Is it now worth buying an AP

[Fiona35]

With all the new rules that Disney seem to have imposed on sponsorship and reducing some of the AP perks is it actually still worth buying an AP when they are offering discounts of 40% off your stay if you book a package?

I have a dream AP which runs out in Oct and I would like to renew it but at the same time I can't help but think that my weeks holiday in August has been on the 40% offer but I can't see that AP holders will be getting good deals in the future, not with all the recent changes!

Just wondered what other peoples thoughts were.:confused3

[britchic4]

We got an excellent AP deal on the DLH in late March, so you never know......

[cap'njack.]

It depends...if you have the AP simply to get cheap rooms then I feel that those days are over with the 40% offer (I too may be using the offer for an October trip) then the answer would be no, however if you readily use the other perks of the AP then it can still be worthwhile.

I guess you'd need to ask yourself if you are likely to stay off-site in the next 12 months?, are you likely to drive to DLRP in the next 12 months?, would you miss the 10% off in shops and restuarants? (more for Dream) do you think that the 40% offer will be extended into next year? If your answers are mainly 'no' then it probably isn't worth it for you.

I feel that it is still worth it for me (I will be renewing in October) however 50% of my trips are off-site.

[davewasbaloo]

It depends on circumstances. Last year we renewed our Dream AP's and stayed in the HNY at a 10% for 5 nights room only still working out cheaper than a package when including the AP costs. We got both children free - so a 716 euro value for 358 euro cost. While there however, we went to Buffalo Bill's (15% or 60 euro discount), bought about 200 euros worth of stuff, so a 40 euro discount, and we had at least 1 table service meal for 6 days (2 free Kirs and 2 Orange juices - so a value of 25 euro per day or 150 euros worth of drinks - ok, we probably would not have a Kir every day without the APs). Also, each TS meal was probably about 100 euros with a 10% discount so a savings of another 60 euro. Our son had just turned 5 and my daughter was just 3. we only took one push chair, but on a couple of days when they were both tired, we borrowed the chairs for free (can't remember the value - 5 euros if conservative - so probably about 15 euro savings).

So that one trip, we came out with savings worth about 325 euros. Given those savings, it means the AP's in real terms were 32 euros for 4 people.

Then in October, we went the opening weekend of the Halloween celebrations and stayed one night in the Disneyland Hotel. It was a 40% room only deal (so now awesome savings time - about 180 euro savings). We borrowed 2 pushchairs on 2 days - 20 Euro, and ate two table service meal - free drinks and discount worth about 70 euro. we spent about 100 euro on Halloween stuff, so a 20 euro savings. Total savings that trip was 290 euros. So we were about 258 euros up!

Fast forward to last week. We stayed off site at the Marriott (which we think is better than all but the DLH, and even then there are pro and con trade offs). We got a 19 euro discount off on my MIL's Dream Passport. We were able to use EMH every morning if we liked. We used the DLP car parks 6 times - so a value of 48 euro. We spent about 60 euros in the shops - so a savings of 12 euro. We spent about 300 euros on in park food, so a savings of 30, plus we had one meal with the free drinks, so 25 euros. we borrowed a push chair 1 day. So overall we had 134 euros worth of reductions as well as 6 days free entry essentially to the park for our family of 4.

So let's recap - cost of AP's - 358 euros
discounts and reductions excluding the actual park admission - 717 euros.
In the time frame we spent 14 days in the parks - so that is 25.57 euros a day for the parks for a family of 4, or 6.39 euros per person per day and 717 euro worth of free food, drink, souvenirs and services.

So to us, the APs are still totally worth it.

Now if I were going to go for 5 days a year and they are running the 40% off deal, but no free under 7's APs, then that might be a better deal.

[Rachie B]

I don't think we are going to be renewing :(
we would have to buy 4 this time ( got youngest sons free last year)

also I don't think it likely that will be visiting at all in 2010 :(

we have a wedding to go to in the May in Lake Garda ,& Center Parcs @ easter , plus are planning / saving for WDW for Easter 2011 :goodvibes !
so will prob just do a sun UK holiday or something aswell for the summer

ours expire in aug, and we have a trip planned in oct,but I might just buy day tickets and go for 2 days out of the 5 we are in France for ( staying an hour away from DLRP)

I will miss EMH most ! :(