AP renewal...the math $$$

[Muushka]

When you renew your AP, do you take into account how many days it will be until your next trip?

If my math is correct

Unless you plan to visit within 44 days between trips, it is not cost effective to renew an AP.

Unless you plan to visit within 31 days between trips, it is not cost effective to renew an PAP.

Cost of AP $399.49 cost per day $1.09
Cost of renewal of AP $351.89
Savings $47.60
$47.60/$1.09 = 44 days

Cost of PAP $512.94 cost per day $1.40
Cost of renewal of PAP $469.69
Savings $43.25
$43.25/$1.40 = 31 days

 

[drusba]

I guess I do not understand the math. We usually have 4 that go about 30 days a year total but at different times, often late Dec/early Jan, March, June, and sometime in the fall and our renewal time is in June usually just before or during the June trip. How does our not renewing and instead, I suppose, staggering our purchase of a new AP or purchasing other tickets save us anything?

 

[spiceycat]

you are paying for the time when you are not using it.

yes - so far always wait until there again to buy a AP - unless it is Aug and I am going in Sept -then would get a voucher (disney raises prices in Aug)

 

[tjkraz]

I think it depends more on when your trips fall. If waiting to renew will add an extra trip on the back end, it could justify paying full price.

For example, let's say your AP expires on 1/1/09. Upcoming trips are:

February '09: 7 days
June '09: 7 days
October '09: 7 days
January '10: 7 days

If you renew on 1/1/09 you pay the lower price but you only get 3 trips/21 days out of the pass.

If you wait until February to buy a new pass, you pay a little more but get 4 trips/28 days out of the pass.

Now, if you remove the January '10 trip, then it becomes better to pay the renewal price.

The main question you have to ask yourself is whether waiting to buy a new pass will allow you to cover extra trip days under the pass. If the answer is yes, it may be worthwhile to pay the extra $50 for a new pass rather than renewing and getting the earlier expiration date.

 

[Muushka]

I wish Disney would do something about their lousy renewal parameters.

Either lower the renewal price to make it worthwhile or re-instate the renewal AP voucher system. (The one where you receive a renewal AP voucher that begins the date you activate it, not the date the old one expires.)

Otherwise, it is 10 day non-exp for us.

 

[CarolA]

I do consider the days between visits. So in most instances I buy a new AP. Last year was one of the few times it's made sense for me to renew.

 

[Inkmahm]

When you renew your AP, do you take into account how many days it will be until your next trip?

If my math is correct

Unless you plan to visit within 44 days between trips, it is not cost effective to renew an AP.

Unless you plan to visit within 31 days between trips, it is not cost effective to renew an PAP.

Cost of AP $399.49 cost per day $1.09
Cost of renewal of AP $351.89
Savings $47.60
$47.60/$1.09 = 44 days

Cost of PAP $512.94 cost per day $1.40
Cost of renewal of PAP $469.69
Savings $43.25
$43.25/$1.40 = 31 days

No, I take into account the TIMING of the trips, not the number of days. I just posted this in the other thread where you posted the same answer:

It's not a simple math problem though, it is a timing of your trips problem.

Example: Your AP expires Dec 10, 2008. You have trips in 2009 planned for April and November. Then trips again in May 2010 and December 2010.

You'd be better off renewing your AP to cover the April and November 2009 trips rather than getting a new AP to cover them. Either AP, new or renewed, covers exactly the same two trips so why not take the cheaper option?

For 2010, however, I'd get the new AP.

 

[Inkmahm]

I think it depends more on when your trips fall. If waiting to renew will add an extra trip on the back end, it could justify paying full price.

For example, let's say your AP expires on 1/1/09. Upcoming trips are:

February '09: 7 days
June '09: 7 days
October '09: 7 days
January '10: 7 days

If you renew on 1/1/09 you pay the lower price but you only get 3 trips/21 days out of the pass.

If you wait until February to buy a new pass, you pay a little more but get 4 trips/28 days out of the pass.

Now, if you remove the January '10 trip, then it becomes better to pay the renewal price.

The main question you have to ask yourself is whether waiting to buy a new pass will allow you to cover extra trip days under the pass. If the answer is yes, it may be worthwhile to pay the extra $50 for a new pass rather than renewing and getting the earlier expiration date.

