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minniemom
08-20-2005, 01:49 PM
We are going to DL this fall and bought 5 day park hoppers. We were wondering if it was worth upgrading to an AP. I know you get free parking, discounts at resturant ect. Any opinions on if it is worth the upgrade and how much it would be.

Whittibo
08-20-2005, 03:08 PM
Will you be returning to DL after this visit? Within a year?

We buy the So. Cal. AP, they are hard to come by from what I heard last year, but it's WELL worth it for us. We were in the park for 6 days last year, and will use it for 8 days this year. I only paid $99 for each ticket, you can't even buy a 5 day pass for that!

I think the next AP starts around $200, that's a heavy jump. If you're not going to use it by next year, or it doesn't at least pay the difference in parking costs, then I wouldn't upgrade. It's not worth the extra $75 or so unless you save that much in other perks?!

Beware though, if you DO buy the AP, it's going to be hard not to come back again within a year. ;) You'll think to yourself, "gee, we got the tickets, it won't cost much"... I think the tickets are actually the cheapest thing we buy!

But on the other hand, because we already have our tickets this year, we get to go for 10 days instead of 8, for about the same price.

Hakuna Makarla
08-20-2005, 03:11 PM
APs only cost 200.00 for a year?? ok, so can I get one>??

Whittibo
08-20-2005, 03:40 PM
Of course you can get an AP. Just be sure the block out dates don't coincide with your planned vacation. The prices are as follows:

Deluxe - $209
Deluxe with parking - $258
Premium - $329

I don't know if there are any discounts available on AP's I have never personally seen one.

Here's the DL page for the passports http://disneyland.disney.go.com/disneyland/en_US/reserve/ticketListing?name=TicketListingPage&#apAnchor

Whittibo
08-20-2005, 03:45 PM
From what I see on the DL site, a 5 day park hopper ticket is $169 per adult. (bought at the gate would be higher I suppose? The normal price is $209.

So basically, you're only paying $40 more for the AP. I have the So.Cal.Select, I don't get many discounts with it. I get 10% off at the coffee shop out side of DCA, but as far as I know, that's about the only discount I have ever gotten. I always ask, and they say, "oh, no, you need to have the deluxe ticket".. :(

The cool thing about the AP's is they come on a credit card looking card with your pictures on them. Even though the pictures aren't that great, it's a great souvenir!

Darkbeer
08-20-2005, 04:59 PM
Current AP Prices (all ages 3 and older)..

SoCal Select - $99

SoCal - $149

Deluxe - $209

(A Parking Pass is available on all the above pass at an extra $49).

Premium - $329 (comes with parking).

ALL AP's come with a lot of discounts, the big ones are the DtD discounts, and the AP rates at the Disney owned hotels (HoJo's also offers a 15% off discount for AP holders).

http://www.mousesavers.com/dlmeals.html#annual

http://www.mousesavers.com/otherdl.html#annual

http://www.mousesavers.com/dlresorts.html#ap

nickbrown2k2
08-20-2005, 05:01 PM
From what I see on the DL site, a 5 day park hopper ticket
is $169 per adult. (bought at the gate would be higher I suppose? The normal price is $209.

So basically, you're only paying $40 more for the AP. I have the So.Cal.Select, I don't get many discounts with it. I get 10% off at the coffee shop out side of DCA, but as far as I know, that's about the only discount I have ever gotten. I always ask, and they say, "oh, no, you need to have the deluxe ticket".. :(

The cool thing about the AP's is they come on a credit card looking card with your pictures on them. Even though the pictures aren't that great, it's a great souvenir!

Yup, most of the discounts come with the Deluxe AP. Thenagain, we've paid $209 for those discounts rather than $99, haha. :)

minniemom
08-20-2005, 05:18 PM
Current AP Prices (all ages 3 and older)..Thanks Darkbeer, you are always a good source for the facts! The logic in upgrading at least my husband and myself would be not only the discounts, but we go every fall. If we upgrade this year, we will have the AP's for next year, we will just go a week earlier before the AP's expire. Then who knows we might just fit in a spring trip too!!! PLus everytime we have gone with my mother in law with an AP the kids love the pins they give you at the DL resturaunts because you are an AP holder!!!

Thanks Darkbeer, you are always a good source for the facts!! The logic in upgrading for an AP might not be the discounts we are getting this trip, but we do go every fall. By upgrading this year and paying for parking, that would cover parking for next year's trip (we would just go befoer the AP's expire) and our tickets would be taken care of as well. Not to mention I like 10% off here or there. Heck if we already have the AP's we might fit in a spring trip as well!!!

DianeM
08-20-2005, 05:49 PM
You only get discounts at certain restaurants and stores. Check the small print. My husband and I got AP's twice, when we knew we would be visiting DL within a year from our trip. This year we are just getting 3 day passes, because we are planning on going to WDW next year. We really never saved a lot using the discounts, because everywhere we ate they weren't accepted (except the Pizza place by SM - we saved about $5). They didn't even take the discount at Blue Bayou, which would have saved us a bit. When we renewed, though, we got 10% off on any one purchase in the park, and that saved us a few dollars. We just saved up all our purchases until the last day.


