Considering AP for the first time

[ellamama]

We're a family of 4 traveling to Disneyland from the Bay Area in August. We were planning to do 5 day park hoppers, but I'm now considering upgrading to Deluxe APs. We usually make 1 trip to Disneyland a year, and have never before considered APs, but if I'm doing the math right, as long as we have another 3-day trip within the year, we'd come out ahead. Does that sound right? Other than not getting Magic Mornings (we stay offsite, but within walking distance) with the multi-day ticket, and having to avoid the blackout dates, is there anything I'm missing that would dissuade us? We usually do Disneyland during Spring or Summer break. Thanks for any input!

 

[Davin_Felth]

We did something similiar in Nov '15. We ended up doing 8 days in the park that trip, but we also had a trip planned for the following spring break. What we did though, was buy 5 day park hoppers to start the trip with and made sure we got one Magic Morning in. After we did that, we upgraded our 5 day park hoppers to an AP (They just charge the price difference). Worked well for us, just make sure to watch the blackout dates.

Edit: Also, it's good to upgrade to AP as soon as you can in your trip, so you can start taking advantage of the AP discount you get in resteraunts and shopping.

 

[ddwlms]

We started buying the AP with the plan of just spacing our yearly trips apart by 11 months (1 AP covers 2 trips). But beware. As soon as we had the AP in our hot little hands, we made up every excuse to use it. Often. So we didn't come out financially ahead. We just turned into Disney junkies.

 

[Jedi Mouse]

We were in the same boat as you last year making this decision. We are a family of four that made yearly trips to Disneyland and decided to spring for Signature AP's. We figured that by taking one trip at the beginning and one towards the end of our passes we would cover two yearly trips and break even and everything else was a bonus.

A few things based on our experience:
1. Spring for at least one Signature Pass. You'll get better discounts (20% on merch/15% on dining instead of 10% on both), free parking and free Photopass.
2. We figured we would go once or twice in between our big vacation trips. We're a little over half way and have a total of 23 park days... It's just so tempting to go when the cost of a tank of gas and two nights in a hotel a few miles away is the only real expense. We're a bit closer than you (Fresno area), but be prepared to go more often than you plan, Disney is addictive.
3. Consider Signatures passes all around or make sure you won't be effected by blackouts. The Signature passes are only blocked for two weeks over Christmas while the deluxe passes are blocked out on most holidays and Saturdays from May to Aug.

 

[Jedi Mouse]

We started buying the AP with the plan of just spacing our yearly trips apart by 11 months (1 AP covers 2 trips). But beware. As soon as we had the AP in our hot little hands, we made up every excuse to use it. Often. So we didn't come out financially ahead. We just turned into Disney junkies.

We also turned into junkies. I was there for 8 days with the whole family a week and a half ago and just got back yesterday from a quick weekend trip without the kids. I told my wife that after an 8 day binge, I couldn't go cold turkey and needed a quick fix to ease the withdrawals.

 

[Nevada Jen]

Yep. what ddwlms said. We had the same plan as you. We live in Phoenix, so its too long of a drive for a regular weekend and the deluxe is blocked on most 3 day weekends and Saturdays in the summer, First year we made 5 trips. This year, after three trips I upgraded everyone to signature. Guess where we are going for thanksgiving. A couple of tricks I found. If your kids are past car seat age, stay a bit further away for way cheaper and way nicer and uber to the parks. It gets you closer than any hotel except GCH and saves tons of money with nicer accomodations. I honestly really wish I had gotten signature for me at the beginning. We buy a lot and eat expensive meals at Disney. A couple of days of parking and I easily would have made up the difference. Last trick, pick a hotel rewards program and Try to use that hotel chain for your travel needs. I have started using Marriot. By thanksgiving, I should have enough points for a couple of free nights at Courtyard Theme park. But maybe you will be good and only go twice during your AP year

 

[jkolkemo]

We do the pass, same get 2 trips out. This year August, next year July. We do 10 days each trip, so it is really cost effective. I was going to upgrade one pass fore the signature, but now with the 75 upcharge for max pass, we are all doing deluxe with the max pass, rather than paying more for the signature and only getting the fast pass benefit. It is really nice getting the extra off on food and shopping, although we already get a shopping discount with my chase card.

 

[Winnowill]

Our first APs just expired three weeks ago. We're in Phoenix - we had two deluxe and a signature. We had 22 park days over our year. We were lucky with our blocked days - our two chosen three-day (October and mid-March) weekends weren't blocked. Then we had five days last June (we had park-hopper tickets that we upgraded to the APs), four and a half the week after Easter, and five and a half mid-June. We put a LOT of miles on our car this year.

One thing we loved being able to do - we were going to San Diego over Labor Day weekend, and just decided to swing by DL on the way to see the last Friday of the 60th Anniversary fireworks (which we'd missed on our June trip). We got there at 6:00 in the evening. We would NEVER have considered doing that without the APs - three one-day tickets for three park hours? No way!

 

[az4boys]

We started buying the AP with the plan of just spacing our yearly trips apart by 11 months (1 AP covers 2 trips). But beware. As soon as we had the AP in our hot little hands, we made up every excuse to use it. Often. So we didn't come out financially ahead. We just turned into Disney junkies.

We just bought AP's last week... and I'm sensing the same fate.

