Some questions about the Preferred Annual Pass

[mark2311]

Hi guys, I have some questions about the Preferred Annual pass in relation to the discounts given. It will be from these discounts on whether or not I decide to buy one so I need all the help I can get.

I know from the UO site that the pass gives you free parking and discounts on merchandise and dining, but I would like more specific answers. So, anyone that owns a Preferred Annual Pass, where have you recieved discount before? Do you get discount in restaurants in City Walk? Theme parks? Or both?

Thanks for any answers

 

[PlutoLuvr]

Just about everywhere at the parks and Citywalk. It doesn't cover alcohol and any "private" vendors, if I recall. There used to be a Pez store over at US that didn't honor any discounts. That Pez store was replaced by an Irish store across from Finnegan's, and they did give us a discount last September. Go figure.

We also didn't get discounts at a couple of the vendor places in the Lost Continent area of IOA.

Other than that, everywhere honored discounts. The hardest part for us is remembering to show our AP.

The savings on parking is a biggie. We don't always stay onsite and often do day trips. Figure five days of parking in the garage is a savings of around $50 that can be applied to the cost of the AP. Add to that the savings on merchandise and dining, it really adds up very quick.

And don't forget those incredible onsite hotel discounts! Even if you're not staying onsite this trip, the steep discounts offered to APHs will often make the pass pay for itself in one night. It's rare I know where I want to vacation in nine months, and it's nice to know I've got my AP when I start getting notices from USO hotels with deeply-discounted hotel rates.

 

[highlander447]

Hi as said u get discounts at both plus the hotel restaurants have started offering discount as well if u click on the benefits of AP on official site a pop up will list specific locations with % of discount given as well

 

[damo]

Here you go:

Parks

10% savings on 1-day and 15% savings on multi-day theme park tickets (up to 6 people)
Free admission to select special events such as Mardi Gras
Special discounts on separately ticketed events, such as Halloween Horror Nights and Rock the Universe
10% savings on select VIP Tours. Call 407-363-8295 to book your VIP Tour. Dates subject to availability.
10% savings at merchandise stores (excluding merchandise carts and The Master Coin Monster and Mystics of the Seven Veils.) Restrictions apply on select merchandise, some Islands of Adventure locations excluded. Special discounts subject to change without notice.
10% savings at all restaurants (excluding carts and alcohol)
Above benefits cannot be combined with other discounts, offers, or promotions. Discounts subject to change without notice.


Citywalk

10% Savings – Air Brush Wizard, Cinnabon®, Get Wired, Hair Wraps (on hair wraps only), Quiet Flight® Surf Shop, Rant N Rave Jewelry, The Endangered Species Store®, Starbucks
20% Savings - Universal Studios Store®
Bob Marley, A Tribute to FreedomSM - 15% savings on food and beverages (excluding alcohol)
Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. ™ Restaurant & Market – 5% savings on food and beverages (excluding alcohol)
Hard Rock Café®- 10% savings on merchandise , food and beverages (excluding alcohol)
Hard Rock Live® Orlando-2 Free admissions to “Livewire” & “Jam Bando” local nights (18 & up). Call 407-351-LIVE for events.
Jimmy Buffett’s ® Margaritaville - 10% savings on merchandise, food & beverages (excluding alcohol)
Latin Quarter – 15% savings on food and beverages (excluding alcohol). Priority seating for your entire party (Sun-Thurs only)
NASCAR® Sports Grille - 10% savings on food & beverages (excluding alcohol)
NBA City - 10% savings on food and beverages (excluding alcohol) one free interactive game card per passholder, one $3.00 off merchandise voucher (per party.) Priority seating is included (excluding holidays & special events)
PastamoreSM - 15% savings on food & beverages (excluding alcohol), plus kids (ages 3-9) eat free for dinner ( with the purchase of an adult entrée limit 1 for up to $4.95)
Pat O'Briens® - 15% savings on food & beverages (excluding alcohol), plus kids (ages 3-9) eat free from 4pm-9pm (with the purchase of an adult entrée-limit 1)
Red Coconut ClubSM- 10% savings on food & beverages (excluding alcohol)
the groove - 2 for 1 domestic drafts
Universal Cineplex 20, an AMC Theatre® - $2.00 off admission on highest ticketed price.
Above discounts cannot be combined with other discounts, offers, or promotions. Discounts subject to change without notice.




Universal Orlando® Resort:


Free self-parking each time you visit or pay for 2 hours of Valet and get the rest of the day for free‡
$5.00 preferred parking (price subject to change without notice)‡
Free use of kennels for one pet on the day of your visit. Additional pets stay at the regular price. (subject to availability)


Universal Orlando® On-Site Hotels:

Portofino Bay Hotel, A Loews Hotel
Hard Rock Hotel®, A Loews Hotel
Royal Pacific Resort, A Loews Hotel

Save up to 30% off room rates at each hotel. For reservations/availability call 1-866-PASS-4-FUN or click here.

