AP questions

[dbanzai]

I did a search and didn't see any Annual Pass threads about DL, so excuse me if I'm repeating a previous thread.

Now that I live in the SW, I'm thinking about getting a premium AP. My main question is though is how much of a discount is usually given for hotels? Is it just the three Dis resorts or does it include the Good Neighbor hotels also?

If I have an AP and I go with people without AP, are there discounts for the others in my party? And how does that affect the prices of hotels... SHould I just get a double for one and have my friends buy advance tickets elsewhere?

Thanks for any info you can give,
Dave

P.S., I'm heading back to DL this weekend.

 

[hlbtimes2]

There are two types of hotel discounts. There is the discount that is always available- its about 10% discount. Then there are the really good rates, that only happen now and then and with out much warning. You can't count on the 2nd kind of discount and just have to consider yourself lucky if you are able to get them.

The discounts are only at the 3 Disney properties, not the good neighbor.

I think you can usually book 2 rooms on your discount. I believe you would have to pay the full amount and have your friends take care of it with you for their portion.

You also get a 10-15% discount on food and some stores (discount and location varies depending on type of a/p).

 

[crazymomof 4]

Also the deluxe and premium both get the same AP rates on hotels. We have actually had better luck with Disney Visa rates or expedia lately. The rates just haven't been deep lately with an AP. We just keep holding out hope.

 

[dbanzai]

Also the deluxe and premium both get the same AP rates on hotels. We have actually had better luck with Disney Visa rates or expedia lately. The rates just haven't been deep lately with an AP. We just keep holding out hope.

Do you get discounted rates with the Visa even if you don't use it?

I'm looking at the Premium AP because I want to be able to use it on holidays (possibly this Christmas for instance). Are the blackout dates for the other AP the holidays?

Do you know which restaurants offer discounts with the AP?

 

[stampinshauna]

If you want to go on holidays, you'll need the premium AP. You can see the blackout dates for the deluxe here: http://adisneyland.disney.go.com/media/dlr_v0200/en_US/ap/bod/deluxe_bod_0906.pdf

The dining discounts are for just about every restaurant. I know that you don't get a discount at the Gibson Girl Ice Cream Parlor on Main Street. We've gotten the discount at Storyteller's Cafe, Taste Pilot's, Pacific Wharf Cafe, Blue Bayou, Plaza Inn, Carnation Cafe, Redd Rockett's, etc. I listed these places because they are where we have eaten since having an AP.

If you want merchandise discounts in the park, you must have a Premium AP.

 

[crazymomof 4]

If you have a disney Visa you can get 10% off of everything over 50 dollars and you don't have to use your visa for merchandise just show it. For the discounts periodically offered on the hotels you would have to use it. We have the deluxe AP because we are able to go when there aren't holidays. But you would definetely need the Premium for Christmas unless you aren't going to be there on many blackout dates, then you could just pay the penalty or whatever they call it to go on a blackout date. It is either 25 or 30 dollars a day. Most restaurants in DTD only offer the AP discount on meals before 4:00 p.m. in my experience.

 

[dbanzai]

I think I'm better doing Premium AP than anything. Thanks.

I pretty much have to make three weekend trips and it pays for itself... I can do that!

 

[dbanzai]

So much for all of this... I ended up joining DVC, which also gets me PAPs for two years.