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View Full Version : Southern CA pass for out-of-stater?



Petersgj
11-11-2005, 03:35 PM
I've been looking at the annual passes that are available. The Southern California pass would suit me best because I don't like going when there will be a lot of people anyway. Is this pass just designed for Southern CA residents, but can be purchased by others, or can only Southern CA residents have them? I am perfectly happy with the blackout dates and don't see any reason to purchase the deluxe if I don't have to.

If this is only for Southern CA residents, what justification does Disney give? Is there some subsidy, bond, tax breaks or something that Southern CA residents give to Disneyland? If not, it would seem like a discriminatory practice to me. Why should there be special privaleges given to some guests over others, just because of where they live?

Thanks.

DianeM
11-11-2005, 04:33 PM
As I understand it, you must have proof of a local address to purchase this pass. As to how they can get away with it... DL is a private company, and they can charge what they want and give whatever breaks they want. They consider it to be in their financial interests to provide discounts to locals but limit them to less crowded days. I suppose it is a sort of discrimination, but it's not like you couldn't move to S Cal and get the pass if you really, really wanted it. Trust me - if you're going to worry a lot about saving a few dollars, DL is not the right vacation spot for you. They sell happiness - but they don't sell it cheaply.


Is this pass just designed for Southern CA residents, but can be purchased by others, or can only Southern CA residents have them? I am perfectly happy with the blackout dates and don't see any reason to purchase the deluxe if I don't have to.

If this is only for Southern CA residents, what justification does Disney give? Is there some subsidy, bond, tax breaks or something that Southern CA residents give to Disneyland? If not, it would seem like a discriminatory practice to me. Why should there be special privaleges given to some guests over others, just because of where they live?

Thanks.

neffyh
11-11-2005, 05:30 PM
Its not discrimation, Its just because Disneyland is located in So Cal. and so they give special prices for So Cal residents. The same for WDW.

ThomasCanty
11-12-2005, 03:58 AM
People who live near attractions such as Disneyland tend to not visit those attractions much. It's always available, so it becomes a low priority to them. Disney offers the lower priced Southern California passes to them in an effort to entice those people into visiting the parks and thus spend money.

MrTomMorrow
11-12-2005, 04:37 AM
The discount is sort of like stirring the local fan base... they are more likely to be repeat visitors, simply because it is a local attraction.

Looks like Hong Kong Disneyland is also trying to get visitors by offering a "salute" to Hong Kong residents.

Petersgj
11-12-2005, 09:02 AM
People who live near attractions such as Disneyland tend to not visit those attractions much. It's always available, so it becomes a low priority to them. Disney offers the lower priced Southern California passes to them in an effort to entice those people into visiting the parks and thus spend money.

Thanks for the info. I wish they offered the same deal to others, though. I have a large family so shelling out $229 each is a bit steep. Parkhoppers for us, I guess.

We would visit, and spend money more times per year, too, if the same passes with the same blackout dates were offered to us. But as it is, we'll only make it once.

Bolivar
11-12-2005, 09:19 AM
I guess you could call it discriminatory because it discriminates between different people -- those that live in SoCal vs. those that don't. But there is no law against that. It is illegal to discriminate because of age, race, sex, or national origin. Any thing else is fair game. The age thing also has a lot of loopholes like it is ok to give seniors and kids price breaks etc. That one is really aimed at employment of folks over 40.

nightdesigns
11-12-2005, 09:24 AM
People who live near attractions such as Disneyland tend to not visit those attractions much. It's always available, so it becomes a low priority to them. Disney offers the lower priced Southern California passes to them in an effort to entice those people into visiting the parks and thus spend money.

Exactly. If it wasn't for the passes, I'd probably only go for 1 day every few years (that's what I had done in the past). But by purchasing passes, I look at it like I only have to go 2-3 times to pay it off, in Disney's eyes, that's 2-3 more times than if I didn't have passes.

So in reality, they got a few hundred bucks out of me.

adriennek
11-12-2005, 10:41 AM
We would visit, and spend money more times per year, too, if the same passes with the same blackout dates were offered to us. But as it is, we'll only make it once.

