Disneyland suspending APs of personal shoppers and flippers

[xdattax]

So I was at Hollywood Studios the other day and apparently it was the first day that they introduced “personal shoppers”. They go around the park(s?) and buy Merch on your behalf while you go do the attractions. It’s a complimentary service (for now) but I wonder if it is just a coincidence given the timing of the rollout cracking down on non-cast member personal shoppers albeit in DLR.

Huh. That’s an interesting service. Definitely falls into the upper echelon of service that wealthier folks expect. They play while the help does the shopping. But isn’t shopping part of the fun of Disney?

I doubt I would use the service, unless it involves getting hard to get popcorn buckets without waiting hours for said bucket. I’ll wait in line for a Dooney, not so much for a bucket.

 

[slbrabham]

I agree with @xdattax that shopping is part of the fun.

 

[MerlinEmrys]

Huh. That’s an interesting service. Definitely falls into the upper echelon of service that wealthier folks expect. They play while the help does the shopping. But isn’t shopping part of the fun of Disney?

I doubt I would use the service, unless it involves getting hard to get popcorn buckets without waiting hours for said bucket. I’ll wait in line for a Dooney, not so much for a bucket.

I'm wondering if this service includes limited edition merch. I can see that turning into a logistical nightmare.

Placing the order with the shopper while the stuff is still available, but by the time the shopper goes, it's gone? I can hear the "Let me speak to your manager" tone from here. XD

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[starry_solo]

I'm wondering if this service includes limited edition merch. I can see that turning into a logistical nightmare.

Placing the order with the shopper while the stuff is still available, but by the time the shopper goes, it's gone? I can hear the "Let me speak to your manager" tone from here. XD

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My guess is they would keep some LE merchandise specifically to be filled by the personal shoppers. Then, when people like this "free" service, it'll be replaced by a paid service.

 

[dancecats]

So I was at Hollywood Studios the other day and apparently it was the first day that they introduced “personal shoppers”. They go around the park(s?) and buy Merch on your behalf while you go do the attractions. It’s a complimentary service (for now) but I wonder if it is just a coincidence given the timing of the rollout cracking down on non-cast member personal shoppers albeit in DLR.

That's an interesting concept. I'm curious to see how people qualify for this 'complimentary' service. Do you have to be a resident of Golden Oak or be a concierge level guest or just randomly selected until it (inevitably) becomes a paid service?

The bigger question: will this service (complimentary or paid) only be offered to people who are physically in the parks and capable of shopping for themselves (whether they want to is another issue and irrelevant)? Or will they also extend it to people who don't live close enough to the parks to go there and shop for themselves, the people who really are dependent upon either the kindness of friends or personal shopping services?

 

[Spr175psu]

That's an interesting concept. I'm curious to see how people qualify for this 'complimentary' service. Do you have to be a resident of Golden Oak or be a concierge level guest or just randomly selected until it (inevitably) becomes a paid service?

The bigger question: will this service (complimentary or paid) only be offered to people who are physically in the parks and capable of shopping for themselves (whether they want to is another issue and irrelevant)? Or will they also extend it to people who don't live close enough to the parks to go there and shop for themselves, the people who really are dependent upon either the kindness of friends or personal shopping services?

Right now, from what I saw, it’s open to everyone in the parks. And they seem to approach people who seem lost/confused. Maybe that’s why one came up to me?

They told me they could get the wreck it Ralph mystery boxes in Mexico pavilion for me where they supposedly were but since we were going later that night, I said I would just do it myself since I enjoy shopping and hunting for pins.

But we never made it back there and they were gone a few days later when we returned to Epcot. I do wonder if they would have been able to get them for me...

 

[cadien]

I've been reading a thread about this on a site that's Disney but not pin-related and I was surprised by how consistently unsympathetic the posts are towards anyone who isn't local to the parks. There is a strong belief that merchandise, especially LE, should be restricted to those who actually pay to visit the parks.

 

[TiggerSue]

@TheMickeyMouseRules Re: DPF pickups

I have always had this mentality. That, yes, it's technically against the rules, but it's this sort of "Robin Hood" vibe: breaking the rules to help people? I've always thought that, if I was "caught" I could explain what I was doing to demonstrate that it really is in the spirit of the hobby and genuinely trying to help others.

