Non-LA Area folks with annual passes?

[swooshbear]

We live in San Francisco and have had APs since 2012, regular Signature this year. We were going almost once a month when we first got them and tried doing almost everything - Candlelight Processional, Club 33, multiple tours, etc. We also do a lot of the runDisney races so it all works out.

 

[Dr. G]

We're from Utah. We've had Annual Passes 2 or 3 times over the last 15 or 20 years. In the past if we knew we were going twice in a year it was worth it. Now 2x is about break-even for us so we don't. This year is our 25th Wedding Anniversary so we treated ourselves to Annual Passes. One trip in January with the high-school aged boys. One trip in May with the college-aged girls. Two couple trips planned for late September (Halloween decorations) and early December (Christmas decorations). So, 4 times. Then we experience Disneyland withdrawals for the next couple years...

 

[agamble]

We’ve had APs twice and plan to get them again next summer. We used to live in Las Vegas, about a 4 hour drive if traffic is normal. The first APs we had June 2011-12 we went on a 5 day vacation to start the AP and also went on six 2-3 day trips. In 2013 we went with just 4 day non-hoppers and that was when I decided that APs were the way to go if we planned to go annually. When we went with family the following June we got APs again (from June 2014-15). But right after we got them my husband got a job in Modesto, CA and we moved. It’s only 5-5 ½ hours, but we had a harder time using them for short trips that time, but we did go for 6-days for both our beginning and ending trip and we went for a Saturday at Halloween time and two days in early December. We have a baby now (#3) and decided not to go to Disneyland this summer and opted to get season passes to a local Six Flags park. Next year we are going with family again and we will be buying APs. I hope to go a good half dozen times between annual trips, but we’ll see.

 

[jollyball]

We live in Phoenix and got the Signature AP last month. It's a six hour drive and we've visited twice with another trip planned for September.

 

[Kindermouse]

I am enjoying reading this since I think many people assume that all AP's are locals who go every week and clog up the park and "ruin it" for vacationers when there are in fact many people with AP's who aren't locals and get them for a few trips a year like I do. In the case of many here AP's are the fiscally prudent way to do a few trips a year, not a way to have unlimited night/weekend entertainment.

 

[chipw]

Mama and i live in the central valley 4 hrs. away. Have been 20 days since November. Of course its a little easier for us since all the kids are grown and gone so we can just go pretty much whenever the mood strikes. These were mostly Sundays since mama works most weekends. We have done a couple of 3 dayers and of course in April for our 30th anniversary i took the whole family all 11 of us for the week.

 

[BayouQueen]

San Diego. I go about 5 times a year: a fall trip, a Christmas trip, an "off season" Jan-Feb trip, a spring trip, and a summer trip. I like to see the season changes in the parks!

 

[T0rrent]

Astylla and I live in the bay area. We usually try to do 1-2 4+ night trips and will usually do 2-5 overnight trips, leave on a friday night return on a sunday.

 

[sheetz]

It shouldn't be a surprise that so many APs live a good distance away when you think of how few major theme parks there are in the Western third of the country. In the Eastern part of the country they have parks all over the place but in the West I can't think of any major parks outside of California.

 

[dcraythorn]

We live in Utah and we go 3 to 4 times on the pass.

 

[Watchtower]

We live in Edmonds, about 15 miles north of Seattle. When I paid off my student loans in January of '15, I decided to reward myself with a "year of Disney", in which I would have an AP for at least one year of my life (bucket list), and plan three trips within that year. We "activated" our Deluxe AP's by going on a trip in early December last year to see the Christmas decorations (mixed with the 60th decor), then another trip 5 months later in late April to see just the 60th decor, then our final trip in the "year of Disney" will be at the end of September to see the Halloweentime decor (my favorite time of year at Disneyland!). After the September trip, however, we'll be taking a break from Disneyland over the next few years to allow them to finish their construction.

