What do you mean I can't add more days?!

[mom2aidanNpiper]

I also am curious about why people would pay full price to go to another park when the same price to get another PH would be about the same... as I mentioned in my post, we have 8 nearly full days in the park including arrival/departure dates.

I already planned to go to Legoland (with BOGO tix for all four of us) and the beach another day for 1/2 day. But that is only 1 1/2 days of already planned activities. Which leaves 6.5 park days (we hoped to buy 7 day PH if not 8 in case Legoland isn't a hit with the kiddos). With only 5 days in the park and a more limited budget (we didn't want to go to another park OR buy all new PH tickets either- that's easily over $400 regardless of what we do) we are kind of stuck finding things to do at the hotel or DTD. Not really what we envisioned for a day and a half.

I know many people only say 3-4 days is enough, and I would agree for hitting all the biggies. But we had hoped to take things slow, enjoy the pools, and for once NOT go commando all day long.

I just don't like all the inconsistent reports- in the same week many report getting denied, others report getting them no problem. It just doesn't make sense and that is where I am frustrated I guess. I am not counting on the extra days but it wouldn't settle well with me to know there could be others in the park at the same time that DID have luck and I didn't (assuming I can't upgrade).

 

[sheetz]

I was just thinking about this and remembered that WDW tickets can also be used for admission at DLR, but I wasn't sure if they had to be activated at WDW first.

Well, I did some searching and found someone in this thread who said they were indeed successful at using their WDW tickets at DLR before WDW (post #44)
http://disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2691497&page=3

Perhaps there have been other people who have been successful but I haven't read through all the posts yet.

So if anyone who's willing to give this a try it may be a possible workaround to the problem.

 

[3monkeys4me]

I don't understand why people are willing to pay full price to go to a different park on that sixth day but not full price for another day at Disney. I love Disneyland and am happy to pay to go. It doesn't seem reasonable to fuss because you can't go for another 1-3 days for only $5.

ETA: Most people aren't talking about doing Universal, Seaworld, Legoland, etc... I have seen Knotts mentioned the most. But event he other perks are easier to get discounts at. Plus there are options like the San Diego Go card, the 3 in 1 pass, BOGO for Legoland, and the CA City Pass.
.

A one day one park ticket to disneyland is $87 per adult and $81 per child, one day ticket to knotts is $39.99 per adult and $25.99 per child (and we can get cheaper tickets than that through my husband's union). For my family that one extra day at Disneyland is more than $200 than taking a break mid trip for a day at Knotts.

It doesn't matter for us this trip since we are mostly going to San Diego with a few days in Disneyland but our last Disneyland trip was 6 days. Considering how much more expensive it is for us to travel to So. CA this will probably be our last trip to the DLR for a long time unless we are just adding a few days in Dinsyland to another planned trip. If we are spending $1800+ on plane tickets we want to spend more than 5-6 days.

 

[mariners1999]

I would rather them check ID than cut the add a day tickets off. I get that people are selling them, but they are non-transferable yet that is completely uneforced. They are essentially operating on the honor system and are shocked that people are reselling. I'm going to try to add a day when we get there in September, but I'm not getting my hopes up at this point.

I am in complete agreement with the above statement!

I am sure one of the reasons for this change is to cut down on the fraudulent use of tickets both with the fly by night companies around Disneyland and the people that sell their half used tickets on ebay to recover some of the cost.

The change will not stop people from selling their tickets and it will not stop the local companies that "rent" you a ticket.

As a business owner I I just find what they are doing to be confusing. Why would you push your guests to spend time at competing theme parks or attractions in the area?

I also STRONGLY disagree with the fallacy that it is only $5.00 and that they are pretty much giving you free day. At $5.00 that is just to get me into the park. With Lunch/Dinner, snacks, extra shopping, etc I am sure I spend $60+ per family member each day I enter the park.

Disney knows that the locals don't add a large amount of incremental revenue when they visit the parks. The big money makers are the visitors from out of state that make Disneyland their vacation destination. They are the ones that stay onsite, eat in the parks, buy souvenirs, etc.

I find it very hard to believe that Disneyland can't come up with some way to verify that tickets are not shared or resold.

 

[TigerlilyAJ]

I don't understand why people are willing to pay full price to go to a different park on that sixth day but not full price for another day at Disney. I love Disneyland and am happy to pay to go. It doesn't seem reasonable to fuss because you can't go for another 1-3 days for only $5.

