AP rates not all that!

[fishcall]

I finally go through this morning and asked about AP rates for our dates (1/7/03-1/12/03) at the Poly GV. The difference in price from the Dream Maker Winter Package was only $69 and cost $50 to change the reservation. I know that with AP passes we can go to the park for a year, but I am sure this is the only time we will be visiting this year. BTW, the prices (room only) for the Poly during our stay for AP customers are GV=$200/night, LV=$255/night, CGV=$266/night, and CGV=$322/night. Then you have to buy an AP. With our Dream Maker Winter package, we are paying $1875 for LV with Ultimate Passes for 2 people. I sure hope the CM did her math right because I am not sure how much AP passes cost. Anyone esle find the AP rate to not be that great?

 

[fishcall]

looks like my math and the CM's was wrong. for my dates, the AP rate for the Poly LV is $255/night * 5 nights = $1275 then you add 2 APasses @$394 each = $2063 which is almost $200 more than my DM Winter package. I was expecting a big discount, but it is not there. oh well, i guess the package that i had was the best bet. i also get 2 lanyards and 2 choices with the DM package. what are "choices"?

 

[klh999]

I was in the same situation. It wasnt that great of a deal with the AP thing. But then I decided since this will be a yearly vacation, I switched my reservation to one week later, 1/23 to 1/27. Then next year I will go the weekend before that. That way I get two vacations for the price of one AP pass.

I had to justify spending the extra dollars on the AP pass.

Maybe if you plan on doing disney next year. Make it one week earlier, so the AP pass will count.

 

[MinnieGi]

Kristy - we did the same thing this past year. We booked a trip on an AP rate and then planned a trip for the week before they expired. And then since we had the AP's in hand and my husband's company MADE him take a weeks vacation or loose it - well you can guess what we did!! Enjoy those AP's!

Fishcall - we have friends that are going when we are this Feb. who are also using the Winter Dream Maker package and for them it was also a good deal since they will not be returning in a years time.

 

[lts862]

We found the same thing. We are saving more money by using the Winter Dream maker than if we would have purchased APs. Since we are only going once this year, it was best for us. Have a great time!!

 

[Texowl2]

the garden view rates at the Poly are 199, but seem to be very very limited....

 

[jojomg]

hey question.....can you get an ap rate for the dream maker package????? I saw something on mouse savers about a code for dream maker package....it was zxvs

 

[Bojangles]

Annual passes aren't meant to be hotel discount cards. Unless you go more than once/year, the recent packages have been a good bargain.

 

[georgina]

For those who already have AP's and just need a room only, they are a great deal!

 

[BCV23]

I think the discounted winter dreammaker and the package that was available over the summer and early fall were unusually good rates for packages. I priced out our last trip a couple of weeks ago using the AP rate (which I couldn't get for most nights anyway) versus the package for the three out of six of us who didn't have current APs and it was nearly a wash with the package being a teeny bit cheaper if I recall correctly. I stopped trying to get the AP nights at that point.

I think the AP rates that you quoted are very nice. Just check out the rack rates! Would that I be so lucky and get AP rates like that for March!

 

[WhispyPixie]

The only time we get AP's are when we KNOW we are gonig to be going more than once each year and we find the AP rates a great deal (any money you can save is). Sometimes we stay on site with a great rate, sometimes we stay off it we cant get a rate! It is worth it for us and our family! Hope you have a good vacation!

Pixie

 

[magsmom]

Yes. You have to weigh your options, and know the break-even point of the pass.

We bought our passes last year with the premise that we were going to be visiting at least 2 times over the life of the pass. We also bought with the premise that we were not going to stay on-site as DH has family who owns a time share in Kissimmee. We made our $ back on our 1st trip with the price of admission alone.

In August, we decided to go to FL as it was just about as much $ per week as our summer trip to the Cape. Our park tickets were paid and I got a great rate at CBR with the AP.

This time I made plans for a couple of weeks earlier than last year (our AP's expire a week after we leave ). We will renew again when we go in October (SSR!) then use them in February and October 2005.

For us, by the time we are done we will have used the passes for the parks on 30 days. Granted, we would not have gone on some of those days, for example, we went for 2 hours once on the day we had to go to the airport. But this still works out to only $12.00 per day. It is definitely worth it even without the hotel discounts.

 

[cdpa4d]

I'm in the same situation as a lot of you. I am hoping to book two rooms at the GF with the AP Rate. This will justify me buying the AP which I actually did yesterday at the Disney Store. I will activate the pass when we go in May. I am planning on using the pass in May then in April of 05. That will give me 10 admissions and the AP will pay for itself. You also have to figure the AP will give you some great discounts on food and souveniers. That also helps justify the price of the AP. I plan on staying off-site in April of 05 so I will also get free parking at the theme parks. 8X5 = $30 savings.
I guess it really depends on your situation.

 

[Lynn R]

We bought our AP's in February this year and used them for 15 days 13 till 28, we'd made reservations to go again 28 January
again for 18 days and now that the AP rates have come out we've been able to upgrade from a value resort to a moderate.
We are from France and can only come once a year but the AP has saved us a lot of $$$

 

[Grumpy37]

APs will only save you money on your ninth day in the parks if you use no AP rate rooms.

We bought the AP passes specifically because we thought they would save us money on deluxe resort rooms, and have been disappointed at how hard its been to get those rooms for the times we wanted. AP rates seem to only be available when the resorts are empty. What's worse, people (like me) book AAA rates first -- hoping to change to AP rates when they finally come out, which fills up the resorts, which discourages WDW from offering any AP rates.

OTOH, APs allow us to spend part of the day at the parks and go do other stuff if we "poopout". No guilt about "wasted park pass days", no need to pack everything possible into the days we do go to the parks.

The unexpected side effect has been that doing the parks with an AP pass has been far less stressful. And unlike regular park hoppers, APs are easily replaced if lost.

In the end, we didn't save any money because we can go anytime we can find cheap airfares and I can get off work. We've spent more than we've saved, but we've had a great time doing it, which is all that really matters to me.

All in all its been OK, though -- again -- it wasn't at all what we expected it would be.

 

[pampam]

Hey, I like your attitude. Keep positive.

 

[patsal]

For most us who buy AP's it is for the discount on admission, heck if I'm going to be at WDW for 30 plus days in one year I've saved huge by purchasing an AP over UPH's or regular hopper passes. Things like AP discounts on room, dining discounts, merchandise discounts, and rental car discounts are only icing on the cake. We go three times in a 365 day time period and then take of a full year before doing the same again.

 

[Lexxiefern]

I bought my AP to take advantage of the room discounts (they were already out when I bought so I was not waiting and hoping for them). I will be taking my 5th trip on my AP next week! We have gotten discounts for BWI $175/n, GF $199/n and next week the Poly for $170/n. Having the AP made me go to WDW more!!