AP rates - what exactly are they and could & should I take advantage of them

[pollioni]

Call me a newbie (not really new but uninformed) but I have some soft of idea on what AP rates but am unclear if I can take advantage of them, if so how and if it would be worth while?

Here is my situation
Plan on traveling from Toronto via Buffalo (I know I can get a really cheap flight from there)
Want to stay at a value resort.
Want to arrive around Jan 3 until Jan 10

How does this work with passes/meals???

Anything eles I should know

Thanks

 

[grimley1968]

I don't use AP's, but I know a few things about it.

First of all AP's are annual passes to the parks. They cost a little more than, say, 7-day MYW tickets, but if you're planning to go to WDW more than 7 days (I can't remember the break-even point) in a 365-day period, AP's can possibly save you money over buying MYW tickets for the same number of days. We never go more than 7 days in a year, so AP's don't make sense for us.

Also AP rates are special rates for resort lodging for AP holders. I don't know exactly what those rates are, but they're apparently fairly substantial discounts over rack rates. Still, for our purposes, we do better without AP's, and just searching for discounts where we can, like the free dining package and value season rack rates, or some straight up discount on the room. We've never not received some kind of discount off rack rates.

Finally, AP rates usually are exclusive, I think, from other discounts. For instance, AP holders can't get their AP rate on a resort room, and also get the free dining package plan. They'd have to pay rack rate for the room to get the dining.

I don't know if AP rates fluctuate from season to season, like rack rates do from value season to peak season, etc.

 

[gullyf]

Call me a newbie (not really new but uninformed) but I have some soft of idea on what AP rates but am unclear if I can take advantage of them, if so how and if it would be worth while?
Here is my situation
Plan on traveling from Toronto via Buffalo (I know I can get a really cheap flight from there)
Want to stay at a value resort.
Want to arrive around Jan 3 until Jan 10
How does this work with passes/meals???
Anything eles I should know
Thanks

Without going into a lot of analysis, it is highly unlikely that AP's for a single 7 night trip would prove worthwhile, especially in the value resorts. A 7-day MYW park hopper is ~$223 + tax bought in advance, while an annual pass is $395. That is a lot to make up in room discounts, especially since the discounts aren't that deep for the Value resorts. I suspect AAA rates would easily prove to be the better bargain here...

 

[RachelTori]

I agree that an AP wouldn't be a good deal for just this one trip. There often are discounts offered to Canadians and that's where you should check 1st!

You might also be interested to know that many US school systems are out the 1st week in January so the area will be a bit more crowded than you might expect. Still, if you're prepared, there's no "bad" time to visit WDW! Good luck with your planning.

 

[never_enough_pooh]

Something to remember though, is I believe the MYW passes are for 1 park only each day... you can still park hop with the AP, I believe. For me, the added cost of being able to jump from park to park (say, if I wanted to eat dinner in Epcot or see illuminations, but I spent the earlier part of the day in MK) is worth the added cost of the pass.

I don't think there was a really big savings on the value resorts (something like 15.00 per night discount), but that as you go higher in resort categories, your discount increases.

 

[gullyf]

Something to remember though, is I believe the MYW passes are for 1 park only each day... you can still park hop with the AP, I believe. For me, the added cost of being able to jump from park to park (say, if I wanted to eat dinner in Epcot or see illuminations, but I spent the earlier part of the day in MK) is worth the added cost of the pass.

Park hopping is an extra cost option for MYW passes, but included in the $223 above.. it is like $199 without it (and I might be missing an advance purchase discount there), though, like you, I couldn't imagine not be able to move freely from one park to another. Perhaps it has something to do with being a fellow nutmegger?
And yes, you can hop with an AP...

I don't think there was a really big savings on the value resorts (something like 15.00 per night discount), but that as you go higher in resort categories, your discount increases.

Yup... what you said

 

[cobbler]

Also note that AP rate discounts on rooms are not guaranteed. They have been pretty steady giving them out but lately they are less and less of a discount.

Like others have said, with just this trip at a value resort, it probably won't be worth the extra expense.