AP Resort Discount Question

[LauraLeigh0126]

We are new to having AP's this year. My question is, Are there always AP room discounts or are there windows where they are not offered like, September Value season? Just curious as we are planning several trips this year and want to take advantage of the great discounts to stay places we may not have otherwise due to the price. Generally, we like POP the best because we spend very little time in the room and it the best value for the $$. We booked Coronado for our May trip because the discount was awesome. I would like to take my kids to either Caribbean or Riverside sometime this fall if there are good discounts.
Thanks!

 

[Drusilla99]

If you search for rooms on the website and you're logged in and your ap is linked, you should be given an option of a pass holder price, if it's available, for when you are looking to book.

 

[DebbieB]

We are new to having AP's this year. My question is, Are there always AP room discounts or are there windows where they are not offered like, September Value season? Just curious as we are planning several trips this year and want to take advantage of the great discounts to stay places we may not have otherwise due to the price. Generally, we like POP the best because we spend very little time in the room and it the best value for the $$. We booked Coronado for our May trip because the discount was awesome. I would like to take my kids to either Caribbean or Riverside sometime this fall if there are good discounts.
Thanks!

The only time they are not offered is around major holidays - Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas-New Years. They are more "last minute" - right now only available through 6/15/15.

 

[DisneyWisher]

The only time they are not offered is around major holidays - Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas-New Years. They are more "last minute" - right now only available through 6/15/15.

Exactly right. You will have no problems, just try to book ASAP. Some do sell out of AP price. Since its a room only you will put down as deposit 1 night. You can cancel 5 days prior to trip and if you are within that window modify. We just had reservations 3/22-3/25, my daughter had her own room, found last minute she couldn't get off work. She modified on 3/19 to change it to Mother's day weekend without incurring fee. Her work ended up allowing her the time off so she modified it back. Now we have FPs for that weekend already booked so now gotta make hotel reservations.

 

[mickey1968]

How do the AP room discounts compare to the Bounce Back rates?

 

[HopperFan]

They are not always or guaranteed but you have a good shot at them. I have found them to be the biggest discount for my trips. Of course like some other discounts you will find there are only so many rooms and the closer you get to your dates the more the rooms may be gone.

Look here for the last few years discounts and you can see the dates, when released and what they were.
http://www.mousesavers.com/historical-information-on-walt-disney-world-resort-discounts/#codetrends

 

[jstbcuz]

How do the AP room discounts compare to the Bounce Back rates?

I'd like to know too!

 

[maryandtyson]

You can check mouse savers for a list of historical discounts.

 

[DebbieB]

They can be better than other discounts but since they are offered last, there is less availability.

http://www.mousesavers.com/walt-dis...disney-world-resort-hotel-discounts-codes/#ap

Stay dates: 4/6/15 – 6/15/15

Get a substantial discount off regular “Rack” rates. Pricing and savings will vary by resort type and date. Rates not available for all dates, room types and resorts. There is no minimum stay with this offer.

Sample rates:

• Up to 37% off select Deluxe Villa Resorts, except:
  
  
  • Up to 30% off Animal Kingdom Villas
  
  
  
• Up to 37% off select Deluxe Resorts, except:
  
  
  • Up to 30% off Animal Kingdom Lodge Savannah & Club rooms, Contemporary & Grand Floridian non-suite rooms
  • Up to 10% off suites
  
  
  
• Up to 30% off select Moderate resorts, except:
  
  
  • Up to 10% off Coronado suites
  
  
  
• Up to 25% off select Value resorts, except:
  
  
  • Up to 20% off Art of Animation Family Suites
  
  

This is a room-only offer. If you would like to add a Dining Plan with these rates, there is a special Annual Passholders package.

Offer excludes 3-bedroom villas, campsites, Art of Animation Little Mermaid standard rooms, Port Orleans French Quarter, All-Star Movies, Bay Lake Tower and Villas at Grand Floridian.

Book by 6/12/15.

• To reserve a room with the Annual Passholder discount, call the Disney Reservations Center at (407) W-DISNEY or contact a travel agent who specializes in Disney travel, and request the Annual Passholder rates.

 

[enchantedmansion]

I had been able to get passholder rates previously, but was not able to when I tried to book a room last year at the Beach Club for the dates October 24-29. I called at 1:00 pm on the first day the discount was offered and was told there weren't any rooms left with the passholder rate. I assume this was because of the popularity of the Food and Wine Festival and the convenient location of the Beach Club.

