Benefits of annual pass?

[married2mm]

Are there specific discounts on food,merchandise etc?

I know there's free parking

 

[Robo]

Are there specific discounts on food,merchandise etc?

Yes.
And, room discounts and event tickets.

All of these things vary as to date, meal time, location, etc.
But we have always gotten our use of the AP discounts.
For more info. Google for "WDW Annual Pass benefits."

 

[married2mm]

Robo,my sweet-

Would you care to elaborate exactly what discounts arise?

 

[Robo]

Robo,my sweet-

Would you care to elaborate exactly what discounts arise?

I'm on my cell phone away from my files.
Just Google what I mentioned above.

 

[jtowntoflorida]

Robo,my sweet-

Would you care to elaborate exactly what discounts arise?

Honestly, they're nothing to get too excited about. The AP room discounts tend to mirror public discounts. The dining discounts are limited...it's 10% off, but only at certain restaurants, and the list is fairly limited, and is subject to blackout dates. There are no dining discounts offered in the MK. There are small discounts offered on the Christmas and Halloween parties on certain dates, and many events receive a small discount as well. Merchandise is offered at 10% off. Remember to use any discount, you need to have an ID as well as your AP discount card. The MBs alone won't help you with the discounts.

APs are best meant to achieve discounts on park tickets. The other benefits just aren't enough to make up for the cost of the APs.

 

[disneygolfer1985]

The only time I have bought annual passes is when I know I'll be going twice in a year. In the past, I have bought an annual pass at Christmas knowing I would be back for Thanksgiving; thus, getting 2 trips in one pass.

 

[hakepb]

AP holders can also purchase Tables in Wonderland for 20% table service dining discounts most of the year (including alcohol) TIW keeps getting more expensive so it's not the slam dunk it once was.
(FYI There is an auto 18% gratuity with TIW, but you tip anyway)

 

[supersnoop]

Are there specific discounts on food,merchandise etc?

I know there's free parking

http://allears.net/pl/disc_other.pdf
http://allears.net/pl/disc_dining.pdf

 

[married2mm]

Thanks very much guys.

I shall go Google.

 

[PSUGuy]

We bought APs to save several hundred $$ by scheduling two Oct trips we were planning anyway only with 10 day hoppers each time. We were pleased to get PhotoPass and some meal discounts as part of the deal, apparently there are merch discounts also but we bought no souvenirs last Oct., we'll see this Oct.

Bill From PA

 

[AngiTN]

I know the AP room discounts are only about 5, maybe 10% more than the public discounts we have still gotten a lot of use from them.
Enough that we've paid for at least, if not 2, of our passes.
One prime example is for our trip next month.
For all the rooms we would consider the GP room discount is sold out. The AP discount is not.
Even when they are both available the GP discount is $200, or more, higher, over the course of the trip. 2, 3 trips and that's paid for a pass.

Sure they can go away but for now, they are there and they are a benefit we utilize a lot. The shopping discount is nice too. We do have a DV but you have to spend $50 for it. I can get a $10 item and get the discount. It's just a little but it adds up.

 

[Accident]

Are there specific discounts on food,merchandise etc?

These can vary and you should search/read but generally:

- free parking
- included photopass downloads (think 1 year of memory maker for what the means)
- included park hopping (some passes don't have this but those are fl resident passes that are specific parks/times/waterpark passes)
- 10% of most merchandise
- 10% of some meals (generally table service but not all of them).
- some tours are discounted (maybe 10%ish).
- Parties (MNSSHP/MVMCP) has a small discount
- some other entertainment is discounted (currently cirque and villians, recently after hours was 50% off).
- exclusive merchandise, usually some type of pin, things at flower and garden/food and wine.
- some room discounts (very minimal and lately there has been some amazing better than AP discounts). they are usually 1-5% less than the others but sometimes better.
- sometimes there is discounts for AP when park tickets are required for everyone else but they are stupid limited and you must call to find them out. I once did a free dining with small room discount with an AP not requiring park tickets for example.
- discounts on waterpark or minigolf tickets (and it's an addon for someone that wants that a lot).

