Getting AP rate with Child annual pass

[Sammie]

Oops! Sorry. I thought you meant that "official policy" from a manager would tell you that you cannot use a child's AP for the discount.

Clarification accepted,

I mean that many times CMs will quote policy and they are really just spouting anything off the top of their heads and management will come along and state something else.

As far as I know at this time, a child's AP is accepted. Of course by the time we all get through discussing this, it could change again.

 

[DMRick]

Of course by the time we all get through discussing this, it could change again.

Boy, you have that right!

 

[goofy4tink]

How long before we get this one shut down folks??? But before that happens...as many of us have found to be true, try this...if you don't care for the answer you get from a phone rep at Disney, hang up and keep trying until you get the answer you want. Many do this and it seems to make people feel better.

The pool hopping comments???? I do believe they were an attempt at levity. Man, some people have no sense of humor. This is one of those 3 subjects that bring out the heated 'discussions' Those subjects are (for any of you that may not know any better) pool-hopping, reusing your resort mugs and children's ap usage for discounts.

Nothing gets us going more than those topics and God forbid anyone have a different opinion. Just because I don't agree with someone else doesn't mean that I am offensive or the other person is too stupid to see the truth (so to speak). Until Disney gives a concrete answer, to all who pose the question, then there will be differing opinions based on the different answers we get from Disney. Can we be nice about it? Most of us that have been around for awhile know the way Disney operates and we try to answer honestly those questions we think we can answer. Threads like this one almost make you feel like going undercover. There seem to be a lot more 'negativeness' than usual on the boards lately. Lighten up.

 

[safetymom]

Just a reminder from the DIS FAQ's.

3. NO FIGHTING: Several Internet news groups are marred by the actions of a few selfish people who turn an otherwise positive forum into a soap box for their anger issues. Internet newsgroups are not moderated, and therefore, anything goes. These boards are moderated in an effort to keep the discussions appropriate to the topic at hand. Those who feel they can not abide by these rules are welcome to read the posts on the board, and respond via email to the person who posted the message. Messages that are argumentative or sarcastic in nature will be deleted without discussion.

 

[dizcrazy]

We have also had APs in hand when checking in and have never been asked to see them! (four times)

The rules are that you need an AP but I wonder --- how many of us have ever been asked to show the AP? This question is NOT intended to assist people in shirking the system. I am just curious.

 

[DMRick]

I've had them in hand, and when I offered, the gal turned the screen towards me and pointed at it and mentioned they are already in the system. I had gotten them at the DS at the airport and if you get them there, they are already activated (or were when we got them the first time). But others have mentioned not even having to show their vouchers, which may have been a gift and not in the system. People are now reporting getting the new Disney Dining just by saying they plan on getting an AP, so Disney really seems to be loose on the idea of having an AP in hand.

 

[northern michigan]

We've made 3 WDW trips with one more upcoming where we've stayed on property while holding active AP's. Only on one of the four trips were we able to get a room for less than rack rate. Our family of four have "all" possesed AP's for going on two years. I am frustrated that we sank $1500-$2000 into our AP's for each year and can't access an AP room rate, while many rooms are occupied by those possesing only a child AP or no AP at all. I really do hope Disney addresses this more thoroughly and doles out the discounts to those it is really intended for. Yes, I am jealous!

 

[goofy4tink]

We've made 3 WDW trips with one more upcoming where we've stayed on property while holding active AP's. Only on one of the four trips were we able to get a room for less than rack rate. Our family of four have "all" possesed AP's for going on two years. I am frustrated that we sank $1500-$2000 into our AP's for each year and can't access an AP room rate, while many rooms are occupied by those possesing only a child AP or no AP at all. I really do hope Disney addresses this more thoroughly and doles out the discounts to those it is really intended for. Yes, I am jealous!

I have found an easy way to deal with this problem. I use DU when I have to book a room outside of my DVC points. They have in their system that I have an AP and when the rates are available, they have always been able to get me a room at the discounted rate. I know that a lot of people don't like to turn the planning of their trips over to someone else, but I've found it works for me. I busy myself with the DVC part of my trip and let DU worry about the 'other' days.

 

[dizcrazy]

My goodness - this is like the discussions regarding reusing your refillable mug!

I was told by CMs at the Poly and WL that you can use a child's AP to book a room.

 

[doxiemomof4]

My family and I have had AP's for a couple of years now, and I always book a resort with the AP rate. Not one time during check-in to any of the resorts I have stayed in, have they asked to see my AP! I have stayed at the WL, BWI, Poly, POFQ and POR and have never been asked to take out my annual pass for them to see! Go figure!