 

[newdeal]

we have annual passes but never end up booking the AP room rate because you can get it cheaper without it. Orbitz has a promo code basically 100% of the time that will give you 15% off your room. This is in addition to the standard room discount Disney gives. Say Disney has a 15% discount on values for anyone, and a 20% for AP holders if you book through orbitz you can get 15% plus 15% using a promo code, plus about another 2% by going through ebates, plus you get a percentage back in "orbucks" to use towards future travel. Sometimes they even have 20% off promo codes on Orbitz.

 

[Wood Nymph]

I found the AP discounts to be great for last minute travel because the AP discount will often be available until a day before check in while a general public discount is often expired by then. They will also apply the passholder discount to your existing reservation if there is availability. We have been able to do this for three of our resort stays.

 

[HelenParr]

On AP rate versus Bounce Back, I offer my experience. I am sure this changes based on time of year, type of resort, etc. We usually stay at YC/BC/BCV on room only (cash reservation) , and at various times of year. We do a long trip in early to mid-November, and the discount is super important to that trip.

We almost always do better on BB than AP discount. We are lucky to be able to visit 2-3 times a year, and will book BB if we know our next dates, and then monitor the AP rates. Of the last 4 times we have done this, for 3 the BB remained the better deal (1% or 2% better). The one time to AP was better it was because one of the days was discounted for AP, but not BB. Happily, I had no trouble switching to the AP rate with same reservation number that one time.

We used to book more than one reservation for each trip to line up the best discounts, but now with FP+, we just go with the best overall deal for the nights included, on one reservation.

 

[LATJLP]

we have annual passes but never end up booking the AP room rate because you can get it cheaper without it. Orbitz has a promo code basically 100% of the time that will give you 15% off your room. This is in addition to the standard room discount Disney gives. Say Disney has a 15% discount on values for anyone, and a 20% for AP holders if you book through orbitz you can get 15% plus 15% using a promo code, plus about another 2% by going through ebates, plus you get a percentage back in "orbucks" to use towards future travel. Sometimes they even have 20% off promo codes on Orbitz.

I've never used Orbitz.....can you change dates or cancel with these codes? If free dining comes out, can you add it to the Orbitz reservation?

 

[Wood Nymph]

I've never used Orbitz.....can you change dates or cancel with these codes? If free dining comes out, can you add it to the Orbitz reservation?

You can't add or subtract days to an Orbitz reservation without canceling and rebooking the whole thing. If the discount has expired then you would lose it. You can't add the dining plan to an Orbitz reservation.

Free dining would be a Disney discount that would be only for bookings through Disney.

 

[DisneyWisher]

Also if you book with Orbitz once you link you need to go in and change "shipping address", it'll show Orbitz address. You wouldnt want your MBs going there. Last year I booked through Orbitz, it only allowed 2 adults no kids. We were bringing my 17 yr old nephew and I was advised to call to add him. Agent wanted to cancel and rebook. So frustrating that I just cancelled and booked with Disney. For a 3 day trip Orbitz was only saving me $7. I'd rather pay the money and deal directly with Disney

 

[patster734]

You can't add or subtract days to an Orbitz reservation without canceling and rebooking the whole thing. If the discount has expired then you would lose it. You can't add the dining plan to an Orbitz reservation.

Free dining would be a Disney discount that would be only for bookings through Disney.

Yes, that has been my experience. I also wanted to add that with Orbitz, the total cost for all nights is immediately charged at time of booking, while with Disney, only a one day is charged, with the remainder due later.

 

[bsbrady]

What we do is usually book a room via bounceback and keep checking the AP discounts to see if they are better. The great thing about having the AP is you book a room only and you can change or cancel up to 5 days prior. You are not required to pay in full at 45 days like a package. This makes things much more flexible.
I think the BB offers used to be a greater discount, now the BB & AP discounts are almost the same, usually.

 

[newdeal]

I've never used Orbitz.....can you change dates or cancel with these codes? If free dining comes out, can you add it to the Orbitz reservation?

you can cancel the whole thing and get your money back until a certain point. I think it may be a week out but I am not sure, it definitely says on the Orbitz site when you go through booking the room though. Third parties don't have the dining plan so if free dining came out you would just cancel and book though Disney.