Annual Passes - is it worth it?

spodie · Post by **spodie** » May Sat 17, 2008 2:41 pm

I hope I'm posting this in the right place - I'm still getting used to it here

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Anyway, my sister and I are thinking about purchasing annual passes this year and are asking you guys if you think its worth the $450. We're both in college, so we would probably go in the 1-2 weeks before and after the grade school breaks (in August, December, and May), some weekends when we are in school, and next summer. We live about 20 miles north of Atlanta, Georgia, so it takes us about 8 hours to get to Disney.

To those of you who have done the annual pass thing, what are the discounts for food, resorts, etc. and how often do you get them? Are there any other "perks" you can get and how do you go about getting them? I've seen all of the information that Disney has provided about the Annual Passes, but I would like to get opinions of people who have experienced it. Any info you guys have on this would be GREATLY appreciated! Thanks!

jcodirewolf · Post by **jcodirewolf** » May Sat 17, 2008 8:34 pm

It's pretty simple to work out if the AP is "worth it" to you. If you go into the parks 9 or 10 days it's worth it, if not it gets harder to justify.

You get a few discounts, I rarely find the discounts "worth it." You get discount at WOD, and 2 or 3 times per year they have been giving us a discount on rooms.

If I had to say there was ONE discount for the AP that made it worth it. I would say it was being able to spend the extra $60 to get a DDE card. Which is 20% off your bill at basically all the table service places.

johno

JimB · Post by **JimB** » May Sat 17, 2008 10:10 pm

I think the break even point is more like 12 days in a year, but you can easily do the math from the ticket and pass prices. The premium annual pass includes parking. (a plus if you're not staying on site) There are also 10% dining discounts at selected restaurants and special annual passholder room discount offerings. I'm not advocating stiffing the servers on the tip, but the DDE card now discounts the bill 20% and then automatically adds an 18% gratuity at table service locations. The real advantage is at the counter service locations. Be sure to do your homework before you plunk down a grand for a pair of passes if you aren't going several times in the next year.

SWHorn · Post by **SWHorn** » May Sun 18, 2008 2:50 pm

JimB wrote:The premium annual pass includes parking. (a plus if you're not staying on site)

The regular AP includes free parking, too.

kcarts · Post by **kcarts** » May Sun 18, 2008 6:18 pm

Wish I lived close enough that I had to make this type of decision.....

jcodirewolf · Post by **jcodirewolf** » May Sun 18, 2008 6:20 pm

kcarts, I live in Framingham/Boston and I have an AP. So it would appear you do live close enough to make that type of decision.

johno

cccmouse · Post by **cccmouse** » May Mon 19, 2008 6:22 am

Our family lives in North Carolina and we have had annual passes for years. Fortunately we are able to go enough that it has always made sense for us to renew them each year. Annual passes give us the opportunity to go into the parks for short times when maybe we wouldn't if we were using single day or multi day passes. Such as, if we arrive at Disney on our first day at 6:00pm. If we didn't have annual passes we probably would not go into the park and use a whole day on a ticket for just 2 or 3 hours. Or on our last day we can run into a park at opening, eat breakfast and ride 1 ride then leave to go home and not feel like we have wasted a day on a ticket.

jcodirewolf · Post by **jcodirewolf** » May Mon 19, 2008 7:28 am

A lot of times we do the same thing as cccmouse. We'll come into town and run into EPCOT Center, to shop at Mouse Gears, and visit the Chippies in the UK pavilion. It's not worth $40+ to do, but it's worth it considering it's already paid for.

We tend to go down 3 times a year for 3-4 days per trip. And normally we are able to slip down for a quick long weekend once or twice, so we are at about 12-15 days plus a few stop in on the way to Gainesville. Plus the fact that we get the DVC discount on APs, and we are DDE members. It works out to be a win for the APs.

johno

stev02 · Post by **stev02** » May Mon 19, 2008 9:21 am

I purchased my first AP last year and I'm going again this year before I have to renew so I will definitely get my money's worth. If you plan on going to the parks more than 6 times in a year than definitely get it.

Plus you get perks.

Post by **rdeacon** » May Mon 19, 2008 11:42 am

I have an annual pass and I live in NJ.

I've had one for the last few years. It has saved us quite a bit on tickets and room rates. Now I usually go on average twice a year. So I get my money's worth.

The AP does save you on the rooms and merchandise. Unfortunately Disney has been cutting some of the perks over the last few years.

I think its best to examine how many times you plan to go. And also figure out if you are going to say on property, etc.

Do thee math and see what works best.

Rich

kcarts · Post by **kcarts** » May Tue 20, 2008 12:41 pm

kcarts, I live in Framingham/Boston and I have an AP. So it would appear you do live close enough to make that type of decision.

Touche.

I couldn't get down there enough to make it worth while for me. I head down every couple of years.

disneydreamer58 · Post by **disneydreamer58** » May Tue 20, 2008 2:01 pm

jcodirewolf wrote:A lot of times we do the same thing as cccmouse. We'll come into town and run into EPCOT Center, to shop at Mouse Gears, and visit the Chippies in the UK pavilion. It's not worth $40+ to do, but it's worth it considering it's already paid for.

We tend to go down 3 times a year for 3-4 days per trip. And normally we are able to slip down for a quick long weekend once or twice, so we are at about 12-15 days plus a few stop in on the way to Gainesville. Plus the fact that we get the DVC discount on APs, and we are DDE members. It works out to be a win for the APs.

johno

Wow, can you adopt me and take me with you! I live in MA too but I would never think to go for a long weekend down to WDW. What carrier do you usually fly when you go? And where do you stay? Everything I always look at seems to high $$ for me

jcodirewolf · Post by **jcodirewolf** » May Tue 20, 2008 4:50 pm

We fly Jetblue BOS -> MCO If you hit it right you can get a round trip for ~$150 pp. Sometimes we stay on DVC Points sometimes we stay at PopC (or All-Star *.)

It's not too bad. It's costs more than going to the White Mountains for the weekend, but not that much more.

johno

castmember04 · Post by **castmember04** » May Tue 20, 2008 6:00 pm

Pretty Simple answer I think. If you are going to go for at least 2 full weeks a year, then it is worth it. Otherwise, its not worth it and the discounts you get aren't really worth it if you aren't going more than one week a year.

QuickGold · Post by **QuickGold** » May Wed 21, 2008 6:51 am

I love my AP. It brings you a lot of perks and makes for quick trips you haven't planned for easier to make since the ticket option is taken care of.