DVC annual Passes

[jdg345]

Yah, I think they're right around $415/420 including TAX ... whereas Florida Resident is $425 PLUS TAX ... not a bad little deal for DVC'ers ...

 

[bpmorley]

yep, it was a great deal for us. We got a 10 day trip, a 9 day trip, 4 day trip and 3 day trip out of them. We probably saved over double the price.

 

[jdg345]

yep, it was a great deal for us. We got a 10 day trip, a 9 day trip, 4 day trip and 3 day trip out of them. We probably saved over double the price.

If not more than that ... if you figure it's $60 for a park-hopper ... even $50/day on average ... you were there 26 days. That's $1300 per person. And if you don't do the water parks, PI, etc, I think the AP's are 'only' $315.

We've gone with some guests a few times this year already and we started calculating what they've spent on Park Tickets in the times they've been with us ... and by now, they could have bought AP's. Plus, if they would have bought the AP's, they would have done more because their activities were limited by a max of X park days.

Once you're talking about 4-6 park days a year, the AP's just become worthwhile. IMO, you do more with them. We were talking about just this the other day:

It's 5pm, you're back from the pool, relaxing and having a snack wondering, "What should we do tonight?". "Hey, there's 'Illuminations' or 'Wishes' or even 'Fantasmic'."

If you have AP's, it's, "Sure! Let's go!"

If you don't have AP's, it's, "Man, I dont want to waste a park-day to see fireworks", or "Man, I don't want to drop $50 to see a bunch of lights in the sky, let's do it tomorrow after the parks".

Also, when you get there, you don't feel like you have to be in the parks in 8am until they close without even leaving for lunch because you want to get your "money's worth".

Just my opinion of course, but we feel we've done sooooo much more with our AP's than we ever did with daily passes ... and we've done it in a less stressful way. It's a big payout once a year, but our next year's our 'free' (thank you addonitis!) ... hopefully, we'll have a new resort too that will get us more free passes with an addon ... (hum, we're sick.). :lol:

This month will be our 5th trip in 8 months ... and we're planning two more before EOY, maybe a third ... Passes give such flexibility.

 

[Judique]

Where can I buy a DVC annual pass besides at front gates of the parks? Is there anywhere in DTD that might be open late where we can buy them?

Guest Relations. The location has changed and it is a bigger spot, and I think it's open as late as DTD is.

 

[Judique]

Question: Can I get the APs on site at guest relations at the gate or DTD and show my DVC card and get the DVC discount or do I only get the discount if I buy through MS?

Thanks, I've been wondering about this.

I did exactly that. No problem getting the discount. I actually exchanged a regular priced ap and got a credit as well on two new discounted ones.

 

[bpmorley]

You're right Jdg. Actually I made alittle mistake. We ended up using 28 days. It's so much more relaxing. We would get up early and go to a park til about 1, then it would be back to the resort. We would make a dinner reservation, go in the pool. Then go eat and catch whatever park had EMH that night. I tried to talk friends of ours in to buying the AP"S. they were down with us in January for a 5 day trip(I typed 3day by accident). I told them when we were going again and they were more than welcome. They only bought a couple day pass the first time so they thought it would cost too much for the second trip. Oh Well. More Disney for us.

 

[lsutigger2]

I'm having a "senior moment" and I can't remember where Guest Relations is at DTD. Will someone please tell me where it is located? I'm pretty familiar with DTD but the location of guest relations is escaping me. We might want to do this for our trip in Nov.

Thanks !

 

[Chuck S]

Guest Relations at DtD is now located between the Team Mickey store and Arribas Bros. Crystal, in the area where the robots that painted the T-shirts used to be located (sort of behind Ghiradelli).

 

[BCV23]

There is another Guest Relations at DTD in a stand alone building near PI. I think someone posted about a third in West Side.

 

[MI mom of 3]

We are going in August, staying at POR to take advantage of the MYW w/ free dining. With the package we will be getting 5 day MYW passes with hopping. I want to upgrade them to DVC AP's.

If I am calculating right...
MYW 5 day w/hopping 249.21 ea x 5 = 1246.05
DVC AP's 315.00 ea x 5 = 1575.00

So I should be able to upgrade for 328.95.

Where can I do this since I assume my passes will be coded onto my room key, and will I get the discounted DVC AP rate?

I have never had an AP before and I am soo excited. Silly I know but...


Thanks

 

[Chuck S]

We are going in August, staying at POR to take advantage of the MYW w/ free dining. With the package we will be getting 5 day MYW passes with hopping. I want to upgrade them to DVC AP's.

If I am calculating right...
MYW 5 day w/hopping 249.21 ea x 5 = 1246.05
DVC AP's 315.00 ea x 5 = 1575.00

So I should be able to upgrade for 328.95.

Where can I do this since I assume my passes will be coded onto my room key, and will I get the discounted DVC AP rate?

