Pro's and Con's of an Annual Pass

[kona-kraft]

Ok, here's the skinny on us.....

Me-UPTEENth trip to WDW, used to live in Orlando, so I spent almost EVERY DAY there. Haven't been since 2001....going through MAJOR MOUSE WITHDRAWL---Favorite park(s) EPCOT and MK

DH-only been to WDW ONCE (Epcot WS-International Gateway to American Adventure-from 3:30pm to Midnight on ONE evening back in 2001) HAS NO CLUE IN WHAT HE'S BEEN MISSING !!!!

We're going for 6nights in September, to coinside w/ the Epcot Pin event (9/6-9/11), and we're planning on doing ONE day at Typhoon Lagoon while we are there.

We've been talking about what to do for tickets, since they now have the Magic Your Way program. We also have discussed possibly going down to do the MVMCP and see Candlelight, and then also going again during the winter in 2006. Since these two trips are just possiblities at this point, is it worth it to go ahead an invest in AP's for both of us. I think if we had the AP Room discounts to try for, that I'd have a better chance in convincing DH that we HAVE to go back to WDW !!!

I'd love everyone's opinions and suggestions !!!!

 

[ugadog99]

I have to say that I love my APs. They just give me more reason to go to my favorite place! Add the AP with the camper I just bought and I may never vacation anywhere else again.

 

[ead79]

We’re hooked on having AP’s as well. You only have to have one AP to get a room discount or Disney’s Dining Experience card, so keep that in mind as a compromise if he doesn’t want to get 2 AP’s.

 

[DrTomorrow]

I agree; even if one of those two trips happens, you'll be at or over the break-even point. And you're right - APs tend to "cause" additional trips .

 

[disney1990]

Even if you make your 2 visits almost a year apart, the APs will pay for themself. With the MYW passes you have to pay extra to park hop. I can't imagine not being able to park home. As other people have said room discounts (with just one pass) and now the Disney Dining Experience.

I'm hooked!

 

[Metro West]

Even if you make your 2 visits almost a year apart, the APs will pay for themself.

Right! I've been to the parks 23 times in a year with my AP..mainly MK and EPCOT. The $$$ you'll save on park admission alone is worth it.

 

[kandeebunny]

Donna!!!

DO IT! lol you being the pin trader that you are will always find an excuse to make it down there, and if you are worried about the money you can always use the AP rates on the value resorts (yay more money for pins!!!) and plus you have access to all those AP holder pins!

~Kristi
kandeebunny on dizpins

 

[philaround]

I got 1 AP for our trip last Dec [not PAP just AP]. The cost was [I think] $395.00. Saved about $100.00 on our stay at ASMu. I got the AP because we were pretty sure that we would be going this fall for MNSSHP. Well guess what, room only code came out for April thru July and as AP holder I received 24hr advance notice of the rate. So I check it out and find I can save $160.00 on a 4 night stay ay POFQ [always wanted to atay there]. So I have 2 trips in 5 months and have saved $260.00 for a $395.00 investment. Looking at it the other way, without the AP I probably would not have gone in December 2004 and certainly would not be going again in 23 days. So looking at it one way I have saved money and the other way I have spent money that I probably would not have if I did not have the AP. But I prefer to look at it as money saved. For our upcoming trip I bought a 5day MYW ticket for my DW but that cost $234.30 so I am going to upgrade my wife to an AP when we get there on 5/18. This way I will not have to renew both AP's at the same time.

 

[julia & nicks mom]

we got an AP this year - we are DVC members and a surprise trip fell into my lap - how can you not go when your admission and room would be free!!! Well - that is the logic I used with DH -

we planned our trip so that we went in the end of October last year and a week earlier this year -

it was so nice to not be counting days and worrying about how to use my tickets!!

I also agree - they make a surprise trip much easier!!!!

 

[liznboys]

We have AP's for the first time this year. It is so nice having them!! You feel FREE while you're there...you can go anywhere, anytime you please. We just love it. Originally, we had two trips planned for them, but then our May trip kinda snuck in there too... We have taken advantage of many of the AP perks, which has saved us lots of money. I'd say go for it, get the AP's!!

 

[Luv2Roam]

So I won't be seeing you at Saturday's pin event?
With buying at least one AP you have the advantage of paying an additional $50 to buy a DDE membership.
You buy pins. You are use to handing over all your $ to Disney!

 

[NewEnglandDisney]

AP's make it SOOOO convenient and easy to plan additional trips. You know you wanna go. I have done some calculations, and by the end of this passholder year I will have saved enough in discounts on rooms and food I'll have pretty much paid for the AP just from those.

You shouldn't count on the room discounts as a sole reason for getting the APs (setting yourself up for disapointment), but it's a great incentive to book repeat trips.

Plus, I *LOVE* being able to walk into any park anytime. Even if I don't get on property until evening, I still can go see Fantasmic! or visit the MK for a few rides without feeling "guilty" about using up a park day. I also don't feel pressure to do everything every day just because I paid for it. This is less of a concern now because MYW makes it so cheap to add days, but it still is a great feeling!

N.E.D.

 

[Talking Hands]

Pro - I can visit anytime I want

Con - I can go anytime I want and I want to go more and more.

 

[TammyA]

Cons? Are there any cons? Get the AP and take more trips! You'll enjoy the AP rates on rooms. You can take advantage of great cheap SW fares out of PHL. We got $91 RT fare in May. With the parks already covered by our APs and a decent room rate, we're having an affordable, unexpected anniversary trip. I say go for it!!

 

[lauran cameron]

YA TO OUR AP PASSES!!!!!!

 

[GrumpyinTN]

I agree with all the previous posts. However, you must realize that AP's will NOT save you money. By that I mean, when you get home and put them away in a safe place, you can always hear them calling your name. If you're like us, you WILL go back over and over. So even if you don't have to pay for park admission, you'll have to shell out for the resorts. Ultimately, you'll spend more $$$ at Disney. Don't get me wrong, they're great to have. They're kind of like a snowball when you think each time you go, the previous visits aren't costing as much.

 

[mom2rb]

you can always hear them calling your name.

Yes that is how are trip last week happened. On the bright side we are getting 30 park days out of our passes. That works out to about $46 a day for a family of four. We spend that much at the movies.

 

[dan-tot]

I will be picking up my AP on Thursday I will be there for 9 days and I plan to be there 7 days. I will be back in December so that will help out as well. I will do another 8 days. Question Have they added once opon a toy to the discount stream?

Dan-tot

 

[dan-tot]

Sorry about the previous message it sounds like I am drunk.LOL What I was saying is I will be using my pass on my first trip of the year for 7 days and my next trip in December will be 8 days. The AP really pays for itself.

Dan-tot

 

[Cellthing]

We just got our AP's on Saturday, and this morning going into EPCOT, my AP was rejected. The CM said, "You probably had it close to a cell phone". As a person who normally has at least 2 phones, if not 3 on my belt, I would think my bank cards would be giving me fits.
My thoughts are they need to issue AP cards similar to the resort cards. Those are quite a bit more tolerant to abuse. Not to mention, in the trips in the past, I have never deactivated one of those cards in the first two days.