AP holders please help...

[BANNISTER]

Need some Disney expertise...we are a family of 5 from Maryland. When we went last year some had recommended getting annual passes for the parks. We did not, thinking we would not be back again this summer. Well, it is all the kids talk about. So now we are considering buying an AP and using it for 2 visits within the same year. I had always heard how much of a bargain it would be, but as I look at pricing for the Magic your Way 10 day ticket it actually seems cheaper to do a MYW tix over the AP. Am I missing something? What would you recommend? We sometimes park hop and others times not. Last summer we had the base tix and didn't seem to mind not being able to hop. We have never done a water park and would like to when we return, but I think I would probably just pay out of pocket for that as we would probably only go one day. My kids ages are 4, 8, 12
TIA

 

[aka-mad4themouse]

You may want to check the other Benefits of Being an AP Holder. It might be worth it for one adult to get an AP for a room discount, the DDE card and merchandise discounts at WoD. You would also be able to purchase up to 4 discounted waterpark tickets (yourself and 3 guests). The discount is $4 per adult ticket, $3 per child.

Everyone else in your group could then get the 10-day MYW no-expiry passes (hopper or not, depending on your choice).

 

[Boater]

With prior planning you can get some awesome discounts on resorts with AP.
Adult 10 day no expiration is $410, Annual Pass is $441.00
Kids 10 day no expiration is $368, Annual Pass is $388.00

So it looks like the break even is 11 days.

You get other bennys as well like dining discounts among others.

 

[AJKMOM]

I have read here that the benefits are best when you need a discount rate on the room, and you are going for more than 10 days in one calendar year. Just make sure you watch, because I have also read here about people who are unclear on the voucher concept. They activate their AP way before going to a park, and that changes when they go back again. As recommended, you may want to only get 1 AP for the discounts if you don't need the days.

 

[MessyJ]

Watch out, though. I am an AP holder and love it, but I also don't have kids. It will probably be hard to get your kids down to the World when the hotel discounts are going on. This year I believe they started in September and went to November, then started again in January to March. An AP can pay for itself with one hotel discount, but if you can't get down to WDW while the discounts are going on, then that won't be useful to you.

 

[Nicolepa]

Watch out, though. I am an AP holder and love it, but I also don't have kids. It will probably be hard to get your kids down to the World when the hotel discounts are going on. This year I believe they started in September and went to November, then started again in January to March. An AP can pay for itself with one hotel discount, but if you can't get down to WDW while the discounts are going on, then that won't be useful to you.

We got an awesome AP rate in August. I do think they run more specials when the kids are in school, but there are specials out there if you keep a look out for them.

 

[crazyj4488]

Having at least one person in your party hold an AP will be invaluable to you on the room rates alone. Disney recently scrubbed the best rate program and you can get last minute rooms without a non refundable deposit for up to 40 to 60% off rack...AMAZING discounts. I was staying at POP for $49 plus taxes during the EE AP Preview. Awesome. If u are going to go more than once a year, get the AP and use it wisely....u wont be sorry.

 

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

There are two big factors, I have decided.

If you go to the parks more than 10 days in a year then the AP is cheaper. We usually spend 8 days in the parks per trip. We save $60 per person having an AP vs. buying 8 day passes twice. We don't typically hop, but we always add that feature. Just in case! If we can utilize the AP room discount, then great. If not, we always have AAAto fall back on. I see that the AP discounts currently available are DOUBLE the AAA discount, so making use of the AP discount would be a good deal. Unfortunately we don't have any time off until August and summer AP rates aren't out yet.

The 10 day, no-expire passes are nice because you don't have to use them within a certain time frame, but if after 1 trip you only have 2 days left on the pass you have to decide if you would go back just for 2 days. For us, to pay airfare to Orlando and only stay 2 days would be ridiculous. We would end up buying additional passes to add to the 2 leftover days which would cost MORE than the AP.

Your travel patterns are probably the best factor to determine which passes make the most sense.

 

[BANNISTER]

thanks for the responses everyone...does anyone know if there is always a summer AP rate for the resort or if that something that may or may not happen.

 

[PinMan]

hey all,
is the annal pass a card with photo ? can someone else in your family use it ? are hotel rooms the only discounts ? or is there a dining discount ? merchandise ?

 

[scoutsmom99]

hey all,
is the annal pass a card with photo ? can someone else in your family use it ? are hotel rooms the only discounts ? or is there a dining discount ? merchandise ?

you cannot share the annual pass as they take a biometric scan of two of your fingers (pointer and ring) when you first use the pass and then again for everytime afterwards (aka a ticket tag). Also the pass has you name on it so if the finger scan does not work for some reason they will most likley ask for id to prove it is yours. There are discounts with the ap check out this link for all of them:

http://www.wdwinfo.com/discounts/discounts-ap.htm

 

[makinorlando]

hey all,
is the annal pass a card with photo ? can someone else in your family use it ? are hotel rooms the only discounts ? or is there a dining discount ? merchandise ?

APs are not transferrable - not a photo id, but they use the biometric finger reader thingy (technical term aye!!), and with an AP your name is on the pass, and you could at any time be asked for ID.

There are room discounts, merchandise discounts at specificed locations, dining discounts, and many other things that I probably have never used living in Orlando.

 

[shellybaxter]

thanks for the responses everyone...does anyone know if there is always a summer AP rate for the resort or if that something that may or may not happen.

Please consider the only perks of an annual pass admission to the parks. All the other perks (discounts, disney dining expirience, AP room rates) can change or my not be available. If you buy an AP and room rates don't come out for your trip or are limited in some way you may feel cheated if you purchased the AP thinking you'd get the cheaper room. If you or your family are going into the park more than 10 days APs are a good deal, if your not they might not be. Its a bit of a gamble to plan on the special offers as they can and do change.

 

[rcraw45425]

I bought AP's for myself and older DD last Feb., basically hers since she would be turning 10 later that year and would need adult tickets from then on. Husband and younger DD used our leftover old tickets for the Feb trip and April trip, then they bought MYW's with hopping for July. THey got AP's in November. What we like is that having the AP's we can, if we choose to, go to the park for a few hours on arrival day and departure day without "wasting" a whole day of MYW admission. So far, I have had some type of a room discount for each trip, either a AP discount or a general code (November, no AP rates during our time, during the BRP fiasco changeover). We have also probably saved ~$500 or more with the DDE card as well. If you live close, as we do < 7 hours by car, short trips add up. We try to always stay deluxe, which with an AP code, gets $100 a night off of rack rate. DDE card saves us 20% (for us it's the tip) at Table Service dining. Plus, sice we have staggered our AP anniversary dates, they don't all come due at once.