What Are The Benefits Of An Annual Pass?

[GottaLuvMickey]

I NEVER thought I'd get an annual pass to Disneyland, but since we decided tonight that we aren't going to go to Disney World for DD's 3rd birthday in September, and instead we'll go to Disneyland for 4 days, and I'm also going to be there this coming Saturday... I'm thinking I should get an AP?! A 4 day park hopper costs $128 less than a Deluxe AP. The one day park hopper for this weekend is $100... So for the extra $28 I could get an AP? I live just east of Phoenix, and don't usually get to CA more than once a year, but if I have a reason to go, I might. I do have family nearby that I could stay with for free! So anyway, my question is... What discounts do you get with an AP that are actually good to use? I wouldn't use any room discount, so what else is there?

 

[nsiordia]

Well the deluxe AP is $329 (I just renewed and got that one) and thats the cheapest one for you since you don't live in Socal, so if you get the 4 day park hopper at $128 that is much cheaper!

 

[nsiordia]

You get a 10% discount and lower rates at the hotels, but other than being able to go more often, which is the best advantage

 

[sonnyjane]

Here is a link to the different passes and their benefits: http://disneyland.disney.go.com/dis...nts?name=AnnualPassholderUngatedDiscountsPage

Right now Premium AP's are getting 20% off merchandise while the other levels get 10%. This is a special promotion that is running through the end of the year, but is not always in effect. Normally PAP's get 10% and other AP's get no discount. This promotion has been extended for a long time, but it's not a given.

PAP's get 15% off food while the other levels get 10%. That is a regular perk, not a special promotion.

Make sure you check to see if any of the days you are planning on visiting are blocked out. It looks like in September, only the 3rd is blocked for Deluxe passes.

 

[GottaLuvMickey]

Well the deluxe AP is $329 (I just renewed and got that one) and thats the cheapest one for you since you don't live in Socal, so if you get the 4 day park hopper at $128 that is much cheaper!

A 4 Day hopper is $201, and that's what I'll be buying for September. Plus $101 for my ticket for this coming Saturday... So $302 for 5 days or $329 for a year. Which yes, I've checked and I will not be there on any of the blacked out days...

 

[GottaLuvMickey]

Here is a link to the different passes and their benefits: http://disneyland.disney.go.com/dis...nts?name=AnnualPassholderUngatedDiscountsPage

.

Thanks! You know, I spent 15 minutes searching for that page! LOL! I knew it was there... I just couldn't find it! My brain is fried - I just fought with Priceline.com for 2 hours trying to get a good deal on our hotel in San Diego!

 

[nsiordia]

I apologize, I misread your post...AP will be way more worth it for you.

 

[kelmac284]

We live in Northern CA and I analyze it as if I go at LEAST twice a year it is worth it to me to keep renewing my AP. We used to have them for the entire family but as the prices kept going up I just kept renewing mine and we let my dh's and the kids expire. It got to the point where we ended up taking only one family trip a year and my dh wasn't able to always even do that. Lots of times my mom would go with us because he would have to work so it certainly wasn't worth it for us to renew his and if the girls were only going to go on one trip it also wasn't worth it to renew their's but the last two years my mom and I went on a ladies trip through the boards as well as our family trip so for me it was worth it and then I used "my" pass for our dinning discounts for the entire family and as a pp poster noted I was able to get the merch discount as well.

So it has def been worth it to have it.

I think you have answered your own question. For the small difference in price you will be glad to have it for the money you will save on the meals and merch if nothing else and then for the year IF the opportunity arrises you can always make another trip if you want.

I have always found that it is MUCH easier to make a quick unscheduled trip if I ALREADY have an AP.

 

[wdwfan22]

I found the 10% discount on food to really help!! Just don't forget to use it like I did a couple times !! Although, some of the time the cashier will ask if you have an AP, so that helped remind me!!

 

[Peace.love.mickey]

Love the discounts!!!!!!

 

[cloudconnected1039]

I swear by my PAP Granted, the Premium pass is expensive (more than $400 ) but I was just logical and added up how much I would be paying for all the DLR trips I'd be making in the year I'd have the pass. Turns out, I paid for my pass about 2 months after having it and now I basically get into DLR free whenever I want without blockout dates and no parking fee The no blockout dates was VERY important for me though, seeing as I was going during Thanksgiving, Halloween weekend, during a busy week in the summer, and other times throughout the year. I'm really hoping to renew once my years up, and I think it'll be most cost effective for me too as well

Oh and the discounts are fantastic Couldn't be happier with my PAP. And CMs always say "Welcome back, Erin!". Makes me get butterflies in my stomach

 

[Disney Dreams]

With the visits you have planned, there is no question that you should get the AP. The question is: Which one?

