Benefits of having an annual pass???

[heazer]

How would it work if one person in the family has the AP to get the room discounts and photopass service? Doesn't everyone on the reservation have to be on the same package? Or is this a case where you buy everything separately?

In my experience, the AP discount is for room only, not your package. This allows only one person with the AP to book the discounted room, and as long as the rest of their guests are linked to the MDE account, the Photopass will include all those guests.

 

[sherry bellows]

How would it work if one person in the family has the AP to get the room discounts and photopass service? Doesn't everyone on the reservation have to be on the same package? Or is this a case where you buy everything separately?

Thank you. I think if I have an annual pass I can book the room with the discount even if everyone doesn't have annual passes

 

[jcvalenti]

We're planning a 7 day trip in Nov/Dec this year, a trip in August 2018 and a trip in July 2019. Might throw a Food & Wine weekend in October 2018 too.

I got an Annual Pass for myself for Nov, and will get them for the wife and 2 kids in August 18. I wanted one for the Nov trip because the price difference was only a couple hundred dollars, I wanted Memory Maker and shopping discounts, I wanted to save $$$ on tickets for Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party and a Keys to the Kingdom Tour and - the main reason - so I could buy the Tables in Wonderland card and use it on the November trip. It used to be pretty easy math - if you planned on being there for more than 9 or 10 days in a calendar year, get the AP. Now ? Not so easy as the prices have skyrocketed in recent years.

 

[jpeterson]

I am new to the DIS board, but am looking for help with annual passholder deluxe room rates for August 20-24 if anyone could help with this for us. We are planning another trip at Christmas as well. I'm trying to decide if the savings is worth the purchase of the passholder ticket.

There is extremely limited availability for August right now (ever since the debacle upgrade to the system).
For Deluxe resorts in that time frame I see:
Contemporary - $311.40 /night
Grand Floridian - $386.75 /night
Polynesian - $456.15 /night
Boardwalk - $529.75 /night
Animal Kingdom Lodge - $831.42 /night
Beach Club - $945.18 /night
Wilderness Lodge - $952.56 /night
Yacht Clube - $1,467.90 /night

 

[anomamatt]

Our APs paid for themselves with our first planned trip of 2017 -- and that was only 8 days. The AP room discount, combined with memory maker and the ticket costs made APs a better deal for that one trip alone.

But, of course, now since we have APs we went from that one trip in 2017 to just planning our 5th trip in 2017. So the benefits... a lot more trips than we planned!

 

[Amy M]

When you purchase an annual pass, is there a payment plan or is payment in full due at the time of purchase?

 

[maramarrie]

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?

Your pass starts the day you first use it, and it is good for 366 days. I bought a pass on 7/5/16 and it expires 7/6/17. You get 10% off on Disney merchandise (20% this year for the 45th), discounts at a few restaurants (more this year for the 45th), and passholder rates on resort hotels (when other offers aren't the best options). Pretty much, if you would take two trips and purchase 4-day park hoppers each time, an annual pass would be a comparable or cheaper option. I go more often than others in my family, so I am the only one with an AP.

 

[PolyRob]

When you purchase an annual pass, is there a payment plan or is payment in full due at the time of purchase?

Only Florida residents are able to take advantage of the AP payment plan.

 

[Amy M]

My other cost comparison with buying an annual pass would be with dining. We typically use the Disney Dining Plan. Next trip I have a daughter that will be 10, so she will cost the same as an adult, even though she doesn't come close to eating adult portions of food! If I had the annual pass, I could get a Tables in Wonderland card. Is this card worth the cost if used over at least 2 trips like the AP?

 

[PolyRob]

My other cost comparison with buying an annual pass would be with dining. We typically use the Disney Dining Plan. Next trip I have a daughter that will be 10, so she will cost the same as an adult, even though she doesn't come close to eating adult portions of food! If I had the annual pass, I could get a Tables in Wonderland card. Is this card worth the cost if used over at least 2 trips like the AP?

To my family, it is definitely worth it. You have to spend $750 at TiW eligible restaurants to break even. Once you hit that, it is all money saved. We easily did that in a one week trip. If you do a lot of TS meals, character dining, or purchase any adult beverages, it may be worth it. I would check how much you would normally spend out of pocket on TS meals.

