Annual Pass for ONE week??

[Catrin]

Hi Everyone...

Has anyone purchaced an ANNUAL Pass for just a ONE week stay? Was the price you paid made up in the discounts you received?
I would love some feedback on this - thinking of going this way, and letting hubby and the kids get 5 day passes.

Any info would be appreciated!

Cathy

 

[LeahA]

Cathy,

I was thinking about staying onsite this upcoming trip, and I thought about getting the AP for one of us, so we can take advantage of the AP rate. There seems to be alot of savings out there for hotels with the AP rate.

Leah

 

[disneysteve]

If you are staying offsite, remember that AP includes parking. That alone may make it worth getting one for one member of your party.

I honestly never paid much attention to the discounts because they seem to be for places that we don't generally go or they duplicate DC discounts, but I'm sure others can comment on how good of a value they are.

Steve

 

[Kaa]

You didn't say when you plan to go, but it may be wise to check on Annual Pass Holder room discounts when they are released for your travel dates and then make up your mind. You don't have to have the AP in hand to make the discounted reservation or obtaining pricing. You can then decide if the discounts will be worth the purchase of the pass.

 

[catwho]

And to add to the other good advice you have gotten, if you think you may be going back within a year, then go ahead and get one. We buy AP's every other year and get 2 or more vacations out of them by scheduling our next year's vacation a month (or two) before our AP's expire.

 

[BriarfoxinWA]

We bought PAP's for our 11 day trip last summer. I think the breakeven point on them is 10 days. (That's when the cost is equal per day to what you would for a daily pass) We're going back on spring break and staying off site. For us the free parking this trip and the ability to go to Disney Quest and the water parks several times was the top selling point. I always forget to take advantage of the discounts

See what the difference in price is and figure out if it's worth it to pay the extra in order to get all the "perks" that go along with it.

 

[disneefamily]

Disnee Dad Says.....................................I must warn you, if you buy even one AP, you will be stricken with an uncontrollable urge to go back before the "free" tickets expire. That said you better get AP's for everyone and start planning your second trip.
We used our Ap's down to the last minute of the last day they were good! Heck, you are on the east coast, and can probably get in two more trips!
You'd be surprized with how much disney money you can come up with, if you stop eating, freeze in the winter and broil in the summer. Use a candle for light, or better yet plug in an extention cord to an unsuspecting neighbor! lol...

 

[Debbie]

LOL disneedad! Thats exactly the same post that I was going to write!!!! My best trip ever was the one the parents snuck in on that annual pass! (sigh)

 

[punkin]

Ha. I currently have 4 APs burning a hole in my pocket. The kids and I already broke even on them (8days), but hubbie MUST go for another 3 days to break even. Not only that...I can't just break even, I must MAKE money on them, so I'm planning 2 more trips this year (possibly 3) just because I have APs-Disneys best moneymaker!

 

[Colexi's Mom]

I am planning on buying APs for our 10 day May trip. My thought was (other than the fact that we want to be able to go into the parks all 10 days and we are switching resorts so UPH aren't really an option) that I could hopefully get another trip out of it since we wouldn't have to buy passes again!! Now I just need to convince my DH of this, and keep my eyes out for really cheap airfare!!

 

[Goofyzgurl]

AP's are addictive. I got one for our trip at the end of this month. Last night I asked dh when we were going again. He told me we haven't even taken this trip yet. I told himk I needed to plan and get room ressies. Told him we could always cancel if he changes his mind--hehehe and he fell for that one.

 

[Gillian]

Disnee Dad is sooo right! We keep trying to find ways to get back there yet again before our APs expire!

I wouldn't do it unless you plan to take another trip within the year. The code rates for discounts have been almost as good, and sometimes better. The other discounts aren't worth it.

And, like the rest of us, you could wind up planning more trips than you ever thought, just to get the most out of that AP!!

 

[elgerber]

They are soooooooooo right! We bought APs for Dec. 2000 for our once in a lifetime trip. Ended up going back August 2001 (secretly my plan all along, dh fell for it LOL). Now we already have purchased AP vouchers for this December, and are planning the following October LOL.

Erika

 

[Luv2Roam]

We bought AP's for the first time to use January '02. We returned in May and October.
Renewing the AP's was less expensive, plus with the eight nights at ASMu, I saved a lot. (Paid just under $55 a night, including taxes!)
It's great to have the option to park hop and not plan days NOT to go to the parks. (After all, isn't that why you are there?)
But then to get good room rates, and a FEW (and I mean few ) other perks make up for it.

 

[MulanMom]

if everyone hasn't already convinced you to buy APs for your entire family and plan multiple trips for the following year, you may want to consider buying an AP for one of the children and park hopper passes for the rest of the group. Far as I know, doesn't matter who has the AP in the group, any AP qualifies for benefits.

 

[April in Disney]

Originally by MulanMom

you may want to consider buying an AP for one of the children and park hopper passes for the rest of the group. Far as I know, doesn't matter who has the AP in the group, any AP qualifies for benefits

That is not correct. If you are going to take advantage of AP rate room discount an adult should have the AP. The person who holds the reservation has to hold the AP.
My other suggestion is to buy one AP if you are staying onsite. when you are at WDW you can always change your passhoppers to AP.

 

[Debbie]

The person who holds the reservation has to hold the AP.

Nope. Only ONE person in the room has to have an AP and it does NOT have to be the one who holds the reservation.

In 2001, my sister made the reservation and my 9 yo daughter had the AP. Both my sister and I checked into the legality of using the child AP as the discount, and we had it before we made the reservation as well as when she actually made the reservation. When we checked in, she deferred to me and my mittful of (parkhopper)passes. I had to search through kids and adult parkhoppers alike before I came to my daughter's AP. The only comment from the CM was, "Well, you don't need passes, do you!"

Now, that said, many people will tell you that it has to be the adult AP, and just as many will tell you: "We got our discount with our child's AP." Good luck in making your decision. Have fun!

 

[elgerber]

According to the ticket prices on WDWIG, an adult AP is actually a better choice if you are only getting one. It's only $53 more than a 7 day hopper, where a childs AP is $61 more.

 

[Eileen226]

It starts out with oooh look at the discounts, and then its we might as well go again, we have the pass, and think how much money we're saving (my husband was working for the airlines at the time, combine that with industry discount and that's an awful lot of "free"trips.) My husband still swears our travel budget those three years was more than our mortgage.!!!!!!!!!!!! I may purchase an AP this year for an October trip (we were just there last July and december (silly us, we didn't realize we'd go again) We also had the DC discount, sure gonna miss that.

 

[disneysteve]

Add me to the list of those who feel if you buy AP's, you are more likely to go back than if you don't. In other words, you end up taking trips you wouldn't have taken otherwise in order to "get your money's worth" from your AP's. Now, I'm not saying that's a bad thing, just something to be aware of.

For many of us, park admission is the single largest expense involved in a trip to WDW. So if we have AP's, after the first trip when we purchase them, admission is already paid for on future trips, decreasing the cost of that second or third trip tremendously. The 3 of us can drive down and do a week offsite for about $1000 total, so once we've got our AP's, return trips look pretty appealing.

Steve