Annual Pass

[SimbaNoodle]

I was wondering how many of you purchase annual passes or do you just use park hoppers??

Thanks for any input.

 

[Maistre Gracey]

Premium Annual Passes for my wife and me.
We have had them since about 1995. I have not done the math since the price increase, but the break even point is somewhere around 10 park visits per year. This used to be a no-brainer, as the Annual Pass 12 month clock did not start ticking until you used it for the first time. Of course that changed a couple years back, and now the clock starts ticking on your anniversary date. The best part is being able to go to the park just for dinner, and not worrying about burning a day from your Park Hopper.
I have never really considered the Length Of Stay tickets (UPH?).

Have Fun...

 

[GAIL HAYDEN]

Plain old annuals here. They say the break even point is about 8 days.
Maistre Gracey pointed out how nice it is to have a pass to use to just do dinner, he is so right!!!!! also, the discounts associated with the AP makes it very nice.
We get three different visits with our annuals and never renew, just buy new ones, for us, it is more cost effective this way.

 

[Cruelladeville]

We also have annuals--not the premiums--and love the ability to come and go as we please. When you go more than once per year, it's the cheapest and easiest way to go. I agree that it's wonderful to be able to just walk into Epcot or the other parks for dinner, and then I feel free to leave if the park is crowded. If I feel like getting lunch somewhere at the last minute, I can just walk into any park to check on how crowded any of the restaurants are. Also, a big plus for me is the special Epcot Illuminations viewing area right in front of Italy for members only, as well as the members only lounge above the Land and over at Animal Kingdom. Finally, there are the room rates specials on those high point nights at BWV. Last summer I stayed at Animal Kingdom Lodge for $127 per night, and saved the weekend points for another vacation next spring. I wouldn't buy anything else but an annual, although I forego the renewal savings, and just buy new every year, since my renewal is Dec. 31, and I won't go again till April or June.

 

[SimbaNoodle]

Thats great. I really appreciate everones input.

 

[margaretCT]

I just got annual passes for the first time before prices went up a few weeks ago but I won't be activating them until January.

Can you tell me about some of the benefits such as Illuminations viewing and members-only lounges? Is there a site somewhere that lists these? I think I read somewhere that lounges just recently closed?

Thanks,

Margaret in CT

 

[westjones]

How much are the annual passes? Can you just walk up to the gate and buy them?

We might do this sometime, if the break even is 8 days, we could probably do that !

Seems like it would be a wonderful time to take two weeks and just go to the parks for part of the day and not feel like you have to get in your 'money's worth' and see everything that day.
DJ

 

[Maistre Gracey]

Originally posted by westjones
How much are the annual passes? Can you just walk up to the gate and buy them?

We might do this sometime, if the break even is 8 days, we could probably do that !

Seems like it would be a wonderful time to take two weeks and just go to the parks for part of the day and not feel like you have to get in your 'money's worth' and see everything that day.
DJ

Premium Annual Passes are roughly $450 (this is the Disney Club renewal rate, and the first time rate will be more). Break even on these passes depend on how often you go to Pleasure Island, or the water parks ect... (I figure 10 times total). We are big PI fans, so that justifies our Premium Passes.
The regular Annual Passes, as said above, have a break even of approx 8 times through the gate.

You can call the Annual Pass phone number (I believe now this is consolidated into the CRO number), or go to guest services, and they can help you get the pass.

The discounts are great, especially the Disney hotel discounts if paying cash. Before DVC, the hotel discounts at The Poly paid for the pass, and the park entrance was basically free. Mini-golf is 1/2 price, and there are many other great savings. There are more discounts with an Annual Pass than any other thing (AMEX, Disney Club ect...).

PS: I don't know how much the regular Annuals cost...anyone?

Good Luck!

