Another Annual Pass Question

[cinderella97]

Here we go again...Our AP expires(today actually!). We are not going again until Feb 2006 (late) then we were going again in Feb 2007-don't know the excat dates due to school. But we are hoping that it will overlap. I thought I read somewhere that if you renew, the date goes back to when you orginally purchased it-which for us would be today. Is that right? Or will our new date be effective in Feb? I still trying to run the numbers but I think it would be beneficial for us to by the AP instead of the MYW. I'm figuring we'd be there 12 days total in the parks.

 

[pumpkinboy]

Well, unless you're planning on going to the parks within the next month, don't renew. The measly 10% off they give you for a renewal discount is more than made up by the time value of money between now and February. If you decide that APs are right for you, buy them in time for your February trip, so that they start when you get to the park entrance in February.

Note that Presidents' Day 2007 will be on the 19th, so roughly the same week as it will be in 2006. This would imply that you will not get a lot of overlap between an AP bought for a Feb 06 trip and a Feb 07 trip. That is assuming that your February break is tied to Presidents' Day like it is in our district.

If there is a good possibility of getting 12 park days out of your APs, then the AP is the way to go, and not MYW. Figure your APs are going to run you $314 for 10+ (plus whatever price increase they put in this coming January). By contrast, 6 day MYW park hopping tickets (with expiry) will run you $228 or more with advance purchase (plus any potential price increase), and that would be times 2. The APs have the advantage of whatever discounts and perks they decide to offer in 2006; heck if the DDE card is offered again, I am going to be an AP holder again if the breakeven point is even close. Of course, my breakeven is 7 park days spread over two or more trips (MYW w/PH & no exp ~$300 vs $314 for DVC discounted AP).

Good luck with your figuring!

 

[dianeschlicht]

We NEVER renew, because of that historical date thing. Instead, we buy a new AP after waiting a year between trips. That way we get a trip each year, but we slide the dates a bit to get at least two on one AP. In reality, we end up with more like three on each AP, but right now we are in the "dry spell", and can hardly wait until Dec. 31 when we activate our new ones!!

 

[pumpkinboy]

Our APs expire 11/9, but since we are not going again until 2/21, we will wait until then to get/ activate new ones. We got 21 days out of these last APs (24 days for me and DD, after we were forced to endure 3 extra vacation days due to Radar problems in Boston), so I think we got our money's worth.

For 2006, assuming the DVC AP discount is renewed we'll be getting APs for our 5 park days in February, usually 5 more in the fall (hoping for Thxgiving in 2006, so maybe 6-7) and maybe a few more over MLK weekend in January 2007. Even if we only get 10 park days out of them, they are still a better than breakeven proposition with DVC discount.