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View Full Version : AP's, any reason to buy before we go?



Whittibo
09-05-2006, 04:17 PM
I have our condo booked in Oceanside, tickets for the San Diego zoo and wild animal park. I have the Residence Inn in Garden Grove booked too. The only thing left that we need is our Annual Passes.

For the last 4 years, we were able to get the So. Cal. Select pass, this year it's not possible, so we're gonna bite the bullet and buy the AP. But is there any reason I should order them now rather then buy them when we get there?

I saw a thread about price increases, if I bought now, but didn't activate them, would that be a problem if there was a price increase? And they don't start the year until I use them for the first time right?

And the only place to purchase the AP's is through Disney. There aren't any discounts that I have ever seen, or any special deals. It just is what it is?

I am going to get parking added onto mine. We only need one ticket with parking right? I understand if I don't go one day, my husband would have to pay parking. Or I guess I could go, drive them through the parking garage, get the daily window tag, and then he could go back without me, is that right? (I don't expect for them to go without me, but ya never know)

stan4d_steph
09-05-2006, 05:04 PM
The only discounts available on APs are when you renew.

You only need one pass with parking if you plan to mainly go together in one car.

Mommy2NicknMax
09-05-2006, 05:07 PM
If you get them now, you would avoid any price increase, also you wouldn't have to wait in the ticket line. The time will start when you take the voucher to the AP Processing Center (Bank of Main Street) and get your AP.

Discounts on APs - I don't think so. I know you get one for renewing early though.

If parking is added to yours, you need to be in the car for it to be used. I'm not sure about reentry, although I've gone back and have never been asked to see my AP, just the little paper they give you.

Whittibo
09-05-2006, 06:10 PM
Thanks you guys!

Do they usually give warning before raising the prices? I had to book my hotel and condo early, so I am now paying interest on $2300+, so I wanted to wait at least awhile before charging the tickets as they'll be another $1200!

hlbtimes2
09-06-2006, 10:48 AM
One thing to consider- will there be any black out dates during your trip? Do you like to use early entry? If you answered yes to either of those, I would get park hoppers, then upgrade after you use the EE or black out dates. You will get the full value of the hopper when you upgrade. It would also help you split up the cost- pay for part when you buy the hoppers, then the rest when you upgrade them.

Whittibo
09-06-2006, 11:27 AM
Ohhhh.. now this might get interesting.

There are no block out dates, and early entry probably won't change our lives since we have 8 days there. BUT, how we use a AP is, we will go this year, then plan our next trip prior to the passes expiring.

Now if I bought the hoppers, say a 5 or 8 day hopper, and I upgraded say on the 7th day, full credit would be applied to the AP's, but here's the important thing, what day will the AP's be effective?? The day I upgrade, or the day we first used the hoppers??

Mommy2NicknMax
09-06-2006, 12:41 PM
Ohhhh.. now this might get interesting.

There are no block out dates, and early entry probably won't change our lives since we have 8 days there. BUT, how we use a AP is, we will go this year, then plan our next trip prior to the passes expiring.

Now if I bought the hoppers, say a 5 or 8 day hopper, and I upgraded say on the 7th day, full credit would be applied to the AP's, but here's the important thing, what day will the AP's be effective?? The day I upgrade, or the day we first used the hoppers??
The day you first use the hoppers. The only exception would be if the CM processing them forgets to backdate it. But I don't think that happens to often.

Whittibo
09-06-2006, 01:19 PM
Thanks much! It's actually good to know that because this way, we won't need to mess around with tickets and such. I'll just order the AP's sometime in the next couple weeks and have them ready for our first day.

Next year will be a bummer trying to fit a trip in, because the tickets will end next year, the day we start them this year. So our first day to the park will be October 27th, so we'll have to get our trip in before Oct. 27th next year. Which means we'll probably have to do a Sept/Oct trip again and it was HOT there last year in Sept./Oct. :(

Ah.. I am sure it will work out either way. Thanks for all the info/answers. Now I just have to hope that prices don't go up before I shell out the $1200.

annieb727
09-06-2006, 02:54 PM
another great thing about having the APs before you go or when you are first there is you get the AP discounts right off the bat...10% meal discounts and such...(well unless you get the premium which is 15%). We got our park hoppers...used EE the first day and then upgraded at the end of the first day - that way we maximized the use of AP discount and still maintained the benefit of EE.

Whittibo
09-06-2006, 03:06 PM
And, I won't have to stand in line waiting to buy tickets, or waiting to upgrade.

Things like that piss my husband off. LOL! He's of the mindset, he would rather pay more upfront, then to save $5 by standing in line twice. I like to save money no matter how much it is, always looking for a bargain!

Also, by having the AP the first day, we'll have the free parking, WHICH, seems like a good reason to order them ahead of time. Save $10 in parking!

Now that leads me to another question, I order these ahead of time, and then I can use the parking pass the day we go in to activate the tickets right?

Mermaid
09-06-2006, 08:14 PM
Not really sure about the praking but you will still have to go to the AP center to get the things processed. You have to get your pic taken. I believe you will just buy a voucher to be exchanged at the park. I was lucky. I upraded my PH (so I could use EE) on the first night (so I could then get the discounts). There was no line at the AP center. This was on a Thursday last Sept. Now- I have seen like 50 people in line at other times- usually Saturdays. Just a heads up!!

Whittibo
09-07-2006, 06:21 AM
Yeah, we always have to wait to GET the actual AP. But if I were to go to the park, buy hoppers, that's one line, then a few days later, go upgrade, that's another line. So just buying them right off the bat seems like a more practical way.

I hope that the vouchers we get will be sufficient for parking that first day. That would be a bummer if it wasn't and we had to pay $10 parking. That's part of the reason we're getting AP's and one with parking, to SAVE money. :s

kiwifuz
09-07-2006, 12:23 PM
I think you can also get your $10 refunded when you activate your AP with the parking option. Although only for the day that you upgrade.