September AP Rates

[dizneeat]

I agree the new AP rates for the moderates suck. It looks like they are about 24%, instead of the usual 35% off we are used to. My current bounce back deal for Sept 10th-18th, that I booked when we were there this past May easily beats the AP discount, which is unusual. A standard room at CSR for eight nights is $981.37 ($106.60 weeknights and $113.10 weekends) using the bounceback. With the AP discount the same standard room is $1149.75 ($124.00 weeknights and $134.00 weekends) for the exact same dates. Rack rate is $1509.75. I guess I'll just keep my bounceback deal.

Same here ...... I priced out our OKW stay and the GP discount I booked it under in January is WAY better (300$ less) than the AP discount. No problem, we're not doing the DDP and we'll just keep our GP discount!

 

[chrisw127]

These are really bad. I have 3 clients traveling then with APs and called this morning. Their general public discounts were better than the AP discount, which stinks because it used to be the opposite. I couldn't even apply the AP discount at Pop!

 

[jdd]

Yes, very disappointing. I just worked out some numbers and my discount at the Poly would be 27.5% - really??? I was thinking it would be 40% - I think I even saw one old AP that was 42% for deluxes. This stinks

 

[Madonna3]

Um, sorry the rest of you all aren't having good luck, but my nightly rate for POR-Riverside dropped $5 a night and I was able to get rid of the tickets I didn't want. I was only looking forward to get rid of the ticket, so the extra $30 off my reservation was an even nicer surprise.

PoR is coming in at $124 a night for weekdays.

 

[aubriee]

Yes, very disappointing. I just worked out some numbers and my discount at the Poly would be 27.5% - really??? I was thinking it would be 40% - I think I even saw one old AP that was 42% for deluxes. This stinks

Granted it's been four or five years ago when the economy was alot worse, but I remember getting both AKL and WL for 49% off with an AP. I'm afraid those days are long gone now though.

The last several years we've gotten 35% off the moderates and 40% off the deluxes pretty consistently though.

 

[Mickey'sApprentice]

I'm disappointed as well. Called CRO last night to see about a discount rate. Could not get an AP, discount code, or AAA rate for riverside. I guess we are stuck with the regular rate so we can stay there our first night.

 

[auntie]

Oh wow..BIG whop...$10.00 a night off the GP discount for a stay at the Poly. Doesn't pay to purchase the AP. May as well just add regualr admission, especially since we have a pass or two left with days on it.
I have to say, this is really disappointing. Really have to weigh whether we will be using the AP within a year to make it worth it purchasing.

 

[jdd]

I'm disappointed as well. Called CRO last night to see about a discount rate. Could not get an AP, discount code, or AAA rate for riverside. I guess we are stuck with the regular rate so we can stay there our first night.

Wow - so POR isn't available under these codes in Sept either? I'm really surprised that the September dates seem all to be unavailable - is something going on this year?? Sept is usually reallllly quiet

 

[Jungle Cruiser]

I think it all depends on the hotel you are requesting. They are certainly vague on the passholder's section of the website as to hotels and discounts. However, I was able to get, what I calculated to be a 38% discount at the GF for the end of September. I didn't try to do it online like I usually do since the discount percentages weren't listed. I think I was just lucky that I got what I had hoped for. I know all the deluxe hotels are booked for the Food & Wine Festival and there was nothing at the Polynesian for the dates I was looking for.

 

[jdd]

I think it all depends on the hotel you are requesting. They are certainly vague on the passholder's section of the website as to hotels and discounts. However, I was able to get, what I calculated to be a 38% discount at the GF for the end of September. I didn't try to do it online like I usually do since the discount percentages weren't listed. I think I was just lucky that I got what I had hoped for. I know all the deluxe hotels are booked for the Food & Wine Festival and there was nothing at the Polynesian for the dates I was looking for.

It must have to do with the dates, too, because I checked on the GF for our trip dates, and the discount was about 30%. Seems so weird that they're not just offering a set % discount

 

[WDWKOOK]

Here are the specific AP rate details for the summer/fall:

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2751190

 

[Sue M]

Wow - so POR isn't available under these codes in Sept either? I'm really surprised that the September dates seem all to be unavailable - is something going on this year?? Sept is usually reallllly quiet

Depends on the date.

 

[Sue M]

Worst AP ever

For our BC res, the GP room discount was better. But we have the DDP, so we switched to AP + Dine from the MYW + Dine pkg where we had 1 day park tickets, and only ended up saving $144 with the 2 one day park tickets were removed. This isn't the cost of 2 tickets, so therefore room rate was higher with AP discount. I had 35% with GP discount, so AP was lower than that. If I didn't want DDP, I would have just kept the GP room only, and in the future may go this way, with poor AP rates, and higher priced DDP in 2012.

