Annual Passes and the Not So Frequent Visitor (What am I missing?)

[tidefan]

If I was visiting as much as you were in this year, I would FOR SURE want the APs! That's common sense, no? Driving or not....

Yes, but this is how a lot of other owners we know in AL or GA (or even LA) were traveling.

I am very quickly coming to the realization that this has a large geographic component…

 

[ak517]

Just to throw a different perspective out there... In 2019, we did the following stays:

• Jan 2019: SSR for Marathon Weekend
• Mar 2019: PVB for Spring Break
• May 2019: VGF for just out of school
• Aug 2019: BLT for MNSSHP (and F&W)
• Nov 2019: PVB for Thanksgiving week
• Dec 2019: SSR for New Year's

Now, that was perhaps an uncommon year for us, but you can see where having AP's helps.

BUT (and a big BUT)...

We are drivable from here in AL where it's about an 8 1/2 hour drive. It's not hard just to pop down there. I think that it's a different story if flights are involved.

Yes, but this is how a lot of other owners we know in AL or GA (or even LA) were traveling.

I am very quickly coming to the realization that this has a large geographic component…

And I visited 6 times in 2021-2022 when I lived in south Florida and only drove two of those times (I did have an in-state AP bought during the 10-week window when all APs were available), and there is a huge contingency of NJ-NY-CT-MA folks who travel to WDW many times in one year, so I don't think geography has much to do with it. I get what you've been saying, that there is a case for DVC+AP because of travel patterns among a good size subset of DVC owners, but there really is no one size fits all mold, regardless of home location, DVC status, or number of trips per year. For years even there was the advice for one person in your travel party to get an AP even if the family is only making one visit per year in order to get discounts on hotel, merchandise, and food (I assume this was geared to non-DVC families, but still). Every visitor is different, period.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

It's just about the money. If you were going to do 2 trips within a 12 month timeframe, which it sounds like you periodically did pre-Covid then compare the price of the tickets you would purchase for both those trips vs cost of an AP. If less for AP than the 2 tickets you'd buy that. Or if you did a long trip that might include 10-12 parks days or somewhere in that range then an AP would make sense to based on price. If your trips are a week and more than 365 days apart then no on the AP. That is if they start selling them again,

 

[CSLucas]

Same boat here - we live just under 6 hours from the parks (depending on traffic and how fast we drive) but not in FL and even with it being fairly drive-able (plus we now have a direct super cheap flight to Orlando) APs just don't make sense for us. If they come back with a good DVC option then maybe we will try to overlap 2 years' worth of trips, but we really only like to stay at Disney 4-5 days max so the math has never added up in the past. Maybe we would go more if we had the APs, but I'm not so sure.

 

[miksicnarf]

We live in CA, DVC members for 25+ years. When the kids were young, in school, APs didn’t make sense for us—we couldn’t do 2 trips within a year, and also the kids liked the water parks and DisneyQuest so we‘d need the top tier AP that included those. When they got older, their schedules got easier to work around and they were no longer into the water parks and arcade so we did get APs a few times. Also, from time to time there were really great DVC discounts on APs that made it very attractive. As they got even older, working, married, family of their own, it’s become difficult again…for *them*, not for me! I kept an AP until the shutdown and would go whenever I saw good airfare and DVC availability—multiple times per year. I cashed in my AP when the option was offered, and it was a great deal at the time but now I‘m paying for it, having to buy hoppers for every trip. I will definitely buy an AP again when I can!

 

[Maistre Gracey]

Pre DVC (I purchased in 2002, sold in 2014ish), the AP had an entirely different meaning for us. Before our DVC the AP routinely had a deluxe resort discount of 30%. At the time, visiting roughly 20 days per year at the (old and TRUE Poly), that discount paid for the pass. Entrance to the parks was truly gravy.

My how things have changed…

 

[mustinjourney]

APs also qualify for dining discounts, merch discounts, hotel room discounts (and it used to include memory maker back when that alone was $175). Of course -- if you are a DVC direct owner -- then you pretty much get the same dining and merch discounts.

