Annual Passes vs 4 day Passes

I just renewed my annual WDW passes. For a family of 4 it came to $1080.00. If anyone is planning two trips out here it pays to get annual passes. Even if you just use them for the two trips it's so much cheaper.

You also get free parking with an annual pass dont you ???

Am i right in thinking that the annual passes run for 365 days from the date of first use. In which case as long as you travel at least twice within the twelve month period you can use the annual passes?

Also do the annual passes cover the water parks, downtown disney and Disney Quest?

You do get free parking which is currently $8 a day.
We bought ours last year on 6th December and they run out this year at the end of 6th December so you get actually get 366 days.

We worked out that our two week holiday last year (flew out 5th December) and our three week holiday this year (fly back on 5th December) would be perfect for Annual Passes.
We've also saved $400 on staying at the Animal Kingdom Lodge.
We popped over in April as well because we had the passes and only had to rent a villa / buy flights.
I think we have saved almost twice on what we have paid with hoppers on admission, parking, shopping, food (some restaurants give 10% discounts) and hotel prices.

I think I read somewhere that the cutoff is 8 days. So if your holiday is going to take in at least 8 days in Disney (or you go twice in a twelve month period) I think the AP is the way to go.

We've got the normal AP but you can get a Premium Annual Pass which includes the Water Parks, Disney Quest but we don't really do that so no benefit.

Don't even get me started about the benefit of just popping in for the fireworks and not losing a day from a hopper pass...:D

Brizzle

Is that a Florida residents rate as it sounds very similar to the kind of price I paid last time (can't remember exactly but it was around this value) <blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by flyrr100
I just renewed my annual WDW passes. For a family of 4 it came to $1080.00. If anyone is planning two trips out here it pays to get annual passes. Even if you just use them for the two trips it's so much cheaper.
[/quote]

Yes, that was the Florida Resident rate. That price was for the regular annual passes. And it includes parking. For the premium passes it's a little more. That would include the water parks.
All villa owners, all you need is a utility bill and you get the Florida Resident rate.
Enjoy.....

Ok - just wanted to clarify that as a lot of villa guests will be reading this and will not be able to get the residents rates so the Annual Pass route makes less sense to them.
<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Originally posted by flyrr100
Yes, that was the Florida Resident rate. That price was for the regular annual passes. And it includes parking. For the premium passes it's a little more. That would include the water parks.
All villa owners, all you need is a utility bill and you get the Florida Resident rate.
Enjoy.....


[/quote]

Hi Jeff!
I was under the impression from previous posts that villa owners couldn't now get a residents annual pass with only a utility bill? You needed photo id, like a Florida driving Licence, which i presume you can't get that easily?
We have been going down the normal annual pass route for a couple of years now, and that is certainly been worth it:) As villa owners now, a residents pass would be a bonus [^]

Last year I had Ohio ID buy still got the Florida rate because I had utility bills for my new house here in Florida.
I'm picking up this year's passes on Friday. I'll ask the folks at WDW about forms of ID. Watch this space.

I got a residents annual pass using a utility bill when I was out the week before last, so it is possible.

The Disney website no longer lists a utility bill as a valid form of id though, so my guess is that the official line is a driving licence or Florida ID (neither of which are really possible for non-resident villa owners); but if you get a nice agent in the ticket booth (who maybe has been there for years and so has accepted utility bills in the past) you could be lucky - like I was.

For reference, I bought mine over the counter at the MGM ticket booths without so much as a blink from the nice lady on the other side of the window.

My advice would be that if one of the cast members gives you a hard time, wait a couple of minutes and then try a different one.

Steve.

Thanks Brizzle,

i agree with you, i always found one of the best benefits of the ultimate hopper pass when staying on site, was the ability to go from park to park, just for the fireworks, or to hit a certain shop. I loved going into MK in the morning (my fav. park) just to see it open, and then moving on to another park.

Even to be able to go for a midday swim in the water parks was great.

I will definately be looking at the AP for our next visit.

And you have to put your two fingers in for a finger print scan as you go through the turnstyles, so you feel all 'sci-fi' :D

I have a feeling AP holders might get a preview of the Osborne lights so I'll be making use of that this year.

Brizzle

I can so not get the hang of that finger print scanner thing. There's always one light that just won't go out, and when I jiggle my hand to get that one out another one comes on.

We always take AP's, and we don't own a villa. To us the cost burden of a three week holiday make up for the benefits (even just taking the pressure off of feeling that you have to spend a whole day at the park). Maybe that is just luxury, but I want torelax on holday.

I think the trick is to put your fingers in close them tightly together (or as far as you can because of the metal piece) and keep still. It seems to register after a second or so.
Wiggling I suspect probably confuses it :)

Now where are the retina scanners ;)

Brizzle