Help decide- AP or no?

[wdwmom2011]

We are traveling to WDW in September for 7 nights with FD. I know we can upgrade to AP while we are there and not lose out on the FD offer that trip.

We will be returning the end of Feb/begining of March for 5 nights/6 days at a value and are planning on trying DxDP. Our hope was that FD would be offered and we could upgrade to DxDP.

Our third trip would be next September for 7 nights/8 days. We have always taken advantage of FD in September.

I need help trying to figure out if it would be better to get an AP or to stick with MYW base passes with FD.

We have two adults and one infant. The Annual pass is $611.31. 8 day pass is $298 and 6 days pass is $278. The total we would be paying in park passes for the three trips for MYW base ticket is $874. Obviously the AP would be cheaper, but I don't really know how to figure out the savings with FD vs an AP room discount.

Would someone mind helping a sleep deprived mom whose brain isn't quite working well enough to figure this all out?

TIA

 

[jillmc40]

If you are going to go 3 times in one year I would say do an AP. I just did it for the first time and I really thought it saved a ton. I bought the Tables in Wonderland card for 75.00 and that gives you 20% on almost all TS meals. Since you are doing deluxe I think you could really benefit from this. I think free dining comes as a better offer(over ap room discount) when you have a lot of adults but I am not 100% on that. Plus you get 10% off most merch with an ap. When you look to go on the other 2 trips you can get an AP room only discount for the hotel.

Hope that helps

 

[wdwmom2011]

If you are going to go 3 times in one year I would say do an AP. I just did it for the first time and I really thought it saved a ton. I bought the Tables in Wonderland card for 75.00 and that gives you 20% on almost all TS meals. Since you are doing deluxe I think you could really benefit from this. I think free dining comes as a better offer(over ap room discount) when you have a lot of adults but I am not 100% on that. Plus you get 10% off most merch with an ap. When you look to go on the other 2 trips you can get an AP room only discount for the hotel.

Hope that helps

I already get 10% off merchandise with my Disney Visa card, so that wouldn't save me any extra.

We were just going to do DxDP for the Feb trip and DDP for the two September trips.
Is the TIW $75 per person, or just one flat fee?

 

[dzneelvr]

I agree! We get an AP to cover multiple trips, the TIW card and additional discounts on tours, rooms, and merchandise in addition to the VISA 10% (which is more restrictive than the AP discount). We always say "We're AP holders" whenever we pay for ANYTHING, and have been pleasantly surprised over the years with discounts and freebies we didn't even know about. The TIW is one flat fee per card per 12 months so your 20% discounts again build over multiple trips.

 

[wdwmom2011]

I guess I am just having a hard time understanding how it could save more than FD for us.

We save 100% of the room cost by getting FD. (room is about $100 and DDP for 2 adults is about $100 a night as well)

 

[jimandami]

I think you also have to take into account how you would eat with and without the DDP. We are a family that would probably prefer to split an app and even an entree, have a couple adults beverages, and only get a dessert once or twice a week. For us, the TiW card is a better deal because we aren't tied to a certain way of eating, we can use it on alcohol, etc...

 

[jillmc40]

You would also most likely get a room discount for where you wanted to stay with an ap (20-40%). On the ddp you also have to pay a tip, so you have to factor that into the cost of the ddp. I just did the math on whether to do the ddxp or pay oop with the tiw card. It was def a savings to pay oop since realistically I would not order an app, entree and dessert at every meal, you also have to pay to upgrade to the ddxp (from the qs since you are staying at a value). I think your best bet would be to get the free dining the first time around, upgrade to an ap, buy a tiw, and book the other 2 trips with an ap room only discount. TIW is not worth it if you are doing qs, but it sounds like you like TS. Visa you have to spend 50.00, ap you get 10% no matter how much you spend.

Since I stay off property it was a no brainer for me...free parking with the ap saved me at least 200.00!

 

[2ofUs]

We are traveling to WDW in September for 7 nights with FD. I know we can upgrade to AP while we are there and not lose out on the FD offer that trip.

