How can they add more value to the Inspire Key to increase sales?

[foolish_mortals]

Agreed with others that there is no need to make it more attractive. They open MK sales for the other tiers when they feel the need to boost revenue over the next year. If they only expect a slow down for a few months they offer the SoCal resident ticket. If they completely stop selling the lower tiered MKs not all of those key holders will revert to tickets. Those that do will likely spend less money per visit since they had to buy a ticket.

There is a lot of emotion in how people spend money. A monthly payment under $50 doesn’t bother people that much. Spending $200 in one day does. So what is better? A person coming 3 times a month and buying $300 in merch or $200 in one day and $100 in merch? It depends on what the expected margin for that day is.

There is a minimum amount of staff needed for operations regardless of number of guests. If it’s a slow day and there aren’t many guests they’re losing money with staffing costs. Your MK guests cost “nothing” on those days, but on other days they cost more since you need more staff.

So the answer to the question: Which is better, a person coming 3 times a month a buying $300 in merch or $200 in one day and $100 in merch? Is it depends on the day…this leads us to the reservation calendar, tiered block out dates, ticket tiers, and “unfavorable mixes” Disneyland uses all of these tools to maximize their daily margin.

 

[starlite_]

But if they're doing it for WDW, it stands to reason that Disneyland/DCA will follow at some point later in the year, no? Unless WDW is far less crowded than DL in general.

They have dif management as far as I know.

 

[jglor]

For me, the additional value for the Inspire Key isn't worth the $500 increase in price. Yes, there are more available days (mostly Saturdays in October, November and December, plus a few holiday weekends), but aside from that, I don't think the free parking (vs 50% off) and the slightly higher discount will pay for itself.
When (if?) the Believe Key is available again, we're going to probably get those. We considered getting a single Inspire for the additional discounts, but I don't really think it's worth it.
It would take over 33 trips for the parking discount to add up to $500 (Save $15 each time over the half-price parking), $5,000 in merchandise for the merch discount to add up to $500 (Extra 10% discount), or $10,000 in dining for the dining discount to add up to $500 (Extra 5% discount). Obviously, it would really be a combo of those three things, but I don't see us going that many times, or spending that much.
We had premiere passes back in 2018/2019 and went to Disney World twice and Disneyland more than 20 times, and those passes were $1,500 back then. Those passes had good discounts, free parking, free MaxPass (basically equivalent to Genie+) and included Disneyland and Disney World. We've gone a total of 3 times since those passes expired (with 2 more planned this summer - using the So-Cal 3 day pass).
This is the longest we've gone without any kind of pass in a long time. We used to do 1 year on, 2 years off. At this point it's been 4 years off. We finally decided to jump back in if the Believe Keys become available, but not paying the extra price for Inspire, just because it's the only one available right now. We can wait. (With full knowledge that the Believe Key will probably cost more when it finally comes back than last year's price of $1,099).

 

[chezcurrie]

I agree with others saying they don’t have to do anything to entice others to the Inspire. Now do I wish they would add G+ to it? ABSOLUTELY. Would that make me buy it for my boys? Nope. For me? Yes.

I actually have been keeping track of our visits to see if I should upgrade my Believe upon renewal and so far I am at 22 visits since late September, my boys 6 each since January (we do 1:1 dates often) with most likely a minimum 6 more visits this fall. The free Parking for the Inspire would add up to $330 already, closing that gap. 6 more trips is another $90. We are not big Merch people, but we like our dining - the additional 5% dining discount would more than make up for the difference. For me the free parking actually would make me go more often. While I don’t mind “paying” to visit for a half day or less, paying for parking for a short day irks me. Go figure.

FWIW, the reservation system doesn’t bother me at all. Never not been able to get a reservation, and it actually helps me plan.

 

[Foxhound3857]

If they're not interested in increasing sales for the Inspire Key, I wonder if they are planning to take that one off the market too and make it Renewal only like the others, making it impossible to buy any key whatsoever until they decide to resell.

 

[nesboy43]

Now unavailable for purchase, same day as the lawsuit settlement.

 

[longtimedisneylurker]

Now unavailable for purchase, same day as the lawsuit settlement.

Here comes the latest price increase. It's been a bit over a year now.

 

[KimberMama]

We could have bought Inspire passes, but decided at that price we’ll just buy one day tickets most of the year, and the 3 day spring SoCal offer. I didn’t want to be stuck in the Magic Key bucket. Overall we now spend less because we go less often (4-6 times per year vs the 24+ days per year pre Covid). I have no intention of buying passes again unless the reservation requirement is dropped.

Our post Covid visits have been subpar. The food in particular hasn’t been good. Employees are stressed and it shows. Bathrooms aren’t as clean. Wait times are longer. The park and attractions don’t seem as well kept up. Those things make an Inspire pass overpriced for what we would get.

 

[Foxhound3857]

We could have bought Inspire passes, but decided at that price we’ll just buy one day tickets most of the year, and the 3 day spring SoCal offer. I didn’t want to be stuck in the Magic Key bucket. Overall we now spend less because we go less often (4-6 times per year vs the 24+ days per year pre Covid). I have no intention of buying passes again unless the reservation requirement is dropped.

Our post Covid visits have been subpar. The food in particular hasn’t been good. Employees are stressed and it shows. Bathrooms aren’t as clean. Wait times are longer. The park and attractions don’t seem as well kept up. Those things make an Inspire pass overpriced for what we would get.

Do they even have any plans to remove or phase out reservations for Disneyland anytime soon? I know WDW is working on "Good-to-go days" but what's the future plan for Disneyland?

 

[CaliforniaGirl09]

We would have bought an inspire if it wasn't completely blacked out during hte holidays. I'd pay more for a pass that didn't have any blockout dates. We had the signature plus AP before the pandemic, and I wish they'd bring that back

 

[DizMe]

We would have bought an inspire if it wasn't completely blacked out during hte holidays. I'd pay more for a pass that didn't have any blockout dates. We had the signature plus AP before the pandemic, and I wish they'd bring that back

I have the Inspire and feel that I'm right on the edge of it being worthwhile. Mine is up for renewal soon and I've decided it's too important a thing for me to have to give up on it now, but it's a steep increase from what I used to pay for my AP. It's not the monetary value, though--I just like having a pass. I've had one for many years and I don't like the thought of giving it up, so there's definitely a psychological component to buying the MK for me.

 

[CaliforniaGirl09]

I have the Inspire and feel that I'm right on the edge of it being worthwhile. Mine is up for renewal soon and I've decided it's too important a thing for me to have to give up on it now, but it's a steep increase from what I used to pay for my AP. It's not the monetary value, though--I just like having a pass. I've had one for many years and I don't like the thought of giving it up, so there's definitely a psychological component to buying the MK for me.

Totally get this. It was really hard for me to give up our Magic Key last year when we've been passholders for 20+ years. It was really the holiday blackouts that forced the issue as we go for Christmas every other year.

 

[SOCALMouseMommy]

Do they even have any plans to remove or phase out reservations for Disneyland anytime soon? I know WDW is working on "Good-to-go days" but what's the future plan for Disneyland?

I don’t think they’re getting rid of reservations at DL.

 

[dina444444]

I don’t think they’re getting rid of reservations at DL.

I agree and WDW has had bonus day reservations for APs since almost the beginning of the reservation system and now with the after 2pm no reservation needed expect for MK on Saturday/Sunday. I think if Disneyland was going to make changes they would have already.