Buying an Annual Pass

[mbeaudet]

I need to buy 5 adult and 4 child Annual Passes. What is the best discount on the purchase of an Annual Pass? I understand I can buy one using my Disney Club card but is that the best discount out there? We are planning on going for 11 days beginning the first week of December. Also, should I buy the Annual Pass now or wait until it gets closer?

Thanks,
Mona Beaudet

 

[CarolMN]

Unless you are a Florida resident, the Disney Club is the ONLY discount available on annual or premium annual passes.

Since you can get the DC discount at the gate, the only reason to buy annual passes in advance would be to avoid a price increase. Disney doesn't announce price increases in advance so there is no way to know if there will be one before you arrive. The last increase was September, 2002.

HTH

 

[Kaa]

Actually, you can no longer get the Disney Club discount on Annual Passes at the gate. You must purchase any type passes in advance to get the Disney Club discount.

 

[mad4themouse]

The only discount you'll be able to get on the APs will be thru the Disney Club. The good news is that you should be able to purchase all the APs that you need, using the DC discount. DC members can purchase up to 10 APs according to the club website.

Check the expiration date on your club membership. If your membership expires before your scheduled trip, then I suggest buying your AP vouchers prior to the expiration date. If you renewed until the end of December, you can certainly wait and hope that the cost does not go up between now and your trip.

With that many passes to purchase, you may want to spread the cost out across several months between now and then. Unless you purchase them at the parks themselves or the DisneyStore in MCO, you will receive a voucher instead of the actual pass. It will not be activated until you redeem the voucher for the pass at Guest Service in one of the parks.

 

[GoldenOldie]

Originally posted by Kaa
Actually, you can no longer get the Disney Club discount on Annual Passes at the gate. You must purchase any type passes in advance to get the Disney Club discount.

You can absolutely still get the DC discount at the park gates and Guest Relations at WDW. I just did it in December.

 

[tink2dw]

I understood that if you PRE-ordered Annual Passes off the official Disney.com website you got a discount. Is this true??
I don't have the DC.

 

[mad4themouse]

Originally posted by tink2dw
I understood that if you PRE-ordered Annual Passes off the official Disney.com website you got a discount. Is this true??
I don't have the DC.

The only discount available on APs is by using the Disney Club membership. The "Advance Purchase" price for an adult AP on the Disney.com website is $369.00 (before taxes and shipping). Add taxes to it and it becomes $392.99. That's the same price you would pay at the gate without the DC.

 

[tink2dw]

So,after dec and the dismise of DC,then what??

 

[MELSMICE]

Originally posted by tink2dw
So,after dec and the dismise of DC,then what??

Good question - I'd like to know also. I have always used my DC card for ticket discounts, most recently our AP's direct from the Disney Store in our area.

 

[GoldenOldie]

As of right now, there is no "then what" yet. DC discounts will end and the only discount on AP/PAP's will be for Florida Residents.

That's not to say that other things won't happen like a discount program for the new Disney Visa or some other discount that hasn't yet been announced.

But it's also possible that Disney may be considering ending discounts on AP's. After all, if you go that often paying an extra $15 on one won't be too big a deal, right?

We'll just have to wait and watch.

 

[travelbug]

Can anyone help me with this scenario?

My current AP expires on Dec. 29, and I'll be down at WDW at that time. I'm thinking about renewing my AP, which I understand starts right away on Dec. 29 (or 30?). I have a DC card that will expire at the end of February. Can I somehow use that for a voucher for an AP renewal before the card expires? Or do I have to do the renewing at a WDW ticket counter?

Here's another twist. I'll be back down to WDW in February, before my DC card expires. If I must buy an AP renewal at a ticket counter, is there any way to do that in advance and get the DC discount?

Can you tell this is my first AP, and I'm kind of clueless? Thanks for any info you can give me. I'm always on the lookout for ways to keep a little more money in my own pocket.

 

[Mskanga]

To my knowledge you don't get DC discounts on AP renewals, only on the first AP purchase.
There are no advanced purchase discounts either.

 

[travelbug]

Bummer! Oh, well. Thanks for the reply, Mskanga!

 

[GoldenOldie]

You do in fact get a DC discount when renewing AP's. The price with DC is $339.74 vs. $350.39 with no DC.

But travelbug's problem comes from the fact that they will not allow you to renew an AP that still has 11 months to run.

You could purchase a new AP voucher for a new (not renewal) AP anytime before the end of February if that would be of any help.

You might also want to call the DC TODAY as the word is that January 31 is the final date that they will accept pro-rated renewal requests to last through December.

DC discounts on new and renewal AP's do not have to be done in advance. They can still be obtained in person right at the WDW ticket booths and Guest Relations windows.

 

[travelbug]

Hey, thanks, GoldenOldie! You had some really helpful information and ideas for me. Gotta decide quickly today whether or not to renew my DC card through December. Sure wish they still had discounts on park hoppers, as that is what the rest of my family members will be needing. Then it would definitely be worth the cost of the DC card, which is why I bought it in the first place.

Thanks again!

 

[disneyfan551]

...to use my sister's DC card on a hotel res. if she isn't traveling w/us?

Thanks!
Tiffany

 

[mad4themouse]

Originally posted by disneyfan551
...to use my sister's DC card on a hotel res. if she isn't traveling w/us?

Thanks!
Tiffany

If your sister is a member of you household then it is perfectly fine to do so. DC membership includes everyone in the household. If she does not live with you then it would not be morally correct to do so.

 

[dahess]

If you get your AP at a Dis Store, can you have it activated in DTD? If so, where?

 

[GoldenOldie]

Originally posted by dahess
If you get your AP at a Dis Store, can you have it activated in DTD? If so, where?

Yes you can. There are two Guest Relarions offices in DD. One is the Marketplace right next to the new Once Upon A Toy shop at the Rainforst Cafe end of the Marketplace.

The other one is in DD West Side right near the AMC Theaters.

 

[MELSMICE]

Originally posted by dahess
If you get your AP at a Dis Store, can you have it activated in DTD? If so, where?

Don't forget that once you activate them that's when your "year, or 365 days" begins. So, if you won't be going into a park that day I wouldn't activate them. But........if you are, have a great time!