AP worth it?

[cinderellasmom]

Is it ever worth it to purchase an AP for only one trip a year? We currently have AAA discount for a week at the Contemporary beginning of November. Not on the dining plan, so the DDE card would be a possibility. Are the AP discounts typically worth the price of the AP?



Thanks!

 

[notnothin]

I wouldn't advise the purchase if you're solely relying on room discounts, as they aren't necessarily always offered. Purchase the AP for park admission, as everything else is a perk that could be gone at any time.

 

[DaisyD]

I think you need to go to the parks for 10 days to break even for an regular AP. For a Premium AP you would have to do the parks 12 days. I certainly wouldn't buy an AP for a room discount. I've had an AP for a few years and have only gotten been able to get a discount half the time. Buy it for the admission if you are going to use it 10 days or more. That is where the true savings are.

 

[tacomaranch]

Or, if you have already purchased a 3 day pass or other tickets the price of those tickets can be applied toward the purchase of the AP. Therefore, you spent a bit of money before and now a bit more and you get to go to the parks for one year from date of purchase! For us, it is win win situation.

 

[njchris]

I'll go against the grain and say I got an AP to get the rates.

I didn't get it, then hope they would come out. I checked the rates for an AP for the hotel I wanted, then saw how much $ I'd save, compared to how much extra it was for the days I was there and figured out my savings.


But then it motivated me to go again before the year was up on it... but I wasn't planning on it when I bought it.

 

[mill4023]

Like everyone said, you can't assume that there will be AP discounts.

But I am one of those who bought one just for the discounts. I'm hoping to make another trip before it expires, but I may not.

We went during spring break this past year and buying one AP saved us close to $1000 between room discounts and DDE savings for our group of 8.

But I also waited until AP discounts came out before making that decision.

 

[iluvepcot]

I purchased my first AP to go last May 05. I had DDE card and saved 20% off all table service. That paid for it self plus. 10% off disney store in DTD. 15% or 10% activities like tours etc. So that May between the room ap etc. it saved us.

Of course they burn a hole in your pocket. Then free dining came along and we went, since we already had tickets and got cheap air. We continued to enjoy the discounts and use our DDE for all out of pocket portions of our free dining ( alcohol and kids meals etc.). That trip was so cheap that my husband agreed to go again this year with free dining.

Which brings me to our latest trip planned for Aug. The original plan was to renew the AP's, get DDE card to use for out of pocket table service and continue to get discounts. We also booked several room only days after our dining plan at a deluxe resort, since they were offering an AP discount. (there will be no more dining plan after check out day but we thought we would be so full from all that food, who cares.) I thought we could go back in DEC. DH does not want to but I figured with AP's in hand and good discount code, I could talk him into it.

Well, as everyone knows by now, there is a room only discount for Aug 26/27. The room only discount is $6 more than the AP discount. So, I agree with DH now. We will go somewhere else this Dec and not renew our AP's.

In conclusion: they were well worth it the first year but not so much this year. If you may not get the park admission discounts and go at least the breakeven days, don't count on the other discounts making it worth it.

 

[Amyrlin]

For us it has been worthwhile evewn though we only go once a year. However we go for two weeks and ponly spend a couple of days at Universal.

Last year we spent 5 days at POFQ with a $75 a night discount and 2 nights at AKL at $100 off. We could have had AAA discount, but this was more. Then we also had the DDE and as we like a TS meal each day it more than paid for itself (well, it paid for itself in one meal alone at V&A).

This eyar we are bettwer off with the free dininng when staying at ASMo for 7 nights, as that would nly have been a discount fo $25 a night, and the AP is due for renewal so we have a 1 day base ticket that we can put towards the AP renewal. When we move over to WL the AP discount is better for us when allowing for the DDE.

For us it has been worth it, but w look at it each year.

 

[elaine and the boys]

We purchased an AP last year when I saw a special AP room rate at CSR during Christmas week. We saved $800 on the room, netting us a savings of $600 after we figured in the extra cost of the AP. Was well worth it for us, as we also saved a little more jingle using the DDE card we were able to purchase for $50.

 

[Linda 441]

We are going in November, do not know what the AP discounts on rooms will be if any. But we got one anyway. The difference in the price of an AP vs. the park hoppers is not huge and we have already haved $25 on our MVMCP tickets, we will get the DDE and will likely save the rest in food and any room savings will be a bonus. We only got one AP for our group.

 

[gbrogers]

9 to 10 day tickets are pretty much the breakeven point for one trip. But if you are just looking at the AP as means to get a room discount then remember you don't have to have purchased the AP to reserve a room with an AP discount just like you don't have to have join AAA to reserve a room to with a AAA discount. You do have to show your AP or your AAA card when you check in.

Also, you only need 1 adult AP to get the discount and the DDE card. Everyone else in your party can have regular tickets.

A caveat on AAA - You do have to a AAA membership to make your reservation through AAA.