We are going to DL this fall and bought 5 day park hoppers. We were wondering if it was worth upgrading to an AP. I know you get free parking, discounts at resturant ect. Any opinions on if it is worth the upgrade and how much it would be.

Whittibo
08-20-2005, 05:54 PM
Yup, most of the discounts come with the Deluxe AP. Thenagain, we've paid $209 for those discounts rather than $99, haha. :)

Absolutely! You pay more, but get more back. It's probably a wash.. but you get FAR more days at the park with a deluxe pass too. Now us, we don't go in peak season, too crowded for us, so the So.Cal.Select is PERFECT for us.

Now just to clarify, the So. Cal. passes are NOT available to anyone outside of the listed zip codes anymore. Like I said, 3 years ago, I walked right up to the booth and bought ours. Last year I had a friend who lives there buy them for me, as AP's/residence, they are allowed to purchase I think 5 tickets for family/friends. BUT, not anymore is what I was told last year. I don't know how true that is, but I had a hard time getting ours validated with an out of town address.

I even have emails to the Headquarters, I claimed "discrimination" that they HAD to sell me that ticket no matter where I lived. But they knew better.. they said, "nope, we can offer special discounts to residences".. and that's when I found out that residence could buy 5 tickets per year for friends/family.

nickbrown2k2
08-20-2005, 06:08 PM
Absolutely! You pay more, but get more back. It's probably a wash.. but you get FAR more days at the park with a deluxe pass too. Now us, we don't go in peak season, too crowded for us, so the So.Cal.Select is PERFECT for us.

Now just to clarify, the So. Cal. passes are NOT available to anyone outside of the listed zip codes anymore. Like I said, 3 years ago, I walked right up to the booth and bought ours. Last year I had a friend who lives there buy them for me, as AP's/residence, they are allowed to purchase I think 5 tickets for family/friends. BUT, not anymore is what I was told last year. I don't know how true that is, but I had a hard time getting ours validated with an out of town address.

I even have emails to the Headquarters, I claimed "discrimination" that they HAD to sell me that ticket no matter where I lived. But they knew better.. they said, "nope, we can offer special discounts to residences".. and that's when I found out that residence could buy 5 tickets per year for friends/family.

For sure! The Select pass is perfect for people who plan trips in the off season and plan to be back within a year. For me, the Deluxe was a better deal because I'm fairly close (see location, haha) and I'll definitely be back many times before it expires.

In terms of upgrading, I'd say hey--go for it! The discounts are worth it, especially if you want to stay on-property during AP nights!

Hakuna Makarla
08-20-2005, 09:16 PM
Current AP Prices (all ages 3 and older)..

SoCal Select - $99

SoCal - $149

Deluxe - $209

(A Parking Pass is available on all the above pass at an extra $49).

Premium - $329 (comes with parking).

ALL AP's come with a lot of discounts, the big ones are the DtD discounts, and the AP rates at the Disney owned hotels (HoJo's also offers a 15% off discount for AP holders).

http://www.mousesavers.com/dlmeals.html#annual

http://www.mousesavers.com/otherdl.html#annual

http://www.mousesavers.com/dlresorts.html#ap

so how do I get a pass, and which one would fit us? why is is so much cheaper then buying a 5 day park hopper ? you mean i can but a 99.00 ap? and this will get us in any time during the year? except the black out days ? and where is a list of black outs? thanks I am a bif confused.

lauramaynot
08-20-2005, 09:56 PM
Of course you can get an AP. Just be sure the block out dates don't coincide with your planned vacation. The prices are as follows:

Deluxe - $209
Deluxe with parking - $258
Premium - $329

I don't know if there are any discounts available on AP's I have never personally seen one.

Here's the DL page for the passports http://disneyland.disney.go.com/disneyland/en_US/reserve/ticketListing?name=TicketListingPage&#apAnchor

Nellis AFB in Las Vegas sells a Premium AP for $315.00 for a grand total savings of $14.00. It is only available to military members but it is a discount.
here is the info:
http://www.nellis.af.mil/information/documents/Showsheet.pdf

lauramaynot
08-20-2005, 09:58 PM
so how do I get a pass, and which one would fit us? why is is so much cheaper then buying a 5 day park hopper ? you mean i can but a 99.00 ap? and this will get us in any time during the year? except the black out days ? and where is a list of black outs? thanks I am a bif confused.