Seems now the ONLY value of the AP is if you are doing multiple trips in 12 mos, which we are doing. The days of a decent AP room discount seem to be gone.

Seems like Disney does not value it's return guests.

 

[DCbride]

Looks like I will stick to staying offsite in Sept. I am at the point where we go several times a year and stay where we can get the best deal. And unfortunately it is not in a Disney resort.

 

[work2play]

Looks like I will stick to staying offsite in Sept. I am at the point where we go several times a year and stay where we can get the best deal. And unfortunately it is not in a Disney resort.

I'm with you... We are picking the Holiday Inn Lake Buena Vista. Free shuttle and can walk over to DTD. Too bad, we like the CSR, but not $60 a night worth!

 

[ems_mom]

When will this be posted on the Disboard Resorts Discount page? I'm a new AP purchaser but long time Dis supporter/poster/listener.

 

[catne]

Disney has definitely lessened the discounts. We had the free dining (booked last December) but didn't want or need the 2 day tickets on there, so was patiently waiting for the AP rates to come out so I could switch the reservation over. Which I did today...saved a pittance (though I did get rid of the tix we don't need.)

I "did the math"...the AP room discount turns out to be about 22% on our room at POFQ for Labor Day week. Sad. Last year we were getting 30% off moderate rooms during hurricane season.

 

[fla4fun]

My question would be - how many people booked hoping (or basically planning) to apply a discount when it came out? It seems like they are really basing the discounts on the occupancy of specific resorts - and that's a real catch-22 for those people who booked with the idea they could reduce their rates later. The same thing happened a few years ago (maybe 2007?) when a lot of people booked WL in December planning to apply the AP discount when it came out and the occupancy was so high, Disney didn't discount WL at all!

I am fortunate that I booked a bounceback for September at 40% off. I really didn't anticipate that the AP discount would be better, and in fact, figured it would probably be less. I am disapointed that I could only book a bounceback rate for half the days I wanted for December - but I won't book the remaining days at rack rate. If a decent discount comes out for those days, I'll book them. If not, I'll only stay at Disney half as long as I would have.

As far as them weaning people off discounts, I'm weaning myself off WDW trips for next year as well. I get 5 1/2 weeks of vacation per year. This year, 4 1/2 weeks of that were\will be spent at WDW. Next year, I've reduced that to 2 1/2 weeks at WDW and the remainder I'm spending elsewhere. I'm still spending enough time there to warrant the AP (well, I'd have that for day trips anyway), but I only have so many vacation dollars, and it can be expensive planning that much vacation time. So as much as I'd like to spend that time at WDW, they may be pricing me out.

 

[jdd]

My question would be - how many people booked hoping (or basically planning) to apply a discount when it came out? It seems like they are really basing the discounts on the occupancy of specific resorts - and that's a real catch-22 for those people who booked with the idea they could reduce their rates later.

It could be a real catch-22 for Disney too, if all of those hoping to get a discount (and didn't - or not enough of one) cancel before their 45-day mark! I'm actually hoping that's what happens, because we really wanted to get club level at the Poly for our trip, and there's no availability there at all - with or without a discount.

I'm still not sure I understand why people book without a discount, if they're not going to go unless they get a discount . It's not as if it's any easier to get the discount if you already have a ressie....

 

[fla4fun]

I'm still not sure I understand why people book without a discount, if they're not going to go unless they get a discount . It's not as if it's any easier to get the discount if you already have a ressie....

I'm sure part of it is so they can get their airfare and everything else associated with getting to and from WDW set up. If you wait until the room discounts come out, that may only be three months or less prior to check in - which would make the airfare a lot higher than if you booked without a discount 8-9 months out (or more) hoping that a discount would come along. Aside from the fact that if you want to make ADR's at 180+10, you have to have a reservation, and if you wait until the discounts come out, you are usually well within the 180 days and many selections are booked up. I don't necessarily think people who do this will cancel - but they could conceivably move to a lesser resort level or even off property, if they have booked more hotel than they can pay for without a discount.

I am fortunate that one, I drive to WDW so I don't have to worry about planning the extra stuff, and two, that I can make vacation plans pretty much last minute so I can wait for the discounts before booking. I never book a trip at rack rate and I never book a trip I can't afford to take. But not everyone can do that, and I can understand the frustration.