I purchased a platinum AP from Costco way back in 2019 for $912 when they raised rates to $1100-$1200. I’m sure I got the tip from this board that Costco was still selling at old rate! At that time I was planning a 10 day vacation in 2020 for my family (that of course never happened) and had done the math: with Memory Maker, 10% TS dining discount and park hopper my break even was just shy of this one trip. Since I was sure I’d be back in the area for work or a separate universal trip, it was an easy decision to purchase.
Now I’m replanning that trip for March 2023. With price increases, my break even is hurdled with $20 to spare on this one trip alone…EXCEPT It looks like the memory maker has now been removed as an AP benefit!
Anyone know if they are honoring the benefit at time purchased, or do I now need to purchase $99 on top of the AP?
I’d still be within $75 of break even on one trip alone but now I’m not entirely sure I’ll get back to Orlando after activating…so there’s that.
I’m also wondering how Day 1 will work with an evening Epcot planned after we fly in. Will I be stacking G+ and ILLs (maybe guardians?) for everybody else and then only after I arrive snd activate my AP and only then be able to G+ me?
Good question about MM. Don’t know the answer to that one…but, in general, making an AP worthwhile for a single trip seems highly unlikely. You would likely do better to wait for when you can do two trips in a year to make the best use of it.
Other areas where you will save money is in ADR discounts and souvenir purchases. Also be on the lookout for AP discounts on rooms…although, historically those haven’t been much better than 5% more than what they offer other guests…so the “35%” discount isn’t really as good as it sounds.
They have been adding MM to those older AP vouchers. A CM told a liner that was stopping on 12/31/21 but I have not seen that confirmed. I would expect to get what I paid for.
Hmm. Guess I’ll wait snd see. I’ll of course always ask when I activate my AP. Believe it or not, a 9 day park hopper for this March (2022) thru a discounter (Boardwalk tickets) is $675. Non park hopper $605.
Memory maker $170, and 10% discounts on planned ADRs is $103. I didn’t factor merchandise but that will likely add another $15.
If we do Park Hopper, which I’m leaning towards b/c for the whole 9 days for my two kids it’s $140 more, and with the way WDW swaps out it’s extra evening hours days and changes hours snd closes MK early for events, and the fact I’ll be locked into DVC points rental lodging, (having based my split stay lodging on ability to walk to HS, EP snd MK) I just know I’ll be mad at myself when I get there and decide I really want PH and then won’t want to pay premium price differential to WDW for difference between discounter cost and WDW cost.
With PH, that totals to $948 in value vs cost of AP of $912. If I do non PH then I’m at $878, and closer to $893 when adding merchandise tickets.
My guess is when they publish next March’s rates, I’ll be break even either way.
I can always hold out hope that I’ll squeeze in a trip, but while I might get the kiddos to a UOR trip within thd year , it’s not like I’ll pop over to WDW by myself without them, and thus would have to buy kids new tickets which ADDS to the investment! Maybe I could look into convention tickets for them or something….
Or Maybe I’ll join a liner trip in 2023 by myself just because the AP makes it’s doable. Stay at Pop or try to grab one of those rooms at Destino tower via Hotwire that JT always seems to have a line on!
Either way, this will be our big on property WDW trip with 9 days in the parks and staying Deluxe DVC, so this will be my biggest opportunity for pay back, as I don’t see me doing this kind of big trip again.
Yes. Very helpful. Thx. When I activate my AP I’ll make sure to request they add/honor it. Who knew then it would be so long before I could actually use it!
If this helps at all, I just spoke with a very helpful CM from the Internet Help Desk. She said that they will continue to honor the terms of the Platinum Pass. It will be converted to an “Incredi-Pass” upon activation, but the MM will be automatically added to your MDE as well.
ETA: “upon activation”