When AP cost go up?

[Rhonna]

Hi,

We will be buying AP's soon for a May trip. Will they being going up in price soon? I lost track of the threads discussing this.

Thank you!

 

[skiingfast]

They will probably go up for June. When exactly is unknown but when word gets out a few days early the news will be on the fan sites.

 

[Rhonna]

Thanks!

 

[DBMC]

How much does the price usually increase?

 

[skiingfast]

How much does the price usually increase?

It varies. Prices are really high now so it could be small, but with the high demand it could be big. Prices for Pass and tickets go up faster than inflation.

 

[CMHusband]

In my opinion, expect a larger than usual increase which has typically been a few dollars. The demand is still strong for the passes and the parks are getting to be overloaded with AP holders - I think Disney can afford to raise the price of passes substantially and will.

 

[Rhonna]

Just to refresh my memory, I buy them on disney's website but they don't start counting our year until we activate them first day at the parks, right?

 

[skiingfast]

Just to refresh my memory, I buy them on disney's website but they don't start counting our year until we activate them first day at the parks, right?

That is correct.

 

[taaren]

Just to refresh my memory, I buy them on disney's website but they don't start counting our year until we activate them first day at the parks, right?

That is correct.

I can't remember from when I bought my voucher last June then activated in September, but do the vouchers have an expiration date? Has anybody bought them then activated them a year (or more) later? Our current ones are good through the end of September, but if the price hikes this year are similar to the ones from last year (they were approximately $50?) I might want to buy our vouchers in late May or early June 2012 that I wouldn't plan on activating until mid-2013 at the earliest, more likely late 2013 to try to get in a winter 2013 and fall 2014 trip.

Curious to see if anybody has done this strategy over at DLR. Its my understanding that people stock up on non-expiring tickets and AP vouchers fairly commonly in Florida since the regular tickets don't have an expiration date until one uses the first day, if at all.

 

[DBMC]

So if I bought an Ap now, and didn't use it until September, would it still be good? And it wouldn't start my year until then?

 

[skiingfast]

So if I bought an Ap now, and didn't use it until September, would it still be good? And it wouldn't start my year until then?

Yes and Yes.

I can't remember from when I bought my voucher last June then activated in September, but do the vouchers have an expiration date? Has anybody bought them then activated them a year (or more) later? Our current ones are good through the end of September, but if the price hikes this year are similar to the ones from last year (they were approximately $50?) I might want to buy our vouchers in late May or early June 2012 that I wouldn't plan on activating until mid-2013 at the earliest, more likely late 2013 to try to get in a winter 2013 and fall 2014 trip.

I'm think this works just like with tickets. You can't by DL ticket for 2013 now, and you can't by an AP voucher to start using in 2013 either. Late in the year 2013 ticket will be for sale and I believe this is when you can get AP vouchers to redeem in 2013 also.

 

[pixiewings71]

The vouchers will have expiration dates on them, just be sure your first date falls in that time frame. If the voucher expires they will generally let you pay the difference to get your pass.

 

[DBMC]

Yes and Yes.



I'm think this works just like with tickets. You can't by DL ticket for 2013 now, and you can't by an AP voucher to start using in 2013 either. Late in the year 2013 ticket will be for sale and I believe this is when you can get AP vouchers to redeem in 2013 also.

Thank you.

 

[GrandBob]

I'm think this works just like with tickets. You can't by DL ticket for 2013 now, and you can't by an AP voucher to start using in 2013 either. Late in the year 2013 ticket will be for sale and I believe this is when you can get AP vouchers to redeem in 2013 also.

That's correct. I bought our AP vouchers in June 2011, and redeemed them in November 2011. I did that to avoid the June 2011 AP price increase. Those vouchers had an expiration date of 12/31/2011. I think that's pretty typical -- vouchers sold early in the year are generally good until year-end. Sometime around mid-autumn they'll start selling vouchers good for the following year.

-Bob

 

[GrandBob]

And oh, by the way, I bought my first Deluxe AP voucher in late July 2009, to avoid an August 2009 price increase. I got those vouchers on a deal that DLR offered through Costco then (and they haven't done it again since). For those APs, I paid $269 each, but they came with $50 gift cards, making the effective price $219.

That same Deluxe AP is now $379. That's 73% in just 2 1/2 years. So no, the price increases haven't been small; they've gone up extremely rapidly. That said, I agree with CMHusband. I'm expecting another large increase this year. They'll keep applying large increases until the number of AP renewals go down. I think we'll be one family that doesn't renew after this year.

-Bob

 

[3Minnies1Mickey]

If anyone's bought a voucher recently, please report back on the exp date. A friend purchased one earlier in the year that had a May exp.

 

[taaren]

And oh, by the way, I bought my first Deluxe AP voucher in late July 2009, to avoid an August 2009 price increase. I got those vouchers on a deal that DLR offered through Costco then (and they haven't done it again since). For those APs, I paid $269 each, but they came with $50 gift cards, making the effective price $219.

That same Deluxe AP is now $379. That's 73% in just 2 1/2 years. So no, the price increases haven't been small; they've gone up extremely rapidly. That said, I agree with CMHusband. I'm expecting another large increase this year. They'll keep applying large increases until the number of AP renewals go down. I think we'll be one family that doesn't renew after this year.

-Bob

Yep I noticed the dramatic price increase. I think its going to force us to cut back on Disney. We like having APs so we can make at least 1 long trip, and one or two short trips if we happen to be near L.A., so far the longest we've let them lapse for the past few years has been 5 months or so, but if the price increase is comparable to what it was last year, we'll switch to just getting APs every other year, then trying to space our trips 11 months apart to get 2 long trips out of one AP then the other year just be DLR deprived.

 

[3Minnies1Mickey]

Yep I noticed the dramatic price increase. I think its going to force us to cut back on Disney. We like having APs so we can make at least 1 long trip, and one or two short trips if we happen to be near L.A., so far the longest we've let them lapse for the past few years has been 5 months or so, but if the price increase is comparable to what it was last year, we'll switch to just getting APs every other year, then trying to space our trips 11 months apart to get 2 long trips out of one AP then the other year just be DLR deprived.

We bought them in 2009 and didn't renew. We will be getting them this year because we have 2 trips planned....one being a week long next summer. I essentially have to do a 2 day trip besides the week long trip next summer to make it worthwhile. We won't get them every year but we are close enough to do several trips in a year and plan other trips (WDW, Hawaii) in between AP years.

 

[Jperiod]

I had planned to upgrade our hoppers to deluxe APs when we go this Dec. We like to be able to use an early entry on the hoppers. I didn't realize one could purchase AP vouchers early.

What strategy would you all recommend for cost?

If I get the voucher, I can't get a hopper for MM and apply it to the AP cost somehow?

If I buy the cheaper hopper and wait to get the AP in Dec, what value do they apply for those hoppers? Are the hoppers applied at the new full price?

 

[skiingfast]

I had planned to upgrade our hoppers to deluxe APs when we go this Dec. We like to be able to use an early entry on the hoppers. I didn't realize one could purchase AP vouchers early.

What strategy would you all recommend for cost?

If I get the voucher, I can't get a hopper for MM and apply it to the AP cost somehow?

If I buy the cheaper hopper and wait to get the AP in Dec, what value do they apply for those hoppers? Are the hoppers applied at the new full price?

What you pay for the hopper will be applied to upgrade them to an AP. At the AP price then which may be higher.

If you buy a voucher now you pay now. So you may save by buying now at a price lower than the future AP cost.

It's either possibly save money now. Or get an Magic Morning.