Annual Pass vs. Ultimate Park Hopper

[Disney Enthusiast]

I asked this question on the Budget Board, but someone suggested you folks might have some answers for me as well being I am in your shoes now as a DVC member.

We just bought at SSR and will be visiting WDW about once a year, prob. in Dec. I read on Mousesavers.com that if one is going for 8 days or more, to look into getting an annual pass because you will save a bit. And if we go the following year a week or 2 earlier, we will be able to utilize the pass for 2 visits of 10 days. Plus, it has all the other discounts for merchandise and restaurants and such.

My husband and I have always done the UPH and love that everything is on our room key and love that we can go to PI, DQ, BB, or any park we want and even switch parks throughout the day so the UPH has been wonderful for us.

The question... Would it be cheaper and better to go w/ the annual pass? Or should we stay w/ the UPH? Or should we look into the Park Hopper Plus and save the tickets each year? I don't want something too confusing. And if you have a suggestion for me, please let me know where to pick up that particular ticket. I heard from another poster that I can not pick up the annual pass at check in. Do I wait til I get to WDW (to ensure me being able to use it a week earlier the next year), and pick it up at a park entrance? Please advise me on this issue because I will be making my first reservation Jan 1st.

Thank you all in advance for your advise on this matter.

 

[Ralph&Pam]

We have been purchasing annual passes using the Disney Club discount. The discount is about $15 for the regular annual pass and about $20 for the premium annual pass. Since DC membership is no longer available, I will use the non-discounted prices for comparison purposes.

The AP is $392.99 (tax included in all prices) for 10 and older and $334.41 for children 3-9. The AP includes unlimited admission to the four parks for one year from date of issue.

The Premium AP is $520.79 for 10 and older and $443.04 for children 3-9. The PAP includes unlimited admission to the four parks, all water parks, PI, and DQ. Thus PAPs have the same admissions as your UPH.

You can order AP and PAP in advance from Disney and other sites, including Dreams Unlimited Travel (sponsor of the DIS). You actually receive a voucher (about the size of a credit card) that you take to guest services at any one of the parks and exchange it for your actual AP or PAP. The start date on your pass is the date you actually present it for exchange, so you will be sure to get your full year of use.

It is frequently said that the AP "breakeven" compared to a multi-day hopper is about 8 days while the PAP breakeven compared to a multi-day park hopper plus is about 10 days. If you can plan your stays to get two 10-day visits in a single AP or PAP period from the date of initial issue, the annual pass will be a big money saver. We usually get about 16 days on our APs (in three trips), so the AP choice is pretty obvious for us. We don't do the water parks or DQ and PI, so the PAP would be an added expense without added benefit. In your case, this may be exactly what you want.

In comparing the cost of a PAP to the UPH, remember that DVC members do get a 10% discount on the UPH (the only admission media discount available to DVC members). It is generally possible to drop at least one of the day of arrival/day of departure (and sometimes both if you don't plan to use either) for an additional savings.

Finally, the convenience issue. The UPH can be encoded on your key at the time you check in. The AP/PAP is a separate ticket that you need to keep track of. Although we would like the convenience of having just one card to carry instead of two, the cost savings of the AP is too much to pass up. YMMV.

Ralph

 

[Terry S]

That was a very good explanation Ralph&Pam. We also buy the AP since we go 2 times a year totally about 19 days for the year. We only get the AP as opposed to the PAP because the kids are little and we don't use PI, DQ or BB. Once the kids get a little bit older we will probably buy the PAP.

Ralph&Pam have posted the cost of the AP and PAP, so you just need to figure the cost of your normal UPH for the two trips (minus the DVC 10% discount) and see if it would be a cost savings for you. My guess is that it probably will be. And then you have to remember that there are some AP benefits each year.

We have purchased the voucher by calling WDW and we have also just bought them at WDW guest relations. Either way you have to go to guest relations.

I too wish that they could put our AP admission on the same ticket as the room key, but unfortunatly that doesn't seem to work, so we have to keep track of two tickets.

