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suek
07-07-2007, 09:32 AM
Dear Disney Experts: My family and I are planning to go to Disneyland in September for 5 days. I am trying to decide if it would be worth spending $50 or so more per ticket (I'll need 5) and buy annual passports. We usually try to go to DL once a year - but I am hoping if we buy annual passports perhaps we can plan on another visit during the time our tickets are valid. What do you all think? We usually stay at a Disney Hotel so do you get a better rate is you have an AP? Are there any other benefits? Thanks for any help or insight you can share!

frank828
07-07-2007, 09:44 AM
i think u just answered your own question.

If you do plan on coming back then definitely get the annual pass.

BTW, you can also get 10%(up to 15% if u have PAP) off on most food inside the park and in downtown disney with the AP.

Malcon10t
07-07-2007, 09:44 AM
Dear Disney Experts: My family and I are planning to go to Disneyland in September for 5 days. I am trying to decide if it would be worth spending $50 or so more per ticket (I'll need 5) and buy annual passports. We usually try to go to DL once a year - but I am hoping if we buy annual passports perhaps we can plan on another visit during the time our tickets are valid. What do you all think? We usually stay at a Disney Hotel so do you get a better rate is you have an AP? Are there any other benefits? Thanks for any help or insight you can share!At the Disneyland Hotels, you get 10% off and can take advantage of AP nites (which can have great rates.) A deluxe pass does have some blackout days so make sure you schedule your time around those days. You also get 10% off most restaurants in the resort. Exceptions are ODV carts and Gibson Girl ice cream parlor. If you think you will make another trip, it is worth it.

adriennek
07-07-2007, 09:46 AM
We usually stay at a Disney Hotel so do you get a better rate is you have an AP? Are there any other benefits? Thanks for any help or insight you can share!

Re: AP rates at the DLH - Yes, there are at times slightly better rates but they go fast. I'm not sure I'd buy an AP for that particular perk. (Also, if you're really looking to increase your opportunities to visit DLR, I strongly encourage you to consider staying offsite where it's much more affordable. But. I have a well known reputation for not thinking that the DL properties are not worth the cost and I think that there are a few places on Harbor, Katella and Ball, that are just fine and dandy alternatives for a better price, so there you go...)

There's free parking - but if you're staying near property or on property, you won't be using that.

There's a lot of AP discounts you can get at restaurants and stores - even if you're not staying on property.

You'll get a newsletter. (Hey, it's a perk of membership...)

Adrienne

Mrs Mouse
07-07-2007, 09:49 AM
I have a question that is kind of related to the OP's.

We are leaving on Monday for a nine-day visit and have bought eight-day Park Hopper's from a local travel agency. There will be 5 adults and 2 children on the trip. My question is - would it be worth it for one of us to upgrade our hopper's to an AP just for the discounts? Someone in our group suggested this and I'm wondering if it would be worth the price we'd pay for the upgrade. Are there any discounts on merchandise that come with an AP, or are the discounts only on food and hotels?

frank828
07-07-2007, 09:52 AM
there are discounts on some merchandise i think when u have a Premium Annual Pass. I know i read all this stuff in my old newsletters and its also posted on the disneyland annual pass section of their website.

kohl
07-07-2007, 10:07 AM
With the Premium AP, you get free parking, but you can buy a parking pass with the deluxe AP, not sure how much they are. You get 10% off at most food locations, with the deluxe AP, but with the premium AP you get 15% off at most food places. I can't remember all the locations. You also get 10% off merchandise with the Premium, but not with the Deluxe. For our family of 4, I have the Premium AP and the rest of them have the Deluxe. We don't go when the deluxe AP is blocked out so it has worked great for us!

Darkbeer
07-07-2007, 10:20 AM
First off, based on the price difference, looks like the OP is planning for a Deluxe AP, so no free parking.

I recommend getting the ParkHopper for your first visit, this way you get the Early Entry and don't have to worry about Blockout days, plus the fact that kids 3 thru 9 are usually cheaper (except for the Everyone at the Kids price specials).

Now, the question is do you want to upgrade to an AP while you are still at the park during your first visit?

Currently a 5 day ParkHopper is $189, so for $50 you could get a Deluxe AP ($80 for kids).

I would go look at the Deluxe AP Blockout dates and see if you could schedule another visit within 12 months. If you think there is a good chance of you coming back, you need to ask "Is it worth gambling $50 to get another $150 Park ticket within 12 months?", and if you think there is at least a 60% chance of coming back, I think it is worth it.

