Give a Day Get a Day voucher upgrade ?...is my math right?

[sunflowersis]

Can someone please tell me if my numbers are correct here? I'm trying to figure out if it would be worth it to buy park hopper tickets online before we go and use our GADGAD vouchers for the free Fast Passes, OR if it saves more money to use them to upgrade to 4-day park hoppers at the gate.

so....

Buying tickets online, using GADGAD for free Fast Passes
Online price for 4 day park hoppers:
Me--------------$161
DH--------------$161
18yo------------$161
8yo-------------$161
5yo-------------$161
Total------------$805
*includes one morning of early entry.
*includes free Fast Passes for our GADGAD vouchers

Buying tickets at the gate and using the GADGAD vouchers to upgrade
Ticket price at the gate for 4 day park hoppers:
Me--------------$229
DH--------------$229
18yo------------$229
8yo-------------$199
5yo-------------$199
subtotal--------$1085
discount for GADGAD vouchers------(-$288)..this is 4 vouchers, 5yo doesn't have one
Final Total-----$797
*no early entry, and no fast passes


If the numbers here are correct, it makes more sense to use the GADGAD vouchers to get the free Fast Passes, right?

 

[Lollipop's Mom]

Yep! I posted this a while ago - disney isn't really losing any money at all with these 'free' tickets. You are better off getting fp or the mouse ear figurine!

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

If you're looking strictly at #s, the free day will be a better value. How much are the fast passes worth to you? How many fast passes do you get?

I'm curious since we have non-expiring hoppers from previous visits and will be visiting MK for 1 day pre cruise. I felt that it's a better deal to get the free day and be able to leave our old tix home. Do you get an FP to every ride that offers one? That would be a really nice perk to breeze through every ride, like staying onsite at Universal.

 

[samkj]

Looking strictly at the numbers they save $8 by using their free vouchers. Since they are going to be at the park multiple days, they need multi-day tickets and you can only upgrade to those at full gate prices. I'm not sure how the fast passes work, but we'll be looking at it next month when we are in a similar situation.

 

[Dizneydaz]

Since it's almost the same price I would say get the FP for the GAD vouchers. Especially if you'll be going during a busy time. And depending on what FP you actually get. If you were going only mid-week during slower months than the FP wouldn't be of much use but since you're only talking about a diff. of $8 i guess it would still be worth not having to pull your own FP and return at a later time.

I had no idea you could get such a discount online on PH tix. We buy AP so I never look at that option.

Way to save some $$$$

 

[mareed]

Yes, your analysis is correct. I've posted on a few threads that the GAD voucher is really only better for your budget if you're going for 1-2 days. Also, you can purchase the 4-day ticket at getawaytoday for $157, making your total $785. You'd get your MM with that still too, so that looks like the best option to me! Then use your GAD vouchers for fastpasses.

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

I just called the phone # on the GAD website and asked how many FPs you get. She said 6 but first had to go ask. It took so long I was afraid to ask which rides they're for.

 

[Eeee-va]

You can usually pick the rides (if the number is 6, then probably 3 of the top tier rides, like Space Mountain, and 3 of the lower ones, like Buzz Lightyear).

IF you know there is one day when you are only going into one park , you could save slightly more money by buying 3-day hoppers and then getting 1-day, 1-park tickets at the gate.

Online price for 3 day park hoppers:
Me--------------$149 (plus free one park one day voucher)
DH--------------$149 (plus free one park one day voucher)
18yo------------$149 (plus free one park one day voucher)
8yo-------------$149 (plus free one park one day voucher)
5yo-------------$161 (4 day)
Total------------$757
*includes one morning of early entry.

This might be a legitimate plan if you are spending a part-day at the parks (such as the day you get in or the day you leave), or if you NEVER hop (hopping is highly recommended on the DISboards, though!). The day we arrive we've never gotten there earlier than 2 or 3 PM, and we tend to just hang out in Disneyland since we'll be trying to see Disneyland's nighttime entertainment. (Though that MAY change with WoC.)

I don't think I would spend $48 for FPs, although if the 6 number is right, you would PROBABLY be getting 12 (for your whole party!) for rides that always have long lines (and 12 that often don't). So IF you're going during a busy time period it might be worth it.

Anyway, IF you are spending 4 full days in the parks, then I would absolutely just buy the 4 day tickets online and then get your FPs.

Have fun!

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

You can usually pick the rides (if the number is 6, then probably 3 of the top tier rides, like Space Mountain, and 3 of the lower ones, like Buzz Lightyear).
IF you know there is one day when you are only going into one park , you could save slightly more money by buying 3-day hoppers and then getting 1-day, 1-park tickets at the gate.

Online price for 3 day park hoppers:
Me--------------$149 (plus free one park one day voucher)
DH--------------$149 (plus free one park one day voucher)
18yo------------$149 (plus free one park one day voucher)
8yo-------------$149 (plus free one park one day voucher)
5yo-------------$161 (4 day)
Total------------$757
*includes one morning of early entry.

This might be a legitimate plan if you are spending a part-day at the parks (such as the day you get in or the day you leave), or if you NEVER hop (hopping is highly recommended on the DISboards, though!). The day we arrive we've never gotten there earlier than 2 or 3 PM, and we tend to just hang out in Disneyland since we'll be trying to see Disneyland's nighttime entertainment. (Though that MAY change with WoC.)

