I have the
AAA and the AP cards.
2 years ago, the AP allowed the holder to get 20% off food and merch in the parks. now for the preferred holders, it is 10% discount.
both AAA and AP allow you 10% off the merch and food in the parks and most of city walk.
both cards give you discounts on the on site hotels.
i book with the AAA, and for the times i go, that price beats the ap discount.
whenever the Super Saver rates come out, i switch my ressie to that promo
the SS rates are the cheapest anyone can find.
anyone can use it for the hotel discount. the catch is, you have to stay for at least 3 nights. if you stay longer, a bigger discount.
there are times the ap rate is better than the aaa for the hotels.
it depends on the dates you go to universal.
no one knows this far out which card will give you the best discount deal.
we don't even know which is best for next summer yet.
when you book, check the website frequently.
if the rates go down, call and modify the room rate.
you can buy all 4 tickets now.
if you find out the ap rate is better for hotels when you book your room,
then upgrade one of the passes to the ap at the park.
very easy to do.
you do not have to have the ap in your hand when you book the room w/the ap rate.
you will need to upgrade one of the passes to get the ap.
when you check in to the hotel, if you haven't done the upgrade yet, they will tell you you need to and show them the pass so you can have that ap rate. if you don't, you will be charged rack rate.
do the figuring out on which card will serve you best and save you money.
i pay $40 a year for my aaa card. i use the aaa for my discounts as it has been beating the ap rate for my trip period.
i do like the ap as many times in the year, there are specials just for ap holders. cheap or free tickets on occasions, premier of new rides, etc.
(if the ap rate would be better, i would switch then and modify my rate.)
