I prefer 10 day passes to annual passes

[pinnocchiosdad]

We visit the world about twice a year. We do not do the parks everyday of our stay. We considered AP's. Instead what works for our pocketbook is to by multiple 1 day tickets. We each buy 10 packs. The cost at the gate is $75 (adult). The price per day in the 10 pack is $23.70. We add $20 per ticket for a lifetime no expiration option. That bings the total to $43.75 with lifetime expiration. I think Disney keeps this option quiet because when I mention it to friends, few have heard of it.

[Chuck S]

Why would you need the non-expiration option? Aren't one day tickets good forever until they are used?

[goofy4tink]

I've never heard of 'packs of one day tickets'. In any case, you can buy an AP for $414 as a DVC owner. And you get to hop.
The current price for one day passes, with non-expire added is about $480. I would much rather pay $414 and be able to hop from park to park. Don't want to hop? Don't have to. Still cheaper to buy an AP.

[LIFERBABE]

I believe what the OP is saying is they each purchase the 10 day MYW tix with no expiration option.

We do the same! Only if I have F&W activities planned do I get the AP. Other than that, we all have 10 MYW with fun options. Even if we go in the park for a few hours, we dont sweat it.
We are going on 4 years with the same 10 day tix. We supplement the 10 days with DQ/WP AP's which are around $125 eoy for us.
We plan for the long term with DVC and the 10 day tix/DQWP AP combo allows us to have as much entertainment as we want and still enjoy resort and special activities while at WDW.:wizard:

Our June trip, we stayed a week in AKV Concierge before our cruise and just relaxed and did what we wanted. We did not hit a park once, but went to the movies, DisneyQuest a few times, T-Rex, hung out at SSR, etc. It was too hot for the parks but we still had a blast.:thumbsup2

[La2kw]

We visit the world about twice a year. We do not do the parks everyday of our stay. We considered AP's. Instead what works for our pocketbook is to by multiple 1 day tickets. We each buy 10 packs. The cost at the gate is $75 (adult). The price per day in the 10 pack is $23.70. We add $20 per ticket for a lifetime no expiration option. That bings the total to $43.75 with lifetime expiration. I think Disney keeps this option quiet because when I mention it to friends, few have heard of it.

I've never heard of 10 packs of multiple day tickets. Are these available at the gate?

We do the PAP and get two trips out of them by staggering our trip. This year we went in July, next year we will go in June. We don't renew them, but rather restart that cycle again. In 2011 we will go in July and in 2012 in June, etc. We paid $450 this year, for PAP with the 10% discount cards we get from fellow Disboarders. That works out to about $225 per year and includes waterparks (which we love), DQ, and park hopping.

[tjkraz]

For our trip pattern and vacation habits, the AP still works best. Some days we may only go into a park for an hour or two, and having an AP makes that much more palatable than burning a day on a MYW pass.

And our typical trip is 6-7 days so a 10-day pass won't even cover two trips. Not thrilled at the prospect of losing access to the parks midway thru our second trip.

I've thought about getting 10-day non-expiring passes so that we can pocket years' worth of waterpark visits. Might do that in 2010 if the planets align. :cool2: But it's an expensive proposition--over $500 more OOP for our family compared to APs. It's clearly a good value for all of those waterpark visits, but still restrictive and expensive.

[silmarg]

we used to do APs as well.

we have since done the 10 day no expire tix

we have one set that are hoppers (and only use on hop days) and another set that are non hoppers.

one of our old sets (which we have used all the "big park" days on) we did the Water Parks option (at $50 for 10 days... its THE BEST deal on any disney ticket). We still have some water park days on those..

So we have lots of tickets to keep track of, but we think it keeps the cost per visit to a minimum.

This tip we will be getting the military 5 day tickets... Now THOSE are a bargain!

[lah3hh]

We normally do the 10 day non-expiring MYW tickets but I think the OP has something different up his/her sleeve. Please share more what you mean about 10 one day packs....you have me very curious and wanting to save some $$$ if possible.

[Tara]

The new renewal policy (if good for DVC members) might change people's strategies regarding AP vs. 10-day MYW. As it stands now, the 10-day pass is only a better deal if you visit parks for 10 total days and it takes you MORE than 1 year to do so. But with the new 15-month renewal, it might start making more sense to go the AP route.

[d-r]

We put 69 days on our AP last year.

[vicki_c]

We normally do the 10 day non-expiring MYW tickets but I think the OP has something different up his/her sleeve. Please share more what you mean about 10 one day packs....you have me very curious and wanting to save some $$$ if possible.

