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View Full Version : Annual Pass - When to buy?



chelbell
03-03-2004, 12:36 PM
How do the annual passes work? I'm just wondering if there is a better time than another to buy them? And, do they expire 1 year from the date of purchase, or do they expire at a certain time during the year? I'm seriously considering buying them this year for my family....we're planning to visit in the summer and then I figure we can go back again if we can get special rates at the Disney resorts. And would they be worth it if we only plan to visit a couple of times during the year? We have 2 adults, an 11 year old and a 5 year old. Thanks for any advice...:)

julia
03-03-2004, 12:55 PM
Hi,

Definitely buy them BEFORE you get to Disneyland - you can get an early purchase discount. I am almost certain that is one year from the date of purchase. Also, maybe someone else has these numbers, but check and see how many visits you need to make to recover the cost of the AP. It isn't very many trips, but I don't remember the numbers right now.

Have a magical day!
Julia

cstephens
03-03-2004, 01:07 PM
Actually, the pass expires one year from the first date of use, and you have to use the pass within a certain number of days (it used to be three months) from time of purchase.

sediment
03-03-2004, 01:22 PM
The best time to have bought would have been before Feb 29. It's possible to have received an extra eligible day. Now, you'll have to wait another three years or so (between 3/1/2007 and 2/29/2008).

(Or is the Annual Passport only a 365-day pass?)

Online at Disney, there doesn't appear to be a discount for APs. I thought I might have seen a difference between "main entrance" and "advance purchase" prices at one time.

All that follows is from disney web site.

Cheapest is five-day parkhopper: $129 (adult) / $99 (5-y-o)
Daily admission: $47 / $37 for 5-y-o. No park-hopping.
PAP: $225 (all). 8.7 visits equivalent to 5-day parkhopper / 11.4 visits for the 5-y-o.
DAP: $165 (all). 6.4 visits / 8.3 visits
SoCalAP: $125 (all). 4.8 visits / 6.3 visits

Choose the AP depending on when you can go versus blocked out dates, how often you plan to go within 365 days, where you live, and any further discounted fixed-visit tickets you might find.

The website does not indicate when the start date is. An AP here would know. If it is purchase date, then you should wait. You can't even do a will-call thing, as I've done at WDW, though that was for an event on a specific date.

Forbin
03-03-2004, 01:54 PM
It's the date you turn them in.

I got a pair and didn't use them for 30 days. When I turned them in, they directed me to the Bank and the starting date on them was that day.

AVP
03-03-2004, 02:22 PM
I recommend NOT buying them during December of January, unless you are really good about renewing by mail.

That time of year is when a great number of APs are up for renewal - a LOT of passes are given as holiday gifts. Also, many APs had their renewal date pro-rated to December when DCA opened and the 2-park pass came into existance.

The lines to renew passes during the holiday season can be HOURS long. You want to avoid that if you can, either by renewing by mail, renewing on a weekday, or buying your pass in another month.

Just my 2c.

AVP

chelbell
03-03-2004, 07:01 PM
Thank you all SO much for your input! I think I will get them this year....since we're only a 6 hour drive away, or 1 hour by plane. I think if we had the passes we would use them and go more than we normally would, which would be just fine with me and the kids!!!:D Thank you all again!!!