General public discounts - why have an AP?

[wings91]

I'm able to talk my DW into getting an AP using the excuse that we get GREAT room rates. Now Disney releases rates that are as good or better then I expected for AP to the general public.

Where's the advantage of getting an AP anymore? Couldn't they throw a 5% adder to APs? Something to reward you repeat guests??

 

[vicki_c]

AP discounts are great - we've used them, but they're not why you should be buying an AP. You get an AP because it makes more economic sense than buying MYW tickets for the # of days you are going.

You can use it to purchase the TiW card, I think that's a big plus.

There probably will be AP discounts coming as well, I think.

 

[fla4fun]

You buy an AP because you plan on going to WDW more than 10 days in any given year. Any other perk or benefit that comes along is icing on the cake.

I have an AP and have booked AP discounts. I stayed at FW in January on an AP discount. While there, I booked a bounceback for September. I booked a long weekend in July under the general public summer code that came out last February, and turned out to be better than the AP discount released later. While on THAT trip, I booked another bounceback for December. Today, I booked the GP room only code for January. So while I have an AP and sometimes book discounted rooms because of it, it's not the only discount I'm elligible for. Actually, I like to book an AP discount once a year and an AAA discount once a year - the savings on each usually pay for the cost of the pass/membership. But I don't count on AP discounts - if they're there, they're there.

 

[jillhou]

I agree about the reasons to buy an AP - HOWEVER - it does seem to make sense on the surface to offer discounts to people who already have tickets. Those should be the EASIEST to lure back to stay at an onsite resort and spend money in the parks.

Disney must have a good marketing reason to NOT be offering AP rates first...or possibly at all....

 

[disneyfan55]

I agree about the reasons to buy an AP - HOWEVER - it does seem to make sense on the surface to offer discounts to people who already have tickets. Those should be the EASIEST to lure back to stay at an onsite resort and spend money in the parks.

Disney must have a good marketing reason to NOT be offering AP rates first...or possibly at all....

We are AP holders and feel the same. I really think WDW wants to sell tickets. If you don't have an AP, you will need them and if you have an AP-at least all the offers (aside from room only) required a 2 to 5 day pass purchase in order to get the offer. The 7/4 offer required a 4 day pass purchase and the free giftcard in the beginning of the year a 5 day pass! Now both the FD and Free GC require a 2 day pass (large cost if you already have the tickets-plus and unused ticket collection and they only let you use 1 to upgrade now - cannot use a combination of tickets to apply to a pass as you used to be able to do years ago)

 

[fla4fun]

We are AP holders and feel the same. I really think WDW wants to sell tickets. If you don't have an AP, you will need them and if you have an AP-at least all the offers (aside from room only) required a 2 to 5 day pass purchase in order to get the offer. The 7/4 offer required a 4 day pass purchase and the free giftcard in the beginning of the year a 5 day pass! Now both the FD and Free GC require a 2 day pass (large cost if you already have the tickets-plus and unused ticket collection and they only let you use 1 to upgrade now - cannot use a combination of tickets to apply to a pass as you used to be able to do years ago)

You do have the option of saving the unused tickets to either share with family or at some point, have enough days to cover a trip. I still have a couple one day base tickets that were part of packages I booked last year. The savings on the package was substantial (better than the AP rates at the time), so I really feel I got the tickets for free. I'm holding on to them because at some point, someone who's not an AP holder is going to want to go with me, and they will have those tickets to get in free.

 

[ElizabethB]

We go enough days to justify buying one, plus we like TiW better than the DDP.

 

[BridgetBordeaux]

If staying off site, you save 14 dollars a day in parking fees. For a 7 day visit, that is 98 dollars.

 

[LittleStinkerbelle]

We're thinking of getting an AP for the first time in October. For us the motivator is that it saves money over buying a 4 or 5 day hopper for each of our two trips coming up. That and I'm interested in the TIW card.

 

[Mamu]

AP discounts are usually a little more then the general public discount or pins.

The current AP disount is 42% off deluxe's, thats 2% more then the pins. Plus you get a discount of certain stores, mini and regular golf, water sports, etc. You also get to purchase hard ticket events at a $10 savings per ticket.

The TiW card saves you 20% of meals including beverages and alcohol drinks.

Yes AP can save you money.

 

[disneyfan55]

You do have the option of saving the unused tickets to either share with family or at some point, have enough days to cover a trip. I still have a couple one day base tickets that were part of packages I booked last year. The savings on the package was substantial (better than the AP rates at the time), so I really feel I got the tickets for free. I'm holding on to them because at some point, someone who's not an AP holder is going to want to go with me, and they will have those tickets to get in free.

Yes, the 1 day requirement wasn't bad now the last few offers have been 2 to 5 day ticket requirements.

 

[kirby428]

Go Red Wings! If you are visiting enough times to buy the AP, you probably have the flexibility to select the resorts that qualify for the best discounts. Resort selection seems to be the key to unlocking the big numbers.

