Should I get an AP? What is the hotel discount? Dining discounts?

[4evrdisney]

Hi! Our family is headed to DLR in September - we live out of state so we will only hit DL once this year and would buy 5=day park hoppers for each member of our family (4 of us - but the baby doesn't need one) However, we would like to stay on property, and will likely eat many meals on property. So, we are wondering if we should buy an AP for one of us to get discounts. It is currently about $90 more than a 5-day park hopper. I'm guessing it would save us at least $90??

What are typical AP discounts for hotels? Do they apply solely to standard rooms or can they also be used for upgraded rooms (i.e. concierge/view rooms)?

Also, do all restaurants get AP discounts? Is it 10% or more?

Just trying to figure out what to do! Thanks so much!

 

[fairycat]

I am not 100% on the room rates, but I know in Nov. I was able to get an AP discount room at DLH for $159 a night on a Sat and I thought that was a good deal.

As to discounts it depends on if you get a Deluxe or Premium pass, the deluxe is mostly 10% on food and I am unsure of merch. discounts. The premium offers 10-15% on food and 10% off Disney Merch. purchase over $10.

Yes the discounts add up very quickly and since you only need one pass for any food bill, merch purchase or hotel you only need one person to do the upgrade. I think its something you should look into personally.

 

[4evrdisney]

As we live out-of-state, if we buy the AP online can I use it immediately? Or, do I have to somehow "activate" it at the gate? Obviously, I can't do that as we don't live there Just wondering if anyone has any insight on this.

 

[momshadow]

Hi 4evrdisney,
We are buying our APs on line at costco. We will have to take them to the ticket booth and have them authenticated and then they will send us over to the bank where you will have your photo taken and you will get your hardcover card. Sort of like your drivers license. Activation takes place at the ticket booth and then down to the Bank to the right as you first come in. Hope that helps.

 

[DizMe]

Hi 4evrdisney,
We are buying our APs on line at costco. We will have to take them to the ticket booth and have them authenticated and then they will send us over to the bank where you will have your photo taken and you will get your hardcover card. Sort of like your drivers license. Activation takes place at the ticket booth and then down to the Bank to the right as you first come in. Hope that helps.

Does Costco have them online again?

 

[Sherry E]

You can also book hotel rooms at any of the 3 DLR hotels using whatever AP discount is available for that time without having the AP up front. They will require you to have the AP at check-in, though, so they can verify that you are an AP holder and merit the discount. So you could book a room now, without having the AP, and get an AP8 rate or an AP 10% off discount or whatever, then when you show up at DLR, go get your AP or get it activated or whatever needs to be done, and then check-in at your hotel with AP in hand.

It really adds up in discounts for me. I got my first ever AP last October (a Premium, so food is 15% off), and it has pretty much already paid for itself in the two weekend trips with hotel stays that I made after that, not to mention the great savings that add up in food and merchandise. It was especially great getting a hotel room in the peak Christmas season, on the weekend before Christmas, and paying $179. (That is excellent for that time of year!) OP, I think it would be worth it to get one AP - and it is even easier now that they are taking monthly payments. If you eat a lot of meals in the parks or at the hotels that you would be eating anyway, even without an AP, then if you get an AP and use it for discounts, it adds up. On my first weekend with the AP, I came home with about $40 - $45 extra in my wallet from using it for food discounts over the course of 3-1/2 days, and to me, that is worth it!!

 

[bumbershoot]

As Sherry said, you can book an AP rate without having the AP.

September has had some great AP rates the last two years. But we won't know about them until June or even July. When they are announced you can call and get them for your trip, then figure out how you want to get the AP.

The discount can be WELL over the amount it would cost one of you to upgrade.

You might want to compare my location and my list of trips in my signature...out of state doesn't necessarily mean much, LOL. And an AP is good 365 days (366 if a leap day is involved) so you could start a trip Sept 1 '09, and end a second trip Sept 1 '10 and get two trips out of that AP if you wanted a yearly vacation. So don't count out the beauty of upgrading the other hoppers towards the end of your trip, if you decide you're in love with Disneyland.

