Fall AP discounts are WORSE than the GP discounts!

[Masonmj84]

Unless I'm missing something, resort selection for AP discounts of at least 20% during the Aug. 15-Sep. 29 time frame, is much more limited than it is for GP discounts.

The AP offer only lists 4 resorts that aren't in the "other resorts may be available with this offer, at varying discounts" category (which usually means only 5%). They are:

All-Star Music 25% off

Caribbean Beach 30% off

BoardWalk Inn 35% off

Old Key West 35% off

(note that no Monorail resorts are listed and only one EP resort and no BC/YC)

In contrast, the Aug.15-Sep. 29 GP offer listed the following:

All-Star Movies 15% off

All-Star Sports, All-Star Music, Port Orleans - Riverside, Grand Floridian, Contemporary and Polynesian 20% off

Caribbean Beach, Coronado Springs and Ft. Wilderness Cabins 25% off

Animal Kingdom Lodge (standard view only), Beach/Yacht Club, BoardWalk Inn, Old Key West and Saratoga Springs 30% off

So there is a much greater selection of resorts in the GP offer, including some of the most popular/expensive deluxe resorts (e.g., Poly, CR, BC, YC, GF).

It seems like Disney is now making the best room discount offers to the GP first, waiting to see how the rooms fill, and then leaving the scraps (i.e., the resorts they're still struglling to fill) to the AP holders.

And FD isn't a relevant discount for many AP holders b/c many have TIW and don't want/need to pay for 2 days of tickets.

In the meantime, they announce the highest YOY AP increasse ever.

Remind me why an AP is such a good deal?

 

[CarolB]

From what I can see, all the All Stars were at the same rate for the dates I was looking at. Not sure if that carries through for all the dates in the promo. However, I prefer to stay at the Pop, and that resort discount was the same as GP, where is was only discounted about 5%. Bummer.

 

[tallen429]

I do have to say that this round of discounts is about the last straw for me...
APs are no longer the good deal they once were unless you are close enough to drive for many short trips. I can see I won't be renewing...might as well pay for two nights of tickets and get FD instead of waiting around forever for some paltry discount at only a few select hotels.
Maybe Disney isn't seeing APs as a useful tool anymore and isn't trying to woo people like they once did. Between paying full price for a child and now this, it's just another way I see this company become less and less magical.

Who knows, maybe I've been one time too many in the recent couple years and am just getting burnt out...

 

[Scott MC]

I dunno...
I just called and was able to jump from 30% off to about 33% off my BWI Deluxe CL room.

Then, I was able to upgrade my stay at BC from GV to CL-SV (no GV available) at a rate of 35% off.

 

[arielfan]

They are pricing people right out of a vacation. I use to love and wait for the deals.....Now, there deals are aweful......AP is just not worth it!

 

[raven69david]

If you go at least twice a year an AP is great. Since we go at least 3 times a year, AP's make sense. The discounts have always been descent (40% off at AKL during Value season) for us, so unless something happens where the discounts shrink substantially, we'll just go down in resort class. I'm not crazy enough to stay off-site.

Is it wrong for me to think the economy should tank again just so we can get big discounts again?!

 

[goodferry]

I was able to get it appears around 35% off our BWI deluxe room, BC was available at the same discount and the monorail resorts were available, but not as big of a discount, maybe closer to 20%?

 

[ctl]

The Mouse knows that AP holders will visit at least 1 time per year, as Ap'ers have already spent the money on their passes. The Mouse is trying to get business that otherwise would not come to WDW, therefore the FD and higher discounts to GP when the rooms aren't so full. Businesses must always try to grow their marketshare and I'm sure WWoHP has hit WDW too.
Also, with the recession it may be more difficult for WDW to fill rooms. I know it is hard for those who are Disneyphiles (like myself), I am only going for 2 days this year MNSSHP, as I can't afford to go for any longer.
I am planning for 2014.

