[Question] Is it better (more magical) not to have an AP?

[ld2]

[sleepyjeff]

Re: Is it better (more magical) not to have an AP?

I suppose it depends on the person.

For me, Disneyland is like Christmas and is not something I think I would enjoy nearly as much if I visited more often than once every year or so.

But, some might compare Disneyland to a sporting event you have season tickets too....I have season tickets to the Trail Blazers and actually find myself enjoying each and every game just as much now as when I only went once in a blue moon.....so who knows

[sediment]

Re: Is it better (more magical) not to have an AP?

Of course it is.

Next question, please. A little more difficult.

Dealing with hassles once should not be a big deal. It's the whether or not to dive into known hassles over and over again, but for the reward of its not being such a big expense, that makes it hard to choose.

[ErinGoBragh]

Re: Is it better (more magical) not to have an AP?

But, some might compare Disneyland to a sporting event you have season tickets too....I have season tickets to the Trail Blazers and actually find myself enjoying each and every game just as much now as when I only went once in a blue moon.....so who knows

that's a good way of putting it.

[FI183]

Re: Is it better (more magical) not to have an AP?

I used to have an AP and now I don't need one since I work there, and I always find myself heading to the parks on my days off. I still think it's magical and wonderful! Mostly because I really don't mind the big crowds or any of that, I don't even do rides that much. I just like to sit and people watch while sipping on some soda like in Zocal or Critter Country or TSI. For me, it's really nice and I love going at least once a week(without it being work)!

[aashee]

Re: Is it better (more magical) not to have an AP?

When you set your foot past the tunnels, it's up to you whether it's magical or not. I have some incredible visits that are magic concentrate and others that are meh, but it's all about my attitude.

[bee1000]

Re: Is it better (more magical) not to have an AP?

Here's something I've noticed among some frequent visitors on this board: They are very excited by costumed characters in the parks, seeing them, getting photos taken with them, playing musical chairs with them, eating lunch with them.

My theory is these people have gone to Disneyland so many times that much of the park has become wallpaper. They love characters because characters might be different each time you go, whereas everything else in the park barely changes, hence the Halloween and Holiday overlays and now annual marketing themes.

I've been going once or twice a year for a few years now, after rarely going for maybe a decade, and I feel like I know the park too well at this point. It has nothing to do with crowds because I can work around that with Fastpasses. It's just that even though there's lots to see and do, it's been seen and done before.

[SnorkletsMom]

Re: Is it better (more magical) not to have an AP?

No.

If you are the type of person who becomes tired of something easily once you're familiar with it, then yes, familiarity breeds contempt so you probably shouldn't have an AP.

Please don't equate the amount of complaining posts to the reality of whether or not people love the park, AP or not. People who are more frequent visitors spot problems more, and if they belong to a site like MC, they will speak out about it.

The character theory above doesn't apply to anyone I know, and I personally hate characters, never liked them even as a small child. I just don't think there's anything exciting about an adult dressed up in a stifling mouse costume, pretending to be an animated character. But again, that's personal opinion :-)

[SingingAngel7242]

Re: Is it better (more magical) not to have an AP?

I have a pass... I try to go once a month...
It does get repetitive but it's because that's how I make it... but I do get excited when I see certain characters n stuff

Really depends on you

[Mojave]

Re: Is it better (more magical) not to have an AP?

When I was a child, we would go to Disneyland once a year and it was like Christmas. My friends and I (we'd usually go with our neighbors) would dream about it for weeks. We *had* to go during the summer. We'd arrive early, we'd leave late - it was an all day adventure.

As an adult, local (San Diego) and self-employed, I can choose when to go and how long I stay. I find short trips mid-week during the off-season just about the greatest thing ever. Without an AP, I would never do these kinds of trips. Isn't this the point of an AP?

I like to think positively about all these "hassles" that are mentioned. The long line "hassle" just means a whole bunch of people are getting to enjoy DLR attractions. If you think parking at DLR is a "hassle", try owning a car in New York or San Francisco. If you think DL crowds are a "hassle", try walking through Times Square any time of the year. Once you realize that these things are only minor "hassles" compared to real life ones, you'll find that the reward of Disneyland is well worth it.

[Bexington]

Re: Is it better (more magical) not to have an AP?

