Annual Pass questions

[cgh]

Are there passes that are good at both DLR and WDW? If one person gets an annual pass, can the whole family partake in discounts? (ie. if we go to eat, can I get a discount on my family's meals if I pay?)

How consistent are room discounts? We would assumably travel in the summer (so high season)

We just paid full price for a room at DLH last week, plus paid substantially for food, and were wondering if getting one annual pass in the future might be worth it. This would largely depend on room discounts.


I anticipate 1 visit a year to either DLR or WDW (haven't been there yet)

 

[aan1701]

There is a pass, The Premier Pass. It is currently priced at 849+tax on half of it. Half because FL charges tax on theme park tickets. You are only able to purchase itat any Disneyland ticket boot or at any Guest Relations window outside a WDW theme park or at the Downtown Disney Guest Relations. What it is is a DL premium AP and a WDW premium AP all on one gold/ivory card. You get all entitlements at each resort with this pass including food and merch discounts and AP rates on rooms.

Sent from my iPad using DISBoards

 

[sonnyjane]

PP is correct about the Premier. You get the same discounts as you would with a Premium (15% off food, currently 20% off merchandise) and the AP discount at hotels (varies). Everyone can benefit from your pass in that if you go to a restaurant, the whole table will get the discount, HOWEVER, the catch is that YOU must be the one paying for everyone's meal. Same thing goes at stores. If, for example, one of your kids wants a hoodie, they can get the discount so long as YOU, the AP holder, are the one paying the bill. They will ask for ID.

 

[purple figment]

I anticipate 1 visit a year to either DLR or WDW (haven't been there yet)

If you're only planning to visit one of the parks it would be less expensive to get an AP for the park you're visiting. Then, if you decide to visit the other park within one year you can upgrade to the Premier Pass.

 

[ocswapper]

Quick question: after crunching the numbers for my hubby, me, and our 3yo son, we decided it would be worth it to get 2 Disneyland Deluxe Annual Passes for the adults and 1 Premium Annual Pass for my 3yo son (rather than 3 Deluxe + Parking add-on for my son) due to additional discounts with Premium Pass and since our son would always be the one going to the parks.

Since my 3yo son would have the Premium Pass (with the better 15% dining and 20% merchandise discount), we adults would still get to pay for all our discounted meals and merchandise with our credit cards right, since he's a minor without any ID or money?

 

[TheZue]

I'm not sure you'd get the discount on HIS AP. It needs to by yours. If you want a premium make it one of the adult passes. I don't think there are discounts for kids anyways.

 

[Shananana]

Quick question: after crunching the numbers for my hubby, me, and our 3yo son, we decided it would be worth it to get 2 Disneyland Deluxe Annual Passes for the adults and 1 Premium Annual Pass for my 3yo son (rather than 3 Deluxe + Parking add-on for my son) due to additional discounts with Premium Pass and since our son would always be the one going to the parks.

Since my 3yo son would have the Premium Pass (with the better 15% dining and 20% merchandise discount), we adults would still get to pay for all our discounted meals and merchandise with our credit cards right, since he's a minor without any ID or money?

oooh! that's a good question. I have no idea. but good question.

 

[sonnyjane]

Quick question: after crunching the numbers for my hubby, me, and our 3yo son, we decided it would be worth it to get 2 Disneyland Deluxe Annual Passes for the adults and 1 Premium Annual Pass for my 3yo son (rather than 3 Deluxe + Parking add-on for my son) due to additional discounts with Premium Pass and since our son would always be the one going to the parks.

Since my 3yo son would have the Premium Pass (with the better 15% dining and 20% merchandise discount), we adults would still get to pay for all our discounted meals and merchandise with our credit cards right, since he's a minor without any ID or money?

Technically they shouldn't let you use his discounts. Practically, I have no idea what they will and will not allow. It will come down to how each CM is feeling that day.

 

[longtimedisneylurker]

Quick question: after crunching the numbers for my hubby, me, and our 3yo son, we decided it would be worth it to get 2 Disneyland Deluxe Annual Passes for the adults and 1 Premium Annual Pass for my 3yo son (rather than 3 Deluxe + Parking add-on for my son) due to additional discounts with Premium Pass and since our son would always be the one going to the parks.

Since my 3yo son would have the Premium Pass (with the better 15% dining and 20% merchandise discount), we adults would still get to pay for all our discounted meals and merchandise with our credit cards right, since he's a minor without any ID or money?

Technically they shouldn't let you use his discounts. Practically, I have no idea what they will and will not allow. It will come down to how each CM is feeling that day.

I agree with sonnyjane. Disney has become more stringent about this in recent times, so I wouldn't expect to be able to use the discount on your three-year-old's pass. The discount is strictly for the passholder, and you are asked to show matching ID when using your pass for a discount.

My sons are 11 and 12 and have had passes for several years now. Ever since they removed the photos from the passes, the boys are often asked to confirm their names when they hand over the pass during a purchase. My older boy has been asked for school ID. If I am with one of my sons and need to give them cash to make up for when they come up unexpectedly short, I have had CMs get a little upset about this and one almost deny the discount until I showed them my own AP that was eligible for equal discounts. I know now to have own my pass at the ready for if this situation arises.

 

[ocswapper]

Hmm... I called the Disneyland Annual Pass Hotline and spoke with a customer representative who told me "Yes, you can use your 3yo son's Premium Pass discount since he can't pay for things himself." But it seems that the actual CM working at Disney might make their own decisions on whether to accept his pass for the discount pending on the restaurant/store? I wonder if I should email Disney Customer Service or do an online chat with them and save a screen shot to show proof in writing if we are able to use the discount if it's on a minor's card?

