Annual Passes 101

[candee0512]

Hello all~

I'm a WDW veteran and it's my favorite place to be. My daughter is going to WDW next month with a friend's family, and we're going to go as a family this October, so I think the cheapest way to pay for her is to get an annual pass. As excited as I am, this puts me in uncharted territory - I've verified that we can use her AP to get AP room rates (as long as she's with us) because I will pay for an adult AP for her. I have so many questions. With AP room rates I can't get the dining plan - right? How do you AP holders save on food? Is the DDE worth it? If any kind souls would take me by the hand and gently explain what it's like to be an AP family, I would greatly appreciate it.

My master plan is to stagger buying each of us AP's. We're a family of 4 (at home - 1 in college) and live 8 hours away from my True Home, so we could take 3-day weekends to WDW when we darn well please, and longer too.

I WILL see that gorgeous castle draped in those beautiful lights this Christmas season!!!!

Doing the happy dance!
Candee

 

[mousiemom]

I am an ex-ap holder. we bought our ap Jan. 07 and we went on 6 trips that consisted of 5 nights ea. time. i also live 7 hrs away so any chance we had, we went to wdw. we have a 7yr dd so we would try to schedule our trips around her holidays. we did the free dining so the only thing you have to do is purchase a 1 day base ticket ($71) and you will get the dining plan for your whole trip. so, when we went for free dining the only thing we had to pay for was our hotel and a one day park ticket. the discount you get on your hotel room will be worth it enough to buy the ap. on all the trips, i was only asked once to see my annual pass. most all of our trips were paid for ahead of time.
good luck and feel free to ask away!!
(by the way, whenever my ap expired this past Jan., i didn't receive any renewal letter or anything from disney) i was disappointed.
mousiemom

 

[candee0512]

we did the free dining so the only thing you have to do is purchase a 1 day base ticket ($71) and you will get the dining plan for your whole trip. so, when we went for free dining the only thing we had to pay for was our hotel and a one day park ticket.

So the free dining plan in August was tied to a ticket purchase? I don't understand; we've used the dining plan before but never during free dining, and I thought APers didn't get the dining plan add-on.

I never knew!

Candee

 

[ChelleinNC]

Hello all~

I'm a WDW veteran and it's my favorite place to be. My daughter is going to WDW next month with a friend's family, and we're going to go as a family this October, so I think the cheapest way to pay for her is to get an annual pass. As excited as I am, this puts me in uncharted territory - I've verified that we can use her AP to get AP room rates (as long as she's with us) because I will pay for an adult AP for her. I have so many questions. With AP room rates I can't get the dining plan - right? How do you AP holders save on food? Is the DDE worth it? If any kind souls would take me by the hand and gently explain what it's like to be an AP family, I would greatly appreciate it.

My master plan is to stagger buying each of us AP's. We're a family of 4 (at home - 1 in college) and live 8 hours away from my True Home, so we could take 3-day weekends to WDW when we darn well please, and longer too.

I WILL see that gorgeous castle draped in those beautiful lights this Christmas season!!!!

Doing the happy dance!
Candee

We love our AP's and before buying DVC, we used the AP discount on rooms for all of our trips. I think the thing I love the most about the AP is the freedom to do whatever you want. We've gone to Epcot at 9pm just to watch Illuminations, last trip DD walked over to Epcot just to ride TT & Soarin over & over. You would never do that if it meant "using a day" of your tickets, but we've found it leads to magical moments For dining, we love our DDE card. It's 20% off at more restaurants than other discounts (including the AP disc) and the DDE includes "grown up" drinks There is an automatic 18% gratuity added on now with DDE, but most likely you were going to tip that or more anyways, so you're still saving

(by the way, whenever my ap expired this past Jan., i didn't receive any renewal letter or anything from disney) i was disappointed.
mousiemom

You should have received a notice 1-2 months before it expired. AP's can be renewed 30 days before/after the date of expiration. Depending on the date, you may still be able to renew or do what we do and wait until your next trip to get a new one

 

[BrittBritt]

Someone posted today that now AP holders may do the Dining Plan without buying the add-on ticket. That's fabulous news if it's true!

 

[ChelleinNC]

Someone posted today that now AP holders may do the Dining Plan without buying the add-on ticket. That's fabulous news if it's true!

It was in the Allears newsletter:

Effective Wednesday, February 20, Passholders can book Room Only Plus Dining Package offers. These exclusive offers will allow Annual Passholders to book rooms with the addition of the Disney Dining Plan, Disney Deluxe Dining Plan and Wine add-on without having to purchase additional Magic Your Way tickets. Regular package reservation and cancellation policies apply. For more information and to book your package, contact the Walt Disney Travel Company directly at 407-828-8101. A valid adult Annual Pass is required at check-in.

 

[mousiemom]

Wow! that's great news! I still have my day's credit leftover from that free dining trip so i will have to remember that when we go in Jan.
mousiemom