Can someone explain the whole AP discount when staying onsite deal?

[Lynzer Torte]

I keep reading about how people are getting deals by purchasing AP's. I really don't understand it at all- can someone dumb it down for me?

Also, living in Oregon, we wouldn't use our AP's to their full advantage. Does that matter?

 

[DangerMouse]

The DLR hotels offer special discounts to AP holders. All AP's are entitled to standard 10% discount off rack rates at the three hotels, year round. However, during less busy seasons DLR has been discounting their rooms even further by offering special AP rates. AP holders will hear of these discounts either by visiting the disneyland website, or by frequenting fan sites such as this. The special AP codes are usually listed with a number behind them (i.e. AP4, AP5). The current AP code is AP5 and runs through the first week of March. These special AP rates sell out quickly, so it's a good idea to reserve right away when they are released. The AP5 rates have the PP as low as $139, the DLH at $159 and the GCH at $259 (ouch!).

The only off-site hotel that I am aware of that offers AP rates is the HoJo, and they offer a 20% discount.
HTH.

 

[Lynzer Torte]

So if 1 of us were to get an AP, would we be elligible or would each of us have to have one? Also, can you do any of the booking online or do you have to call?

 

[toocherie]

Only one of you needs the AP--I think you can book up to two rooms with one AP. I would suggest calling . . . . I've found that sometimes the rates the website has may be different. Also, keep in mind that if there is not a "special" AP rate (like the AP5 the other poster mentioned) if you have a senior person traveling with you you can get a discount of 30% off the rack rate as a senior discount in some cases (which is better than the normal AP discount).

 

[bumbershoot]

I keep reading about how people are getting deals by purchasing AP's. I really don't understand it at all- can someone dumb it down for me?

Also, living in Oregon, we wouldn't use our AP's to their full advantage. Does that matter?

I live in washington, and we've already used ours to a financial advantage. My brother lives in San Diego so we're down there at least once a year anyway, and we tend to do a one-day visit to DL. Last September we decided to have a big trip, planned on 5 days in the parks, and we knew that before next September we would go there at least one more day. A 5 day hopper plus a one-day pass was MORE than the Deluxe hopper.

If you just go for one long stay, I believe that they keep the price of their longest ticket under the deluxe AP, but if you might come back before that one year is up, then it pays for itself with admission.

Also, hotel discounts aside, you get 10% off of most food with the Deluxe, and 15% off most food with the Premium. Also, 10% off most merchandise with the Premium.

If you think you will ONLY be there for one stay in one year, then the pre-paid admission won't help you, but the discounts, depending on your spending habits, might make one person having an AP worth it.

 

[yipee]

Only one of you needs the AP--I think you can book up to two rooms with one AP. I would suggest calling . . . . I've found that sometimes the rates the website has may be different. .

Yes, you can definitely book two rooms, because we did. And they didn't have to be at the same hotel. The AP holder just had to be present to check the other group in. Also, I agree about calling. The website does have pretty up to date rates, but I did find a night I was looking for by calling - it wasn't on the website yet.

 

[yipee]

Also, can you do any of the booking online or do you have to call?

You can find the rates on the website, but you have to call to book them!

 

[Alex2kMommy]

If you just go for one long stay, I believe that they keep the price of their longest ticket under the deluxe AP, but if you might come back before that one year is up, then it pays for itself with admission.

Actually, Bumber, the longest ticket price (Adult) is MORE than the Deluxe AP!

Our last trip in oct. we bought APs because it saved $10 per adult over the price of the park hoppers. And of course that doesn't include the discounts on food we got with the AP, it was nice!

The park hopper child price is quite a bit less than the adult price, whereas there is no difference for the AP, it costs the same regardless of age. I think it was about a $50 difference. We debated a long time over whether to get the kids an AP, because it wouldn't be worth it if we didn't make a return trip on the AP. We wound up getting them and committing to making a return trip within the year!

 

[bumbershoot]

Actually, Bumber, the longest ticket price (Adult) is MORE than the Deluxe AP!

Which one is that? I was told in this last year that even the 8 day hopper was still less than an AP. Like, a dollar less, but still.

 

[Alex2kMommy]

Which one is that? I was told in this last year that even the 8 day hopper was still less than an AP. Like, a dollar less, but still.

I think it was an 8-day Adult PH. ( think the 7-, 8- and 9-day PHs all cost the same.) I had just missed a pricing special on the APs which would have saved us quite a bit of money.

I am not sure of the exact numbers, but I think the AP was something like $239 (bought around August, I know it's gone up a bit since then), and I think the PH was going to be $249. The kids' PH must have been around $180, because we decided to take a chance on losing $50 per child if we didn't take another trip.

We're hoping to go in the spring, so we should be able to at least get our money's worth!

 

[bumbershoot]

I can verify the APs were 239 in August, as that's the rate we snagged them at, one DAY before the prices went up. We didn't even know the prices were about to go up, and went in to upgrade during our trip...then found out they had gone up the very next day.

That's odd about the prices you saw...but the person who mentioned it to me was coming from Puerto Rico, so maybe there were some deals for commonwealths (is that what PR is to the US?) that we couldn't get.

Go in the spring!




OK I'll shush now.

 

[Lynzer Torte]

We called DTC but the lady wouldn't be quiet long enough to actually hear our questions we were asking! However, she did say that she can't give us any quotes if we don't have AP's.

My MIL might join us and she's a senior (61). If she were to get an AP and book our room for us (as well as hers), would she get a 30% discount?