10% discount at Mandara Spa® at Portofino Bay Hotel (products not included). Call 407-503-1244 for appointments

Save 10% at the following restaurants:
Trattoria del Porto® at Portofino Bay Hotel
The Kitchen at the Hard Rock Hotel
Islands Dining Room at Royal Pacific Resort
Wantilan Luau at Royal Pacific Resort (price includes food & beverages), call 407-503-DINE to receive discount

Based on availability. Some blackout dates and minimum stays apply. Special Events and Holidays excluded on all hotel offers above. Food and non-alcoholic beverages only, alcohol excluded.

Wet ' n Wild - Orlando
Save $20.00 on a Wet ‘N Wild Annual Pass (Not valid with the purchase of a Weekday Annual Pass)
Save 25% on a regular priced all day admission to Wet 'n Wild - Orlando (Valid for Passholder only, Blackout dates apply).
Call 1-800-992-WILD for more information.
Save 10% in the Breakers Beach Shop (excluding sundries)

Please present your Annual Pass to the Wet ‘N Wild Guest Services Window at the park entrance for listed benefits. Above benefits cannot be combined with other discounts. Discounts valid through pass expiration date. Please present your Annual Pass to the Wet ‘N Wild Guest Services Window at the park entrance for listed benefits. Above benefits cannot be combined with other discounts. Discounts valid through pass expiration date.



‡Subject to availability. Valid at Universal Orlando Parking garages only. Not valid for parking (including valet) at any Universal Onsite Hotel.

 

[mark2311]

Thanks very much everyone for the answers, especially to Damo for taking the time to find that info for me. I must've missed it. I'm thinking that with all those discounts it will definately make it worthwhile to get the annual pass instead of buying a 5 park Flex ticket.

I should really be studying for my exams instead of posting on here, but with just over 2 months to go until I go, studying can be hard

 

[AlexandNessa]

I have found that it's easier to get merchandise credit or eat at the counter service places in the restaurant with the discount. This is just me, but if we've only spent $20 on food at any restaurant, I don't bother with the 10% discount, because for some reason, only a manager can give you the discount. So, your server has to take your AP, find a manager, and get him or her to discount your bill. We have found that often the time this takes negates the $2 savings. We once waited 35 minutes at Finnegans because our server couldn't find a manager. I wish she would have just told us that, but instead disappeared with my AP and our bill and left us hanging for that amount of time. When she finally came back and our bill was adjusted $1.98, I thought my hubby was going to kill me.

At least at the shops and counter service, you just flash your card, and they give you the discount on the spot. And, I'm glad they still give you the 20% at the Universal Store in CW -- so do your shopping there instead of inside the parks. They have most of the same stuff there.

Also, does anyone have any input ... I have asked this before, but now that APs do not have pictures on them (new ones anyway), how do they know that APs are not being passed back and forth for discounts? Does anyone think that has anything to do with the newly lowered discounts?

 

[macraven]

i have last years ap and my pic is on it.

as long as i renew withing the 30 days, or don't lose my ap, that card w/pic will be valid as long as i have it.

if i don't renew within the time frame or lose it, i get the new one.
i think bio's scan will work for the new ap

yea, it stinks that the discounts have been deflated for 07.
at this point, my AAA works better for me.
it is accepted everywhere at city walk and some carts in the studios.

i use my discount cards no matter what it takes.
i have not had what happened to jodie, but if i did, it would be addressed to the manager.

it is very wrong to try to discourage ap holders or aaa holders from using their cards for discounts.

heck, for the soda, i bring in the mug from years ago, use the card for the discount and pay $1.24 for the soda refill.........




just call me cheap

 

[Figment22]

I have found that it's easier to get merchandise credit or eat at the counter service places in the restaurant with the discount. This is just me, but if we've only spent $20 on food at any restaurant, I don't bother with the 10% discount, because for some reason, only a manager can give you the discount. So, your server has to take your AP, find a manager, and get him or her to discount your bill. We have found that often the time this takes negates the $2 savings. We once waited 35 minutes at Finnegans because our server couldn't find a manager. I wish she would have just told us that, but instead disappeared with my AP and our bill and left us hanging for that amount of time. When she finally came back and our bill was adjusted $1.98, I thought my hubby was going to kill me.

I've never had anything even close to this kind of problem! I flash my AP for everything even if I'm just buying milk and a cookie for my son, never had a problem.

