Any news when DVC members can get an annual pass???

[McMinnieRose]

I'm really frustrated that we have not yet been able to buy ANY kind of annual pass or discount tickets for multiple trips--what good are all our points when one trip's tickets costs are so exorbitant that we can't return. We banked our points after one trip last year and are still waiting for some announcement about DVC annual passes. Why haven't they come up with a DVC specific ticket? We have routinely added points to our ownership over the years, but after this experience, I don't think we will do that anymore.

What is frustrating is that we had a brand new annual pass the week the parks closed so we gave them up and now we haven't been able to buy them again. It's just not the Disney service I expected.

Has anyone heard anything?

 

[igrsod]

I haven't heard anything, but I feel the same way that you do. I will be putting off our next trip and hoping things change. We have a trip this Feb for the Princess weekend, but we are going to be going to Universal for the first time ever. It actually shocks me... we have never even thought of going to Universal for over a decade of WDW trips.
I hope soon they come to their senses.

 

[McMinnieRose]

We also talked about going to Universal (which before had always been a taboo subject in our household!). I agree that they need to come to their senses because I feel like we are losing our Disney "habit" that was maintained by 3 trips a year. I wouldn't recommend DVC to anyone at this time either.

 

[jo-jo]

We also talked about going to Universal (which before had always been a taboo subject in our household!). I agree that they need to come to their senses because I feel like we are losing our Disney "habit" that was maintained by 3 trips a year. I wouldn't recommend DVC to anyone at this time either.

I feel bad for those DVC owners that have tons of points. I've said it a million times, but I think DVC should be able to get the pixie pass.

 

[AnnaS]

We have been renewing ours and even though we consider ourselves lucky to have APs, I am still annoyed that I am "forced" to keep renewing "just in case" they stop selling them again.

I will play the game for now/a little longer. I finally decided not to book a second Disney trip this year. I did not want to go again just because I want to get my moneys worth and have an AP. Planning an Italy trip instead.

There are times when I want to take take a break when my next trip is more than six months away and buying a new AP makes sense for us.

Time will tell.

No one knows though.

 

[CarolMN]

Many of us share your frustration. Maybe if we all wrote Member Satisfaction and Disney executives, they'd at least give us an indication if anything is in the works.

 

[voxparse]

Not being able to get an AP is one of the primary issues holding me back from my first DVC purchase. Totally with you on the frustration!

 

[Einstein509]

We stayed at our DVC resorts over Christmas break on points. Didn't go in the parks and went to Universal instead. It was eye opening! The parks were clean, staff courteous, and we actually had a good time. We rode the monorail, went to some of the Disney resorts for dining and Disney Springs too. Besides our DVC resorts and their pools, that was the extent of the Disney part of our trip. What I really liked about Universal is that it was just so chill. Not constantly on my phone for Genie+ or LL. The vibe was chill with the guest as well. No people rushing from ride to ride and my toes were never run over by a mom running with a stroller from one end of the park to the other. The kids play areas in Universal were actually pretty cool too, although they are demolishing them shortly. Thrill rides were top notch and I really like their locker system for your valuables.

Only setback was fighting the I-4 traffic, but I'm willing to make that sacrifice.

So unless Disney changes their ways (lowers APs to a reasonable dollar amount, brings back some sort of FP+, allows discounted APs for DVC, brings back some form of Magical Express, etc.), we will continue with this M.O.

Recommend you do this approach if you have to use up your points. Oh, and by the way, Universal's AP for two parks is around $500. Way less than what Disney is currently charging, even if you factor in 4 parks vice 2.

 

[artesian]

Same boat here. Last 3 trips have cut park time to 1-3 days at best and like some others we did go to Uni for a change. The fam has discussed potentially getting Uni APs if WDW APs don't return but not quite there yet. I'm going in two weeks for a few days and will only be going to EP for the festival although really wishing I could go to MK and HS that trip too.

 

[Narcoossee11]

Some BIG issues are :

DVC has very little pull/power with operations of the company.
NO ONE can purchase annual pass, not just dvc members.
The parks are crazy full. There is no need for annual pass guest.
Why discount cost of tickets when the parks can't handle the crowds at full price today.

 

[TiggerBouncy]

I think Disney has an AP problem that they do not know how to solve. Judging from the current crowds in the parks that started right after the holiday blackouts ended, it's looking like they oversold their AP's in the last window and are in a precarious position.

I am not saying DVC shouldn't be able to purchase them - we should. I also bet there is a slew of similar "here is why my class of Disney Citizen should be able to purchase AP's". Disney was expecting I think that the higher AP prices in the last round would have limited sales... but alas, they did not.