 

[az4boys]

Yep. what ddwlms said. We had the same plan as you. We live in Phoenix, so its too long of a drive for a regular weekend and the deluxe is blocked on most 3 day weekends and Saturdays in the summer, First year we made 5 trips. This year, after three trips I upgraded everyone to signature. Guess where we are going for thanksgiving. A couple of tricks I found. If your kids are past car seat age, stay a bit further away for way cheaper and way nicer and uber to the parks. It gets you closer than any hotel except GCH and saves tons of money with nicer accomodations. I honestly really wish I had gotten signature for me at the beginning. We buy a lot and eat expensive meals at Disney. A couple of days of parking and I easily would have made up the difference. Last trick, pick a hotel rewards program and Try to use that hotel chain for your travel needs. I have started using Marriot. By thanksgiving, I should have enough points for a couple of free nights at Courtyard Theme park. But maybe you will be good and only go twice during your AP year

Do you mind sharing where you stay, or at least what city to search? We just got AP's and I'm trying to figure out if staying farther away makes sense for us.

 

[kyrkea333]

We started buying the AP with the plan of just spacing our yearly trips apart by 11 months (1 AP covers 2 trips). But beware. As soon as we had the AP in our hot little hands, we made up every excuse to use it. Often. So we didn't come out financially ahead. We just turned into Disney junkies.

I'm considering upgrading to an AP after I use my MM in October for that very reason. I think I've always been a Disney junkie but being in Canada kept it under control. Somehow I've decided that this year will be the time to feed the addiction. Going with my son in October and hopefully with my daughter the following spring plus one or two (or three?) solo trips on top of that.
And then I'm sure I'll be satisfied.....

 

[kristabelle13]

I'm considering upgrading to an AP after I use my MM in October for that very reason. I think I've always been a Disney junkie but being in Canada kept it under control. Somehow I've decided that this year will be the time to feed the addiction. Going with my son in October and hopefully with my daughter the following spring plus one or two (or three?) solo trips on top of that.
And then I'm sure I'll be satisfied.....

Watch out, this was me last year...and I renewed my AP in April (I'm also in BC). A 10-day trip and a 5-day trip turned into 45 days (oh god, I said it aloud....) in 2016. I mean, if I'm going to Arizona, I have to fly through LA and a 36hr layover = 2 days at DLR....

The withdrawals are real. lol But I'll be going for a week in October to curb my cravings.

 

[Sun_soakin]

We have done APs several times and love it. We end up doing a few trips and then take a year or two off (usually throw in a WDW trip during this time). It's easy and fun to add in some quick trips. Especially being in the Bay Area, you can catch cheap southwest flights.

ETA- just make sure you look at the blockout calendar before you chose a pass. For your first trip, you can use a multi day ticket if it covers block out days and then upgrade by the last day. We always do partial days on arrival and departure, which is nice w/ an AP since you don't feel like it cost anything extra to do those couple hours.

 

[biochemgirl]

The blockout days make AP less appealing for us because we travel during peak times. DS is too old to pull out of school I was ready to go deluxe AP for our upcoming trip and then the calendar extended to show that our Spring Break the last week of March is blocked out Sat/Sun and then Fri/Sat/Sun! Losing those days and at least Saturdays through summer makes it less appealing.

Of course, I considered going Signature, but that has the drawback of costing more and my addiction won't let me waste that money by not using the passes. If I get us APs, we will make too many trips. I know I'll find a way to squeeze in more visits than I should and put us into debt.

 

[Azjenn]

We live in Phoenix too we have signature AP's. we went 6 days the first week of June with the kids, and just got back today from a 4 day trip with the hubby, no kiddos I have a hotel booked for the last week of September, 5 days over thanksgiving, and 5 days the beginning of December. That's only the first of half of our year!!! So like everyone else said, be prepared to use them a lot! It's amazing how you can always find the time and money to squeeze in a quick trip!

 

[kyrkea333]

Watch out, this was me last year...and I renewed my AP in April (I'm also in BC). A 10-day trip and a 5-day trip turned into 45 days (oh god, I said it aloud....) in 2016. I mean, if I'm going to Arizona, I have to fly through LA and a 36hr layover = 2 days at DLR....

The withdrawals are real. lol But I'll be going for a week in October to curb my cravings.

Hahaha! Love it! What week are you going to be there in October? We're planning the 3rd to 10th.

 

[kristabelle13]

Hahaha! Love it! What week are you going to be there in October? We're planning the 3rd to 10th.

Same! 4-16ish!

 

[theluckyrabbit]

... 1. Spring for at least one Signature Pass. You'll get better discounts (20% on merch/15% on dining instead of 10% on both), free parking and free Photopass...

New Signature APs no longer include PP as of 7/19/17. Passes purchased before that date will continue to keep PP as long as the pass is renewed on time.

Do you mind sharing where you stay, or at least what city to search? We just got AP's and I'm trying to figure out if staying farther away makes sense for us.

Try searching in Garden Grove, Fullerton, Buena Park, Placentia, etc.

 

[Nevada Jen]

Do you mind sharing where you stay, or at least what city to search? We just got AP's and I'm trying to figure out if staying farther away makes sense for us.

Once we stayed at great wolf lodge in a wolf den suite for 230 a night including taxes and parking and a 50 a day resort voucher using a Groupon. The convention center courtyard marriott often has very low rates right around $100. Springhill suites in arcadia was about a 40 minute easy drive and worth it for good free breakfast and 3 queen sleeping surfaces for 69 bucks! I generally try to stick with Marriot brand for the points

 

[my*gracie*girl]

We had the same reasoning in March 2016. We knew we would be returning for a planned bday in Feb 2017, so seemed the only 'smart' thing to do financially. Of course, that ended up becoming a July 2016 and Oct 2016 trip as well since the passes were already paid for. Hahaha! It was great fun and not something we likely would do again (we live in the Portland, OR area so a bit of a trip). But, I do not regret it at all!

As pp have suggested....watch the black out dates. You can upgrade ON a blackout date, but just make sure you ask for a Blackout pass and you will show that at the ticket booth along with your annual pass. If there is another blackout date tho, you will be out of luck. Upgrade after you use your MM.