The main reason I would get the Premium Passport for my son (and Deluxe Passports for us) is that there might be a time when only one parent takes him to Disneyland so I want to make sure we always get the free parking and potentially higher discount.

 

[Disney Dreams]

Hmm... I called the Disneyland Annual Pass Hotline and spoke with a customer representative who told me "Yes, you can use your 3yo son's Premium Pass discount since he can't pay for things himself." But it seems that the actual CM working at Disney might make their own decisions on whether to accept his pass for the discount pending on the restaurant/store? I wonder if I should email Disney Customer Service or do an online chat with them and save a screen shot to show proof in writing if we are able to use the discount if it's on a minor's card?

The main reason I would get the Premium Passport for my son (and Deluxe Passports for us) is that there might be a time when only one parent takes him to Disneyland so I want to make sure we always get the free parking and potentially higher discount.

We have friends with a similar situation. Their kids have Premium APs. Each parent and each grandparent has a Deluxe AP.

Since no adult ever goes to DLR without at least one of the kids, the kids' Premiums cover parking. The rule on using the Premium for parking is that the passholder must be in the vehicle. On days when the kids, mom, dad, and the grandparents go to the Park, they meet a block from the Park and have one child ride in the grandparents' car. This gives parking to each vehicle since there is a Premium passholder in each car.

Now, as for the discounts. It is hit and miss. There are castmembers who enforce the "not transferable rule" and insist that if the children are not paying in cash (since the credit card is CLEARLY not theirs), the discount cannot be used. Other times, they get castmembers who "make an exception this time" and take the credit card. TECHNICALLY, it is transferring/sharing the discount --- which is not allowed. Then they just use their deluxe discount.

HTH,
Dreams

 

[ludari]

Are there passes that are good at both DLR and WDW? If one person gets an annual pass, can the whole family partake in discounts? (ie. if we go to eat, can I get a discount on my family's meals if I pay?)

How consistent are room discounts? We would assumably travel in the summer (so high season)

We just paid full price for a room at DLH last week, plus paid substantially for food, and were wondering if getting one annual pass in the future might be worth it. This would largely depend on room discounts.


I anticipate 1 visit a year to either DLR or WDW (haven't been there yet)

I have the Premier Pass that works at both DLR and WDW and what was posted about that particular pass is true. I wouldn't recommend this pass unless you plan on really getting your monies worth by visiting both DLR and WDW. I had also purchased Tables In Wonderland which is a food and beverage discount for WDW and it's a great deal. If I recall I paid $75 for this card which is a discounted price because I have the Premier Pass.

 

[rwhistler92]

If you get different passes in one family, make sure you check blackout dates. It would be bad if 2 of you could go, but not the third.

 

[ocswapper]

We have friends with a similar situation. Their kids have Premium APs. Each parent and each grandparent has a Deluxe AP.

Since no adult ever goes to DLR without at least one of the kids, the kids' Premiums cover parking. The rule on using the Premium for parking is that the passholder must be in the vehicle. On days when the kids, mom, dad, and the grandparents go to the Park, they meet a block from the Park and have one child ride in the grandparents' car. This gives parking to each vehicle since there is a Premium passholder in each car.

Now, as for the discounts. It is hit and miss. There are castmembers who enforce the "not transferable rule" and insist that if the children are not paying in cash (since the credit card is CLEARLY not theirs), the discount cannot be used. Other times, they get castmembers who "make an exception this time" and take the credit card. TECHNICALLY, it is transferring/sharing the discount --- which is not allowed. Then they just use their deluxe discount.

HTH,
Dreams

Thank you for this info, Dreams... it is really helpful! Now I have to decide who among us 3 will get the Premium Pass... Or maybe 2 or all of us should get the Premium Pass and also go on the days all the other passes have blackouts (Saturdays in Spring and Summer, the winter break)... The difference between 2 Deluxe + 1 Premium --vs-- 3 Premium passes works out to be around $360. If we get 2 Premiums + 1 Deluxe, the difference from our original plan would be $170.

We weren't sure if we might eventually want to upgrade anyways later on... My 3yo son has never gone before and we have no idea how often we might go but we live 25min away from Disneyland and plan to make lots of short trips there and sometimes on a whim and it might be worth it to not ever have to worry if it is a blackout date for one of our Deluxe passes.

 

[Tiradan]

... but we live 25min away from Disneyland ...

If I was that close to Disneyland I would visit every single day (and probably have no money left)

... it might be worth it to not ever have to worry if it is a blackout date for one of our Deluxe passes.

I agree.

 

[longtimedisneylurker]

Thank you for this info, Dreams... it is really helpful! Now I have to decide who among us 3 will get the Premium Pass... Or maybe 2 or all of us should get the Premium Pass and also go on the days all the other passes have blackouts (Saturdays in Spring and Summer, the winter break)... The difference between 2 Deluxe + 1 Premium --vs-- 3 Premium passes works out to be around $360. If we get 2 Premiums + 1 Deluxe, the difference from our original plan would be $170.

We weren't sure if we might eventually want to upgrade anyways later on... My 3yo son has never gone before and we have no idea how often we might go but we live 25min away from Disneyland and plan to make lots of short trips there and sometimes on a whim and it might be worth it to not ever have to worry if it is a blackout date for one of our Deluxe passes.

We live 425 miles away from Disneyland but buy the premium passes so we can visit for multiple days several times a year and never have to worry about block out days. I don't like to pull my kids out of school so we mostly go weekends, holidays, and summer. I actually really like Saturdays, Easter, and Thanksgiving Day in the parks, and if I lived as close as you I would still choose the premium so that I could enjoy all those days still plus be able to pop in on any other holiday or special occasion that comes up in addition to random weeknights and weekend days throughout the year.