disneygeek90
Well-Known Member
Gold and above have complimentary Photopass. Though ironically since they’re the ones visiting the most, they typically don’t care about the pictures as much.
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True Cost of an AP
- Thread starter "El Gran Magnifico"
- Start date
HongKongFooy
Well-Known Member
Yep, looks like you're missing just about everything scorp16 wrote.
scorp layed out a most convincing breakdown of actual cost of his/her family of 4 AP based on natural expenditures---WDW expenditures that would happen irrespective of AP or no AP.
HongKongFooy
Well-Known Member
I don't think so; you did just fine... .....you spelled out a scenario as an example, a personal scenario and an effective one to illustrate the point of this topic.
HongKongFooy
Well-Known Member
Hank Hill
Well-Known Member
To quote the OP, "No wrong or right here." so either I didn't miss it or you did. Thanks for your feedback.
HongKongFooy
Well-Known Member
There is a proper context and understanding to the no wrong/no right allowance ........you missed that one, too.
Just my take
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Trackmaster
Well-Known Member
I think that the OP isn't calculating it appropriately. Any cost that the pass "saves" you is a completely paper expense, and that cost doesn't exist in reality. Its an arbitrary cost that the park tacks onto your experience. I guess that the discounts make the calculation more murky, so I try not to include them or consider them -- its extra money in Disney's pocket, and they're still earning profit from the transaction. Instead of an extreme mark-up, its only a slightly less extreme mark-up.
For my last AP that just expired a month ago:
$340 Weekday select AP
31 Disney visits
Free parking each time
No discounts on counter serve (for when I broke down and ate on site)
Got a ~$20 discount from an AH ticket (got another one with an extreme discount from a CM friend, so I won't count it)
I guess that's about it?
So it cost me $10.97 per day to attend the parks and park. Not a bad deal. Parking was a major plus, but the inflated $25 parking rates to me are just build into the price already and are a ridiculous abstract good that only have a value in relation to the day at the park. I guess if I had to pay out of pocket to park, it would have devalued what I'd pay for the pass, and I'd have a bigger incentive to carpool and go in bigger groups.
I'm not sure if I can put a monetary value on this, but I think that the FP+ system does help AP holders a lot, especially when they're savvy. We're able to hang back and cherry pick the FP+ and only go when we get the line-up that we want. As opposed to being locked into to a day with a less than favorable line-up. Plus, if you go enough, you learn the tricks to get the most out of them.
For my last AP that just expired a month ago:
$340 Weekday select AP
31 Disney visits
Free parking each time
No discounts on counter serve (for when I broke down and ate on site)
Got a ~$20 discount from an AH ticket (got another one with an extreme discount from a CM friend, so I won't count it)
I guess that's about it?
So it cost me $10.97 per day to attend the parks and park. Not a bad deal. Parking was a major plus, but the inflated $25 parking rates to me are just build into the price already and are a ridiculous abstract good that only have a value in relation to the day at the park. I guess if I had to pay out of pocket to park, it would have devalued what I'd pay for the pass, and I'd have a bigger incentive to carpool and go in bigger groups.
I'm not sure if I can put a monetary value on this, but I think that the FP+ system does help AP holders a lot, especially when they're savvy. We're able to hang back and cherry pick the FP+ and only go when we get the line-up that we want. As opposed to being locked into to a day with a less than favorable line-up. Plus, if you go enough, you learn the tricks to get the most out of them.
Trackmaster
Well-Known Member
But either way, once Disney has set up the photo system for their parks, it costs them like $0 for guests to electronically grab their photos that are already taken. You could argue that Disney needs to throw it on for free for regulars, otherwise regulars would never buy it.
HongKongFooy
Well-Known Member
Maybe I don't follow what you're saying.... maybe I do. I'm not sure.
What I am sure about is for this exercise to be meaningful the OP correctly ***assumes a natural/normal/consistent touring or spending pattern irrespective of AP ownership***
Yes. The intention was that the behavior (as it is for me) would not change. If I didn't have an annual pass (Let's say they didn't sell them) - My pattern of visiting would remain basically the same.
