MYW 9 days/hopper plus or AP?

[jamal]

Hello wise ones,

We are planning another trip for March (booked Poly Concierge) and am trying to decide if we should get APs instead of nine day hopper-plus passes. We will not go again in a year.

Could there be any non-$$ perks to being AP holders...like Expedition:Everest previews or something else I haven't thought about?

We're going 3/23-4/1.

I have a couple of other questions but will post them separately.

Thank you,
Jamal

 

[Eljay]

http://www.allearsnet.com/pl/apass.htm

Here is a link to AP info. Of course, the most obvious benefits are financial, such as getting the AP rate on your resort reservation.

Otherwise, there aren't many perks anymore. Just AP previews and early notification of events during Food & Wine, etc. We don't even have our AP lounges anymore or our special viewing areas for parades & fireworks.

I must say, I did enjoy the AP preview of Soarin'! We rode over & over with no wait!

 

[Eljay]

I thought of another perk. If you are a pin collector or trader, you can buy limited edition AP pins. Not important to me, but some people are seriously into it.

 

[tmt martins]

Remember you have to compair your MYW Hop + to the PAP's not just the AP's

 

[Sammy]

You have to also think about how many days during your trip you will actually be going to a park. We are lucky enough to have gone multiple times in the past few years, so are not so "commando" anymore. During our upcoming February trip, we will probably only go to the parks 4 days out of the 8 we'll be there. AP's wouldn't work for us in this case....so we purchased 10-day tix last Feb because they will last us over a few years worth of trips.

 

[boomhauer]

We will not go again in a year.

Let me just warn you - You say this now. When you buy an AP, your thought process changes DRASTICALLY. You buy it for 1 trip because you're going for a longer time. Two months later, you're sitting at your computer, on the DIS, and start thinking about how much you miss it. All of a sudden it occurs to you, "Hey - I have this Annual Pass. I have free admission to all the theme parks still. Plus, I can get a BIG discount on a room at Disney. I could fly Southwest roundtrip for $130, and stay for 5 nights for about $300. What the heck - Might as well."

And let me assure you - This isn't a bad thing. It's EXACTLY what happened to me. I bought my AP for a 10 day trip. I went back about 4 months later, then again, 5 months later. I ended up spending 30 days at the theme parks in the course of a year, and saved HUNDREDS of dollars off of Disney Resort Rooms.

Plus, while not a HUGE incentive, you do save money on many restaurants and many shops at Downtown Disney.

 

[LiteBrite]

Another perk of buying APs is that they make you eligible for the DDE card - for AP holders, the card will cost $60 in 2006, and will save you 20% off the cost of most Table Service restaurants at WDW and some of the food courts and Counter Service restaurants (primarily those at Animal Kingdom). Even if you only make your one 9 night trip, you can easily recoup the cost of the card and save more on top.

 

[jamal]

You all are giving me much to ponder. I take it I can't buy the Dining Plan if I have a PAP...

 

[seashoreCM]

You all are giving me much to ponder. I take it I can't buy the Dining Plan if I have a PAP...

More precisely you cannot get both the AP room rate and the dining plan at the same time. Possessing an AP (or PAP) does not prohibit you from buying the dining plan, particularly when the AP room rate is sold out.

Break even of AP over MYW (standard) expiring admission with hopping is about twelve days, maybe thirteen after advance purchase discounts on the latter.

Advantage of PAP over regular AP is realized only when you visit plus venues four or more times regardless of days spent in the theme parks.

Disney hints:
http://members.aol.com/ajaynejr/disney.htm