But, it is still against the rules XD

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It is only "against the Rules" if you use a Discount privilege (Cast, AP, etc.). If you pay Full Price, it is yours and you can do with it as you please.

 

[MerlinEmrys]

It is only "against the Rules" if you use a Discount privilege (Cast, AP, etc.). If you pay Full Price, it is yours and you can do with it as you please.

Right, I get that. But selling them at a mark-up is also against the rules. So the only way for someone to do it within the rules is to charge exactly what Disney charges: retail and tax. So when people say, "Well just don't use your discount and it's fine," what they're really saying is "Please run around the park for me for free," whether that's what they mean to say it or not.

Like, I nor anyone else who's ever done pickups have ever done it for the money. But we (or at least I) can't do it for free either. That's not a sustaining thing... :/

Edit: I don't meant this to sound accusatory or anything. I only mean that not using the AP discount is not the "Ah ha!" fix that people seem to think that it is. :/

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[pincrazy]

This basically started as being helpful, while you're at the park, sort of thing sure I can pu something for you. And, usually the ones that could offer an ongoing wishlist pickup, are those that have an AP. I wouldn't be surprised if it started with someone offering a person an AP to do their shopping, and the perk was they had an AP to use whenever they wanted. I'm guessing this is considered a personal shopper for either a Disney collector or a store/online seller etc.

Now that this has become an issue with Disney, probably because of complaints by guests at the parks, (which could also be other personal shoppers), it's a risk for those who offer to do any pickup unless it's for their personal use. So is the remedy then on the part of the people they're doing pickups for? Just a question/thought, but doesn't this become a gratuity situation? NOT a suggestion, just trying to keep this in perspective. (Hmm this sounds like the increased pricing online, before the gouging?)

To also keep in consideration,, as guests/APers run around picking up multiples of anything, it's not the pleasant day at the Parks as some might think,although they might try. When people sign up on a wishlist/pickup, i.e.a pin at cost plus tax, fees, shipping, this is not including time, parking, frustration/lines, or the ticket/AP/cost of event. By the time you finish doing a pickup, providing you're able to get any, you've just spent your morning prepping and going through a Black Friday situation weekly. It's never known as to how crazy or not it will be until you're there, regardless, the adrenaline is going. The hardest/conflicting part is telling someone they didnt/couldn't fulfill their request, and disappointing them. The rest of the day is more of trying to get a breather, confirm what you have, or if you missed something, at that point it's been like chasing a 5 year old to different stores within the park for 3-4 hours. : p. Then it's taking the treasures to sort, package, and mail.
After a good pickup there is a feeling of accomplishment, triumphant success, and Happy over the achievement of making others Happy as well!
Dawn, Connie, and Merlin, including anyone else that offers, truly do this for the HAPPY!

Hopefully this is just a Disney deterrent but no one wants to risk their AP that they have or are paying for to be lost for a year over a favor. I'm sure no one would want that, and understand they themselves wouldn't jeopardize another person to be on a Disney block out list.

 

[KT07]

Very intresting read. As far as coming down on the scrap pin makers. So far they only busted the two guys. I believe that only happened because of the tax money they cheated Uncle Sam out of. It was not even Disney that caught the guys. The extra sad part was one of the worked for DLR in the past and he would go to the park and look fir the new pins do he could copy them. As with all this bs... It just comes down to the dollar for many.

 

[Disneychildwithin]

How much is the AP discount?

 

[ItzaPinfan]

Very intresting read. As far as coming down on the scrap pin makers. So far they only busted the two guys. I believe that only happened because of the tax money they cheated Uncle Sam out of. It was not even Disney that caught the guys. The extra sad part was one of the worked for DLR in the past and he would go to the park and look fir the new pins do he could copy them. As with all this bs... It just comes down to the dollar for many.

Oooh what’s the story on the two guys...I want to hear...)


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[pincrazy]

How much is the AP discount?

Depends on the passport between 10-20%, CMs get more.

 

[TiggerSue]

Right, I get that. But selling them at a mark-up is also against the rules. So the only way for someone to do it within the rules is to charge exactly what Disney charges: retail and tax. So when people say, "Well just don't use your discount and it's fine," what they're really saying is "Please run around the park for me for free," whether that's what they mean to say it or not.

