The Psychology of the DLR Annual Pass Holder

[callmeblissful]

teatime - Most local Annual Passholders with kids (and living in San Diego, I know quite a few) also have to plan around school vacations and off-days. Which are, in general: summer breaks, winter breaks, and three or four-day weekends. Plus, many have blockout days to contend with (weekends are often blocked out, especially for SoCal passes.) So, why block them all out from the entirety of these times? It's not like locals are on completely different schedules than tourists. That would end up hurting business for Disney.

 

[teatime]

Weren't you the one just saying that you wouldn't pay $3 to get a set of ears embroidered??? And complaining about the cost to get water delivered to your hotel by Vons? Which is it - do you spend money there or not?

you read my posts thanks and yes, if you go back and read ( which Im betting you did) you will see I spend a lot of money on our family vacations to the parks every year.

I'm a semi-local Deluxe AP holder, and I spend about $100 to $200 each day we come to DLR. I splurge on fun things for me and my son because we don't have to pay for admission. Just read the boards - there are plenty of "tourists" who are worried about refrigerators in the rooms on off-property hotels, etc, because they don't want to buy food in the park.

yep, and maybe like me they need them for special meds and special foods like my one son has to have?? I always have to have a fridge, but the benifits of cold pop are pretty good to :lol:

Can't help you on the rude guests...... I have encountered many there my self and not sure why there *****y and rude. I do know seeing a scooter can make them mad like we are not handicapped and using the system to get on the rides faster. or the fact some have to use special harnesses for there kids, man thats a hot topic to.
I do not begrudge Ap'rs realy I am not,
I like a lot of folks see that some of the specials are hitting the crowd levels hard. the payment plan is one of them, and so is the 99 dollars for 3 days.

 

[Krissy Marissy]

I haven't read your posts yet but I will. Although I did see that 3 dollars was a big deal and obviously you are ordering water for your trip. Which means you will not be buying many if any waters at dl. And it sounds like you're staying offsite, which is more money you haven't given disney. Are you flying? I realize that too costs a lot as I've flown from OR several times this year before we moved...and although you're spending money on this trip none of your airfare goes to disney. So my point is...so far you bought a park hopper...which is less per person than an AP. And spending even a 1000 dollars in the park doesn't even begin to come close to what many of us local AP holders have spent. I'm not saying this to rub it in anyones face but I'm trying (badly) to prove a point. This battle has been who has spent more money in the parks, ap or tourist and I have to believe that if you stay offsite and bring in your own water/snacks you are indeed spending less than us casual ap visitors who spend about 100 dollars or so a day each time we visit at least 30 times a year. Did that make any sense to anyone? so although you say you spend let's say 3500 dollars as a tourist going to dl aren't you truly only spending that 1500 dollars on food/tickets? Since that is all that will go to disney's bottom line?

 

[HydroGuy]

I wish I had the exact numbers. But it is my understanding that 90% of the DLR APs are of the cheaper SoCal variety. Not everyone in those zip codes is super close to DLR but many are. That would mean a large majority of AP holders fall into the "local SoCal AP holder" category.

 

[teatime]

I haven't read your posts yet but I will. Although I did see that 3 dollars was a big deal and obviously you are ordering water for your trip. Which means you will not be buying many if any waters at dl. And it sounds like you're staying offsite, which is more money you haven't given disney. Are you flying? I realize that too costs a lot as I've flown from OR several times this year before we moved...and although you're spending money on this trip none of your airfare goes to disney. So my point is...so far you bought a park hopper...which is less per person than an AP. And spending even a 1000 dollars in the park doesn't even begin to come close to what many of us local AP holders have spent. I'm not saying this to rub it in anyones face but I'm trying (badly) to prove a point. This battle has been who has spent more money in the parks, ap or tourist and I have to believe that if you stay offsite and bring in your own water/snacks you are indeed spending less than us casual ap visitors who spend about 100 dollars or so a day each time we visit at least 30 times a year. Did that make any sense to anyone? so although you say you spend let's say 3500 dollars as a tourist going to dl aren't you truly only spending that 1500 dollars on food/tickets? Since that is all that will go to disney's bottom line?

I have stayed on site many many times, yes I fly, and yes Im staying off site this trip. I know this is pissing you Ap'rs off but Im telling you how I feel. I always eat in the parks, I always buy my souvenirs there ( but not this trip no) and yes I buy my water out side the park, but do buy several pops there a day for us all. Im not saying every person with an Ap is cheap, Im not saying every traveler spends a fortune Im just saying to cut out some things that pare packing the summer months out, maybe making it a off time to. like the 99 dollar deal, and maybe the payment plan. But again who the hell am I to say anything at all. I mean I am going for the very last time, and I will never be going back. health problems of my parents and my self.
But just this year I spent thousands and thousands doing disneyland and WDW.
I do know its frustrating to go when the parks are so packed out, but again I have to go at that time now as I have grand kids in school that can no be taken out.

