Annual Pass - Buy Now or Upgrade Tickets in March?

[dreamscometrue101]

I'm starting to plan my first of 2 trips for 2017 and I'm going back on forth on what is the best plan.

I was thinking of booking a package when the prices come out this summer and then upgrade my tickets to an annual pass when I get to Orlando in March. The reasons for this would be being able to pay off the package throughout the fall and not have to pay for it all at once on the trip, and being able to customize the magicband and have it waiting for me when I arrive at the resort (they don't ship them to Canada).

My other option is to just pay for the annual pass now, and book room only for both trips (hopefully with an AP discount). If I did this my pass still wouldn't activate until March when I redeemed the voucher for the actual pass but I would get the current price, rather than the potentially increased price later on. The one down side would be that for my March trip I would not have a customized band, but given that I was likely going to buy a special one as a birthday present to myself anyway that's not a huge issue.

Are there any other reasons I haven't thought of to go one way or the other? I'm just so torn as it's my first time purchasing an Annual Pass, but it makes the most financial sense since I'm doing a solo trip for 4 days in March and then DH and I are doing almost 2 weeks in October/November.

 

[erionm]

My other option is to just pay for the annual pass now, and book room only for both trips (hopefully with an AP discount). If I did this my pass still wouldn't activate until March when I redeemed the voucher for the actual pass but I would get the current price, rather than the potentially increased price later on. The one down side would be that for my March trip I would not have a customized band, but given that I was likely going to buy a special one as a birthday present to myself anyway that's not a huge issue.

Room only reservations also get MagicBands.

 

[Accident]

If you have a discount that requires a ticket, upgrading when you get there will allow you to get the discount and the annual pass without a room only. There have been a couple AP discounts that are a hair better than ticketed versions of the promotions and getting the pass now will let you book tours and AP discounts instead of trying to get a refund after you upgrade while your on property...

Also AP tends to go up in price in the fall, if you get it now your locked into the current price if it does go up again before your trip.

Any room gets a free magicband so that doesn't matter if your booking an onsite room. you'll get additional AP passes on top of that either way after you activate it.

 

[dreamscometrue101]

Thank you for the replies.... my decision is now made.... I didn't realize room only got bands as well. I guess I'm buying my Annual Pass in the next couple of weeks.

Thanks!