I have never had an AP before and I am soo excited. Silly I know but...


Thanks

You should be able to do this at any guest services/guest releations window just outside any theme park or Downtown Disney.

 

[MI mom of 3]

Thanks, I'm soo excited. I didn't think we were going this summer but I have managed to convince DH. Especially since we will be able to use the passes twice since we have a trip scheduled for next June.

 

[dtndfamily]

I purchased 10 day non-exp PH tickets for our trip last Oct prior to our DVC purchase and have 4 unused days remaining on each ticket. I know I can upgrade these tickets to a new DVC AP, but from what I have read it doesn't seem to make good financial sense to do that, as they front load the value of the tickets. We are now planning a trip in August of this year and I was wondering if I can convert these tickets to an AP with a starting date of last Oct, the first day of use, therefore making the APs expire this coming Oct. I am assuming that since I am past the 14 days of first use I can not do this, but can someone confirm this either way.

Thanks

 

[BCV23]

I purchased 10 day non-exp PH tickets for our trip last Oct prior to our DVC purchase and have 4 unused days remaining on each ticket. I know I can upgrade these tickets to a new DVC AP, but from what I have read it doesn't seem to make good financial sense to do that, as they front load the value of the tickets. We are now planning a trip in August of this year and I was wondering if I can convert these tickets to an AP with a starting date of last Oct, the first day of use, therefore making the APs expire this coming Oct. I am assuming that since I am past the 14 days of first use I can not do this, but can someone confirm this either way.

Thanks

I must be missing something.

Why would you not just want to apply whatever credit is left toward APs with an August start. Then you could plan your next trip to end before the same date next August and get two trips on the AP.

I see no advantage to trying to get an Oct. '05 start date although I agree with you that it probably couldn't be done anyway....but that is good in your case.

 

[jdg345]

Well, also, if they're only going to be in the park 4 days ... and they're not going to get 4 days worth of credit ... might be better to just finish off their 10-day packs and buy an AP next year and just schedule the next trip before they expire, no? That way this trip is 'free' and they get two trips out of the AP's. We try to go to WDW 2-4 times a year and the PAP's just give us the flexibility to do what we want, especially since we usually end up going with other folks -- we never have to worry about spending extra admission monies to hang out with them if they want to hit a park or something.

 

[dtndfamily]

I must be missing something.

Why would you not just want to apply whatever credit is left toward APs with an August start. Then you could plan your next trip to end before the same date next August and get two trips on the AP.

I see no advantage to trying to get an Oct. '05 start date although I agree with you that it probably couldn't be done anyway....but that is good in your case.

My first choice would be to do exactly what you say and just buy an AP this August and use it for this trip and another trip next year prior to August, however, given my family circumstances we may not be able to go back down until October of next year making this option cost more money than necessary. Also, I paid over $1,400 for those tickets last year (2Adult - 2Child),which include plus days, which I would lose if I just simply upgraded to an AP, plus the value I would get from the passes would only be a few hundred dollars, far less than their value to just save and use in the future when I only need tickets for 4 days or less. I was hoping I could just convert the tickets to a DVC AP starting last Oct, not have to pay any extra money (or very little for the difference between what I paid and the AP) since I already paid $1,400 + and get an additional 8 days out of the tickets. The option I plan to take if I can not convert these to an AP starting last Oct would be to just buy four new 8 day expiring tickets, but it would obviously be cheaper for me to take tickets that have a trade in value of approximately $400 and use that to save the $900 I would spend on four 8 day tickets. Hopefully this clears up my situation.

If anyone knows if I can do this, take MYW tickets I used last Oct with remaining days and convert them into an AP effective last Oct, please let me know.

TIA

 

[SnowWitch]

Can you purchase them at the international gateway? We had planned on walking over after our traditional Beaches and Cream stop and then returning to the BWV in hopes of our rooms being ready early...LOL its never happened before but a woman can hope or live in denial.

 

[BCV23]

SnowWitch, yes you can purchase APs at the IG. Make sure you have your DVC card as well as drivers license with you.

dtndfamily, there is a poster named GoldenOldie who knows all there is to know about tickets. You could ask on the Theme Parks forum and she might see your question or do a search on tickets there and PM her. Your question really could apply to anyone not just DVC so I think it would be appropriate there as well.

But for my two cents, you would not get the full value of your passes applied no matter the start date since you already used 8 days. If you had turned in the tickets without ever using them, the full value would have been applied, after one day....most of the value, etc..

 

[dtndfamily]

dtndfamily, there is a poster named GoldenOldie who knows all there is to know about tickets. You could ask on the Theme Parks forum and she might see your question or do a search on tickets there and PM her. Your question really could apply to anyone not just DVC so I think it would be appropriate there as well.

Thanks for your assistance. I sent GoldenOldie a PM. I will post back here when I get an answer for everyone's future reference.