 

[arielfan]

If you go at least twice a year an AP is great. Since we go at least 3 times a year, AP's make sense. The discounts have always been descent (40% off at AKL during Value season) for us, so unless something happens where the discounts shrink substantially, we'll just go down in resort class. I'm not crazy enough to stay off-site.

Is it wrong for me to think the economy should tank again just so we can get big discounts again?!

Really, I don't think the economy is going to fail over a discount for a room at Disney!!! If I'm there spending my money it helps the economy, give me a reason to travel to your location, alittle discount helps ALL!!!!!!!!! Just sayin...............

 

[Megsie1000]

We found the same thing for the summer discount. We were booked in early June under a GP discount. The AP discounts were released later, so we called the same day they were released. Availability was either gone (meaning they must have had only a few rooms) or the discounts were worse than the GP discount we were already booked under. It was very disappointing.

The other little trick they tried to pull is to put the AP discounts under the more expensive rooms (e.g. Garden View vs Standard) so that it seemed like you were getting the same discount but the room cost more. I am sorry, but river view at the POR is not something I am going to spend more money on. It is a motel.

 

[raven69david]

Really, I don't think the economy is going to fail over a discount for a room at Disney!!! If I'm there spending my money it helps the economy, give me a reason to travel to your location, alittle discount helps ALL!!!!!!!!! Just sayin...............

LoL...you misinterpreted what I was trying to say, but funny nonetheless.

 

[mickeynut1]

The Mouse knows that AP holders will visit at least 1 time per year, as Ap'ers have already spent the money on their passes. The Mouse is trying to get business that otherwise would not come to WDW, therefore the FD and higher discounts to GP when the rooms aren't so full. Businesses must always try to grow their marketshare and I'm sure WWoHP has hit WDW too.

I know it's frustrating that discounts are decreasing, but I do agree that Disney sees AP holders as a sure thing to visit. We have never had APs but are considering them for our next trip as we are looking at possibly taking 2-3 trips next year. While some might argue that AP holders should get rewarded for going to Disney alot (i.e., room discounts), the AP room discount is never guaranteed nor should be expected. If we weren't considering 2-3 trips within 1 year, I wouldn't even think of getting APs as it wouldn't be worth it to possibly get a discount on the room. Disney is trying to reach that person or family that is thinking about a trip, but not committing due to cost; therefore, offering a good discount to make them go ahead and book a trip and possibly getting them as a repeat customer on a future trip.

 

[Angeni11]

I would call them anyway. My hubby just called and an AP rate for another resort not listed that was 5% better then the GP offer for the same time.

Not a huge amount but enough that it might make it worth getting one annual pass for me due to us going on vacation several weeks earlier next year because our son starts kindergarten then.

 

[pigletto]

There was nothing that wooed me into changing my reservation that's for sure. I think where the AP would be useful would be for getting a discount when the GP offerings are slim. However since we almost always go during value season there are always a variety of discounts to choose from (room only, and some package deal usually). GP discounts work out better for us in the end.

I probably won't renew this year as we want to do and see other things for a few trips. It's the same reason I didn't buy DVC. I knew myself well enough to know that though Disney was a huge priority at this phase in my life.. it wasn't always going to be and the minute I bought in I'd wish I hadn't.

Overall, AP's were great for us this year because of 3 trips, but we'll take it on a yearly basis and see where we are.

 

[bru_ellman]

AP discounts have been disappointing for some time now. We used the AP discount last October when I had to attend a business seminar (Part of which was dinner at the Contemporary and then a viewing of "The Memories, The Magic and You"). Mostly we've been doing much better with bounce-back rates.

We're going 8/9-20 via a bounce-back that is identical in cost to the just released AP late summer rates. However, because of when I have to again start teaching the AP dates wouldn't have worked for us anyway.

Our August trip will be our third using these AP's so they were well worth the cost, but we no longer can count on getting AP room rates when we can use them so we will not be renewing.