I don't think so - the prices that the OP quoted are about exactly the price for a 10 day MYW non-expiring ticket. That may be a better deal for them than the APs, but it's not any kind of secret savings.

Using current prices from Mousesavers (not the new prices) - A 10 day ticket is $252, adding NE is $213 = $465 divided by 10, gives you $46.50 / day. The OP's price is a little lower, most likely because they purchased those tickets when the price was a bit lower.

It all depends on how often you go as to what would be the best deal. We used our APs for about 21 days last year, so each day only cost us around $20 and we got to hop too (oh, we only paid $399 because we have DVC APs)! Plus were able to save a lot of $$ with the TiW Card.

[TINKERIFIC]

Can someone expand on the OPs 10 day pack? Is this the same as the 10 day non expiry?

The 10 day non expiry makes sense for us. We will not visit WDW more than once in a years time to make the AP worth it. On our June 2010, we only plan on 4 park days, that leaves us 6 for another time.

[goofy4tink]

The new renewal policy (if good for DVC members) might change people's strategies regarding AP vs. 10-day MYW. As it stands now, the 10-day pass is only a better deal if you visit parks for 10 total days and it takes you MORE than 1 year to do so. But with the new 15-month renewal, it might start making more sense to go the AP route.
I still say it's cheaper to get the DVC AP...even without the new promo. The OP is saying that it costs him $437 for 10 days of parks..one park per day, and that's at yesterday's prices, not tomorrow's. If they do indeed go twice a year, but don't go to the parks each day, then sure, I guess it would work out to be cheaper. But, I can't imagine going twice a year and not spending at least 10 days in the parks...at least one park per day. I head to WDW several times a year and spend about 15 days there, sometimes closer to 20 total. If you truly don't want to park hop, and are not going to be in the parks for more than 10 days a year, then sure, I guess it works.
Dear God....I really hope that renewal promo is for us DVC AP holders as well as others.

[goofy4tink]

Can someone expand on the OPs 10 day pack? Is this the same as the 10 day non expiry?

The 10 day non expiry makes sense for us. We will not visit WDW more than once in a years time to make the AP worth it. On our June 2010, we only plan on 4 park days, that leaves us 6 for another time.

Yes, basically, that's what the OP is talking about. My dh does it that way as well. But, he doesn't travel to WDW nearly as often as I do. He will just be finishing up his 10 day, non-expire. hopper pass in two weeks. He has used it for about 2+ years now...a few days at a time.

[Brian Noble]

It all comes down to how many visits per year you take, and how many days per visit, and the right answer might be different for different people. But, the OP's measure of per-day cost is the right way to compare.

In general:
* If you take infrequent, short trips (4 park days or less), the 10-day with no-expiration often makes sense.
* If you take infrequent, long trips (6 park days or more), the expiring tickets usually work out best.
* If you take two or more trips totalling 10 or more days per year, the AP usually makes sense.

For a DVCer, the number of days/year for break-even on an AP is lower, because of the AP discount.

[silmarg]

a plus for the AP is the availability for the tables in wonderland card. that can be a big savings.

[hakepb]

In my experience, DVC points and an AP are an amazing combination.
1) While on an AP, you can decide, on the fly during a scheduled "non-park day", to go into a park to eat dinner, and not worry about "wasting" a MYW park day
2) halfway between AP trips, you realize, "I got points (I can borrow, if needed) and I got passes, we can go on a WDW long weekend for "only" the cost of cheap airfare and food!!"
For this year's trip, we went back to MYW, it did save us $ bu it just was not the same. I almost feel AP=deluxe and MYW = Value. (Yes, Value is very enjoyable and saves money, but there can be more..)

[mandjblum]

Just bought AP's. My head hurt reading post and using excel to figure out the best way to go (been researching for weeks). Had to get it done before the increase starts tomorrow. Not sure if it is the right way, we'll see. Leave Saturday for our stay at BLT and then Vero.

[Brian Noble]

In my experience, DVC points and an AP are an amazing combination.
Right this second, I have three different annual/season passes to three different park operators. They can save you right into the poor house!

[jade1]

We like going to a park on arrival day, and departure day, as well as every day (or at least the evening) we are there. So since we would burn off 8 days the first week, we would only have 2 days left for our second week a year later-plus we often work another trip in as well. And hopping is way too important as well to us.

[DeeCee735]

I'm out of the loop here, I have an AP from April of this year. I see on a previous post that there is a new 15 month renewal? Is this correct? I'm sure it's only on new AP purchases, correct?

How much are AP's with the DVC discount? (I think I paid $399, but don't remember). How much are they supposed to go up?

