Tipping Point for Annual Pass?

[ClosetDisMom]

I am posting this here, as DVC members tend to do things differently than others who go to Disney. So, here it goes:
At what point do you consider to be the point where an Annual Pass makes sense? Do you decide based on number of trips per year? Do you decide based on expected days in the parks? Especially with the date-specific pricing, when does your math add up to "buy the AP?" (PS I am a money-saving resale only member BTW, so no Gold Pass eligibility for me.)

Sub-question, for those of you with DH/DW, do you ever just buy one pass for one person in the family?

In case you want to know why I am asking, here are my year plans for DVC:
Just went in January for weekend with whole family (me, DH, DD, and DS); did one day in parks. We liked just one day in parks.
DH and I are going for adults only trip in September. We plan to be in parks for 2 days.
The whole family will be back in July 2020 for 6 nights, 4 days spent in the park.
We just added a small contract and that might make for another quick trip in 2020, or bigger accommodations, not sure yet...
So, that is at least 6 park days planned over the next 12 months for 2 of us... Does that math mean we should do 1 AP to get discounts and photopass or 2 APs or NO APs?

 

[Geomom]

I would do the math to see how much the regular tix would cost you for those trips--if the July 2020 dates aren't out yet for buying tix, use this year's as a comparison...knowing the price will increase. If the cost of tix for 2 trips is around the same or more than the AP, get the AP. If you think you would buy Memory maker (photopass pics), factor that in as it's included with the annual pass. AP's get 10% off most sit down restaurants as well as 20% off merchandise in the shops. Also remember that AP's include parkhopping--if you think you would parkhop at all, use that price when you're looking at regular ticket prices.

We are grandfathered in with our resale contracts (from 2008 and 2014), so we get the Gold AP--2 trips makes it worth it to us, sometimes we do 3 trips on it.

 

[bwvBound]

We work the numbers based on the total number of park days we'd likely take during that period. This year we also factored parking into the equation as one of our stays, over the New Years Holiday period, was off-site.

Regarding buying only 1 AP is a valid approach if it helps you save on parking (when staying off-site), adds PhotoPass, provides a few discounts, (etc) while others burn off old non-expiring passengers, special event passes, etc.

 

[ClosetDisMom]

Thank you, both. Now to crunch the numbers, I guess. Does anybody have a link to a spreadsheet that calculates ticket cost and looks at discount vendors (like UNdercover Tourist)? I used to have one, but it was pre-date specific pricing...

 

[jbh275]

Do you decide based on number of trips per year?

We get one based on trips. Kind of max out the year. Go last week in Feb, June or July big trip, Fall, then the wife and I try and get back out there alone early Feb. Then take a year off, bank all points and do it again!

 

[disney junky]

We base it on the number of days which really equates to the number of trips. We are on our second trip (so far we've used them 9 days) and will be back in June. Our dilemma now is that we have to decide whether or not to renew in September because we've exhausted our points, and I'm not sure I want to deal with the crowds with the opening of the new attractions. Plus, we either have to rent points or stay somewhere with cash, which sort of defeats the purpose. Are we going because we have the AP's or are we getting AP's because we are going. I'm willing to take a little break and restock our points, but that's now. I often get the itch after a time.

 

[aoconnor]

It sounds like you like to do some shorter trips, as do I. The AP is more valuable for situations like that since you aren't getting the multi-day discount... i.e. buying 3x 3 day passes is quite a bit more expensive than buying one 9 day pass.

For me, even squeezing in 3 trips (7-9 park days total) on one AP it doesn't quite make sense at full price (w/o discount). With the DVC discount it would be modest savings. I like to mix in some hard ticket events (halloween/xmas parties, after hours parties) so I would rather buy individual park tickets and not feel like I'm paying "even extra" to do the special events on top of the annual pass.

If you think it's on verge of savings, you might as well get just one to qualify for dining/merchandise discounts.

 

[YourEveryDayAdam]

The general rule of thumb for if an annual pass makes sense is 7 or more days over at least two separate trips. Now, this isn't a very hard rule.

