question about AP best rate

[renda460]

I have been reading about the new Best Rate program for AP holders to book a cash room. Since we are running low on points, we had planned on trying for an AP discount for our trip in Dec. We have not yet ordered our AP's from DVC since you did not need an active AP to book a room with the old discounts. Now, apparently you need either an active AP or a voucher to get into the AP website to book your room at the "best rate". Does anyone know if it is an actual voucher you receive when ordering an AP from the DVC website?
This is from the site:

When a Walt Disney World Annual or Premium Annual Pass is ordered through dvcmember.com, an exchange certificate will be sent to you via mail. The certificate can be redeemed at any Walt Disney World Theme Park ticket window by presenting the exchange certificate, your Disney Vacation Club Member ID card and all adults must present a valid driver's license or state identification card showing they reside in the same household.

Is an exchange certificate a voucher? If it is an actual voucher, then I should be able to use that number for the AP best rate website. Can someone also give me an approx. timeframe for the delivery of the voucher? I am sure that at this point, by the time I received the voucher the rooms available for the best rate program would be all gone for my dates in Dec.

If the exchange certificate is not a voucher, that would mean that we cant utilize the AP rates anymore (unless we still have an active pass). Maybe this is done on purpose so we wont be able to receive two discounts (AP pass and room rate).

 

[spiceycat]

using my DVC AP cards I can't even access the hotel discount site.

So I think WDW decided that DVC owner wouldn't need this discount?

Also some other people are still calling the phone number and getting the discount.

there is not one at present for Dec.

 

[Simba's Mom]

I got one for the weekend after Thanksgiving, which is very "expensive", point-wise. I was really surprised, because I heard somewhere, that there usually aren't discounts for that weekend. But I admit it took a phone call to help me navigate through the AP website.

 

[MdmMim]

using my DVC AP cards I can't even access the hotel discount site.

So I think WDW decided that DVC owner wouldn't need this discount?

Spicey, I have a DVC AP and can access the AP site and look up the discounts. It took several tries, but I finally got it to work.

 

[Beca]

And, what you can immediately print out from your computer is an AP "will call" certificate. It is NOT the same thing as a voucher. You can get a voucher if you choose, but it comes "snail mail"....not via email.



Beca

 

[ScottOKW2K]

I ordered a voucher for our December trip earlier this week, and it came in today. A voucher WILL get you into the "best rate" part of the Disney website. There may be one side effect , though :

I now have 9 nights, pool view booked at AKL starting December 19.

Time to call to cancel those 5 nights at OKW and bank those points for bext summer. That should cover those 2 two-week trips we're planning, if I pay cash for the weekends. Gotta stretch those points, and make that AP scream !

 

[renda460]

I ordered a voucher for our December trip earlier this week, and it came in today. A voucher WILL get you into the "best rate" part of the Disney website. There may be one side effect , though :

I now have 9 nights, pool view booked at AKL starting December 19.

Time to call to cancel those 5 nights at OKW and bank those points for bext summer. That should cover those 2 two-week trips we're planning, if I pay cash for the weekends. Gotta stretch those points, and make that AP scream !

This is great to hear. I will order my pass today. Did you choose the standard delivery or the express. The express is only $7 more and if it means I get a discounted room it will be well worth it. But if the standard came that quickly, than I will just stick with that.

 

[ScottOKW2K]

I chose express service. I believe I ordered it either monday or tuesday, and the voucher came by FedEx friday morning, along with a package from my company. My wife thought it was a hoot - once I noticed the fedex letter was from WDW it was ripped open at the door, and I disappeared into the computer room. The company package remains unopened .

I manager to log into the AP website on my second try with the info from the voucher. Overall I'm happy with it - I've booked a discounted room for december in late june, without having to call the CSR's multiple times. The discounts don't seem to be % off this time, but rather specific $ amounts based on value/moderate/deluxe category. I think this is based more on the general pickup in tourism, as I remember that the last AP room that I booked before this was also a set $ discount. Would I have liked a larger discount - sure ! Am I happy with what I booked - you betcha !

Thanks to DVC we have the extra $$ to book these additional trips with the AP discount. We are also able to afford some of the deluxes, rather than the moderates we started in. Between the two we were able to spend a total of five weeks on-site in 2004, and may be able to repeat that in 2006. My daughter now has more trips to Orlando (14) than her age (12). You gotta love it !

 

[renda460]

I ordered a voucher for our December trip earlier this week, and it came in today. A voucher WILL get you into the "best rate" part of the Disney website. There may be one side effect , though :

I now have 9 nights, pool view booked at AKL starting December 19.

Time to call to cancel those 5 nights at OKW and bank those points for bext summer. That should cover those 2 two-week trips we're planning, if I pay cash for the weekends. Gotta stretch those points, and make that AP scream !

Did you order your AP from the DVC website? I received mine in the mail today but it is just a green card that says exchange certificate. I dont see any numbers that I would put into the AP website. ?????

 

[LoveMickey]

I believe the numbers are on the back side of the green voucher.

 

[renda460]

I figured it out. There were a few very small numbers on the top of the back of the card (One is a date). I needed to find the correct combination of those numbers to make it work.

Thanks to everyone for the info. I now have a room booked and am saving more than I would have with my AAA discount.