Like, I nor anyone else who's ever done pickups have ever done it for the money. But we (or at least I) can't do it for free either. That's not a sustaining thing... :/

Edit: I don't meant this to sound accusatory or anything. I only mean that not using the AP discount is not the "Ah ha!" fix that people seem to think that it is. :/
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I'm confused - who's "Rules" is it against to tack on a few extra dollars per pin to cover your time, Gas and effort?? I'm sure no one on this Forum expects people to do pick-ups, esp. at the volume done by you and people at DLR, for just retail & tax.

Disney only cares about selling after using a Discount. So, pick-ups CAN safely continue by anyone who cares to do so.

People on this Forum SHOULD expect to pay full Retail, tax, shipping, PayPal fee and a service fee to get a Pin Personal Shopper the likes of the generous people who have worked so hard to get Park pins to our members!! If not, they can go try their luck at an Auction site or Facebook group.

 

[SkeleCountry]

I'm confused - who's "Rules" is it against to tack on a few extra dollars per pin to cover your time, Gas and effort?? I'm sure no one on this Forum expects people to do pick-ups, esp. at the volume done by you and people at DLR, for just retail & tax.

Disney only cares about selling after using a Discount. So, pick-ups CAN safely continue by anyone who cares to do so.

People on this Forum SHOULD expect to pay full Retail, tax, shipping, PayPal fee and a service fee to get a Pin Personal Shopper the likes of the generous people who have worked so hard to get Park pins to our members!! If not, they can go try their luck at an Auction site or Facebook group.

+1,000 thumbs up on this!

 

[MerlinEmrys]

I'm confused - who's "Rules" is it against to tack on a few extra dollars per pin to cover your time, Gas and effort?? I'm sure no one on this Forum expects people to do pick-ups, esp. at the volume done by you and people at DLR, for just retail & tax.

Disney only cares about selling after using a Discount. So, pick-ups CAN safely continue by anyone who cares to do so.

People on this Forum SHOULD expect to pay full Retail, tax, shipping, PayPal fee and a service fee to get a Pin Personal Shopper the likes of the generous people who have worked so hard to get Park pins to our members!! If not, they can go try their luck at an Auction site or Facebook group.

I had thought the rules for the standard park tickets had a clause in there about buying and selling park merchandise, but I can't find it at the moment. I'll keep looking.

But to the spirit of your question, no one so far (or at least that I had seen, I could easily have missed it) had mentioned being willing to pay a mark-up on top of retail. And so the conversation had consistently circled around "Just don't use the discount" without the follow up, which was making me anxious. XD did I really think people wouldn't pay a mark-up? No. But the fact that it wasn't mentioned was concerning. ;P

Here's the thing too, though. If there was a mark-up to rival the discount, it would likely make the pins a tad more expensive than getting (most of) them on the bay. Because, let's face it, moooooost of the park pins settle for cost within a few weeks (if not a few days). That's just the nature of the park releases. Certain ones like the Windows are, of course, an exception. But you can find nearly any Donut or Latte pin on the bay for basically cost (and some even a bit cheaper than getting a single pin from me, hahah).

So I wonder how sustainable that would be. Of course, the bay can't compete with mine, Dawn's, Connie's, and David's charm, swagger, and dashing good looks. But is that worth an extra buck or two? Who can say. XD

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[xdattax]

I had mentioned a larger convenience fee in one of my posts, should pickups continue. For certain pins it would be worth it for me to buy that way, as in the LE pins it is a gamble on if they will level out on the secondary market or rocket into the stratosphere.

I’ve said it before in other threads, paying a few bucks extra doesn’t phase me, as the extra $x is still cheaper than two tanks of gas, wear and tear on my obviously not fuel efficient vehicle, getting time off work, and physically driving the 3.5 hours to WDW if I’m not already going (which I do probably more frequently than most but less than some) or airfare and a 5 hour flight to DLR. So paying some sort of markup would not be a terrible thing, at least for some of the pins I want. That said, the folks who do pickups have saved me more than I would have spent getting them myself and for that I am eternally grateful.