I have an AP also but only cause buying a 3 or 4 day park hopper would be more expensive. I prefer to go to disneyland in early march. I save up enough money to make it feel like a real vacation. Onsite hotels food and everything.

[Flashbaak]

Re: Is it better (more magical) not to have an AP?

As a kid growing up, we'd go to Disneyland once a year and it was a BIG deal. Last Christmas, we got AP's as a gift, and we've gone about once every two months. I still enjoy it each time, but I'm sad to see that it has really become mundane for my two kids, ages 4 and 7. Last time I told them, "Hey guys! We're going to Disneyland in a few days!!" their response was a very nonchalant, "Oh. Yeah?"

I was afraid that would happen if we got AP's, and I was right. We're not renewing our passes. We'll go once or maybe twice next year. We discovered that too much of a good thing... is too much.

[WorldDisney]

Re: Is it better (more magical) not to have an AP?

I'm like a lot of people grew up in SoCal (Compton) and yes as a little boy went once a year. It was a biiiig deal, like once a year kind of thing in the summer although we were only 20 minutes from the place.

But then I lived abroad for a long time and only visited (the original) DL about every 2 years basically. But then I was back home for a few months in 2005/2006 and for the first time decided, what the hell, I will get me an AP!

And so I used it for maybe 3 months and LOVED IT!!! It was during Xmas time and it was just so much fun to go there 2-3 times a week, which I was doing. Remember though, I was just visiting home for about 3 months and had no job lol, so I was just going waay more than if I bought a pass and spread out the frequency a little more for a year. But it was a great time.

Did I get sick of it a little....yep!! But it was great because it wasnt JUST hopping on Splash and Indy all the time. I just loved sitting in NOS, with my ipod and a book and just people watch.....jump over to DCA, hit Soarin maybe and come back...or just go to the park around 8 pm to have dinner there, catch Fantasmic and then go to DTD and see a movie. It felt like Disney was just another spot to hit like going to the mall. Some people thinks that takes it away....I think that makes it more interesting because you really learn to take your time and see the park in a different way when you know you can come back next week and not next year.

So yeah, it depends on the person and like I said, my case was different, it was only a few months with a pass. I imagine if I had one for years and years, things might be different, but I'm in L.A. now and I'm seriously considering getting another one if I am here for just a few months like before . Its just great feeling to hit the park (in theory) anytime you want! And guess what, if it gets too busy the day you go, just go another day when its less busy, presto .

[DisneyIPresume]

Re: Is it better (more magical) not to have an AP?

Here's something I've noticed among some frequent visitors on this board: They are very excited by costumed characters in the parks, seeing them, getting photos taken with them, playing musical chairs with them, eating lunch with them.

My theory is these people have gone to Disneyland so many times that much of the park has become wallpaper. They love characters because characters might be different each time you go, whereas everything else in the park barely changes, hence the Halloween and Holiday overlays and now annual marketing themes.

I've been going once or twice a year for a few years now, after rarely going for maybe a decade, and I feel like I know the park too well at this point. It has nothing to do with crowds because I can work around that with Fastpasses. It's just that even though there's lots to see and do, it's been seen and done before.

I'm an AP holder, a local, and someone who has visited the park on multiple occasions every year since I was born almost 41 years ago and if Disney decided to not have a single character roaming the parks anymore I wouldn't miss a thing.

[MickeyMaxx]

Re: Is it better (more magical) not to have an AP?

I feel very lucky to live close enough to Disneyland (one hour drive), and to be able to have an annual pass. Our approach to the park is more relaxed, because there isn't the imperative to ride every ride we can, and the visits are no less special than they used to be before having a pass. They are not particularly repetitive either since we tend to concentrate on smaller physical areas to spend our time in, even though we'll usually walk the whole park each time. We're not bothered by the crowds for the same reason. If an attraction is impossibly busy, there's always later in the day or another time when we can enjoy it. I think that might give us a feeling of "specialness" similar to what the OP described. We might not see an attraction any more often than they do.

Every time I walk through the tunnel, I get a little misty at the sight of Main Street, and with each visit, I notice details I've overlooked for the last 49 years. It's not wallpaper for me, but an intricate assemblage of textures and objects, each of them so well executed it's a wonder how they managed to create it in the first place. I love to see the children interact with characters, but have no interest in them myself.

