Annual Passes

[SweetPeasMom2]

Good, bad and ugly. I am considering saving up to purchase myself one. It would just be me. My family doesn't care to go as much as me. Really my DD is the only other one that would go but she is still in college and doesn't have the flexibility I have.

So I'd like to hear thoughts on it. I know the cost is steep. But that's something I'm going into eyes open.

 

[MICKIMINI]

How often do you go? IMO, a 10 day PH is not something you want to buy again and again. We are on and off depending on how many days we are spending. It is so nice to go into EPCOT at 5 pm and watch the sun go down, eat and people watch before fireworks!

 

[TexanInTheMidwest]

I no longer have an annual pass - however I did from 2019 through 2023 and enjoyed it immensely.

I did solo visits. Did some family visits. Some with friends. Some with just DH.

Got busy at work and it didn't make as much sense - but I don't regret having it when I did!

 

[gottalovepluto]

It isn't just the cost of the AP you need to consider- it's the full cost of each trip associated with it. Air, hotel, dining, transport- that all adds up to way more than my AP over the course of a year. Yes, you get a small dining and merch discount- but I think more often than not that pushes me over the edge to buy something I wouldn't have otherwise bought so I don't really consider that a value add.

 

[Plutofan]

I still have 2 annual passes from 2021 that I still have not used yet. We plan on using in 2027. We purchased some for the family and then covid happened and the kids can no longer go multiple times a year. Lucky us.

 

[SweetPeasMom2]

How often do you go? IMO, a 10 day PH is not something you want to buy again and again. We are on and off depending on how many days we are spending. It is so nice to go into EPCOT at 5 pm and watch the sun go down, eat and people watch before fireworks!

Well, about once a year. But if I had the ability to go whenever as far as park entry goes, I would go more. At least that is what I think. Also, the ability to park hop is an added plus in my head. Most of my trips are 1 park day and always feel I have to go from sunup to sundown to get the most bang for my buck. If I had the ability to go at leisure knowing I could come back or hop over to another park, it wouldn't be as go go go.

It isn't just the cost of the AP you need to consider- it's the full cost of each trip associated with it. Air, hotel, dining, transport- that all adds up to way more than my AP over the course of a year. Yes, you get a small dining and merch discount- but I think more often than not that pushes me over the edge to buy something I wouldn't have otherwise bought so I don't really consider that a value add.

Total valid. I'm w/in driving distance (well it's 7.5 hrs but still...). There's always ways for inexpensive hotels and food. To me, the biggest cost is the ticket into the park.

How often do they increase the price? I remember it was under $1000 some years back. Now it's $1500+.

 

[loves to dive]

I would suggest you do the math. It's a little harder to do now with the dynamic ticket prices but you can come close if you go on UT and look up the dates you plan to go. You would need to go more than once a year and always buy PHs when you go so keep that in mind. If you don't usually buy PHs then look up the prices using non-PHs and do the math on that. Don't consider any discounts, just the cost of the ticket and don't say, well I might go more than once a year. Only consider it if you know for a fact how many days you plan on going and the cost of the resort and transportation would be a wash. The discounts are never a guarantee. Sometimes I can get an AP discount for a room that is more than the general discount but it is rare and doesn't cover the difference in the AP and the ticket cost. Not all restaurants have an AP discount and even not all the stores do. I do have one and since I'm out of state have to get the expensive one. I've had one for over 10 years now. But, I drive down from Georgia so transportation costs aren't that much and I always go at least 3 times a year for at least 5 nights. It works out for me, oh and I go solo 85% of the time. The only drawback for me is having to make a park reservation, while not a big deal since you can tap in hop right back out, it's a pain. And don't get me started on the good to go days, those work mostly if you are local. If you are planning a trip more than a month or two out, you just pick your park days and spin the wheel as to whether or not one will turn into a good to go day.

 

[Miffy]

I love the flexibility of having an AP (note: I have an Incredi-Pass since I live out of state and do not have DVC). I go at least twice a year and sometimes more, for at least a week at a time. The AP still seems like a bargain to me.

Remember that after you purchase the AP, when you go to renew it, you get a 15% discount. That helps.

They do raise the price occasionally, although they haven't for a while now. It's impossible for me or maybe anyone to predict.

Another advantage of the AP is resort room discounts. My upcoming trip to POFQ is booked on an AP discount. It was less expensive than any other discount. And many TS restaurants give a 10% discount to AP holders. Merchandise is 10% off as well. These are little things, but t hey help.

 

[lanejudy]

Well, about once a year. But if I had the ability to go whenever as far as park entry goes, I would go more. At least that is what I think. Also, the ability to park hop is an added plus in my head.

I would start with comparing what you buy for a typical trip -- is that 5 days? or 8 days? or 10 days? is it during "slow" or peak time? -- with a base ticket. Then compare against the AP. I think you'll find it's probably about doubling the cost of your ticket.

Then really think about your regular life schedule. Will you truly find more time to go? Will that be for one more longer trip or several shorter ones? It really depends on what else you have going on in your life and how much time you can spend traveling. In the past I've had annual passes to local museums or such -- places just 30-60 minutes away -- and eventually didn't renew because even that close we just weren't getting there due to other activities keeping us busy.

