Please Educate Me On Annual Pass Basics

[Doug Wolfe]

Although I have done Disney a ton of times, I need to be educated on Annual Pass basics:

1) Do they run from day of purchase to one year later?

2) If I get passes that let us into everything, what is the cost for Adult tickets & Kid tickets?

3) What is the break-even point on these? A 7-day trip? 8-day trip?

4) If I buy annual passes, are they under my name, or could I give them to a relative to use? (I like to help mom.
)

Thanks for your expertise & time!

 

[2angelsinheaven]

1) Do they run from day of purchase to one year later? 1yr from the date they are activated.

2) If I get passes that let us into everything, what is the cost for Adult tickets & Kid tickets? $499.00 Adults/$424.00 Children

3) What is the break-even point on these? A 7-day trip? 8-day trip? Depends, are you staying onsite or off... the ultimate park hopper that cost the same as an annual is for 11 nights... however, if your not staying onsite you can not purchase these. A positive to the AP is if you are going to be staying onsite you can end up saving enough on your room to pay for atleast one ap (because of the discount ap holders get). You don't need the ap to book the room, but you will need it when you check in.

4) If I buy annual passes, are they under my name, or could I give them to a relative to use? Not flaming you, but NO.... they do a fingerprint scan on passes/hoppers and her fingers will not match yours, she will have to show id to match name on ticket and if they don't match they may revoke the pass.

 

[goofy4tink]

I'm assuming the prices listed are for premium annual passes and are not tax included. If you want to do just the 4 theme parks, it is $403, tax included for an adult.

I use them if I'm going to be in parks more than 8 days. We are going a total of 20 days so it is really cheap.

You can get some pretty good rates at the resorts with an AP. I don't get one just for that tho. Especially is you're planning on staying at a value resort. The best discounts seem to be on the deluxes.

Yes, they do a finger scan and then each time you enter a park, you scan again. So, no sharing.

We get vouchers ahead of time and will activate them on August 13. Use them for 9 nights in August, then 6 nights in Nov and 5 nights in July. Good deal for me!!! And the $150 I save on my room isn't hard to take either.

 

[francie]

hi, do you know when the ap room discounts come out for oct/nov this year? any guesses? thanks in advance

 

[goofy4tink]

No, I don't. I'm patiently waiting for August rates myself! Probably late summer. Watch MouseSavers. She's really good at letting us know.

 

[Doug Wolfe]

Thanks for your time and effort everyone for helping me with this. I stay on-site and own at Disney at Beach Club Villas, though the Disney Vacation Club. So I don't pay anything to stay at the resort. I usually have a 2-bedroom villa.

We will stay about 14-days in a one year period. From what I am reading it looks like the AP might be my best route because I use the parks & other services so much I can save some money.

Thanks again.

 

[Lora]

Originally posted by Doug Wolfe
We will stay about 14-days in a one year period. From what I am reading it looks like the AP might be my best route because I use the parks & other services so much I can save some money.

You will love having the AP's in this situation. (Ours is very similar.) You can go to the parks on those 1/2 days like arrival or departure days - or even a day you've slept in or gone to a water park, etc. and not feel one little bit guilty about. I remember when I had hoppers one year and we basically got in one attraction before we had to leave with a sick child. It almost made ME sick thinking about the money we had just wasted.

You'll also get a little card holder with the AP discounts that are available at restaurants and such.

 

[Doug Wolfe]

Yes, the big problem with the standard hopper passes is the very first day. We arrive in the afternoon and I hate to spend the cash for a pass for that initial day, when we are all tired and won't spend a lot of time in the parks.

But how do you say to your kids, "Yes honey, there is the theme park right over there, but you can't go there today!?" With the annual pass that is not an issue.

 

[Schmeck]

We're getting AP's for many of the reasons stated above - the experience of using a hopper day for a late afternoon entry into a park is PAINFUL! Also, we'll be staying for 12 days on our next trip, so it will save us $$$, and we still have some plusses left on our old PHP's to get into the waterparks.

Of course, my ulterior motive is to get my husband to agree to another trip before the APs expire, LOL!

Just a bonus point - you can access the AP website using your voucher - there's a way to get the info off the back of the card.

Schmeck

 

[Doc and Family]

Doug,

Howdy neighbor! We also own at the BCV. Go with the AP--the Premium AP if you do water parks, Disney Quest, etc. We have AP's and love them, especially with the DVC. Some days, we only do EPCOT at night for Illuminations and dessert--without the AP we would have to skip it or use a whole day's admission for that.

The flexibility it gives combined with the DVC is awesome!!! and your break-even point is around 8 days admission into the parks for the regular AP.

See ya round the BCV!

 

[Doug Wolfe]

Doc.... Thanks for the information. You know, sometimes we just like to use Epcot for a nice meal, so this would be perfect.

I would go for the Premium AP, because we love Typhoon Lagoon. As if SAB wasn't enough!

Thanks neighbor. And maybe someday I'll be able to say "Welcome Home" in person.

 

[korlows]

Absolutely worth the price. If you look at the cost of the regular park hoppers...you (witha 14 day stay) will save (as you've already said.)

Don't forget that you will then be entitled to get discounts at the Marketplace disney store (10% i believe) as well as get discounts at other dining areas (they'll give you a booklet on all that.)

I got one for my Feb trip that was 8 nights (saved 40% on the Coronado Springs)
and am now planning my big trip (within the same 365 day period that the AP is good for) of 14 nights at the Wilderness Lodge. I am saving a TON of Cash! The castmember at reservations quoted me 239 for tomorrow (4/19) w/o the AP but with it comes to 124! Killer savings if you want to have another couple come w/you all then get their room for them.

Unfortunaely I am not sure what my rates will be because they only post the discounts in small blocks of time.

Enjoy!