AP- I want to buy one but I'm soo confused!!!

[Hnymoon@Dixie]

Here's my Dilemma:

My DH & I are planning 3 Disney trips within the next 12 months.

1 in Dec 2005
1 in April 2006
1 in Oct 2006

I want to buy an AP & then call to book my WL room getting the AP price. So if I call to book I need to buy the pass but I don't want to buy the pass till Dec. so that I don't let idol time pass on the AP.
But If I book the room without the pass, I don't get the good rate. I'm soo confused! Is there any way around this?? I', afraid WL will sell out in Dec. if i don't book soon! I need to get a 5 person room.

Help! I hope I made some sense here!

 

[Lollipop Mom]

Even if you bought the pass today, you won't be letting time slip by on it. Unless you buy it at the parks or the Orlando airport, you would be buying a voucher for the pass. You'd be guaranteeing you get the AP at today's price so even if the price goes up before December (which is doubtful but always possible I suppose) you wouldn't pay the price increase. You would activate the pass when you arrive at WDW so it wouldn't start it's 1 year "countdown" till you activate it.

You don't need to have the pass or voucher purchased to make the reservation, you just need to make sure you have it when you check in.

If you are making 3 trips inside of a year, then an AP will probably be your best bet. If you are staying at the WL for those trip(s) then if there are codes for even one of them, it will definitely be your best bet! Unless your 3 trips are very short ones and a 10 day pass would cover you, I'd say go ahead and figure the AP cost into your budget but there is no need to purchase the AP right away unless you just want to.

As far as booking, if you are certain you will stay at the WL code or no code, then book it now. The only rooms in the WL that will accomodate 5 (unless one of them is under 3) will be the deluxe rooms. Booking the room now won't guarantee you will get the discount even if one is released. It only guarantees that you have a room at rack rate. If rack rate is OK with you, then book it. If rack rate is too expensive, then book something else that you can afford either off site, 2 rooms at a value or if one of your 5 is a child, a trundle room at POR and plan to switch when/if a code is released.

 

[CarolA]

AP rates are not out for any of your dates yet. Right now all you can book is regular room rates.

You don't have to have the AP to book the rate, just to use it. So if rates are released for your dates then you can call and book an AP rate if available. (Depending on when you are going in December they may or may not even have rates and having an AP does not gurantee you the rate even if they release rates. They have to have AP rate rooms when you call. There are limited numbers of discounted rooms per night per resort.)

You can then buy the AP closer to your visit or when you first arrive.

If this is your first AP then even if you buy it now it does not become active until your first visit so it would be active 365 days from your December visit. (Renewals are active one the date renewed)

 

[Hnymoon@Dixie]

That clears things up!

 

[bucky1023]

I had already booked my room at the Poly in July'05, when the AP rates came out. I called up and they adjusted my prices. I bought my pass after all this. They said I just needed to show my pass when I arrived at the resort.