As for discounts, the Deluxe (has blocked out dates, the lowest version AP that those of us not in so Cal can buy) gives you 10% off MOST food. Some places need you to buy at least $10 worth, and there are a few places that don't take the discount at all.

The Premium gives you 15% off most food, and 10% off most merchandise.

If you guys are big, lavish eaters, and if you buy tons of souvenirs when you travel, you could even start running the numbers to see if you'd buy enough to upgrade even to the Premium! That's a lot of souvenirs, but from what I've seen people carrying, there are some who buy enough!

 

[McCall]

First realize that AP rates at hotels are NOT always available. even during periods when there are discounts rooms under those discounts may not be available. The Premier AP gives you the most and best discounts on stores and on eating places. and it gives you free parking as well so those savings add up IF you go a lot and IF you park dining discounts on premium are 15% shopping is 10%

 

[durantigger]

I was thinking about getting a Premium this year, too. I will be going in February & for my bday in September. I am thinking about doing the birthday decorate your cake party at the Plaza. Does anyone know if I could get a 15% discount on that for my entire party with a Premium??

Thanks for any info!!

Krista

 

[Sherry E]

I was thinking about getting a Premium this year, too. I will be going in February & for my bday in September. I am thinking about doing the birthday decorate your cake party at the Plaza. Does anyone know if I could get a 15% discount on that for my entire party with a Premium??

Thanks for any info!!

Krista

You should be able to with no problem, I think, as long as you are the one actually paying the bill and showing your AP. You can use your AP to get the discount for everyone as long as it's on one big bill. They won't let you use the AP for discounts for other people who pay separately - or at least they frown on that!

 

[Sherry E]

First realize that AP rates at hotels are NOT always available. even during periods when there are discounts rooms under those discounts may not be available. The Premier AP gives you the most and best discounts on stores and on eating places. and it gives you free parking as well so those savings add up IF you go a lot and IF you park dining discounts on premium are 15% shopping is 10%

The AP rates (like AP8, for example) are not always available, that's true. However, this past holiday season, there was an abundance of rooms available with the AP8 rate because the hotel bookings were way down. I had a 12/19 - 12/22 trip, and there were still lots of AP8 rate rooms available at all 3 hotels for that weekend on the 19th! That is unprecedented - especially the weekend before Christmas. Now, that is not likely to happen every year, of course, but while the economy is bad, the AP rates (AP9 should be next) may be more available than they used to be. I guess it depends on how the year goes in terms of hotel bookings.

And the AP can be used 365 days a year (at least the Premium can; not sure about the others) to get the 10% off any DLR hotel room, so that is a back-up way of saving in case you can't get an actual AP8 or AP9 rate, etc.

 

[nunzia]

Does it matter which AP you get if you are only looking for hotel discounts? Is the discount the same for both Deluxe and Premium? And what is this AP8????

 

[bumbershoot]

Hotel rates aren't dependent on the type of AP you have.

AP8 is the name of the current special-amazing rate. Before December or so it was AP7. Before that, can't recall what months it was for, was AP6. In Fall of 2007 it was AP5, if I'm remembering correctly.

 

[CoolPool]

I have always been a big booster of buying at least one AP for your party if you want to take advantage of the hotel discounts. (And of course if you visit often.)

Right now at this moment in history I'm not so sure...

The reason being is that Disney is currently deeply discounting its hotels for a big chunk of Jan and Feb. on Hotels.com, Expedia, and Travelocity (etc). The rate for DLH is $166/std room with no need for an AP. They say it is for a limited time only. Obviously the economy being in the toilet is the problem. Will the economy be in the toilet by September? Most likely, but I don't own a crystal ball. September is not peak season anyway so there might be a chance of a deal without an AP.

That said, having at least one AP in the family practically guarantees a very good discount when the special rates (like the current AP8) are offered.

 

[nunzia]

Hotel rates aren't dependent on the type of AP you have.

AP8 is the name of the current special-amazing rate. Before December or so it was AP7. Before that, can't recall what months it was for, was AP6. In Fall of 2007 it was AP5, if I'm remembering correctly.

Ahhh..got it! Thanks