 

[Krissy Marissy]

I'm not pissed off. So please dont put words in my mouth. I am merely pointing out to you that even though you say you spend 3500 dollars to go to disneyland that disney isn't seeing most of that money. Therefore you are not spending more than I do. That's all.

 

[teatime]

I'm not pissed off. So please dont put words in my mouth. I am merely pointing out to you that even though you say you spend 3500 dollars to go to disneyland that disney isn't seeing most of that money. Therefore you are not spending more than I do. That's all.

I edited my post, Im not in this site to piss people off but to learn and to enjoy my self. If I have offened any of you Im sorry, its never my intention. but I do have views that differ from others and some times they seem to be different from others. I am not going to come back here and get "nit picked or not pick, its not my intention to do so. I will stay clear of this thread now as Sherry says, everyone has an opinion, lets just not fight about it.

 

[Sherry E]

Okay, I am going to step in yet again, because my previous attempts at diffusing the tension in this thread were for naught. Many people may say things that we don't like or particularly agree with in their threads/posts on this forum....this doesn't mean that we have to reply to every single one of them, especially not repeatedly. What ends up happening is that one curt or sharp remark then spawns another, and then that one triggers another one and we ALL get sucked into a vortex, whether we like it or not. Let's keep it light and fun, everyone. Let's try to be respectful and non-adversarial in our expressions of opinions. The written (or typed) word can easily be misconstrued or taken more seriously than it was intended. I think everyone has gone round and round and round in their debates and exchanges with each other, so if someone you have already had exchanges with says something else that you don't like or agree with, just try to let it go or deal with it off of the open forum. Unfortunately, online debates can too easily slip into the vortex of negativity and I am trying to keep us out of there and let this thread stay afloat.

Instead of just belaboring the same disagreements, let's see if we can get back on track and offer up some new input or a fresh take on the topic of the Psychology of the DLR AP Holder .

Remember, everyone, let's keep it LIGHT!

 

[HydroGuy]

Instead of just belaboring the same disagreements, let's see if we can get back on track and offer up some new input or a fresh take on the topic of the Psychology of the DLR AP Holder .

Remember, everyone, let's keep it LIGHT!

In the spirit of keeping it light, I think the psychology of most of us here tends toward being crazy about Disney. The local SoCal AP holders get to indulge their insanity more frequently.

 

[Sherry E]

In the spirit of keeping it light, I think the psychology of most of us here tends toward being crazy about Disney. The local SoCal AP holders get to indulge their insanity more frequently.

 

[GRUMPY PIRATE]

All the psycho-babble and such aside.

I got an AP because if you go more that three days or so in any year, its cheaper. DUhhhh!!!

and since I live about an hour or so drive, guess what, we go! sometimes just for a day trip, sometimes we stay overnight for a second day.

nothing simpler!

we often stop by for a day to and from other destinations.

and yes, we simply avoid the summer months because of the crowds, and the fact that its easier taking time off from work after all the co-workers with kids vie for the summer vacation days off!

besides, we reap the benifits of being a southern California residents!

neener neener neener!

RUM?

 

[Disney Dreams]

In the spirit of keeping it light, I think the psychology of most of us here tends toward being crazy about Disney. The local SoCal AP holders get to indulge their insanity more frequently.

Hey, now! I resemble that remark! I mean, err, wait, I... Fantasmic anyone?

 

[teatime]

All the psycho-babble and such aside.

I got an AP because if you go more that three days or so in any year, its cheaper. DUhhhh!!!

and since I live about an hour or so drive, guess what, we go! sometimes just for a day trip, sometimes we stay overnight for a second day.

nothing simpler!

we often stop by for a day to and from other destinations.

and yes, we simply avoid the summer months because of the crowds, and the fact that its easier taking time off from work after all the co-workers with kids vie for the summer vacation days off!

besides, we reap the benifits of being a southern California residents!

neener neener neener!

RUM?

good one

 

[LavenderPeach]

I look at it this way. Getting to go to DLR so often is our reward for putting up with the traffic, smog, housing prices and all the other craziness that comes with living down here.

 

[Sherry E]

I look at it this way. Getting to go to DLR so often is our reward for putting up with the traffic, smog, housing prices and all the other craziness that comes with living down here.

