AP prices increased [6/18/2019]

[dfamgirl]

This is painful. We too were planning to upgrade a family of 4, but have to wait until our current package is activated. Don't know now....this will probably change things for us.

 

[RamblingMad]

Yes, for this exact reason. If they're going to make money on me this way, I'm making it back through $DIS returns.

Exactly. Their dividend increases almost keep up with their park ticket prices.

Now, I’m more of a CA DL fan, and an Orlando Universal fan. That’s how I roll.

But I was thinking of going to WDW for fireworks.

 

[ELLH]

Thanks for adding it. So, they basically ensuring that at least two trips are required for an AP to make sense for a guest.

Sure looks that way. You need at least two trips if you're a FL resident and get the Gold but at least 3 trips if you're not a FL resident (and have to get the Platinum AP) in order for you to "break even".

There are a lot of caveats to Disney vacations but looking at this from my perspective, I'm not sure I see a benefit in purchasing an AP anymore. It used to be we'd get an AP because it was enough to cover at least (2) 5-day trips and we got some additional savings in discounts of room/merch over what our Disney Premiere Visa permitted. However, with this new price structure I think it's going to make more sense for us to possibly buy a 10-day ticket and take our slightly lower Visa discount. Just comparing the numbers, a single Platinum AP would cost me $1119 while a 10-day w/Park Hopper would cost $550. Roughly half. Then multiply that over the three people in my family, that's a savings of $1650/year. I don't see the gap between AP & Visa discounts making up that much money even if factoring in 10% on a 10-night stay at the Contemporary. So, in an ironic way I guess I have to thank Disney... because if Disney weren't to have increased the prices the way they did we would have likely spent more money in the long run due to more trips.

Now, if I wanted to do 2 trips at 5-days it looks like it might still make more sense to get the AP, assuming discounts would bridge the gap.

 

[Party.Of.4-NY>>>FL]

Thank you so much for this information! I just purchased four APs from Sam's Club for a total of $3,691.62 (with tax). They are linked and ready to go!

That’s great! Do you happen to see any expiration date for these newly-linked APs?

@iujen94

 

[bellevueloungers]

just bought 4 through work with a corporate discount at the old pricing... $3691.12 including tax. they are successfully linked and good until 12/31/2030.

 

[kylenne]

Sorry to be melodramatic but I’m devastated by this news. I bought a 5 day hopper from Parksavers back in April for an early August solo trip spurred on by the discounts. My partner and I had already planned our blowout trip for May 2020 so I was going to upgrade to an AP in August. 6 day trip + a 10 day trip considering we get a Memory Maker would be worth it. If I hadn’t already purchased that ticket for August (and a Villains After Hours ticket) I don’t know if I would be bothering with this summer trip.

As it stands we had to change our plans and not do the split stay we wanted because of no availability at the GF for the cheaper dates we want to go. I will still likely get the AP. We will still likely save money. It wouldn’t be a hardship because we are young professionals without children. But this is a hard pill to swallow.

 

[emmabelle]

FYI, Sams Club still has old pricing on AP's while they last...https://serviceshub.samsclub.com/pages.php?sub=wdw#walt-disney-world-resort-annual-passes

Thank you for the Sam's club heads up! Just bought mine there.

eek, I just bought mine too. Please god, don't make me pay the extra $225 each when I turn in the vouchers...

lucky for me my husband never looks at the credit card bills. I may have to hide this one.

 

[stewart715]

eek, I just bought mine too. Please god, don't make me pay the extra $225 each when I turn in the vouchers...

lucky for me my husband never looks at the credit card bills. I may have to hide this one.

They won't. There is special pricing, the vouchers are bought and paid for, no different than if you bought them last week.

 

[Hundred Acre Woods]

That’s great! Do you happen to see any expiration date for these newly-linked APs?

@iujen94

The expiration date is December 31, 2030.

 

[emmabelle]

They won't. There is special pricing, the vouchers are bought and paid for, no different than if you bought them last week.

Yayyyy!! I figured that was the case but I do feel better knowing.

 

[dfamgirl]

Seems like their answer to crowd control.

And it's looking like it will probably work that way.....

 

[stewart715]

The expiration date is December 31, 2030.

That's a nice and long AP!

 

[KayKayJS]

just bought 4 through work with a corporate discount at the old pricing... $3691.12 including tax. they are successfully linked and good until 12/31/2030.

Considering doing this. WHen you link them it doesn't activate, right? I want to wait to activate until first use.

 

[shoreward]

Just fyi, Sams Club still has the old pricing online. Grab em while you can

https://serviceshub.samsclub.com/packages.php?sub=packages&action=view&id=2538

Thanks for originally posting this.

For those who are wondering about buying through Sam's (you receive an exchange voucher), here is some info that appears on the purchase page or in a link:

Walt Disney World - Platinum Pass
Includes admission to the Magic Kingdom® Park, Epcot®, Disney's Hollywood Studios® and Disney's Animal Kingdom® Theme Park, standard theme park parking and the freedom to visit multiple parks on the same day for a period of one (1) year starting with the date of first use of this Ticket. Also includes unlimited digital downloads of photos taken during the One (1) year period and linked to the guest's Disney account.

The travel and entertainment area of Sam's site is through Entertainment Benefits Group, the parent company of Tickets at Work and other travel and entertainment-related companies.

 

[johnnyr]

They won't. There is special pricing, the vouchers are bought and paid for, no different than if you bought them last week.

They tried to charge me the difference the last time I went to redeem my voucher at MK. I purchased before their last price increase. I stood my ground but it was a struggle with the CM at the window. In the end, I wasn't charged. Just be prepared.

 

[trishadono]

They won't. There is special pricing, the vouchers are bought and paid for, no different than if you bought them last week.

Is it linkable to MDE? I want to book club level fast passes at 90 days out.

 

[emmabelle]

They tried to charge me the difference the last time I went to redeem my voucher at MK. I purchased before their last price increase. I stood my ground but it was a struggle with the CM at the window. In the end, I wasn't charged. Just be prepared.

that would be pretty crappy on Disney's part if they did try and charge the extra. I won't know until October either.

 

[stewart715]

They tried to charge me the difference the last time I went to redeem my voucher at MK. I purchased before their last price increase. I stood my ground but it was a struggle with the CM at the window. In the end, I wasn't charged. Just be prepared.

Get out of here, really? How did they even know when you purchased the voucher though or how much you paid?

 

[1lilspark]

Just saw on another board that they're also raising overnight parking fees at the resort hotels by $2 a night.

On new bookings .... stays booked before today are grandfathered into old resort fees

Forgive me if this is a dumb question, but can out-of-staters buy the gold version of the annual pass?

Only if your DVC

I looked at POP prices for MLK weekend. They want $200 a night. I paid about $135 a night Mardi Gras weekend this year. RIDICULOUS.

POP will have skyliner so a larger price jump was honestly at least to me expected

Also wouldn't surprise me if somewhere down the road even AP holders will have to pay for parking at the parks

It wasn’t until this recent AP structure that free parking was a perk for the majority of passes it was free for the ‘annual’ pass equivalent to today’s platinum but was still full price for ‘seasonal’ which is equivalent to today’s Silver

Universal will probably follow suit with the new Hagrid attraction

I’d expect that to be announced any day to be honest


I just wish that with all these price increases they used some of the $$$ toward paying CMs better wages at least it would make me sleep better at night as I pay nearly two months of my own pay on my AP come the fall

 

[emmabelle]

Get out of here, really? How did they even know when you purchased the voucher though or how much you paid?

Disney knows all.