Annual Passes for Someone Not Living in Florida?

[PagingMsMorrow]

I don't currently live in Florida, but we travel to WDW often. Does anyone have a annual pass and don't currently live in Florida? Are there any benefits to it or would it simply be a waste for someone who doesn't live there.

 

[Tony the Tigger]

If you’re going to go often enough that your multi-day tickets would cost more than an AP, then it’s worth it.

Bonus: you’ll get some (mostly 10%) discounts on some food and , discounts on some tours/special events, the AP entry line, and a few other minor perks.

 

[Cmdr_Crimson]

Unless your intending in staying on property for 2 weeks (14 days) then yes..I have done this plus the discounts are worth it during your time there and I live out here in....ugh Illinois..

 

[thomas998]

I don't currently live in Florida, but we travel to WDW often. Does anyone have a annual pass and don't currently live in Florida? Are there any benefits to it or would it simply be a waste for someone who doesn't live there.

You'll have to run the numbers yourself because there are a lot of different variable that go into figuring out whether it makes sense. Somethings to remember are discounts on hard ticket events like Halloween and Christmas if you do those type things... free parking... some discounts on hotels but those are a bit random so it is difficult to put a real value on that savings. Also remember if you have a family that only the person buying the hard tickets, parking the car or checking into the hotel needs the AP. We have made it work if we were only doing 10 days for me to get the AP, but it takes closer to two weeks of Disney to justify the whole family.

 

[Tribal Prophet]

I live in Manitoba, and me and my wife are passholders.

We will go for a trip, then the next year we’ll go when the passes have only a couple weeks left on them, so it splits the cost over two trips.

If we were only going once over the two years and couldn’t get two trips out of the passes, we’d still get one pass holder just for the discounts and free parking at the parks.

 

[DznyGrlSD]

I have an AP simply because i'm going 3x within a 12 month period of time. I live in South Dakota.

 

[Nottamus]

NJ here, we go twice a year, 7 days each trip, and found the AP saves us money. Plus a few discounts, sometimes less crowded park entries doesn't hurt either.

 

[JIMINYCR]

You dont say how often you visit, but by being able to visit multiple times in a year, the AP will make a difference in what youll be paying and the saving youll get. We have taken advantage of it when we knew multiple trips were able to be taken in certain years.

 

[ToTBellHop]

It varies year-to-year, but when we go 3-4 times in 12 months, we buy an AP. We usually let our APs expire in between. Our last AP expired in September. Activating a new one next week. We didn’t take advantage of the renewal discount as delaying will allow us to travel this December. Well worth it. We are DVC members so we get a discount when we buy APs, too. The merch and dining discounts hold no appeal as we already get those as DVC members. Similarly, room discounts aren’t a factor for us.

 

[NeedMoreMickey]

I've made two trips in the since September that I wouldn't have done if I wasn't a pass holder. My niece invited me to look at wedding venues with her in September and my nephew invited me to drink around the world with him in January. I would have passed on both trips if I didn't have the AP.

 

[danyoung56]

I live in Dallas, and I just about always have an AP. I get 3 trips out of one pass - I'll go in March, again in September, and then next year early in March. I just about break even on the AP vs. regular tickets. When you add in the discounts on rooms and the ability as an AP-holder to buy the Tables in Wonderland card (which gives you 20% off of most table service restaurants and even a few quick serve locations, INCLUDING ALCOHOL!), having an AP is a big money-saver.

 

[Monty]

I'm in Ottawa, Canada. I get APs whenever I'm planning two or more trips within 12 months. I've gone as many as 6 trips on one pass. The flying to/from is more concern than the AP.

 

[DuckTalesWooHoo1987]

We're from TN and spend a little over 3 weeks a year there and think AP's are mega worth it. We get a discount on them through the DVC but even if we didn't I still think it would be worth it for as much as we go. If you're only planning on taking a like a week long or 10 day trip once per year then I would say it's not worth it.

 

[I'mwatchinguWizowski]

We have annual passes and are out of state. We went in August for 9 days, Christmas for 12 days and then we will go again sometime before they expire for at least a week again. worth it for us!!

 

[Trackmaster]

Personally, I've been wondering what the business strategy is for giving such deep discounts to in Florida residents, and making it so hard for out of state residents. Is it a courtesy to the locals to curry goodwill? Or is there a legitimate business reason for it (I guess, for example trying to get the park filled during hard to fill times, but the parks are generally pretty crowded 365 days a year now)? Maybe its a deal that the WDW struck with the Florida legislature to subsidize FL passes?

 

[DISR]

Did an eight day family trip last year and bought regular tickets for the family and an annual pass for me. When I factored discounts for dining, MNSSHP (and other special events), the included photopass, shopping discounts, etc, it appeared to be a very close call. Those discounts apply to the entire party, as long as I am with them. As it turns out, we are heading back prior to the pass expiration, so it will now be a definite benefit. It will depend on length of trip and spending habits though. I think it is definitely worth doing the calculations though. Passes for everyone in the traveling party is a simpler calculation. That comes down mostly to number of days and number of trips in a one year window.

 

[Tom 55]

I live in NH and have annual pass. I found that the cost of AP is equal to about 14 day tickets. So if I get to use the AP twice during the year for trips of 8 to 9 days then I get like 4 days free. I go late September one year and early September the next. It makes things more affordable if I deciede to go with grandson during April vacation. Like this year.

 

[Trackmaster]

I believe Disney gets alot of subsidies and tax breaks from the State of Florida. So as a reciprocal gesture that good will is past on to the constituents who vote for the people in power in Florida.

for example Disney doesn't want gambling in the state of Florida. And the legislature voted by the residents of Florida would be the ones who control whether there is gambling or not in Florida.

Hmm... well I'm a Florida resident, and I haven't heard this position by Disney. If the idea is to bribe me cheap APs in return for voting no on gambling, clearly that message isn't being communicated. But I could see Disney's objection. Its a major tourism pull, and empties cash out of the wallet of parents, while Disney wants that cash going to them.

 

[Trackmaster]

But I also think that Disney should do a better job of allowing for APs to non-residents that are actually feasible and worthwhile. I get the impression that APs help make guests more loyal, and encourage them to come to the parks more, when it costs the park itself nothing. Something that helps you upcharge the passes are also more lavish and creative perks. The perks with the Disney AP's are all pretty much the same, and the main thing that changes with the levels are the black-out dates.

 

[Trackmaster]

I was torn on the amendment, I don't remember which way I ended up voting actually, as I'm torn down the middle so much. "Let's Florida residents have exclusive rights" sounds pretty wishy washy, and sounds like the kind of speak that they put in to get these things passed, so that turned me off right there. I didn't do much research, but to me, it sounds like you vote Yes on this so that you can get more referendums to vote on.

But it sounds like its coming down to giving the Native American a monopoly vs. letting regular corporations come in and open up more casinos.

On the one hand, I'm against these casinos and think that gambling is bad for the middle income and lower. Its just a way to get people who need the money to stumble in, hand over their paycheck, and go back home to their family with a angry wife and a rolling pin waiting for them. It takes away disposable income, leads to crime, poverty, etc.

On the other hand, as legal gambling is pretty much everywhere now, and is a big tourist attraction, its probably better that we keep the dollars in Florida. If stupid people are going to sign over their paychecks, its better that we keep the money in our community.

I also don't really like the idea of a special group of people are allowed to run the casinos, not pay taxes on it, and only a minimal amount of the money goes into our community. So I liked the idea of the corporate casinos giving the Native American casinos some competition. Nobody should have monopoly anyway. I wish that they we got rid of the loophole that gave those groups a monopoly on gambling and made them exempt for taxes.