Do a lot of DVC members buy the AP?

[lovin'fl]

We bought the AP and then the PAP special offers and used them as much as we could. Otherwise we'll just buy park tickets as needed and with the current AP price hikes (and blackout dates) we won't likely be getting an AP ever again.

 

[bobbiwoz]

We renewed our APs today. Since we already have NYE reservations, I chose to go with the Platinum. We have had AP's for about 6 years now. We go into a WDW park about 20 days a year. This past year we had the water parks with the AP's but that cost was just too dear for us this year.

 

[WDWLODGE]

We typically go to WDW once a year. Our trips are usually 10 - 13 days. We plan our trips so that we can get 2 big trips out of our AP's. Last year we activated our AP's in November and this year we vactioned in September. We always get 21+ days of admission with our AP's. We never renew our AP's, we'll activate a new set at the start of our next trip.

 

[beer dave]

I guess I don't really count in this thread, but wanted to say we just renewed our resident seasonal through AAA for 285.00. We get at least 20 days a year. That's 14 a day.

 

[CarolMN]

I choose based on the math. For the past several years, the DVC AP has worked out to be the best value for us. We've been going 3 times for about 6-7 nights each trip on one AP - in Dec, May & October. Then we wait until the next December to buy a new DVC AP & start the pattern again. We use the October - December time in between APs to vacation in other places.

 

[prncssjas]

Thank you everyone for the replies! This is best decided by how often we go and does it make financial sense (cents...get it? LOL)? What I didn't want to do was spend the money on the AP and have to plan a trip that we would not have taken otherwise. Not that being at WDW is torture... But I am particular about *when* we go and even though we are going January 16, there weren't too many other visit options that worked for us. Park hoppers it is!!!

 

[mickeymom629]

Good morning everyone.

I am a long time DIS boarder and DVC member. I tend to spend more time on these boards when I have a trip coming up and this week, I have spent quite a bit of time here. I have noticed with great frequency major concerns about the annual pass price increase/tiered changes/etc....and it has me thinking. Do most DVC members traditionally buy the annual pass? We have been DVC members for 15 years and only once did we buy them--and that was a couple of years ago when the premium annual pass was "on sale" and a great deal--but then I had to strategically plan an additional trip to get the most financial bang for our buck.

I realize that if you live in Florida or travel to WDW often enough, it makes sense financially. Maybe it's because we only get to visit once (and from time to time, twice) a year but we usually do the park hopper only. Our stays are never longer than one week (or less). Sometimes, we don't even do theme parks on the all the days. (We are a family of DH, myself, and a cranky teenager ). I think I have been calculating the costs correctly. Am I missing something? Just curious what other do for their ticket options.

We are pretty much like you - members for 16 years and only got APs once when DS was in college in Florida. And we don't always have the hoppers.

 

[Julylady]

Some years we buy APs and some years we don't. Its been our history to take a WDW vacation with the kids either spring break or summer vacation. This past year we visited WDW in July and now have a spring break trip planned for April. Thus, it made sense for us to purchase APs for all of us. We won't renew them though since our next trip will probably be summer of 2017 and we are currently planning a Disneyland or Aulani trip that summer instead of WDW.

 

[DougEMG]

We've bought annual passes every year since we've owned DVC. We usually get between 20-30 days.

 

[DisneyFirstTimer10]

We bought in to DVC last year, and planned on going three times in a years span to take advantage of APs and TIW card- its worked really well thus far for us- we will take off 2017 and then start the cycle of three visits in a year span again

 

[Judique]

I used to buy AP's before DVC to get room discounts. I was going 3-4 times per year on the AP. This was prior to 2000, which is when I bought DVC to get cheaper rooms. I bought enough points to get two trips a year and was still also staying at other resorts and buying AP's for 4 of us.

Then we added on and started staying in larger units for a while and going less. Now it is once or twice a year and I sometimes do AP's and other times do my non expiry or whatever deal Disney offers such as the 4 day for $199. We also did the cheaper PAP, so we mostly follow the discounts, but still will go because it is much warmer in Florida in winter than it is here!