 

[JulieT3]

What I find particularly humorous is this little gem about 1/4 of the way down the passholder "special offers" page: "Book through September 29, 2012.
Passholders enjoy early booking beginning July 12 through July 22, 2012." Really? We're enjoying "early bookings"? Who exactly were we given the opportunity to book earlier than?
I also found it interesting that when I looked up the Beach Club under the passholder discount this morning, nothing below water view was available, but when I checked on the general public page, a garden view room was available.
I understand that Disney might assume that an AP holder is a sure thing for multiple visits because we need to get our money's worth out of the pass, but that only holds true for the remainder of the year that the pass is valid. If Disney continues to jack up the price on the pass and withhold some of the benefits that we've been able to enjoy for years (Disney set that precedent and advertised these benefits, so I am not ashamed that I've come to expect them), then I would have to imagine that many people will not renew. The only reason that I made 4 weeklong trips to Disney this year is because my husband, children and I have APs. We do not plan to renew next year. It may just be a drop in the bucket for disney, but I can't be the only person who has spent a small fortune on lodging, dining and entertainment at Disney and am feeling just a little screwed over.

 

[JulieT3]

Despite my little rant, I WILL continue to return to Disney while the kids are still young...I'll probably just do a much more sane ONE weeklong visit per year rather than four weeklong visits Disney can't get rid of me that easily!

 

[canopynut66]

AP has gotten worse and worse for any discounts so after years and I mean over 20 years we dropped ours four years ago. we have found the package deals better. If they offering FD we take it if not we take what discount on room we can get. This having the AP and then having to buy a TWO day base ticket on top of that to get FD is not good deal either. Now one day can be put on the next new AP EXCEPT if you used one of them base tickets first -----then you can no longer do that. My cousin had used one day and WDW would then NOT let her use the remaining base ticket on her AP so she has not bought one since either.

 

[aubriee]

There was nothing that wooed me into changing my reservation that's for sure. I think where the AP would be useful would be for getting a discount when the GP offerings are slim. However since we almost always go during value season there are always a variety of discounts to choose from (room only, and some package deal usually). GP discounts work out better for us in the end.

I probably won't renew this year as we want to do and see other things for a few trips. It's the same reason I didn't buy DVC. I knew myself well enough to know that though Disney was a huge priority at this phase in my life.. it wasn't always going to be and the minute I bought in I'd wish I hadn't.

Overall, AP's were great for us this year because of 3 trips, but we'll take it on a yearly basis and see where we are.

Me either. The bounceback deal I already had booked beat the AP discount, plus I was able to get POFQ when I booked the bounce back. POFQ is not even available for the AP discount. The same thing happened this past May. I already had a bounce back deal booked for CSR, but was hoping the AP discount would beat it. It didn't. The discount was exactly the same, so I just kept the bounceback (like I'm doing for Sept). I also have a bounceback booked for Oct 27th-Nov 4th. How much you wanna bet the bounceback beats the AP discount again? It never has in past years though. I usually book several room only bouncebacks for the next year, if they are available during one of my trips (just to make sure I had something and so I could start paying on my trips for the next year). I would then switch to the AP discounts, since they always beat what I had. Not this year though. My current AP expires Nov 26th, so I'll keep my Sept and Oct/Nov trips, but for the first time since 2005 do not plan on getting another AP. I always go 4-6 times a year, but am now planning on skipping a few years. I remember when the AP discounts were always released before the GP discounts, but the last few years it's like we only get the left overs. Time to vacation somewhere else where our business is appreciated. After my next two trips in Sept and Oct/Nov (already booked and basically paid for) Disney is losing my business.

 

[NikkiLovesWDW!]

Why oh why did they leave out the 15th and 16th of August?? That last set of AP rates went through the 14th and this new set starts on the 17th. I, of course, am checking in on the 16th. So if I wanted to save this whopping $50 over what I got with the GP rate, I would have to make two separate reseravtions - one for the 16th and one starting on the 17th, which is especially not easy at CBR because the custom's house is so freaking far away and I do NOT want to have to go back there to check-out and check back in! GRRRR!!