 

[bjakmom]

Well I am very frustrated today about the AP discounts that finally came out. Come to find out there are rooms available at the resort I want for the dates I want through both room-only and package deals - but they are NOT available for the new AP discount. That stinks!!

 

[PirateMel]

I'm able to talk my DW into getting an AP using the excuse that we get GREAT room rates. Now Disney releases rates that are as good or better then I expected for AP to the general public.

Where's the advantage of getting an AP anymore? Couldn't they throw a 5% adder to APs? Something to reward you repeat guests??

I agree - was very disappointed to find out the rooms I booked with the GP room only rates were better than the AP rates who came out afterwards.
makes you wonder

 

[n2mm]

I guess I'm odd because I bought my AP for the admission to the parks! I use it to get a discount off of my TiW card too (but didn't buy it for that). I don't use it for room discounts because I'm a DVC member, though I have used it for a night stay prior to checking into my DVC resort in the past. I have an AP because we go to WDW 4-5 trips a year (around 40-50 days a year). I love that IF I book an AP discounted room I can add any of the dining plans and not have to buy a 1 day or 2 day ticket! I never recommend anyone buy an AP with the hopes of an room discount. I've been an AP holder since 1995 and I've seen my share of room discounts, but have also seen my share of room discount blackouts too!

 

[disneyfan55]

I guess I'm odd because I bought my AP for the admission to the parks! I use it to get a discount off of my TiW card too (but didn't buy it for that). I don't use it for room discounts because I'm a DVC member, though I have used it for a night stay prior to checking into my DVC resort in the past. I have an AP because we go to WDW 4-5 trips a year (around 40-50 days a year). I love that IF I book an AP discounted room I can add any of the dining plans and not have to buy a 1 day or 2 day ticket! I never recommend anyone buy an AP with the hopes of an room discount. I've been an AP holder since 1995 and I've seen my share of room discounts, but have also seen my share of room discount blackouts too!

I really don't buy the AP for the discounts but it just seemed that at least before this past year the AP discounts were available before the GP. In fact they not only released through the yr. end to the GP before AP holders discount they released clear through the end of Sept next year. I think that 's the issue and the feeling that WDW is not so caring towards their AP holders. Actually, we have been AP holders since the early 80s (not for every year but quite a few). We found out on a trip in the early 80s that WDW would upgrade a 5 day pass to an AP so long as you did it within 1 year of first use. So if you bought a 5 day pass today and used it you could upgrade to an AP through Aug 17, 2011. Well, when we found this out, we saved our ticket and went back just before the year mark and basically paid about half the cost of another 5 day pass to go in! It was great when WDW did that (pictures on the AP - little plastic card) Anyway, that's what we did for most of our trips until we did so in 2001 and were told that WDW was stopping this great perk! It really was because for some reason if you couldn't return, you could not have to worry that you spent money on the AP plus kind of a split pmt plan! We really never renewed, just on the next trip after the AP expired, we would buy a 5 day, save it and go back within the year. It worked really well for us. We also have used the TIW the past few years and it works well for us.

So, the room discount isn't the only reason but it just looks like WDW is giving many discounts to everyone else and those discounts aren't even AP friendly anymore - one this year required a 5 day ticket, the 7/4 required a 4 day and these current offers 2 day. To me the one day wasn't that much to put out of pocket extra but these multiday are especially when you end up collecting them due to taking the offers.

I guess if WDW at least put out the AP discounts with the GP it would not have had such a sour feeling to many.

 

[paxsarah]

I guess if WDW at least put out the AP discounts with the GP it would not have had such a sour feeling to many.

I agree with this. In addition to building goodwill among AP holders, it seems it would be more efficient for WDW as well. As it is, if GP discounts come out first, you have AP holders booking rooms and packages with GP discounts (at least I know I did - why take a chance at having to pay rack rate at Poly when you can at least lock in 40% off?). Then as AP discounts come out, many AP holders call back - we rebook, sometimes changing from room-only to package or vice-versa, sometimes needing to have deposits refunded and recharged, all taking the personal attention of CMs and clogging up the reservations system.

I'm sure they've crunched the numbers and for some reason it works for them, but I just don't get it.

 

[2poohbears]

I agree with this. In addition to building goodwill among AP holders, it seems it would be more efficient for WDW as well. As it is, if GP discounts come out first, you have AP holders booking rooms and packages with GP discounts (at least I know I did - why take a chance at having to pay rack rate at Poly when you can at least lock in 40% off?). Then as AP discounts come out, many AP holders call back - we rebook, sometimes changing from room-only to package or vice-versa, sometimes needing to have deposits refunded and recharged, all taking the personal attention of CMs and clogging up the reservations system.

I'm sure they've crunched the numbers and for some reason it works for them, but I just don't get it.

I completely agree!

 

[jillhou]

What is TiW??

 

[BridgetBordeaux]

Tables in Wonderland.

Read this.........

http://www.wdwinfo.com/disneydiningexperience.htm