Benefits of having an annual pass???

[Amy M]

We just returned from Disney on Monday and are already looking forward to another trip next year. We have gone the last 4 years in a row with stays ranging from 6-11 days. I am starting to wonder if buying an annual pass and getting 2 trips out of it would be a money saver for us. I am wondering what some of the benefits are to having an annual pass? Are their special room discounts? If I planned a trip in July of 2018, then I could plan another in June of 2019 on the same pass, but when does the annual pass begin? When you first purchase it or when you "activate" it on the first use?

Also, my mother-in-law lives in Florida. Would she be able to gift us the passes using her Florida resident rate?

 

[CAS239]

Only Florida residents can get the discounts. So no your mother in class can't get you passes

Room discounts, free parking, merchandise discounts..those are the top perks imo

 

[msk]

I'm probably the worst person to answer since I will activate my annual pass for the first time next week. Yes, there are special room discounts, dining at some places is discounted, special events and tours are discounted, free parking, and free photo pass. I figured that since I was planning on two weeks plus at Disney I might as well get one. I think it is a good deal for me at least.

My pass will be activated next week ( I bought it last month) so it is good for one year from date of activation. I plan on using it in July 2017, Feb. 2018 and May 2018.

I don't know anything about FL resident rates so I truly can't help you with that.

 

[disneyvoice]

The pass begins when you activate it.

Timing your 2 trips the way you have described is exactly the way to get your money's worth out of the passes if you will only be making two trips. For us the amount of money that we save on room discounts using our APs more than pays for our passes. We splurge and stay at deluxe resorts because of the amount we save with our AP. You also get discounts on gift shop purchases and TS meals. Also free parking as the PP said, as well as discounts on special ticket purchases for specific dates (like MNSSHP and MVMCP).

Your MIL cannot use her FL resident status to purchase you a Florida resident AP. When you activate a FL resident pass you have to show proof that you are a FL resident.

 

[dizneegirl]

Having an excuse to make another trip.

 

[Amy M]

I kind of figured the MIL discount was a long shot!

How good are the room discounts? Are they better than the typical discounts offered to the general public? We either say moderate or deluxe. We are probably going to stay deluxe on our next trip.

 

[Amy M]

One more thing...can you book a room using an annual pass room discount before you activate the annual pass?

For example, can I book a room for next July using the discount for the trip when I plan to activate the AP? I hope that makes sense.

 

[Elle23]

How would it work if I got tickets as part of a package (such as free dining), as far as upgrading to an AP?

 

[msk]

Having an excuse to make another trip.

Love this - I used the excuse of "having" to go in June and wanting to go to Flower and Garden to buy my annual pass. Then once I had it I got wonderful rates at AKL in July, and will be booking another week in Feb. at WL. I might even go down in Dec. since I have that pass!

 

[Zippa D Doodah]

One more thing...can you book a room using an annual pass room discount before you activate the annual pass?

For example, can I book a room for next July using the discount for the trip when I plan to activate the AP? I hope that makes sense.

Yes. We bought our APs in February, then booked the room in April for our upcoming July trip. We will activate passes upon arrival

 

[Amy M]

Love this - I used the excuse of "having" to go in June and wanting to go to Flower and Garden to buy my annual pass. Then once I had it I got wonderful rates at AKL in July, and will be booking another week in Feb. at WL. I might even go down in Dec. since I have that pass!

Love this!! I have a feeling I would be the same way. If we didn't live so far a way it would be tempting to go all the time. I would have to keep an eye out for cheap airfare!

 

[Amy M]

Yes. We bought our APs in February, then booked the room in April for our upcoming July trip. We will activate passes upon arrival

Good to know! Do you then get the 60 day FP booking window since you have a resort reservation?

 

[North of Mouse]

This year has been a good year for AP benefits. There were several restaurants and large gift shops that gave 20% discount through Sept. of this year (45th Disney Anniversary). It made a nice 'dent' in some of our checks! It is usually 10%. Of course, if we don't have AP's, we can also use our Disney Visa for most of the same discounts (can't use but one).

We usually use our AP's for two trips of 10-14 days each, then usually skip a year or more before we go again. That works for us. Sometimes we get AP's again, sometimes not.

 

[PolyRob]

How would it work if I got tickets as part of a package (such as free dining), as far as upgrading to an AP?

MYW package tickets are "bridged" to the current gate price and you pay the current difference to upgrade. Thats how mine worked last May. I would check @Robo 's massive ticket thread. Its full of invaluable information! https://www.disboards.com/threads/all-about-tickets-at-wdw.3570721/

Good to know! Do you then get the 60 day FP booking window since you have a resort reservation?

I love my AP! The room only discounts are always better than the general public offers and you can book them right up until the last check-in day of the promo rather than it having a random expiration date about a month or two before the last check-in date. The AP rates usually match the UOC rates Disney sends. You can 100% book a room with the discount before activating your pass. You can book up to 7 days of FP+ with an AP OR the length of stay your profile is attached to an on-site resort reservation. I had a 4 night trip and 6 night trip booked in October and December and had 10 days of FP+ booked under my AP at once.

 

[Elle23]

MYW package tickets are "bridged" to the current gate price and you pay the current difference to upgrade. Thats how mine worked last May. I would check @Robo 's massive ticket thread. Its full of invaluable information! https://www.disboards.com/threads/all-about-tickets-at-wdw.3570721/

Thanks!!

 

[Klayfish]

If I planned a trip in July of 2018, then I could plan another in June of 2019 on the same pass,

We always stay off property, saves us a fortune, so I can't tell you much about room discounts. However, yes, you can do what you describe above. It's exactly what we do. We did it in 2015-2016 and will do it again in less than 2 weeks. We are going down for a 17 day trip which will be the first 2+ weeks of July. Since we live within driving distance, we're going to do one week trips the week of Thanskgiving and between Christmas and New Years. Then we'll do another 17 day trip the last 2+ weeks of June in 2018. That's how we get our moneys' worth out of the AP. It's never "cheap" to do an AP and make several trips, but the AP becomes more of a value the more you can use it.

 

[bashuck]

We love the AP even though we live in Illinois and go every 6 months (3x per AP). Yeah the 20% discount may not last forever but I can't see how they promote it when you buy it, but then it goes away while you have it so my belief is it isn't going away in a few months. Also get memory maker which is nice. As far as the system is concerned your AP works the same with other reservations whether you have activated it or not, you just need to activate it to physically get in the park. We stayed at Beach Club with a nice discount last summer but usually stay DVC so don't take advantage of that. I can't imagine a scenario of going on two separate trips of even 3 days each that you wouldn't have been better off with the AP.

 

[captaindavidhook]

are ap deals for rooms better then bounce back offers?

 

[BuckeyeBama]

In my experience, they value of the AP is really only in savings for park entrance if you are making multiple trips in a 12 month window. This year is an anomaly since it last for 13 months and has greater discounts than normal. Not sure if that deal is still available, and the discounts drop down to normal this fall.

We often stay off-site, so the free parking has saved us hundreds of dollars. If you stay on-site, this is not really a benefit for you.

Since we stay off-site, room discounts don't help us - but even when we do stay on-site we find better offers from other travel agents. We have never found the AP discount to be our best discount. Not once. Might depend on where you stay. YMMV

We love our APs, but for park entrance discounts. We live over 1,000 miles away and typically spend from 20-40 days/year in WDW parks. We would not do that without APs.

 

[Mousemommy1]

The only reason we buy annual passes is the savings on tickets. We do 2 10 night trips inside that AP window, so we get 21 days of Disney for ALOT cheaper than if we bought tickets for each trip.

We do use TiW as well, and enjoy those savings.