I don't think I would spend $48 for FPs, although if the 6 number is right, you would PROBABLY be getting 12 (for your whole party!) for rides that always have long lines (and 12 that often don't). So IF you're going during a busy time period it might be worth it.

Anyway, IF you are spending 4 full days in the parks, then I would absolutely just buy the 4 day tickets online and then get your FPs.

Have fun!

How can you say 'usually' when they've never offered this before?

 

[Eeee-va]

How can you say 'usually' when they've never offered this before?

They offered FPs as an alternative for last year's get-in-free-on-your-birthday promotion, and I had HEARD (although perhaps incorrectly) that the FPs this year were done in a similar manner, except perhaps that you had to have all members of your party together when you were given the FPs? Anyway, by "usually" I really meant "last year and what I've HEARD about this year."

I think for your birthday you got as few as 4 FPs, though (2 from each category), depending on how busy the park was. (Less busy = more FPs.)

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

They offered FPs as an alternative for last year's get-in-free-on-your-birthday promotion, and I had HEARD (although perhaps incorrectly) that the FPs this year were done in a similar manner, except perhaps that you had to have all members of your party together when you were given the FPs? Anyway, by "usually" I really meant "last year and what I've HEARD about this year."

I think for your birthday you got as few as 4 FPs, though (2 from each category), depending on how busy the park was. (Less busy = more FPs.)

Thanks for clarifying. I forgot about the birthday thing. My bday is at a very busy time in WDW so I wouldn't dare go there then. Probably why I forgot about it so quickly.

 

[mad hatter fan]

Can someone please tell me if my numbers are correct here? I'm trying to figure out if it would be worth it to buy park hopper tickets online before we go and use our GADGAD vouchers for the free Fast Passes, OR if it saves more money to use them to upgrade to 4-day park hoppers at the gate.

so....

Buying tickets online, using GADGAD for free Fast Passes
Online price for 4 day park hoppers:
Me--------------$161
DH--------------$161
18yo------------$161
8yo-------------$161
5yo-------------$161
Total------------$805
*includes one morning of early entry.
*includes free Fast Passes for our GADGAD vouchers

Buying tickets at the gate and using the GADGAD vouchers to upgrade
Ticket price at the gate for 4 day park hoppers:
Me--------------$229
DH--------------$229
18yo------------$229
8yo-------------$199
5yo-------------$199
subtotal--------$1085
discount for GADGAD vouchers------(-$288)..this is 4 vouchers, 5yo doesn't have one
Final Total-----$797
*no early entry, and no fast passes


If the numbers here are correct, it makes more sense to use the GADGAD vouchers to get the free Fast Passes, right?

Why would the hoppers bought at the gate prices not have an early entry? :

 

[mareed]

I just called the phone # on the GAD website and asked how many FPs you get. She said 6 but first had to go ask. It took so long I was afraid to ask which rides they're for.

I believe it's actually between 4 & 8 because you'll get between 2 & 4 fastpasses for 2 different tiers of rides. I suspect that 3 is the average, but under the DisneyWorld board, there have been several threads of people actually using the fastpass GAD vouchers and a WDW CM who works in ticketing confirmed that it's between 2 & 4 depending on various factors (but they said those factors are largely unknown!). I suspect that 6 is the average, or perhaps 6 is always what you get at DL since we all know that many things are different between DL & WDW.

 

[tholczer]

What $ amount is the GAD voucher worth?

Tracy

 

[mareed]

What $ amount is the GAD voucher worth?

Tracy

$72 is the gate-price of a one-day one-park ticket, so that's the credit you'll receive if upgrading the GAD voucher to a multi-day park ticket. Is that what you were asking?

 

[tholczer]

Sure is. So it's a one park voucher, not a parkhopper. That's good to know.

Tracy

 

[radiatorsprings]

I had no idea you could get such a discount online on PH tix. We buy AP so I never look at that option.

Way to save some $$$$

The discounted parkhoppers they are planning on getting are only offered during the beginning of the year, I think only until April, so it's not something you can take advantage of all year long.

 

[Emerson613]

what does this mean:
May I upgrade my free one day ticket to an Annual Pass or multi-day ticket?

Yes, you may upgrade the free ticket to another ticket type of greater value within the applicable upgrade window. However, you are responsible for the incremental cost and the new ticket may only be used by you. No changes or refunds will be given. The value of the free ticket may not be used to combine or upgrade with a separate single or multi-day ticket.

the part at the end confuses me.....

thanks!
T

 

[tholczer]

what does this mean:
May I upgrade my free one day ticket to an Annual Pass or multi-day ticket?

Yes, you may upgrade the free ticket to another ticket type of greater value within the applicable upgrade window. However, you are responsible for the incremental cost and the new ticket may only be used by you. No changes or refunds will be given. The value of the free ticket may not be used to combine or upgrade with a separate single or multi-day ticket.

the part at the end confuses me.....

thanks!
T

Sounds like you can't use the voucher and, say, a parkhopper ticket in combination to get a multiday ticket or an annual pass. But I'm no expert. I'm sure the experts will be along soon...

Tracy

 

[Emerson613]

thanks- that makes sense..... that wording got a little funky at the end...