I could be wrong - I am only going by the posted crowds and ride times I see. I have no inside knowledge and I have not read anything to back up my theory. But I think there is some truth to it.

 

[gmi3804]

Until they offer APs again, this 780 points-owning DVC member will continue to spend minimal time (and money) in the parks, take more resort-heavy trips, and visit Aulani a lot more often. I enjoy the relaxing resort experiences, which is 180 degrees from the madness and increasing disappointments of parkgoing.

I’ve been going to WDW since 1974, when I was 8, and if I want to be philosophical about it, I can theorize that Disney is just catering to my evolving needs (as an aging fan), just like they always have.

 

[jo-jo]

Some BIG issues are :

DVC has very little pull/power with operations of the company.
NO ONE can purchase annual pass, not just dvc members.
The parks are crazy full. There is no need for annual pass guest.
Why discount cost of tickets when the parks can't handle the crowds at full price today.

Two things.

Not everyone sunk a boatload of money into disney buying tons of points with the thought of making 4 or 5 trips a years. And continues to pay thousands a year on dues.

We don't have that many points. Taking one trip a year or banking would be workable for us.

And I had renewed my ap in April,but 7 months later at park, the CM offered me , pay an extra $150 ish and get an AP dated from that day. with the rules of a new AP. I haven't heard of this happening from anyone else. So who knows why me?

 

[The Jackal]

Some BIG issues are :

DVC has very little pull/power with operations of the company.
NO ONE can purchase annual pass, not just dvc members.
The parks are crazy full. There is no need for annual pass guest.
Why discount cost of tickets when the parks can't handle the crowds at full price today.

Florida residents can buy Pixie passes. The other 3 are paused.

 

[New Mouse]

Some BIG issues are :

DVC has very little pull/power with operations of the company.
NO ONE can purchase annual pass, not just dvc members.
The parks are crazy full. There is no need for annual pass guest.
Why discount cost of tickets when the parks can't handle the crowds at full price today.

So add more staff, open your amenities fully af Parks and Resorts and sell APs?

It is that simple.

 

[zavandor]

One good and one bad news.

The good one is that it seems pent up demand is slowing down. Today Disney released a new round of discounts and they're slightly better than the previous ones. If demand slows down, then Disney will need AP again to fill the parks, which means they might restart to sell AP again.

The bad news is that I expect them to work like in Paris. I've been to DLP last December and the AP situation is terrible. Availability for park pass reservations for passholders is very limited. During the off season you can book weekdays easily, but week ends are booked months in advance. And during high season even week days are sold out way in advance. July and August were booked solid every day, if you didn't book park pass reservations you couldn't access any day, even with the highest tier of AP..
The only silver lining is that if you're staying in one of their onsite hotels you don't need a park pass reservation at all, even if you've an AP. If this translates as it is to WDW, then it's a good news when staying on points.

 

[Einstein509]

Here's an article on a non-park DVC visit. I think more and more people are starting to do this. As gmi3804 noted, our recent vacation without the parks was so much more relaxing.

https://www.disneydining.com/a-week-at-walt-disney-world-without-any-parks-js1/

 

[Pooh2]

These posts make me so glad we did not purchase DVC in 2019 when we were close to purchasing at AKL.
We were pass holders in the second half of 2019 and lost a tremendous amount of value on the pass during 2020.
We have only been in the park 2 days since then 2019.

We still vacation in Florida but there are tons of other things to do like Hot Springs, gorgeous beaches, etc.
We did have our first stay (cash reservations) at Disney's Hilton Head and Vero Beach resorts in the past year.
Highly recommend for those looking to use points without entering the parks.

 

[AstroBlasters]

Until they offer APs again, this 780 points-owning DVC member will continue to spend minimal time (and money) in the parks, take more resort-heavy trips, and visit Aulani a lot more often. I enjoy the relaxing resort experiences, which is 180 degrees from the madness and increasing disappointments of parkgoing.

I’ve been going to WDW since 1974, when I was 8, and if I want to be philosophical about it, I can theorize that Disney is just catering to my evolving needs (as an aging fan), just like they always have.

Aloha!

 

[McMinnieRose]

I just think if you sell DVC points--there should be a way for people to make more than one trip a year. Can't they use their creative genius to give DVC members a modified pass or punch card (good for example 20-30 days in a year) at a discount. I see where this issue is keeping people from buying into DVC--so not a good business decision.

I agree that we should start a letter writing campaign, anyone know to whom or where?