but after a year or two living in or around Orlando, it might get old. (If they had to pay full price)

• Related to the above, maybe they sell a lot of Florida Resident Annual Passes each year to people who have had one, don’t go to the parks that often, but don’t want to give it up just in case a hot new attraction opens up and they want to go for one day to try it out, or they want it for when friends or relatives come down. They want to go with them to the parks, but don’t want to pay extra.

If I’m right, this is a terrific income stream for Disney, maybe the perfect income stream. People who buy and renew a Resident pass because it’s such a deal, but seldom use it.

I am aware that the Disneyland in California is a completely different situation.

 

[twincruisers]

The only thing I was confused on was only being able to hold 5 days of park reservations at a time. So if a family (out of town or Florida resident) is staying at a Disney property, they can only book up to 5 park day reservations at a time? What if it's a 7 to 10 day trip? They're just hoping for openings when they are there then?

Any on-site stay is automatically able to book reservations for their stay. The 5 day park reservations are outside of that. So you still have your 5. That limit is more for more for off-site stay.

 

[brightlined]

Did you expect this to change now?

The reason some people expected / hoped that it would change now was because Disneyland introduced the Flex pass two years ago. It was a blocked-out, reservations-sometimes-required, mid-level pass that cost $599 and was available to out-of-state guests. It was the first time a blocked-out pass was available to out-of-state guests. It was popular, and became (arguably) the basis for DLR's current AP program. (It ended up being a test-drive for the entire park reservation system.)

Until early this year, there had been months of speculation that WDW and DLR would stabilize their programs - that DLR would introduce their "membership" program, and WDW would soon follow suit. DLR basically bailed out on the "membership" program and just brought out a gently-modified AP program, and today was WDW's answer.

A lot of people (including myself) genuinely believe that there is a solid market for out-of-state guests who don't want to be at WDW during the peak season and don't want to pay for the privilege of attending then (when WDW doesn't want more people), and that Disney's refusal to offer anything to that guest is not only a missed opportunity, it's an insult to injury when WDW keeps increasing the cost (and removing services from) the only AP that they're allowed to buy.

Disney raised the cost of the Platinum > Incredi-pass by nearly $400 in a little over two years, $600 in five years.

I don't know if anyone expected this to change, but they were certainly hopeful that it would.

 

[1lilspark]

The only thing I was confused on was only being able to hold 5 days of park reservations at a time. So if a family (out of town or Florida resident) is staying at a Disney property, they can only book up to 5 park day reservations at a time? What if it's a 7 to 10 day trip? They're just hoping for openings when they are there then?

If your on site you can book length of stay + your rolling 5