I go two to three times a year, however I don't go into the parks every day during each trip. I used 12 days on the prior years AP, and I had the TIW card, which paid for itself during one dinner (our anniversary dinner with our children and their significant others), at Yachtsman Steakhouse.

That to me was a savings over the 10 day, simply because I used it for 12 days. My DH has a 10 day no expire. He's used it during the last two trips and still has 2 days left, but he only goes once a year, being every 12 to 12 1/2 months, so it worked best for him to get the 10 no expire. My kids had 5 day tickets that expired on last trip, then my DD wound up going again in March with her friends, and we are going again in January, so she really would have benefited from the AP, but the March trip was a last minute decision....

I think I'm going to have to review all the new prices and options once again before our Jan. trip!

[pinnocchiosdad]

Why would you need the non-expiration option? Aren't one day tickets good forever until they are used?

No. They do expire. Thats whe Disney charges the $20 per day for a no expiration option.

[pinnocchiosdad]

I've never heard of 'packs of one day tickets'. In any case, you can buy an AP for $414 as a DVC owner. And you get to hop.
The current price for one day passes, with non-expire added is about $480. I would much rather pay $414 and be able to hop from park to park. Don't want to hop? Don't have to. Still cheaper to buy an AP.

Not if you DVC like us and don't spend everyday at the parks. My 10 day ticket will last me 2 years. Do the math as to what two years of anual passes will cost. You are assuming that everyone hops. We don't.

[pinnocchiosdad]

I've never heard of 10 packs of multiple day tickets. Are these available at the gate?

We do the PAP and get two trips out of them by staggering our trip. This year we went in July, next year we will go in June. We don't renew them, but rather restart that cycle again. In 2011 we will go in July and in 2012 in June, etc. We paid $450 this year, for PAP with the 10% discount cards we get from fellow Disboarders. That works out to about $225 per year and includes waterparks (which we love), DQ, and park hopping.

This is the point of my post. Most folks don't realize that you can buy 10 packs whic cost only $23.40 each. Disney pushes the park hoppers. 10 packs work best for our needs. If you do the math, they should be the choice for many people buying hoppers.

[pinnocchiosdad]

We normally do the 10 day non-expiring MYW tickets but I think the OP has something different up his/her sleeve. Please share more what you mean about 10 one day packs....you have me very curious and wanting to save some $$$ if possible.

My wife and I each bought a 10 pack with the expiration option about 3 years ago. Our average stay is 4 nights and we do about 3 parks per stay.
# years later we each still have about 2 tickets remaining.

[pinnocchiosdad]

We put 69 days on our AP last year.

And thats why you are AP candidates. For families like mine that don't do as many parks, the AP isn't cost effective.

[pinnocchiosdad]

It all comes down to how many visits per year you take, and how many days per visit, and the right answer might be different for different people. But, the OP's measure of per-day cost is the right way to compare.

In general:
* If you take infrequent, short trips (4 park days or less), the 10-day with no-expiration often makes sense.
* If you take infrequent, long trips (6 park days or more), the expiring tickets usually work out best.
* If you take two or more trips totalling 10 or more days per year, the AP usually makes sense.

For a DVCer, the number of days/year for break-even on an AP is lower, because of the AP discount.


As the OP I thank you for summing up the intent of my post.

[silmarg]

i think folks are getting confused with the term "ten pack".

They think you are getting 10 individual one day tickets (meaning 10 pieces of paper or plastic).

You are simply getting a 10 day pass that does not expire right ( a single piece of paper or plastic). Right?

[CarolAnnC]

I believe the OP must be discussing purchasing a 10 day MYW ticket. There is no such thing as a "10 pak" of one day park tickets. Here is the LINK (http://www.wdwinfo.com/discounts/discounts-tickets.htm) to the DIS's information on WDW Tickets. :)

[AKV707]

a plus for the AP is the availability for the tables in wonderland card. that can be a big savings.

I was going to mention that as well. For us, with at least 2 trips a year, and the tendency to hop the AP combined with the TIW is the best deal by far for us.

[christa112]

I don't want to add to the confusion going on here, but I have a question about Non Expiring.

We are going down in Jan our last 3 trips we have pretty much spent almost every day in a park. This time around will be our 1st DVC trip and were thinking about taking some days off and enjoying our resort too. We purchase just basic tickets, no hopper option. At the end of our trip if we still have 2 days we haven't used can I then add Non-Expiring to those tickets? Or do I need to purchase Non-Expiring at time of purchase. I would hate to purchase Non-Expiring and then we decide to hit the parks every day.

