Annual Pass ?

[WDWFreaksloan]

I am sitting here thinking, we go to Disney 2 to 3 times a year. We go to Florida more than that.

So I am thinking Annual Passes are the way to go. Yes, it looks scary because it will cost $2100 for us to get them, but when you think about it, it is really a great deal. Plus, if we had the passes we would probably even go to Disney more which is always a good thing.

We are taking a cruise at the end of the month out of Tampa, and we are getting there a day early. Can we just go to Magic Kingdom and buy Annual Passes? If you can is there a certain place you have to go to get them?

Also, does the year start the day you buy them or the first time you use them?

Thanks for any info you can provide.

 

[nighttimewisher]

I got mine in Downtown Disney guest services, took no time at all. This will save you on parking if you don't plan to use it straight away!

I'm almost certain it starts the day you buy as it had the expiry date on the back

 

[wvdisneyfamily]

I think it's the first day you use them for new ap. We upgraded to ap this year because of the length of our big trip every year and as our son gets older we will make smaller trips I'm sure.

 

[foreverbelle]

A) Is it worth it? I think it is if you go more than beyond ten days. Plus think about it, you have the chance to get the Tables in Wonderland, which gets you dinning discount. As well as discounts in merchandise. So is it worth it, yes especially if you go as many times a year.

B) Your AP's aren't activated until you use them. So if you bought them today, and didn't go until March 7th (lets just say) Your expiration date would be the following March 7th.

C) You can buy annual passes at Downtown Disney for sure. I think you can buy them at the guest services in Magic Kingdom but don't quote this on me. I dif. know that you can get them at Guest Services at DTD.

Whatever you decide, have a great time.

 

[CarlFredricksen]

I guess I never knew the AP started on first use. Knowing that, here is my question...

We are going May 27 - June 3 2011. Free dining, already signed up and already paid. 7day PH ticket (About $322 per ticket). We want to go back 2011 holiday season.

I've read before that you can trade in your park ticket as credit (as long as it's within 14 days of use) towards the purchase of an AP. On June 3rd, our last day, the plan was to trade in our 7day ticket for an AP, which will put the AP price around $180 (Math breakdown...AP costs $500, we will be using 7day ticket worth $322 as credit, we pay difference).

I had assumed our AP would be good from June 3 2011 - June 3 2012 (date of purchase). If I've read previous posts correctly, my AP will be good from holiday season 2011 - holiday season 2012? Even though I purchse AP June 3 but don't use it til 6 months later?

 

[Master Yoda]

I guess I never knew the AP started on first use. Knowing that, here is my question...

We are going May 27 - June 3 2011. Free dining, already signed up and already paid. 7day PH ticket (About $322 per ticket). We want to go back 2011 holiday season.

I've read before that you can trade in your park ticket as credit (as long as it's within 14 days of use) towards the purchase of an AP. On June 3rd, our last day, the plan was to trade in our 7day ticket for an AP, which will put the AP price around $180 (Math breakdown...AP costs $500, we will be using 7day ticket worth $322 as credit, we pay difference).

I had assumed our AP would be good from June 3 2011 - June 3 2012 (date of purchase). If I've read previous posts correctly, my AP will be good from holiday season 2011 - holiday season 2012? Even though I purchse AP June 3 but don't use it til 6 months later?

When you are upgrading an already used ticket your expiration date will be the first time the original ticket was used. Only AP vouchers start on the first date that they are used vs that day you buy them.

 

[tampabrad]

I would upgrade in the beginning as your renewal date will be the first day you use your tickets reguardless. Plus, you will be able to park hop and you will be use any discounts available.

 

[Monty]

For clarity:

When you purchase an AP on-line, you actually get a voucher. The voucher never expires until you exchange it. The voucher is exchanged at WDW for an AP which will expire 366 days later, whether you actually enter the parks or not.

If you are buying a package with tickets, you can upgrade the tickets you get at any time prior to or within 14 days of first use, the resultant AP will expire 366 days from the day you first used the original ticket. If you have free dining as part of your package, it's a good idea to use the tickets to enter a park, then go to Guest Relations to do the upgrade and make sure they leave the Dining Credits on your KTTW cards.

 

[disney4life2008]

AP are great!! Go to Downtown Disney guest services its fast and easy than going to a park.

 

[Sloan]

hotel discounts can make all of the difference

All of the benefits mentioned so far are great - the free parking, Tables in Wonderland, etc., but you can see very impressive savings from the room discounts - I've been able to justify the cost of mine over the years (many, many years now - and I am a FL resident) based upon the room discounts I've virtually always been able to get with the AP, so don't forget to include that in your analysis.

 

[cattle]

Epcot After 4pm pass

The Florida resident Epcot After 4pm Annual Pass is a great deal. I am a huge fan of Illuminations RoE and would love to live in Florida just to purchase this exclusive offering.

 

[Kobe!!]

Don't they offer a few months free at the end of the year or something?

 

[Monty]

Don't they offer a few months free at the end of the year or something?

The 15-month renewal [or regular for FLA residents] AP promotion ended 31 August.

 

[TShark469]

If you're not going to a park on the day before your cruise and didn't want to (or can't) go over to Orlando for the day, you could buy an AP voucher from the Disney Store in Tampa. Then when you do make it to the parks, you can exchange the voucher and then your pass will expire a year from the first day of use.

 

[Frau Farbissina]

I bought mine from the Disney store and then I activated it when I got to Epcot a few days later. It's good for a year from the date of activation, not when purchased the voucher. Be careful, as the CM inadvertently applied the date that I purchased my voucher from the Disney store until I pointed out that that was incorrect. If you upgrade a park ticket, the AP is backdated to when you first used that ticket (within 14 days, although I've heard they'll let you go a bit later).

I tend to go on frequent, shorter trips and even if I just take two 3-day weekends with a parkhopper added on, I save money. Plus right now, there are 10% off merchandise discounts in the parks, which is a nice little perk.

 

[Susan Savia]

We've always had APs and love the freedom they provide. We arrive mid afternoon and we''re in the parks soon after. We stay offsite and there's free parking and the discounts in the stores is great too. We plan two trips inside each year so we get two uses from our passes and go from 8 to 10 days each trip.