The way I see it, some cast members are willing to upgrade tickets for super cheap. SCORE! But that should be viewed as a bonus we are sometimes lucky to get, not a "right" over which to whine about. Just my opinion, but scalping is a real issue. I also think it's fair to pay an entry fee, not bus change.

I side with Disney on this issue, though I will certainly still try my luck for a 6th day when we go.

What is "full price" for a day at Disney? The price changes depending on how many days you come to the parks, with the per-day average going down as you lengthen your trip. Buy a 1-day PH ticket: $125. Buy a 3-day PH: $250--not 3x$125=$375--or $83.33/day. Buy a 5-day PH: $290, $58/day. But if you want, say, seven days in the parks and have to buy a 5-day + a 2-day PH: $290 + $200 = $490, $70/day. (I should note, though, that the consumer psychology involves is likely to make the extra two days feel like $100/day, rather than looking at the weekly average.) So the official policy is to "thank" people for coming more days to the park, eating there more, having more chances to shop and buy merchandise, by charging them more per day than people staying for less time and spending less money there.
You might also notice that the $490 is more than the Deluxe AP at $469. So going for a one-week trip to DLR is supposed to cost me the same admission as my friend who lives in OC and visits twice a month, or 24 days per year, with no hotel stay and only buying snacks in the parks, eating meals outside.
No one here has stated that $5 is the "fair" or "correct" price and nothing else is acceptable. In fact, a casual perusal of the thread reveals more than one person suggesting that the per-diem charge for extra days could be higher to discourage scalping. Saying they don't want to pay $125 for that extra day is not the same thing as insisting that only $5 is an acceptable price, as you claim people are "whining" about.

jlwhitney, DLR's two parks have more rides than WDW's four parks. So should the tickets be based on number of parks or number of rides? It takes time to get through all those rides, so I would argue that DLR needs longer stays so you can experience each ride.

In response to others, thanks for letting me know that Knotts is that much cheaper! Sounds like a nice option to consider.
In my earlier post I should have pointed out, as others since have about their own trip needs and preferences, that besides needing more than five days to see every show and ride the rides just because the parks are that big, my once-in-a-lifetime-trip is with small children and I fear the kind of pace we'd have to push push push them to if we tried to do it all in five days. Not to mention the breaks a young family needs and how we won't be in the parks for 12 straight hours a day. So five days really does not seem sufficient.

 

[Hoku]

my once-in-a-lifetime-trip is with small children and I fear the kind of pace we'd have to push push push them to if we tried to do it all in five days. Not to mention the breaks a young family needs and how we won't be in the parks for 12 straight hours a day. So five days really does not seem sufficient.

Since being parents, our 2 trips to Disneyland have been 5-days each. When our daughter was 2 that was PERFECT. When she was 4, it wasn't quite enough. We missed Tom Saywers Island, Redwood Creek and we didn't have any time to chill at the hotel pool so we wanted to do 6 or 7 days this year. I relate to what you're saying. The difference between us seems to be that I am willing to buy new tickets to make that happen if necessary.

A five day park hopper + a one day, one park pass is the equivalent of $62.83 per day for an adult. I'm ok with that. When you consider the incredible expense we're paying for plane tickets, hotel, food, souvenirs, etc. The difference comes out to very near chump change.

You can go to Knott's if you want, but then you have the stress of getting there and back. You also miss the extra time at Disney that you wanted. Bonus, you may get lucky and get the extra days from a cast member at Disney! While that makes some people grumpy if they aren't the lucky ones, I think it's poor sportsmanship to say nobody should have the opportunity.

I think it would be great if Disney could find a safe way to sell additional days at the same cheaper rates as their 5-day passes, or better! But until they can work that out, I'm ok to pay an extra day.

 

[ducky_love]

Just realized I'm OK here. As long as they continue to accept WDW tickets I will just get my longer stay hoppers here. It is still cheaper than buying additional hoppers or the annual / premier pass.

 

[Hoku]

Just realized I'm OK here. As long as they continue to accept WDW tickets I will just get my longer stay hoppers here. It is still cheaper than buying additional hoppers or the annual / premier pass.

Lucky duck!