In reality, it really only makes sense if you are going to go more than once in a 12-month period. With the exception that if you are a florida resident and buy the pixie dust pass -- since that one is cheaper than a 6 day park hopper ticket (it might even be cheaper than a 4 day park hopper).

 

[pianomanzano]

In addition to the simple math of it all, I personally feel there's a psychological element to it. Even if park tickets are slightly cheaper, I would feel compelled to maximize my time in the parks for the days we have tickets. But as an AP holder, I'm fine with just going into the parks for 2-3 hours, like going to Epcot around 5-6pm to grab some food at some booths and just walk around world showcase, or rope drop AK for flight of passage and head right back to the resort.

 

[BrianLa]

In addition to the simple math of it all, I personally feel there's a psychological element to it. Even if park tickets are slightly cheaper, I would feel compelled to maximize my time in the parks for the days we have tickets. But as an AP holder, I'm fine with just going into the parks for 2-3 hours, like going to Epcot around 5-6pm to grab some food at some booths and just walk around world showcase, or rope drop AK for flight of passage and head right back to the resort.

100% agree. We have been APs since 2015. We love not missing a park day because we don't want to buy a ticket for just a few hours in the park thinking it's not worth it. We live in NY and typically spend at least 2+ weeks each year at WDW so it's a no brainer for us. I will also say that having an AP has led to more trips down to WDW because when we compared the cost of going to WDW vs other options, not having to pay for park tickets always tipped the scale to WDW.

 

[miksicnarf]

trips down to WDW because when we compared the cost of going to WDW vs other options, not having to pay for park tickets always tipped the scale to WDW.

I had one trip in particular where I had airline miles to cover my flight, DVC accommodations and an AP--felt like a free trip!

 

[tjkraz]

Yes, but this is how a lot of other owners we know in AL or GA (or even LA) were traveling.

I am very quickly coming to the realization that this has a large geographic component…

It's also a function of how many points one owns. Unless we're talking about two nights in an OKW studio, the number of members who can afford to take 6 trips in one calendar year is rather small.

 

[pianomanzano]

I had one trip in particular where I had airline miles to cover my flight, DVC accommodations and an AP--felt like a free trip!

That was us 2 weeks ago for the Tron preview. We have a companion pass on Southwest, DVC points and APs, so we only paid for one flight and the shuttle transportation to/from MCO (and food of course)!

 

[LRdismom]

In addition the math making sense (I visit at least 2 times a year so it makes sense) there are a couple of other reasons I loved having an AP.
1. I don't feel like I need to stay at a park all day to "get my money's worth." I can stay for just a little while until I ready for pool, or I can even drop in just to have a meal at a park.
2. If I decided to visit Disney on a whim, I already have "park tickets" without having to shell out extra money.

 

[Brian Noble]

Are there other similarly situated families like mine who vacation the same way?

In general, the AP only "pays off" in one of two situations.

1. You make two (or more) trips in the same year, each having more than just a few park days.
2. You take one very long trip and want more than 10-12 park days (or maybe a few more)

For once-a-year visitors it can work if you can get two trips in just under the one-year mark. For example, you go the second week of March this year, and the first week of March next year.

My typical pattern is: visit once per year, but that week is dictated by a school calendar. (Not because of my kids; I work in a school.) So, it's never possible for me to squeeze a second trip into the same 366-day window, and APs almost never make sense.

There have been a few exceptions. The year they sold 13-month APs was great--except that for family reasons I never made the second trip (insert price-is-right horn here). I did have a year where we had planned an "extra" trip because I was on sabbatical, and that worked out well. Last year I was there for two weeks, and would have bought an AP if it had been available. I did other things in Orlando instead with the extra time, including just hanging out at the resort and relaxing--such a novel idea for WDW!