Heck yeah! Having DLR here (along with Catalina) is something that keeps me living in Los Angeles and is one of the things that I would have trouble leaving behind since it has been such a part of my life for decades. Even though I don't get to go to DLR as often as I personally would prefer with my AP and I am not sure if I will be able to renew the AP this year or not, I feel very fortunate to have been able to go when I have because I know some folks will never get to go to DLR in a lifetime, let alone the dozens or hundreds of times I and many folks on this board have gone. I am very lucky if I can go on two extended weekend trips for Halloweentime and Christmastime in a year. But I DO know that if I lived where my friend lives (who is usually with me on DLR trips) in Anaheim, just up the street from DLR, I would not only make sure to have an AP, but I would be at DLR at least every other weekend, probably for several hours at a time, trolling the shops to see knick knacks what I could buy, eating breakfast at Pacific Wharf, then snacking on pineapple spears and cinnamon rolls, drinking coffee, then having lunch at either Bengal BBQ, Taste Pilots Grill or maybe White Water Snacks.

About geographical location contributing to Disney visits and Disney spirit: One of my other friends used to be an avid Disney buff like I am. She was right on par with me in getting merchandise (we would report back to each other when cool stuff was released and we would buy exclusive things from Cast Members and share info), she loved hamming it up in pictures with characters, she loved Goofy's Kitchen and Carnation Cafe, we would ride POTC several times in a row, she loved the Disneyland Hotel - she just LOVED being in Disneyland in general. We even talked about both getting Annual Passes at one point.

That all changed when my friend got married and moved away to Idaho (she tried to get her husband on the Disney bandwagon and it worked to an extent, but then he began to kind of tease her about being such a fanatic). The mentality changed and she lost the Disney magic somewhere. It is easier to stay IN the magic if you live relatively close to DLR and can at least get there once a year. But when you move away and it becomes too much of an effort to travel (and you marry someone who can not get 100% on board with the DLR spirit), then it eventually fades away. The last time my Idaho friends were down here in SoCal, they were only interested in going to Downtown Disney, and not into the parks!!! The time before that, I think they went to Goofy's Kitchen to eat but not into the parks! In 2001, we went on one or two rides in DL and then they wanted to go back to the hotel and ESPN Zone and hang out and that was it!! Now that they have a young son, there was talk of bringing him out to California this Fall to see DLR at Halloweentime, and I was looking forward to re-introducing my old Disney partner in crime to the place she used to love and show her all the stuff that has changed in the time she has been away. Well, she looked at some online info and made some comments on the expensive prices of the Celebration BBQ and Goofy's Kitchen and how Disney was being "greedy," and now they don't seem to be planning to come out here after all. I think that once she lost the Disney magic and got away from it in every sense of the word, it was easy to forget how much joy and happiness DLR once brought her, to where she now just looks at it as being a (very high) price tag and Disney in general as being a greedy corporation.

To that end, I really think the out of town AP holders show a tremendous dedication to the place they love by continuing to make trips to DLR. It would be very easy to fall out of love with DLR like my Idaho friend did, being far away.

 

[Kayla's Mom]

To that end, I really think the out of town AP holders show a tremendous dedication to the place they love by continuing to make trips to DLR. It would be very easy to fall out of love with DLR like my Idaho friend did, being far away.

Sherry, for me, I grew up in Southern California and lived there until I was 16. We took trips to Disneyland every now and then, but then moved to Phoenix. After I got married, DH and I would go to DLR every so often, mostly for the holiday season, but it wasn't until we started taking my oldest DD when she was little, that I started becoming the huge Disney fan that I am now. So I guess it took moving away for me!

We are so lucky to only be a 6 hour drive away and to be able to go several times a year (and I am also lucky because DH likes DLR too!) But even if we moved farther away, I can't imagine "falling out of love with DLR"!

This was our first year having APs and we fully intend on renewing, unfortunately our youngest will now need one, as well, once we renew!

 

[HydroGuy]

To that end, I really think the out of town AP holders show a tremendous dedication to the place they love by continuing to make trips to DLR. It would be very easy to fall out of love with DLR like my Idaho friend did, being far away.

I have a different perspective on this.

I lived in SoCal until I was 28 and visited DL every year or so throughout. With family still near DLR and four kids we are in SoCal 1-3 times per year and get in DLR visits every year or so still.

For me I would not want to visit much more often. I suppose I could make two trips per year. But for our family DLR has always felt like a special place you go on occasion. My analogy has always been Christmas. It is a great time for family, food, fun, music and imagination. But if Christmas happened once a month it would lose most of its magic. The one year intervals are just about right.

