Discounts on Annual Passes?

[stout]

Is there any place to get discounts on annual passes? AAA or UT? I used the link in the UT newsletter and it didn't look like annual passes were available. We are no longer FL residents . . . man, I miss those IDs . . . so I am looking for discounts available to the general public.

 

[worm761]

I believe DVC gets a discount but I am going to guess that you don't have DVC.

Other than that, there are no discounts on the annual passes. The only known way is to buy a discounted MYW ticket, use it once, and then upgrade it to an annual pass. Right now I would have to say that the buy 3 day MYW w/ park hopper get 2 free at Orbitz is your best deal. And if you do Ebates, I believe they are also giving 20% back for that purchase.

 

[Marionnette]

Is there any place to get discounts on annual passes? AAA or UT? I used the link in the UT newsletter and it didn't look like annual passes were available. We are no longer FL residents . . . man, I miss those IDs . . . so I am looking for discounts available to the general public.

The direct way to get a discount would be:

FL Resident.
DVC Owner.
Annual Passholder Renewal Rate​

However, you can finagle a discount on your AP by doing this:

1. Go to whichever ticket reseller you prefer.
2. Choose a MYW ticket that has the biggest savings over the cost at the gate.
3. BUT purchase a MYW ticket whose GATE value does not exceed the cost of an AP.
4. Use the MYW ticket at least once prior to upgrading it at the park. This is so that Disney "bridges" the value of your ticket to the gate value of the ticket instead of what Disney sold it to the ticket reseller for.
5. Your new AP will have an expiration date one year from the day that you used the MYW ticket to enter a park for the first time.
6. The result is a discount on your AP that is equal to the difference between what you paid for the MYW ticket and what the gate price is.​

For an additional discount, purchase Disney GCs at Target with your Target REDCard and a Pharmacy Rewards discount card for 9.75% off the face value of the GCs. Pay for the upgrade using those GCs.

 

[Marionnette]

If this helps, an adult 7-day MYW hopper w/WPF&M (no-expiry) has a gate value of $675.21. An AP costs the exact same amount. As long as you do not use any of the WPF&M entitlements, you can upgrade this ticket to an AP and wouldn't have to pay a single penny more in order to do it.

 

[Marionnette]

I believe DVC gets a discount but I am going to guess that you don't have DVC.

Other than that, there are no discounts on the annual passes. The only known way is to buy a discounted MYW ticket, use it once, and then upgrade it to an annual pass. Right now I would have to say that the buy 3 day MYW w/ park hopper get 2 free at Orbitz is your best deal. And if you do Ebates, I believe they are also giving 20% back for that purchase.

The ebates rebate for Orbitz is back to only 10%, so that would only be a $34.19 rebate instead of the $68.37, which is what you would have gotten with the 20% back on a 3+2 hopper.

It's still a good deal. Just not as great as it was a couple of days ago!

 

[jimandami]

The best deal I found was to purchase a 6 day PH with WP&M and no expiration option from UT, which saves $65 off gate price. Because of new pricing in which this ticket when up more than an AP, it only costs around $25 to upgrade to an AP so it saves you around $75/80 with price bridging.

 

[Marionnette]

The best deal I found was to purchase a 6 day PH with WP&M and no expiration option from UT, which saves $65 off gate price. Because of new pricing in which this ticket when up more than an AP, it only costs around $25 to upgrade to an AP so it saves you around $75/80 with price bridging.

It's really important to look around and explore all the options. Some websites have already raised their ticket prices to reflect Disney's new rates. Others still have ticket in stock at the old prices. Others have a mixture of the old and new. It's important to know what OOP prices you're looking at and what kind of savings over the gate price you will see.

That same adult 6-day hopper w/WPF&M (no-expiry) now has a gate value of $649.65, while an AP costs $675.21. You will pay $25.56 to do the upgrade after bridging.

But, on one website I see that you can purchase that ticket for $99 off of the current gate price while another popular website is only discounting it by $39.

So, make sure that you shop around and find the best deal before you buy!

 

[donnsuz]

Let's say ,for example, I buy a 5 day ticket from a website and it is $25 cheaper than an annual pass. Then I go to the park and upgrade my ticket and pay the $25 difference. How did I save any money? Isn't the only benefit I get is 5 extra days in the park...sorta for free?

 

[nalajms]

If this helps, an adult 7-day MYW hopper w/WPF&M (no-expiry) has a gate value of $675.21. An AP costs the exact same amount. As long as you do not use any of the WPF&M entitlements, you can upgrade this ticket to an AP and wouldn't have to pay a single penny more in order to do it.

Let's say ,for example, I buy a 5 day ticket from a website and it is $25 cheaper than an annual pass. Then I go to the park and upgrade my ticket and pay the $25 difference. How did I save any money? Isn't the only benefit I get is 5 extra days in the park...sorta for free?

Does this mean that I can buy a 7 day no-expiry ticket, go 7 times then on the 7th day exchange it to an AP? Assuming i don't use the WPF&M options?

So if my AP expires today, but we need 2 more days, I can just use that... then say use it for 4 days in the fall....then the 7th day Feb 2015 and then change it to an AP and pay a small difference in price? Would the AP date be Feb 2015 or Feb 2014?

 

[jimandami]

Let's say ,for example, I buy a 5 day ticket from a website and it is $25 cheaper than an annual pass. Then I go to the park and upgrade my ticket and pay the $25 difference. How did I save any money? Isn't the only benefit I get is 5 extra days in the park...sorta for free?

The theory is you buy the ticket for say a $65 discount from UT. You use it once and go to upgrade. Disney gives you credit as if you paid full price for the ticket so when you upgrade, you save $65. Does that make sense?

 

[donnsuz]

Ok....so the savings comes in based on what Disney would have charged me not on what I actually paid through a broker. On the other hand, I've been buying up dis gift cards thru Target and I don't think that any of the discounters will take those so that may be my only discount.Thanks for helping me think this through

 

[jimandami]

Ok....so the savings comes in based on what Disney would have charged me not on what I actually paid through a broker. On the other hand, I've been buying up dis gift cards thru Target and I don't think that any of the discounters will take those so that may be my only discount.Thanks for helping me think this through

Yes, that is correct. You could always use the gift cards for food and for the upgrade.

 

[Marionnette]

So if my AP expires today, but we need 2 more days, I can just use that... then say use it for 4 days in the fall....then the 7th day Feb 2015 and then change it to an AP and pay a small difference in price? Would the AP date be Feb 2015 or Feb 2014?

No. All ticket upgrades must be made within 14 days of the first day that a ticket has been used regardless of whether the ticket is "no-expiry" or not. And you cannot have used all of the park days on the ticket.

In addition, when you upgrade a bridged ticket to an AP, the anniversary date for the AP will be one year from the first day that the MYW ticket was used, not from the day that you did the upgrade.