I prefer 10 day passes to annual passes

[Tara]

Is this an additional charge or do you get it when u buy an AP??

As AKV707 said, it's $75 for one card. ($50 for an additional card - and don't lose your card or you'll have to pay $50 to replace it!)

That said, I think it's still an awesome deal and can't imagine not using it. We do a lot of signature dining and it's great to get the flat 20% off including off drinks if we want them.

As for APs vs MYW non-exp, I like the flexibility of just being able to go in a park for a meal or just to do one thing without "wasting" a day.

 

[rescuetink]

So with all this being said, and all this great information from so so so many people, can I ask a question??

What's the best, and by best I mean CHEAPEST, way to buy tickets?? I'm looking at the 10 day NE for 2A and 1C. Online at Disney?? At the gates?? At the Disney stores?? Through AAA?? Any discount online sites???

 

[pinnocchiosdad]

So with all this being said, and all this great information from so so so many people, can I ask a question??

What's the best, and by best I mean CHEAPEST, way to buy tickets?? I'm looking at the 10 day NE for 2A and 1C. Online at Disney?? At the gates?? At the Disney stores?? Through AAA?? Any discount online sites???

How about apply for a Disney Credit Card. You get a gift card that you can use at the gate or checkin to buy your NE MYW passes.

 

[rescuetink]

How about apply for a Disney Credit Card. You get a gift card that you can use at the gate or checkin to buy your NE MYW passes.

Hmmmmmmmmmm My wife would kill me if I got a new card!!!

But.... any idea how much???

 

[LIFERBABE]

So with all this being said, and all this great information from so so so many people, can I ask a question??

What's the best, and by best I mean CHEAPEST, way to buy tickets?? I'm looking at the 10 day NE for 2A and 1C. Online at Disney?? At the gates?? At the Disney stores?? Through AAA?? Any discount online sites???

Mousesavers recommends www.undercovertourist.com. If you sign up for the monthly e-letter, they will sometimes offer additional discount for Mousesavers. They may still have some passes left at pre-August hike prices.

 

[Mickey'sApprentice]

We put 69 days on our AP last year.

oh please give lots of details.

I know Chattanooga is all interstate, but still farther away from us, and somewhat comparable.

Did you do alot of weekends, 3 and 4 day weekends, did you stay all DVC, on property with AP rates, or GASP! Off-property?

I'm curious to know.

This is our 1st year as AP holders, but my family got up a trip to Gulf Shores, while MIL got up a trip to HIlton Head.

We'll get about 12 days out of our AP.

 

[vicki_c]

oh please give lots of details.

<snip>

We'll get about 12 days out of our AP.

You need to plan more trips to lower that per day cost! I'm not the person you were quoting, but we did about 40 Disney days in the past 18 months, so I'll give my experience.

Jan 08 - 1 night at POR, 8 nights at the Poly club level - pre AP, pre DVC purchase (hindsight, I know) - drove from Maryland

June 08 - 2 nights at VWL, 2 nights at SSR on points - bought our APs, and had purchased DVC in March - flew in

Nov 08 - 2 nights at BWV for Food & Wine on points - flew in

Dec 08 - 1 night at WL with AP rate, 8 nights at BCV on points, 1 night at BC on cash, 2 nights at BCV on cash (mishmosh due to availability and the fact that I kept adding days on either end!) - we drove

June 09 - 1 night at POFQ (AP discount) and 7 nights at Poly club level on the 4/3 deal (so no points) - we drove for that trip as well.

I have not yet used the Member Services / 25% cash discount thing yet, because I used other deals so far when staying on cash, but don't forget that that's often available for DVC resorts as well.

 

[bz8bls]

What are those, who qualifies, and what is the price?

 

[silmarg]

What are those, who qualifies, and what is the price?

Courtesy of CHESHIRE FIGMENT

Walt Disney World has a special program during 2009 for members of the United States armed services, their dependents and guests. This post discusses the program and is broken into three major sections: Eligibility, Entitlements, and Procedures for participating.

Eligibility and Definitions

A service member has a current active duty, including active reserve, or retired ID card from the Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Marine Corp, or Navy.

A dependent is the spouse or other relative of a service member who has an ID card which shows the service member as the sponsor.

A guest is any person not a dependent accompanying the service member.

Not eligible on their own are persons who would normally have access to military bases and/or Shades of Green (SoG) such as DoD Civilians, NAF, USPHS and veterans who are not retirees. This list may include others. People who fall into this category may, however, be dependents or guests.

Tickets and Entitlements

A service member may receive one “5-Day Disney’s Armed Forces Salute Ticket” up through December 23, 2009. This will be a Five Day Park Hopper with five WPF&M entries. This ticket is complimentary (free). The ticket will expire at Midnight on Wednesday, December 23, 2009 even if all entries have not been used. The ticket is not subject to the normal 14 day from first use expiration rules. Demographic information on the service member will be recorded in the Automated Ticketing System (ATS) and the name printed on the ticket. This ticket cannot be upgraded or modified in any way.