 

[chris1gill]

I'm starting to go to the other side of the fence in regards to the AP's... we've had the regular 4 park AP for at least 5 years, but right now I'm seriously on the fence about whether we'll get them any more.... We no longer rely on the AP room discounts & although it is nice to be able to go to a park on a whim & not worry about burning a day on your pass, for us, I think we might be okay buying hopper's, at least for the next few years. We don't go to the park everyday & we're finding more & more to do outside of the parks... with the recent increase in the cost of the passes & losing the Disney Club discount as of next year, I'm shying away from the AP's for a while.....

 

[DeeP]

IF you go to the parks alot, even if just for a meal, and IF you go to WDW parks more than 8 -9 days in a yer period then an AP is a no brainer as far as the best value for you money. But if your family does not do the above but instead goes to WDW less days per yr or chooses to go to other parks during their vacations then a PH might be better for you. As with many WDW related issues, different strokes work for different folks!!! It ALL depends on what your families' wants/desires/needs etc., are while on vacation.

 

[Granny]

chris1gill....we are in the exact same situation.

We used the AP's but now that

- the prices have gone up again,
- the renewal period starts when the last one expires instead of with the next trip,
- the discontinuation of the DC discount
- we are increasing our non-Disney park options (Sea World, Busch Gardens, etc)


well, we're going to go the PH route.

We'll miss the impromptu visits to the parks for dinner or just to see a parade or evening show like Fantasmic. We'll just have to plan those on the days we use hoppers.

The toughest part will be when we stay at BWV...it is very nice to be able to go to Illuminations and walk back to the rooms.

But the economics just don't make much sense for us to go AP anymore.

Maybe somewhere down the road we'll go back to AP's. For now, PH's will have to do.

 

[Lyndarella]

I just got back yesterday!!!

I bought an annual pass to use this year and next year around this same time (just before it expires.) It cost $375.24 with my Disney Club card. There is a slim possibility I may get back this winter, and having the annual pass would be a push in that direction!

 

[POLLY ANN]

We do the park hoppers.

We seem to get to the parks only 4 or 5 times during our visits, so this next time with 3 young kids, we have planned to take a day off inbetween.

And, since we only go every other year, PH's are the way to go for us.

 

[chris1gill]

Granny, thank you for reminding me that the renewed AP becomes active on your Anniversary date... I'd forgotten to mention that little change, that's the change that's had the biggest impact on us, since we always have to pay the regular AP rate & no longer the renewed rate... multiplied by 4 it adds up... I just wanted to also say the hoppers are nice, particularly when they have 4 plus options... there are several discounters that sell the 7 day park hopper for the high 200 range, that includes 4 plusses... This might actually be enough for each of us for two vacations...

 

[chip1]

Can AP's be purchased at the concierge desk at the hotel? If so, I assume you receive it right away, or do you have to go to the gate of a park to actually receive it?

 

[sitchu2]

I just bought my first set of family ap,s this past aug., and I will re use them in Feb. I will probably buy them again before the disney club ends, but after that if there is not some kind of incentive I dont know.

I really think dvc should get its members a better deal on passes , for loyalty alone. the passes that are sold to overseas travelers are so much more of a better deal then we get, and we have invested so much in WDW, that kind of bothers me.

 

[GAIL HAYDEN]

Can AP's be purchased at the concierge desk at the hotel? If so, I assume you receive it right away, or do you have to go to the gate of a park to actually receive it?

They are not sold at the resorts.

 

[madcoco]

PAPs

 

[dianeschlicht]

We have always used the regular APs and plan our trips in the 12 month period. We usually get 2-3 trips per pass. Then we take a break of just over a year before starting a new pass. We don't do the pass renewal since it doesn't make financial sense. We just buy a voucher for a new AP right after one expires. Since the passes usually go up in price near the end of the year, we hold those vouchers until our next trip and figure we usually save from the new prices. We have never had a pass we didn't use at least 21 days on. We will be using our last pass for the last time in January, and plan to buy new vouchers right away when we get home.

 

[chip1]

Originally posted by GAIL HAYDEN
They are not sold at the resorts.

Thanks for the reply; if they cannot be purchased at the resort, can I assume once we arrive 12/7 we can purchase at the ticket window of a park AND at that time use our Disney Card to receive the discount to purchase an AP?