 

[perlster]

one day ticket to knotts is $39.99 per adult and $25.99 per child

Those are the regular prices for tickets bought online - you can save $2 per adult ticket bought at least 3 days in advance. Note that there will be a $5 "procesing fee" added to your grand total.

 

[jlwhitney]

What is "full price" for a day at Disney? The price changes depending on how many days you come to the parks, with the per-day average going down as you lengthen your trip. Buy a 1-day PH ticket: $125. Buy a 3-day PH: $250--not 3x$125=$375--or $83.33/day. Buy a 5-day PH: $290, $58/day. But if you want, say, seven days in the parks and have to buy a 5-day + a 2-day PH: $290 + $200 = $490, $70/day. (I should note, though, that the consumer psychology involves is likely to make the extra two days feel like $100/day, rather than looking at the weekly average.) So the official policy is to "thank" people for coming more days to the park, eating there more, having more chances to shop and buy merchandise, by charging them more per day than people staying for less time and spending less money there.
You might also notice that the $490 is more than the Deluxe AP at $469. So going for a one-week trip to DLR is supposed to cost me the same admission as my friend who lives in OC and visits twice a month, or 24 days per year, with no hotel stay and only buying snacks in the parks, eating meals outside.
No one here has stated that $5 is the "fair" or "correct" price and nothing else is acceptable. In fact, a casual perusal of the thread reveals more than one person suggesting that the per-diem charge for extra days could be higher to discourage scalping. Saying they don't want to pay $125 for that extra day is not the same thing as insisting that only $5 is an acceptable price, as you claim people are "whining" about.

jlwhitney, DLR's two parks have more rides than WDW's four parks. So should the tickets be based on number of parks or number of rides? It takes time to get through all those rides, so I would argue that DLR needs longer stays so you can experience each ride.

In response to others, thanks for letting me know that Knotts is that much cheaper! Sounds like a nice option to consider.
In my earlier post I should have pointed out, as others since have about their own trip needs and preferences, that besides needing more than five days to see every show and ride the rides just because the parks are that big, my once-in-a-lifetime-trip is with small children and I fear the kind of pace we'd have to push push push them to if we tried to do it all in five days. Not to mention the breaks a young family needs and how we won't be in the parks for 12 straight hours a day. So five days really does not seem sufficient.

Number of parks counts more. With them being so far apart it is so much harder to park hop and in all reality you can really only do two parks in a day unless you are only doing a park a day.

There are more shows, parades and others at WDW also.

We have been to both and easily rode all the rides we wanted which was most of them only skipped a few (which just about every body does) in DL in 3 days with repeating a few too. For the average family visiting they could easily do and see what they wanted to in 5 days. Remember the vast majority of people are not ont he boards and uber planners that must do it all. Most people just go and do what they can and have fun.

 

[LAWalz23]

Why doesn't DLR use the finger scans that WDW uses? It would cut down on the reselling of used tickets and allow DLR to sell multiple-day tickets of more than 5 days.

 

[skiingfast]

Why doesn't DLR use the finger scans that WDW uses? It would cut down on the reselling of used tickets and allow DLR to sell multiple-day tickets of more than 5 days.

It's a mystery. They've been rumored to come by so called "people with inside information", but never made it.

I think they should be introduced however in the last year Disney is going new things that may change tickets in another way. At WDW they've been testing RFID technology as tickets and in more ways. Also alternatives to the turnstyles. It's possible they are holding out until they decide how we will enter the parks in the near future.

 

[ValpoCory]

Last Wednesday, we were able to upgrade from a 6 day that we had purchased online to a 7 day for $5 at Guest Services right outside Disneyland. We just asked if it could be done and the cast member did it.

Thanks for the report. Had you used your 6-day passes yet when you asked?

 

[ValpoCory]

I don't understand why people are willing to pay full price to go to a different park on that sixth day but not full price for another day at Disney.

Me neither. For us, it's upgrade to a 6 day or spend the evening at Goofy's Kitchen/DTD.

The way I see it, some cast members are willing to upgrade tickets for super cheap. SCORE! But that should be viewed as a bonus we are sometimes lucky to get, not a "right" over which to whine about.
...

I side with Disney on this issue, though I will certainly still try my luck for a 6th day when we go.

So you're ok with a company giving every other customer a different price, and telling the folks who get the worse price not to whine?

