People with APs

[wendysmom]

We're DVC members...and live in Michigan. So, we buy the APs and look for cheap airfare to get out of this crazy cold weather!:brick: Last year we made it down 4 times. It's a real money-saver. We spent 9 days at the Beach Club in 05 (with air miles paying for our plane tickets)and ate out every night (only one really expensive meal) for $300. The APs make it an inexpensive way to have a warm getaway.

 

[Teenchy]

We have had premium annual passes the past 2 years and have gone down several times each year for about a total of about 14-16 days each year.

Our passes usually expire in Sept. each year when we attend NOJ. LAst year we got a big discount for renewal. But this year we are going to cash in our FREE (sort of as long as you dont count all the $$ we spent on the wedding:lol: ) vouchers for annual passes that we recvied after our WDW wedding this past December. The vocher says we have until 1 year of our wedding date to cash them in! :sohappy:

 

[mickeymouse2818]

I've had my AP since October '06 and have gone twice (three times after this weekend WOOT :sohappy: ) usually for 3 to 4 days. I'm from Texas and I can get flights for basically nothing (this upcoming trip is only costing me $10 roundtrip for two). The only thing I need to do is to book a room, usually at the Swan and Dolphin using AAA which drops those rates down to usually $100-$150. I have two more trips in the works before my pass expires but I'm debating whether I should renew my pass, as by spring '08 I could be on the college program.

 

[MissM]

On the subject of seasonal passes, I can't understand why anyone would buy one. Forget blackout dates, what about parking? Half a dozen daily parking fees and you've eliminated any price advantage to getting a seasonal vs annual.

Because in the real world, $200 extra dollars is a HECK of a lot of money to get the two of us full AP's instead of Seasonals. This is only the second time we've been able to wrangle the cash to get AP's at all, so in our world, Seasonal passes are a fantastic option that gives us the best value-for-the-dollar, most access and least upfront cost. We never go in the summer anyway and it's a heck of a lot easier to cough up $10 when we go than an additional $200 in one lump sum. It'd take 20 trips before we'd pay the difference in parking and as we normally go with a friend (and thus split parking cost) it runs us $5 for parking when we go instead.

A full AP would be lovely, but it's too much up-front cost for me so I am beyond excited to have the Seasonal option available.
-m

 

[mousermerf]

M, are you getting the AAA discount?

It's not a lot, but definately worth it. Had a friend buy a pass recently, and she didn't have AAA, but the office let my other friend show his AAA (mine just expired - i never use it) and then she used her credit card to buy the discounted pass.

 

[MissM]

M, are you getting the AAA discount?

It's not a lot, but definately worth it. Had a friend buy a pass recently, and she didn't have AAA, but the office let my other friend show his AAA (mine just expired - i never use it) and then she used her credit card to buy the discounted pass.

I had upgraded them from a Play 3, so I didn't have the option last year to use AAA. I could for the renewal, but I'm not going to have $400 before May 20th anyway. (I don't have a credit card hence the necessity to pay for it all at once up front.)
-m

 

[Kman101]

I also have AAA. I'm already a Floridian, so I'll be getting a Florida Resident Annual Pass ... does that mean I can also show my AAA card and get even more of a discount?

 

[dkrfla]

A lot of us passholders who live local or within 2 hours tend to go a lot more during the slow seasons and less during the busy times. Although there can be a few variables that will get us there during peak season such as passholder previews, special events and occasionally just plain withdrawl.

Dusty

 

[Kman101]

When are the typical slow seasons? Is there a website that lists the peak periods, the slow periods? I swear I saw it once while browsing Disney fan sites but have lost where it was ...

I do hear September is fairly slow, early September (I guess not counting Labor Day Weekend).

 

[Master Yoda]

When are the typical slow seasons? Is there a website that lists the peak periods, the slow periods? I swear I saw it once while browsing Disney fan sites but have lost where it was ...

I do hear September is fairly slow, early September (I guess not counting Labor Day Weekend).

