Should I get the Annual Passes or not?

[Aurora's Mom]

Hello to all,

I'm trying to decide whether or not to get annual passes and wonder if you all could help me out.

We are going to the World in October and plan to take another trip next year as well.

This year we are staying off property as we're also taking my husband's mother and her husband and it's just more cost effective. However, next year, it will likely just be the 4 of us and we'll stay on property.

I can't decide if we're better off buying annual passes (we'll go back next October--the week before) or not.

This year, I was fortunate enough to get a pin code that was wonderful, but it didn't work out due to payment time frames. What if I buy the annual passes and then they send me a pin or they offer great deals...how does that work with the annual passholders?

Sorry if I'm rambling, it's just that it's a lot of money and I want to make a good decision.

Thanks in advance for your help.

[momofdisneyprincess]

I would probably still get the AP passes as there are great AP rates on rooms. So, if you do not get the PIN code, you can get the AP rate which is still, sometimes, better than PIN codes - depending on where you stay. Plus, you can get free parking with the AP pass. You mentioned you were staying off site this year, the theme park parking is $12 a day. If free dining does work out with your schedule next year, you would only have to get 1 day park passes (for everyone in your room). You could save those passes for your next trip and still use your AP's. I hope this makes sense.

[Aurora's Mom]

I would probably still get the AP passes as there are great AP rates on rooms. So, if you do not get the PIN code, you can get the AP rate which is still, sometimes, better than PIN codes - depending on where you stay. Plus, you can get free parking with the AP pass. You mentioned you were staying off site this year, the theme park parking is $12 a day. If free dining does work out with your schedule next year, you would only have to get 1 day park passes (for everyone in your room). You could save those passes for your next trip and still use your AP's. I hope this makes sense.

Can you explain this a little. How does 1 day work when you are staying for 8? Does it just give you the option to buy the dining plan for every night you are there?

Thanks so much for the info--I really appreciate it.

[JohnnyNovo]

Hope this is right but this is the way I understand it. The free dining comes as part of a package. You book your accomodations and at least 1 day of park tickets and you get the dining plan for every nite your there. So you have to at least buy a 1 day park ticket for everyone staying. But you could add the no expiration to the tickets and just use them in the future. Hope that helps.

[Aurora's Mom]

You both have helped! Thanks, I really appreciate it.

[JPL]

Not taking away from the reasons given above but the break even point for Park Days and an AP is about 10-11. So depending on how many days you plan to be in the park that should give you a good idea of just the actual ticket value. And as a poster stated above you do get free parking so for the time you are staying off site that $12 a day adds up to a dinner Looking at you plans since it will only be the 4 of you next year just buy 4 APs and get tpark hoppers for your husband's parents.

[Fangorn]

Edit - I should have mentioned that this analysis is based on the number of days you'll be going to one or more of the theme parks. Not necessarily the total number of days of your vacation. You may be at WDW for 8 days, but only visit a theme park on 6 of those days. Steve


If your two planned trips are completely within a year of each other and the total number of days for both trips is more than 10, then you're better off going with annual passes, just on ticket prices alone.
For example:
5-day MYW ticket with Park Hopper = $280
6-day MYW ticket with Park Hopper = $283
Total = $563
AP = $489

Any other combination of tickets, using non-expiration or not is going to cost even more.


Since you're staying off-property for the first trip, the AP will save you $12/day in parking as well since Passholders get free parking. For an 8 day trip that's $96 in savings.

For the second trip, you may be able to pick up a Passholder discount on your room if they're being offered (and in October, that's a likely occurance). I just booked a long weekend trip in early December using a Passholder special that gave me 40% off the room rate. If something like this comes along next year, the AP can really pay off. On the Disney web site there is a Passholder area that will show you any current offers for Passholders.

As for taking advantage of any free dining offers: You can still do it even if you have an AP. The package requires that every person on the reservation purchase "at least" a 1-day pass as part of the package. But you get "free" dining for your entire stay even if you only buy the 1-day pass.

We do this every year. Just get the 1-day pass with the package. But be careful NOT to actually use the pass to gain entry into a park. Always use your AP for park admission. (BTW, you don't need to get the non-expiring option for a 1-day ticket, since the expiration clock doesn't start ticking until you use a ticket the first time, and once you've used a 1-day ticket ....)

Save the 1-day tickets. They can be used later and either applied to your renewal of your AP, or upgraded on a future trip. In either case, the full amount of the 1-day ticket (currently $79 + tax) will be applied when you upgrade the ticket at a later date.

There are also some additional discounts you get with an AP at selected stores, restaurants and entertainment. Saving a few bucks here and there is a nice plus when it happens.

And of course, when you have that AP, making an additional quick trip to the World for a couple of days becomes a whole lot more attractive as well.

Steve

[momofdisneyprincess]

As a PP stated, you receive the dining plan for the # of nights of your stay. It is not connected to the tix, rather the room. As long as you all get the same ticket, as I suggested, 1day would be fine. You do not have to purchase the no expiration option since it is not going to be used. You just save the 1 day ticket for a future stay and utilize the AP's for the 4 of you. Let me know if you have any other questions. I know this can be confusing.

[SurferStitch]

Also, if you like to do table service a lot (we do), then you can also get the Tables in Wonderland card since you would be an AP holder. This saves you 20% on every TS meal on property, including alcohol. Our dinner at V&A more than paid for the card in one meal!

It also saves 20% in restaurant lounges if you just want to get drinks. It also worked at the Rose and Crown Pub at the bar when we get our Black and Tans there!

We just bought our AP's last week! We should have gotten them a week earlier to save money before the price increase, but I procrastinated. Oh well...not the first time I wasted $40 or $50 bucks!