TIA

Christa

[Chuck S]

I don't want to add to the confusion going on here, but I have a question about Non Expiring.

We are going down in Jan our last 3 trips we have pretty much spent almost every day in a park. This time around will be our 1st DVC trip and were thinking about taking some days off and enjoying our resort too. We purchase just basic tickets, no hopper option. At the end of our trip if we still have 2 days we haven't used can I then add Non-Expiring to those tickets? Or do I need to purchase Non-Expiring at time of purchase. I would hate to purchase Non-Expiring and then we decide to hit the parks every day.

TIA

Christa


You can add the non-expiring option after the first use...but you still have to pay for the original number of days on the ticket, not just the 2 remaining days.

[Maistre Gracey]

For whoever mentioned the TIW card, you are right on. Once you factor that in, Disney PAYS US to enter the parks. Paying $23/day would be a major bummer...

MG

[christa112]

Thanks Chuck. I don't think it will be worth if for us then. I will stick with my original plan Base Tickets.

You can add the non-expiring option after the first use...but you still have to pay for the original number of days on the ticket, not just the 2 remaining days.

[jguner]

Totally agree about the DVC Annual pass and the TIW. To be able to get the TIW benefits alone is a huge bonus and top that with free parking at the parks and the annual pass is what we will be getting once again. :thumbsup2:thumbsup2

[silmarg]

You can add the non-expiring option after the first use...but you still have to pay for the original number of days on the ticket, not just the 2 remaining days.

chuck knows of what he speaks...

[vicki_c]

No. They do expire. Thats whe Disney charges the $20 per day for a no expiration option.

But it's not always $20/day for non-expiration. The terminology is again confusing with this "10 pack" thing. Depending on how many days were on your MYW ticket to begin with, adding NE can range from about $8/day (on a 3 day ticket) to about $20/day (on a 10 day ticket).

Unused 1 day tickets (or multi-day) do not expire. Partially used multi-day MYW tickets do expire. There is no such thing as a 10 pack of 1 day tickets that can be purchased, just multi-day MYW tickets.

As everyone said, you have to do the math for your own situation to see what makes the most sense for you.

[Maistre Gracey]

But it's not always $20/day for non-expiration. The terminology is again confusing with this "10 pack" thing. Depending on how many days were on your MYW ticket to begin with, adding NE can range from about $8/day (on a 3 day ticket) to about $20/day (on a 10 day ticket).

Unused 1 day tickets (or multi-day) do not expire. Partially used multi-day MYW tickets do expire. There is no such thing as a 10 pack of 1 day tickets that can be purchased, just multi-day MYW tickets.

As everyone said, you have to do the math for your own situation to see what makes the most sense for you.
Indeed... As stated earlier, Pinnocchiosdad is likely confused on the 10 day thing. I'm sure he means the 10 day MYW tix.

I believe Chuck is also correct. A true 1 day tix has no expiration, therefore a book of 10 would not expire. The only problem is they don't sell a book of 10. Yes, you can buy 10 one day tix, but you will pay $790.

MG

[Maistre Gracey]

As others have said, the AP is also great because there is no worry about entering the park just for a short while. Total freedom to enter just for dinner, fireworks, or whatever, is worth a quite a bit to us.
I would absolutely hate being tied down to a "ticket", if you know what I mean...

MG

[diznee princess]

I've never heard of 10 packs of multiple day tickets. Are these available at the gate?

We do the PAP and get two trips out of them by staggering our trip. This year we went in July, next year we will go in June. We don't renew them, but rather restart that cycle again. In 2011 we will go in July and in 2012 in June, etc. We paid $450 this year, for PAP with the 10% discount cards we get from fellow Disboarders. That works out to about $225 per year and includes waterparks (which we love), DQ, and park hopping.

What is the 10% discount cards from disboarders you mentioned?
How did you get it and is it off the AP per person?
Thanks for your help.

I'm deciding on the AP or 10 day NE. We have done both, there are pros and cons to both. I love the flexibility & perks of the AP. However it just makes come to Florida more often than I need to, reasoning I can because of the AP and because I want to get the most use out of it to make it advantageous.

We did AP for F&W in Nov 07 then used it twice in 08 for short weekend trips and again for F&W in 08 before it expired. Plus we had the TIW card we used also for friends who dined with us as well. It more than paid for itself.
You can't beat free parking. But if you stay in the resorts you get that anyway.

