Are annual passes worth it for a 4 night stay?

[MICHAEL799]

We are visiting WDW in 10/2003 (regular season rates) for 4 nights and 5 days. Wondering if it is really worth it to buy an annual pass if this would be our only visit this year. It appears the rates for the deluxe hotels are much cheaper with a pass. We are planning on only visiting Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom since our kids are 7 & 4. The rest may be too far over their heads and they will be just as happy with the hotel pools instead of the water parks. Any advice? WL appears $125/night cheaper! Is it easy to get this rate? Do rooms fill quickly?

 

[JACKNAG]

The passes break even point I think is eight days, If you get a good discount this could defray the cost of the Anual Pass (AP).

But if you do what we do and return back to Disney before they expire in a year, and stay for at least 4 or five days then you stayed for 2 vacations on one set of passes.

From Mousesavers.com

To reserve a "room only" reservation, call the Disney Reservations Center at (407) W-DISNEY and specifically ask to book through the Central Reservations Office (CRO). If possible, avoid booking your "room only" reservation through the Walt Disney Travel Company (WDTC), because "room only" reservations booked through the CRO system offer better terms for cancellation and payment dates. Here is an outline of the differences:

When booking a "room only" reservation through CRO, you are subject to very few restrictions:
You must pay one night's room rate as a deposit within 14 days of reserving your room.
Final payment of the remainder is due at check-in.
You can change or cancel your reservation without penalty up until 5 days prior to check-in.


When booking through WDTC, even a "room only" reservation is considered a "package" and is subject to the rules for packages:
You must pay a $200 deposit ($100 for Disney Club members) within 14 days of reserving your package.
Final payment of the entire remainder is due 45 days prior

http://www.mousesavers.com/disneyresorts.html#ap

use the above link hope it helps
Happy reading

Jack

 

[deadheadbelle]

I would call & see if the rate is available for the dates. You can book the AP rate even if you haven't purchased the passes yet. Also, remember, you only need to have 1 person in your group with an AP in order to get the discounted rate. Get out the calculator! !

 

[SnackyStacky]

I don't know if you mean to buy one annual pass to book the room rate or not.

A child's annual pass comes to 332.84 after taxes. An adult AP would come to 391.14. If the savings on your room for your dates is $125/night, and you're staying for 4 nights, it'd be a total savings of $500. You would still end up saving up to $170. So yes, it would be worth it.

Before you rush out and purchase an AP though, call CRO and see if any rooms are available at an AP rate for your dates. You don't need the AP to make the reservation, just at checkin. If your dates are 10/2003, call CRO IMMEDIATELY and find out if anything is available. Call 407-WDISNEY (407-934-7639) and ask if there are any rooms available at the resort you want for your dates with an AP rate.

If you meant to buy an AP for each member of your family, you won't even come close to saving any money.