AP from the UK

[UKDisneyJoe]

Hi all
Im sure this has been spoken about previously but wondered if anyone could give advice on getting an AP. I have heard it is cheaper and easier to get it done when out there which is fine but firstly wondered on what sort of price it would cost. We have the 14 day ultimate ticket from the UK already booked. Secondly I wondered if we upgraded to AP at the start of our trip would we lose any of the benefits we have with our current ticket (crazy golf, water parks).
Not really done much investigating yet but were better to start then you lovely experts on the DIS.
Thanks in advance for any help
Joe

 

[sjt22]

It depends on what type of annual pass you go for that will decide if you lose the water parks. We did not go in the water parks before we upgraded and decided we wont be really using them anyway so just went for the platinum pass so now can't go in the water parks at all. If you go for the platinum plus you can still do the water parks. Shop around we went to all the guest services and tried everyday and got the same price, on the second to last day got a price about $80 pp cheaper. our 14 day ultimate tickets for 2016 were £299 I think and basically everywhere i went calculated that into dollars the worked out the difference on the cost of an annual pass and with the rubbish exchange rate we basically saved nothing. It was hollywood studios that eventually gave us a great deal.
Sarah x

 

[RossK]

Hi all
Im sure this has been spoken about previously but wondered if anyone could give advice on getting an AP. I have heard it is cheaper and easier to get it done when out there which is fine but firstly wondered on what sort of price it would cost. We have the 14 day ultimate ticket from the UK already booked. Secondly I wondered if we upgraded to AP at the start of our trip would we lose any of the benefits we have with our current ticket (crazy golf, water parks).
Not really done much investigating yet but were better to start then you lovely experts on the DIS.
Thanks in advance for any help
Joe

Our UK tickets are much, much better value than the US tickets. Unless you visit Disney multiple times a year, you are unlikely to save money by buying an AP. We do one 3 week holiday per year and its way cheaper to buy the 21-Day Ultimate ticket than an AP.

 

[UKDisneyJoe]

Will be going for another 2 weeks in October 2018 too. So as long as its cheaper then the ultimate ticket we will do it but just wondered. Thanks to you both.

 

[california37]

Hi
We had upgraded our 14 day ultimate tix to AP this Feb as we have another trip in August. It wholly depends on a number of factors whether it is cheaper to upgrade or not....
1/ do you want to do the waterparks/mini golf etc.... if so how many times...
2/are you a DVC member or not
3/ when is your trip as an AP is only valid for a year once your ticket is used. I.e. If you used your ticket today (April 11th-your upgrade would be dated April 11th meaning that it expires on April 11th 2018)
4/ which cast member you get and how they do they upgrade when trying to upgrade.
5/ depending on the above-may take more than one attempt to get an upgrade price you are happy with.....
6/ are your trips on site or off site?

E .g I had a price in mind (based on exchange rates too!) in Feb... went to one guest services and quoted a higher price. Another day went to another guest service and was quoted the same- went to a third guest service and was quoted a good price to upgrade so did the deal!

What a cast member says isn't always right!!
Hope that helps!
Happy travels!

 

[Elise79]

As you are onsite and have the tickets are part of the package you have nothing to lose by trying to upgrade.

If you want the water park access you will need to get a platinum plus AP.

Before you go look at how much your tickets will cost for the following year and allow for any benefits you will get - then get a price if its less than it would cost do the upgrade.

Like others we have always had to shop round to get a good price.

 

[Willowfae]

We usually go for 2 weeks and the 14 day ticket is cheaper than an AP. This year though we did one week in Feb and are doing one week in Oct. Two 7 day tickets work out more expensive than an AP so we have gone for that. However, we are DVC and so we get a special rate for the AP. I don't know if the regular AP is cheaper than two 7 day tickets or not.

 

[UKDisneyJoe]

Thanks all. I am not DVC, we are staying offsite next time. Our next year trip is around 10 months after this years one so will be in the same year period. What if we went to the water parks in the first few days then tried the upgrade, would they know we have used it in the parks and make us get the platinum?
Just thinking if we wait until the second week of this trip to upgrade we could go to water park and crazy golf before we need to upgrade it.

 

[california37]

Yes they know where you have used your ticket and will charge you for the platinum one! Sounds like you need to do a bit of maths to see if the other discounts (food and merchandise) makes the tickets cheaper with an AP and if you're off site (parking is at the mo $20 per day- AP it's free!) or maybe one person in your party gets an ap? The uk tickets are often cheaper especially with the poor exchange rate!
Happy travels!

 

[chmurf]

2018 tickets will set you back £419

so if they quote you less than that to upgrade to AP, you'll come ahead, even before parking and discounts.

But, Disney UK might do their 25% off tickets again before your next trip. So £315 (roughly)

so you could place a bet on a total of £734 price,( your current ticket and a new 14 day ticket with discount early 2018)


Current top AP is at $925 (incl. tax) so roughly £730

So IF you get that 25% off next year, you get even. But that deal is not guaranteed to return

But if you need parking, and will do some shopping and use AP discounts, it's a no brainer.

As long as you get to upgrade for less than £315, you're saving if you upgrade.
Shop around and upgrade when and where they give you the lowest quote.

 

[lush]

When we went two years ago, I bought an AP and just bought the rest of my family 14 Ultimate tickets. For us it worked out really well that way. We got the free parking, discounts, TIW card, etc. I didn't bother buying a ticket here and then trying to upgrade it though because I'd really mixed results on here from people about being able to do it. I ordered it before we went which meant it was linked to my magic band before we went and I was also able to book FPs. They sent me a voucher and then I collected it from the TTC on our first day at MK.

I plan to do it again next time we go.