If I get the 10 day for our family I'm more frugal about using up the days too soon. Of course nontheless MY Hubby prefers the 10 day NE park hopper we use for 2 trips.
He loves Disney but not the hit in the pocketbook everytime we return home pirate: LOL. (we need a grumpy smilie or a cranky donald, that describes my husband)

We don't own dvc but we do rent here or get our airline discount of 40% off room rates at Disney resorts and we have an offsite timeshare. We also fly for free. So having the 10 day forces some self control for me or i'd be there to many times in one year. We usually get 2 trips out of it if we do water parks, DQ and universal on the same trip.

[Tara]

What is the 10% discount cards from disboarders you mentioned?
How did you get it and is it off the AP per person?
Thanks for your help.

This summer Disney sent AP holders coupons to share with others. Each coupon was good for 10% off the purchase of a new AP for up to 6 people. The coupons had to be redeemed in person for a new, active pass (not a voucher) by July 31st. The original AP holders who shared the coupons get a $25 Disney gift card for every AP purchased with one of their coupons.

[BirdsOfPreyDave]

I know my personality too well to do the MYW ticket option. I'm stingy. If I buy a 10-day ticket thinking I'll use it for two trips, I'll then start thinking about skipping days to make it last 3 trips.

For me, it's better to pay for the AP, then have no excuses to go where I want during a vacation without having to think about saving versus using tickets.

We get too many days out of an annual pass not to continue to get them (about 20-25 per pass), but I have thought about getting a 10-day non-expiring with WPF&M one trip so I can start getting APs instead of PAPs.

[sallysue66]

The 10 Day NE works for us as we only go once a year and are happy with 3 park days and 1 or 2 "chill by the pool" days.

[dr&momto2boys]

Can someone tell me more about this 15month AP please?

[rescuetink]

WHEW... This is all co CONFUSING!!!! :confused3

that being said... we were planning on buying the 10 day NE (no PH option) as our kids are so young we probably won't go to the parks everyday.

However, we were planning on go to a park in the AM and then returning in the PM. I'm ASSUMING that you can do this as long as you return to the same park??

Am I getting this right??? :listen:

[Chuck S]

WHEW... This is all co CONFUSING!!!! :confused3

that being said... we were planning on buying the 10 day NE (no PH option) as our kids are so young we probably won't go to the parks everyday.

However, we were planning on go to a park in the AM and then returning in the PM. I'm ASSUMING that you can do this as long as you return to the same park??

Am I getting this right??? :listen:


Yes, without the PH option, you can exit and return to the same park throughout the day, but you can't hop over to another park the same day.

[Dee77]

I have played around with the numbers as well in order to figure out the best use of money and tix/passes. For my family, the deciding factor will really be if we will definitely go back for a longer trip twice in the 12 months an annual pass would be valid for. Or is it 15 months now, can anyone explain what the 15 month change is for AP's? If an AP is valid for 15 months then my mind is made up??

[DisneyWalker44]

We get the 10-day NE's with waterpark option. That's 20 park days and lasts us many years.

A number of people have commented on AP and how nice it is not not worry about saving days. Well, there's a flip side of that as well. With an AP, some people feel stress to get as much use as possible and worry about not going to parks.

I actually find being forced not to go to parks as an advantage. Don't get me wrong... I love the parks. But I've grown to love resort days and "family" days even more.

End the end, I don't think it's about preferring one ticket over another. It's about what works best for your family. For us, it's the 10-day NE's all the way.

[goofy4tink]

This has been really interesting to read. It's amazing how many of us do things in different ways. Just goes to show that no one way is the 'best' way. I always have an AP...have for 5 yrs or so. My dd, now 15, has had one as well, but that is going to come to an end this year. She can't get to WDW nearly as often anymore. So, we'll be doing 10 day, non-expiring hoppers for her in the future. And that is what we do for my dh. He goes for a few days every year or so. An AP isn't a good choice for him. But, we love going to a park in the morning, and then going to Epcot for dinner that night...so have to be able to hop.

But, it's interesting to see how many people work their vacations. Just proves that we all vacation a bit differently....doesn't make anyone right or wrong, just different. Thanks for the varying opinions.

[dizfanz]

We put 69 days on our AP last year.

I bet by the time our contract is up in 2042, we will not have gone into the parks 69 times. We went last year 7 days and did not see the inside of a park once. Now, I did visit 20 WDW bars during that week. Maybe they should make a pass for that. Anyone interested?

[jodifla]

Sometime we like to send two hours in the parks, and sometimes we like to spend 15 hours in the parks, so the AP is the best choice for us.

[silmarg]

My understaing about the 15 month AP is this...

If you RENEW an AP, its good for 15 months. I think (but cant see why it wouldnt be) valid on DVC AP RENEWALS.

A inital AP purchase is still a 12 month deal. Only the renewal is a 15 month proposition.