I don't purposely look for lapses in the quality of the physical park, but sometimes I notice some. Take a small bit of paint that needs attention. Sometimes I've wondered if I notice it because every other bit of painted or varnished wood shows not a single brush stroke, and a level of gloss that I sure can't recreate in my real life.

The AP is a luxury for us, a bit of a financial push, especially since each time we go we'll spend around a hundred dollars on meals, beverages, and snacks in a day. But is it worth it? Emphatically, yes. Does it cheapen the experience? Not for me.

[pratt55]

Re: Is it better (more magical) not to have an AP?

MickeyMaxx said it best, although we live 5 1/2 hours away, with having an AP we get to slow down and smell the roses and the coffee instead of feeling like we need to rush from ride to show to ride.

[nileprincess]

Re: Is it better (more magical) not to have an AP?

Nope. Because we got APs in July, we visited the park for my birthday in September, are going this coming weekend for Halloween and will be back in December for my mom's birthday. All in all, that's three more times than our average yearly trip. It definitely makes me smile!

[lobeobann]

Re: Is it better (more magical) not to have an AP?

Here's my theory: People who do not have APs generally tend to try to go on everything, see every show, meet every character..... all in one day. It's just not possible. It becomes one big headache. If you have an AP and "oh darn, there's no room to see the parade" or "that line is too long", oh well, just come back another day. I think a lot of the rude pushy people with their strollers and cranky kids are the people the ones that try to do this. You miss all the magic and beauty of the park because you're just trying to go through it all. It gets to the point where it's not even enjoyable. For really young kids, though, I wouldn't reccomend an AP. It's ironic, I know, but hear me out. It's so exciting as a little kid to know that you're going to DL. If you grow up there, it's just not the same. Kids see the overall effect. They don't care if you don't get to go on the Mark Twain, they just love the magic throughout. Adults can see the finer details. I love going into the park and seeing what has changed, or noticing some small detail I've missed before. I like knowing the "secrets" and seeing them in action. Plus, there's always something new. The first day of the fireworks and of Murphy, I was at the park to be one of the first to see. I think it may take a special kind of obsessive person to not get tired of DL though. But even when you've experienced all the magic, one of my favorite things is to see someone else experience it for the first time.

[Aladdin]

Re: Is it better (more magical) not to have an AP?

Before AP, I would HAVE to be at the gates at openning AND stay until they security people marched down Main Street, and pushed me out. I would go go go, rush rush rush to get everything in.

After AP, I could slow down and really enjoy my time there. There wasn't that "have to do it all in one day" pressure. I end up planning to spend more time there, (and obviously more money). Even though it's 6 hours away, I've taken more trips than I would have otherwise, and had a chance to go to special events that I probably wouldn't have done either. So really, I've had a chance to do a much wider variety of things, than I would have been able to do without an AP. And I'm still missing out on things I would like to do.

And if DL would be closer to me, I would likely take a few more shorter trips than I do now.

I really do like visiting, and even though I am sometimes critical of Management, it's usually because they taken away something that has been a big part of what I enjoy at DL, and/or replaced it with something of lesser quality. And when something is done right, I say so too.

And NO! I'm not the type of person who only goes just to visit with the characters every single trip, but once in a while I enjoy visiting with a character. I'm NOT going waste 2 hours standing line to meet the princesses or the fairies. BUT if a character is out and about, I MIGHT stand in line if it's a character I enjoy, or they have a special costume on, or if the line isn't too long. But sometimes I just enjoy watching Cruella sass off to some kids (or adults). One time I saw Goofy Claws in Toontown, and it was a hoot watching him interact with the kids (and adults). This summer I saw Aladdin and Jasmine running around Adventureland, briefly stopping for only a picture or two, and then running off to another place in Adventureland. But I don't ALWAYS want to see Peter, Alice, and the Mad Hatter play musical chairs (I think I've only see that once)

What I'm saying is, I like the variety of entertain that DL offers! That is what makes DL special. It's not just going there and doing the same thing every single time.

[willsingforfood]

Re: Is it better (more magical) not to have an AP?

I absolutely LOVE my AP. I've had one for almost a year and a half and I've gone about 15 or 20 times. I still cry every single time I watch a fireworks show. I think it just depends on if you're the kind of person who gets enjoyment out of doing something regularly. Do you like to re-watch movies, or can you listen to the same CD several times in a week? If yes, then an AP is a great investment, but if not, then don't.