Annual Pass questions

[Laughin' place]

Not sure if Im in the right place, please re-direct me if Im not.
I have read that Annual Passholders can get a 30% discount on the dining plans when they purchase a package (with room) thru Disney Travel Co. I also understand that there are sometimes discounts on rooms for passholders.
I have a reservation for 5/31 - 6/11, thru Disney Travel Co, with a 10 day park hopper with water park.
I called the reservation line, but they couldnt tell me if dinner discounts or room discounts were available for passholders for the time I was to be there. The castmember said there might be discounts, but the info wasnt available yet. Before I buy the annual pass (with the hopes of saving on food and maybe even the rooms), I need to know if there are discounts. Can anyone tell me where or when I can find out if there are discounts for passholders during my trip ? Thanks :confused:

[McGoofy]

Usually there are discounts, but right now we have only been given the discounts through May 21. I booked a reservation for the end of May with a AAA discount, and I am hoping to change that as soon as new AP discounts are released. There is no guarantee that they will offer any, but historically speaking, they usually do.:mickey:

[Mickey 101]

I'm not sure if I understand your question, but we've been annual passholders since 2001. When you purchase an AP, you obviously already have your ticket so (as far as I know) you don't qualify for a 'package' discount, such as a MYW add-on with your room. You can purchase a Disney Dining Experience card which qualifies you for a percentage off of many restaurants. We have been able to get very good discounts on our resort, though. I highly recommend using Magical Journeys to book travel. They are extremely helpful and will even convert your reservation to a lower rate automatically if new discounts become available.

[McGoofy]

After reading the post by Mickey 101, I just wanted to clarify that I was talking about a room only AP discount when I answered the OP. There is not a package. Although, as of 2/20, it has been said that AP holders can now purchase the dining plan and still receive the AP room discount at the times it is being offered.

Have you already purchased the 10 day pass that you mentioned? If so, are you planning to use it as a "credit" toward your AP purchase? When you crunch the numbers, if you plan to use at least 10 days in one year, it makes more sense to go ahead and purchase an AP.

[BigRedDad]

I have read that Annual Passholders can get a 30% discount on the dining plans when they purchase a package (with room)

Is this true? AP holders can get a 30% discount on the Dining Plan if they book it with a room?

If so, I need to change one of my reservations this year and go with an AP.

[Laughin' place]

thanks for the info Mc Goofy, I'll keep plugging away !
Mickey 101, per recent PassPorter news, those rules changed Feb 20. You might want to check their sight out, as they have some info in the feb 28th edition.:confused:

[Niecyboo]

Actually, the dining plan is the same price, but Disney claims you can save up to 30% off the cost of dining by purchasing the dining plan instead of paying out of pocket, which may be what you saw. Here is how it is worded for a package:

"It's magic made in the kitchen! Savor up to 30% savings per person on delicious Walt Disney World® dining when you purchase the Magic Your Way Package Plus Dining, available to you as a Guest of a select Walt Disney World® hotel."

I hope this helps clarify things.

[coloradowendyl]

Is this true? AP holders can get a 30% discount on the Dining Plan if they book it with a room?

If so, I need to change one of my reservations this year and go with an AP.

The dining plan will be $37.99 per adult/child over 9 and $9.99 per child 3-9 on an Annual Passholder rate package which are the same prices as offered on the regular Magic Your Way packages. The discounted rate will be on the room only portion. At this point, the AP discount is only offered until May 21. You can book an AP package with dining for the remainder of the year with the rooms at rack rate and then work on getting the AP discount applied when released.

With the change to date based pricing for 2008, it has made it more critical to crunch your numbers before you purchase an annual pass. Weekends/holidays are often excluded and will be at rack rate. Many times we have found that the AAA rate has been better for clients especially at the deluxe resorts because the AAA discount has been for all nights rather than just the weekdays. Sometimes that rack rate weekend price can really skew the discount.