DVC and annual passes

[Cathy K.]

Hi Everyone,
My DH and I joined the DVC during our last trip in April. We are kicking ourselves now of course for not doing it years ago since that was our 8th trip. We have our first trip "home" already booked for this coming February. My use year begins December 1.

So my question is do many of you buy annual passes and try to schedule 2 trips within a calendar year? It seems like it would be such a huge savings. I looked at the prices yesterday and it looks like a regular annual pass would only cost me about $60 more per person than a 6 day Hopper plus. We were thinking since we are going in February 2004 and then hopefully go back December 2004 we probably wouldn't be going to the water parks so we don't really need the pluses. We could just pay for Pleasure Island separately. What do you all do?

Thanks,
Cathy K.

 

[DebbieB]

We do DVC twice a year and get at least 3 trips out of each one by scheduling the next years trip a week earlier, right before it expires.

Warning - an AP can be addicting. For example, we added a non-DVC trip for next week, we probably would not have done that without AP's. Those AP's tend to call out from their storage box "hey take me on an extra trip, you don't have to pay for passes, you've never been to MNSSHP, find a cheap hotel & airfare, let's go!"

 

[Caskbill]

What you're asking is actually fairly common. A lot of members do that, going 11-months between trips one year, and 13 months the next year, thus being able to buy an annual pass every other year.

We basically do this, taking several trips a year, with more trips to the Disney parks during our 'pass' year and fewer or none during our 'non-pass' year. The non-pass year we'll still stay at DVC, but go to SW and US more often, sometimes even getting annual passes for those parks as you can often find good deals. (I think our last annual pass to USF and IoA was something like $89 for the year, AAA rate.)

The best thing of course about the AP is you no longer feel like you have to do a 'commando' day to get your money's worth. Go ahead and do something non-Disney during the day, and wrap up the evening at Epcot for just 2-3 hours. That's what's really nice about having an AP.

 

[CarolMN]

That's what we generally do, too - buy an annual pass and get two trips from it by scheduling the second trip to end just before the annual pass is due to expire.

BTW in case you don't already know, your DVC membership will get you a discount on the admission to PI. Copied this from the Members' Website:

Downtown Disney® Pleasure Island Admission Discount
Members receive a discount of $4 per person, ages 10 and older, and $3 per person, ages 3-9, on daily admission to Downtown Disney® Pleasure Island.

 

[Cathy K.]

Thanks for the replies everyone. I have another question that I should have thought to ask in the first post. Can you pre-buy the AP or do you get it when you get to WDW? Can I just go to my local Disney Store and get it and then activate it when I get there? If so where do they get activated? I'm getting a bonus in October so I'd like to buy them now if that's possible. I also have a Disney Club membership that will expire at the end of the year.

Thanks again,
Cathy K.

 

[poohstx]

Yes, you can buy them in advance and since you have the Disney Club, now would be a great time to buy it to get the $15/pass savings. They'll send you a green certificate that must be exchanged at a guest relations window at any of the theme parks for the actual annual pass. Your annual pass 'year' starts on the day you activate it. You can call the Disney Club number, or purchase it at the Disney Store....if you have a Disney VISA card it would qualify for double Disney Reward Dollars until October 10th.

 

[dcfromva]

Originally posted by Cathy K.
Thanks for the replies everyone. I have another question that I should have thought to ask in the first post. Can you pre-buy the AP or do you get it when you get to WDW? Can I just go to my local Disney Store and get it and then activate it when I get there? If so where do they get activated? I'm getting a bonus in October so I'd like to buy them now if that's possible. I also have a Disney Club membership that will expire at the end of the year.

Thanks again,
Cathy K.

Cathy K.,
Yes you can. You get a discount with the DC membership and you buy a voucher at the Disney Store. They are activated with guest services at WDW. My Disney Store had the vouchers in stock which was a pleasant surprise. I didn't have to make two trips like I have done in the past (one trip to order and one trip to pick up)
As DebbieB pointed out, I have trouble limiting myself to only two trips per year with an Annual Pass. With all the fun activities at different times of the year, it is just too tempting!
-DC

 

[tiggerguy2000]

We also go twice a year.Every 4th of july and sometime in nov/dec.I get the annual passes for wife and I but get 3 Daughters 7 day plus passes every time we need more days.I like to go into the parks when I want.The kids don't want to go everyday when the resorts have plenty of things going on.We also need to keep the plusses coming for our trips to the water parks.
tiggerguy2000

 

[ceejay13]

We also get APs and make 2 trips out of each one. You do get a break on renewing when they expire if you will be going back soon. We have taken advantage of the DC savings, also. As previously stated, it is so nice to just go to one of the parks for dinner or to see a show and not feel like you have to spend hours there to get your money's worth out of a days pass. Between DVC and the APs, we do Disney in a much more relaxed mode. Many of our friends don't understand when we tell them we have the most relaxed wonderful vacations at WDW.

 

[doubletrouble_vb]

I like to mix and match as do my DVC buddies...altho with small kids they are pretty much AP'ing for the next few years. One year AP and in a "non-Disney" year getting the 7 day hopper works well for me. Obviously it isn't completely "non" but since the hoppers and the plusses are both good forever a 7 day-er can be used for at least 2 trips not within 12 months of one another. I frequently only use one plus so that part of the pass can go even longer. I'll also use it for a guest family member like Mom who won't be doing more than a day or two.

 

[lovwdwalot]

I was wondering, instead of getting a AP pass since we own a residents in the state (BCV) can you just get a Florida resident pass?

 

[tjkraz]

Originally posted by lovwdwalot
I was wondering, instead of getting a AP pass since we own a residents in the state (BCV) can you just get a Florida resident pass?

No. It was recently posted under a simiar thread that there is language in our DVC agreements that specifically states that ownership in DVC does not entitle one to Florida resident park passes.

 

[JimC]

We use APs for our trips. This year we went enough that our average cost per day at the parks will be after the upcoming trip $9.88

We also use the other AP discounts around WDW. And this year we took an extra trip to the Poly on an AP rate.