Some maths:

Gold pass cost: $609.
Platinum Pass: $749
1-day park hopper: $127.50
2-day park hopper: $248.38
3-day park hopper: $330.47
4-day park hopper: $435.92
7-day park hopper: $442.30
10-day park hopper: $480.35

The ticket prices above were from Undercover Tourist, with a start date of the middle of June. It's about as representative as I can get, but keep in mind that these numbers can wildly fluctuate base on chosen dates.

So some examples:

• Only one trip per year: Obviously the $442.30 to $480.35 for the 7-day or 10-day passes is going to be better.
• Two trips in a year: There are many ways to do this.
  • 4-day trip and a 2-day trip: $684.30...what makes more sense depends on if your dates fall during the gold pass black-out dates.
  • 7-day trip and a quick 1-day trip: $569.80...separate tickets makes more sense.
  • two 4-day trips: $871.84... no matter what, the AP makes sense here.
  • two 3-day trips: $660.94...again depends on if the trips fall during gold-pass black-out dates.
• Three trips in a year of nearly any size is going to be better to do an annual pass.
  • three 2-day trips: $745.14...just get the AP to get the extra benefits/discounts (photopass, free parking, merch/dining discounts)

In most cases, if you are doing two normal trips, you'll be better off with an AP. If you're doing a normal trip and a small trip, you have to run the numbers.

Obviously, these numbers can change drastically if you're going during peak-seasons.

If the numbers are close, (within $20-30) i'll often just go with the annual pass. You can then often qualify for other discounts on hotels, dining, parking, etc. that can push the AP over the finish line....Then you have an AP and have the option of snagging a last-minute deal for cheap! When I have an AP, I find I will often find a cheap flight ($100-$150 round trip), book an AP rate on a hotel or (GASP!) book off-site for cheap. If you're in a drive-able distance, then it's even easier. Me and my partner can get a long-weekend trip, flights and hotel for $500-$700 including flights.

 

[aoconnor]

The general rule of thumb for if an annual pass makes sense is 7 or more days over at least two separate trips. Now, this isn't a very hard rule.

Some maths:

Gold pass cost: $609.
Platinum Pass: $749

Platinum pass is $894 without the DVC discount, which I don’t think OP is eligible for (could be wrong)

 

[The Jackal]

Platinum pass is $894 without the DVC discount, which I don’t think OP is eligible for (could be wrong)

The renewal prices are attractive, but we get 3 trip a year out of one pass, by going one week earlier on the third trip than the year before.

 

[NanaOsaki06]

If the Gold AP doesn't change too much in price then it is worth it for us. We're not going till 2020, but the prices for the same dates this year (8 day park hoppers) is around $500 per person. However, with Memory Maker it makes more sense for one of us to get an AP. More so since the next year I can renew and use it for the next 2 trips that we have in the works. It really just depends on the length of your stay, whether you'll go again within the same year, and if Memory Maker adding in makes it worth it.

 

[wnielsen1]

If the Gold AP doesn't change too much in price then it is worth it for us. We're not going till 2020, but the prices for the same dates this year (8 day park hoppers) is around $500 per person. However, with Memory Maker it makes more sense for one of us to get an AP. More so since the next year I can renew and use it for the next 2 trips that we have in the works. It really just depends on the length of your stay, whether you'll go again within the same year, and if Memory Maker adding in makes it worth it.

Maybe you don't want to outlay the cash right now, but you could buy the Gold AP vouchers now and hold them.

 

[gharter]

We do the math. We also try and plan our trips to get 3 trips out of an AP, so it easily makes sense. Most of the time, even at 2 1-week trips, it is worth it.

 

[kniquy]

At what point do you consider to be the point where an Annual Pass makes sense? Do you decide based on number of trips per year? Do you decide based on expected days in the parks? Especially with the date-specific pricing, when does your math add up to "buy the AP?" (PS I am a money-saving resale only member BTW, so no Gold Pass eligibility for me.)

Sub-question, for those of you with DH/DW, do you ever just buy one pass for one person in the family?

