Be Honest - Why Did You Purchase Your AP

[SuzEm]

We got them because it was the most cost effective option for our length of stay. And once we had them, we planned for returns before their expiration.

I said "other" for the exact reason above. We just returned from a 2 week trip, potentially 15 days in the park. I really could have gone either way - get APs (1 adult/1 child) and be able to go into the park every day or get MYW 10day non-expiry hoppers and ration our park days. I planned to use left over plusses we have from previous trips with either AP or MYW. Although I wasn't aware at the time that some consider it cheating to reserve AP rate before actual purchase of the AP, this is what I did, so I guess I was one of the "cheaters."

Economically, for me, it just didn't make sense to go the AP route without a room discount as part of it, since I already was holding reservations with a AAA discount. And I didn't just get one AP to get the discount - I got one for each of us going so we could have the same days in the park - just didn't make sense otherwise. If we couldn't have gotten an AP room discount, then it made more sense to keep my AAA discount rate, purchase 10 day MYW tickets. The outcome was so close economically with the AP room discount, that it was almost a breakeven situation for me. What made me go with the AP was the fact that we had the option to go into the park all 15 days (we actually did 12 park days) and we had the option to make a second trip with tickets paid for.

So going the AP route, in the long run, will have me spending more money at Disney over the year than I would have with only the MYW and AAA discount. I didn't really save money because I already have reservations for a week in December - it's just that I feel like I got "more" for the money I spent and will be spending. So even though I guess I'm considered a "cheater" for reserving AP room discount w/o holding an AP or voucher at the time of making the reservation - I'll still be spending far more at Disney this year than I would have otherwise. I would think this is what Disney wants - customers who spend more there than they planned to otherwise!

 

[mmuskie]

BOTH - Plus it gives you a nice reason to go back.

 

[Amy&Dan]

Access to the parks. We had Disneyland AP's for the year before we got the WDW ones. In that year we took 6 trips and never once got an AP rate at any Disneyland Resort Hotel so that laid our groundwork of not looking at an AP as the end all be all of resort rates. I always came out better with Expedia rates for the Disneyland Hotel. At Disneyland they don't have the incentives to stay onsite period, ap discount or otherwise but people like me do it anyway. Consider that at Disneyland if you can get a nightly average rate of under $150 your are doing splendidly! They have enough people that book those rooms so they don't need to discount them as much. I know people got the discounts I just wasn't one of them. At first I thought this new policy was just a symptom of a healthy tourist economy now I am reading more and thinking maybe its just a second AP discount system. I am beginning to calm down about this issue since it looks like this new policy means that you can book 120 days out and then not have to keep calling back for more discounts or you can do it the old way and hope something comes up and that you call in time to get it, I think! In any case the nice thing about the AP is that it allows us to visit mulitple times without stressing about how many days can we go to the park. Also, if a great aifare deal comes up we can take advantage of that as long as the AP's are still valid. I still think its a good idea to have the AP but it just may mean that if discounts are harder to come by I will stay at the values!

 

[Jomrog]

I bought it for the room discount first so we could afford to stay at WL. BUT, I am hoping, praying & crossing my fingers that I could get back to WDW at least one more time so much so that I am considering purchasing them for my kids too. My DH isn't a huge Dinsey fan (gasp) so I thought that maybe I could talk him into it if we have AP's.

 

[Kate716]

I bought an AP this year solely for the great room discount at the BC. Buying an AP was the only way to get a decent room discount during that time, so I bought one and it saved me a decent amount of money on my May trip. (For the flamethrowers - Yes I had the AP voucher in hand when I made my AP room discount reservations and yes I have the adult AP, not child-- so I do not feel I cheated the system) Have I ever payed the rack rate for any of my stays at the Deluxes? Nope. Can I afford it -- yes. Just because I can afford the rack rate doesn't mean I'll pay it.

Now, did Disney get all that money I saved back and more -- you betcha! I did more character meals and spent more money in the Once Upon a Toy and World of Disney stores in Downtown Disney than I probably would have. Since I felt like I was saving on something , I did shell out big bucks for a velcro Princess crown, lots of little snap-on crown princess pieces, autograph books, and pens/pictures. Would I have bought those otherwise, autograph books-yes, princess crown and a zillion pieces - probably not.

Now, another perk for Disney is that my having an AP this year has also got me to book another trip down in October! If I didn't have one, would I have been down again so soon? Nope - not even with the free dining enticement.