If you think about it, it makes good sense.

When I was an AP, I used it to go on 2 (maybe 3) trips to WDW per year. And I usually planned the last trip right before the AP expired. While there was a discount on the renewal, I knew it might be 4 or 5 months before returning, so I would pay more for the AP but the clock would not start on it until much later.

I think the 15 month renewal will increase the re-subscribe rate on APs.

[pinnocchiosdad]

Indeed... As stated earlier, Pinnocchiosdad is likely confused on the 10 day thing. I'm sure he means the 10 day MYW tix.

I believe Chuck is also correct. A true 1 day tix has no expiration, therefore a book of 10 would not expire. The only problem is they don't sell a book of 10. Yes, you can buy 10 one day tix, but you will pay $790.

MG

I have called it a "10 pack", but I am indeed refering to a 10 day MYW ticket. It is a plastic swipe card just like a room key. We have had ours going on three years the end of this month.

[pinnocchiosdad]

For whoever mentioned the TIW card, you are right on. Once you factor that in, Disney PAYS US to enter the parks. Paying $23/day would be a major bummer...

MG

TIW card?:confused3

[snackyx]

I bet by the time our contract is up in 2042, we will not have gone into the parks 69 times. We went last year 7 days and did not see the inside of a park once. Now, I did visit 20 WDW bars during that week. Maybe they should make a pass for that. Anyone interested?

diz: Count me in! I'll even buy the first round, or two, or...

[DVCGeek]

For MANY years I have been going the no expiration park hopper MYW ticket route. We'd buy 10 day ones with the plan being an annual 6-night trip to WDW that uses 3 "commando" park days (open to close including EMH). spend time at the resorts and DTD (+ EPCOT DiveQuest) on the non-park days in between. That was basically what we did in October 2008 and loved it.

However, things always have a habit of changing... We bought into DVC after touring on that trip. Fantasmic and Wishes are only being offered on limited nights. We decided we wanted to start visiting different times of the year (but I insisted on Disney at least once every calendar year and never a gap of more than 11 months between Mouse fixes!) to try various seasonal events (like seeing Christmas decorations, eventually Star Wars Weekends, Flower & Garden, etc.).

This year I bought our first AP vouchers with my DVC discount before the price increase. We have a 3 night trip coming in October, 6 nights in Nov/Dec, and another 6 nights in Jan/Feb. Especially because of the show schedule and the Tower of Terror 5k race events in October I thought we were more likely to want to spend at least some time in the parks (nearly?) every day of our trips, but probably not full days. So in this case the APs made a LOT more financial sense. We still have 7 days on MYWs left from 2008 and the current plan is to use some of those (3?) in DL in Oct. 2010 and save the remainder for a Sept. 2011 WDW trip. Not sure if we'll REALLY stay out of FL for that long, but there is a decent chance that is how it may shake out for a variety of reasons. Then come 2012 we'll re-evaluate APs based on what the trip forecast and ticket prices look like then!

[Sammie]

TIW card?:confused3

Tables in Wonderland, discount dining card.

[Snoopygirl]

Tables in Wonderland, discount dining card.

Is this an additional charge or do you get it when u buy an AP??

[AKV707]

Is this an additional charge or do you get it when u buy an AP??

It is an additional charge, It is $75 for the year. It was $65. We have purchased it for the past two years and intend on continuing to do so. 20% off at table serviced and some counter service including beverages. We have saved a ton. You need to be an AP holder to buy one.

[bmalonef45]

Like others have said it all depends how much you go. If you aren't going on that many trips a year and if you don't spend more than 5 days on each trip you can stretch out the 10 day passes. We are just now having to buy new 10 days for our kids and we bought their first ones back in 06. After several adults only trips DW and I are on our 3rd but we just don't go enough with our kids at this age to justify APs. When they get older and we have more freedom it may get to the point where we go enough to make the change. The park hopping is a must for us. We've traveled a few times with those that don't add it and its kind of a pain for us as we're used to the freedom to come and go as we please. Especially with dining ressies in the parks.

[Tara]

Is this an additional charge or do you get it when u buy an AP??

As AKV707 said, it's $75 for one card. ($50 for an additional card - and don't lose your card or you'll have to pay $50 to replace it!)

That said, I think it's still an awesome deal and can't imagine not using it. We do a lot of signature dining and it's great to get the flat 20% off including off drinks if we want them.

As for APs vs MYW non-exp, I like the flexibility of just being able to go in a park for a meal or just to do one thing without "wasting" a day.

[rescuetink]

So with all this being said, and all this great information from so so so many people, can I ask a question??

