COVID-19’s Impacts on BGW

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WDWRLD said:
Yes I too just got the email saying ive been upgraded to Platinum for the remainder of 2020. Now we switched to memberships the first week they were offered and since then they added the Platinum level but we were grandfathered. When that additional level was created they removed the access to the other parks from Premier and created the Platinum level. At that time the Premier were grandfathered....now I wonder at the end of 2020 will ours revert back to the grandfathered pass.This just seems to be another layer of confusion in the BGW pass system.

Im not complaining....just worried it will get screwed up.
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I am in the exact same boat, I was grandfathered into "platinum" benefits, but my cost per month did not increase, but I fear this will be the catalyst of "pushing" me forward to a price increase starting in 2021 and pushing my benefits back down a level.

In other words, a net loss financially for me in 2021 while receiving minimal benefits this season. I knew eventually the grandfathered status would end, but this seems like a convenience for them on their technological ineptitude. I should not be so cynical, but their track record just provides no other expectation.
 
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Jahrules said:
What does platinum get upgraded to? Super platinum?
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The answer to that might be in a confusing part of the email I got. Below the section where it said "Your Premier Membership has been upgraded to a Platinum Membership" and listed the new benefits (11 parks, four guest tickets, and 20% off dining) there was another section with contradictory info:

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Those aren't normal Platinum benefits, plus the section right above said I now get 20% off shopping and dining, not 30%...so maybe these are what current Platinum members are "upgraded" to? Not sure why it was in the email I received as I wasn't a Platinum member before.
 
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Full email text:

During this uncertain time, we want to extend our deep gratitude for your continued loyalty and support. As a thank you for being a valued Member, we have introduced new and exciting benefits to allow you and your family and friends to enjoy more fun and thrills.

While our parks remain temporarily closed, we are automatically extending all active Annual Passes and Membership products to Busch Gardens and Water Country USA for a period of at least as long as the temporary closure. Additionally, we will be offering all active Members complimentary rewards and special benefits as a token of our appreciation.

Members will receive additional bring a friend days so that your friends and family can join in on the fun and spend an unforgettable day with you exploring the parks and your favorite attractions. Additionally, as a sign of our appreciation for you, our loyal Member, we will be granting complimentary membership tier upgrades for all active Members for the remainder of 2020 as well as additional Busch Gardens Member events.

Active Members will receive their additional perks automatically prior to the parks reopening. Please know that you are a valued member of the Busch Gardens and Water Country USA family and we thank you for remaining with us during these uncertain times.

If you are experiencing financial hardship, we continue to offer a process to defer monthly payments. Members who are deferring payments or are not up to date with their payments are not eligible for these rewards or the extension of time.

We look forward to welcoming you back to our parks as safely and as soon as possible!
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FWIW the people talking about being grandfathered in on the old pass structure vs new membership structure and the issues going back....that wasn't going to last forever anyways. I feel bad saying this but coming out of this might be the perfect way for SEAS to kill the old pass structure and get everyone to memberships.
 
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BGWstorm said:
The answer to that might be in a confusing part of the email I got. Below the section where it said "Your Premier Membership has been upgraded to a Platinum Membership" and listed the new benefits (11 parks, four guest tickets, and 20% off dining) there was another section with contradictory info:

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Those aren't normal Platinum benefits, plus the section right above said I now get 20% off shopping and dining, not 30%...so maybe these are what current Platinum members are "upgraded" to? Not sure why it was in the email I received as I wasn't a Platinum member before.
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Yeah, I think the 30% off food and merch, two specialty drinks, and $50 is the new "COVID Platinum Membership." ?
 
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warfelg said:
FWIW the people talking about being grandfathered in on the old pass structure vs new membership structure and the issues going back....that wasn't going to last forever anyways. I feel bad saying this but coming out of this might be the perfect way for SEAS to kill the old pass structure and get everyone to memberships.
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As far as my situation I mentioned above, I am on the new memberships but on a now grandfathered membership plan.
 
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I'll stand by what I said and I doubt the grandfathering will be honored.
 
WDWRLD said:
If you think that then wht do some people pay a few bucks a month for annual passes from the 90s
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I'd refer you back to post 966. I think my feelings are pretty clear. And have been since the whole pass/membership thing came about.
 
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warfelg said:
I'd refer you back to post 966. I think my feelings are pretty clear. And have been since the whole pass/membership thing came about.
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I agree, Ithink from other threads its apparent I wasnt pleased to be lied to by BGW when they said we had to switch only to not stand by their word of ending annual passes.
 
I don't believe they willingly lied to you. They put out there that people had to upgrade. A good number did. A good number complained, and they allowed them to stay on the pass structure. I don't recall being forced on it right away. I chose to move over because I understood I was getting a better deal for the price compared to my pass rate based on when I moved to Virginia. BGW's issue wasn't grandfathering, it wasn't standing strong in the first place with the fact that they are a business and people paying that little are basically stealing from them.

But back to the impact on BGW, I like that they are adding benefits for every level. They are encouraging people to come to the park when it's open by making the day to day expenses of the park affordable. And it does it without pushing the issue of trying to get people in.
 
This mess with the constant changing of levels with the same names is really the only complaint I have about the parks. I was originally a Platinum holder then I upgraded to Premier membership when they rolled that out and became the highest tier and then like a year later they rolled out yet another bunch of new levels of membership and Platinum became the highest tier again but so now I'm a grandfathered in on my Premier membership that gets almost all the Platinum benefits.

I still get all the perks at other parks but for things like reserved seating at some places they made it so unnecessarily confusing for their staff cause people get confused at my passes.
 
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warfelg said:
I don't believe they willingly lied to you. They put out there that people had to upgrade.
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Not sure what you call lieing but when the park says you have to upgrade to their new membership programs because they were discontinuing annual passes but then not doing that to me is lieing. I also was not on some old annual pass rate. We outright paid every season for the annual passes so we were paying the up to date pricing each year.
 
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warfelg said:
FWIW the people talking about being grandfathered in on the old pass structure vs new membership structure and the issues going back....that wasn't going to last forever anyways. I feel bad saying this but coming out of this might be the perfect way for SEAS to kill the old pass structure and get everyone to memberships.
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Sadly, I agree you are 100% correct on this.
 
WDWRLD said:
Not sure what you call lieing but when the park says you have to upgrade to their new membership programs because they were discontinuing annual passes but then not doing that to me is lieing. I also was not on some old annual pass rate. We outright paid every season for the annual passes so we were paying the up to date pricing each year.
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Lying is if you had the option to stay on old passes anyways. If you pay in full up front for your passes (I'm guessing that's what you're saying) I don't recall you being eligible for grandfathering anyways. But that's the last I really am going to talk about this because it feels like you are making an excuse to put down the park, which I'm kinda getting tired of dealing with.
 
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warfelg said:
Lying is if you had the option to stay on old passes anyways. If you pay in full up front for your passes (I'm guessing that's what you're saying) I don't recall you being eligible for grandfathering anyways. But that's the last I really am going to talk about this because it feels like you are making an excuse to put down the park, which I'm kinda getting tired of dealing with.
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Our passes for years were paid for each season, it was only the season before that we went to ezpay and then when they rolled out the memberships it seemed like our per month cost almost doubled. I was told when I called they were doing away with all previous passes and everyone would have to switch to memberships. They put they simulur wording on the membership marketing materials. I trusted them and went ahead and upgraded to memberships at the time because they advertised "lowest price if you upgrade now" which I did. You can say what ever you want but I feel I was lied to by numerous team members in making the decision to switch to the membership program.
 
If they were not offering grandfathering before you switched I don't believe you were lied to at all.
 
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