 

[ClarabelleCow]

I did something and didn't realize how lucky we were with it! Last September I bought each of us 7 days PHP, they came with 4 pluses, (right before the increase and I used my Disney Club Card - boy will I miss that!!!) In November of 2002, we did 2 days on the pases and no pluses, this past November we used 4 more days and no pluses, now we are going back either next August or I booked next October, (just depends on the kids schedule), I have 1 park day left and 4 pluses, because the weather should be great for pools, we will spend alot of time at the waterparks, and maybe only have to buy a 1 day pass!! But since we have been coming every year, I bet we could do the MK and Epcot in a day and not even have to buy anything, so I think I did pretty good with the 7 day pass!!

 

[InstImpres]

I agree that you have to look carefully since there are so many option. Sit down and think realistically, how many prak days will you have in this year, how mnay plus days (water parks) and DQ or PI. If you don't do DQ or PI you may be better off with a hopper. I buy a 7 day with 4 pluses and a free character breakfast coupon for $301 from Paramount. I usually get 2 of these to last 3 trips. This year I bought that for my DD but an AP for me as I was doing a solo trip also. This way we got the best of all worlds with the extra dining discounts, etc.

Good Luck
Sandy


P.S. I am ot a fan of the UPH as we have had sick children and ended up with non-park days in the middle and it is like throwing money away, were with the PHP you save those days for next trip.

 

[dianeschlicht]

I second the AP usage noted by those above. That is what we have done for years. One thing that was not mentioned is that if you do buy the voucher from the Disney Store, you will actually be getting a bit of a pre-sale discount compared to purchasing at the park. We too will miss the DC discount. The renewal policy currently in effect for an AP is not a good deal for folks who live as far away as we do. It used to be you could renew for $35 less, and your renewal did not take effect until your first visit to a park after the renewal. Now your renewal starts ticking from the last day of the AP, so it doesn't make sense for us any more. We usually buy a new voucher in the fall (price increases are usually Dec. or Jan.) and start using it in January. We then try to get in several trips before the end of 365 days after it is activated. That usually means a Jan. trip, a fall trip, and another Jan. trip. We have had as many as 29 days of usage on an AP. The way we work it is to then go slightly longer than 365 days before we activate the next AP. Our current voucher will be activated Jan. 14, and we will take an October and early Dec. trip as well this year. DH wants to do the Members Welcome Home too, but I don't see how we can manage that. I figure we will get at least 25 days on these passes and more if we do the Members homecoming.

 

[Disney Enthusiast]

Wow! You have all been most helpful and I am only beginning to learn the differences in the passes. Although I just love having everything on one card and being able to go anywhere at anytime I want (if the price difference was under a couple of hundred dollars total I'd consider it for the convenience, but it's not), I now believe that the Ultimate Park Hopper is not our best deal, especially considering I have 2 small children and probably won't be frequenting PI or DQ too much. I just assumed I would as usual, but you folks put it into perspective for me. Thanks especially to Ralph and Pam for pointing that out to me about the added expense, but no added benefit. A lot has changed since I've had children and my trips will be tailored around their interests now. So it'll be It's a Small World and Character Greetings instead of "Kungaloosh!" for a while. Thanks for reminding me. So I may not even need that many plusses at this point.

I do have a few questions though. If I wanted to go to Blizzard Beach a day or 2, should I purchase a couple plusses and save them for another year if it rains, or should I buy the ticket in Disney w/ my Annual Pass Discount on the day I decide to go, or is there another option?

Also, I am still a bit confused as to the AP purchasing. Can I buy ahead of time thru MS or at the Disney Store, and "hold" it until I arrive, and then it starts ticking? I'd like having it ahead of time (the type A personality that I am), but I don't want it to "turn on" until I arrive at the parks because I need to try to swing another trip w/in a year and the 2 trips will be w/in a few days of each other the next year. Should I check on other outlets who may have better discounts? Or is it a good deal to buy directly thru Disney (which I feel safer doing).

Lastly, should I check into the PH vs. the AP. What would you folks say are the pros and cons of each. I realize the PH can be saved for another day if the kids are sick (which did happen to my BIL's family and they lost 2 days of the UPH), and this may also be an issue for the AP. Are there any other points I should consider about each and when should I go about buying these passes.

