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Sorry this is a vent from Oct but I added an apology for my crabby mood LOL and my two cents too
Anyone else think that this new Gold pass is not all that great a thing? We have been traveling to WDW during Easter break since 2007 and I currently have a trip booked (rooms, airfare, dining, a tour and a fireworks cruise) for next Easter break (3/23 - 4/1/16). I renewed my DVC APs in May 2015 and they expire 4/16/16. After the new tiers were announced today, I have no idea what kind of pass we have: Gold (in which my entire trip is part of the blackout dates!) or Platinum (which would be extremely good news). If I end up having to upgrade each of our tickets (4) to the Platinum so that we can actually the parks for next year's trip it will cost us an additional $400+ . I am so upset with Disney right now
We also purchase TIW and that price has increased too. However, I'm lucky in that we bought it last year and it expires after our 2016 trip so at least I'm on the winning side of that one.
Why do I feel like DVC members are always on the losing end? Do other DVC'ers not travel during busy times?
Thanks for letting me vent
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Last edited by Goofy'sGal; 01-20-2016 at 11:58 PM..
Reason: Changing the tone of my post :)
I think it's awful As far as going busy times- We are DVC-- we go in the summer, so that's a busy time, but not over Easter or Christmas --- I'm a nurse and can't get off during Christmas week, and we are with family at EAster.
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Your pass is the same as it's always been. It will only change to the new structure when you renew. No worries for this trip. You'll have to decide whether renewing is a good move for you or not when that time comes.
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In the email I got it assured us the passes we have will remain the same. I am going to miss the discounted Platinum Passes. We were really lucky for a while there. Now we are getting the same benefit the locals get. I guess it is fair since they owe us no discount at all but I do wish they would extend the monthly payment option to us then. Hopefully that is the next step.
Why do I feel like DVC members are always on the losing end? Do other DVC'ers not travel during busy times?
Huh? I don't follow the logic here. The Annual Pass changes apply to ALL DISNEY GUESTS. In fact, DVC members are one of only two groups (along with FL residents) who are even eligible for the Gold pass.
Sorry but I'd say DVC members made out better than the general public. Price increases are never fun but they're as inevitable as death and taxes.
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I think having the option of the Gold is a great thing for anyone not travelling at Easter or Christmas
Anyone who is travelling Easter or Christmas can buy the Platinum or platinum plus and have the same benefits as before. Prices have gone up but we all knew that was coming and now no need to buy memory maker.
I think having the option of the Gold is a great thing for anyone not travelling at Easter or Christmas
Anyone who is travelling Easter or Christmas can buy the Platinum or platinum plus and have the same benefits as before. Prices have gone up but we all knew that was coming and now no need to buy memory maker.
I think DVC have come out ahead here.
I'm glad you've said that Hazel, as I only had a chance to read all the details yesterday and that was my reaction too.
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I'm glad you've said that Hazel, as I only had a chance to read all the details yesterday and that was my reaction too.
I'm just struggling to understand why people are upset about being offered the option to buy the Gold Pass.
Now the price hike in the Platinum and platinum plus I would understand upset about that. But not about being offered the option to buy a lower price pass with black out dates.
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Last edited by Thomhazel; 10-08-2015 at 03:57 AM..
I think having the option of the Gold is a great thing for anyone not travelling at Easter or Christmas
Anyone who is travelling Easter or Christmas can buy the Platinum or platinum plus and have the same benefits as before. Prices have gone up but we all knew that was coming and now no need to buy memory maker.
I think DVC have come out ahead here.
I completely agree with you Hazel. At first I was confused and annoyed, but then when DH and I really looked into it, we found that the Gold is a great option for us as DVC members.
I was talking with a friend of mine, who is a local, yesterday and she said the monthly payment option has been extended across the board to everyone.
I haven't been able to find that option for anyone but residents online but I'll keep looking. It really would take the sting out of buying four passes at once!
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Sorry for being crabby in my initial post (and for not checking back much earlier to read the replies! LOL). I was not upset with being offered an option to buy the DVC Gold AP - it's great that they've offered an option at all AND that Disney is still offering discounts to DVC members - you are all correct; DVC members fared much better than the general public with this new AP price increase. I don't know if we would ever consider paying the regular AP price if we weren't DVC; but then again, we probably wouldn't travel to WDW every year if we weren't DVC
But since we always travel during Easter week and that is now a blackout period, it directly affected us and I wasn't sure if it was affecting this year's trip as well (fortunately, it is not as we renewed well before the increase). We'll have to re-think our usual travel plans for the future - go Easter week and pay for the Plat pass which increased more than $200 for each of us or buy park hoppers and forego any AP benefits (which is a definite possibility) or find a new time of year to travel and buy the DVC Gold pass. And while I like that I don't have to purchase Memory Maker separately with the new APs, I still think that's Disney's way of justifying the AP price increase. In the past, only one person in the party had to buy MM; now each ticket is "paying" for MM benefits, you know what I mean?
*sigh* I know. The increases were inevitable - Disney has to pay for Star Wars land somehow LOL
Huh? I don't follow the logic here. The Annual Pass changes apply to ALL DISNEY GUESTS. In fact, DVC members are one of only two groups (along with FL residents) who are even eligible for the Gold pass.
Sorry but I'd say DVC members made out better than the general public. Price increases are never fun but they're as inevitable as death and taxes.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Thomhazel
I think having the option of the Gold is a great thing for anyone not travelling at Easter or Christmas
Anyone who is travelling Easter or Christmas can buy the Platinum or platinum plus and have the same benefits as before. Prices have gone up but we all knew that was coming and now no need to buy memory maker.
I think DVC have come out ahead here.
I agree! I think having the option of the gold pass is great and one of the better perks for DVC members. By purchasing one of these passes, I've saved myself the extra $176.00 that I would've had to spend on hopper passes for 2 upcoming trips. Plus we get the photopass downloads on top of all that. Great perk if you ask me.
Sorry for being crabby in my initial post (and for not checking back much earlier to read the replies! LOL). I was not upset with being offered an option to buy the DVC Gold AP - it's great that they've offered an option at all AND that Disney is still offering discounts to DVC members - you are all correct; DVC members fared much better than the general public with this new AP price increase. I don't know if we would ever consider paying the regular AP price if we weren't DVC; but then again, we probably wouldn't travel to WDW every year if we weren't DVC
But since we always travel during Easter week and that is now a blackout period, it directly affected us and I wasn't sure if it was affecting this year's trip as well (fortunately, it is not as we renewed well before the increase). We'll have to re-think our usual travel plans for the future - go Easter week and pay for the Plat pass which increased more than $200 for each of us or buy park hoppers and forego any AP benefits (which is a definite possibility) or find a new time of year to travel and buy the DVC Gold pass. And while I like that I don't have to purchase Memory Maker separately with the new APs, I still think that's Disney's way of justifying the AP price increase. In the past, only one person in the party had to buy MM; now each ticket is "paying" for MM benefits, you know what I mean?
*sigh* I know. The increases were inevitable - Disney has to pay for Star Wars land somehow LOL
Keep in mind that you could always buy an AP (Platinum or Gold) for just one member of your family to take advantage of the benefits. My son goes to school in Florida, so I bought him a Gold Pass and park hoppers for the rest of us (for our summer trip). It was actually a cost savings when I considered the Memory Maker. Glad you didn't have to worry about it this year!
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