Is anyone else a lil suspect of the newest AP email?

[Starcade]

Anyone else concerned the email that went out to pass holders is a “softner” for an upcoming change to all AP’s to Flex types?

Here is the email...

‘Dear Valued Annual Passholder,

You may have seen that theme park reopening guidelines were released by the State of California and that parks like Disneyland® Resort were placed in the most restrictive tier. Despite our proven ability to operate with responsible health and safety protocols in place for our Cast Members and Guests, this news from the governor’s office means that our theme parks will not be reopening as soon as we had hoped.

After an already incredibly difficult month for the Disneyland Resort, we are heartbroken and disappointed, and understand you may feel the same. We want to thank you immensely for your patience since our closure and let you know that we continue to think about you as our valued Annual Passholders.

While we work to understand the implications of this and determine what it means for our Annual Passport program, we know that you have many questions and given the latest guidance from the state, we will have more to share with you on the future of our AP Program soon. We also want you to know that the efforts to reopen Disneyland Resort will continue as we work to seek solutions to bring our Cast back to work, get our local economy moving and share the magic and joy of our theme parks once again.

We thank you for your patience with us during this incredibly challenging time and for being important members of our Disneyland Resort community. We will be in touch with you as soon as we can to share more details. If you have any questions, please contact Annual Passholder Member Services at (714) 781-PASS (7277).

Disneyland Resort Annual Passport Team’

[TacAlert]

Not at all. It is simply just an email saying we are sad we cannot open right now. What are we missing that you seem to think this is an attempt to change people's AP types?

[Captain Andy]

I received this email. I think Starcade is referring to this sentence: "While we work to understand the implications of this and determine what it means for our Annual Passport program..."

I can't predict what this is referring to specifically, but it's strangely worded, and definitely raises a tiny flag.

[jish5555]

I wouldn't worry so much, because right now, they're probably trying to figure out how to handle things while the parks are closed, and once they start to re-open, may cause a massive cluster f*ck with AP's due to how many people probably canceled their APs for the time being. Think about how insane it'd be for millions of people to swarm and try and regain their APs, and with some who may have a unique AP they may have been grandfathered into, may need to work around that if it's an old program some were allowed to keep. I wouldn't be concerned about Disney removing the AP, and if anything, they're probably examining what they can do to make the APs more profitable, ESPECIALLY with how APs make up the majority of daily attendance at the So Cal parks.

[Captain Andy]

Actually, interesting enough... Tokyo Disneyland is ending it's Annual Passholder Program (assuming until things return to normal):

Tokyo Disneyland Annual Pass Program Ending – Could it Happen at Disneyland?

https://www.micechat.com/273340-tokyo-disneyland-annual-pass-program-ending-could-it-happen-at-disneyland/

"Given the extremely limited capacity of the park and the large size of the passholder program, it’s easy to see why Tokyo Disneyland would want to suspend the program to focus on dated-ticket sales instead. It’s a much easier way to manage park access and allows the park to make a bit more money in these difficult times.

That has us wondering if something similar could happen at Disneyland or Walt Disney World. And while our sources say that they were unaware of the Tokyo park decision and that they have not heard of anything similar for Disneyland, we could absolutely imagine it happening here if the results for Tokyo are favorable."

[Mr Wiggins]

I received this email. I think Starcade is referring to this sentence: "While we work to understand the implications of this and determine what it means for our Annual Passport program..."

I can't predict what this is referring to specifically, but it's strangely worded, and definitely raises a tiny flag.

That's corporate-speak for "We haven't yet decided how we're going to minimize our losses from this now-profitless program."

We should remember that for years, Disney has seemed to behave as if Demand For DLR Is Eternal -- as if there were a Law of Nature that no matter how often a Disney customer quits in disgust with rising prices and ginormous crowds, he always comes back. And if he doesn't, there are always two waiting to take his place.

I wouldn't be surprised if Disney simply canceled all passes, closed the AP program, and offered APers little more than a vague promise of a future discount on purchasing a new AP when and if the program resumed.

Sure, there would be howls of protest. But as history has proved, the overwhelming majority of customers would come back, eager to pay whatever price Disney demanded.

[Sun Bonnet]

Hmm. I've thought for awhile they would go to all FLEX but suspending the program for now makes sense too.

[TacAlert]

That's corporate-speak for "We haven't yet decided how we're going to minimize our losses from this now-profitless program."

Ugh, it kills me, but I have to agree with you on this statement. Aaaahhhh, what is this world coming to that I can agree with you on something?

[Eagleman]

That's corporate-speak for "We haven't yet decided how we're going to minimize our losses from this now-profitless program."

