What's your "worth it" point for getting an Annual Pass?

[Wood Nymph]

So .. what do you find getting an Annual Pass "worth it" for? How many park days? What other advantages to Annual Passes make it worth it to you?

We have gotten great value out of the annual pass, mostly with room discounts and food and merchandise discounts. We have gotten 35% AP discounts on resort rooms several times now, along with some 30% discounts. It is nice to have Memory Maker, too. The only problem with the AP is that it makes it really easy take take multiple trips.

 

[TinkSassy]

Talked to a CM on existing packages - for me it doesn't make sense to do the AP in the fall.

We are on the Chase Visa discount in the spring which requires a package so taking me out of that equation for tickets only messes with the deal and makes it more expensive overall. I may think about upgrading in the spring though - would love AP discounts as the new lands open (previews would be worth the flight down).

 

[tlmadden73]

We have gotten great value out of the annual pass, mostly with room discounts and food and merchandise discounts. We have gotten 35% AP discounts on resort rooms several times now, along with some 30% discounts. It is nice to have Memory Maker, too. The only problem with the AP is that it makes it really easy take take multiple trips.

So when it comes to getting the annual pass discounts, when do you get those applied if you haven't bought or activated your AP yet?
Let's say I plan on making a trip in the fall of 2018 and don't plan on activating a AP until then. How do I go about getting any AP discounts on resort rooms (if there are any) if I am booking my trip months before I plan on using (or perhaps even purchasing) the AP?


Thanks for all the great info everyone I think the general consensus is:
1) AP is a great value for at least two trips, totaling 7+ days TOTAL in a year just from the ticket price cost alone. (based on current ticket/pass prices).
2) It gives you great flexibility (add a day, skip a day) and no "rush" or sense of waste on your vacation if plans do change.
3) The extras (discounts and Memory Maker) make it worth it as well.
4) Can be tempting to go more than you originally intended!

I will probably lean towards getting the AP (probably before any inevitable price increase at the beginning of next year) and activating it whenever I decide to go in Fall of 2018.

The unfortunate part is that this means I need to wait about 12-13 months before going down there! LOL.

 

[Wood Nymph]

So when it comes to getting the annual pass discounts, when do you get those applied if you haven't bought or activated your AP yet?
Let's say I plan on making a trip in the fall of 2018 and don't plan on activating a AP until then. How do I go about getting any AP discounts on resort rooms (if there are any) if I am booking my trip months before I plan on using (or perhaps even purchasing) the AP?

You can book a room with the AP discount before you purchase the AP. But you won't be able to do it online. You'll have to call central reservations. Then they ask you to show you AP within 24 hours of checking into the resort.

 

[adelaster]

My "worth it" point was adding up the cost of tickets for the trips we would like to take at a minimum. Within $100 of breaking even is worth it. As PP have said, it takes the pressure off. It also gives you the flexibility to change plans without penalty. Not tied to one park or no loss if you get sick, etc.

I am also looking forward to the special discounts that were recently extended into December. That will save us some money. Having the photopass thing will be cool too, although we may not use it much.

As a budget planner it really takes the pressure off of hunting for deals or trying to justify the expense of 1-3 day parkhoppers.

For a FL resident, I'd consider parking into expenses. It also lets you plan a quick getaway.

My experience has been that I can book the discounts and use the park app with a discount-and I have yet to "activate" my passes.

So yeah, if you're pretty much breaking even and it gives you peace of mind, it is worth it. In my mind the greatest downside is a change in situations which would eliminate the parks or our ability to visit them. Even then, I figure I can likely earn back the $$ lost with some clever side hustle or doing without another way.

 

[cmorris303]

We fell victim to the additional trips because we have the APs. We bought APs in October because we had a 10 day trip planned in August. We ended up adding a 5 night trip in April and just booked 3 nights in Nov.

 

[HopperFan]

We go more than you are planning so far but ....
- Have had years that our hotel AP discount alone covered one annual pass.
- Offsite stays parking adds up quick.
- Shopping and Dining discounts, every little bit helps.
- Party, DAH and other special events discounts.
- Huge perk this year was Avatar AP Previews so that could factor in for new lands.

Be prepared, once you have an AP you will try to fuzzy math more trips if you can.

 

[IrishNYC]

I wish at least one of us had bought an AP when we were there 2 weeks ago. We were going to, then decided we couldn't spend the money, even though we had plans to go back in january for a quick 2 days. The math worked in our favor, mainly because of Memory Maker - it was close without it, and dining discounts probably would have made it worth it anyway. Then when we came back we decided we couldn't afford a trip in January, so I was relieved we didn't get the AP. Now today our financial situation has changed for the better, and I'm mad again that we didn't get one, because the trip is back on.