 

[jprincess10]

Annual pass you get 20% off merchandise currently. Which is amazing.

They have Florida resident discounts on hotel rooms sometimes. So that's more about residency than it is about having an annual pass.

Annual pass if you get a more expensive one covers parking. Which is worth it.

Having an annual pass is worth it if you come often enough. I would compare the price of having one vs not having one.

 

[Amy M]

Annual pass you get 20% off merchandise currently. Which is amazing.

They have Florida resident discounts on hotel rooms sometimes. So that's more about residency than it is about having an annual pass.

Annual pass if you get a more expensive one covers parking. Which is worth it.

Having an annual pass is worth it if you come often enough. I would compare the price of having one vs not having one.

Thanks! I am in the process now of comparing prices now that 2018 packages have been released. With 2 trips it looks like having an annual pass would save maybe around $300. However, if we get a free dining discount, as we have our past 2 trips, that discount appears to be better. It all depends on where we want to stay. Thanks for all of the advice!

 

[cristen72]

I think this was asked earlier but I didn't see a reply. if 1 person has an AP, are they able to book 2 rooms?

My inlaws want to come with us so our party of 6 would need two rooms. If I could book them both with discounts that would be amazing.

 

[PolyRob]

I think this was asked earlier but I didn't see a reply. if 1 person has an AP, are they able to book 2 rooms?

My inlaws want to come with us so our party of 6 would need two rooms. If I could book them both with discounts that would be amazing.

An AP holder can book multiple rooms, but the guests can be asked to show the AP at check-in the verify the rate. Will you be staying at the same resort and checking in at the same time? If so, I don't see an issue.

 

[jo-jo]

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/

We had 7 day hoppers bought from UT in Nov 2016. In May they did not bridge to current price, only to pre Feb 12 ticket price. I have read others have had it bridge to current price, but it seems that not always the case.

So you have to be prepared when the tickets were first bought.

 

[Clare Voince]

There is extremely limited availability for August right now (ever since the debacle upgrade to the system).
For Deluxe resorts in that time frame I see:
Contemporary - $311.40 /night
Grand Floridian - $386.75 /night
Polynesian - $456.15 /night
Boardwalk - $529.75 /night
Animal Kingdom Lodge - $831.42 /night
Beach Club - $945.18 /night
Wilderness Lodge - $952.56 /night
Yacht Clube - $1,467.90 /night

GF Is $386.75 and Yacht Club is $1467.90?? Whaaa? That seems insane.

 

[PolyRob]

GF Is $386.75 and Yacht Club is $1467.90?? Whaaa? That seems insane.

I was reading in another thread, I think something is still wrong with the website. It may be lumping all the nights of your selected dates into a "package" price which should not happen with an AP discounts. How many nights did you select, 4 or 5? That would make more sense.

 

[holden]

We saved a bunch with the free valet parking last week. At $25 a pop that's a big savings.

 

[madelyn]

Returned this week from a short trip. Convinced my sister to buy an annual pass. My 10 year old daughter wanted me to buy the Memory Maker since we have in the past. Since my sister owns DVC, I told her that with the discounted Gold Pass price for DVC members, if she went on two trips in the upcoming year and planned to buy Memory Maker for each trip, the park admission for each of the two trips would only be about $150, or even less if she visited more than 2 times. We were able to use the AP discounts and it was nice to save up to 20% on food and merchandise. My daughter and I only went to the parks 3 days but my sister was able to go for a few hours on our arrival and departure day. With 5 in my family the cost of 5 annual passes is just too expensive and would be out of our budget. Before kids my husband and I did buy annual passes and it was nice not to feel like you had to maximize your day in the park(s) since you were using a day off your ticket.

 

[ChasingLeslie]

It also allows you to download for free any pictures taken in the 12 months before your AP was activated. So, if you time it properly, an AP can get you 25 months of free pictures for all of your friends and family in MDE.

How does this work...? We went last July and are going this July (same dates) and are upgrading to APs. Would last trip's pictures just show up on the account...? We had a computer issue and lost many pictures, so if we could get them back that would be amazing!!