Will you be driving to the Park everyday? Will you be staying at the hotels on-site? I ask because parking at the resort everyday (NOT referring to on-site hotel guests) in the parking garage or lot with your own car can add up VERY quickly and you may want to get ONE Premium pass or add parking to the Deluxe to get the parking at a lower rate. If I am counting your days correctly, you will spend $75 on parking. The "add-on" parking is $99 to a Deluxe pass. Soooo.... if you are going to go 6 days in 1 year with a car you need to park, it's to your advantage.

HTH,
Dreams

 

[GottaLuvMickey]

With the visits you have planned, there is no question that you should get the AP. The question is: Which one?

Will you be driving to the Park everyday? Will you be staying at the hotels on-site? I ask because parking at the resort everyday (NOT referring to on-site hotel guests) in the parking garage or lot with your own car can add up VERY quickly and you may want to get ONE Premium pass or add parking to the Deluxe to get the parking at a lower rate. If I am counting your days correctly, you will spend $75 on parking. The "add-on" parking is $99 to a Deluxe pass. Soooo.... if you are going to go 6 days in 1 year with a car you need to park, it's to your advantage.

HTH,
Dreams

We stay at the Portofino when we go to Disneyland. They have free parking for guests and we walk to the parks. And if we stay with my family, they have parking passes, so we can ride with them to the parks... So I don't think we'll need the parking pass. But thanks for mentioning it!

 

[Funball]

I NEVER thought I'd get an annual pass to Disneyland, but since we decided tonight that we aren't going to go to Disney World for DD's 3rd birthday in September, and instead we'll go to Disneyland for 4 days, and I'm also going to be there this coming Saturday... I'm thinking I should get an AP?! A 4 day park hopper costs $128 less than a Deluxe AP. The one day park hopper for this weekend is $100... So for the extra $28 I could get an AP? I live just east of Phoenix, and don't usually get to CA more than once a year, but if I have a reason to go, I might. I do have family nearby that I could stay with for free! So anyway, my question is... What discounts do you get with an AP that are actually good to use? I wouldn't use any room discount, so what else is there?

Well you get food discounts, merchandise discounts, discounts at select downtown Disney stores and the restaurants..AND after reading what dreams posted, i think that adding the parking on is a good idea

 

[yupikgal]

Ok, I'm going to throw a wrench into this subject, I've been considering purchasing a deluxe instead of premium AP, since we don't rent a car, we always have to fly (coming from AK). Anyhoo, we were going to buy 5 or 6 day park hoppers for our visit the end of May/first week of June. I was going to have us staying offsite for the first 4 nights, and then 2 nights at one of the onsite hotels, maybe PPH concierge (we did this last year and it was great for our family) but maybe if we get a good enough discount with an AP we could stay 3/3 or something like this? We are also Disney Visa holders, and we get 10% discount at certain restaurants, but not all, whereas with the AP it looks we would get it at most of them!

The problem I'm facing is, will it still be worth it if they come out with the "5 for 3" deal that they had last year? I would only be buying 1 AP, btw...the other thing to consider is that there is a blackout date for one of the days we'd be there, which I was told that I could just pay $40 for the day for myself.

Opinions welcome!

 

[Funball]

deluxe only gives you a certain amount of discount.. premium gets higher.

 

[Funball]

Ok, I'm going to throw a wrench into this subject, I've been considering purchasing a deluxe instead of premium AP, since we don't rent a car, we always have to fly (coming from AK). Anyhoo, we were going to buy 5 or 6 day park hoppers for our visit the end of May/first week of June. I was going to have us staying offsite for the first 4 nights, and then 2 nights at one of the onsite hotels, maybe PPH concierge (we did this last year and it was great for our family) but maybe if we get a good enough discount with an AP we could stay 3/3 or something like this? We are also Disney Visa holders, and we get 10% discount at certain restaurants, but not all, whereas with the AP it looks we would get it at most of them!

The problem I'm facing is, will it still be worth it if they come out with the "5 for 3" deal that they had last year? I would only be buying 1 AP, btw...the other thing to consider is that there is a blackout date for one of the days we'd be there, which I was told that I could just pay $40 for the day for myself.

Opinions welcome!