 

[Tall Todd]

Talked to a CM on existing packages - for me it doesn't make sense to do the AP in the fall.

We are on the Chase Visa discount in the spring which requires a package so taking me out of that equation for tickets only messes with the deal and makes it more expensive overall. I may think about upgrading in the spring though - would love AP discounts as the new lands open (previews would be worth the flight down).

We have used the Disney Visa Chase discount and have a "Room Only" reservation. So this might be in error.

 

[Lesverts]

My first AP I got 18 park days and about 250 dollars worth of discount savings. The AP I am currently on is going to be used for 19 park days and about 300 in discounts. So I come out ahead. It is great to have an AP. You can come and go as you please and it has opened up how I tour. Don't need to worry about getting my park days worth. I set my goal for the day and if I achieve it it has been a day well spent. But yes having an AP makes you start planning more trips. I have gone in September November and looking at January before I head there for the major trip in May or June.

 

[izzylovesmickey]

This year is the second time we have purchased annual passes. The room discounts we received for our stay this summer came close to equaling 1 AP (plus we would have purchased 9 day PH passes otherwise). Added to that was the value of the memory maker. We plan on a trip this spring for DH & myself which is another 6 days. Friends just gifted us a week at their timeshare that had to be used by 12/31, so we are adding another 6 days of park tickets that we will not have to purchase and parking we won't have to pay for now that we have an offsite stay. Additionally, we used the AP discounts on restaurants we had already planned on eating at and the ability to add TIW. As a result of all of this, we have found our AP purchase this summer to be a great deal.

 

[tlmadden73]

Thanks all . .I'm sold. I am still looking at "shorter" trips mainly because I'll have a 2 year old daughter and 6 year old son that year. When I took my son when he was 2 (twice) we only did 2 park days each to not exhaust him. My poor daughter will be dragged around a lot longer! Oh well .. second kid syndrome I guess. .

I definitely see doing 7-10 days throughout the year. It's all but purchased/booked at this point!

 

[wgeo]

I am blessed living within a day's drive of Orlando and with a wifeI am looking into going to WDW in fall of 2018 and again in Fall of 2019.

My hope is in 2018 to catch the opening of Toy Story Land and experience Avatar for the first time (we missed it by 2 months in March of this year) and return again in 2019 to catch Galaxy's Edge and go on one more trip while my daughter is still under 3.

But I figured since I want to go twice within a year, do I look into getting Annual Passes for myself, wife and son (who is currently 5)?

If I would go for just two 4-day trips, that basically means I am paying $93/ticket, which is decently cheaper than a two separate 4-day Park hoppers. I live within 9 hour drive of WDW, so going on shorter trips isn't an issue for me. At $750ish dollars it feels that is a good value especially since it also includes a $150 (per trip) value in the Memory Maker (which we like using) and $20/day value in parking (if you stay offsite .. which I may for at least one of the trips to save some money).

I'm all about being efficient .. we've been going to Disney every year and a half since 2014 on a 10-day No expiration Park Hopper tickets (three separate, short, 2 park day trips and still have 4 days left on those. At $75/day .. it would be cheaper to go on one of those trips with our remaining days, but if an Annual Pass is a decent value, maybe I save those for the far future (imagine the savings then if prices keep going up).

So .. what do you find getting an Annual Pass "worth it" for? How many park days? What other advantages to Annual Passes make it worth it to you?

I'm confused on the math - how are you getting 3 annual passes for around $750?

 

[dprincessmom]

Similar happened to us, we bought APs in May since we anticipated going back for 1 more trip at least within a year. We've already gone back in August, have Thanksgiving booked, a race weekend in February and spring break in March...

Gotta get your money's worth right ??? Disney math is fun - Have fantastic trips

 

[DebbieB]

I always try to time trips to get 3 trips out of it. I bought my last one for trips in December 2015, May 2016, October 2016. This year I went to Disneyland in July. So my next one will start in December 2017, also for April 2018, June 2018. Heading to Disneyland next October, so my next WDW AP will not be until 2019.

 

[eeyoreandtink]

We are getting 3 trips on our current AP's. We went Feb of '17 for 7 park days, going again in 2 weeks for a quick 3 day trip, then again Feb '18 for 6 days. Add in the dining savings and discounts and we definitely come out ahead. We are an 8 hour drive away so doable in a day.

 

[Doberge]

I am thinking about buying one AP for only a one week trip, depending on what other discounts are available our week.

