Best Deal - AP to get RO discount?

[nklooz]

Ok, I am currently booked from March 3-9 CR TPV room w/FD, upgrading to DxDP. It is going to be $5,191. Party is me, DH, DD2, DD12.

I could alternatively book as follows:

Buy myself an AP for $552.74 w/tax.
Buy separate park tickets for the rest of my family for $568.72
Get our CR TPV room w/RO discount and DxDP added for all for $3,945.81

* These are all quoted by a CM via phone

Total Cost: $5,062

The savings is only $123. But, it is still $123.

My question is whether or not there are any disadvantages/inconveniences in booking this way that I am not thinking of.

Thanks for any help you can offer. Just want to make sure this is seamless. If it poses a whole host of issues, it may not be worth the $123.

Thanks!

 

[Sandi]

You might be able to get a better price on the tickets for your family if you purchase them through www.undercovertourist.com If you sign up for the monthly newsletter on www.mousesavers.com, you can get an even better discount. The newsletters come out on the 15th of each month, so it's a good time to sign up.

I have an AP and usually find that the RO discount works well for us. I've purchased the dining plan a couple of times, but we really prefer going without a dining plan and instead getting the Tables In Wonderland card. You'd have to do more math to figure out if TIW is advantageous for your situation.

It sounds to me like you're approaching this the right way. I'd say that another advantage to doing RO versus a package are the relative cancellation and payment requirements. For a room only, you just pay for one night as your deposit and then nothing else until you get there. Plus, you can cancel at 5 days and get your deposit back. The package requires full payment at 45 days before arrival.

 

[vinotinto]

While there's no guarantee that a general public room-only discount will come out (or that your room categoryw ill have availability under the discount), if it does, it would save you more than the AP rate because the discount is close to the AP discount (usually 5% less) and you wouldn't have to purchase the AP, which is pricier than just a regular ticket.

 

[nklooz]

You might be able to get a better price on the tickets for your family if you purchase them through www.undercovertourist.com If you sign up for the monthly newsletter on www.mousesavers.com, you can get an even better discount. The newsletters come out on the 15th of each month, so it's a good time to sign up.

I have an AP and usually find that the RO discount works well for us. I've purchased the dining plan a couple of times, but we really prefer going without a dining plan and instead getting the Tables In Wonderland card. You'd have to do more math to figure out if TIW is advantageous for your situation.

It sounds to me like you're approaching this the right way. I'd say that another advantage to doing RO versus a package are the relative cancellation and payment requirements. For a room only, you just pay for one night as your deposit and then nothing else until you get there. Plus, you can cancel at 5 days and get your deposit back. The package requires full payment at 45 days before arrival.

Thanks for the tips. Is there any disadvantage to me being on AP and my family having the regular park tickets?

While there's no guarantee that a general public room-only discount will come out (or that your room categoryw ill have availability under the discount), if it does, it would save you more than the AP rate because the discount is close to the AP discount (usually 5% less) and you wouldn't have to purchase the AP, which is pricier than just a regular ticket.

Good point. So, I guess I could wait and see. When would it be likely that it was going to come out if it was going to come out?

Thanks!

 

[Laketravis]

I did the same thing (bought AP for myself, regular park hoppers for the rest of us, got a 25% RO discount on a moderate and added deluxe dining).

"Only" saved a couple hundred dollars doing it that way at the time, and wouldn't you know a general public RO discount came out shortly thereafter for 20% off moderates, so the purchase of the AP only saved 5% on this trip and turned out to not be worth it and actually costing $100 more.

My thinking was, though, that we most likely plan on going again within 12 months so we'll schedule our 2012 trip a week earlier, I'll upgrade the other passes to AP before we leave this time, and then we won't need to purchase park tickets for our next trip.

So net effect is we will save, but those savings will be realized on our 2012 trip.

 

[nklooz]

I did the same thing (bought AP for myself, regular park hoppers for the rest of us, got a 25% RO discount on a moderate and added deluxe dining).

"Only" saved a couple hundred dollars doing it that way at the time, and wouldn't you know a general public RO discount came out shortly thereafter for 20% off moderates, so the purchase of the AP only saved 5% on this trip and turned out to not be worth it and actually costing $100 more.

My thinking was, though, that we most likely plan on going again within 12 months so we'll schedule our 2012 trip a week earlier, I'll upgrade the other passes to AP before we leave this time, and then we won't need to purchase park tickets for our next trip.

So net effect is we will save, but those savings will be realized on our 2012 trip.

I know that we will not be back within a year so I guess I will wait patiently for a while and see if a GP RO discount comes out. And, if it does not, take the AP path.

If anyone does have any watch outs or thoughts on tential inconveniences w/this plan, please let me know!

Thanks all!

