Annual Passholders - What's your favorite perk?

[WillCAD]

What's your favorite perk of the Universal Annual Pass?

For me, it's got to be the 20% discounts - on practially everything! I have gotten 20% off with my AP when buying souveniers, clothing, food at both sit-down and counter-service venues, and even on stuff that was already on sale!

From what I hear, it's even good at the Uni outlet store at the Belz mall.

What's your favorite perk?

 

[Sylvester McBean]

for us it's the parking. at $9.00, we wipe out the cost of our renewals alone. everything else is just a bonus after that. the one complaint I have is no discounts at food carts. our BG/SW passes get us discounts everywhere in those parks. but on the other hand, our WDW AP's are good to next to nothing for discounts. UO AP's are the best deal in florida.

 

[patster734]

I really like the discount on the hotel rates.

 

[spatenfloot]

I like being able to renew a Universal AP for the price of a one day Disney hopper ticket.

 

[phamton]

Being able to go to the park anytime I want.

 

[Laurabearz]

I do really love the 20% deal, but if I had to pick one, the one that makes us giddy is the Valet parking discount. Sick isnt it.

 

[JohnnySharp2]

I was going to say free parking but I think the renewal price of $99 is a bargain so I will say that.

 

[tricky1]

I would have to say the discounts on hotels which opens one of the best perks universal offers FOTL!!

 

[Peter Pirate]

Sly, Disney AP's give you parking as well as great rates at the hotels and dining discounts (albeit not great ones, IMO) and discounts at DD, so I don't see the complaint.

 

[robvia]

Free parking, especially since it's $10.
That's lunch for two people at a counter service place.
Adds up if you visit a few times.

 

[WillCAD]

Sly, Disney AP's give you parking as well as great rates at the hotels and dining discounts (albeit not great ones, IMO) and discounts at DD, so I don't see the complaint.

As a WDW Passholder, as well as a Uni Passholder, I certainly see the complaint. The difference is that WDW's discounts are almost non-existant in the parks themselves, whereas that's where the best discounts apply to Uni Passholders.

WDW APs will not get you any discounts at any restaurant, counter-service place, or merchandise shop in the parks, except for the table service places in Epcot - and they only offer a 10% discount on lunch only, not dinner.

Uni APs get you 15% off at all of the restaurants and counter-service places in both parks, 20% off at all the merchandise stores and carts, and 10%-15% discounts on park passes for your non-Passholder friends. It's also worth noting that the merchandise discounts even apply to stuff that's ALREADY ON SALE! I've gotten shirts inside the parks that were already marked down about 20% on clearance, and my AP discount took them down another 20% - Disney has NEVER matched that.

The list of discounts outside the parks at WDW is quite long compared to the list of discounts outside the parks at Uni, but if you compare them side-by-side, I think the discounts at Uni are mostly comparable (some better, some worse), and the list is longer simply because WDW is seven times the size of Uni.

Nothing beats that feeling of showing your Uni AP in Burger Digs or Mythos and getting that 15% discount on your lunch or dinner!

 

[tclowe]

What about the 10 days of Christmas specials for AP holders only! I was able to get 35% off of merchandise in the stores (bought 3 Barney foldable raincoats in various sizes, 2 Barney tapes, 1 Barney toy, and 2 Barney activity books for the plane ride home). Yes, my daughter is part of the Barney cult!

 

[nerdboyrockstar]

What about the 10 days of Christmas specials for AP holders only! I was able to get 35% off of merchandise in the stores (bought 3 Barney foldable raincoats in various sizes, 2 Barney tapes, 1 Barney toy, and 2 Barney activity books for the plane ride home). Yes, my daughter is part of the Barney cult!

I agree.. I was so lucky to be visiting when they gave the 35% off discount. I wanted to buy EVERYTHING.

 

[nerdboyrockstar]

Okay.. I'll say another perk that hasn't been said yet. The discount on special events such as Halloween Horror Nights. Being an annual passholder, you can get a ticket to HHN for as low as $25 (when it's regularly $60)..

I was insulted when Disney asked me to pay $45 for their Merry Christmas Party.. there was only like 4 or 5 nights with $35 discounted tickets.

 

[Peter Pirate]

Sorry, I wasn't implying that WDW AP perks are better than USF only that WDW does offer some useful perks as well, namely parking and DD discounts and don't forget that the WDW PAP also gets you the water parks.

I am an AP holder at both Parks as well and I see that USF has done a better job of appealing to the locals than WDW lately...I hope that Disney will some day notice this and I hope USF doesn't just rest on its laurels and quit reaching out to us.

 

[DisneyWisher]

The 20% off merchandise and the 35% before Christmas (bought tons of things as Christmas gifts) DD20 always has on her Betty Boop slippers. But another great perk is the renewal price. Even if you don't have a trip planned yet its still worth renewing, especially with the recent price increases. I just love all the an AP has to offer.