We should remember that for years, Disney has seemed to behave as if Demand For DLR Is Eternal -- as if there were a Law of Nature that no matter how often a Disney customer quits in disgust with rising prices and ginormous crowds, he always comes back. And if he doesn't, there are always two waiting to take his place.

I wouldn't be surprised if Disney simply canceled all passes, closed the AP program, and offered APers little more than a vague promise of a future discount on purchasing a new AP when and if the program resumed.

Sure, there would be howls of protest. But as history has proved, the overwhelming majority of customers would come back, eager to pay whatever price Disney demanded.

YEP
That the way Disney works..........$$$$$
Disney customer quits in disgust with rising prices and ginormous crowds,
he always comes back. And if he doesn't, there are always two waiting to take his place.
But overwhelming majority of customers would come back, eager to pay whatever price Disney demanded.

[Starcade]

I think Starcade is referring to this sentence: "While we work to understand the implications of this and determine what it means for our Annual Passport program..."

Yes and this...”we will have more to share with you on the future of our AP Program soon.”

[JayRomy]

To me it seems almost like a warm up letter, albeit passive ATM, to a rallying cry for DLR fans (AP or non-AP) ...maybe I am reading too much into it, but kinda seems like they have got their hands up and saying "don't look at us, it's the state!"

[Jar.Jar.Abrams]

In related news...

Here’s how Disney lost Shonda Rhimes to Netflix over a Disneyland pass.

[Flarson]

I think they see that they cannot operate with this many APs and at a limited capacity. While they do not want to kill their golden goose that prints money, how do you get the hundreds of thousands of APs into the park at 25% capacity? At best maybe 25k in DL and 10k into DCA means you might get in once a month to keep it fair. Maybe that is what it might become?

[Starcade]

I am not worried about a temporary pause of current AP's or making them all Flex pass ( temporarily as long as they do not charge us for more then the Flex Pass price. ) My Concern is them either:

1. Making all AP's Flex pass but then try and charge everyone whatever they were previously contracted for.
or
2. Killing off the AP's entirely and then re-launching the program but at a much higher cost.

If they were concerned about the overrun of the AP's in the limited cap park I could see then simply pausing AP's during this transitional period, or giving each AP'er maybe one day a month they can visit but not charging them a monthly fee for this transitional period. ( though I am not holding my breath )

Does anyone remember the break down to the percentage of AP's in each tier?

[tarheelalum]

In related news...

Here’s how Disney lost Shonda Rhimes to Netflix over a Disneyland pass.

This story is a perfect example of Disneys cheapness. This lady was a golden goose making billions of dollars for the company but they beefed about giving her another 1000 dollar AP. Classic Disney.

[ANadventureTime]

the verbiage was sooooooo non-disney
I can see the AP program going away for a while...disney knows that the loyal fan willl still pay hundreds to go multple times a year

[Druggas]

May have to open the park and stay open 24 hours. Their slogan could be like Denny's, "We never close".

[Eagleman]

Actually, interesting enough... Tokyo Disneyland is ending it's Annual Passholder Program (assuming until things return to normal):

Tokyo Disneyland Annual Pass Program Ending – Could it Happen at Disneyland?

I would not be surprise
Just My Opinion.........less until things/resort return to normal operation ..........
which can be a very long time.......

[SillyMo]

I'm thinking they don't know what the restrictions will be for when they do open. For example, lets just say they can only have people from 120 miles away, that eliminates quite a few of their passholders, myself included. Do they extend my pass longer than they extend yours cuz you are within the 120 miles? There is a bunch of unknowns and that all that statement says to me... is everything is unknow.

[Steven Fonzi Brown]

I am not worried about a temporary pause of current AP's or making them all Flex pass ( temporarily as long as they do not charge us for more then the Flex Pass price. ) My Concern is them either:

1. Making all AP's Flex pass but then try and charge everyone whatever they were previously contracted for.
or
2. Killing off the AP's entirely and then re-launching the program but at a much higher cost.

If they were concerned about the overrun of the AP's in the limited cap park I could see then simply pausing AP's during this transitional period, or giving each AP'er maybe one day a month they can visit but not charging them a monthly fee for this transitional period. ( though I am not holding my breath )

Does anyone remember the break down to the percentage of AP's in each tier?

I think the bigger issue here is not so much how to get APs into the park with the limited capacity, but more the issue that the annual pass-holder doesn't pay nearly as much for each Disneyland visit as the full-price customers do. For the APs who go many times a year, they end up paying a fraction of the price everyone else has to pay to get into the park. Disney is probably fine with that under normal circumstances, but with the reduced attendance, they probably can't afford to let people in unless they're paying the full price for their day in the park.