Hi Everyone, so sorry if this has been asked a million times but have done a quick search and couldn’t find my answer.
So i will be coming from Australia for 14 days with my family of 5 (3 adults 2 kids) and was thinking it might work out saving us some money if i was to purchase an AP(just for myself and get the rest of my family 10 day Park hoppers) so we can get the memory maker included and dining/merchandise discounts and room discount.
My questions are if i only have a AP and we dine in a restaurant that takes AP can i purchase the whole order and get discount on it or will it only discount my meal? was also going to purchase tables in Wonderland which i know I can get discount for up to 10 people with that? I guess my other question is does this seem like a good idea? I have read that I can get the AP room discount before i register my ap as long as i show the AP once we arrive on WDW property?
Thank you in advance 
As far as I know, as long as the whole meal goes on a single check, in the AP holder’s name, you will be covered. But I don’t know this first hand; any time I’ve had an AP, if I was going for a full trip, I had TIW. With a group of 5, especially if you plan on a lot of TSs or CMs, TIW would probably be a good deal.
thank you so much, I think it is the way to go for me, thanks bswan26 for your advice
I don’t think you’ll have any problem using the AP discount for a family of 5. if you choose the restaurants with 20% or 30% discounts, you can save a lot of money! The 20% discount on merchandise is fabulous too. Somehow, paying $20 for a $25 plush character just makes it easier to say yes.
thank you…maybe i won’t save any money,maybe i can just buy more 
I am looking at the same thing for a party of 5. Technically the AP benefit is for “…the Passholder and up to three (3) Guests.”
See link below and mice-type at bottom of page.
Now, I have never had an AP so maybe somebody can comment on how rigidly that is enforced…
https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/passholder-program/passholder-benefits-and-discounts/
Anytime I used the AP discount for meals or merchandise, they just asked me to see 1 card…and I have a family of 6.
thank you everyone, by looking at the perks of an annual pass it does seem like a no brainer for me
AP definitely is a no-brainer! Between parking and memory-maker that almost covered the cost of it for us. Then we got 10% off meals at expensive places like Crystal Palace, Cinderella’s Royal Table, and T-Rex. But my kids especially took advantage of the 20% off merchandise discount. We saved a LOT with that!
We were even able to eat at the very few 20% off quick service places: Pecos Bill in MK and Flame Tree in AK. I had an awesome watermelon/arugula/feta salad at Flame Tree that took my sweltering temp down at least 10 degrees.
But it IS true that the AP dining discount only counts for you plus 3. At Crystal Palace it only counted for 4 of us. And at T-Rex, only our entrees were discounted, NOT the appetizer or $18 dessert. Whoops. So heads up on that.
Make sure to check out @JJT 's fabulous spreadsheet here to find out where to purchase the ticket you will upgrade to the AP, in order to get the biggest discount on it: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1l87Cs8AA6iiqV5sk7XnzA34mhzvPlQhMVwBzasBIziY/edit#gid=1888240413
And have a great trip!