Question re: Annual Pass.

[ErinsMommy]

So I always wanted to go to Disney twice in one year, but that never happened. Well 2016/2017 it finally is!! Hubby was talking non-stop about a "last minute" long Thanksgiving Weekend Trip and he finally booked a 5 day trip for us. We still have plans to come back for the MNSSHP in late September/October 2017 (praying for some kind of discount or BB that can make this happen) which will be a 9 day trip.

In this scenario would there be any cost savings to buy the AP? And how would I would go about it? TIA

 

[gatorlisa]

The best way to figure out if it's "worth it" is to look up the cost of tickets for the trips you plan to take that would fall within the window of your AP (which is 13 months if you are looking at buying one now in time for your Thanksgiving trip). Add up the cost of those tickets, including tax, and then compare that to the cost of an annual pass, including tax. There are other benefits to the AP (free parking, which is only a savings if staying off site, discounts on merchandise and some food, potential discounts on resort stays). But I would focus just on the cost of the tickets. Keep in mind an AP includes park hopping and Photopass downloads (making a separate Memory Maker purchase unnecessary). You can look up the cost of tickets and AP from Disney's website (or you could also choose to compare the cost of tickets from a discounted place like Undercover Tourist or Parksavers).

In your example (using Disney's site, hopper, price based on adult ticket, non-Florida resident):
one 5-day hopper = $439.59
one 9-day hopper = $488.84
Total = $928.43

one Platinum Annual Pass = $797.69

So in this scenario, if you are going to do a 5-park-day trip and a 9-park-day trip within a 13 month period, then yes, the AP will save you money. If you wouldn't normally get hoppers or have kids involved, you can look up the different prices for non-hoppers and kids and do the same analysis. For the AP, there is only one price...kids and adults cost the same.

As for how to go about buying an AP, you have several options. You can purchase the AP online anytime. This will allow you to book FP now, but the clock will not start ticking on the pass until you activate it when you get there for your Thanksgiving trip. You could also purchase 5-day tickets for your upcoming trip in advance (from Disney or anyone else who is an authorized reseller), allowing you to book FP and then upgrade those tickets to annual passes while you are there. The price of a 5-day pass will be applied to your upgrade, so you should only owe the difference between the 5-day pass and the AP at the time you do the upgrade. Or you could wait until you get there and purchase APs then, but then you won't be able to book any FPs before your trip, since you wouldn't have any kind of passes or tickets attached to your MDE account.

 

[CAS239]

Well if you buy the AP now and activate before Jan you get the AP for 13 months instead of 12. Also you get ticket discounts on the parties for being an AP.

You'd have to total up the amount of days you're going and then factor the prices of the AP vs regular tickets. But it seems like you're going 14 days so the AP would benefit you. And then you get free parking

 

[ErinsMommy]

The best way to figure out if it's "worth it" is to look up the cost of tickets for the trips you plan to take that would fall within the window of your AP (which is 13 months if you are looking at buying one now in time for your Thanksgiving trip). Add up the cost of those tickets, including tax, and then compare that to the cost of an annual pass, including tax. There are other benefits to the AP (free parking, which is only a savings if staying off site, discounts on merchandise and some food, potential discounts on resort stays). But I would focus just on the cost of the tickets. Keep in mind an AP includes park hopping and Photopass downloads (making a separate Memory Maker purchase unnecessary). You can look up the cost of tickets and AP from Disney's website (or you could also choose to compare the cost of tickets from a discounted place like Undercover Tourist or Parksavers).

In your example (using Disney's site, hopper, price based on adult ticket, non-Florida resident):
one 5-day hopper = $439.59
one 9-day hopper = $488.84
Total = $928.43

one Platinum Annual Pass = $797.69

So in this scenario, if you are going to do a 5-park-day trip and a 9-park-day trip within a 13 month period, then yes, the AP will save you money. If you wouldn't normally get hoppers or have kids involved, you can look up the different prices for non-hoppers and kids and do the same analysis. For the AP, there is only one price...kids and adults cost the same.