It is all in the math - if you have a 10 day trip planned or possibly 2 5+ day trips booked then getting an AP for at least one person can make sense.

If you have a lot of TS meals then you can buy TiW, if you were to buy the memory maker that is ~$169 right there. With the AP you will get shopping and dining discounts -- the savings does add up if you plan to buy a few things or do a few TS meals (most of the discounts are 10% so If you were a family of 4 -2 adults 2 kids - a TS meal could easily cost $130+ so a savings of $13, but if you do this everyday of your trip then after 7 days now it will be close to $100 savings.

The Platinum pass right now is $952 (including tax) - so subtract the memory maker and possibly $100 from dining discounts, now if you buy stuff it could be a 20% discounts so easily you could spend $200 during the trip = $40 savings.

To buy a 7 day ticket could be $450-530 (without/with hopper) - you can buy tickets a little cheaper from undercover tourist.

With one 7 day trip the savings might not be there but if you planned on 2 trips it could make sense.

 

[ClosetDisMom]

Maybe you don't want to outlay the cash right now, but you could buy the Gold AP vouchers now and hold them.

Sigh... no Gold Pass for me... I am a lowly resale member

 

[ClosetDisMom]

It is all in the math - if you have a 10 day trip planned or possibly 2 5+ day trips booked then getting an AP for at least one person can make sense.

If you have a lot of TS meals then you can buy TiW, if you were to buy the memory maker that is ~$169 right there. With the AP you will get shopping and dining discounts -- the savings does add up if you plan to buy a few things or do a few TS meals (most of the discounts are 10% so If you were a family of 4 -2 adults 2 kids - a TS meal could easily cost $130+ so a savings of $13, but if you do this everyday of your trip then after 7 days now it will be close to $100 savings.

The Platinum pass right now is $952 (including tax) - so subtract the memory maker and possibly $100 from dining discounts, now if you buy stuff it could be a 20% discounts so easily you could spend $200 during the trip = $40 savings.

To buy a 7 day ticket could be $450-530 (without/with hopper) - you can buy tickets a little cheaper from undercover tourist.

With one 7 day trip the savings might not be there but if you planned on 2 trips it could make sense.

This is probably the way the math will work for us... I just have to decide when to do the AP for one of us, as we have 4 trips planned between September 2019 and December 2020 with varying park days. Probably not mathematically sound to do AP for everyone with the math you set out... but maybe for one of us... or two and we overlap them to expire at different dates... hmmm... back to the spreadsheets to mess with numbers again...

 

[ClosetDisMom]

The general rule of thumb for if an annual pass makes sense is 7 or more days over at least two separate trips. Now, this isn't a very hard rule.

Some maths:

Gold pass cost: $609.
Platinum Pass: $749
1-day park hopper: $127.50
2-day park hopper: $248.38
3-day park hopper: $330.47
4-day park hopper: $435.92
7-day park hopper: $442.30
10-day park hopper: $480.35

The ticket prices above were from Undercover Tourist, with a start date of the middle of June. It's about as representative as I can get, but keep in mind that these numbers can wildly fluctuate base on chosen dates.

So some examples:

• Only one trip per year: Obviously the $442.30 to $480.35 for the 7-day or 10-day passes is going to be better.
• Two trips in a year: There are many ways to do this.
  • 4-day trip and a 2-day trip: $684.30...what makes more sense depends on if your dates fall during the gold pass black-out dates.
  • 7-day trip and a quick 1-day trip: $569.80...separate tickets makes more sense.
  • two 4-day trips: $871.84... no matter what, the AP makes sense here.
  • two 3-day trips: $660.94...again depends on if the trips fall during gold-pass black-out dates.
• Three trips in a year of nearly any size is going to be better to do an annual pass.
  • three 2-day trips: $745.14...just get the AP to get the extra benefits/discounts (photopass, free parking, merch/dining discounts)

Thanks for this. I think we will fall under the 3 trips/year rule... so I will have to price it a little more closely to figure out if just one pass or all 4 of get passes... Photopass + discounts knocks it over for one of us at this point... Not sure if it will tip for all 4 of us...