If you decide that you want the AP, then you need to figure out when to upgrade. First off, you need to use the Early Entry Day, second, you need to check for Blockout days. After BOTH things are taken care of, I would upgrade as soon as possible, so you can get the 10% off most food purchases, plus the Downtown Disney discounts.

Hope this helps.

Cnjp
07-07-2007, 10:58 AM
I have a question that is kind of related to the OP's.

We are leaving on Monday for a nine-day visit and have bought eight-day Park Hopper's from a local travel agency. There will be 5 adults and 2 children on the trip. My question is - would it be worth it for one of us to upgrade our hopper's to an AP just for the discounts? Someone in our group suggested this and I'm wondering if it would be worth the price we'd pay for the upgrade. Are there any discounts on merchandise that come with an AP, or are the discounts only on food and hotels?


Hi! Just as a note, you can only upgrade a Park Hopper if the price of the Annual Passport is more than the Park Hopper. For example, if someone purchased a three-day Park Hopper for the AAA price of $159.00, they could not upgrade to a Southern California AP which costs $154.00. I couldn't find a price on either the Disneyland or AAA website for an eight-day Park Hopper. So, I'm not sure what your upgrade options would be. All grades of APs offer food, hotel and Downtown Disney discounts, but only the Premium offers park merchandise discounts. Have a great trip! :)

Darkbeer
07-07-2007, 12:54 PM
I have a question that is kind of related to the OP's.

We are leaving on Monday for a nine-day visit and have bought eight-day Park Hopper's from a local travel agency. There will be 5 adults and 2 children on the trip. My question is - would it be worth it for one of us to upgrade our hopper's to an AP just for the discounts? Someone in our group suggested this and I'm wondering if it would be worth the price we'd pay for the upgrade. Are there any discounts on merchandise that come with an AP, or are the discounts only on food and hotels?

Based on GetAwayToday.com, a 8 Day ParkHopper is $209 for an adult, and $179 for a kid 3 thru 9.

So if you upgraded one Adult PH, you would have to pay $30 for the upgrade to a Deluxe AP. But can you upgrade on the first day? The Deluxe is blocked out on Saturdays this time of year, so are you planning to go to Disneyland on Saturday, or would you do something else?

If you have to wait until the last Saturday of your trip, how many days would you have left. ALso, you need to take advantage of your Early Entry prior to upgrading, so you might not upgrade until your 3 or 4th day.

So what are the benefits of the Deluxe AP, 10% off most food purchases and selected Downtown Disney discounts (usually 10%).

So that would be $300 or more in purchases (basically food) to break even on the upgrade, and then you would make a "profit" on any purchases above and beyond...

So if there is no chance of your returning in the next 12 months, more than likely it won't be worth it.

If you have an AAA card, you can get 10% off some food purchases at the DLR...

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

Of course, if you are planning to return to the DLR in the next 12 months, yes, it is worth it to upgrade.

pisces
07-07-2007, 01:32 PM
I bought an 8-day Parkhopper for $199.00, last year at the front desk of GCH when I went to check-in.

I don't know what kind of a rate that is, or if it's the "supersaver" rate, or if you can do that at every hotel; but, I've done it that way, at the GCH, for the last 3 years.

I only visit once every 12 months, so it works for me.

Petersgj
07-07-2007, 01:35 PM
We only go once per year as well, but we get two years worth out of one annual pass. We went the third week of February this year and bought annual passes. Next year we will go the second week of February just before the pass expires. This way we only have to buy a pass every other year.

Malcon10t
07-07-2007, 02:00 PM
I have a question that is kind of related to the OP's.

We are leaving on Monday for a nine-day visit and have bought eight-day Park Hopper's from a local travel agency. There will be 5 adults and 2 children on the trip. My question is - would it be worth it for one of us to upgrade our hopper's to an AP just for the discounts? Someone in our group suggested this and I'm wondering if it would be worth the price we'd pay for the upgrade. Are there any discounts on merchandise that come with an AP, or are the discounts only on food and hotels?
Sat is a block out day for DAPs. The difference in price is $30. If you think you will spend more than $300 in food at the park and DTD, then it is worth it. No merchandise perks unless you get a PAP (which would be $150, no block out.)

Malcon10t
07-07-2007, 02:04 PM
I bought an 8-day Parkhopper for $199.00, last year at the front desk of GCH when I went to check-in.

