Thanks Pixie and Bumbershoot and AP ?

[disneymom23]

I just got off the phone with Jennifer at Hojo's. I did get a better rate than I was quoted last night, as you told me I would.

The price is essentially the same but we upgraded from a standard room facing the highway to a Disney view premium room. I got the entertainment rate for 2 nights (now I need to buy an entertainment book) and the AP rate for the other 2 nights. I don't have that either. However, my DD10 and I are planning a trip for just the 2 of us for sometime this winter. So, it makes sense to get AP's for us at least. Now, I'm trying to decide whether to get them for everyone and plan one more trip, even if we wait until next fall to go again.

Do you have the AP with blockout dates or not? I was thinking of the one with blockout dates. It looks like there are still many open weekends to choose from. We won't need parking since we'll always be at a hotel. Are there discounts with that AP or just with the non-blackout AP?

Thanks to everyone on the board for taking the time to answer questions and steer people in the right direction. Think of all the $ and time you save people. It is appreciated!

 

[bumbershoot]

Aw, you're so sweet!

We had the Deluxe, and I'm going to be buying another soon. That's the lowest one a non-so Cal person can get, and it has the fewest blocked out dates until the Premium (no blocked out days).

I assume you're not in southern CA so can only choose between Deluxe and Premium. The Premiums is the one with the merchandise discounts (10%) on most merchandise, and it also has a 15% discount on most food vs the 10% with the Deluxe.

But if you are relaly only going during times that aren't blocked for the Deluxe, you have to carefully evaluate how much food and souvenirs you're going to get, and review the discounts chart to see if it would make sense for the Premium.

At DLR, if you get the Deluxe but suddenly just HAVE TO go on a blocked out day, you can either get a one day blockout pass for $40 (current price) or if you're going multiple blocked out dates you can upgrade to Premium at any time during the AP's year. The upgrade is not pro-rated and you don't retroactively get the bigger discounts, but it's still a kindness that we can upgrade (WDW AP holders can't upgrade from the low level to the high level except in their first 14 days of having the low AP).

If you're not sure about the rest of your family, you can just get them normal tickets, and as the trip progresses they can tell you if they think they might want to go. Then you could upgrade from those hoppers during this trip.

Hope that also helps!

 

[pixiewings71]

Hey look! My first formal Thank You on the Dis!! Thank YOU.
I'm glad Molly and I could help. We had the Deluxe AP's last year (7-08 thru 7-09) and that's what we will be getting again for 2009. You do get discounts just not at every location, you just have to ask if you qualify.

For the Ent Book just go to their website entertainmentbook.com or if you have mypoints use their site. You'll get points and free shipping if you buy thru MP.

I can't remember when you're going but if you're going to be there early enough you can get a discount on your AP buying it thru the Disney site. If not you can try for the So Cal Costco passes but I don't know how they will have them, they are full price but you get a $50 gift card with them.