A service member may purchase up to five “5-Day Disney’s Armed Forces Salute Companion Ticket” at $99 (plus tax) each, without regard to age. (As normal, people under age 3 do not require tickets.) These may be used by dependents or guests. These tickets may only be purchased through December 23, 2009. The name of each dependent and/or guest will be recorded in ATS, tied to the service member’s name, and will be printed on the ticket.

The Companion Tickets will expire Midnight, Wednesday, December 23, 2009, even if all entries have not been used. The initial entitlements for the Companion ticket a five days, one theme park per day. For $25 (plus tax) park hopping may be added. For $25 (plus tax) five WPF&M entries may be added. The normal 14 day rules concerning expiration and upgrade do not apply. However, no additional days may be added and the ticket may not have the No Expire option added.

The Companion Tickets may be upgraded to Annual Passes, Premium APs, or Florida Resident Seasonal Passes (with proper Florida ID). The normal 14 day upgrade period does not apply. However, there will not be “price bridging”; this means that the value of the ticket will be what was paid for it ($99, $124, or $149) and not the current gate price of an equivalent MYW ticket. If the ticket is upgraded to an annual product the expiration date will be one year from the date of first use of the Companion Ticket.

As an exception, if the immediate family has more than five dependents, additional Companion Tickets may be purchased, but not to exceed the number of dependents. If the immediate family has more than five dependents tickets may not be purchased for guests.

If the service member is not available the spouse may purchase and/or activate up to five Companion Tickets for family and guests. The special large family rule above applies. This purchase will not prevent the service member from receiving the free ticket at a later date, but this will make the service member ineligible to purchase any additional Companion Tickets. Note that the Dependent ID Card (DD Form 1173) must show a relationship of either "Spouse" or "Unremarried Widow" to be able to activate the tickets.

Procedures and Purchasing

There are three sources available. Two of these sources are Shades of Green or many (but not all) MWR offices. These are not “live” tickets but must be activated. The advantage to purchasing these is that sales tax is not collected on the Companion Tickets.

The third source is Walt Disney World Park Ticket Offices (including TTC) and Guest Relations Offices (including DTD). Sales tax will be collected on any sales of Companion Tickets or upgrades. Note that these cannot be purchased at any Resort Lobby Concierge or online.

When activating tickets or purchasing at a WDW ticket location all members of the party must be present. The Complimentary Ticket may be done only once during the year. And it is only one ticket per person.

Certain information from the service member’s ID will be entered into ATS (Name, Birth Date, base where assigned) and the names of all Companion Ticket holders will also be entered and tied to the service member. If the tickets were prepurchased (MWR or SoG) the person will get the same card back. If these are new tickets, the tickets will be printed by ATS.

Once activated the tickets may be used at any turnstile. Finger scans will be used. In the event a ticket becomes demagnetized they can be reissued just as any other ticket.

If you have unused non-promotional tickets and wish to have them applied to the purchase of Companion Tickets, this may be done provided the value of the unused tickets is equal to or less than the value of the Companion Tickets being purchased or upgraded.

 

[mvc1997]

The new renewal policy (if good for DVC members) might change people's strategies regarding AP vs. 10-day MYW. As it stands now, the 10-day pass is only a better deal if you visit parks for 10 total days and it takes you MORE than 1 year to do so. But with the new 15-month renewal, it might start making more sense to go the AP route.

I think I missed something.
Could you please explain the New 15-month renewal?
I'd really appreciate it
Thanks!

 

[Tara]

I think I missed something.
Could you please explain the New 15-month renewal?
I'd really appreciate it
Thanks!

If you renew your AP within the 30-day window before or after your existing AP expires, you get a new AP at the reduced renewal rate that is good for 15 months, not 12 months.

 

[mvc1997]

Thanks Tara!

 

[rescuetink]

Mousesavers recommends www.undercovertourist.com. If you sign up for the monthly e-letter, they will sometimes offer additional discount for Mousesavers. They may still have some passes left at pre-August hike prices.

I checked their prices against Disney's website...

Undercovertourist.com ; $1,325.85 (And their site says you save $27.00 off gate prices)

Disney's website; $1323.00

I guess you do have to wait for an email special!!! I'll check with AAA also, I know they have them at a discount... supposedly!!! LOL

 

[tjkraz]

I checked their prices against Disney's website...

Undercovertourist.com ; $1,325.85 (And their site says you save $27.00 off gate prices)

Disney's website; $1323.00

I guess you do have to wait for an email special!!! I'll check with AAA also, I know they have them at a discount... supposedly!!! LOL

Disney's website does not include tax until the end of the transaction. Most third-party dealers list their full price up-front including tax. (Regardless of where you live, Florida sales tax is applied to the transaction since the passes are redeemed in FL.)