 

[snykymom]

Because FD already came out for that time period, there may not be a GP discount. I know people were waiting desperately for an October GP room only discount - never happened. AP was the only RO discount, and for two weeks was the only discount at all; FD was blacked out.

Assume that no other GP discount comes out. Would you switch? If so, then book the AP package you want. If you wait, it may be gone. You can book an AP rate without actually buying the AP yet. Then if a GP discount comes out, you can switch your reservation (or keep the AP one if the room type you want isn't available under the GP offer). You will be given at least 24 hours after check-in to return with a valid AP to keep the rate. (This last time I checked in, I tried to hand the CM my AP and she looked at me like I had two heads. "I don't need that," she said.)

You can save a few more dollars on your plan by buying yourself a MYW ticket from Undercover Tourist as well, and upgrading that ticket to your AP. Use it to enter a park first to get the current gate price of the ticket, go to Guest Relations and upgrade to the AP. Make sure that the CM knows to "bridge" the value of your ticket, and know what the numbers should be (value of ticket you want, value of ticket you have, and the difference you should pay).

There is no downside to your having an AP and the others not having it.

You will also get some merchandise discounts with your AP - currently, it's 10% at most locations. And if you're into pin collecting, there are a number of special AP pins.

 

[nklooz]

Because FD already came out for that time period, there may not be a GP discount. I know people were waiting desperately for an October GP room only discount - never happened. AP was the only RO discount, and for two weeks was the only discount at all; FD was blacked out.

Assume that no other GP discount comes out. Would you switch? If so, then book the AP package you want. If you wait, it may be gone. You can book an AP rate without actually buying the AP yet. Then if a GP discount comes out, you can switch your reservation (or keep the AP one if the room type you want isn't available under the GP offer). You will be given at least 24 hours after check-in to return with a valid AP to keep the rate. (This last time I checked in, I tried to hand the CM my AP and she looked at me like I had two heads. "I don't need that," she said.)

You can save a few more dollars on your plan by buying yourself a MYW ticket from Undercover Tourist as well, and upgrading that ticket to your AP. Use it to enter a park first to get the current gate price of the ticket, go to Guest Relations and upgrade to the AP. Make sure that the CM knows to "bridge" the value of your ticket, and know what the numbers should be (value of ticket you want, value of ticket you have, and the difference you should pay).

There is no downside to your having an AP and the others not having it.

You will also get some merchandise discounts with your AP - currently, it's 10% at most locations. And if you're into pin collecting, there are a number of special AP pins.

Ok, I want to make sure I understand, I can buy all of our MYW tickets, me, DD12, and DH's from UT (and this is cheaper than buying through Disney?)? Then, once at our first park, I upgrade my MYW ticket to an AP ticket and I get a better rate for my AP than I would have if I'd done it in advance? Then, I take my AP ticket back to CR and show it to them to keep my AP RO discounted rate? And, since my DxDP was booked with our room not our MYW tickets, this has no impact on the DP? Just want to make sure I'm following. Thanks.

 

[sophie832]

Maybe I'm missing something here, but I thought you couldn't add a dining plan with the GP RO discount? If the OP is hoping to have some sort of dining plan, then it would have to either be a package deal or the AP RO discount (to which you can add-on a dining plan at whatever full price for the plan is).

Just food for thought.

 

[nklooz]

Maybe I'm missing something here, but I thought you couldn't add a dining plan with the GP RO discount? If the OP is hoping to have some sort of dining plan, then it would have to either be a package deal or the AP RO discount (to which you can add-on a dining plan at whatever full price for the plan is).

Just food for thought.

You can add on dining to any type of Room Only discount, GP or AP. You just pay full price, taking the room discount vs. free dining discount.

 

[snykymom]

Ok, I want to make sure I understand, I can buy all of our MYW tickets, me, DD12, and DH's from UT (and this is cheaper than buying through Disney?)? Then, once at our first park, I upgrade my MYW ticket to an AP ticket and I get a better rate for my AP than I would have if I'd done it in advance? Then, I take my AP ticket back to CR and show it to them to keep my AP RO discounted rate? And, since my DxDP was booked with our room not our MYW tickets, this has no impact on the DP? Just want to make sure I'm following. Thanks.

You've got it. UT is an authorized Disney reseller that sells tickets at a discount. (If you order through the Mousesavers newsletter, you'll get an even bigger discount. Not a lot, but as you say, every dollar helps!) You upgrade your UT tickets to the AP, which allows you to keep the discount you got from UT. Just remember to enter the gates of the park before you do the upgrade. You may never be asked for the AP at all at CR, but if you are, just do the upgrade (you can even walk to MK to do it), and go back and show them the AP. I've done the upgrade from UT tickets, including tickets that I had bought several years before the upgrade, with no difficulty.

Because you are allowed to buy the dining plan with an AP rate without buying tickets for the rest of the party, doing this upgrade will not affect your dining plan at all.

