AP/PAP Break Even - Allearsnet.com

There comes a time for many people when a single short visit to Walt Disney World is not enough time to see and do all that you want to. Your thoughts turn towards an extended trip or maybe even a return trip. Then you start thinking about the price of admission to the parks.

Sometimes it is more cost effective to look at the overall picture. If you are going to return to WDW within one year or are going to have an extended stay, it might be more cost effective for you to consider purchasing an Annual Passport or a Premium Annual Passport, but not necessarily.

With Disney's new Magic Your Way tickets, doing an accurate comparison of value between them and AP/PAP's is subjective at best. The MYW tickets are priced in so many tiers (Base Ticket, Park Hopper add on, Water Parks Fun & More add on, expiration or no expiration, etc) that it makes generalizing impossible. The one thing about the MYW tickets that does remain consistent is that the longer the ticket you purchase, the less the per day park admission will be for you. How you plan to use your admissions will have a large bearing on what's best for you.

You will need to do the math for your own situation to find out whether an AP or PAP is right for you. Prices for all the current ticketing options are listed on our Ticket Chart page.

There are several things you should consider besides park admissions when factoring in your best value. Things like the discounts and perks that AP/PAP are entitled to. Both get free parking at all 4 theme parks, not a big deal if you stay at a Disney resort but worth $9 per day if you drive in from off site. There are also discounts on selected shopping, dining and recreational activities. The current list of AP discounts can be found on our Annual Pass Information and Benefits page. The more you can take advantage of these perks and discounts, the better value the AP/PAP becomes for you.

AP/PAP holders are eligible to book reduced rate rooms at select Disney resorts (based on availability) at various times throughout the year. It is not unheard of to save more money on your room reservation alone than the AP costs.

Non-theme park admissions are another consideration. Having to purchase separate single day admissions to the water parks or DQ will cost you over $37 each even if you have an AP. Magic Your Way tickets use plus options just like the old Park Hopper Plus tickets did. That means that each visit you make to a water park, Pleasure Island, DisneyQuest or Wide World of Sports will use up an option. If you go to two of them in a single day, you use two of your options. Go to three and use up three, etc. If you know that you or your family are frequent visitors to these places, then the PAP may be your better bet in the long run. You can come and go from every place as many times as you want on the same day and it won't matter.

Do you find yourself eating at a lot of sit down restaurants and character meals at the parks and resorts? If you do, then the ability of AP holders to purchase the Disney Dining Experience card can mean large savings for you. AP holders can get a DDE card for $60 and that card will save them 20% at most all sit down restaurants as well as at the food courts at the value resorts.

Are you a Disney Vacation Club member? If you are, you are eligible for the only non-Florida resident/non-military discount that Disney offers on Annuals. DVC members can save $100 on the price of an AP and $125 on a PAP. That savings alone can make an AP/PAP worth it to many folks.

Are you planning multiple trips to Disney within 12 months of each other? If you are and you plan on visiting the Disney theme parks more than 7 or 8 days total, then the AP may be good for you...maybe! Plan on doing a lot of water parks or DQ or PI during those trips? Or maybe an extended stay of a few days longer? Then the PAP may be best for you...maybe!

Do you wish to have the opportunity to drop into a theme park on your arrival day for an hour or so without having to worry about burning a whole day from your ticket? Or maybe go into a park on the morning that you are leaving for home just to soak up some "streetmosphere" to hold you over until next trip? Then an AP/PAP may be right for you.

On the other side of the coin, are you more likely to visit the Disney parks for only 1 or 2 days on any one trip and do other off site entertainment other days? Or maybe you're not the "commando tourist" type and prefer to take a day or two off from the parks during your trip. If these are more what you prefer on each trip, you will probably find that an AP/PAP isn't right for you.

You must also consider what you would get when you purchase a MYW ticket. A new AP runs $499.49 including tax. You can get a MYW 7 day ticket with Park Hopping, Water Parks Fun & More extras and no expiration for $466.47 including tax. That means you would get 7 days in the theme parks as well as 7 Plus visits (which the AP doesn't have) for $33.02 less than the AP. If your trip(s) will include about 10 days total in the theme parks spread over more than one trip, you may well want to consider the MYW 10 day ticket - $571.91 including tax. For nearly the same price of the AP which will expire in one year, you can get 10 days of theme parks with park hopping, 10 plus visits and no expiration for any unused admissions.

Maybe you're looking at 9 or 10 days at the parks, will not be back again for many years - if ever, and don't care about expiration dates on tickets since you'll use it all on the one trip. Then the MYW 10 day with 14 day expiration would probably work best for you.

By now, you should realize that whether or not an AP or PAP is the best value for you is entirely subjective to the way you will be using it. What's best for one person will likely not be best for another. The most important advice we can offer is this: DO YOUR HOMEWORK! Plan out how you are going to use your admissions before you buy the ticket. Take all your variables into consideration. No one knows what's best for you except you.

Last updated: 08/08

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