Disney World AP price increase? [Answer: Yes]

[meeko987]

Yikes!
On 1/8/19, I purchased four 7-day baseline tickets from Undercover Tourist (starting on 12/22/19): $473.55 x 4 = $1894.20.
Today, I purchased four 7-day baseline tickets from Undercover Tourist (starting on 12/25/20): $580.59 x 4 = $2322.36.
That equates to a 22.6% increase in price over a 13-month period.
Using Undercover Tourist, though, saves me $323.88 off what tickets direct from Disney would cost.

 

[CastAStone]

The current renewal rate is 15% off the current AP price. That discount is not guaranteed and could be taken away at any time.

I think the discount benefits Disney more than the AP holder by pushing AP holders to renew right away instead of waiting for the next trip - or even better, getting AP holders to make that next trip sooner to justify the discounted renewal. They might tinker with timing, exact percentage, but I’d be shocked to see it go.

 

[midnight star]

I think the discount benefits Disney more than the AP holder by pushing AP holders to renew right away instead of waiting for the next trip - or even better, getting AP holders to make that next trip sooner to justify the discounted renewal. They might tinker with timing, exact percentage, but I’d be shocked to see it go.

Disneyland got ride of theirs a couple of years ago. I think WDW would only do that if they are wanting to really thin their AP crowd.

 

[only hope]

AAA is still showing the old price. Do you have to be within your renewal window to buy and use the AAA pass renewal voucher or can you purchase it months ahead of time and when you enter the renewal period, take it to a ticket counter at WDW and redeem it to apply to your current pass?

 

[bryanb]

Disneyland got ride of theirs a couple of years ago. I think WDW would only do that if they are wanting to really thin their AP crowd.

Totally agree. Also, in southern California, a lot of people have APs with their friends and use Disneyland as their casual hangout instead of a movie night, for example. And a lot of people will keep renewing because they're grandfathered into their pass type or parking privileges (which are now offered only to the two most expensive passes). So there's less of a need to offer a renewal discount there. Plus, as you mention, they need to thin the AP crowd. Lots of people go hang out at DL for free but eat offsite, which is why they needed to thin out the crowd.

It's always a risk, but my guess is that WDW won't do away with renewal discounts because a much larger percentage of AP holders are out of towners. There's less incentive to keep your AP continuously active, so that 15% is needed to give people an incentive to keep their APs active.

 

[fla4fun]

AAA is still showing the old price. Do you have to be within your renewal window to buy and use the AAA pass renewal voucher or can you purchase it months ahead of time and when you enter the renewal period, take it to a ticket counter at WDW and redeem it to apply to your current pass?

I purchased one last year when the AP increase came through and my pass expiration date was December. I linked it to my account 60 days prior to expiration so I could do FP and then activated it at guest relations on my December trip which was about two weeks prior to my expiration date. No issues at all.

I went ahead and purchased one this week, even though the Fla Res platinum didn’t go up yet. I still got a small AAA discount and I have my price for renewal locked in for this year.

 

[midnight star]

Totally agree. Also, in southern California, a lot of people have APs with their friends and use Disneyland as their casual hangout instead of a movie night, for example. And a lot of people will keep renewing because they're grandfathered into their pass type or parking privileges (which are now offered only to the two most expensive passes). So there's less of a need to offer a renewal discount there. Plus, as you mention, they need to thin the AP crowd. Lots of people go hang out at DL for free but eat offsite, which is why they needed to thin out the crowd.

It's always a risk, but my guess is that WDW won't do away with renewal discounts because a much larger percentage of AP holders are out of towners. There's less incentive to keep your AP continuously active, so that 15% is needed to give people an incentive to keep their APs active.

I mean I'm a local DL passholder who hangs out at DL lol I think they mainly took it away to thin some of the crowds before Star Wars...but then the summer had too low of crowds so then they let passholders bring friends. So who really knows what their motive was to take away the discount.

But that makes sense about WDW passholders and the discount. They don't have a big presence so they can offer the discount still.

 

[cakebaker]

AAA is still showing the old price. Do you have to be within your renewal window to buy and use the AAA pass renewal voucher or can you purchase it months ahead of time and when you enter the renewal period, take it to a ticket counter at WDW and redeem it to apply to your current pass?

I bought an AP at Sams at the old price right after last yrs increase. You don't apply it to your current pass. Just use your current one until it expires, then activate the voucher for the next years use.