 

[sophie832]

You can add on dining to any type of Room Only discount, GP or AP. You just pay full price, taking the room discount vs. free dining discount.

Whoops, sorry. Didn't realize that. Nothing to see here then...

 

[Sandisw]

You can add on dining to any type of Room Only discount, GP or AP. You just pay full price, taking the room discount vs. free dining discount.

Not true. If you want to book an AP ticketless package, you have to either be paying rack rate or staying on the AP rate.

If you are using a room only GP discount, then in order to get the dining plan, you must buy at least a 1 day ticket for each guest.

Free dining requires the 2 day ticket minimum.

 

[nklooz]

Not true. If you want to book an AP ticketless package, you have to either be paying rack rate or staying on the AP rate.

If you are using a room only GP discount, then in order to get the dining plan, you must buy at least a 1 day ticket for each guest.

Free dining requires the 2 day ticket minimum.

I was assuming if you weren't using AP, you'd be buying the park tickets with your package. Sorry, should have clarified.

GP RO discount w/ticket package, you can add on dining.
AP RO discount, you can just add dining and get your tickets separate (if you aren't all on AP).

As far as I understated from CM. Does that seem right?

 

[nansmama]

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[snykymom]

Posting here because I have a similar question. Our trip is booked for Feb 12-28. I booked our room (actually two separate reservations since the system would not take a discounted res for longer than 14 days) using the AP discount. I was planning on purchasing our AP's (my kids are teens) soon but not activating them until we get to Disney.

Which is cheaper:

1. Buying 10 day park tickets then upgrading to AP's.
2. Buying AP's outright.

Or are they the same? I do see that purchasing the 10 day tickets on undercovertourist saves $8 per person. Is that the only savings with #1?

Buy the ticket with the largest discount from Undercover Tourist, but whose ultimate value is less than the value of an AP. I think people have calculated it out to be something like the 8 day non-expiring or something, but you have to do the calculations. It's always a few bucks cheaper to do it this way through UT, but some people don't feel like it's worth it.

 

[alex9179]

I was thinking of doing this, as well. Even with the upgrade and TIW purchase, I'll be saving close to $800 off a club level room with a 35% discount...or about $600 for GV.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but when I go to Guest Relations to upgrade my park ticket to an AP, I can also purchase the TIW card at the same time? DDP and TIW seem similar in savings but TIW offers more flexibility AND a discount (covers tip at least!) at V&A's.

I've never done any of this, so this may be a dumb question. When I call to book my stay on the AP rate, do I just say that and it's done? They don't need any verification? Also, once our vacation dates are known, should I book the room ASAP then call again once the discount is released and hope to have it applied? We will not be flexible on dates, but are flexible on resort...but don't want to be
This is all dependent on whether a RO discount will be offered to AP holders in Oct 2012 and it's greater than the GP or any PIN offer we luck into. We'd like to stay at the POLY, and AP discounts for that resort seem to be consistantly higher than the public's by 10-15% margin.

 

[snykymom]

I was thinking of doing this, as well. Even with the upgrade and TIW purchase, I'll be saving close to $800 off a club level room with a 35% discount...or about $600 for GV.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but when I go to Guest Relations to upgrade my park ticket to an AP, I can also purchase the TIW card at the same time? Yes. DDP and TIW seem similar in savings but TIW offers more flexibility AND a discount (covers tip at least!) at V&A's. My TiW paid for both itself and the AP upgrade just at V&A itself!

I've never done any of this, so this may be a dumb question. When I call to book my stay on the AP rate, do I just say that and it's done? They don't need any verification? Correct. No verification is needed for booking. In fact, I have never been asked for my AP when I checked in. Also, once our vacation dates are known, should I book the room ASAP then call again once the discount is released and hope to have it applied? We will not be flexible on dates, but are flexible on resort...but don't want to be Yes.
This is all dependent on whether a RO discount will be offered to AP holders in Oct 2012 and it's greater than the GP or any PIN offer we luck into. We'd like to stay at the POLY, and AP discounts for that resort seem to be consistantly higher than the public's by 10-15% margin.

See above.

 

[alex9179]

Excellent! Thank you!

 

[yooperfan]

Not true. If you want to book an AP ticketless package, you have to either be paying rack rate or staying on the AP rate.

If you are using a room only GP discount, then in order to get the dining plan, you must buy at least a 1 day ticket for each guest.

Free dining requires the 2 day ticket minimum.

I just booked WL for Jan. with AP discount. I called to cancel my GP discount room ( didn't want to chance losing the AP discount while calling to modify). Anyway, I asked her if I could add quick service dining later if we wanted it and she said no, we had to request it when we made the online ressie. She also said we can make extra payments and pay it off online and I didn't think you could do that. Is she right?