Disney should extend all annual passes to Dec 31 2020

[iAMiRONMAN]

Disney should extend all annual passes to Dec 31 2020 at a minimum. Any other lost months should be added on for 2021.This is assuming that US parks will open in some limited capacity by July 1st. Any Annual Pass that was set to expire any time after the Parks Shutdown should be just extended until at least Dec 31 2020. Whatever black out dates for that pass will remain the same. This is just the easiest thing to do. Gives people time to adjust since Disney might have to limit park capacity per day and also limit particular rides capacity to allow for ride-cars to be cleaned between guests. It’s going to be at least 12 months or more before the parks return to normal operations with all the parades and special live experiences in which the annual passes paid for in advance.

[hbdad]

Disney should extend all annual passes to Dec 31 2020 at a minimum. Any other lost months should be added on for 2021.This is assuming that US parks will open in some limited capacity by July 1st. Any Annual Pass that was set to expire any time after the Parks Shutdown should be just extended until at least Dec 31 2020. Whatever black out dates for that pass will remain the same. This is just the easiest thing to do. Gives people time to adjust since Disney might have to limit park capacity per day and also limit particular rides capacity to allow for ride-cars to be cleaned between guests. It’s going to be at least 12 months or more before the parks return to normal operations with all the parades and special live experiences in which the annual passes paid for in advance.

I disagree. My pass is set to expire in January 2021. Under your plan, the only extension I would get is for the time the park was closed, which might only be 2 1/2 months. But under your plan, if someone's pass was set to expire 4/1/20 and the park reopens 6/1, that person would get an extra 7 months for free! My pass gets extended but I pay for that extension since my payments have been paused. I wouldn't get 7 months for free, which depending on your pass could be a value of over $600! That's not fair and equitable to all passholders.

[iAMiRONMAN]

You would get the rest of 2020 for free and the remaining 10 months would be added on for 2021. So your current pass would be good to Oct 2021 or so. My idea is actually really good for everyone even though some might be better off than others.

[hbdad]

You would get the rest of 2020 for free and the remaining 10 months would be added on for 2021. So your current pass would be good to Oct 2021 or so. My idea is actually really good for everyone even though some might be better off than others.

I see what you’re saying. That is a good idea. I believe I read that Knotts is extending their passholders for free to end of 2021?

[Golden Zephyr]

Disney should extend all annual passes to Dec 31 2020 at a minimum. Any other lost months should be added on for 2021.This is assuming that US parks will open in some limited capacity by July 1st. Any Annual Pass that was set to expire any time after the Parks Shutdown should be just extended until at least Dec 31 2020. Whatever black out dates for that pass will remain the same. This is just the easiest thing to do. Gives people time to adjust since Disney might have to limit park capacity per day and also limit particular rides capacity to allow for ride-cars to be cleaned between guests. It’s going to be at least 12 months or more before the parks return to normal operations with all the parades and special live experiences in which the annual passes paid for in advance.

I like this idea. There has been such a radical shift in the Disney value proposition that was beyond anyones control and this would certainly be an equitable adjustment.

As hbdad pointed out, Knotts is giving an extension to the end of 2021 for their passholders.

I am wondering with the big shift away from entertainment and possibly fear of further spread, and economic hardship how much of the public will believe Disney parks are worth todays prices.

[iAMiRONMAN]

I think Disney themeparks will have to offer a guided approach via an app. You select the rides you want and the app will select the ride times and guide you through the park. Except walkways around the park to become ‘one way traffic only’ and enclosed buildings and stores to have limits on how many can go inside and reductions in merchandises to limit people touching stuff.

[whiteness]

I see what you’re saying. That is a good idea. I believe I read that Knotts is extending their passholders for free to end of 2021?

Yes, they did. And well they should, as a lot of what Knott's offers to guests, such as the live shows, are inherently crowded (Eg. Concerts) or involve interaction (Ghost town Summer) and I cannot see how they will be able to provide the same expected value and experience to passholders this year. Knott's must have realized this, and they did the right thing by their loyal passholders by extending their passes an additional year.

I wonder what Knott's will do for people, like us, who pre-paid for Scary Farm this year? Anyone who has ever attended Scary Farm knows how insanely crowded it is, especially towards the end of October.

[bigcatrik]

If I had an AP I wouldn't expect more than an extension of the months that were closed, but from a "getting bodies into the parks" perspective it might be smart, and their passes are way above the industry standard price so it's not like it's as great a deal as Knott's. I'm almost sorry I delayed my decision to get a Knott's pass this year (waiting to see their Summer plans) but, who knows, I may end up with a Disneyland pass if HMH is canceled as part of the rumored cutbacks.