 

[arcadiandj]

My wife and I live in Tempe, AZ. We had been doing once a year wedding anniversary trips, but began to wonder what would it be like to take long holiday weekends at DLR. Our annual trip was in November when we bought our APs for a five day trip. Then we did between one and three day trips in January, March, April, and May. We immediately discovered that five days was too long (go figure) and that three days was our sweet spot We are currently planning a long trip to WDW in 2017, so next year we won't do the AP and instead will just do a couple shorter trips to DLR.

 

[bcla]

Just as an aside, I thought that the locals APs were restricted to Southern California (via zip code) and parts of Mexico (via postal code). However, my understanding is that AP holders in any part of California can pay in installments.

 

[krispin41]

I just purchased a Signature AP and live in San Jose, CA, my next trip will be in October.

I do pay in installments.

 

[bumbershoot]

South of Seattle, and this year DS and I will have 3/year. DH only 2. I think this is the 4th time we've had APs since 2007 when we bought our first.

I wish that they would let out of state people make monthly payments like they do CA residents. I would totally have one if that was the case.

It would be cool. Universal Orlando allows anyone to make payments, after all.

I suppose all there is to it is to create our OWN monthly payment plan, during a year that's an "off" year anyway.

Nor Cal in Sanat Cruz. Try and get down every 6 weeks or so for usually a night or two.

Jealous!

I'm from San Jose, and Anaheim felt like 1000 years away back then. My brother and I only got there twice as kids. Once with mom and once with dad.

After the price increase last year, I don't know if it still would save any money to make two annual trips on an AP. Obviously Disney figured that one out

There's nothing to figure out. Having more trips for a reasonable cost was their marketing! It was their whole advertising gambit.

Then it was so successful they decided to get peevish about it. Ridiculous.

In the case of many here AP's are the fiscally prudent way to do a few trips a year,

Yep.

It shouldn't be a surprise that so many APs live a good distance away when you think of how few major theme parks there are in the Western third of the country. In the Eastern part of the country they have parks all over the place but in the West I can't think of any major parks outside of California.

Silverwood in ID for real coasters. Great Wolf Lodge an hour+ away from me (it's below Olympia WA). Wild Waves water and themepark 20 minutes up the road from me (it's in Federal Way WA).

Are the second two "major"? Maybe not, but they are still good.

 

[disneychrista]

When we had an AP (it has been a few years) we went 3 - 4 times for 2 - 4 days each trip.

 

[Astylla]

I was wondering if you do not live in the LA area (however you wish to define it) and still have annual passes, where do you live and how often do you get to the parks?

We live in the Bay Area ( 6.5 hour drive) and have had APs (Premium and now Signature)since 2012.

In a typical year we do at least 3-5 last minute weekend (Leave Friday after work return Sunday) trips and 3-4 extended trips for 4-6 days. Now we try to focus on holiday times since we both have most major holidays off or make seasons a priority overall.

 

[ten6mom]

Phoenix area and we have the Deluxe. I do, on average, 4 trips a year that are 3 or more nights plus smaller ones (sometimes out and back in a day with no hotel). I get the Deluxe because I can still go plenty of times without paying an arm and a leg. Relatively speaking, of course.

 

[Disney_Alli]

We live in Calgary, AB and will be upgrading 5-day tickets to APs on this trip, we have 7.5 days planned in the parks. We're probably not going to get back on these APs unfortunately but on the off chance we do we'll have them. We currently have WDW APs (used to be included with the wedding packages) which will expire just before we arrive in DL - those passes definitely got used well last summer with 24 days spent in the theme parks.

 

[sheetz]

Silverwood in ID for real coasters. Great Wolf Lodge an hour+ away from me (it's below Olympia WA). Wild Waves water and themepark 20 minutes up the road from me (it's in Federal Way WA).

Are the second two "major"? Maybe not, but they are still good.

Eh, I wouldn't really consider Silverwood a "major" theme park, either. I'm thinking more of places like Cedar Point, Kings Island, Dollywood, Six Flags Great Adventure, Busch Gardens Williamsburg, or Hersheypark, all of which draw over 2 million visitors a year. Silverwood still draws under 1 million annual guests.