Get Ready WDW CMs

[hobie16]

This isn't a SGT... yet. Come January 1 it probably will be.

Walt Disney World is cutting back on a popular perk for customers who shell out for the giant resort's most-expensive annual passes.

Beginning Jan. 1, Disney will cut in half the size of the shopping discount it offers to visitors who purchase premium annual passes, which can cost more than $700 apiece. The 20 percent discount will drop to 10 percent for all merchandise purchased in the resort's souvenir shops.

A Disney spokesman declined to say why the resort is reducing the discount, a move that has antagonized some of the company's most passionate fans. "We regularly evaluate our discounts and offers for annual pass holders and make adjustments," spokesman Bryan Malenius said.

Disney has been steadily chiseling away at discounts since 2010, after having used extensive promotions to sustain attendance levels during the 2007-09 recession and global economic downturn. full article

[drcorey]

let the whining and bitching begin.

[delsdad]

This explains why the deep discount DVC PAP was made available this fall. The change in discount might have caused some to buy cheaper magic your wa7y tickets for the length of stay, rather than lay out 400 each for the PAP.

[Shorty82]

This is insane! It wasn't all that long ago really that Disney finally started offering AP merchandise discounts (after years and years of guests asking for them and the other Central Florida theme parks offering them) and now they want to reduce them? One of the perks of the Premium pass is the 20% discount. I've talked to quite a few guests who loved the 20% discount and bought more because of it. There is going to be a lot of pissed off guests yelling at CMs who have nothing to do with this change in the near future, especially on the first. I can hear them now: "but I got 20% off yesterday!!" I think I'm glad I won't have to deal with this.

[drcorey]

and ap sales will prolly go down too.
the discounts was a reason to layout big bucks.

[Goofyernmost]

and ap sales will prolly go down too.
the discounts was a reason to layout big bucks.

Time to realize that Disney doesn't what AP's. It has turned out to be a body count only situation. They have a person going through the turnstiles for the purpose of counting but they are not making money off them, especially in Disneyland. Most live close by so no hotels. It's been reported that they pack a lunch and spread out waiting for specific events, so no food service profit plus create park over crowding discouraging full price day visitors from attending. Demand constantly that they get extra things because they are AP's when they already get amazingly low per visit admission rates, etc.

I'm not saying this is true, I don't know I don't go to Disneyland and I don't visit WDW enough to get a grasp on what is going on there but it makes sense that at one time issuing an AP was for the purpose of building up the people spending money in the parks and becoming repeat customers (guests). My guess is that they don't need that anymore and if someone is going to be there that often requiring services, they want enough money to cover expenses. JMHO!

[WEDFan]

As an alternative perspective, I don't care that much. We buy the APs for the reduced admission to the parks. It's actually been quite a while since we spent a lot on Disney merchandise. Used to be every trip we'd come home with at least one moderate sized souvenier each. Now we get some small items here and there, but usually not too much else.

It's not even that we've gotten what we wanted over the years. We just can't find much that interests us. As an example, I used to get a polo shirt every time I went. I'm not a huge fan of the Fab 5, but I grabbed up shirts with the Disney Institute logo, Adventurer's Club, Animal Kingdom, etc. I knew I was getting taken on the price, but, heh, it wasn't very often and they would last for years (I still wear the Disney Institute one.) Now a rarely find anything I would wear.

Same is true across the boards. There's just not that much we're interested in, so I won't be whining about a reduced discount. I've got too many other things to whine about. :D:

[Goofyernmost]

As an alternative perspective, I don't care that much. We buy the APs for the reduced admission to the parks. It's actually been quite a while since we spent a lot on Disney merchandise. Used to be every trip we'd come home with at least one moderate sized souvenier each. Now we get some small items here and there, but usually not too much else.

It's not even that we've gotten what we wanted over the years. We just can't find much that interests us. As an example, I used to get a polo shirt every time I went. I'm not a huge fan of the Fab 5, but I grabbed up shirts with the Disney Institute logo, Adventurer's Club, Animal Kingdom, etc. I knew I was getting taken on the price, but, heh, it wasn't very often and they would last for years (I still wear the Disney Institute one.) Now a rarely find anything I would wear.

Same is true across the boards. There's just not that much we're interested in, so I won't be whining about a reduced discount. I've got too many other things to whine about. :D:

Ladies and Gentlemen of the Jury....I rest my case! If you're looking for me I'll be in Jamaica spending the retainer! :D:

[WEDFan]

Ladies and Gentlemen of the Jury....I rest my case! If you're looking for me I'll be in Jamaica spending the retainer! :D:

Wellll....

I'm not sure your whole case was proven. We stay in Disney resorts and do not bring our own food. We also have never demanded anything extra. In fact, we go on their tours, attend hard-ticketed events, and have even engaged Disney catering.

We just don't buy much merchandise anymore.

[bookbabe]

We just don't buy much merchandise anymore.

But personally, I think that's likely due to the quality and selection of the merchandise, not necessarily the price or how often you visit. I know it is for me. I'd happily buy more t-shirts, for example, if they still had cool and unique ones like the ones you describe. Once you have one crappy generic character shirt, do you really need another? I wish they had more hotel- and ride-specific stuff again, and more country-specific stuff in WS. I understand why they've gone with a "same stuff in every store" approach, but it really sucks the will to shop out of frequent visitors...