What's the best, and by best I mean CHEAPEST, way to buy tickets?? I'm looking at the 10 day NE for 2A and 1C. Online at Disney?? At the gates?? At the Disney stores?? Through AAA?? Any discount online sites??? :confused3

[pinnocchiosdad]

So with all this being said, and all this great information from so so so many people, can I ask a question??

What's the best, and by best I mean CHEAPEST, way to buy tickets?? I'm looking at the 10 day NE for 2A and 1C. Online at Disney?? At the gates?? At the Disney stores?? Through AAA?? Any discount online sites??? :confused3

How about apply for a Disney Credit Card. You get a gift card that you can use at the gate or checkin to buy your NE MYW passes.

[rescuetink]

How about apply for a Disney Credit Card. You get a gift card that you can use at the gate or checkin to buy your NE MYW passes.

Hmmmmmmmmmm My wife would kill me if I got a new card!!!

But.... any idea how much???

[LIFERBABE]

So with all this being said, and all this great information from so so so many people, can I ask a question??

What's the best, and by best I mean CHEAPEST, way to buy tickets?? I'm looking at the 10 day NE for 2A and 1C. Online at Disney?? At the gates?? At the Disney stores?? Through AAA?? Any discount online sites??? :confused3

Mousesavers recommends www.undercovertourist.com. If you sign up for the monthly e-letter, they will sometimes offer additional discount for Mousesavers. They may still have some passes left at pre-August hike prices.

[Mickey'sApprentice]

We put 69 days on our AP last year.

oh please give lots of details.

I know Chattanooga is all interstate, but still farther away from us, and somewhat comparable.

Did you do alot of weekends, 3 and 4 day weekends, did you stay all DVC, on property with AP rates, or GASP! Off-property?

I'm curious to know.

This is our 1st year as AP holders, but my family got up a trip to Gulf Shores, while MIL got up a trip to HIlton Head. :sad2:

We'll get about 12 days out of our AP.

[vicki_c]

oh please give lots of details.

<snip>

We'll get about 12 days out of our AP.

You need to plan more trips to lower that per day cost! I'm not the person you were quoting, but we did about 40 Disney days in the past 18 months, so I'll give my experience.

Jan 08 - 1 night at POR, 8 nights at the Poly club level - pre AP, pre DVC purchase (hindsight, I know) - drove from Maryland

June 08 - 2 nights at VWL, 2 nights at SSR on points - bought our APs, and had purchased DVC in March - flew in

Nov 08 - 2 nights at BWV for Food & Wine on points - flew in

Dec 08 - 1 night at WL with AP rate, 8 nights at BCV on points, 1 night at BC on cash, 2 nights at BCV on cash (mishmosh due to availability and the fact that I kept adding days on either end!) - we drove

June 09 - 1 night at POFQ (AP discount) and 7 nights at Poly club level on the 4/3 deal (so no points) - we drove for that trip as well.

I have not yet used the Member Services / 25% cash discount thing yet, because I used other deals so far when staying on cash, but don't forget that that's often available for DVC resorts as well.

[bz8bls]

What are those, who qualifies, and what is the price?

[silmarg]

What are those, who qualifies, and what is the price?

Courtesy of CHESHIRE FIGMENT

Walt Disney World has a special program during 2009 for members of the United States armed services, their dependents and guests. This post discusses the program and is broken into three major sections: Eligibility, Entitlements, and Procedures for participating.

Eligibility and Definitions

A service member has a current active duty, including active reserve, or retired ID card from the Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Marine Corp, or Navy.

A dependent is the spouse or other relative of a service member who has an ID card which shows the service member as the sponsor.

A guest is any person not a dependent accompanying the service member.

Not eligible on their own are persons who would normally have access to military bases and/or Shades of Green (SoG) such as DoD Civilians, NAF, USPHS and veterans who are not retirees. This list may include others. People who fall into this category may, however, be dependents or guests.

Tickets and Entitlements

A service member may receive one “5-Day Disney’s Armed Forces Salute Ticket” up through December 23, 2009. This will be a Five Day Park Hopper with five WPF&M entries. This ticket is complimentary (free). The ticket will expire at Midnight on Wednesday, December 23, 2009 even if all entries have not been used. The ticket is not subject to the normal 14 day from first use expiration rules. Demographic information on the service member will be recorded in the Automated Ticketing System (ATS) and the name printed on the ticket. This ticket cannot be upgraded or modified in any way.