Exactly.

 

[Brian Noble]

The problem with the "next trips" analysis is that it requires you to plan your trips out even farther in advance than "normal" (where normal is defined as: obsessive-compulsive Disney planner.)

If you don't or can't plan that far in advance, and don't have a regular visit pattern, then the days-cost analysis makes a lot of sense.

 

[tjkraz]

The problem with the "next trips" analysis is that it requires you to plan your trips out even farther in advance than "normal" (where normal is defined as: obsessive-compulsive Disney planner.)

If you don't or can't plan that far in advance, and don't have a regular visit pattern, then the days-cost analysis makes a lot of sense.

I don't think it requires any more advance planning than many DVC members are already accustomed to. When that renewal notice comes in the mail, the question is whether to pay it or discard and plan to buy a new pass. That's pretty typical 11-12 month planning for DVC members looking to book their Home.

We have even gone so far as to structure trips to get the most value from APs. Our last APs expired in the spring of 2008. No sense in renewing since we won't be back until 2009. Right now we have trips scheduled for June '09 and October '09, and will probably add December '09 and May/June '10 to get the most out of that one set of APs. Then we'll take 9-12 months off and buy new APs when we return sometime in 2011.

 

[Inkmahm]

I don't think it requires any more advance planning than many DVC members are already accustomed to. When that renewal notice comes in the mail, the question is whether to pay it or discard and plan to buy a new pass. That's pretty typical 11-12 month planning for DVC members looking to book their Home.

We have even gone so far as to structure trips to get the most value from APs. Our last APs expired in the spring of 2008. No sense in renewing since we won't be back until 2009. Right now we have trips scheduled for June '09 and October '09, and will probably add December '09 and May/June '10 to get the most out of that one set of APs. Then we'll take 9-12 months off and buy new APs when we return sometime in 2011.

Same for us. I already know at least which months we plan to visit DVC for 2009 and 2010. The APs are planned around that. Example, we just got back on Monday from our latest trip to WDW. It wasn't a coincidence that our last day in the parks was on Saturday and my husband's AP expired on Monday. I timed our vacations so that he got trips in Dec '07, March '08, April '08, Oct '08 and Dec '08 all on one AP.

 

[Brian Noble]

I don't think it requires any more advance planning than many DVC members are already accustomed to.

Depends on the Member, naturally. I just was "speaking" with someone who yesterday decided that she wanted to go over Marathon weekend!

 

[CarolA]

Depends on the Member, naturally. I just was "speaking" with someone who yesterday decided that she wanted to go over Marathon weekend!

Well, I booked next week just before Thanksgiving and just added two nights in January.....

I figure I will use mine enough to buy

 

[Muushka]

No, I take into account the TIMING of the trips, not the number of days. I just posted this in the other thread where you posted the same answer:

It's not a simple math problem though, it is a timing of your trips problem.

Example: Your AP expires Dec 10, 2008. You have trips in 2009 planned for April and November. Then trips again in May 2010 and December 2010.

You'd be better off renewing your AP to cover the April and November 2009 trips rather than getting a new AP to cover them. Either AP, new or renewed, covers exactly the same two trips so why not take the cheaper option?

For 2010, however, I'd get the new AP.

I see what you are saying. Back in the day, when we got APs, we would base our trips according to what status our AP was. And we also would use PH between APs, so we had quite a bit of flexibility on our trips. But with your scenario, it would take a whole lot more calculating than I would want to do!

 

[Muushka]

The problem with the "next trips" analysis is that it requires you to plan your trips out even farther in advance than "normal" (where normal is defined as: obsessive-compulsive Disney planner.)

If you don't or can't plan that far in advance, and don't have a regular visit pattern, then the days-cost analysis makes a lot of sense.

I'm with you, Brian! And I am obsessive-compulsive!

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

I wish Disney would do something about their lousy renewal parameters.

Either lower the renewal price to make it worthwhile or re-instate the renewal AP voucher system. (The one where you receive a renewal AP voucher that begins the date you activate it, not the date the old one expires.)

Agreed! I haven't renewed an AP since they made this change. And when I have an AP I tend to make more trips. When I don't then it's just as easy to visit somewhere else and just buy a park hopper if I do visit WDW.