Annual Pass Discount

[DreaGirl]

We are thinking about getting annual passes for our next trip in either June or August. Is there always annual pass holder discounts or are they like any other discount (only offered during select times)?

 

[gardenia]

No, there are not always AP discounts. Select times, select resorts. I remember one year I had to settle for a AAA discount (only 10%) in June because there were no AP discounts. This year many of the AP offers have been lower than last year - 35% on deluxe instead of 40%.

If you plan to visit 10 days or more in a year, an AP makes sense; but don't get AP assuming you will get a big discount on the date and resort you have in mind.

 

[stitch34]

Don't get the AP for the room discounts. We have them, find it's a big savings as we go 2-3 times a year.... and yeah, usually do get some room discount... but isn't really any better than the GP discount... and lately many resorts and dates end up being blacked out, or need to book minimum day stay.
But to get the AP thinking there will be great resort discounts... not necessarily going to happen. Also, sometimes we've ended up waiting till a month or two out from our trip for the AP rate to even be released... and just to find it doesn't apply to our resort or dates or isn't really that great.

For us it works as we love the dining plan and then can book dining plan to our room w/o having to add park tickets. This helps us, as we do split stays.

But we do hate missing out on great deals like free dining... which after we buy the required 2-day tickets for all of us to be able to get free dining when we don't need tickets due to APs, there goes the point of the savings with the free dining.

 

[TaraPA]

Is there a website anywhere that shows past AP discount dates? I know someone had provided a link to the past free dining dates which got me thinking about AP discounts. I just booked a 40% off deluxe AP rate for a split stay at Poly & BCV for early March - great deal - but as of now the AP rate ends 3/8. I need another room/villa for the end of March but don't see that anything is being offered for AP discount. Quite possibly there won't be a discount for the rest of March!

 

[ancestry]

Is there a website anywhere that shows past AP discount dates? I know someone had provided a link to the past free dining dates which got me thinking about AP discounts. I just booked a 40% off deluxe AP rate for a split stay at Poly & BCV for early March - great deal - but as of now the AP rate ends 3/8. I need another room/villa for the end of March but don't see that anything is being offered for AP discount. Quite possibly there won't be a discount for the rest of March!

http://www.mousesavers.com/disneyresorts.html#historical

I, too, am waiting for AP rates to be published for dates past March 8th. I need mid-to-late April rates. I've reserved a room using the public discount for now but if AP rates are decent I may switch from a mod to a deluxe.

 

[TaraPA]

THANK YOU for that very helpful link. I realize nothing is guaranteed, but I see they released the March/April AP discount around January 7th that year.

I was pricing things out today with the 30% GP discount & forgot peak season is March & April. The stay I booked for 3/4-8 is still regular season, so with a 40% AP discount the rates are MUCH lower than a 30% discount during peak. Yikes, I might have to settle for Swan/Dolphin if I can't find a 40% AP discount. Which is fine, DH will be at S/D for a conference, we're just tagging along at the end, so we may as well just stay put. I do absolutely love S/D. I stay onsite when I travel with friends, but with the kids we usually just tag onto DH's conferences at S/D. I was hoping to surprise the kids with BCV or Poly for this trip, but Disney may have out-priced me this time!

 

[DreaGirl]

Thank you all for the wonderful info! We are still deciding on what would be the best way to go. We are going this summer and then at the beginning of 2013, so we would get two trips out of them (and hopefully a girls trip with a my bestie).