Annual Pass Worth It?

[wdw&sonny]

Two trips per year is break even point.
4-day ticket (or 3-day w/ PH) is $350. ($700 for 2 trips)
AP Platinum is $780.
Add in free parking OR dining discount and you will break even.
Extra trips, extra days, extra perks, and you are ahead.

 

[adelaster]

Thank you! As of right now we are going for a weekend in April and then a week next November, but I will probably go at least one or two more times between those two

I think It's worth it if you plan to park hop. Shorter (1-3 day) parkhoppers are really pricy. We got them and will be doing one four day in the parks trip, one two or three days in the parks trip, and another one TBD, but likely around the same. We miiiight add a fourth-really depends. Either way it broke us even with savings on those three trips alone. People on here somehow manage to do super long trips, but we can't escape work that long, & my job is restrictive. Do the math-but shorter trips don't necessarily mean the value isn't there. I would also consider the convenience of knowing you're taken care of and don't have to fuss about getting tickets. I haven't even activated ours yet and it has already made my life easier.

 

[jlundeen]

There’s also AP resort room discounts. Our room for early spring it’s 35% off with our AP. Also, there seems to be more availability than general room discounts. And it’s the same rooms, they just don’t seem to sell out as fast. Another weird/cool thing with the room discounts, sometimes it will show available rooms, with no discount, that are the very least available! For instance, we wanted to add a day on to our trip to the wilderness Lodge in December. Of course, it was completely sold out. But, we were able to add a day using an annual pass discount where in the room was not discounted Pricewise at all but it was available only through the discount page. So we paid rack rate, but we were able to get it! And that was only through the annual pass offer. We’ve only had annual passports since August, and are finding many perks similar to that one that definitely add up over time and make the money spent seem totally worth it! And this has nothing to do with saving money, but other cool perks are passholder only T-shirts during parties and festivals, as well as pins and other assorted goodies. Just adds an extra layer of special!

So happy you were able to take advantage of the AP room discount...we found that, while our resort for March IS included in the AP offer, there is no availability - which has been the case for most of the past Special Offers lately...

But I think overall, the AP is still a good investment if you can use it to it's full value. Gotta do the math....

 

[bladiator]

I also recommend looking at a free app called Mouse Perks that will show you all the discounts with an AP.

This app is awesome! Glad you mentioned it. I always find myself having to go back to the website and try to make spreadsheets for myself.

I did my own math to see if I felt I could get the benefit out of them. I was planning on doing at least 2 trips in one calendar year (I had already bought 7 day PH on UT which was the cheapest I could get). So your math will vary due to this being the deal I got at the time, but ....

After the discount and upgrading them to AP, they will have cost me $727.76 (with tax)

Taking the cost of my PH, divided by 7 days:
$433.95 / 7 days (PH) = $61.99/day

Then I divided the cost of the AP by this "per day" amount:
$727.76 / $61.99 = 11.73 days to get same worth

Of course, if you do a 3 or 4 day trip at some point (which I want to do in the middle) those are obviously WAY more expensive per day to buy the tickets (which is why my wife and I stopped doing short trips of any type). So those trips become doable with an AP as well as additional trips. In my math, after doing the intial 7 day trip (which has now ballooned into a 10 day since I'm getting an AP lol), I would only have to do another 5 day to get my money's worth. And of course that doesn't take into account Memory Maker (which I've never gotten, but I'll use it this time) and the dining discounts.

 

[loves to dive]

I just do the math, it never lies. Look at the cost of tickets you would normally buy, if you don't buy park hoppers then don't look at that price. If you buy memory maker factor that in, if you don't normally don't factor it in. Take whichever one is less. I've had an annual pass for years but we always get park hoppers and go for more than 10 days a year. We don't normally buy memory maker and frankly even though it's included don't use it. Don't factor in discounts, they are a moving target, I seem to always manage to eat some place that doesn't offer them and seem to always find better room discounts either with the general discount or using Orbitz and their discount. If you stay on site, the free parking isn't going to factor in either.

 

[Crystal824]

Another thing to consider is if you are staying onsite. If you are offsite for one of those trips, an AP could save a ton in parking.

 

[HopperFan]

We don't know yet but if they extend the great dining discount, that helps as does the 20% off shopping.

@HopperFan, thought the 45th year AP Dining discount was through Dec????

It was only until end of Sept. They obviously saw a tick up in $$$ coming in, so they extended it to end of December. We don't know about after that which is why I said we don't know ..... but I bet it's been a good thing for them, I know I've packed less lunches and spent more money.

It was just until the end of September but it's been extended a few months. No word on whether it will be extended further.

THIS^

My guess is the dining discounts go away... but that is totally just a guess! I could be way wrong!

Let's just hope you are WAY WRONG. I am enjoying the nod to QS locations in the parks more than anything.