We will be returning the end of Feb/begining of March for 5 nights/6 days at a value and are planning on trying DxDP. Our hope was that FD would be offered and we could upgrade to DxDP.

Our third trip would be next September for 7 nights/8 days. We have always taken advantage of FD in September.

I need help trying to figure out if it would be better to get an AP or to stick with MYW base passes with FD.

We have two adults and one infant. The Annual pass is $611.31. 8 day pass is $298 and 6 days pass is $278. The total we would be paying in park passes for the three trips for MYW base ticket is $874. Obviously the AP would be cheaper, but I don't really know how to figure out the savings with FD vs an AP room discount.

Would someone mind helping a sleep deprived mom whose brain isn't quite working well enough to figure this all out?

TIA

Take a second look at your math since using the numbers you gave of $298 & $278 = $576, times 2 people = $1152. Not sure where you get the "three trips for MYW base at $874?" Are you counting the cost of your Sept 2012 trip?

In any event, each of you would need to buy an AP to avoid having to buy park passes. Or, one buys the AP & TiW ($75 per card and covers up to 5 others in your party, so only one is necessary) and the other buys base pass. HOWEVER - AP allows Park Hopping and MYW base does not, so you need to use MYW + PH option pricing to give an equal comparison.

As for which is better - figure Free Dining cost (approx $57 per adult for DDP) x 2 people, x # of days you will be staying. Obviously, if you are staying in VALUE resorts, you need to factor in the extra cost of buying the upgrade to DDP.)

Now you'll have a better dollar view to compare. If you are comfortable with paying rack-rate & ticket cost to get FD, stay with that. If you'd like AP room-only discounts (from 5 to as much as 40% depending on resort lever), ticket cost and TiW for TS discounts of 20%, plus free-parking if you happen to stay off-premise, then that is your better deal.

 

[cindyfan]

I had a similar dilemma and decided to get an AP and the Tables in Wonderland. TiW is primarily table service but a few counter service too. We do not like to do table service every night so it was great! And the AP merchandise discount came in very handy!!

 

[NancyIL]

I have an annual pass and Tables in Wonderland. I briefly booked Pop Century with free dining for 3 nights in September before thinking better of it. I usually don't eat dessert twice a day unless I'm on a cruise! I might have several desserts at Disney theme parks, but they are not ordered with my meals. Therefore - even the Quick Service plan is more food than I usually eat, or the included desserts aren't the ones I would normally buy.

My kids and I returned from WDW yesterday. As we strolled around the Boardwalk one last time, we stopped at the store at ESPN Club. I bought a drinking glass @ $11.95 and saved 20% with my AP.

 

[wdwmom2011]

Take a second look at your math since using the numbers you gave of $298 & $278 = $576, times 2 people = $1152. Not sure where you get the "three trips for MYW base at $874?" Are you counting the cost of your Sept 2012 trip?

yes, I was including this september's trip in the calculation. $874 per person ($298 for Sep 2012+ $298 forSept 2013 + $278 for Feb/March 2013)

 

[2ofUs]

yes, I was including this september's trip in the calculation. $874 per person ($298 for Sep 2012+ $298 forSept 2013 + $278 for Feb/March 2013)

So your total cost for basic MYW park passes w/o AP would be $$1748. Would you be buying 1 or 2 AP? The cost of 2 APs includes Park Hopping which is not calculated into the above cost, so truly AP is easily the better value with 3 trips. And you will probably find it easier to get ADR for non-free-dining that with (if you speak with a CM by phone).

 

[wdwmom2011]

So your total cost for basic MYW park passes w/o AP would be $$1748. Would you be buying 1 or 2 AP? The cost of 2 APs includes Park Hopping which is not calculated into the above cost, so truly AP is easily the better value with 3 trips. And you will probably find it easier to get ADR for non-free-dining that with (if you speak with a CM by phone).

Yes, $1748 total for our tickets for two adults for all three trips. I understand that AP is cheaper (by about $500), but my concern is the loss of savings with FD. We save so much money with free dining that I don't know if it would work out to be a savings with AP.