Believe me, I’m crossing my fingers for that Aurora window at a reasonable markup, hoping the princesses aren’t as hot as the villains were, since they were mentioned to be the exception to the rule of leveling out after a few days/weeks.

Or, of course, this whole issue ends up saving us all money if we can’t get pins. :-|

 

[SkeleCountry]

@MerlinEmrys : I am certainly more than willing to pay a few bucks more for the pick ups! It wouldn't bother me to do so for pick ups to be able to continue and to be worth the effort of the person doing said park pick ups . @xdattax: I agree with your sentiment on pick ups too.

 

[TiggerSue]

"I had thought the rules for the standard park tickets had a clause in there about buying and selling park merchandise, but I can't find it at the moment. I'll keep looking. "

There is not (& can NOT be) a Code of Conduct that extends to your treatment of merchandise after you have exited their property.

Park Rules state "no selling of any kind" in the Parks/on property. That must be what you were thinking of.

 

[MerlinEmrys]

"I had thought the rules for the standard park tickets had a clause in there about buying and selling park merchandise, but I can't find it at the moment. I'll keep looking. "

There is not (& can NOT be) a Code of Conduct that extends to your treatment of merchandise after you have exited their property.

Park Rules state "no selling of any kind" in the Parks/on property. That must be what you were thinking of.

That must have been it.

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[Kerri780]

@MerlinEmrys your charm, swagger and dashing good looks are worth every penny to me!

 

[cadien]

I'm confused - who's "Rules" is it against to tack on a few extra dollars per pin to cover your time, Gas and effort?? I'm sure no one on this Forum expects people to do pick-ups, esp. at the volume done by you and people at DLR, for just retail & tax.

Disney only cares about selling after using a Discount. So, pick-ups CAN safely continue by anyone who cares to do so.

People on this Forum SHOULD expect to pay full Retail, tax, shipping, PayPal fee and a service fee to get a Pin Personal Shopper the likes of the generous people who have worked so hard to get Park pins to our members!! If not, they can go try their luck at an Auction site or Facebook group.

In other Disney related forums, and with attorneys weighing in, that issue is still really undecided. There are different ways to interpret it.

 

[cadien]

So I wonder how sustainable that would be. Of course, the bay can't compete with mine, Dawn's, Connie's, and David's charm, swagger, and dashing good looks. But is that worth an extra buck or two? Who can say. XD

It's absolutely worth an extra buck or two to be able to trust the source every time.

 

[Ajk]

I'm not a lawyer but I don't see how Disney can do anything about someone reselling something they purchased without a discount. There is no contractual stipulation when I, as a regular park goer, make a purchase. I give them the money, they give me the product. At that point it is mine and I can do whatever I want with it. If I signed something saying I would not transfer it or similar, that's one thing, but I didn't. (Unless I am missing something.) Selling in the park is a whole different and unrelated item that is your standard "no solicitation" sort of rule that pretty much any privately owned space has.

In regard to the price concerns, I agree with those who said we should be prepared to/expect to pay additional above whatever the cost to the seller was. We have been extremely blessed up to now. Nobody here at DPF is getting rich from their activities and they should receive some compensation for their time and effort. The way I see it, if I was able to go to the parks, I would be paying full retail plus tax. But I can't go to the parks, so to expect to pay that same amount from my home in New Jersey would be silly. Paying that plus a few dollars more is extremely reasonable. And yes, I could try my luck on ebay and such but A) I might or might not be successful, B) The item may or may not be legitimate, C) The price might not be any better, and D) The seller certainly won't have the charm, swagger and dashing good looks of our friends and family here. So my absolutely best option for the park-only pins that I am interested in is to accept a pick-up offer from one of our fine upstanding forum citizens.

Will the number of pins being purchased here go down if the price goes up? Sure. There will be folks who feel it's more than they want to pay for a pin. But that's already true regardless of the price. For the pins that we really want, we'll pay more for. And for the pins we don't care as much about, we'll skip. (Full disclosure - I'm already a sporadic buyer.) I think there will still be a pretty significant # of pins requested, but less than currently. But hey, that just makes the seller's life a little easier while still providing an absolutely incredible service to this community.

At least that's my 2 cents.