2005 Packages Advertised on TV (Dogs Commercial)

[Maverick Mike]

Hello everyone,

We are looking to book our summer vacation soon. Last year we booked a package that was advertised on TV about this time for three of us to visit for 7 days at POP Century for about $1,500. Again, I have seen a similar package offered on TV (the commercial with the two dogs at WDW) and we are getting ready to book. However, I did noticed that in small writing on the bottom of the screen it said, "one park per person per day." I know that there is a new ticketing system in place, and that you don't have those Unlimited Park Hoppers like in the past. My question is this: Can you pay to have those privilidges like last year? And how much more are we talking for a week's stay at POP? We loved our trip last year (except for Hurricane Charley), and we are looking forward to going back this summer.

Thank you for your help with this question!
Mike

 

[CDSTapisRouge]

If you are just looking to add park hopping to your tickets it is $35 per person (not per day) you would pay for the Base ticket for however many days you want (which is the one park each day for each person) and then add $35 to that price (per person plus tax) and you will have hopping privledges.

 

[Maverick Mike]

That's pretty steep, but I guess we will have to do that. One thing that we really enjoy while we are there is not hving to worry about our plan for the day. If we want to start of at the Magic Kindgom, but then go to Epcot for the evening, we love that flexibility. I think that is one of the things that can really add to your vacation. Being limited to one park for each day makes the vacation feel a little "rigid." Don't you all think that? And it costs yet more to add DQ and a waterpark, right?

Mike

 

[CheapMom]

Add $45 plus tax and you will get 5 plusses (DQ, waterparks...)
You probably won't need all 5 so you may want to look at single day admissions...

You can completely customize the tickets you purchase with your package. You can purchase more or less days than your stay, add hopping or plusses...

The $1500 sample package includes 7 days of 1 park per day (must be used within 14 days) I am pretty sure.

You can tweak it any way you want.

 

[Maverick Mike]

So it seems like to have the same tickets that we had last year for our 7 night stay will probably cost us about $100 more? If we wanted to park hop, do a waterpark one day, and visit DQ a couple of days? Do you think those costs would be accurate? I love the Disney company, but I think this is really taking a lot away from me visiting WDW and being stress free!

Mike

 

[CDSTapisRouge]

So it seems like to have the same tickets that we had last year for our 7 night stay will probably cost us about $100 more? If we wanted to park hop, do a waterpark one day, and visit DQ a couple of days? Do you think those costs would be accurate? I love the Disney company, but I think this is really taking a lot away from me visiting WDW and being stress free!

Mike

Actually NO, if you do the math it comes out cheaper than the old tickets. The 7 day park hopper plus (from previous years) was $336.56 age 10+, if purchased in advance and $364.24 age 10+ at the gate, Children 3-9 in advance were $269.46 and children 3-9 at the gate were $291.83.... With the new ticket if you get a 7 day base ticket with park hopping and plus visits it is $279 plus tax (so roughly $297 for ages 10+) and $240 plus tax for 3-9 (so roughly $255.60 with tax)... Even if you get the whole ticket (7 days with hopping and plus visits adding no expiration to them) it is still $10 less than the advance price of the 7 day park hopper...You just have to do the math... It actually does come out cheaper than the old tickets...

 

[goofy4tink]

It is cheaper this way. There were always people complaining that they couldn't go to the parks the day they get to WDW or the day that they leave. Or they were concerned that they really wanted park hoppers for 7 days but didn't want the plus features! So, this is a great alternative. If you want to hop, pay a little extra. Same for plus features. Yes, it is a little more complicated this way, but you do get used to it. I love it this way.

 

[HumphreytheBear]

To elaborate a little more on what CDS and Goofy4tink mentioned...

The original 7 day park hopper was 7 days with park hopping 4 plus visits and no expiration, you could not modify that at all that was how the ticket was whether you wanted it that way or not and cost $364.24 gate price for 10 and older.

