Well, now you got me thinking...

[coinkc]

Okay, so I had decided that APs weren't the right ticket for us. However, now I am re-thinking. I want to make sure I have my info correct,

With an AP:

The DDE card costs $50 or $60 (I have seen both prices and don't know which is right). With the card we can get 20% off of meals at a bunch of restaraunts including character meals?

And you get a discount at World of Disney in DTD?

I also thought I read you can get 50% off at the mini-golf places? (my daughter loved playing there!)

Is all of this correct? Also, are AP's prcied the same at the Disney Store and WDW? Is there a benefit to buying them early?

 

[blueroses]

Here is the list of AP discounts from Mousesavers - http://www.mousesavers.com/wdwapdiscounts.html.

DDE is $60 (just went up from $50).

There is no advance purchase discount for the annual pass.

Where and when are going on your trip? You may be able to get a discount on your room.

 

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

We have AAA, but the room discounts with an AP blow the AAA discounts away. We are getting an AP when we go in August, then we will purchase additional APs on the following trip so they don't all need to be renewed at once.

We have 8 day passes in our package. They cost $253. An AP is only $442. Cheaper to buy an AP just for the park pass aspect of it if you are going on at least 2 trips in a year. Consider that you could get a great room discount and the AP is definitely worth it.

Same for DDE. We love table service and end up paying OOP for meals if we have the Dining Plan because we book 2 TS meals on about half of the days. When DS turns 10 the Dining Plan won't be very good for us because he eats like a bird. Better to have the DDE and get the 20% discount for the food we order, and just order what we can finish!

 

[coinkc]

Thanks for the info. Last year we did the dining plan and loved it. But, this year we are going 4 weeks AFTER my daughter's 10th birthday so she is considered an adult. Since she will only eat chicken fingers and hot dogs at WDW (unless they have steak on the menu) it's not near as good of a deal!

That's why I was thinking of an AP with the DDE. Right now we are tentatively planning to go the last week of July. I have the AAA room only rate booked but if we could get an AP discount it would help me justify the extra expense to myself.

So are you saying that if the AP rates do come out, they are usually better than the AAA rate?

Plus then next year we would HAVE to go in June since we wouldn't want our AP's to expire without using them twice (see, I can talk myself into anything!)

 

[Kris Puyear]

Is this card for a full year?

If so, we won't be down until April 12th, will this be the first day, or does it activate when you purchase it?

Thank you,
Kris

 

[Allison]

Is this card for a full year?

If so, we won't be down until April 12th, will this be the first day, or does it activate when you purchase it?

Thank you,
Kris

If you are referring to the DDE card, it starts when you purchase it.

 

[chrome64]

It does start when you buy it but, you have to have your APs in hand to get it so, it should carry about the same expiration as your APs if you get them at the same time!

 

[coinkc]

Okay, so if I buy a voucher for an AP from the DisneyStore I can go ahead and order my DDE card right? But then the DDE card will expire before my AP since it was my understanding that the AP year doesn't start until you activate it. Is this correct? Is there a way to get the DDE once you are already at WDW so the dates are closer together?

 

[jackskellingtonsgirl]

DH and I were doing some comparing with AAA vs. AP and we found that for a Value resort in value season the AP discount is roughly double AAA. For a deluxe resort in peak season the discount is more than FOUR TIMES the AAA discount! Our schedule is kind of funny so I don't think we would actually go in peak season, but you just never know! Since we won't care about the dining plan after the August trip I think we'll save a lot more with AP & DDE.

We are planning to get our DDE card after we get to WDW. It is my understanding that after I upgrade my 8 day pass to an AP I can then call DDE and order a card, letting them know I am already on property. I can then go pick up a temporary DDE card at Epcot guest relations within a day or two, which will be fine since we won't need it immediately.

 

[Kris Puyear]

I am sorry if I am being slow, but I still don't know when the DDE gets activated. Is it when you purchase it over the phone or the first time that you use it at WDW?

Thanks,
Kris

 

[blueroses]

I believe you can plan to pick up your card at Will Call at one of the parks if you order it close to your vacation date. The card just has a date on it (determined by when you purchase it, not by when you use it), it isn't activated like a park ticket. If you buy a card on, say, 3-15-06 it will be good until 4-30-07. If you buy on 3-03-06, it will go through 3-31-07. From what I hear, you get the max amount of use if you purchase on the 10th of the month. I am going to order mine by phone 3 weeks before my trip.

Hope that helps.