My question pertained more to the value adds by the way of benefits, that could offset the cost of the pass. My pattern of using the benefits would offset a certain cost of the pass (because I would do it anyway). I don’t eat at Biergarten because I get 10% off. I’d eat at Biergarten even if I didn’t. But the 10% is a benefit that offsets the cost of the pass.
Ex: If an individual who has an AP- Say it cost him $800 - goes to the park once a week (and is going to go once a week regardless) - then he/she realizes a $1250 benefit by using the free parking that comes with the AP. So for that individual the benefits negate the entire cost of the pass.
The purpose here was not to justify whether an AP is worth it. It was (at least initially) a question to gauge my use of benefits vs other AP holders as I was curious as to how they were using the benefits. But it got a bit derailed.
My question pertained more to the value adds by the way of benefits, that could offset the cost of the pass. My pattern of using the benefits would offset a certain cost of the pass (because I would do it anyway). I don’t eat at Biergarten because I get 10% off. I’d eat at Biergarten even if I didn’t. But the 10% is a benefit that offsets the cost of the pass.
Ex: If an individual who has an AP- Say it cost him $800 - goes to the park once a week (and is going to go once a week regardless) - then he/she realizes a $1250 benefit by using the free parking that comes with the AP. So for that individual the benefits negate the entire cost of the pass.
The purpose here was not to justify whether an AP is worth it. It was (at least initially) a question to gauge my use of benefits vs other AP holders as I was curious as to how they were using the benefits. But it got a bit derailed.
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Disney.Mike
Well-Known Member
Well, considering most FL teachers have to go on Medicaid to get healthcare for their kids and qualify for WIC, I am thinking APs are not up there in priorities. You keep worrying about this first world debate, because, well you must have nothing else to think about. SMHI am done with this pointless thread.
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A swing and a miss..
Starting out at 40k at 22 years old is hardly poverty... especially considering the state retirement (instead of Social Security Ponzi sche... err wealth redistribution sch... err system), and they only work about half the year
Trackmaster
Well-Known Member
I think its a little pointless though, because in park prices are completely paper prices... especially for a local AP holder. The tourists might be a captive market, but the sit-down restaurants are optional for us, we can easily hit a restaurant on our way out. And there's no discounts for counterserve. The AP really is only good for admission and parking. I was arguing that parking is a completely paper only cost. They can charge as much as they want or as little as they want. Its just the same thing as admission to me... with a slight incentive to carpool. Don't get me wrong, its a great perk, but you can't say that the pass is cheaper just because it has free parking. It just means that the pass is more valuable.
And you're not getting $1,000's of value by pounding 25 visits a year. You wouldn't have made those trips if you were paying for them out of pocket, so there's a decelerated benefit that you get after every subsequent visit.
I guess one thing I talk about is "break even points" for my APs. That's probably a more relevant economic concept. How many visits do I need to break even on the pass, and if I'd like to go more than that, then I'll consider getting it, but I also need to keep in mind that I might not need those visits if I was just paying out of pocket. But since I go about 25 times a year, and I have a lower level pass, I get a crazy amount of value.
HongKongFooy
Well-Known Member
No, you're missing it.
This is getting old fast but I will say it once again.
The presumption, of course, is ordinary, normal touring behavior irrespective of AP discount, ownership or influence.
Yes, he or she would have made those trips: why?
Because that is an underlying assumption for the point of this exercise............an assumption that can not be argued against.
Parker in NYC
Well-Known Member
We now take 3 trips a year, so it's not even a question for us to be AP-holders. We stay enough days for the admission to break even, and the resort, dining, and merch discounts make it even more attractive. Disney reels us in and we end up spending thousands of dollars on dining, After Hours events, Halloween/Christmas parties, so it's not a loss at all for Disney! We also take advantage of PhotoPass on each trip.
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