You also become eligible for tables in wonderland (http://www.tablesinwonderland.com) which is a larger food discount but it's a discount program you buy into so you need to weigh if the additional discount will actually save you money or not.. TiW has also recently had some exclusive (for a fee) events like previewing the new food for flowers and garden (great event) and an upcoming food and wine version. (read the fine print, you are also forced 18% gratuity (except for counter service locations that take it).

TiW also has free parking valet when dining at a resort (it's refunded after you eat). It makes a time different if your driving to your resort meal.

Some passes may have block out dates you can't use it. Tiw has some block out dates also..

florida residents there is a wider variety of passes like only epcot after 4pm, only waterparks, only waterparks after 2pm.

 

[ELSA711]

Jumping in here as I have a couple questions. Is the AP pass good from the time you purchase for 1 year?
We have a FD package deal for November, are we able to upgrade those tickets to an AP?

If so would I do all our tickets? (family of 5)

We are planning to go for two weeks in June 2017 and it seems it might be better to upgrade if we can.

 

[AngiTN]

Is the AP pass good from the time you purchase for 1 year?
We have a FD package deal for November, are we able to upgrade those tickets to an AP?
If so would I do all our tickets? (family of 5)

Yes
Yes
If you want but you don't have to

 

[ELSA711]

Yes
Yes
If you want but you don't have to

Thanks! But it would make sense to just upgrade them all, correct?

 

[AngiTN]

Thanks! But it would make sense to just upgrade them all, correct?

Just really depends on the math.
You can get the discount for everyone with just 1 pass
If the tickets for the trips you want would be more than an AP, then use it makes sense. If they aren't, but they are close it may make more sense to upgrade just 1, to get the discounts and then purchase tickets for the rest.
And if you want free dining again you'll have to buy the package with tickets and save them for later or you can't get it

 

[ELSA711]

Just really depends on the math.
You can get the discount for everyone with just 1 pass
If the tickets for the trips you want would be more than an AP, then use it makes sense. If they aren't, but they are close it may make more sense to upgrade just 1, to get the discounts and then purchase tickets for the rest.
And if you want free dining again you'll have to buy the package with tickets and save them for later or you can't get it

Thanks, we aren't doing FD again. This is the last year as now the kids are growing, we want to rent DVC and cancel meal plan. This is probably the last year they will be into the 'character meals' and without them, the dining plan doesn't make sense for us.
I'll be getting out my spread sheet and doing the math.

 

[Accident]

Is the AP pass good from the time you purchase for 1 year?

366 days from the day you activate it(that day + 1 year). basically you buy it online, get a voucher and it works for fp+ planning. Then you stop at any ticket booth or guest relations to turn in the voucher to activate your AP and that is your renewal date.

We have a FD package deal for November, are we able to upgrade those tickets to an AP?

yes, it must be done at property.

If so would I do all our tickets? (family of 5)

Up to you. if your only doing 1 room at ap cost and discounts you can do it with just 1 ap.. My daughter being an age she goes alone and buys thing on her own, it was more cost effective to get her an AP also... I use will the AP for that person save me money or break even compared to what tickets will cost to decide.. if it's close then I factor in how much of my money she's using to buy things and where/what she buys. soda isn't going to save money, t-shirts will.

 

[Hopefully]

Robo,my sweet-

Would you care to elaborate exactly what discounts arise?

Maybe this was well intentioned, but it sounded rude and sarcastic to me!
The benefits have been well outlined by other posters.
For us we do it exclusively for the ticket price discount when we do 2 or even 3 trips in 12 months. We are DVC so we use that to buy the TiW card.

 

[supersnoop]

366 days from the day you activate it(that day + 1 year).

367 days when it encompasses a leap year.