ap question?

[cn123]

I'm planning a trip to WDW in sept/oct 09 and quite possible another trip within 1 yr from that and am seriously considering the ap's. can someone tell me is there other benefits of ap's, do you get much of a room discount? is only on deluxes? do you ever get free dining? anyhelp would be greatly appreciated

 

[mbanks21]

To get free dining you still have to purchase a one day base ticket for everyone. You can use it towards renewing your AP though. You do get free parking. You can get the DDE dining card. Discounts on rooms usually between 10-30% or so

 

[rt2dz]

If will go to the parks more than 11 days during a 365 day period, it costs less to have an AP (assuming PH).

• With an AP you get free parking; no big deal if you are on site though
• You can purchase a DDE card to received 20% most TS meals and CS at AK. It adds up fast.
• There are room discounts with an AP; we've gotten up to 47% off and a nice gift card with it.
• You can add dining only with an AP, but not free dining during the promotion, but a room discount might be better.
• You can get discounts on tours
• You can get 10% off at certain stores
• Hopping is included
• You can receive discounts at Disney Quest & Water Parks (great if you'll only go once, way less than a PAP)
• There are special events for AP holders
• You can get a discount on certain nights for MNSSHP or MVMCP
• There are special pins just for AP holders

A full list can be found Here

 

[cn123]

thanks for your help, I think it makes sense to get an ap. I'm still a little foggy about the not being able to get free dining and will have to buy 1 day park tickets would any money I would be savings go down the tubes with this? hows this scenario.... if next October free dining is offered can I purchase a resort with ap and still get free dining?

 

[DebbieB]

You would have to buy a 1 day MYW pass to get the free dining package, which you could upgrade to an AP.

 

[cn123]

sorry... but what if this happens? ok, say I purchased the voucher now only because I would like to be in the know about special's and possible pin codes available to an ap holder and then they offer free dinng do I still have to buy a 1 day pass? even though I have a voucher. Sorry if I sound like I'm just not getting it....but I'm just trying to get the most of the AP if I go twice in 12 months. since I'm totally flexible on dates I would like to be able to go when there is a great deal

 

[cn123]

anybody? I'm just anxious cause I think I will buy it now for my trip in 09 since I'm flexible

 

[mbanks21]

for free dining you still have to purchase a one day base ticket for everyone on your res.

 

[mousiemom]

maybe this will help:
we had ap in 2007, well worth it to us cause we went on 6 wdw vacations that year. when free dining came out, we had to each purchase a 1 day myw ticket to get the free dining the whole week we were there. when we checked out of our room, we went to the front desk and we had our 1 day myw tickets printed out so we could use those later. well, this feb. we are getting ap again and we are using those tickets towards our ap. so, we won't have to pay that much for them now. you can keep your key to the world card too but i had those printed out too to be on the safe side.
i hope this helps.
mousiemom

 

[cn123]

oh ok I get it... you have to purchase a 1 day pass but you don't have to activate it and can hold on to when your ap is up for renewal. you went 6 times in 1 year? did you get a ap code for all six? just wondering cause I would love to be able to get three times in a year but won't be able to unless we get a substantial savings each time.

 

[WEDman]

You should also be aware that only one person in your party needs to have an AP to get the discount on the room. If I remember correctly, you can reserve up to two rooms per AP as well. Another good place to get information is at MouseSavers.com.

 

[mbanks21]

Thats changed. There has to be an AP in each room for a discount

 

[rt2dz]

Really evaluate the free dining. I looked at for this year. When I decided where we would eat and how, it really came out to be cheaper to just use the DDE card and get 20% what we would actually spend it on. Remember, when you have free dining, you're paying rack rate for the room. Generally, for AP holders who usually don't take advantage of free dining, a room only discount is released during the same time period. That discount with the DDE card has been cheaper for us.

 

[cn123]

so you buy the dde card or do you get that with the ap and you get 20% off meals?

 

[mousiemom]

for 2 of our trips we got the 40% code that was floating around so i booked 2 trips with that. we always stay @ pop so i usually would pay $60 a night and we went during value season each time.
mousiemom

 

[mousiemom]

like the previous poster mentioned look at all your options. i didn't think about the free dining deal where you paid rack rate. we did pay for pop last year for free dining but we were upgraded for free to saratoga springs so that really was a deal. we also used the dde card that whole year of 2007 and it saved us a lot on our food and cocktails. it paid for itself the 1st trip.
mousiemom

 

[cn123]

where do I found out about the DDE card on the disney website? the thing is, my kids ae 5 & 7 and love those character meals which can add up. I couldn't imagine payong oop for more than 1 of those. that's where the dining plan helped

 

[rt2dz]

The DDE card is $60. Ours pays for itself within a couple of meals. It's good at most sit down places and at a few counter places in AK.

You can purchase it by calling Disney Dining with your AP/Voucher number. I buy mine when I get to WDW at guest services. You'll get a card made out of the same material as your AP right then and there. You will generally have to show it with ID and, sometimes, your AP card. It's good for a little over a year. If you do order it in advance, make sure it is at least 2 months out. Disney says 6 weeks, but I like to err on the side of caution.

MouseSavers is a great place for more information. Here is a good site on here too.

Don't let the words "Free Dining" fool you. It can be a good deal, but it doesn't always save you the most money. Disney wouldn't do it if it wasn't profitable. Yes, they get you in the parks, but they make a good chunk of change off their food, so they are making it up elsewhere--not necessarily souvies which you may not buy. A good room discount with the DDE card is what has saved us the most in the past.

 

[marie1981]

maybe this will help:
we had ap in 2007, well worth it to us cause we went on 6 wdw vacations that year. when free dining came out, we had to each purchase a 1 day myw ticket to get the free dining the whole week we were there. when we checked out of our room, we went to the front desk and we had our 1 day myw tickets printed out so we could use those later. well, this feb. we are getting ap again and we are using those tickets towards our ap. so, we won't have to pay that much for them now. you can keep your key to the world card too but i had those printed out too to be on the safe side.
i hope this helps.
mousiemom

I did not know that ! I am going this november and I already have a AP that I bought in April. So, according to you, if a better general public rate comes up with the obligation of buying at least one day pass, I could keep that one day pass and use it in 2009 towards the renewal fees of my AP ??? Is there an expiry date for the activation of that one day pass ????

Thank you so much for that info !

 

[rt2dz]

I did not know that ! I am going this november and I already have a AP that I bought in April. So, according to you, if a better general public rate comes up with the obligation of buying at least one day pass, I could keep that one day pass and use it in 2009 towards the renewal fees of my AP ??? Is there an expiry date for the activation of that one day pass ????

Thank you so much for that info !

Not who you quoted...

Yes you may save your one day (or whatever pass you purchase) and not use it. Just have it put on a separate media when you check-in. If they can not do it, concierge can. This is important for two reasons--so you don't accidentally use it or lose because when you get home you forget a ticket is on there. And so that if you purchased the DDP you don't accidentally have your dining credits misplaced. Your tickets will never expire, they just have to upgrade within 14 days of use.

Chances are if you save those tickets for a future year’s trip, the price will go up. So, to make your ticket purchased for a lesser amount current to the gate price, use it at least once. Guest services at the parks can then upgrade it for you. This works if you would like to upgrade a ticket purchased from a ticket discounter.

There is a sticky at the top of the theme parks board that you may want to check out: Here!