[iAMiRONMAN]

I expect that all guests will have to make a reservation using the app before entering the park. The App guided one-way tour through the park might be the only way to get it to reopen before July 1st.

[whiteness]

I expect that all guests will have to make a reservation using the app before entering the park. The App guided one-way tour through the park might be the only way to get it to reopen before July 1st.

Which would be fine by me if applied to everyone equally. Everyone effectively has a FlexPass.

If Disney does need to ration access (which is understandable and fair under the circumstances) I hope Disney extends unrestricted passes a bit more than a FlexPass would be extended to compensate.

True, Disney doesn't have to do anything for ticket and passholders under the terms of their agreement. But I think they are concerned with their survival as an organization. Providing as little value as possible to people who have prepaid for their services just doesn't seem like a good long term survival strategy for Disney. I'm sure they will find a way to reopen in stages while still making sure most people feel they got what they paid for under the circumstance.

[hbdad]

I think a casualty of all this may be the Sig and Sig+ passes. Gone may be the days of unlimited, non-reserved access.

[PhotoMatt]

I think a casualty of all this may be the Sig and Sig+ passes. Gone may be the days of unlimited, non-reserved access.

I think you're right, and they will move to a model similar to a sporting event or airline flight, as crazy as it sounds. For example, reservations will be required for all guests with the exception of those that have Premier passes.

Here is a Blue Sky example (numbers are just a guess):

10,000 one park only tickets for each park at prices close to what they are now.
7500 park hopper tickets for a 25 percent premium over existing one day park hopper ticket prices.
5000 park hopper tickets for a 50 percent premium over existing one day park hopper ticket prices.
2500 tickets at a 100 percent premium over existing one day park hopper prices.
Unlimited tickets at a 200 percent premium over one day park hopper prices.

Let's say you want to go to Disneyland on January 10th, 2021, as an example. Tickets would be available 90 days in advance, and the cheapest tickets would sell out first. If the cheap tickets sold out you could still go on that date if you paid the premium. If it was January 9th, 2021, and you decided you wanted to go the next day you could pay the 200 percent premium to get into the park if none of the cheaper tickets were available.

This might actually work because it allows to people to go to the parks at the same price as before, if they plan. It allows Disney to reduce attendance numbers and still make some money because there are a lot of people who have the means to pay more. So, the people who buy tickets at the last minute help subsidize the reduced park attendance.

Of course, the attendance numbers and prices are pure speculation, but the business model would work.

ETA: If you bought a ticket for a certain date, and you had to cancel with 24 hours' notice, you could reschedule to another date that had availability for your type of ticket.

Hotel guests would be guaranteed access to the parks on the days of their reservations, so they would already be included in the numbers.

ETA2: A reservation-only system would not work, because we know Disney is going to have to drastically reduce attendance. They are going to have to come up with a way to have some of the guests subsidize the guests who are not allowed to be in the park. My idea is also fair because it does not price anyone out, other than eliminating the monthly passes. Yea, it sucks, but I think this would work for a year or two until things got back to normal.

[TacAlert]

If I had an AP I wouldn't expect more than an extension of the months that were closed, but from a "getting bodies into the parks" perspective it might be smart, and their passes are way above the industry standard price so it's not like it's as great a deal as Knott's. I'm almost sorry I delayed my decision to get a Knott's pass this year (waiting to see their Summer plans) but, who knows, I may end up with a Disneyland pass if HMH is canceled as part of the rumored cutbacks.

Buy it. YOu get all of 2021 for free.

[JerrodDRagon]

Disney wont...but hoping Six Flags and Universal follow in Knotts foot steps and not only extend it the months they were closed but give you extra time

Sex Flags at the least I know is also having an AP party when this is all over and a ticket to be used for a friend anytime

[MychaelP]

Withe the Pandemic Emergency, Disney should cancel all Annual Passes. Refund them. Yes this won't be a popular opinion here, but how will Disneyland look over the next year or more? Face Masks, Six Feet Apart, No gatherings of large numbers. They will need to manage the crowds more than ever thought of at the park before. They can do single day tickets with a lottery system similar to what they did with ROTR opening, but for the entire park. Then they can manage the cars coming in, how many people are waiting in line for a tram, entering the park, etc. The Virus will spread there no matter what they do, but to minimize it they need extreme measures, or there will be another shut down.
How fun will it be wearing a face mask in August there? Posing for photos? Eating? How is eating done without touching a face mask? Drinking... ugh... it seems impossible to do this without allowing a million passholders in. On various facebook groups people are already grouping together and getting tents ready to camp out for the reopening day. they all seem to want to be there on that same day. All of them. Just takes one person to spread the virus to someone who may have hypertension but doesn't even know it, or to some kid that goes and kisses grandma the next day.