Annual passes or park hopper passes?

[PrincessASquared]

My Family and I (3) have plans to go to Disney for 5 days this November, 8 days next Feb/Mar, and 5 days next October. With the DVC discount on the annual passes, are we better off getting the annual passes as opposed to the park hopper passes?

[tinkerbell04]

I think that since you have 3 trips planned, you would surely be better off with annuals with the discount. The passes are good for a year after you activate them, not after you order them. :mickey:

[Horizon93]

We go twice a year and have anual passes. I definitely recommend them in your case. And the DVC discount is great!

[Ms.Disney]

With 3 trips planed in one year, you can't go wrong with the AP's.

[DawsonAR]

We have two trips planned this year and are getting annual passes. We usually scheduled trips so we can get the passes and use the discounts.

[Zippy_D_DooDah]

I second that...er...third... er...what ever. We bought AP's last December, went again in February and are going again in September....and possibly a quick trip in late Nov or Early Dec., so I feel we really have gotten our money's worth out of the AP's. If you are only going once, which you are not, then Park Hopper would be the way to go.

[goofyfan4466]

so what everybody is saying is that if you can go more than once in a year it is cheaper to get the ap's ? i know the year starts once activated. where do you purchase ap's ? how much do they cost ?

thanks in advance

[Horizon93]

If you are a DVC member, you can call member services. If not, contact Disney. I think you can also still get Aps at The Disney Store. When you buy there, or on the phone, you will get a voucher or a confirmation code that you will use to activate your pass. When you arfrive at WDW, you go to the ticket window at one of the parks, or at your resort, and give them the voucher or confirmation number. They will then issue you your pass. Your anniversary date will be the date that you activate. If you want to renew the next year, you pay the lower renewal rate.

Hope that helps!

[mprewitt]

I thought the break-even point was 10.5 days. So if you're going to spend more than 10 days at the parks in a year, go with the AP.

[dlpmikki]

I thought the break-even point was 10.5 days. So if you're going to spend more than 10 days at the parks in a year, go with the AP.

Is that breakeven including the DVC discount? It sounds as though that would be the breakeven without the discount?

[Zippy_D_DooDah]

I think we will end up with about 15 to 20 days on this AP. We bought ours at Guest Sevices at the Magic Kingdom. You have to show your DVC Member card in order to get the discount. Next year, we may only take one trip due to my schedule and the fact that I borrowed some points from 2008 to go in September. Because of this, I may not do another AP until 2009. We'll see.

[andywicks]

If you buy an annual pass you can also buy a Disney Dining Experience card which gets you 20% off (Food and drink) at most WDW restaurants and fast food outlets except on a very few special days. We had one on the last two trips and suddently the best restaurant's seemed more affordable (e.g. Brown Derby, Chefs de Paris etc!). (£/$ exchange rate also helped!)

Assuming things have not changed recently, I think you can buy a card in advance and collect it from guest services on arrival / have mailed to you?

It was about $50 for the year. If you like Disney dining and use it a great deal, then this can be very valuable!

..hope this may be helpful? Have more great times!

[MinnieMommie]

Sounds like you plan to use the parks 18 days within a 12 month period. That would make AP the best choice for you. :mickey:

[snowblack]

Is it worth buying an AP if you only get to WDW once a year? even if it's only good for the discount on rooms. I also have AAA. I am just trying to decide if I should get the AP or not.

[Maleficent's Dad]

If you're a DVC member, it's very easy to buy the AP's right at the Guest Services window outside of each park. They all have Guest Service windows and ticket booths. We have purchased ours the past 2 years at the International Gateway leading into EPCOT.

Just be sure to have your photo ID and your DVC card. Takes but a few minutes and viola! You're in the park!

[tundramom]

Is it worth buying an AP if you only get to WDW once a year? even if it's only good for the discount on rooms. I also have AAA. I am just trying to decide if I should get the AP or not.

If you plan on being in the parks > 10 days:cloud9: As far as the discount portion, I would think you would have to be able to travel on shorter notice. we usually have our dates at least 1 year out, plenty of time to shop for airfare, etc. But it seems that the AP discounts come out with just a few months notice, which would put our airfare at a much higher rate (it usually increases dramatically at the 90 day mark). Plus I don't think you can be as picky about your accomodations. I guess it depends if you're a fly by the seat of your pants traveller or not. Me, I'm way too :crazy: a planner to be able to do that.:blush:

[CarolMN]

Is it worth buying an AP if you only get to WDW once a year? even if it's only good for the discount on rooms. I also have AAA. I am just trying to decide if I should get the AP or not.Don't buy an AP unless it is a good deal for you for park admission. The discounts are subject to change and there is no guarantee that discounted rooms will be available for your dates. Lately, it seems that the number of AP room only discounted rooms is decreasing. Disney seems to want to sell more packages and that is where the discounts are ending up.

Is an AP right for you? Depends on the number of days you plan to spend in the parks during the course of 1 calendar year.

A adult DVC disscounted AP is $370.62 (including tax).

A MYW ticket with hopping (an no plus options) is the most apples to apples comparison. A 10 day MYW ticket with hopping is $287.55. So if you are going to be in the parks more than 10 days on the same trip, an AP is the way to go. 10 days is the longest MYW ticket that you can buy.

If you are taking two or more trips within a calendar year, you need to look at adding the no-expiration option (because otherwise, the ticket expires 14 days from the first use). A 7 day MYW ticket with hopping and no expiration is $382.34. So if you will be in the parks at least 7 days (on more than one trip)within the course of the calendar year, an AP is the way to go.

I used gate prices including tax. The results will be slightly different if you use a broker's dscounted price for the MYW tickets. Only Disney sells the AP and the only discounts for APs are for Florida residents, members of the military and DVC members.

If you plan to visit the waterparks, Pleasure Island clubs or Disney Quest, you will need to do the math for that yourself, LOL. There are too many possibilities to consider without knowing exactly how many admissions to the extras you want.