(The Ultimate Park hoppers...which you mentioned...were 7 days unlimited, with hopping and the water parks, wide world of sports, PI and DQ again whether you wanted them or not and it was $370.64 gate price...$347.21 advance purchase)

With the new ticket you can make it what you want and not waste money on what you are not going to use. The base ticket is $199 for 7 days (10+ gate price) add the hopping is $35, if you want plus visits you get 5 (which include the water parks, wws, PI, and DQ) for $45 and if you want no expiration it is $55 (all plus tax). So you would get the whole package for $334 plus tax gate price about $355.71 which is less than you were paying for the ultimate park hopper*gate price, I don't know the advance pricing).

If you are going to use all the days while you are there there is no need for no expiration, that saves you $55 of each ticket, if you decided not to get the plus pack (for the water parks, PI, WWS and DQ) that would save you another $45 per ticket...

It really does work out to be a better deal.

 

[luvey]

i got my myw dvd the other day. and it looks like the less than $1500 package is for seven days magic your way base ticket (admission to one of the 4 parks each day, no hopping, expires after 14 days). it also includes 6 nights at a disney value resort. and the prices listed are for two adults, one junior and one child during regular or value seasons in 2005.

from what i understand you can customize it the way you want. for me personally i wouldn't want a seven day ticket cause i don't go to the parks on the day that i am leaving to come home. that would be a waste of money for me. on my last trip we spent six night there and had a five day park hopper...we still have two days left on our passes that we have to use when we go again.

a seven day base ticket will cost an adult $199 and a child $130. if you need less than that, you can purchase a ticket that is less than that. the more you stay and play, the more you save in the long term because a five day base ticket is $193 for an adult, and $155 for a child. if you want to park hop you will add $35 for each person to the ticket. no expiration can be added to a seven day ticket for $55 and to a five day ticket for $35.

compare that to the premium ticket (the one that includes park hopping and the waterparks, pleasure island and such) 7 days for that would be $279 and for 5 days $273. if you wanted the no expiration again that will cost you the amounts listed before.

i think this package is offered to give more flexiblity to families. you can add on a dining plan, but the paperwork here just states that doing so would bring the package up to less than $2200. but it doesn't really give you any more info in that -- which is annoying.

 

[Maverick Mike]

Thanks to everyone who responded. Also, there will only be three of us (two adults and one child) so that should bring the price down a bit too. It's just that we are both working on teacher's salaries, so every dollar does count.

With the Ultimate Park Hopper, we just paid the price for everything. We never thought what the difference between the room cost and the ticket costs were. It sounds like we can still get the same "stuff" that we got in our package last year for about the same amount of money. I just loved the fact that one night we had no plan, so we visited Epcot, DQ, and did some shopping. We never had to worry about how many "plusses" we were using and stuff like that.

Thanks again for all of your detailed explainations. I will take more time tonight to really, really look at at all! I love the planning, so it will be fun!

Mike

 

[Disneycrazymom]

Also you can most likely save money by booking a room only instead of a package. Many of us are hopeful that codes will come out this month that will lower the room rate. They COULD be as low as $59 per night for a value as that is the postcard rate being sent to some people. Just for you to consider, I know some prefer to get the package since everything is included.

 

[Maverick Mike]

So going the "Room Only" route might save you money? I will have to think about that. I just loved the idea of having that "Length of Stay" pass with everything included. I was so nice to know that everything at WDW was at your fingertips. I will just have to make a package out of what we will use, though. I'm all about saving money! I just can't wait to get back! We drive down from St. Louis, and it is the most exciting thing we do! I just love it!

 

[Maverick Mike]

For those of you who have planned a trip since the new ticketing system went into effect, I have a quick question. Did anyone try to make their "package" just like a trip you had before? For example, did anyone buy tickets that were similar to the Ultimate Park Hopper? Was is indeed cheaper once you figured that all in? I'm just curious!

Thanks,
Mike