 

[kboo]

100% agree. We have been APs since 2015. We love not missing a park day because we don't want to buy a ticket for just a few hours in the park thinking it's not worth it. We live in NY and typically spend at least 2+ weeks each year at WDW so it's a no brainer for us. I will also say that having an AP has led to more trips down to WDW because when we compared the cost of going to WDW vs other options, not having to pay for park tickets always tipped the scale to WDW.

I had one trip in particular where I had airline miles to cover my flight, DVC accommodations and an AP--felt like a free trip!

We are from NY too, and it used to be possible to find flights for ~$200 pp at pretty much any time you wanted if you weren't picky about the airline - with accommodations and park tickets covered (we also have Marriott points), we have taken more than a few last minute weekend trips. Flights have gone up a bit since covid but it's still pretty affordable when comparing to more local vacations (beach resorts, hotels, etc within driving distance). The money saved on airfare is easily offset by lodging costs.

 

[robotsneedlove2]

The 14+ days on the AP was a lot cheaper than buying 7 day hoppers twice.

An annual pass was usually cheaper than two 4 day Park Hoppers. Pre DVC we more frequently did 4 or 5 day trips, so if I had 2 trips planned in 12 months we would buy the AP.

Pre DVC (I purchased in 2002, sold in 2014ish), the AP had an entirely different meaning for us. Before our DVC the AP routinely had a deluxe resort discount of 30%.

Before buying into DVC my family had APs in 2015. The 30% off deluxe hotels was amazing!

We are from NY too, and it used to be possible to find flights for ~$200 pp at pretty much any time you wanted if you weren't picky about the airline

We fly out of Philadelphia, and pre Covid flights were usually the same ~$200 pp. A good SouthWest sale would get our flights down to $150. If your park tickets are "FREE" you'll be surprised how quickly you can decide to go. Last year for Osborne lights? We should make sure to see it one last time. My 11 year old wants a Plaza Sundae on his birthday? Let's go!

We may be changing how we Disney moving forward. Once a year longer trips, with only 4 or 5 days in the parks. Might move to driving down, so we'll have our own car. (Who remembers renting cars for less than $200 for the whole week?) Our son is now in middle school, and I'm sure we'll cut back on school year trips when he gets to high school.

 

[Sammie]

We don't miss the AP. We did it one year but it forced us to take our annual trip during the same year and we really did not want to go then. We are ok without getting them. I would prefer a discount on a multi day ticket more than AP.

 

[Sammie]

After going through a few threads on this, I am coming around to the notion that a good bit of this issue is with DVC members that live in Southern states not named Florida. For members that live in states like GA, SC, NC, AL, TN, MS, or LA, WDW is a drivable trip, which, IMHO, changes the visit calculus quite a bit. In fact, for many in South GA or AL, they are actually closer (sometimes by a good bit) to WDW than someone that lives in say Pensacola, FL.

We have friends that would go 5-6 times per year, often just for long weekend getaways, etc. Without APs, those things are a thing of the past for them. Now we all tend to have more points than we are really using and many are just now coming to that realization.

We live in Georgia but only go once a year as we like to visit in other locations than Disney. We bought one year and it forced us to go when we really did not want to before the AP expired. We have not bought one since.

 

[BigEeyore]

We are in GA, about a 7 hr drive away (or occasionally a cheap SW flight away!) so making shorter, more frequent trips worked for us in the past.
I prefer multiple shorter trips throughout the year - 4-5 days max -rather than one big 7-10 day trip, so APs worked really well for us. It was great to be able to pop into a park in the evening just to catch a fireworks show or Fantasmic.
We would do one "AP year" where we went multiple times, and the next year we would focus on non-WDW trips, and it worked really well for us.
Now the lack of APs along with Genie + has really changed how we "do Disney", and not for the better.

 

[Alexander]

We've been DVC members for nearly 20 years now. We've had AP's on and off throughout that time. When the kids were little we'd visit Feb/April/Aug and sometimes Dec. Those years the AP was definitely a good choice. Our last AP's were just before Covid and when they extended the time on them, we got a couple of extra trips that we wouldn't have gotten before they expire. Now with the higher cost and traveling to WDW less often, AP's don't make sense for us.