A service member may purchase up to five “5-Day Disney’s Armed Forces Salute Companion Ticket” at $99 (plus tax) each, without regard to age. (As normal, people under age 3 do not require tickets.) These may be used by dependents or guests. These tickets may only be purchased through December 23, 2009. The name of each dependent and/or guest will be recorded in ATS, tied to the service member’s name, and will be printed on the ticket.

The Companion Tickets will expire Midnight, Wednesday, December 23, 2009, even if all entries have not been used. The initial entitlements for the Companion ticket a five days, one theme park per day. For $25 (plus tax) park hopping may be added. For $25 (plus tax) five WPF&M entries may be added. The normal 14 day rules concerning expiration and upgrade do not apply. However, no additional days may be added and the ticket may not have the No Expire option added.

The Companion Tickets may be upgraded to Annual Passes, Premium APs, or Florida Resident Seasonal Passes (with proper Florida ID). The normal 14 day upgrade period does not apply. However, there will not be “price bridging”; this means that the value of the ticket will be what was paid for it ($99, $124, or $149) and not the current gate price of an equivalent MYW ticket. If the ticket is upgraded to an annual product the expiration date will be one year from the date of first use of the Companion Ticket.

As an exception, if the immediate family has more than five dependents, additional Companion Tickets may be purchased, but not to exceed the number of dependents. If the immediate family has more than five dependents tickets may not be purchased for guests.

If the service member is not available the spouse may purchase and/or activate up to five Companion Tickets for family and guests. The special large family rule above applies. This purchase will not prevent the service member from receiving the free ticket at a later date, but this will make the service member ineligible to purchase any additional Companion Tickets. Note that the Dependent ID Card (DD Form 1173) must show a relationship of either "Spouse" or "Unremarried Widow" to be able to activate the tickets.

Procedures and Purchasing

There are three sources available. Two of these sources are Shades of Green or many (but not all) MWR offices. These are not “live” tickets but must be activated. The advantage to purchasing these is that sales tax is not collected on the Companion Tickets.

The third source is Walt Disney World Park Ticket Offices (including TTC) and Guest Relations Offices (including DTD). Sales tax will be collected on any sales of Companion Tickets or upgrades. Note that these cannot be purchased at any Resort Lobby Concierge or online.

When activating tickets or purchasing at a WDW ticket location all members of the party must be present. The Complimentary Ticket may be done only once during the year. And it is only one ticket per person.

Certain information from the service member’s ID will be entered into ATS (Name, Birth Date, base where assigned) and the names of all Companion Ticket holders will also be entered and tied to the service member. If the tickets were prepurchased (MWR or SoG) the person will get the same card back. If these are new tickets, the tickets will be printed by ATS.

Once activated the tickets may be used at any turnstile. Finger scans will be used. In the event a ticket becomes demagnetized they can be reissued just as any other ticket.

If you have unused non-promotional tickets and wish to have them applied to the purchase of Companion Tickets, this may be done provided the value of the unused tickets is equal to or less than the value of the Companion Tickets being purchased or upgraded.

[mvc1997]

The new renewal policy (if good for DVC members) might change people's strategies regarding AP vs. 10-day MYW. As it stands now, the 10-day pass is only a better deal if you visit parks for 10 total days and it takes you MORE than 1 year to do so. But with the new 15-month renewal, it might start making more sense to go the AP route.

I think I missed something.
Could you please explain the New 15-month renewal? :confused3
I'd really appreciate it
Thanks!

[Tara]

I think I missed something.
Could you please explain the New 15-month renewal? :confused3
I'd really appreciate it
Thanks!

If you renew your AP within the 30-day window before or after your existing AP expires, you get a new AP at the reduced renewal rate that is good for 15 months, not 12 months.

[mvc1997]

Thanks Tara! :goodvibes

[rescuetink]

Mousesavers recommends www.undercovertourist.com. If you sign up for the monthly e-letter, they will sometimes offer additional discount for Mousesavers. They may still have some passes left at pre-August hike prices.

I checked their prices against Disney's website...

Undercovertourist.com ; $1,325.85 (And their site says you save $27.00 off gate prices)

Disney's website; $1323.00

I guess you do have to wait for an email special!!! I'll check with AAA also, I know they have them at a discount... supposedly!!! LOL

[tjkraz]

I checked their prices against Disney's website...

Undercovertourist.com ; $1,325.85 (And their site says you save $27.00 off gate prices)

Disney's website; $1323.00

I guess you do have to wait for an email special!!! I'll check with AAA also, I know they have them at a discount... supposedly!!! LOL

Disney's website does not include tax until the end of the transaction. Most third-party dealers list their full price up-front including tax. (Regardless of where you live, Florida sales tax is applied to the transaction since the passes are redeemed in FL.)