DVC - should I buy an AP?

sarahbella1230

Earning My Ears
Joined
Jun 3, 2018
Hi there, I hope this is the right place to put this question. I'm sorry in advance if it's not.

My husband and I are DVC members and are planning our September trip. It's a quick one this year, just 3 days in the Parks and done. We're taking our kids, who just turned 3, so it's our first time paying for them and we're trying to save a little money, but I want the park hopper option since we only have 3 days and I'll be wanting to hop!

I've been reading that there's a benefit to just 1 family member purchasing the Gold AP, but I'm not sure why. I'm looking at the dining discounts, event discounts (MNSS), etc and I don't see much of a difference to justify the cost unless we definitely knew we were coming back before Sept 2019.

I would love some advice on what you have done on your shorter stays. Do you still get the APs and hope you make it back or do you get 1 AP for benefits I might not be aware of or just not seeing. TY!!
 
If you're not coming back for sure, I wouldn't spend the money on the AP. If you get the AP, you'll probably talk yourself into another trip that you may not be able to afford, just to make the AP "worth it.' In previous years there might have been better benefits to APs, but my understanding is they've slimmed down in recent years, and some of the main ones, like free parking, are already available to you as DVC members. DVC is a long-term deal, and not every member goes multiple times per year. Depending on their points, some may rent out points, and others may save them to do a longer trip or a bigger room every other year. Since the DVC resorts are all deluxe, you may even want to come back for a resort-only trip, which is what some DVCers choose.
 
The AP is only going to be worthwhile if you have multiple trips planned. We are going in Sept for 4 park days, then we will return in Jan for marathon weekend and spend another 4-5 days in the parks. An April trip for the Star Wars races, meaning another 3-4 days, and finally our son and his fiance are honeymooning at Disney next August. AP's are worthwhile in this case.

Check some of the ticket consolidators(Undercover, etc) as they often run 3-4 day hopper passes on sale.
 
If Memory Maker is important, you'll want to factor that cost into your decision.
 


With only one short trip in a year, I would forgo the AP. Yes, Memory Maker is included and you get a few discounts, but it probably wouldn't be worth it for you unless you were coming back within a year. It obviously depends on the number of trips, but on average, if you are spending less than 10 days in the parks per year an AP isn't worth it.
 
Hi there, I hope this is the right place to put this question. I'm sorry in advance if it's not.

My husband and I are DVC members and are planning our September trip. It's a quick one this year, just 3 days in the Parks and done. We're taking our kids, who just turned 3, so it's our first time paying for them and we're trying to save a little money, but I want the park hopper option since we only have 3 days and I'll be wanting to hop!

I've been reading that there's a benefit to just 1 family member purchasing the Gold AP, but I'm not sure why. I'm looking at the dining discounts, event discounts (MNSS), etc and I don't see much of a difference to justify the cost unless we definitely knew we were coming back before Sept 2019.

I would love some advice on what you have done on your shorter stays. Do you still get the APs and hope you make it back or do you get 1 AP for benefits I might not be aware of or just not seeing. TY!!
As a DVC member, you are already entitled to some dining and merchandise discounts. You qualify for a discount on MNSSHP tickets (select nights). There's a considerable overlap between AP discounts and DVC discounts. So really the only true benefit would be admission to the parks for a year and the Memory Maker. The free parking at the theme parks doesn't come into consideration unless you intend to stay offsite. As a DVC member, I'm guessing that isn't going to happen too frequently.
 

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