$99 AP only avail. to So. Cal. residents with zip codes between....(don't know the zip codes) and it has a horrendous number of block out dates :(

TowerofTerror
08-20-2005, 10:28 PM
depends if you will be blocked on the dates your pass is being used

Malcon10t
08-21-2005, 10:15 AM
so how do I get a pass, and which one would fit us? why is is so much cheaper then buying a 5 day park hopper ? you mean i can but a 99.00 ap? and this will get us in any time during the year? except the black out days ? and where is a list of black outs? thanks I am a bif confused.Since you are out of state, the cheapest pass you can get is a deluxe pass, which is $209. You can find a list of blackout dates on www.disneyland.com/ap The $99 AP is limited to those who live in the LA area.

Malcon10t
08-21-2005, 11:17 AM
We really never saved a lot using the discounts, because everywhere we ate they weren't accepted (except the Pizza place by SM - we saved about $5). They didn't even take the discount at Blue Bayou, which would have saved us a bit. The Pizza port, all APs get 10% discounts, at the Blue Bayou, only Premium passes get the discount (15%.)

Whittibo
08-21-2005, 11:26 AM
Has any AP holder tried to buy the Cal.Select passports for family members this year?

Last year, they said they were going to stop that, but I don't know if it ever happened?

Also, many times (I was told this by a ticket booth person) if you walk up to the ticket booth to buy the select pass, they will sell it to you anyway. But it's when you go to validate it they will give you a hard time?? Don't know if any of that is true or not?

nickbrown2k2
08-21-2005, 12:07 PM
But it's when you go to validate it they will give you a hard time?? Don't know if any of that is true or not?

The problem does arise when you try to get your real AP. They will ask you for your address, and if it's not in Southern California...then you don't qualify for the lower two APs. As for what'd they do, haha, I have no idea...force you to upgrade to Deluxe?

Whittibo
08-21-2005, 12:29 PM
I have a diet forum. Last year I think 10 or 11 of us went on a cruise to Mexico. 1 of our members lives in Anaheim (lucky girl), and 3 other members stayed down there for a week. The friend who lives there, went to the park with the other friends and bought their tickets for them, and they all went in together and validated them. Now one of these friends was from British Columbia, FAR from Anaheim, and didn't have any problems getting her real pass.

Now us.. I had the same friend buy our tickets, and she wasn't there with us when we got our tickets. I did have an email from some corporate person, telling me this was OK, that they could buy up to 5 passes a year for friends/family. So they had to let me validate it. Although she wasn't very "friendly" about it.

Two things to remember when/if you are going to get AP.
1.) Be sure to check all block out dates. With my cheap-o pass, I can't go on ANY holiday or ANY Saturday/Sundays. Most people travel on holidays or at least weekends. I can NOT enter the park on those days (unless I want to pay $35 per person to get in on a block out day).. I don't know how many block out dates the deluxe passes have. Fewer then mine, but just be sure!
2.) You will get your picture taken for your passport. Be sure to shower and do your hair nice. They are only black and white digital crappy pictures, but all the more reason to make yourself look EXTRA nice.

Osky
08-21-2005, 01:15 PM
2.) You will get your picture taken for your passport. Be sure to shower and do your hair nice. They are only black and white digital crappy pictures, but all the more reason to make yourself look EXTRA nice.

What if you shave your head, and thus, have no hair? ;)

nickbrown2k2
08-21-2005, 01:40 PM
Two things to remember when/if you are going to get AP.
1.) Be sure to check all block out dates. With my cheap-o pass, I can't go on ANY holiday or ANY Saturday/Sundays. Most people travel on holidays or at least weekends. I can NOT enter the park on those days (unless I want to pay $35 per person to get in on a block out day).. I don't know how many block out dates the deluxe passes have. Fewer then mine, but just be sure!


The Deluxe AP has only 45 blackout days.

Doug
08-21-2005, 01:45 PM
What pins? I have been to the various DLR resturants, and was never offered anything... hmmm for kids only?


Thanks Darkbeer, you are always a good source for the facts! The logic in upgrading at least my husband and myself would be not only the discounts, but we go every fall. If we upgrade this year, we will have the AP's for next year, we will just go a week earlier before the AP's expire. Then who knows we might just fit in a spring trip too!!! PLus everytime we have gone with my mother in law with an AP the kids love the pins they give you at the DL resturaunts because you are an AP holder!!!

Thanks Darkbeer, you are always a good source for the facts!! The logic in upgrading for an AP might not be the discounts we are getting this trip, but we do go every fall. By upgrading this year and paying for parking, that would cover parking for next year's trip (we would just go befoer the AP's expire) and our tickets would be taken care of as well. Not to mention I like 10% off here or there. Heck if we already have the AP's we might fit in a spring trip as well!!!

Doug
08-21-2005, 01:54 PM
I got tired of the black out BS, so I went for the PAP.... go ANYtime....

Whittibo
08-21-2005, 03:23 PM
I love the Cal. Select. The price is unbeatable, and we can't go any other time of the year besides fall anyway. My husband works in pest control, so spring/summers are too busy to take a vacation. We also don't mind going on weekdays only. I just wish they had an option for out of towners to buy it. I mean, why not? If it suites my needs, I should be able to purchase it?! :(