Need your advice - to AP or not??

[TZMOM]

Hi everyone!!

I'm taking my parents (72 Mom, 69 Dad) and DS (15) to the parks the last week of August (7 days, 6 nights.)

I was going to buy an AP to get the room discounts (we have 2 rooms at POR) - even though I don't think another visit will be in the cards for us within a year. After reading as much as I could take about the MYW ticket options - I'm thinking of just buying 7 day tix for all 4 of us w/hopping option on all + the water park option for myself and my DS.

Does anyone have any opinion whether it would be more economical to buy an AP or go w/the MYW tix? I've read different things here on the boards about how there may/may not be room only codes as well as may/may not be AP room discounts. If my DS and I will plan on going to DQ and the water parks at least 4 times during our stay, I don't really think buying an AP would make much sense - since I'd have to pay for entrance to those - even with a discount.

What do you guys think? Thanks for the help!

Jane

 

[dvcgirl]

Well, the only suggestion that I have is to consider buying an AP for one of your parents (providing that they're not insterested in doing any of the WP or DQ). Then you'd still have the opportunity to grab the AP discount and you'd have the MYW pass to access WPs and DQ. It really depends on what the discount is for your resort, vs. the extra amount you'll spend on that AP.

 

[Luv2Roam]

Having an AP never guarantees a discounted room. You may be buying an AP for no reason. I would wait and see how the new MYW ticket media/packages work for you.

 

[robinb]

According to MouseSavers, a 7 Day MYW ticket with park hopping and water parks is $285. A Premium AP is $531 and a Regular AP is $403. The difference in price for a PAP is $246, so you would have to save approximately $20 per night off of each room to "break even". The difference for a regular AP (for one of the Grandparents if they won't go to DQ or a water park) is $118 for a savings of $10 per night to "break even". We stayed at POFQ last August for $79 per night, standard view while the rack rate was about $139. However ... the discount code available to everyone was pretty darn close to the AP rate.

I would recommend that you hold off on buying passes until the codes come out on Mousesavers. Given that you will not return for another trip you will probably be better off waiting until May to see if something comes up.

 

[sunking]

Just a note. Remember that you don't have to actually have an AP to book an AP rate room. You could find a AP rate and book it without having the AP ordered yet. But be aware that you will need to have the AP during check in.

Another thing to be aware of is that all members of the party DO NOT have to have an AP to get the rate. You only need one AP in your party to secure the rate. This could be a childs AP (cheapest). You can also reserve multiple rooms with a single AP (but the room will be in the AP holders name). We have done this to help my sister save money during our trip to AKL last XMAS time. The reservations were in our name but they were able to make payments against the reservation.

This gives you the best flexibility in being able to watch the AP rates and purchasing it only if a rate that works for you is available, otherwise you stick with the MYW tickets.

Some may tell you that you need to have a validated AP at check in but we have checked in for many different rooms with an AP rate and have been shown either a voucher or a validated AP without a problem.

Have fun!!!

 

[swilphil]

If you think you and your son might be visiting the parks at some point in the future, you could buy a 10 day MYW ticket with the no expire option. It will be an extra $100 to add the no-expire, but it saves a lot of money over buying a 5 day hopper now and then another in a few more years.

 

[robinb]

Some may tell you that you need to have a validated AP at check in but we have checked in for many different rooms with an AP rate and have been shown either a voucher or a validated AP without a problem.

{{shrug}} The last two times I checked into a Disney resort with an AP rate I didn't even show my AP.

 

[Minky]

On our last trip which was 2 weeks ago, they asked to see my passholder at the Contemporary and at the Polynesian....I think they are cracking down on this a bit.