PDA

View Full Version : When was the best time to have an annual pass?



Cadaverous Pallor
05-12-2004, 05:00 PM
Reading about the birthday celebrations of old got me thinking. I have had an AP since 1999, I think. I don't remember the times that came before that clearly, as I didn't go to the park that much in my youth.

To those of you that have been frequent visitors in years past - when was the Golden Age for the APer? When were they doing things right? Was there such a time when we didn't need to complain about peeling paint, or bad show, or underfunded rides?

Dazzle me with your "back in my day" stories. :fez:

merlinjones
05-12-2004, 06:19 PM
Before Pressler...

The 80's. Before Gummi Glen and Afternoon Ave and Videopolis (before Eisner made his mark). 30th birthday, 35th birthday. Before the cool rides started to disappear.

Not Afraid
05-12-2004, 06:34 PM
The cool time to have AP was before they even had APs. 1968 to 1984 were, for me, the golden years.

Tomorrowland in full bloom, exciting and brilliant.
New Fantasyland opened at the end of that period.
The Three Little Pigs and the Big Bad Wolfe were out often in the Park.
Mansion and Pirates were opened.
Each land was alive and full of interest.
REAL big-name performers performed at the Park.
Wonderful World of Disney was on every Sunday at 7 and got you excited about Disney.

There was a LOT of activity and growth. It was an exciting time.

innerSpaceman
05-12-2004, 07:51 PM
Well, going under the assumption that the best time to have had an AP is different from simply the best time in Disneyland history ... I would say that the late '80's was the best time to have an A.P. because of the cool A.P.holder-only events that the Park had from time to time.

The highlight of these events, for me at least, was the chance to walk through one of the attractions, such as Roger Rabbit. Unfortunately, they charged something like $25 to attend these events, and I stopped going to them right before they had the one where they let you ride Space Mountain with the lights on! I will kick myself into eternity for that one.

Another great thing about the mid-to late 80's was that not everyone in Southern California had an A.P. and it was still for true Disneyland die-hards pretty much exclusively ... and I don't think the bad rep of A.P.ness had yet gotten its grip on the collective CM consciousness.

spectromen
05-13-2004, 07:37 AM
Isn't it true that the APs were not posted on the menu board until, maybe 10 years ago? You had to go to Guest Relations to purchase one? I think that alone made it a nicer, more exclusive thing - if I'm remembering correctly, of course.

efoxx
05-14-2004, 07:50 AM
1985

it was Disneyland's 30th. the AP was under $75, $69 if I recall. and for that price you got unlimited admission with no blackout dates, and free parking. ok parking was only $2 then, but it was still free to apers.

apers got a 10% discount on food, and the gift giver extrodinair was working.

and the best part was the 30th party. a 30 hour party that started at midnight. it was an invitation only party for the first 9 hours starting at midnight, and for the last 8 hours. total tickets were limited to 12000. that's right 12000, and yet ALL the shops, rides, and stores were open the entire time. Apers could buy as many tickets as they wished until the 12000 were sold. at that time there probably wasn't much more the 10000 Apers. and every guest was given a limited addition numbered 30th birthday poster, the type now that people pay big bucks for at special merch events.
the party started an hour before midnight on mainstreet. a rainbow was created with lights. from mainstreet it appeared to to start behind the castle, and stretch accross to the train station. at midnight some fireworks were set off, the original dedication was read, and then confetti fell. no joke MS must have been 3" deep in confetti by the time they were done. it took the maintanence people about 3 hours to clean it up. years later we were still finding confetti.

and then 17 of the next 30 hours was ABSOLUTLY no lines. it was great :D

Opus1guy
05-14-2004, 08:17 AM
I have to preface this by saying I've never had an Annual Pass, but I do recall being witness to one year when they were giving out a Disneyland Trading Card every day that were highly prized and collectible back then, and the local Annual Passholders were out in force daily, really getting their money's worth!

I remember being shown some statistics on how the daily Annual Passholder attendance shot through the roof when they had that promo. The idea was to hope for a little ancillary spending while the Passholder dropped by for their card, and to also cement the perceived value of having (and more importantly, maintaining) an Annual Pass in the mind of the Passholder.

no1here
05-14-2004, 11:17 AM
I am going on my 20th year as an AP! 84-90 were great years to have a pass. 85 and 86 had the gift giving machine and then 90 had the gift giver extraordinare. We would go every day to try to win the prizes and hope for the car! The best we ever did was a watch.

Originally you would go to group sales to buy the pass and then go over to guest relations to have your photo taken and your card laminated. They would keep an extra photo in case you lost your card. There were no blackout dates in those days either. Being an AP was something very unique.

katiesue
05-14-2004, 06:34 PM
The best for me was the early 90's. PREFERRED PARKING - it was the best. You parked right in front of the gates (when avaliable of course). You always felt kind of privelaged when they flaged you to the front and everyone else was waved toward the back of the parking lot.

They also had special passholder nights and occasionally guest admission discounts.

Once they closed the parking lot to put in DCA all the fun was over and you were just like everybody else. :crying:

adriennek
05-14-2004, 08:04 PM
Katiesue, you took my answer!

We got our first APs in 1995. Preferred parking bay-by. It was the best! Imagine parking right by the "C" in the DCA California sign- if not closer.

AP parties- Space with the lights on, sugar popcorn a la DLP, discounted merch, etc, etc.

:sigh:
Adrienne

dude
05-15-2004, 08:04 AM
I agree. Early 90's was the greatest time. Everything in DL still worked, and you could get the preferred parking, and the big "Disneyland" sign was still there. It always built up the excitement when one was going down Harbor and then seeing that sign. But then late 90's rolled along, DCA construction was started and it started going downhill from there.

DisneyDaniel
05-15-2004, 12:59 PM
When was the best time to have an annual pass?

2001 through now, with the opening of Disney's California Adventure.

Silly Spook
05-17-2004, 08:20 PM
When was the best time to have an annual pass?

2001 through now, with the opening of Disney's California Adventure.


My favorite time to have a pass was in before 1995 when the subs and tomorrowland were in full swing, and you could get awesome parking spots in the Bambi and Donald sections just steps from the ticket booths!

Cloud Buster
05-17-2004, 10:19 PM
The best for me was the early 90's. PREFERRED PARKING - it was the best. You parked right in front of the gates (when avaliable of course). You always felt kind of privelaged when they flaged you to the front and everyone else was waved toward the back of the parking lot.

Indeed. Keep in mind, that was when there were relatively few annual passholders. There are over half a million now.