Annual Pass break even point

[Jungle Cruiser]

In the fall we go to WDW for, on average 9 to 10 days. In the Spring we go to WDW for a week. We always book our vacation as a package, meaning room and tickets. Checking prices on the Disney website, two separate tickets (a 9 day and a 7 day) with park hopper options would be $578 and an annual pass would be $489. My questions are:

1. By booking your vacation as a package do you get a discount on your tickets?

Also, we have already booked our trip for the fall. I was reading Cheshire Figment's great Sticky Thread about WDW tickets.

2. Do, I understand correctly that we can leave our reservation as is, and upgrade to AP while we are there?

3. How does that work, do they deduct the cost of your MYW ticket for the vacation from the cost of the AP and you pay the difference?

4. Finally, does it have to be done on the first day of your trip?

Thanks in advance for any help!

 

[DisKate]

In the fall we go to WDW for, on average 9 to 10 days. In the Spring we go to WDW for a week. We always book our vacation as a package, meaning room and tickets. Checking prices on the Disney website, two separate tickets (a 9 day and a 7 day) with park hopper options would be $578 and an annual pass would be $489. My questions are:

1. By booking your vacation as a package do you get a discount on your tickets?

Also, we have already booked our trip for the fall. I was reading Cheshire Figment's great Sticky Thread about WDW tickets.

2. Do, I understand correctly that we can leave our reservation as is, and upgrade to AP while we are there?

3. How does that work, do they deduct the cost of your MYW ticket for the vacation from the cost of the AP and you pay the difference?

4. Finally, does it have to be done on the first day of your trip?

Thanks in advance for any help!

I'll try to help!
1. No, I'm pretty sure you don't get a discount on the tickets.

2. Yes, you can upgrade to an AP at any point during your trip.

3. You will take your ticket (MYW) to the guest relations office and let them know that you want to upgrade your current ticket to an AP and they will deduct the cost of your MYW ticket from the cost of the AP and you will pay the difference.

4. No, you can do it at any point in time during your trip. We did ours on our last morning in the World.

 

[doconeill]

1) It doesn't appear that Disney, at least often, applies discounts to the purchase price of a ticket when getting a discounted package. However, that wouldn't matter much if you follow the general advice that you always use a ticket at least once first before upgrading, as that brings the ticket value up to the current gate price.

2) Once you check in and are given your tickets (usually on your KTTW card), you are free to upgrade each individually in any way you wish.

3) You go to a ticket window with your current ticket, and say, "I'd like yo upgrade this X". And you pay the difference in the price of the ticket you have and the price of the ticket you want, plus tax on that amount.

4) At any time of your convenience, so long as it is by the 14th day when you first use the ticket. But do it early so you can take advantage of any additional discounts like on shopping, dining, etc.

The expiration of a ticket will always be based on the day of first use of the original ticket, so you don't gain anything by waiting.

 

[Buckeye Princess]

We were debating on APs for our upcoming trip. I may or may not be going without DH on a trip for a friend's birthday. We decided that it would be worth it for me to get the AP up front so that we can get the TIW card, even if it ends up that I don't go on that later trip. We've done the dining plan in the past but decided TIW will be better because we are going to eat at V&A and also like to have flexibility in what we order. We tend to eat all dinners at signature restaurants too. So if TIW is something you want to take advantage of take that into consideration as if you'll save money using it, it could be worth the extra cost of the AP.

 

[Jungle Cruiser]

We were debating on APs for our upcoming trip. I may or may not be going without DH on a trip for a friend's birthday. We decided that it would be worth it for me to get the AP up front so that we can get the TIW card, even if it ends up that I don't go on that later trip. We've done the dining plan in the past but decided TIW will be better because we are going to eat at V&A and also like to have flexibility in what we order. We tend to eat all dinners at signature restaurants too. So if TIW is something you want to take advantage of take that into consideration as if you'll save money using it, it could be worth the extra cost of the AP.

Buckeye Princess, TIW what started my research into the AP! We will be there during September and got a great discount on a one-bedroom in BLT when we booked during our March trip. If WDW announces, as people suspect they will, free dining, we wouldn't take advantage of the offer, our room discount is much better. However, since we eat at a lot of TS restaurants, this may be a great option.

Does anyone know the expiration on a TIW card? Is it for a year?

Thank you DisKate and doconeill for your quick response!

 

[doconeill]

Expiration on a TIW card is a little weird, but it is always a bit more than a year and has something to do with when during the month you purchase it. Typically it works out to around 13 months.

I thought it originally had something to do with how they handled imprinting the cards (they were credit card-like with your name and an embossed number before), but now that they are printed on-demand like an AP, I'm not sure why they still do it that way...

 

[BrettS]

We decided that it would be worth it for me to get the AP up front so that we can get the TIW card, even if it ends up that I don't go on that later trip.

This might be a problem... if you get the TIW card then it will be in your name and you need to be present at any meal where it's used. If you're not on the later trip then your family won't be able to use it without you. I believe that you can get your spouse a card, but it's rather expensive ($50) and you both may need to be present to purchase it.

Buckeye PrincessDoes anyone know the expiration on a TIW card? Is it for a year?

It's actually a bit confusing and slightly more than a year. It expires the next year on the last day of the month following the month you purchased it. For example, I bought my TIW card on 4/20/09 and it expires on 5/31/10.

HTH,
Brett

 

[Cheshire Figment]

What I recommend is that you take your ticket and enter the Park. Then go to the Guest Relations inside to do the upgrade. They will allow you the current gate price for the ticket you have, subtract that value from the cost of the AP you are upgrading to, and add the tax on the difference. The expiration date will be one year from date of first use of the ticket.

At the same time you can then buy your TiW card. Under current pricing your would pay $75 for the card. Note that the card will save you $21,30 for every $100 menu price taking tax into account and making the assumpotion that yoiu will normally tip at 18%.

 

[mattmommy]

We spent 3 weeks on 2 occasions last year and bought the AP with the water parks and Disney Quest.

We definitely used enough days to recoup our money and visited the water parks twice. Also the AP allows hopping. You get free parking. 10% off World of Disney purchases.

The only thing I would have done differently would be to purchase the tables in Wonderland. That would have helped us with food.

 

[ajjollie23]

You should buy the AP, especially if you will be going on 2 trips within a year. We are DVC members so our AP's pay for themselves after 10 days. I would do what others have suggested and use your tickets to get into the park at least one day first and then do the upgrade to AP. WDW does not give a discount on tickets with the package, however, if you buy AP they give pretty significant room discounts throughout the year for AP holders.
Also we did the TIW back in the days that it was called Disney Dining Experience, prior to Dining plan craziness. We didn't go to many sit down restaurants, but it also saved us money on counter services (this may have changed, I haven't looked into it recently) but at the time it was really worth it for us.