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View Full Version : Disneyland "Shopping pass" exception



jiminycesq
10-21-2003, 11:21 AM
I decided to try the "shopping pass" this past Saturday morning as a passholder friend wanted to stop at the park. I had understood you "pay" at the Guest relations window, enter the park, and if you are back by one hour they do not charge you for the ticket. I didnt get as far as I thought I would.

Turns out, because they were giving out wristbands for some Nightmare Pin promotion, that on what they call "Pin Days" (of which this was apparently one) you cannot use a shopping pass until later in the day. They said I couldnt get in until 1 pm. This was 830 in the morning. Of course, good CM's know that you dont violate rules, so into the Park I did NOT go.

My friend did, briefly. She even went by the "special pin release area" and said there was NO ONE in line. The wristband CM had very few takers out front while I waited, and had quite a bit of a stack still on hand a half hour later when my friend exited the Park.

So, Disneyland didnt get my money that day. At least, not at the Park - and since World of Disney doesnt open now until 930 am, the only place I spent anything was $30 at Company D. I had over $100 saved up to spend at the Park which stayed in my pocket.

I find this ridiculous - how many people does Disney think are going to buy a park ticket to go in a buy pins? And I wasnt there for pins, but for the new CD's, and Disneyana (always something there to buy). Especially when they come out for several weeks in a row for a "series" such as this. The only buyers for a series are passholders! Sure, some non passholders might buy them a few at a time, but they arent going to buy a ticket every week.

I think the shopping pass is a great convenience and a smart way for the Park to make money and not alienate guests - obviously they dont have to offer it at all. But excluding it on whatever they designate a "pin day" just lost them my money.

Martha B, do something! I cant be the only one!

LegolandMC
10-21-2003, 02:13 PM
You have to look at it from another point of view.

There are a lot of people out there who make a lot of money by going and buying pins, and then turning around and selling them on eBay.

A lot more people would do this if they could just go into the park for free on the day new pins are released, buy up all the new pins, and then they'd be even more exclusive, and worth more.

Basically, they just want to give the paying customers, who are there on vacation, and are spending their time in the park, a chance to get the pins before they sell out.

The shopping pass is a great convenience...but it's also not a guarantee. They don't have to let you into the park....a lot of people use the shopping pass just to go in and ride rides for an hour. And some people try to get out of paying at the end of the day. To a theme park, sometimes it's more trouble than it's worth, in the end.

jiminycesq
10-22-2003, 06:43 AM
Thanks for your thoughts. I did acknowledge in my post that this offering is a courtesy by the Park, not something they have to do. However, if a "pin offering" is so popular you need wristbands, it is unlikely you could complete it in an hour (at least based on what I have read here about such events). Other non-pin signing or merchandise events I have attended over many years certainly can take well over an hour. In this case, the wristbands were stacked high, there were few takers, etc. and I merely observed that the existing policy, in my case, lost the Park money I planned to spend there.

I am uncertain how one can know in advance which days are "pin days" and when wristbands are offered (which seems to be the differentiating factor) if one is not a pin afficionado.

Hopefully my sharing of this experience will alert those who are interested in the special pass that it may not be offered at all times, and perhaps someone knows how we can determine that in advance. I certainly do not plan to take advantage of the program in the future based on the administration of the process this time, but since the board exists in part to share knowledge, I offer it for those who are interested. Gotta love those pins, folks!

LegolandMC
10-22-2003, 07:51 AM
Just call ahead...they'll be able to tell you if you can use a shoppers pass a certain day.

Not Afraid
10-22-2003, 08:02 AM
A couple of things:

The wristbands are handed out in the morning, but the Nightmare pins don't go on sale until 1 pm - hence the lack of line.

For pin release information, this site (http://www.dizpins.com/) has all of the information. The Nightmare pins are released on Saturdays, for 13 weeks (I think).

I'm assuming that what you were looking for was not available at World of Disney or Marcelines?

SoCalDisneyLover
10-22-2003, 09:48 AM
The Nightmare Pins go onsale when the park opens. You Need a Wristband to get them before 1:00 PM. After 1:00, Anybody can purchase them if they're still available.

cstephens
10-22-2003, 10:10 AM
Originally posted by Not Afraid
For pin release information, this site (http://www.dizpins.com/) has all of the information. The Nightmare pins are released on Saturdays, for 13 weeks (I think).


Actually, it's only 5 weeks this year.

Not Afraid
10-22-2003, 10:28 AM
Originally posted by cstephens
Actually, it's only 5 weeks this year.

SEE! I had a feeling I had all of that stuff wrong. I'm not collecting the pins this year. Out of the loop BIG TIME!