As for how to go about buying an AP, you have several options. You can purchase the AP online anytime. This will allow you to book FP now, but the clock will not start ticking on the pass until you activate it when you get there for your Thanksgiving trip. You could also purchase 5-day tickets for your upcoming trip in advance (from Disney or anyone else who is an authorized reseller), allowing you to book FP and then upgrade those tickets to annual passes while you are there. The price of a 5-day pass will be applied to your upgrade, so you should only owe the difference between the 5-day pass and the AP at the time you do the upgrade. Or you could wait until you get there and purchase APs then, but then you won't be able to book any FPs before your trip, since you wouldn't have any kind of passes or tickets attached to your MDE account.

Well if you buy the AP now and activate before Jan you get the AP for 13 months instead of 12. Also you get ticket discounts on the parties for being an AP.

You'd have to total up the amount of days you're going and then factor the prices of the AP vs regular tickets. But it seems like you're going 14 days so the AP would benefit you. And then you get free parking

I'm sorry I'm really confused -- can you please let me know if I calculated this correctly?? (PS we wouldn't benefit from parking as we don't rent a car, we just use Disney transportation). Also we always add the Deluxe Dining Plan to most of our stays - is this no longer an option when you book 'room only' since we'll have APs? Or once the system recognizes an AP it allows us to book a dining plan too? That will be a deal breaker for us!

11/24-11/28 Port Orleans French Quarter Room Only = $975.38
11/24-11/28 Port Orleans French Quarter Room + 4 Day Base Tix for 2 adults/1 child = $2,011.67
Difference of $1,036.29

9/30-10/8 Polynesian TPV Room Only = $6,698.29
9/30-10/8 Polynesian TPV Room + 9 Day PH Tix for 3 adults since kid is turning 10 12.19.06 = 8,169.02
Difference of $1,470.73

$1,036.29 + $1,470.73 = $2,507.02
3 Annual Passes = $2,393.07
Savings of $113.95 plus discounted party tickets & merchandise.

TIA!!

 

[gatorlisa]

I'm afraid I can't offer too much help with trying to figure in the dining plan. I have never done packages and I do not do the dining plan. We do room only and then arrange our tickets or passes separately, and just pay as we go for eating. So for me, in your scenario (and I'm looking at something similar for myself right now), the AP saves us money and makes life easier.

Your math looks correct, as far as 3 APs + 2 room only reservations vs. 2 packages that include room and tickets. So if you were willing to forgo the dining plan and just pay as you go for meals, the AP would save you some money and give you park hoping on the 4-day trip as well as photos from both trips. However, it looks like the dining plan requires a package and that packages require tickets. So, if having the dining plan is an absolute must for you, then you would have to have tickets as part of your package, even if you already have an AP. Now, I have seen on these boards some people suggest that you just put a 2 or 3 day ticket on your package and then save those tickets for a future trip when you no longer have APs. But if you always have to have the dining plan this might not be a good option for you.

 

[CarolynFH]

I have also seen reference on these boards to a "ticketless package" that includes room & dining but allows you to buy tickets separately e.g. APs. You might want to investigate that possibility too.

 

[tinka-belle]

You can do a Ticketless Package, but you won't see those online, got to call to book one. If there are AP room discounts you could get those within the package, and you can add any dining plans. Only thing you cannot do is a Free Dining package, those currently require at lease a 2 day PH ticket. If you book a FD package with tickets, you can always use value of that ticket towards either your AP renewal, or bank the FD package ticket for a time when you no longer have an AP.

 

[StuckInKS]

Also we always add the Deluxe Dining Plan to most of our stays - is this no longer an option when you book 'room only' since we'll have APs? Or once the system recognizes an AP it allows us to book a dining plan too? That will be a deal breaker for us!

In my experience booking online, if you are booking with an AP discount then it will automatically give you the option to add the dining plan without purchasing tickets. If you are trying to book regular price or some other discount, then the system does not. IDK about calling and booking a non-AP discounted room and adding on the dining.

 

[wilkeliza]

You can make a ticket-less package and add the dinning plan that way, you just won't be able to get free dinning.

 

[ErinsMommy]

thank you everyone!!