Is an AP rate really worth it?

[Scroft391]

I did a break down for my family of four staying in the WL for 7 nights. I compared the AP savings versus the MYW with meals. In both cases, the tickets were priced with the park hopper option.

Room: This part was simple. The AP rate is $100 off of the rack rate. That saves up $700.

Tickets: If you do a comparison of 2 adult and 2 children tickets for 7 days with park hopper versus 1 adult AP, 1 adult and 2 children tickets with park hopper, the tickets are $172 higher with the AP option. Now our savings is reduced to $528.

Food: This is the big one. On the MYW package, food vouchers cost $35 per adult and $10 per child for a counter service, sit-down meal and snack each. That is a cost of $90 per day or $630 for the 7 days.

To purchase these meals outright, I estimated the cost of the counter service to be $20 per adult and $10 per child. The sit down meal I figured $30 per adult and $15 per child. Snacks I estimated $5 per person. This makes a daily total of $170 or $1190 for 7 days. If you join the Disney Dinning Experience, you save 20% but it costs $50 to join. Factor that in, you could buy meals yourself all seven days for $1002. ($1190 - 20% + $50). At $1002, you are paying an additional $372 for food compared to the vouchers. This brings the savings down from $528 to $156.

So an AP rate will save me $156 if I estimated the meals correctly. If I am off by just $5 per person per meal, this will eliminate my savings. I do not see where the AP rate is better than the MYW package. Now, if I was coming back within the year, I would see a benefit but we will not return to Disney for at least 2 more years. Also, we will probably be eating breakfast in the room. A gallon of milk, plastic bowls and cereal will be our breakfast of champions.

I do not see the benefit. If there is a flaw in my math, please let me know.

 

[ILoveWDW2003]

The real benefit, and the true purpose of the AP, is when you plan on making multiple trips to WDW in a 366 day period.

I don't believe it is worth it just for the room discounts on one trip.

 

[MagicKingdom05]

I agree. I just came back from 10 nights at CBR and am planning another 4 nights at CS in May over Memorial Day weekend. I figured that both trips combined, getting my AP saved me $1170 on the room.

 

[MrsJ Henry]

I agree also. The AP just is not worth it if you are doing it just for a room code for one trip. On the other hand, they can bring you great savings if you are going on an extended trip or more than one stay. My husband and i are making out great this year with the AP and the Dining plan since we are going for two week visits this year, got a good discount on our AKL room and enjoy the sit down restaurants.

You have to see what plan works for you and your family.

 

[Selket]

Of course every family is different - not sure the ages of your kids or how much you eat. I used the menus at allears to figure out typical pricing of what we'd eat for counter service and the price at sit-down places to compare the MYW dining vs. just getting it on our own. From my estimates we would not spend $20 per adult for a CS meal. Some of our sit down meals are less than $30. For 2 adults and 2 children we usually spend about $100 a day.

It is hard to compare - I think you do get a lot of food with the MYW dining package - more food than we'd generally order otherwise. I don't usually get an appetizer with dinner - and I probably wouldn't want to eat a big dessert right after either (which is included with the MYW) so I didn't include those things when comparing the two packages. We also tend to eat breakfast in the room (bring some cold cereal or donuts) so that saves quite a bit right there.

Good luck doing the math - it is a challenge!

 

[lmhall2000]

Yep..I think it breaks down to the food...first, I almost NEVER have an appetizer and dessert at any meal...it's one or the other...never can eat all that! And having double! Cause dh and I always split one or the other...so here's how it broke down for us and we're saving about $500


I added in $50 for the Disney Dining Experience card which offers 20% off most every meal..it'll pay for itself and help us save about $100. We eat breakfast in the room...we've already done most the character breakfasts so we'll probably shave it down to 1 this trip. Eating out for six nights and counter service during the days will be easy to keep it under $100...if I had 3 teenagers...it might not be so....but my kids are 9, 7, & 6 and we split the counter service between the younger two...and half the time I just order a small salad or sandwich so I can save up for a nice meal at night. I try to keep healthy snacks instead of popcorn/sodas/ice cream bars as a snack...so that would be a waste....we pop in bottled water in our freezer and it's nice and cool by midday so we don't usually buy drinks...we keep fruit/cheese sticks/pretzels on hand for munchies. But $500 is a nice chunk of change...and you never can predict what will happen...what if 2 of your children get the stomach flu while you're there...you don't get that money back from dining...I'd just rather be in control of what I'm spending.

Tara

 

[MaryKatesMom]

If you get an AP for the room discount there is a pretty good chance you will be disappointed.

 

[steevo]

I am missing your logic somewhere...
If you saved 100 dollars a night with the AP...THen you are essentially making $280 to go to the parks.
Without the AP you pay 700 more for the rooms plus have to but a MYW ticket.
How is it not worth it in that situation?

If even only 4 nights..Rack Rate = X + MYW for 1 adult....With 1 AP you save 400 dollars and dont need the MYW. So it would be a wash. But still worth it in the event you come back.
Am I wrong?

 

[Scroft391]

Thanks for the input. I used the AP rate a year and a half ago when we went and it was worth it then. Since there is now food vouchers in the MYW package, everything has changed. Now i need to factor in the food part of it. For a single visit I will stick with the MYW.

 

[speedyf]

It's different for each individual family.....

The reason we are not doing the dining package is:

#1 - We do not always eat a sit down meal each night. Sometimes, we eat 2 counter service meals in a busy day.

#2 - When we do eat a sit down meal, we do not each order an appetizer, each order an entree, and each order a dessert. If it was possible to get the dining package for the adults and let the kids eat the appetizers as meals, then it might be worth it.

I also agree with an earlier poster....when we eat counter service, we do not spend $20 per person. I usually get some sort of chicken tender or burger combo for less than $10.

My wife has also eaten for around $5-$6 at counter service by ordering a kid's meal. Last year at Pop Century, she wanted to eat a sloppy joe. She wasn't very hungry and decided to get the kids menu sloppy joe. Well, the sandwich was the same size as the adult version. The difference was that the kid's meal had chips as a side order where the adult meal had fries. We also were able to save money on drinks by sharing a refillable mug at the resort.

speedyf