[FONT=Adobe Gothic Std B, sans-serif]$40 dollars is $40 dollars... you can save that by getting the premium and not spending it on a block out ticket! Premium pass will pay for it self in two visits minimum! But I think it be wise if you looked at the disneyland website for AP's! .

[/FONT]

 

[pixiewings71]

Ok, I'm going to throw a wrench into this subject, I've been considering purchasing a deluxe instead of premium AP, since we don't rent a car, we always have to fly (coming from AK). Anyhoo, we were going to buy 5 or 6 day park hoppers for our visit the end of May/first week of June. I was going to have us staying offsite for the first 4 nights, and then 2 nights at one of the onsite hotels, maybe PPH concierge (we did this last year and it was great for our family) but maybe if we get a good enough discount with an AP we could stay 3/3 or something like this? We are also Disney Visa holders, and we get 10% discount at certain restaurants, but not all, whereas with the AP it looks we would get it at most of them!

The problem I'm facing is, will it still be worth it if they come out with the "5 for 3" deal that they had last year? I would only be buying 1 AP, btw...the other thing to consider is that there is a blackout date for one of the days we'd be there, which I was told that I could just pay $40 for the day for myself.

Opinions welcome!

If you're staying offsite for the first part of your stay which day is your blackout day? Is it a day you will be at the DLR hotel or the offsite hotel? I ask because if you upgrade ON your blackout day you are allowed in the parks, you are allowed to hop, you are allowed all your discounts as well. So, if you're staying offsite from say.....Wed-Sat and checking into your DLR hotel on Sat you can go to the parks Sat. upgrade your hopper to the AP, go check into the DLR hotel (thus getting any AP rate they may have available) with your new AP and then head back to the parks. Does that make sense? If you upgrade on the blackout day you will not have to the blackout fee, which I think is up to $45 now.

 

[longtimedisneylurker]

Ok, I'm going to throw a wrench into this subject, I've been considering purchasing a deluxe instead of premium AP, since we don't rent a car, we always have to fly (coming from AK). Anyhoo, we were going to buy 5 or 6 day park hoppers for our visit the end of May/first week of June. I was going to have us staying offsite for the first 4 nights, and then 2 nights at one of the onsite hotels, maybe PPH concierge (we did this last year and it was great for our family) but maybe if we get a good enough discount with an AP we could stay 3/3 or something like this? We are also Disney Visa holders, and we get 10% discount at certain restaurants, but not all, whereas with the AP it looks we would get it at most of them!

The problem I'm facing is, will it still be worth it if they come out with the "5 for 3" deal that they had last year? I would only be buying 1 AP, btw...the other thing to consider is that there is a blackout date for one of the days we'd be there, which I was told that I could just pay $40 for the day for myself.

Opinions welcome!

OK. Here are some numbers.
5-day pass = $211
Deluxe AP = $329
Premium AP = $459

Difference between 5-day and deluxe = $118
Difference between 5-day and premium = $248

Blockout tickets are currently $50, not $40 or $45. So if you need to purchase a blockout ticket, the difference between 5-day and deluxe becomes: $168

Deluxe has 10% discount at most food places in the parks and Disney hotels (exceptions include the Mint Julep bar, ice cream places, and food carts). Deluxe also receives a 10% discount on most park merchandise through the end of this calendar year. This does include photopass pictures/CDs, candy shop purchases, ride photos, and places at most of the in-park stores and World of Disney and D-Street in DtD. It does not include the silhouettes done at the silhouette studio, the crystal shops, and a couple other places. Deluxe passholders also get various discounts in DtD, most often 10% off.

Premium has 15% discount at the food places in the parks and 20% discount on the merchandise with the same restrictions as noted above. The DtD discounts are the same regardless of pass type.

From what you were saying it sounds like the following may be true:
You will not be using this pass for more than one Disney trip.
You may not take advantage of AP hotel discounts.
You will not be using the parking benefit.

That means to break even on the purchase of a Deluxe pass, you need to spend $1680 in the parks and in downtown Disney on food and merchandise.

To break even on the purchase of a Premium pass, you need to spend between $1240 and $1653 on food and merchandise in the parks and/or the Disney stores in DtD (I've left the lesser discounted places in DtD out of this equation for simplicity). The $1240 represents merchandise spending only. The $1653 represents food spending only. You will spend on a combination of these items, hence the "break-even" range in this case since food and merchandise have different % off discounts.

If you decide to start with your hopper and upgrade to a pass on your blockout day, then that changes your spending breakeven point to $1180 after you get the AP.

 

[Funball]

plus premium gets 15% discounts on food at selection locations...deluxe gets 10%