Only you can decide if that is all "worth" the AP. (plus the cost of gas, hotel, meals for at least a night if not more)

 

[CarolynFH]

When deciding whether to buy, we added up the cost of the tickets we’d buy if we didn’t have an AP. If the cost of those tickets was the same as, or even $50 less than, the cost of the AP, we felt the AP was a better buy due to the discounts, etc.

 

[Mle8308]

I love the flexibility of having an AP (note: I have an Incredi-Pass since I live out of state and do not have DVC). I go at least twice a year and sometimes more, for at least a week at a time. The AP still seems like a bargain to me.

Remember that after you purchase the AP, when you go to renew it, you get a 15% discount. That helps.

They do raise the price occasionally, although they haven't for a while now. It's impossible for me or maybe anyone to predict.

Another advantage of the AP is resort room discounts. My upcoming trip to POFQ is booked on an AP discount. It was less expensive than any other discount. And many TS restaurants give a 10% discount to AP holders. Merchandise is 10% off as well. These are little things, but t hey help.

Merchandise is a 20% discount, and sometimes they offer additional discounts.

 

[TexanInTheMidwest]

Sure, you can try to "pay for the pass" with room discounts, merch discounts, and dining discounts. But don't forget the enjoyment piece because that may be worth the extra money to have pass. When I got my pass, the cost saved us enough on room discounts to cover it the first time. (We were doing a big family trip and paying for 4 rooms).

The subsequent trips I made cost me money. However, the investment in the what the trips gave me mentally and emotionally had a value all it's own.

I was happy to go into the park for the morning and go back to the hotel to just chill out because I didn't feel like I needed to get every moment out of my day ticket. I was happy to just sit in random places and people watch. Or do things I wouldn't make time for if I was feeling like I needed to make every minute count to get the value out of my ticket.

One day I met a friend and we ate meals and played Pokemon for hours just for the fun of it.

So, yes, look at the bottom line. But also add in the value of pleasure.

 

[Miffy]

Merchandise is a 20% discount, and sometimes they offer additional discounts.

Oh, you are absolutely correct. Thanks for posting!

 

[MICKIMINI]

Merchandise is a 20% discount, and sometimes they offer additional discounts.

We get DH's aloha shirts at Poly and my D&B's al over WDW! Not that it is that huge a discount, but I do tend to spend more when we have AP's!

 

[MICKIMINI]

Sure, you can try to "pay for the pass" with room discounts, merch discounts, and dining discounts. But don't forget the enjoyment piece because that may be worth the extra money to have pass. When I got my pass, the cost saved us enough on room discounts to cover it the first time. (We were doing a big family trip and paying for 4 rooms).

The subsequent trips I made cost me money. However, the investment in the what the trips gave me mentally and emotionally had a value all it's own.

I was happy to go into the park for the morning and go back to the hotel to just chill out because I didn't feel like I needed to get every moment out of my day ticket. I was happy to just sit in random places and people watch. Or do things I wouldn't make time for if I was feeling like I needed to make every minute count to get the value out of my ticket.

One day I met a friend and we ate meals and played Pokemon for hours just for the fun of it.

So, yes, look at the bottom line. But also add in the value of pleasure.

It's hard to put a "value" on pleasure...isn't it what we all work for all year long?

 

[loves to dive]

As you can see by the replies, worth it, really is subjective and only you can decide. It might boil down to how much disposable income you have. Or it might boil down to just the comfort of having an AP for you. Personally, even though I've had one for at least 10 years, possibly more, I still do the math every single time I renew mine. But then, I'm a retired bookkeeper so crunching numbers is kind of my thing. I live within the same area you do so a 7 1/2 hour drive is not big deal. I fill up my car right before I leave, once going down and once coming home. I have the sunpass and keep at least $10 on it at all times. I think, since you live near the Atlanta area, you can use it in the toll lanes on I75 but I wouldn't swear to that. Depending on the time of year I'm going and what the prices are, I either do split stays with a couple of nights in a value and then move over to an Epcot area resort, or stay in a moderate, or if I can get a good rate just stay the entire trip at the Dolphin. Because I go so often, I don't really buy a lot while I'm there. I have way too many Disney t-shirts as it is. Because I don't eat huge meals, I tend to eat kid's meals or what are considered snacks as meals so I don't spend a whole lot on food. I have the disposable income so for me, it works. My son and his family go down once a year, always stay in either a value or moderate. It's not worth it for them. They buy one park per day tickets because they have a little one and, for right now at least, to them it's not worth the price of a park hoppers. (even when my son was their daughter's age we always park hopped but that's their way of doing it) The math does not work out for them, they rarely eat at TS restaurants because it's harder with a toddler and QS does not give an AP discount. They don't buy a lot while there so merch. discounts don't apply. I've looked at AP discounts for them for resorts each time they go and the general public discount is usually better.

Bottom line, you have to decide if you don't think you'll go enough days to pay for the cost of the AP, if the convenience of having one outweighs just buying regular tickets.