 

[AlexandNessa]

I've never had anything even close to this kind of problem! I flash my AP for everything even if I'm just buying milk and a cookie for my son, never had a problem.

I don't know if you're implying this, but I can assure you I was not exaggerating on that one. We did wait 35 minutes at Finnegans for a < $2 discount. I have never had a problem at a merchandise shop or at counter service where you can just flash your card and get the discount on the spot, right when they're ringing you up. My only trouble has been at sit-down restaurants. Most of the time it's not the 35 minutes we waited at Finnegans, but we have had to wait a few minutes each at Margaritaville, NBA City, and Nascar, primarily because a manager has to be the one to discount your bill at the sit down places. All I'm saying was that if a manager isn't readily available to do this, it's not "johhny-on-the-spot" discounts. Everyone will do what they want, but for us, we have a cutoff as to what kind of discount we'll wait for.

 

[highlander447]

I use my AP as well for the juice refills every penny saved is another penny for the next holiday , a couple of weeks ago some places still gave u the old discounts others the 10% not sure if it was just because systems not upgraded

 

[lovetheparks]

If you are going to buy the pass, I would buy it through AAA - I just saw an ad yesterday that they are doing the buy 1 year get 1 free deal.

 

[Figment22]

I don't know if you're implying this, but I can assure you I was not exaggerating on that one. We did wait 35 minutes at Finnegans for a < $2 discount. I have never had a problem at a merchandise shop or at counter service where you can just flash your card and get the discount on the spot, right when they're ringing you up. My only trouble has been at sit-down restaurants. Most of the time it's not the 35 minutes we waited at Finnegans, but we have had to wait a few minutes each at Margaritaville, NBA City, and Nascar, primarily because a manager has to be the one to discount your bill at the sit down places. All I'm saying was that if a manager isn't readily available to do this, it's not "johhny-on-the-spot" discounts. Everyone will do what they want, but for us, we have a cutoff as to what kind of discount we'll wait for. [/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT]

I wasn't implying that you were exaggerating. I'm sure this is what you encountered but we eat at Finnegan's, Mythos, Lombards, and NBA all the time and have never had a problem. I'm sorry it happened to you. Then again, if we're at a sit-down restaurant, I'm not as concerned about time. I usually also lay my AP right on the table when the server brings the entree so they know that they'll be calculating the AP discount right up front.

 

[macraven]

If you are going to buy the pass, I would buy it through AAA - I just saw an ad yesterday that they are doing the buy 1 year get 1 free deal.

i went and checked the chicago land AAA clubs and didn't see that special you mentioned.

it is just a local promo?

 

[lovetheparks]

i went and checked the chicago land AAA clubs and didn't see that special you mentioned.

it is just a local promo?

I don't know - we got a AAA magazine - this particular one was all about FLA but we get them like quarterly and it's always hilighting a different place.

It's sitting on the coffee table, I'll look when I get home.

 

[macraven]

I don't know - we got a AAA magazine - this particular one was all about FLA but we get them like quarterly and it's always hilighting a different place.

It's sitting on the coffee table, I'll look when I get home.

the last aaa mag i got has been a couple of months now.
did not receive the april one yet.

if you can find it, i would appreciate it.
i have some friends that would be interested in the promo you mentioned.

thanks for helping me out.

 

[lovetheparks]

The AAA magazine is called Going Places. It does say on the bottom of the cover AAA Club South.

$184.95 Plus Tax gets you the Preferred AP for 2 years.

Promo ends August 31 and passes must be activated by September 30, 2007

Hopefully someone can benefit!

 

[macraven]

thanks.

club south i thought was georgia but i could be wrong.

different locations of AAA have different specials.

 

[lovetheparks]

I was curious so I looked it up:

Serving AAA Members in Florida, Georgia, the western two-thirds of Tennessee and Puerto Rico.

 

[t-and-a]

I have found that it's easier to get merchandise credit or eat at the counter service places in the restaurant with the discount. This is just me, but if we've only spent $20 on food at any restaurant, I don't bother with the 10% discount, because for some reason, only a manager can give you the discount. So, your server has to take your AP, find a manager, and get him or her to discount your bill. We have found that often the time this takes negates the $2 savings. We once waited 35 minutes at Finnegans because our server couldn't find a manager. I wish she would have just told us that, but instead disappeared with my AP and our bill and left us hanging for that amount of time. When she finally came back and our bill was adjusted $1.98, I thought my hubby was going to kill me.

Jodie,
Our family had that exact thing to happen to us at Margaritaville. That was the only time that we used it at a CityWalk restaurant, but for us it was a little more savings since we had 3 boys with us it was more like $9 off our ticket. You are not alone in your reasoning on that; we're right there with ya!

 

[AlexandNessa]

Thanks for the validation!