 

[bumbershoot]

However, she did say that she can't give us any quotes if we don't have AP's.

That's nuts of them! Call back and talk to someone else. It's absolutely possible, and done all the time, to book an AP rate when you're going to buy the AP after you check in. You might even buy it online before you go there, check in, then go to the parks to activate them.

For dates to March 6: For reservations, call (714) 956-MICKEY and ask for rate plan "AP5."

Hope that helps.

 

[CoolPool]

We called DTC but the lady wouldn't be quiet long enough to actually hear our questions we were asking! However, she did say that she can't give us any quotes if we don't have AP's.

My MIL might join us and she's a senior (61). If she were to get an AP and book our room for us (as well as hers), would she get a 30% discount?

1) Disney doesn't let you stack discounts. So it'll be an AP discount or a senior discount.

2) I booked at AP4 rate without having an AP. The CM you spoke to was misinformed. Call back and talk to some one else. Just say, "I'm looking to book an AP5 rate for ......(insert your dates)." Thru March 6th, of course. If she asks if you have an AP, then just say yes. If the rates are available for your date you can decide then to purchase an AP or not. Keep in mind that Disney seems to release more rooms at the last minute if they can't fill up. I was able to book a few nights in November two days before arrival despite having been told "sold out" for weeks before - and I called a million times.

3) Only one person in your party has to have an AP to book an AP discounted room. I imagine it must be an adult AP though.

 

[caldisneyfan]

Hi everyone,
I booked last December 2007 for 5/31-6/9/2008 at DLR for our stay in GCH.
DM and I decided to change the dates so DS would not miss as much school in June and at the same inquired what the diffrence if we purchased AP's and could we get the AP discount for our stay?
The agent replied yes we could and saved just over $100.00 with the AP included and we get an extra day in the park as we would only get 8 days on the PH that was included in the package.
I guess it pays to ask sometimes.

 

[Alex2kMommy]

We called DTC but the lady wouldn't be quiet long enough to actually hear our questions we were asking! However, she did say that she can't give us any quotes if we don't have AP's.

I booked a trip for last Oct. somewhere around July/August, and asked for AP rates. The CM asked if I had an AP and I said no, but I was planning to get them before our trip. She said no problem at all, told me I'd be checking in with the AP voucher then. So unless they've changed their policy since then (which IMO would be silly!)...

I agree with the others, call back. Chances are you won't get the same person anyway; I'm sure she's wrong.

 

[Lynzer Torte]

Ok, I called the # Bumbershoot provided. The nice man gave me a quote of $1478 for 5 nights w/ 3 5-day park hoppers.

This price does not include the AP we'd have to buy or the Coach bus to & from the airport. It's also not through WDTC so we don't get any of the incentives that come with that ($150 GC, etc).

But with the AP you receive 10% off meals & souveneirs? Gosh this is a lot of work to find the best deal!

 

[bumbershoot]

OK, now I think I'm seeing the confusion!

If you book through WDTC, or places that book through them (Costco, AAA, getawaytoday.com, etc), you are getting a package. A package includes the parkhoppers and all the other things you can get. A package is not always the best deal at all, but it's convenient, especially for a first trip to DLR, and it is, in fact, the way we had our first BIG trip in September.

While there in Sept, we upgraded our 5 day parkhoppers to APs. So, now, the world of packages is done for us, at least until those APs expire next Sept.

The normal discount for the hotels is only 10%, I believe. That's not THAT much, but if you really want to stay onsite and don't have access to a package, it's better than no discount! The special AP discounts are where the big savings come in, but they aren't there all the time. This current AP5 discount is only through March 6.

Booking things a la carte means giving up the mickey's toontown morning madness vouchers, the lanyard, starter pin, and all those sorts of things. And the Disney gift certificate*. If those things are important to you, then don't give them up!

But if you really crunch the numbers, you could work out a mishmash where you buy a package deal, then when you get there one of you could upgrade to an AP to get the discounts on food (and merchandise if you get the Premium AP), and it could work out well for you.

But it's all up to what you want, and what is important to you.

For me, being in WA, it was only important that we got the APs because we KNOW that we'll be back inside of a year. And we already have been, I'm going solo for one night in two weeks, I'm trying to go in April for the ladies only Dis trip, and we want to go for DS's birthday in May. Then we still have to the middle of September until our APs expire, so who knows what might happen! Like I mentioned, the 5 day hopper through the package plus just one one-day ticket was going to cost more than the AP, plus there are the discounts, so it just didn't make financial sense to NOT get the AP if we could.

But if you only plan this one trip inside of a year, then a package might make far more sense to you!

Of course, it's amazing the number of trips some can justify, when one's admission is already paid for.


* when we booked our Sept package at the PP for 4 nights through Costco Travel, we only got a paltry $20 disney gift cert. harumph. and we ended up liking HoJo's at $54/night better, LOL.

 

[bumbershoot]

I noticed your list of vacations at the DLH. Looking at this:

5/05
2/06

If you had bought an AP during that May trip, you could have used it for the Feb trip and wouldn't have had to pay for tickets in Feb.

 

[Lynzer Torte]

I noticed your list of vacations at the DLH. Looking at this:

5/05
2/06

If you had bought an AP during that May trip, you could have used it for the Feb trip and wouldn't have had to pay for tickets in Feb.

That trip in 05 was paid for us by my in-laws, as were 2 of our other trips. All were booked through DTC.

We don't anticipate coming back within a year but I'm still going to weigh out the deals.

Is there a place to find out all the AP discounts with specifics?