AP question, and advice needed

[Wcpedorc]

I will be making two trips to the world this year, and I am trying to figure out the best ticket options for our family. the first trip will be the begining of August with my dw, ds(2), dm. we will be staying off site for 7 nights, likely visiting a park 5-6 days. I will be then attending a conference, and staying onsite csr for 4 nights visiting parks every night and maybe Saturday if I can get a late flight. DW will be joining me late and visiting parks 2-3 times.
If I buy an ap it will save us parking for 5-6 days our first trip, if it's still $14 that makes $84 savings, bringing my ap from $611.31(tax) to $527.31. a 5 day base myw with confrence discount is $256.66, and 6 day base without tax is 278, totalling $534, so I think that those figures alone make an ap for me a no brainer.
My question is When does the ap start? when I buy it or use it?
I have read that I can buy a discount ticket from undercover tourist for example and upgrade that to an ap, and only pay the difference in price between the gate price of my ticket and annual pass, thus keeping the savings, but if prices go up, which I'm sure they will by then I will loose my savings.
Also I know there is a discount on tickets for friends with the ap, can anyone tell me what that is and can i use my ap to buy them before I get to the parks?
Also can I buy no experation tickets with an ap discount?
I know this is a lot, but I need to figure this out. Thank you so much for your help, and advice.

 

[mesaboy2]

I will be making two trips to the world this year, and I am trying to figure out the best ticket options for our family. the first trip will be the begining of August with my dw, ds(2), dm. we will be staying off site for 7 nights, likely visiting a park 5-6 days. I will be then attending a conference, and staying onsite csr for 4 nights visiting parks every night and maybe Saturday if I can get a late flight. DW will be joining me late and visiting parks 2-3 times.
If I buy an ap it will save us parking for 5-6 days our first trip, if it's still $14 that makes $84 savings, bringing my ap from $611.31(tax) to $527.31. a 5 day base myw with confrence discount is $256.66, and 6 day base without tax is 278, totalling $534, so I think that those figures alone make an ap for me a no brainer.
My question is When does the ap start? when I buy it or use it?
I have read that I can buy a discount ticket from undercover tourist for example and upgrade that to an ap, and only pay the difference in price between the gate price of my ticket and annual pass, thus keeping the savings, but if prices go up, which I'm sure they will by then I will loose my savings.
Also I know there is a discount on tickets for friends with the ap, can anyone tell me what that is and can i use my ap to buy them before I get to the parks?
Also can I buy no experation tickets with an ap discount?
I know this is a lot, but I need to figure this out. Thank you so much for your help, and advice.

When you first use it.

I am not aware of any discount for regular tickets for others' use.

 

[Wcpedorc]

Sorry I Forgot to confirm, if I upgrade a myw ticket to an ap, it converts with the start date that I first use the myw ticket, right?

 

[mesaboy2]

Sorry I Forgot to confirm, if I upgrade a myw ticket to an ap, it converts with the start date that I first use the myw ticket, right?

Yes.

 

[Wcpedorc]

When you first use it.

I am not aware of any discount for regular tickets for others' use.

Oh ok, I thought that I read that somewhere on the boards. Thank you.
I had also thought i saw someplace on the disney site that an ap starts at time of purchase. I cant find it now, that site is hard to navigate.

 

[mesaboy2]

Oh ok, I thought that I read that somewhere on the boards. Thank you.
I had also thought i saw someplace on the disney site that an ap starts at time of purchase. I cant find it now, that site is hard to navigate.

I want to say that discounts on other tickets is an option at Universal but not Disney. Not entirely sure, but pretty confident. Hopefully someone else will know.

 

[lovesdumbo]

If you buy a discount ticket and use it prior to upgrade you get current gate price. So if prices go up you saves even more.

Just be sure to know exactly how much the upgrade should be so you can question CM if they give you a higher price.

 

[mountdew1]

Oh ok, I thought that I read that somewhere on the boards. Thank you.
I had also thought i saw someplace on the disney site that an ap starts at time of purchase. I cant find it now, that site is hard to navigate.

It depends on how you purchase the AP. If you purchase at the parks or DTD, you will buying an activated AP that will be valid from the day of purchase. If you upgrade a MYW ticket to an AP, the AP will be valid from the date of first use on the MYW ticket. If you buy an AP voucher from someplace like the Disney Store, the AP will be valid from when you redeem the voucher and get the actual AP.

If you upgrade a MYW ticket make sure to use the ticket to enter the park at least once. Then when you ask the guest relations CM to bridge your ticket, you should get credited the current gate price. So if you bought a MYW ticket from say UT, and that ticket is $30 under gate, then you will save the $30 from the cost of the AP. Make sure that you know what the current gate price is, and what the current AP price is, as not all CMs know how to do it properly. As of now policy is still to credit you what the current gate price is on a bridge, and not what the reseller paid for it. Some CMs may try to only credit you what the reseller paid, which is why you need to know the value, and request to speak with a manager if they don't do it properly.

 

[Cheshire Figment]

If you go to the locked sticky Everything About WDW Tickets in this Forum, especially Post #7 and #18-C, you can get a lot more information. An easy way to get to the sticky is by clicking on the link in my signature. The ticket sticky is your friend!

 

[Wcpedorc]

If you go to the locked sticky Everything About WDW Tickets in this Forum, especially Post #7 and #18-C, you can get a lot more information. An easy way to get to the sticky is by clicking on the link in my signature. The ticket sticky is your friend!

Sadly my phone doesn't show signatures, and search doesn't work.

 

[leeliani]

If you are on the Dis Ap on your phone there should be a tab at the top of the forum that says "stickies" on it. Just tap it and all the sticky threads will show up.

 

[Wcpedorc]

If you are on the Dis Ap on your phone there should be a tab at the top of the forum that says "stickies" on it. Just tap it and all the sticky threads will show up.

Thank you.

 

[Dis703]

We just bought our first AP and I did a ton of reading on it. As far as I understand the discounted tickets you can buy with it are limited to one or both of the water parks, not the 4 main theme parks. I was excited when I first heard you could buy discounted tickets, but we have no interest in the water parks.

 

[Wcpedorc]

We just bought our first AP and I did a ton of reading on it. As far as I understand the discounted tickets you can buy with it are limited to one or both of the water parks, not the 4 main theme parks. I was excited when I first heard you could buy discounted tickets, but we have no interest in the water parks.

Ok I was pretty sure that i read something about tickets, we are not watermark people either.