Considering an AP

[PinkBudgie]

Yes, I can't believe I talked my DH into thinking about it getting an AP.

Can you deduct the amount of the 3 day park hopper if you do it while there?

How often do you get special rates at DLR hotels? What months are those discounts usually?

Do they last for a year from the time you bought yours? If buy them at the end of July, would our expire next July?

We are considering this because we want to go and stay on site for our 20th anniversary next year. Also, we probably will be visiting my sister at Christmas so could go then to. I've always wanted to see Nightmare before Christmas in the HM.

Anything else I should know or consider?

 

[XTinabell]

We got AP's last year, we originally bought 5 day hoppers and then traded them in for AP's and we just paid the difference.

I've never used the hotel discounts but I think you can always get an AP rate but they send out really good AP rates through out the year, typically September-November (the less busy times).

From the time you first use/activate your AP is the time it will expire the following year. So if you buy your AP today but don't use it until August it won't expire until August of the following year.

 

[wazowskiLOVER:)]

Congratulations !! I convinced my fiancee as well to get APs. We're getting ours in October for our big family trip. I know that they send you dates and info in the mail about AP features that you get; also whats pretty cool is if a ride opens while you're an AP you get special preview passes before the actual opening of a ride and get to try it out before the general public. Isn't that cool ?

 

[YellowMickeyPonchos]

We've been Premium AP holders for the last 9 years, so here is my advice.

Since you aren't SoCal residents (as your profile bar has NoCal on it), you can't qualify for either of the two SoCal passes, so you have to choose from the Deluxe and the Premium.

One thing to consider is the level of AP holder you want to be and how many blackout days you will experience. (WDW non-FL resident APs don't have blackouts.) Make sure you look at the blackout calendar before deciding, as there may be backouts during the vacation periods you might want to attend - such as almost every Saturday during the summer months. Choosing the Deluxe would mean that you would need to buy a blackout ticket ($25 I think) to go on those days. Coming on a weekend trip from up north, that could stink.

I'm sure you've already read about this, but the cost of the Premium is equal to about 5.5 single day visits. The Premium includes parking (which is up to $12 now). The Premium gives you no blackouts, a 15% discount on meals (except at the ice cream parlor and small carts), and a 10% discount on merchandise over $10, We still get the year's subscription to Family Fun Magazine, but I don't see where they are including that on the website. DTD is only 10% on food.

We've always found it to be worth the money, but then we seem to end up going at least once every two weeks lately.

Nancy

 

[bumbershoot]

...is if a ride opens while you're an AP you get special preview passes before the actual opening of a ride and get to try it out before the general public. Isn't that cool ?

FWIW, with TSMM, APs were able to enter a *contest* to get passes, but they weren't just given passes. And they were only for certain days. So that really only worked if you just happened to have a trip planned on a day that you happened to win, or if you have extremely deep pockets for airfare, a forgiving boss, and overnight babysitters if needed, OR if you are local. I didn't even enter b/c it would have been useless for us.



When upgrading from hopper to AP, the AP is backdated to the first day you used your hopper.

Last year we entered the parks on September 18 with our 5 day hoppers. We didn't actually upgrade until the 20th. We paid the difference between the AP and the value of the hoppers. That value was the same as the pre-purchase discounted price of the 5 day hoppers at the time. Our APs expire on September 18 of this year (we can enter the parks on that day if we are down there).

If you're staying off site, use the Magic Morning(s) you have on your tickets FIRST, b/c you'll lose that if you upgrade to AP before you use it. If you're staying ON site that doesn't matter because a continued but unadvertised benefit of staying on site is that you get MMs each day they are offered during your stay.

They had some great Fall and early Winter special AP rates last year. We will probably be hearing about them any time now when they are released. ("we" meaning the Dis, as soon as one of us AP holders gets an email or checks the site and sees them, LOL)

Deluxe AP gives 10% off most food and has some blocked out dates (You can find those dates on disneyland.com, so that you don't mess up your trip by upgrading when there are blockout dates after that upgrade). Premium AP has NO blocked out days, gives 15% off most food and 10% off most merchandise, and includes parking. If you like the higher discounts and the parking, but otherwise the Deluxe works for you, one of your party could upgrade to Premium for those benefits while the rest of you stick with Deluxe.


And just a little bit more info. We upgraded b/c we had the 5 day family trip, but we knew that we would be there at least one more day inside the 366 days (leap year), and the cost of the 5 day hopper plus a one day would have been MORE than the deluxe. We actually didn't have anything else planned but that one day while visiting my brother at some point during the year. Now, while we have definitely saved on *tickets*, we have created 2 more family trips (one of which included my brother's place and a few nights at HoJo for DLR) and one solo trip for me. So we haven't saved money, just money on tickets. (might not want to share more than the second sentence in this paragraph with your hubby, LOL)

 

[wazowskiLOVER:)]

FWIW, with TSMM, APs were able to enter a *contest* to get passes, but they weren't just given passes. And they were only for certain days. So that really only worked if you just happened to have a trip planned on a day that you happened to win, or if you have extremely deep pockets for airfare, a forgiving boss, and overnight babysitters if needed, OR if you are local. I didn't even enter b/c it would have been useless for us.



When upgrading from hopper to AP, the AP is backdated to the first day you used your hopper.

Last year we entered the parks on September 18 with our 5 day hoppers. We didn't actually upgrade until the 20th. We paid the difference between the AP and the value of the hoppers. That value was the same as the pre-purchase discounted price of the 5 day hoppers at the time. Our APs expire on September 18 of this year (we can enter the parks on that day if we are down there).

If you're staying off site, use the Magic Morning(s) you have on your tickets FIRST, b/c you'll lose that if you upgrade to AP before you use it. If you're staying ON site that doesn't matter because a continued but unadvertised benefit of staying on site is that you get MMs each day they are offered during your stay.