Go to the Fl resident section and look at the blackout dates for the Fl resident seasonal pass. Those dates are pretty much peak season.

 

[bob0012]

I also have AAA. I'm already a Floridian, so I'll be getting a Florida Resident Annual Pass ... does that mean I can also show my AAA card and get even more of a discount?

Stop by your local AAA office and they'll sell you it a few bucks cheaper.

 

[bob0012]

When are the typical slow seasons? Is there a website that lists the peak periods, the slow periods? I swear I saw it once while browsing Disney fan sites but have lost where it was ...

I do hear September is fairly slow, early September (I guess not counting Labor Day Weekend).

http://www.touringplans.com/tp2/UG2_index.php?PageID=14

 

[scottnj1966]

OK looking at my picture folders over the years I should be able to figure out some numbers. I live an hour away. the first few years I had a seasonial pass, the last year I have had a premium annual pass.

2001 not sure just got my digital camera so I only had three days worth but i am sure I went more then that.

2002 17 times
2003 23 times
2004 25 times
2005 19 times
2006 30 times
2007 4 times (slow start I know)

Some of these times might be a Disney Quest or Water park visit here and there.

 

[psifreek27]

Well a good trick is to eeither pay parking for the theme park open the latest, park there, then hop on buses every where else...or if you want to avoid that altogether...say your visiting a resort, park in the front and use resort buses.:lookaroun

 

[JML42691]

Personally, I think that going way too often (and I mean like you lose count of how many times) then you begin to lose the magic. My family has never gone on two trips without at least 15 months in between. If you went seemingly everyother weekend, then it wouldn't seem as special. We joined DVC and will use Annual Passes for our next two trips (Aug '07 & Apr '08), and only getting annual passes because we will be doing about 15 days in 8 months. But I think that going two often would make it seem like a SixFlags (had to make a SixFlags stab somewhere:fork: )

 

[Kman101]

Well, unless you hit the park on a good day, you might not always be able to do everything (although you can probably fit in the MAJOR things). Personally, I myself would probably stretch out a trip to say Disney, over two weeks. Go one week on my day off and then the next week go again, just so I don't spend two continuous days ... I also only say that cause I live about an hour and a half away ... and will be getting an AP soon ...

I can't imagine myself, due to gas prices, going every week. I'd probably do a theme park every two months or something, or plan out a little day trip, or an overnight trip, save up money, etc. I'm trying to be smart about it, yet spur of the moment as well.

 

[flFigment]

I've read a thread about going to WDW too much. Well, it seems like people who have APs go much less than I thought they did!

For some reason, I pictured Florida Residents with APs living within an hour of the park or so would be going 2 times a month or something, but they only seem to go a few more times a year than someone from say New Jersey would go.

So how often DO people with APs usually go? This is very interesting...

My wife and I are AP holders and we go at least three weekends a month one day a weekend or one day every weekend. We avoid holidays though. We made that mistake on july 4th and we will go to the poly to watch the fireworks but will not go to the parks as tey are packed.

having an AP makes it more more of an experience to fully enjoy everything that WDW has. You do not have to run to all the rides. You can truly enjoy the atmosphere and do the things that tmost people completely miss. IE the rose garden in the MK, or look at the actual detail that is in all of the countries in Epcot. It is truly an amazing place.

and for note we are approx 1 hour from WDW we have two stop lights between our house and the resort entrance.

 

[JCorduroy]

I've read a thread about going to WDW too much. Well, it seems like people who have APs go much less than I thought they did!

For some reason, I pictured Florida Residents with APs living within an hour of the park or so would be going 2 times a month or something, but they only seem to go a few more times a year than someone from say New Jersey would go.

So how often DO people with APs usually go? This is very interesting...

I live near UCF, about a 35 - 40 minute drive depending on traffic, and I find myself there quite frequently - usually twice a month, and to multiple parks each day. So, in the year I've had it? With work schedule into account, I've probably gone on different days about 35 - 40 times.