Trying to figure our if we should upgrade to DVC AP next week...

trampslady

<font color=green>I stop and watch the Norway vide
Joined
Feb 11, 2002
Messages
1,617
Hello! We generally have annual passes for every trip. However, our visit next week was only to include one day at WDW and two at Universal. We plan to use two old one-day passes back from a free dining stay several years ago, and go to Animal Kingdom on Christmas Day. The only trip we FOR SURE have planned for 2009 is Thanksgiving.

I understand that we could get today's value for the one-day pass (79.11) per ticket toward our DVC AP after the Christmas day visit. That leaves $313.11 per ticket. I suspect that there will be a price increase before next Thanksgiving, so I'm tempted to go ahead and upgrade. But, if we wait, we'd have AP's into 2010.

Anyone care to advise on how many days really makes the AP the best value? I hate to waste the $80 value, and we'd probably visit another park or two on this trip if we decided to upgrade.
 
Hello! We generally have annual passes for every trip. However, our visit next week was only to include one day at WDW and two at Universal. We plan to use two old one-day passes back from a free dining stay several years ago, and go to Animal Kingdom on Christmas Day. The only trip we FOR SURE have planned for 2009 is Thanksgiving.

I understand that we could get today's value for the one-day pass (79.11) per ticket toward our DVC AP after the Christmas day visit. That leaves $313.11 per ticket. I suspect that there will be a price increase before next Thanksgiving, so I'm tempted to go ahead and upgrade. But, if we wait, we'd have AP's into 2010.

Anyone care to advise on how many days really makes the AP the best value? I hate to waste the $80 value, and we'd probably visit another park or two on this trip if we decided to upgrade.

In your case the break even would be if your Thanksgiving trip included more than 10 days at the major parks. A 10 day MYW Park Hopper costs $306, while a DVC discounted AP costs $391. The difference is more than the value of your one day ticket. If you are planning a 2010 trip before Thanksgiving, then I would be inclined to wait and get AP's at your 2009 Thanksgiving trip.

This analysis doesn't take into account any discounts that you might use as an AP holder, particularly the ability to purchase the Tables in Wonderland (Former DDE) discount.

EDIT: I realized after I posted that you made the comment that you might visit other parks on this trip if you did upgrade. And that changes my answer. If you would buy 10 day MYW Park Hoppers for your November trip, as per my analysis above, you are basically at a break even point ($5 difference). I originally recommended not doing it to potentially help you with your 2010 trips. But, if you have extra days available during the Christmas trip to go to the parks, get the AP now. As an AP holder who was at a breakeven point decision once, I can tell you that there is great relief in not having to "count" days as you use up a MYW ticket. I don't ever feel like I have to stay at a park to "get my money's worth" even if crowds (or weather) is intollerable.

Beware, though, in our case, having the AP led directly to another unplanned trip during the year, because our tickets were "free."
 
The next Thanksgiving is 11 months away, I would wait if I were you.
 
We buy a PAP when we need one for a new trip, then try to schedule another trip within the 12 months before they expire. So we get one every other year. We visit the water parks often and Disney Quest. Plus we visit at least one, if not two theme parks a day on every trip. We might even go to a water park, a theme park, back to the resort then back to a different theme park (three visits a day).
 

We get AP because it makes the most sense for us....if you think you are going to use the tickets more than 10 days then it makes sense. We park hop frequently and as the OP indicated, we tend to do three parks in one day, at times....hit our favorites, eat somewhere...we don't like to be scheduled.....
 
Thanks for all the advise. We are en route right now and we've decided to just enjoy Christmas at AK and the days we've planned for our first Universal visit.
 















New Posts





DIS Facebook DIS youtube DIS Instagram DIS Pinterest

Back
Top