They had some great Fall and early Winter special AP rates last year. We will probably be hearing about them any time now when they are released. ("we" meaning the Dis, as soon as one of us AP holders gets an email or checks the site and sees them, LOL)

Deluxe AP gives 10% off most food and has some blocked out dates (You can find those dates on disneyland.com, so that you don't mess up your trip by upgrading when there are blockout dates after that upgrade). Premium AP has NO blocked out days, gives 15% off most food and 10% off most merchandise, and includes parking. If you like the higher discounts and the parking, but otherwise the Deluxe works for you, one of your party could upgrade to Premium for those benefits while the rest of you stick with Deluxe.


And just a little bit more info. We upgraded b/c we had the 5 day family trip, but we knew that we would be there at least one more day inside the 366 days (leap year), and the cost of the 5 day hopper plus a one day would have been MORE than the deluxe. We actually didn't have anything else planned but that one day while visiting my brother at some point during the year. Now, while we have definitely saved on *tickets*, we have created 2 more family trips (one of which included my brother's place and a few nights at HoJo for DLR) and one solo trip for me. So we haven't saved money, just money on tickets. (might not want to share more than the second sentence in this paragraph with your hubby, LOL)

Good to know !! Thanks bumbershoot !

 

[PinkBudgie]

Thanks for all the info. Very tricky to think of all aspects. The delux would be $80 more and the premium would be $210 more. The only thing is we might come back for the black out dates in Dec. but not sure.

If we upgraded, it would be on Tues to use MM that day, but then later have discounts on food and stuff.

Do the DLR hotels charge for parking when you are staying there?

 

[Hound 109]

Thanks for all the info. Very tricky to think of all aspects. The delux would be $80 more and the premium would be $210 more. The only thing is we might come back for the black out dates in Dec. but not sure.

If we upgraded, it would be on Tues to use MM that day, but then later have discounts on food and stuff.

Do the DLR hotels charge for parking when you are staying there?

All of the above posters gave great info.

Regarding charging for "parking" at the DLR hotels when staying there. They charge a "resort fee" of (i think) 11 or $12 which includes parking.

The blackout days for the "deluxe" have for the most part been springtime & summer saturdays (& the sunday of a holiday). We have had great success on visiting on Sunday/Monday/Tuesdays.

The SoCal blackout days are far more of them (two full weeks during the spring....& most of June & August & all of July.).

If you're on the fence about the AP for the whole family, go ahead & buy one for yourself & then you can get the AP "deals" on rooms & discounts on stuff in the parks..... & then just buy the rest of the family parkhoppers as you need them. (Caution: I should have gone ahead & bought DS 9 his own AP though.....as our next visit in Sept, I will have spent over $300 on parkhoppers for him at that point. )

 

[bumbershoot]

Regarding charging for "parking" at the DLR hotels when staying there. They charge a "resort fee" of (i think) 11 or $12 which includes parking.



(Caution: I should have gone ahead & bought DS 9 his own though.....as our next visit in Sept I will have spent $300 on parkhoppers for him at that point. )

And that resort fee allows you to park until midnight on checkout day, well after you have checked out.


hound, oh hound...my wallet hurts for you.

 

[JadeDarkstar]

ive figuered out if if everything works where we get an ap in oct. we could go oct, dec,feb,and sep or oct next year lol all on one year of aps. if we do that then we may wait and not go next dec since we would do it this dec and then all the other trips. but we could get one good year with an ap.

 

[Sy-]

Go for the Deluxe.... Since you can get the AP discount when you stay onsite for your 20th it will be a wash!

 

[PinkBudgie]

Anyone know about how much of a discount you get at the DLR hotels with an AP? I'm sure it depends on the time of year too. Do you get more discount with the premium than with the delux or is it the same?

 

[larry_poppins]

The fee to buy a blackout day is $40.00 per day. It has gone up quite a bit over the years!

Larry

 

[bumbershoot]

Anyone know about how much of a discount you get at the DLR hotels with an AP? I'm sure it depends on the time of year too. Do you get more discount with the premium than with the delux or is it the same?

I think the NORMAL discount is 10%. All APs give you the same discount rate on hotels.

There are specials that have been given at various points through the year ;last year's fall and early winter specials were very special, with PP at 129, PP concierge at 169, DLH at 149, and GCH at I believe 199.

 

[PinkBudgie]

Thanks for all the good info! Now we just have to think about it. I realized that there is no black out days at the start of Jan, and school doesn't start until the 5th. So we may still be able to see Christmas stuff if we go Jan. 2nd.

 

[annieb727]

My thought on this is start with the Deluxe - then only if you need it, upgrade to the premium. We have deluxe APs...we're heading to DLR on Saturday - since it's a blackout day, we will hit DTD and maybe see Wall-E or just see stuff. Then we hit the parks bright and early Sunday morning. It works well for us that way.

And I'm so excited - we're moving to South Carolina in October and instead of renewing our DL APs, we're getting APs to WDW...and we'll only be a 6.5 hour drive from WDW!! (right now we're about 20 hours from DLR).

 

[PinkBudgie]

My thought on this is start with the Deluxe - then only if you need it, upgrade to the premium. We have deluxe APs...we're heading to DLR on Saturday - since it's a blackout day, we will hit DTD and maybe see Wall-E or just see stuff. Then we hit the parks bright and early Sunday morning. It works well for us that way.

And I'm so excited - we're moving to South Carolina in October and instead of renewing our DL APs, we're getting APs to WDW...and we'll only be a 6.5 hour drive from WDW!! (right now we're about 20 hours from DLR).

That sounds like a good idea.
I've never been to WDW. How exciting!!!