I don't know what kind of a rate that is, or if it's the "supersaver" rate, or if you can do that at every hotel; but, I've done it that way, at the GCH, for the last 3 years.We do this also. Christmas 2005, it was $189 for an 8 day, last year it was $199, and this year is $209. The rate is the same as what you get thru WDTC.

Mermaid
07-07-2007, 02:04 PM
I have heard a lot of people who go once a year getting AP's to cover two years of trips. If you go a week or two earlier the 2nd year, your AP will still be valid. The only catch is Saturdays are blocked out in the summer for Deluxe AP's but you could make that your travel day!

Darkbeer
07-07-2007, 02:12 PM
I have heard a lot of people who go once a year getting AP's to cover two years of trips. If you go a week or two earlier the 2nd year, your AP will still be valid. The only catch is Saturdays are blocked out in the summer for Deluxe AP's but you could make that your travel day!

You could also visit another place on Saturday, such as the Beach, go shopping, or visit Knott's, currently you can find deals for Adults to get in for around $30, and kids ar less than $20 full price (and thats 3 thru 11, plus seniors 62 and over).

Or you can buy a Blockout ticket for another day at Disneyland, currently $30 a person. That is still a lot cheaper than a parkhopper.

suek
07-08-2007, 03:27 PM
Thanks so much for the input - I talked to the Disney travel folks and they suggested buying a park-hopper pass, and then upgrading it to an Annual passport. I was told we would have upgrade the first day we were at DL. So, I guess if we upgraded we could then take advantage of the other AP benefits. I'm not typically a gambler - but the thought of taking two trips to DL a year sounds fun. I appreciate all your input!

Leap for Joy
07-08-2007, 03:46 PM
Thanks so much for the input - I talked to the Disney travel folks and they suggested buying a park-hopper pass, and then upgrading it to an Annual passport. I was told we would have upgrade the first day we were at DL. So, I guess if we upgraded we could then take advantage of the other AP benefits. I'm not typically a gambler - but the thought of taking two trips to DL a year sounds fun. I appreciate all your input!

You don't "have" to upgrade on the first day. I think they were probably trying to communicate that your APs will be dated the first day you use your parkhopper regardless of when you upgrade. You should wait until you've used your Early Entry day and until any blockout days have passed before you upgrade.

Have a great trip!

suek
07-08-2007, 05:14 PM
Thanks for the clarification. Sounds like we are better off upgrading after the early entry day - I appreciate the help!

DizneyMommy
07-08-2007, 05:21 PM
Not sure where the OP lives, or if this was mentioned and I missed it, but the 2 lowest passes - the 2 SoCal passes, are for So Cal residents only. You would have to purchase a Deluxe if you are from out of the SoCal area (which I think covers from LA to San Diego).

Darkbeer
07-08-2007, 07:36 PM
Just to clarify, you can upgrade on ANY day your ParkHopper is valid.

For example, your first day at the park is this Thursday, July 12th, and you plan to spend 5 straight days at the resort with a 5 day ParkHopper. You would want to wait until after you enter the park on Saturday, July 14th to upgrade to an AP (to avoid the Blockout date).

The policy is that is that you have to upgrade (in this example) on or before the 5th day of use. So that is before the ParkHopper expires.

elvindeath
07-09-2007, 05:15 AM
Back in 2004, my extended family (sisters, their kids, dad, mother in law) etc. took a group trip down to WDW at the end of June. We were planning to be there for 11 days, so we spent a little bit extra. Since we were renting a house off property (a fabulous deal, in our case), we liked the free parking. Plus we thought we might come back the next year.

We ended up staying for 11 days in 2004, and then we came back 2 weeks before the passes expired in 2005, and stayed for another 12 days. The Annual Passes, in our case, turned out to be a huge savings. In fact, we even took a long weekend trip down there in October 2004, because air fare was only $89.

In any event, if you're staying 10 or more days, staying off property, or thinking you might come back within 366 days, the AP is a terrific value and I recommend it fully.

splash
07-09-2007, 06:49 AM
Don't you have to have the ap before arriving at the hotel, if you are using it for a resort hotel discount. Do you have to show it at the desk?

going2disneyAZ
07-09-2007, 07:51 AM
Thanks for the clarification. Sounds like we are better off upgrading after the early entry day - I appreciate the help!

Did the OP not mention that they plan on staying at the DLH? I belive on property DLR hotel guests get Early Entry every day it is offered during their stay. Has this changed recently?

splash
07-09-2007, 10:45 AM
We stayed there in December and you get early entry every day that it is offered if you stay at one of the resort hotels, DLH, PP, GCH.