4 or 5 Day Park Hoppers at AAA

[hmmchowell]

I'm ready to buy my tickets. We will be arriving mid-afternoon on Nov. 3. Wasn't planning on going to parks until Thurs. Will be leaving Monday after breakfast at Kona and possibly swimming at the hotel. (Poly) The question is: Should I buy 4 day park hoppers or 5 day park hoppers since we probably won't go to the parks on our arrival or departure day. The only advantage would be that we would have the fifth day if we wanted to run into the parks for a few hours that first and last day or to have the extra day for the next time we go to Disney.

Three adult and One child 4 day parkhopper passes at AAA: $803

Three adult and One child 5 day parkhopper passes at AAA $897
Whaddaya think???

 

[tarheel]

It would be nice to have the 5 day, just in case like you say you want to head in for a few final hours. If you don't use the 5th day, they don't expire from what I understand, so you could use them for another trip. I'd rather have the extra day, instead of being disappointed that I didn't. Have a great time!

 

[logan1_2000]

I have read elsewhere that an issue to watch out is when you have unused days that do not expire on a child's park hopper, if that child is older enough to need an adult ticket by the time you go back, you will need to pay the differential then in force at the time of that return trip. I think.

There is so much to do, think it through--like, where are you staying, is there perhaps a pool, or something else to enjoy, instead of the parks on a partial day? It was almost a hundred dollars, which isn't nothing, but in the grand scheme of life, I'd pay a hundred for family happiness.

Just went through exactly the same analysis for our trip next month, 6 adult tickets and 3 children, and we have decided to go for the core days only, and arrival and departure days will be family or pool days.

 

[MrCurmudgeon]

Greetings!
I just booked a trip for Oct. and bought the ultimate park hopper passes for two adults at the same time I booked my room at WL. I did ask for, and get, a AAA discount on my room, but heard nothing about AAA discounts on park hopper passes. Would I get a better price if I got my tickets via AAA?

Can't wait for my first WDW trip 10/19
- Cheers,
Brian

 

[hmmchowell]

We're not going to be there long enough to utilize an UPH so we decided just to get Park Hopper Passes which are significantly cheaper than UPH. We just won't have time to go to water parks, pleasure island, etc. We just want to hit the four parks in our four full days there. If you are going for a long time, UPH are the way to go I think. AAA has park hopper passes cheaper than buying them from Disney ahead of time. So we decided to go with them. LOL.

 

[Tigger&Belle]

Originally posted by logan1_2000
I have read elsewhere that an issue to watch out is when you have unused days that do not expire on a child's park hopper, if that child is older enough to need an adult ticket by the time you go back, you will need to pay the differential then in force at the time of that return trip. I think.

Actually, from what I've read, the only time you need to pay to upgrade is if the voucher was never activated for the child (and they age out of the child's price). If it has been used and the child ages out and needs an adult ticket it can be traded for an adult hopper pass. You must have the child (or adult, for that matter) there in person and the dates/ages must make sense. IE, if you bought a child's pass for your 7yo and used some of it 10 years age, you can now bring the child (now a 17yo, taller than you, more than likely ) and the old hopper and have it exchanged for an adult hopper at no charge. If you, as the parent were to try to upgrade it for yourself it wouldn't fly, though.

T&B

 

[Northwoods]

Get the 5 day!! It is less per day cost. And you do NOT have to pay anything to upgrade a child ticket to an adult ticket. So you have locked in at the cheaper 'todays' price and any children that will be adults by the next trip are locked in at the child price.


MrCurmudgeon - you can buy discounted park hopper passes directly from AAA they are cheaper than Disney direct.

 

[SnackyStacky]

Originally posted by logan1_2000
I have read elsewhere that an issue to watch out is when you have unused days that do not expire on a child's park hopper, if that child is older enough to need an adult ticket by the time you go back, you will need to pay the differential then in force at the time of that return trip. I think.

With much a Peter Pan mentality, Disney doesn't charge kids for growing up! If you have a child's ticket, and a child that Disney deems an adult (for admission purposes), just take the admission to Guest Relations and they will issue you an adult ticket with the same "leftovers" that were on the child's original ticket.

As for the original question, I would consider whether or not you'll be back. If you'll be back, I would buy the 5 day. Who knows, with that 5th day, you may end up using it anyway!

 

[logan1_2000]

I see from the replies I was incorrect about paying the difference. I thank y'all for making sure the correct info got out there. Now quick, lets deep-six this thread lest anyone from Disney's corporate office reads it and realizes that there is in fact a potential dollar out there that they are not capturing! Before you get your flamethrowers out, hey, I'm a fan, and as a shareholder as well I do marvel at their ability to make a profit out of providing happiness. And I did rejoice when Disney Cruise Line changed policy of charging for all cokes outside of Tritons/Lumieres, Parrot Cay and Animaotr's Palate, and added cokes to the self serve beverage station and in the casual dining restaurants.

 

[bubba's mom]

Originally posted by SnackyStacky
With much a Peter Pan mentality, Disney doesn't charge kids for growing up! If you have a child's ticket, and a child that Disney deems an adult (for admission purposes), just take the admission to Guest Relations and they will issue you an adult ticket with the same "leftovers" that were on the child's original ticket.

so, may I ask....if you can upgrade the child's unused park hopper days to an adult's for no charge, why bother? if there isn't a monetary exchange, why do they need to adjust the child's ticket to an adult's?? isn't that just more work for the same person to be admitted? does this make sense what I'm asking or am I having another blonde moment??

 

[Northwoods]

It so those people monitoring the gate don't have to question those with a child ticket that should have an adult.

The child ticket has to have been used when the person was a child. When you exchange them they check the dates it was used against the age of the teen now to see if it makes sense.

They don't want people to cheat the system by buying child tickets and then going to upgrade them to adult - just so they can save money.

 

[bubba's mom]

Thank you......that makes sense. I'm glad my question wasn't too confusing and someone besides DH can decipher my language!!

 

[Tigger&Belle]

Originally posted by bubba's mom
so, may I ask....if you can upgrade the child's unused park hopper days to an adult's for no charge, why bother? if there isn't a monetary exchange, why do they need to adjust the child's ticket to an adult's?? isn't that just more work for the same person to be admitted? does this make sense what I'm asking or am I having another blonde moment??

If you have a child who is barely older than the child's age then nobody would question it and I don't think it would be worth the hassle. But a child who is now a teenager or older might feel a little silly with a child hopper pass and they might get questioned. Easy enough to exchange it regardless and since there isn't a charge it saves some explaining.

T&B

 

[disneyfanz04]

I would buy the 5 day, just because if you plan to go back, if you don't wind up using that extra day, you will already have a 3 day adult hopper left for the next time you visit...and the price difference is only $94.00...not bad for a three day hopper IMHO.

 

[bubba's mom]

All makes sense. I suggested to DH that I wanted to try to save enuf $$ to purchase 5 day park hoppers for us before the price goes up again (we usually only visit 1 park for a day or two each year before visiting family for a week in Fla) So, I was explaining that if we bought park hoppers, they are good forever. With DS turning 6 in January, he wanted to know about his hopper. I told him there is no charge to upgrade to adult, but I wasn't sure why I even had to upgrade it down the road. So, you all have been very informative and I thank you all!!! So much clearer now...........