I did not get a new TiW once mine ended and have managed with AP Discount. If it goes away of course that is an option. It shifts us back to more TS/Drinks meals ... but it also means I eat less at other places, pack lunches and drive off site for my Chickfila and Freddy's at end of day.

Maybe it's a mental thing but you give me 20% off, I'll eat on property. You only give me 10% at a very few places, I start adjusting my plans to avoid eating on property.

 

[mousehouse23]

Another thing to consider is if you are staying onsite. If you are offsite for one of those trips, an AP could save a ton in parking.

This is huge for us. Will save us $100 on our upcoming trip.

 

[North of Mouse]

I, too, doubt they will extend the latest dining discounts beyond Dec. as then they'd have to call it something else beside 45th yr. discounts!!

Would be great if they'd give AP holders more perks anyway - seems they would make more money in the long run. We wouldn't, personally, change our eating habits as we always enjoy onsite eating (part of our vacation enjoyment) but it definitely leaves a 'sweeter' taste in our mouths to get an additional discount!

 

[b2k1121]

Aside from the 20% discounts going on now another aspect we have enjoyed on our first trip with the AP is the way we tour the parks. We aren't trying to jam everything in every day because we know we will be back and we aren't 'wasting' a day ticket. So we can stop into a park for a couple hours to just walk around, do one or two attractions, or just eat lunch and then go to a different park or back to the hotel. Makes for a little more relaxing trip.

 

[Princess_Lisa]

An AP can pay for itself in 2 trips. The total number of days isn't the only thing to consider as as the per day price drops drastically as you add additional days to a trip. Assuming you aren't a Florida Resident, I believe it is $749 for Platinum. That includes Free Parking, Up to 20% discount (until late December - 10% after that) on Dining, Up to 20% discount on Merchandise, if you are lucky enough to find one available Room discounts, and Free PhotoPass downloads. If you don't utilize any of these, 9 days (assuming 5 days + 4 days) without Park Hoppers runs within $30 of the cost of an AP. Add in Park Hoppers, Memory Maker, and/or Discounts and you will come out ahead with an AP.

 

[jpeterson]

I, too, doubt they will extend the latest dining discounts beyond Dec. as then they'd have to call it something else beside 45th yr. discounts!!

The hope is that they call them discounts for the 35th of Epcot.

 

[bladiator]

Maybe it's a mental thing but you give me 20% off, I'll eat on property. You only give me 10% at a very few places, I start adjusting my plans to avoid eating on property.

Isn't that sad that 10% doesn't even tilt the needle anymore? 10% isn't nothing, but it feels like it. 20% gives you a feeling that you actually saw a decrease in price and not just like the tax was left off.

 

[jlundeen]

Hey, here's a thought....MAYBE they could extend the AP 20% dining benefit in honor of Mickey's 90th birthday next year... Seems as good a reason as any!

Happy 89th Birthday today, Mickey!!

 

[jlundeen]

I, too, doubt they will extend the latest dining discounts beyond Dec. as then they'd have to call it something else beside 45th yr. discounts!!

Would be great if they'd give AP holders more perks anyway - seems they would make more money in the long run. We wouldn't, personally, change our eating habits as we always enjoy onsite eating (part of our vacation enjoyment) but it definitely leaves a 'sweeter' taste in our mouths to get an additional discount!

Maybe "Mickey's 90th birthday discount".... Hey, I can hope!!

 

[FastPasser.]

Maybe "Mickey's 50th birthday discount".... Hey, I can hope!!

I knew it, I knew it, I could tell that you were an eternal optimist.

 

[srwarden1928]

I had planned a trip for November. When an October trip was added, the AP was cheaper than the individual tickets. Add in merchandise discounts, dining discounts, two extra park days that I wouldn't have done otherwise--one for "only" food and wine and one for "only" Splash Mountain on its reopening day. And I am strongly considering a trip for next summer.

 

[Euby]

I'm a first-time AP this year. I was able to get mine via AAA at a discount, so it was a no brainer with a week-long trip in January and another in September.

 

[portcityw]

We are new AP holders this year also. For our upcoming trip, seven day hoppers for the four of us was $1900. The AP came in at $2382. Add the memory maker to the hopper, and it was only $281 more. So we will take our usual Christmas trip a week early next year, and the tickets are taken care of. We are talking about a couple quick trips throughout the next year because of this.

 

[Zippa D Doodah]

So I already have 2 trips planned to Disney World for next year and was wondering if it would be a better deal to get an annual pass than buying tickets for each visit or just buy tickets? Any advice would be a great help

We have APs for the first time this year. Wow! What an absolute treat to have APs. Love the free Memory Make, discounts, and special stuff like sneak peeks. The only "problem" is that we can't quit going to WDW now. I don't think we will make it down in December, but have been for at least a couple days every month since activating the passes in July.