Advice on AP/Ticket Strategy

[KimberlyE]

We have never had an AP and usually can only go every 2 years. We are in a position to buy an AP this trip and want to decide on the best budget friendly plan to maximize our Disney time. I do not want to break any rules but I've read so many different tips/strategies that I am thoroughly confused. Here are some ideas that we are throwing around - we welcome advice and input!

Family of 4 - 2 adults, 2 kids (one kid just turned 9 and the other will be 3 at end of September). We are booked for a trip in September (before 2 year old's birthday). So we paid for 2 adults and 1 child 6-day tickets. We'd like to take at least 1-2 family trips between 9/2014 and 9/2015 and maybe 1-2 adult only weekend trips during same time frame. We drive from GA and enjoy Free Dining and value or moderate resorts.

1. Do we pay for AP's for adults only and then buy tickets for kids as needed?
2. We like to go during free dining, can we get FD with room only and not tickets?
3. Will it work to buy tickets in order to get FD but then use those tickets for renewal of AP? OR Can we just have adult AP's and use tickets for kids and qualify for FD?
4. Can we use our Disney Visa rewards to pay for AP?
5. Tips on how to handle our tickets for our trip in September and an AP. Confused on the process of turning in unused tickets for AP credits. We also don't want to do anything that cancels out our FD.
6. Anything else that we are overlooking? Suggestions?

 

[Shaden]

1. Do we pay for AP's for adults only and then buy tickets for kids as needed?
It really depends on the number of days you are planning on taking the kids. However, remember that the shorter the ticket the more expensive it is. If you end up buying a 2 day ticket its almost $200. Do that couple times, and those APs start looking mighty attractive.

2. We like to go during free dining, can we get FD with room only and not tickets?
FD is usually only offered as part of a package, meaning you have to buy tickets as well. That being said, buying an AP will allow you to get a Tables in wonderland card, which will save you 20% off all your food.
Also, other than this Aug/Sept, Free dining is getting rarer and rarer .... so if you are planning several trips over the next year, it isn't very likely that you will be able to get FD for many of them ...

3. Will it work to buy tickets in order to get FD but then use those tickets for renewal of AP? OR Can we just have adult AP's and use tickets for kids and qualify for FD?

Sorry can't help you with this one ...
4. Can we use our Disney Visa rewards to pay for AP?
Or this one ... can't even get that card in Canada

5. Tips on how to handle our tickets for our trip in September and an AP. Confused on the process of turning in unused tickets for AP credits. We also don't want to do anything that cancels out our FD.
I am not sure what you mean by "unused tickets" you can actually include "used" tickets and upgrade them to APs. This is what my wife and I did on our trip in May 2013. On the final day of our 10 Day park hoppers, we went to a ticket kiosk and had them convert our 10 Day hoppers to APs. They transferred the entire cost of the 10 Day hopper against the purchase of a new AP.

6. Anything else that we are overlooking? Suggestions?

For me, if you are going that often, APs look pretty darn attractive.

 

[illinidp]

Free dining packages require a minimum 2 day ticket for everybody on the reservation getting the FD. If it's your first trip on the AP you ca get the ticket needed to cover all of your park days so that you can make all of your FP+ selections in advance and then upgrade to APs when you are there. The APs will start the first day you use the regular ticket so you may as we'll upgrade after you go into the park the first day so you can start taking advantage of the AP discounts.

On a second trip with free dining, you can buy the minimum required ticket and apply that to AP renewal or purchase of a new AP in the future.

 

[bumbershoot]

Figure out your trips. Figure out the cost of buying individual tickets for each trip. Add them up. See if an AP makes sense.

The free dining I can't help you with. I never seem to go when there's a promo.

You talk about renewing, but would this increase in # of trips continue beyond a year from the first trip? If it would, that could be a plan.

Remember that the current 9 year old would be bumping up to an adult-priced ticket at some point during the year of AP.