Well they can't make it too affordable to visit because then more people would visit more often and it would be an unpleasant experience due to overcrowding. Supply and Demand.

Plus, if they overcrowd, they'd drive out the people who would rather pay more and not deal with the mess. In the long run, it's better for business to keep the cost higher so that the attendance is at the critical point where the size and quality of the crowd are big enough to be profitable but small enough to keep customers comfortable enough to come and spend money.

Adrienne

nightdesigns
11-12-2005, 12:30 PM
Well they can't make it too affordable to visit because then more people would visit more often and it would be an unpleasant experience due to overcrowding. Supply and Demand.

Plus, if they overcrowd, they'd drive out the people who would rather pay more and not deal with the mess. In the long run, it's better for business to keep the cost higher so that the attendance is at the critical point where the size and quality of the crowd are big enough to be profitable but small enough to keep customers comfortable enough to come and spend money.

Adrienne

Keep in mind too that most APers are aware of what days are more or less crowded (and if you have a socal pass, Disney really lets you know what days will be crowded and tells you not to go on those days). So with the socal passes in a way, disney is driving up attendance on "off-days" and helping to balance the books with the food/drink/merch that we buy. If anything with the socal AP's, they're speading out the crowds more than they are contributing to them.

With the higher up AP's I think the story is different, but Disney isn't really marketing those AP's to the locals.

Petersgj
11-12-2005, 03:36 PM
Keep in mind too that most APers are aware of what days are more or less crowded (and if you have a socal pass, Disney really lets you know what days will be crowded and tells you not to go on those days). So with the socal passes in a way, disney is driving up attendance on "off-days" and helping to balance the books with the food/drink/merch that we buy. If anything with the socal AP's, they're speading out the crowds more than they are contributing to them.

With the higher up AP's I think the story is different, but Disney isn't really marketing those AP's to the locals.

I understand wanting to keep attendance to a manageable level. I don't want to go when it is busy either. This is precisely why I think the off-peak passes (Southern Cal passes) should be available to others. The busy days wouldn't be made more busy and the attendance would be boosted slightly on the off-peak days. I doubt very many out of staters would purchase an annual pass with a lot of blackout dates anyway, but it would be nice for those of us that would.

adriennek
11-12-2005, 04:32 PM
I don't want to go when it is busy either. This is precisely why I think the off-peak passes (Southern Cal passes) should be available to others. The busy days wouldn't be made more busy and the attendance would be boosted slightly on the off-peak days. I doubt very many out of staters would purchase an annual pass with a lot of blackout dates anyway, but it would be nice for those of us that would.

That's exactly why they aren't going to have it for out-of-staters. You already have a motivation to come in the slow-season.

The SoCal pass is designed for locals who aren't willing to pay for a higher-level pass but would pay for a cheaper pass and go when it's not busy.

They also can't sell too many discounted passes during the off-season because they need to make money in the off-season. A business can't afford to discount its product too much because then they devalue their product. Just ask Knott's and DCA.

Then go back to that supply-demand thing. If they discount tickets too much during the off-season, then it will get more crowded and people who come in the off-season for the purpose of smaller crowds will not be happy.

Adrienne

DianeM
11-13-2005, 10:13 AM
I would buy it in a heartbeat. I'm betting a lot of others would as well. Anybody with young children or no children would probably buy it, then arrange their trip to save a few dollars. BUT... I'll also pay for a regular 3 day pass to go during the off season when the crowds aren't large. The cost of travelling to DL, hotels, and food while I'm there is high enough for me that the few dollars I would save on a cheaper annual pass wouldn't make the difference between me going or staying. Locals have different incentive structures. A few dollars in park entrance fees might make the difference between a park full of locals and an empty park. It's just capitalism. If people from further away stop travelling to the park during the off season, and if Disney Corp believes this is because of high entrance fees, then they will offer us discounted passes.


I doubt very many out of staters would purchase an annual pass with a lot of blackout dates anyway, but it would be nice for those of us that would.