Therese

 

[DMRick]

Only on one of the four trips were we able to get a room for less than rack rate.
************
Do you call as soon as they are released? Now maybe it's because I don't stay at Deluxes, and the values and moderates have so many rooms, but so far, I've not ever not gotten an AP (hope I didn't jinx myself!). I just called two weeks ago and got one for this coming week..which is MLK weekend. I'm going in on Sunday, so I don't know if that matters, since Monday is the holiday. Sometimes I don't get them right away and have to call back, but I've always been fortunate to get them. I don't think it should matter how many AP's a family has, since some single people have them, and some with a family of 5 have them. I really would be surprised if the amount of child's AP's being used has much affect on available rooms, since I assume, in most instances, AP's are bought by people who come enough times that the AP would save the entire family on ticket prices. I can understand though, how frustrating it must be to have AP's and not be able to snag a room at a discount. For the values and mod's, the discount isn't that much difference..about $10 a night...than the general codes. Hardly worth the price of a child's AP if the family is only coming for a few days.

 

[Kallison]

We've made 3 WDW trips with one more upcoming where we've stayed on property while holding active AP's. Only on one of the four trips were we able to get a room for less than rack rate. Our family of four have "all" possesed AP's for going on two years. I am frustrated that we sank $1500-$2000 into our AP's for each year and can't access an AP room rate, while many rooms are occupied by those possesing only a child AP or no AP at all. I really do hope Disney addresses this more thoroughly and doles out the discounts to those it is really intended for. Yes, I am jealous!

Why don't you book with Dreams Unlimited, Cathy Miller has always gotten us a great AP or otherwise rate. We've never paid rack rate in 6 years -- 5 trips.

 

["thegirls"]

Ok...I'll try to tip-toe in here to add my 2cents...

The first time I purchased an annual pass was for the purpose of getting a discount on a room. (grab the elastic on your pants) it was a childs ap and I only puchased one. But hold on I am NOT trying to stir things up..just adding some humor...hear me out please!
As we left that vacation i told the kids to say goodbye to mickey and tell him we'll see him in 2 years! OMG that ap BURNED a hole in my hands...I actually held out about 9 months before I couldn't take the thought of 'wasting' my pass away and made another reservation for a trip that was SUPPOSED to be a year and a half later.
Needless to say I/we (2 daughters and myself) have had our own AP's from that moment on.....fall of 1999.
So maybe Disney see's the advantage to offering this discount to the one-time user such as myself. Like most of you I visit 6-7 times a year for about35-40 days total.
Oh and by the way I want to know how to STOP my subscription to the monitor.....that darn thing layed in my magazine rack for 2 weeks starring at me until I could take it no longer and went ahead and booked a last minute trip to WDW to just see the Osborn Lights...i mean I saw everthing else last year but I am 'the perfect' sucker for a new holiday tradition!!!

Debbie

P.S. I mean no ill will in what I am stating!!

 

[Laugh O. Grams]

We have also had APs in hand when checking in and have never been asked to see them! (four times)

The rules are that you need an AP but I wonder --- how many of us have ever been asked to show the AP? This question is NOT intended to assist people in shirking the system. I am just curious.

Never ever have I been asked for physical proof of an AP for resort discount and we've been doing it for years. I asked the question once before and most said that they haven't been asked either. From what I understand, WDW is asking more lately, I guess "cracking down" as one post stated. In the end, WDW will crack down until it doesn't serve the Walt Disney Company's earnings and then they'll probably let up again. Bottom line: They want butts in beds!!

 

[DMRick]

Just as an aside about this thread. Some posts have been deleted and some have been changed, which makes the verbal exchange appear different than it was when posts were responded to.

 

[northern michigan]

I did contact DU a week or so ago, but they were only able to get me rack rate for Easter/Spring break. Do you think they would pursue the AP discount fervently enough to get it at this point in time?

I really want to go back then, but I don't think DH will buy into it unless I can plead my case...great discount...can't pass it up...etc!

 

[Disneyholic]

When you purchase your AP it is in the Disney Computer system and CM at the hotel can pull it up on their computer. I purchased our AP's online at the Disney site 3 days before we left for vacation and since it was too late to have them mailed I did a Will Call to pick them up at the park enterance. When I got there the info was in the computer and we just had to give our drivers licenses to have them made out. It saved us $40 because we arrived at DW on Jan. 2, the day the prices went up. She had to put in a special code for the difference in the rate I had paid online and the new price.

I don't understand people who think that you have to have an active pass to reserve the room. As some people pointed out, that would mean that you would have to buy your passes before you made your ressie even if you were booking a year out. By the time your ressie came around you would have to renew your passes.

I can't afford to go to DW as often as I'd like, but I do buy the AP's and go at least twice in one year for (usually) 2 weeks at a time. The second vacation on the AP's gives us more money to spend on other special things at DW, like behind the scenes tours and the like.

I just came back from AKL where we had 2 nights booked CL just so we could go on the Sunset Safari which is only for Concierge guests. I guess you could say that I should have booked the whole vacation there for the privilege, but I'm not rich. I used our AP's for room discounts, which made it a little less of a squeeze. The 2 days were well worth it. The Safari and dinner at Jiko's after were fantastic.