Yep, Disney may have given me a room discount, but I guarantee they've made up for the discount and then some!

Just my 2 cents!
Kate716

 

[Brendita]

Will be @ WDW 2 weeks in 2005 Oct. for Halloween.
Will be back @ WDW 2 weeks in 2006 Sep. for my 50th.
Figured I save some $ on tickets.
Spend the savings on the big 50

 

[dizplanner]

I only had AP once and I did get it for the hotel discounts. It was for a trip in Jan 2001. I had planned on getting the park hoppers, but when the AP discounts came out, I was able to get a discount on the Poly and saved enough that I upgraded all four of our tickets to AP - I think because I thought I had to and I saved more than a enough to do to. I think I figured out I really only had to do one before we actually left on the trip, but I had already made plans that used the flexibility of the AP and didn't want to give that up so still got the 4 AP.

Because we had the AP, we did a second trip right before they expired in Jan 2002. Again we got an AP discount on our rooms. I probably would not have done this trip if we did not have AP and if we could not have gotten a discounted room.

So because Disney allowed me to get an AP discount on my hotel on my first trip, they got a second trip out of us that we probably would not have done otherwise.

And I don't feel I abused the system in any way - in fact I was well within it since I got AP for everyone.

 

[Melrosgirl]

Bought it this year (for the first time) b/c I planned two trips to WDW this year and I got $100 off each pass with my DVC discount. No brainer! I still plan to buy one each year assuming 1) the DVC discount and 2) more than 1 trip a year.

 

[tinker-kyle]

DVC discount ... beacuse if it we're pooling two years of pts to make three trips in 12 months

also love unlimited access to parks ... bought PAP coz two trips will be in the summer

 

[MagicKingdom05]

Because I was planning to go more than once this year and it just didn't work out. I plan to renew it before it expires on 2/26/06 since I will be going atleast 4 times next year.

 

[7thdwarf/dopey]

I also posted other, because it is a few combinations.
-unlimited entry
-food discounts, including DDE
- merchandise discounts
-ticket discounts
-AP events, including first try at new rides
- of course room discounts
- newsletter

 

[Gillian]

We don't have them now, but we originally bought them when we were planning a 10 day trip in sept 2001. Didn't go on that trip, as it turns out, but I activated my voucher that march and fit in 3 trips. DH managed 2 on his. We didn't renew because we weren't planning as many visits.

We were planning to go this past May and then in april/may 2006. We were trying to decide between APs with a room discount or 10 day MYW with no expiry and possibly an AAA package. I guess that puts us in the discount category!

 

[CarolA]

I love the freedom of knowing I can go whenever.... plus, if I only go for a few hours I don't feel like I have "wasted" a day.

 

[notnothin]

I love the freedom of knowing I can go whenever.... plus, if I only go for a few hours I don't feel like I have "wasted" a day.

I bought an AP for the same reason. However, I must admit, the discounts were helpful towards experiencing the deluxe resorts at a somewhat decent rate. It's hard to justify their cost without a sizeable discount.

 

[Gillian]

I love the freedom of knowing I can go whenever.... plus, if I only go for a few hours I don't feel like I have "wasted" a day.

This is a wonderful benefit of an AP! I was one I never thought of, but I think it was my favorite. Since we don't live nearby we would only buy APs if we can squeeze in at least 2 trips, but I love having one for this exact reason.

 

[Sammie]

Unlimited park admission for everyone in our family. Any discounts were just a nice perk.

 

[ladypoo]

We renewed our AP because of the amount of time we spend in the parks. Between June and December we have over 20 days planned there. It was easy to make that decision. Use the AP in 8 days and it is paid for. Anything over that is like a free day. And you get to Park Hop.

 

[MagicKingdom05]

ladypoo,

I will be doing the same thing in 2006. Between June and Dec I have WDW trips tenatively planned for Jun/Jul, Oct/Nov and Nov/Dec. So with me being there about 25 days next year an AP is a must regardless if an AP rate comes out or not.

 

[BadgerBruce]

We get AP's because we go every year, taking at least 2 trips within a year's time. Usually, we stay 9 or 10 nights & go late April one year & mid or early April the next. It is nice to get the room discounts, but we would get the passes anyway.

 

[robinb]

I choose "For Unlimited Access To The Parks", but the real reason I like my AP is because I can enter and leave the parks whenever I want and not feel like I'm "wasting" a day on a pass.