We generally stay at Value, so we would not save a significant amount with an AP room discount. We really enjoy the dining plan and having the option to get whatever food we want. (I have not been to WDW without the dining plan, so I don't really know what it would be like without it)

 

[2ofUs]

If your family is comfortable with the DDP, then stay with that. Many who use the plan do so for convenience as well as the fact that, even when it is NOT free, for many it is still a value.

For some of us (especially w/2 adults & no kids) who don't eat desserts and, in my case, don't drink anything but water, a room discount is better.

Consider that you will have to pay the difference between free quick service dining and table service dining. If that amount off-sets the minimal room discount at value - you're good to go!

Honestly, we have done it both ways, even with just 2 adults and, for us, it's too much of the wrong food choices, but it is a matter of PERSONAL PREFERENCE. I think DDP can be a great choice for at least 50% of WDW guests. Obviously, WDW does too!

I'm sure they consider many things when offering Free Dining promotions - and addicting many of us to the convenience and the desserts may be a big one - while for others of us it simply goes to waist (yes, pun is intended).

 

[herb102211]

I would say get the AP but I think you might save more with getting the free dining plan and upgrading to DxDP. Since you normally stay in a value resort, the AP discount in the values isn't that significant. We feel that the DxDP is a value itself, especially with the signature restaurants or using 3 TS credits a day.

 

[sndral]

The one issue I have w/ my AP is that we like the dinning plan and I wasn't able to book a package in order to get dinning w/out buying a one day MYW ticket per person. When the AP discounts come out for my travel time I may be able to book an AP package w/ dinning w/out buying the tickets - and I have been waiting for my dates to be offered and hoping the resort I want will be part of the AP offer. Meanwhile I have a 1 day park MYW ticket package w/ paid for dinning booked (w/ a % off bounce back room discount.)
I can apply that ticket price to next years AP if what I want isn't offered when the AP discounts come out, but it's still a hassle. Once you have the AP, you can't book a package (and thus add even paid for dinning) w/out adding a ticket unless it's an AP package and those don't come out very early.

 

[vicki_c]

The one issue I have w/ my AP is that we like the dinning plan and I wasn't able to book a package in order to get dinning w/out buying a one day MYW ticket per person. When the AP discounts come out for my travel time I may be able to book an AP package w/ dinning w/out buying the tickets - and I have been waiting for my dates to be offered and hoping the resort I want will be part of the AP offer. Meanwhile I have a 1 day park MYW ticket package w/ paid for dinning booked (w/ a % off bounce back room discount.)
I can apply that ticket price to next years AP if what I want isn't offered when the AP discounts come out, but it's still a hassle. Once you have the AP, you can't book a package (and thus add even paid for dinning) w/out adding a ticket unless it's an AP package and those don't come out very early.

The only reason you had to buy a ticket to add dining is because you were using the BB offer. You can also avoid the ticket if you pay rack rate, or the AP rate as you mentioned. I think I would have waited to add the dining (and ticket) to the BB until I saw if AP rates were released.

 

[sndral]

I just pointed it out because it's something I hadn't thought of - I didn't want to wait so long on the AP discounts being released as I knew exactly where I wanted to stay and didn't want to risk not getting the room category/resort I wanted. Plus, I like to pay off early and when you switch from room only to package they refund the money rather than just transferring it to the new package, so several thousand dollars waiting to be refunded sounded like a hassle as well.
The room discount was significant and more than covered the extra for the tickets, plus I'll recoup the ticket cost going forward, it just hadn't occurred to me when I got the APs that it would cause an issue w/ other discounts and the way I like to arrange my WDW vacations (pay early and do DDP.)

 

[RichieTruxillo]

Between work trips and vacation, I have been 4 times on my annual pass and TiW card. It has saved me well over $3000 in room discounts, merchandise and food (staying moderate and deluxe). If you are thinking of going twice in a year for a week at a time, my opinion is annual pass/TiW combo holds more overall value.

The bad part is...you always want to goto Disney World though