DLR is similar in that way for me. When we go on a long trip to DLR or WDW I lose a strong interest in visiting again for at least six months. Then I start to feel it building again. Right now I am itching for another week at WDW but the economy and buying a new house this summer has kept me from booking another trip there.

With all the changes at DCA I am kind of holding off on any long trips to DLR. Maybe 2011. For sure in 2012!

 

[liesel]

I went to WDW last September and became an AP holder for the first time in June. I was local-5 miles away for 9 years and never had an AP, now I live in Colorado and have one. We had planned two trips to Ca in a year to see family and it made financial sense. Although there is a huge variety of AP holders in both parks, I did notice the trend mentioned in Hydroguy's OP that there are more AP holders who come into the parks for a couple of hours after work and just ride a couple of rides or see a parade or show than WDW, which would empty out more after 5PM. I do agree that this info is very useful for someone to know when making a touring plan and comparing the two resorts. To decrease wait time, someone who is spending the whole day at DLR could collect fastpasses for rides in the evening when the locals arrive. To all you locals out there who like to drop in for a few hours, it would be interesting to see where you like to go (for instance, I noticed quite a few local evening visitors at Space and Buzz). I'd be interested to see if there are any trends. This could help the out of towners who have a more limited schedule maximize their time.

 

[50sjayne]

Just my 2 cents--drop in a huge bucket. I live in Oregon, a 16 hour drive. We're big fans of Disney but not over the top. I am a very frugal person and am one of those who pinched every penny this last trip including staying at HOJO with it's et rate, bringing our ouwn water and food and buying souvies at the outlet with the exception of a few very coveted items. We did eat here and there at the park but were in the know about where the best places were and getting your moneys worth. Honestly I don't feel that makes me a Disney criminal. We did the 5 days for 3 thing also. I felt a lot of pressure on these boards to do the annual pass thing but resisted. I work at a job where I can 'shoot the breeze' with a lot of people and do know of a lot of Oregonians who are completely blank about planning for a Disney trip, no interest in visiting a message board or reading any travel books. These people probably do end up spending a lot of money there. Personally I think this new increase is about crowd control rather than who spends the most money. I think Southern Californians are what makes the Disneyland Resort so wonderful really. I just love the so cal mentality. I also think that even with my own personal lack of spending, I have influenced many people to go to Disneyland who probably will spend $'s simply because they are the kind of people who can(or don't make frugality their hobby). So it's a circle. Also anyone with any brains would factor into their visit the ap blackout dates. If they want to be completely ignorant about the resort before they go then too bad for them....but of course Disney wants everyone to be happy and it seems to me they have done a very good job keeping up with the economy etc. I also think that when people go, completely uneducated about the experience, they will plan to go again and be more informed the next time.

 

[ghoulish delight]

I look at it this way. Getting to go to DLR so often is our reward for putting up with the traffic, smog, housing prices and all the other craziness that comes with living down here.

Lol! Well said!

First, let me start off by saying I'm a Premium AP holder and I have been for 5 years. I've been an AP holder for eight years. I think the amount of AP holders the park has now is just insane. Now, feel free to disagree with me people, but I remember a time when there was an off season at DLR. I long for those days! It is true that many of us live locally enough that if we feel like going to check out the latest attraction, or a limited collectible is released, we can make a partial day trip. This rocks! I won't lie to any of you.

They've been increasing the price annually for several years now on the passes. I feel (especially) as a Premium pass holder, I'm sort of entitled to my short day trips for paying the hefty price. If I want to go simply so I can eat at Blue Bayou, look at pins then go home, I figure I pay quite a bit of money to be able to do that! I do feel bad however, when I read there are so many AP holders arriving with only 1 or 2 passengers per car that this creates parking problems for the out-of-towners.

I'm not the only person who's been raised Disney, and been visiting the park since I was but a few months old. I realize this. But for whatever reason, I feel like many (not all but many) lower end SoCal AP holders do it because it's "cheap" entertainment now. It's cheaper than taking a family trip elsewhere. They don't love it as wholeheartedly as some of the rest of us. The thought makes me extremely angry. I know it may be completely all in my head, but man! I've always been a Disney nerd and DL has been my sanctuary forever. People who live closer to the park than I do that think, "eh I guess we can go just to hang out" and don't love it wholeheartedly are the ones that bug me. Okay, I think I'm babbling now.

Point is: MOST of us who are AP holders love the parks, thankfully! It's a problem that Disney needs to sort out. They decided to start marketing it heavily in recent times, and they decided to introduce the payment plans. Now it's become problematic and they have to figure out how to resolve their mess.