Tickets ~$400
Parking for 6 days $120
Memory Maker for daughter's first trip $169

That's only ~$689 of value. I'll ultimately decide based on the other discounts available, particularly dining discounts. These discounts seem to change often enough its not worth making the decision now. I'll buy tickets for both of us to make FP reservations and then the week before our visit I'll see what restautants have discounts (like some now have 20% off windows) and make the decision then if I want to upgrade one ticket to an AP. There's no scenario that it makes sense for both of us to have APs.

 

[tlmadden73]

I'm confused on the math - how are you getting 3 annual passes for around $750?

Sorry .. $750/each is what I meant .. but they actually are 779/each (+tax) right now. (not cheap, but about what I paid for 10-day no-expiration tickets before they stopped doing those in 2014).

So now that I've gotten personal opinions and anecdotes, so actually sitting down and doing the math:

Adult and 1 child annual pass total of : $2448.92 (including tax)

3 days of park hoppers is 361.95 (discounted price at UT)
4 days of park hoppers is 431.95

So the way I see it, if you do two trips of 7 days total, the pass is worth it just for ticket price plus Memory Maker.

Trip one (3) Trip two (4-day hoppers)
$361.95 $431.95
$361.95 $431.95
$342.95 $410.95
---------- -----------
$1,066.85 $1,274.85

SUBTOTAL: $2341.70
+ $149 (Memory Maker)
TOTAL: $2,490.70

DIFFERENCE between this and Annual Pass: +$41.78

This doesn't count the discounts which could add an undetermined amount of value as well.

So, for my particular scenario, it seems like just from a straight up dollar amount, it is cheaper by at least $41 to go for 7 park-hoping days (in two separate trips) within one calendar year (save at least $140 more if you are going to stay offsite and utilize free parking), and just goes up in value from there the more days you go or as you utilize AP discounts.

If I wouldn't utilize the hopping during my stay (which I may not, with young kids, hopping is probably more trouble than its worth), then that number bumps up to probably 10 days as you could get 2 sets of 5-day non-hoppers for slightly cheaper. $378/each

Something to chew on.

 

[wgeo]

Sorry .. $750/each is what I meant .. but they actually are 779/each (+tax) right now. (not cheap, but about what I paid for 10-day no-expiration tickets before they stopped doing those in 2014).

So now that I've gotten personal opinions and anecdotes, so actually sitting down and doing the math:

Adult and 1 child annual pass total of : $2448.92 (including tax)

3 days of park hoppers is 361.95 (discounted price at UT)
4 days of park hoppers is 431.95

So the way I see it, if you do two trips of 7 days total, the pass is worth it just for ticket price plus Memory Maker.

Trip one (3) Trip two (4-day hoppers)
$361.95 $431.95
$361.95 $431.95
$342.95 $410.95
---------- -----------
$1,066.85 $1,274.85

SUBTOTAL: $2341.70
+ $149 (Memory Maker)
TOTAL: $2,490.70

DIFFERENCE between this and Annual Pass: +$41.78

This doesn't count the discounts which could add an undetermined amount of value as well.

So, for my particular scenario, it seems like just from a straight up dollar amount, it is cheaper by at least $41 to go for 7 park-hoping days (in two separate trips) within one calendar year (save at least $140 more if you are going to stay offsite and utilize free parking), and just goes up in value from there the more days you go or as you utilize AP discounts.

If I wouldn't utilize the hopping during my stay (which I may not, with young kids, hopping is probably more trouble than its worth), then that number bumps up to probably 10 days as you could get 2 sets of 5-day non-hoppers for slightly cheaper. $378/each

Something to chew on.

Thanks for the clarification! I thought I was really missing something there.

FWIW - in my opinion, having little kids almost makes hopping even easier. At least for me, with really little kids, it's almost a guarantee that in the middle/hottest part of the day we would be back at the hotel for naps and a break. So when we headed back out that night, having hoppers meant we could go to whatever park we wanted to, which for us meant that we spent a number of nights back at MK where the kids had the most fun at night.

 

[jjjones325]

I'm trying to convince DW to upgrade to an annual pass during our Dec trip for us and our DS at a cost of just under $700 total, even less if we pay with giftcards bought from Target with the RedCard. We live 10 hours away by car, and are already going back down to FL to swim with manatees in late January. However, I can't point to another confirmed upcoming trip to make her think it's readily worthwhile. We can easily do three day weekends (well, about 2 1/4 day weekends with the driving).

Send pixie dust my way so she'll say yes.