AP - should we?

[Davids-Coco]

My DH and I are planning a trip in April for his birthday. He really wants to stay at GC in a concierge room... which I have no problem with but want to get the best price possible. And, we have decided that we aren't really interested in the package (just not what we want).

So, here's what we are thinking about the APs:
+better room rate possibility
+discounts on things we want to do/buy and food
+possibility of an AP preview of Buzz
+could get us down there a little more (my grandparents live in Santa Ana)

-would cost more than a park hopper
-may not actually get down there more often even though there is motivation
-have to buy premium to get all days, and not pay for saturdays... delux wouldn't work for quick weekend trips.


I need help deciding and gathering more info, so anything would be wonderful!!! TIA!

 

[lark]

If you have to buy the premium, it's a tough call; probably not worth it. What you need to do is find out GC historical data on April AP discounts.

If the reason you can't buy the deluxe is solely the fact that you might want to use the pass on Saturdays on FUTURE trips, then I would say forget about that. It still might make sense to buy the deluxe. In fact, even if you have to buy a one day ticket in April, the deluxe may still work for you. Plus, don't forget, that an awful lot of Saturdays are not blacked out -- September, October, November, much of December, January.

It's very hard to calculate out for April, and the missing piece of information is how many days you need to visit the parks. For example, right now, AP holders can get discounts on 2-day hoppers, so if you would only need those, you'd make up $20/hopper difference on each hopper. If you'd be going for 3 days, then the difference between hopper and AP prices probably doesn't make it worth it. If you'd be going for 4 days, then it starts to get closer. Again, it really all comes down to whether you'll get the discount for April in the GC in concierge. My sense is that discounts are hardest to find for GC, and AP rates are pretty stingy.

 

[iceskatejen]

Once you add parking to a deluxe AP, the premium (which includes parking) is only 40 more (Actually I think it might be even less now--didn't they raise the price of the parking add-on?), and I figure that I'm going to more than make that up on the extra food/merch discounts that the premium offers. Of course I live closer and I tend to go a couple times a month (I was there 4 times last month) and I go often on Saturdays, so for me the premium has more than paid for itself.

 

[Amy&Dan]

We bought Premium AP's last April for our family of four. We have made numerous trips to Disneyland since then ( it will be 6 by the end of the year for the whole family and one trip for DH and I when he was on business in the area). Needless to say that many trips has made the AP's pay for themselves. We also estimate that we have saved at least the cost of one AP in discounts at restaurants and shopping. The one disappointment is not having ever been able to snag an AP rate at a Disney hotel. We have either stayed at the HOJO or used Expedia to get a better deal than Disney offers at the DLH or PP. I know a lot of people get those deals, I just haven't lucked out yet! I think it really boils down to how many visits you will do. If we renew, I think we will do only one Premium AP and Deluxe on the other 3. Then just try to do off season when Saturday's aren't blacked out. I hope this helps, have fun with your planning!

 

[Tink's_Club]

If you decide on getting the Deluxe and you happen to go on a weekend that might be blocked out you can also pay $25.00 to get in. That's what DL charges you for going on a blockout day. As long as you don't go often on blockout days it isn't too much out of pocket and as another person wrote above, there are lots of saturdays that are open and not blocked out...