 

[ValpoCory]

I will say in a way its dumb that the longest ticket they offer is a 5 day, but at the same time I can't imagine spending more than 5 days there at one time anyway. I am from Florida and go to WDW 2-4 times a year for long weekends (will do longer trips with kids when we get to that point) but there there is so much more to do. Water parks, mini golf, the resorts and so on.

Personally to me its a way for them to make more money for those coming longer trips, who are def the minority. At WDW the longest you can get is a 10 day so a 5 day at DL makes sense. 4 parks = 10 days 2 parks = 5 days.

This sept will be our third time to DL and each trip has been 2-3 days long and I think 3 is perfect, maybe 4 if one day is not a full day.

Except there are more rides in 2 parks at the DLR than in the 4 parks at WDW combined. The 5-day ticket limit has nothing to do with the number of parks involved. It has everything to do with scalping and Southern California families giving their unused days on their passes to neighbors. IMO, Cars Land changed things at DLR from a 3-4 day vacation to a 5-6 day vacation.

It's true that we go to WDW longer than DLR, but that is due solely to the cost of the DVC hotel from which we rent points and not due to the quantity of the rides or parks. It costs us $178 per night to stay at the VGC, but only $108-$130 to stay at any one of the WDW DVC resorts.

 

[TigerlilyAJ]

The 5-day ticket limit has nothing to do with the number of parks involved. It has everything to do with scalping and Southern California families giving their unused days on their passes to neighbors. IMO, Cars Land changed things at DLR from a 3-4 day vacation to a 5-6 day vacation.

ITA w/ all of that. What I don't get is how they can offer special passes and tickets to SoCal (or Florida at WDW) residents based on ZIP codes of residence proven with IDs, and don't just reverse that idea for longer passes? Like, if you can offer SoCal APs, why can't you offer a 7-day pass to people who live further away who can prove they don't live anywhere near there the same way locals prove they do live nearby?
I've heard that there is all this eBay scalping, which I guess anyone could do, but given the 14-day expiration on tickets, I have to believe that most scalping or unauthorized ticket transfers are being done by locals who a) have less need for longer passes because they can go more often, and b) have easier, quicker access to people who can take unused pass days and use them before they expire. As an international guest, I guess I could try hustling on Harbor to sell unused days ::shudder::, but I certainly can't go 2700 miles back home and give/sell passes to neighbors or family who could never get there in time.

Meanwhile, DLR just keeps creating a self-fulfilling prophecy of people not coming for longer stays when the tickets suggest they cannot/should not.

I would love to buy a big 10-day WDW pass and use it at DLR (especially since every travel agent around here specializes in WDW and knows nothing about DLR), but I would be so so afraid of them not being accepted and me being stuck with $1200 in tickets I can't use. And then being back at square one with the DLR ticket issues.

 

[TheZue]

The other big thing that lends Disneyland to longer stays is it is right in the middle of LA. We always view Disneyland as our home base when we go, and we spend days driving through Hollywood, going to the zoo, Sea World, Legoland, we've done the Price Is Right, Universal all while staying in Anaheim. Heck when my husband went to E3 we had park hoppers and went when he was done every night. The ideal situation is you can spend half a day doing something else, then the evening in Disneyland or vice versa. In WDW my understanding is it's sort of a destination on its own, not a place where you'd go do something else for a half day then back to the parks.

 

[3Minnies1Mickey]

I would love to buy a big 10-day WDW pass and use it at DLR (especially since every travel agent around here specializes in WDW and knows nothing about DLR), but I would be so so afraid of them not being accepted and me being stuck with $1200 in tickets I can't use. And then being back at square one with the DLR ticket issues.

You can use WDW tickets at DLR. But it'll take a few extra minutes to enter every day.

 

[TigerlilyAJ]

You can use WDW tickets at DLR. But it'll take a few extra minutes to enter every day.

Yes, I've read that, but is it like, "100% of ticket-booth CMs will accept your WDW tickets without batting an eye, and you'll be given entry no problem," or is it more like the $5 add-on days, "Well, you can do it, but you might have to try five ticket booths and talk to a supervisor to find someone who will let you do it AND who knows how to do it"?

 

[LAWalz23]

Thanks for the report. Had you used your 6-day passes yet when you asked?

Yes, we upgraded after we used our passes the first day.