The prices are what they are. I'd prefer a cheaper ticket and the ability to go at will, but if the price is high I'll do 1-2 weeks at my DVC resort and use my stockpiled non expiry for a couple of park visits per trip. I'm at an age where I think I have as many tickets for my personal use as I'll need and my extras are transferable to family if I don't use them.

I've always got my car and can do all kinds of exploring around Florida while still enjoying a bit of Disney. I don't have to be totally immersed every day.

One thing I am doing as my family gets older and grandchildren come along. I've begun to buy park hoppers from UCT for future family trips. As the children buy homes, get married and have kids, Disney is not a cheap vacation for them, so that's where I come in. With DVC and some tickets put away for future trips we will continue to do Disney when we go to Florida as a family. We will also go to Universal, the beach, museums and other attractions.

 

[AnnaS]

DVC for 15 years. We bought 10 day non-expiry tickets for many years. Last three/four years we bought APs because we knew we would get at least two trips from the and my dd did the CP program for 8 months also. We bought one for this trip and will get three trips out of it but will be skipping Disney in 2017 - so no AP - will visit Vero or HH with a possible trip to Italy. Might/might not be a yearly/renewal thing.

 

[Geomom]

We usually buy AP's every other year. We have both a Feb. and April school vacation--so we'll get an AP, go in April, go in the fall (either Columbus Day or Thanksgiving), then go in February...then have 14 months (so hard...) off from Disney and start the cycle anew. Then there was that year that the PAP was cheaper than the AP...and we added a 4th trip into August to use the water park part of the pass.

Not sure when we're going for 2017 as it 'should' be an April trip, but April vacation spans Easter weeks, so we won't do that. If we end up doing Feb 2017, we'll just do regular tix...if we do summer 2017, we'll get AP's as we could do Feb or April 2018. This what DVC does to me...planning out Disney vacations years ahead!

 

[LoveBWVVBR]

Well, if you don't mind the few blackout dates, the Gold Pass only went up $20. And includes PhotoPass now.

We go a week at XMas (now blacked out), a week in March that now falls during blackout dates, and during other blackout times, so the Gold Pass wouldn't work for us any better than the Seasonal FL Res. pass would unfortunately. As of yesterday we sold our last DVC contract. They sold quickly, so obviously someone else will just take our place lol. For us, the passes just got too expensive with this last hike and with our needing the ones with no blackouts. We bought Universal APs with no blackouts last weekend...$1200 for the 4 of us.

 

[WilsonFlyer]

We've bought annual passes every year since we've owned DVC. We usually get between 20-30 days.

Pretty much us. Bingo.

 

[Rochester Disney Fan]

Since we joined we'd get the annual pass and stagger our trips to get about 2 years of vacation on a pass. With the cost increase we decided to go on a cruise summer of 2016 using some points and a little cash instead of buying new passes. For a family of 4 the annual pass savings is pretty substantial now. Hopefully by 2017 they might have an offer that makes it better than it is now.

 

[Alice Sr.]

I go three times in a rolling 12 month window, usually, F&G - F&W - F&G typically followed by (F&W - F&G - F&W). We have done DCL and Aulani which pushes the buying the new AP until the following season. We have gone in the summer but prefer my BiL's NC lake house, and last year went the week before Christmas but that is not the norm. For me it doesn't make since to buy anything other than the AP, for the rest of the family if varies but it's nice to have so many options. I don't spend much time in the parks but having the flexibility to go where and when is worth if for me. I bought a BWV resale add-on last year and added my oldest DD to the contract so she (and her fiance) will be able to continue getting the AP discount (primary reason was for estate purposes but the AP DVC discount was a bonus).

 

[peabody58]

We've had an AP and PAP since joining in 2010. Prior to retiring in May, we stocked up on 4 AP vouchers and 2 -10 day NE plus passes to serve our needs through 2024, at which point we may sell our 160 BLT points. Until Avatar and Star Wars gets completed, we'll wait as long as possible to activate our AP's.

 

[com_op_2000]

DW & I have only purchased APs in the last three years due to a new grandson and taking him on multiple trips per year. Previously we used a family member's CM access to enter the parks for free. This is our last year of the APs we will be going to the other Orlando area parks over the next few years.