Recommendations wanted/thinking of buying an AP

[squirrelgirl]

Hi! I am turning to the experts on this one!

I am thinking about getting APs sometime in the next year. What is the best approach? We are locals, and probably go down to the parks about 4-5 times per year, usually half the time staying over one night in the hotels. We tend to go mainly on Sundays. We have been very fortunate and have been able to do this through passes and with friends in the past. What makes the most sense for us, a family of 4. We generally do not go during the high season either...love the early part of the year and the fall.

Is there a technique you recommend? Like buying a regular pass and upgrading? What about the So Cal 2fers? Can these be upgraded? I have only found suggestions on WDW in my research, but we are DL folks!

Any suggestions??
Thanks in advance!

 

[hlbtimes2]

Well, there isnt really a way to do it that will save you money. The price of a pass is the price, regardless of how you go about getting it. Most of the time people that buy a hopper then upgrade do so in order to get early entry and avoid black out days during a trip, its not a method to save money.

If I were you I would look at the black out dates and see what makes the most sense to you. If you dont go that often and think you can work around blackout days/periods then go with the S. CA pass. If you think that will limit you too much, then go with the deluxe. The premium is probably not needed.

 

[DisQueen]

We just bought so.cal AP's this Christmas. For the last 6 or 7 years we've gone once or twice a year - most of those with the 2fers. We are loving our passes! Being local (less than 1/2 hour away), we didn't want to go during the peak season. We usually go on Sundays. We consider Sunday our "day rides" day and Friday our "night events (like fireworks)" day. With young kids (4 & 8), we have to be careful not to be out too late on a school night. Whenever we have a minimum day or a district holiday we are at DL! I love the freedom to go for just a few hours then leave when the kids get tired. We chose the so.cal. over the deluxe because the price was so much lower for the 4 of us and we wouldn't go during peak season even if we could - crowds The blocked out Saturdays haven't been a problem. They are usually filled with sports leagues, family events, birthday parties anyway. Since Christmas, we've been to DL or DCA 8 or 9 times. Going again on Friday.

 

[Itinkso]

It sounds like the lowest So Cal pass would be perfect for you! You can get an "extra" day by going on a Saturday and buying the So Cal pass on that day. Even though the Saturday is blocked out, you can enter both parks as that is your "purchase" day. Then you can stay overnight and enjoy the parks the next day! Just make sure that the weekend you do this doesn't have Sunday blocked out! We usually renew our So Cal passes this way as we love feeling as if we are getting a "free" Disney day . Then, if we do go back in the future on a block-out day, we upgrade to the next level So Cal pass!

 

[arliepooh68]

we got the premiums because we need saturday access and to be honest with you we stay most of saturday and sundays always leave early as lately the crowds have been worse on sundays. . . we are definitely getting our moneys worth for them . .

look at the blackout dates and see what works with your times you would come.

 

[familyoffiveAZ]

I would think that if you currently have a SoCal 2fer (that promo hasn't expired yet, has it?) then yes you could upgrade it. So long as the purchase price of your SoCal 2fer doesn't exceed the price of an AP, you're good. Your new AP would have an expiration date of the first day you used your SoCal 2fer.

Regarding tricks....... We get Deluxe APs because, well, we're not in SoCal so that's our next best choice. We haven't had APs for a few years now due to knowing we wouldn't be back for a while. The last time we went we purchased PHs because we knew we wouldn't be back within the year.

But before all that, what I'd do is get the APs, run 'em through the year, and then let them expire. I wouldn't renew. I'd wait until the next "season" we always go in (which is pretty similar to yours -- love the Fall/Winter, never done summer but will soon). So we might have purchased in October (held off purposely to go in the middle of our favorite season), then ran the pass through that year, making sure to get one last trip in close to October. Let the pass expire. Wait it out until August/September of the following year to purchase the next.

Somewhat economical and works for us.