I really appreciate all of you for taking the time to tell me about your great ideas. I have always been a "buy the package" kind of girl, and I really need your expert advice. And I hear that many others are waiting for your advice as well... you know the lurkers out there. So we all thank you in advance for helping out a fellow DVCer!!!

 

[MaryJ]

Also, I am still a bit confused as to the AP purchasing. Can I buy ahead of time thru MS or at the Disney Store, and "hold" it until I arrive, and then it starts ticking?

I can answer this question. If you buy the AP from The Disney Store, you will receive a voucher. Take the voucher with you to the Guest Services window of the first park you visit, and they will exchange it for the activated AP. The clock will not start ticking until you visit Guest Services.

 

[Ralph&Pam]

Originally posted by Disney Enthusiast

I do have a few questions though. If I wanted to go to Blizzard Beach a day or 2, should I purchase a couple plusses and save them for another year if it rains, or should I buy the ticket in Disney w/ my Annual Pass Discount on the day I decide to go, or is there another option?

Also, I am still a bit confused as to the AP purchasing. Can I buy ahead of time thru MS or at the Disney Store, and "hold" it until I arrive, and then it starts ticking? I'd like having it ahead of time (the type A personality that I am), but I don't want it to "turn on" until I arrive at the parks because I need to try to swing another trip w/in a year and the 2 trips will be w/in a few days of each other the next year. Should I check on other outlets who may have better discounts? Or is it a good deal to buy directly thru Disney (which I feel safer doing).

Lastly, should I check into the PH vs. the AP. What would you folks say are the pros and cons of each. I realize the PH can be saved for another day if the kids are sick (which did happen to my BIL's family and they lost 2 days of the UPH), and this may also be an issue for the AP. Are there any other points I should consider about each and when should I go about buying these passes.

You can buy BB tickets with an AP discount as you need them. I see no reason to make this purchase in advance.

We have always purchased our APs through Disney because of the Disney Club discount. Personally, I would not hesitate to use a reputable ticket vendor (like Dreams Unlimited), but it's been convenient enough to call Disney since the DC has (soon had) a toll-free 800-number. I hadn't thought about using MS, but there is the advantage of an 800-number there as well. I avoid the Disney Store purchase because it would take a trip to the mall (maybe even two trips: one to order, one to pick up the voucher because I don't know if they have these in store inventory).

You should evalute the merits of a multi-day park hopper versus the annual pass. Both can be used for multi-park admission on the same day. The park hopper days don't expire, so if you don't use all of them on one trip, you can use them up later. The later use does not have to be within a year of initial use like the AP. PHs can be used by different individuals (on different days, of course) while an AP is limited to use by the person to whom it was issued (Disney uses a finger scanning technology to verify identity with photo ID as a backup when the technology fails; it seems to work quite reliably). As I noted before, the pricing break-even point for AP versus PH is about 8 days, but there may be some potential benefit to the non-expiration feature if you're not sure you'll get to the parks that many days on a single AP. Once you get past this threshold, the cost savings with the AP start to add up really fast.

Ralph

 

[dianeschlicht]

That is what I would suggest as well. WSe find the number of times we use pluses is much less than the hopping into the parks. When we have APs, we tend to go in and out a lot. We might start at one park for EE, have lunch at another with a PS and then rest and relax at the villa before heading out to yet another park for the rest of teh day and evening. The AP discounts are great for things like mini golf and restaurants. While DVC membership also gives you many of the same discounts, there are some that do not overlap. The year we had 29 days in the parks in 3 trips, we figured it only cost us $10/day in the parks! Bear in mind that was a few years ago and when we were going in an AP renewal rate.

 

[tjkraz]

I would go with the APs and forget hoppers unless you really have reason to question whether you will have 8 park days on the pass (which is typically the break-even point). You will be surprised how much you can save with the additional AP discounts.

With regard to the water parks, PI and DQ, I would also suggest the single ticket approach. You would need 4-5 water park or DQ visits per person to make up the difference in price between the AP and PAP--and even more visits to PI.

If you have the Disney Club card, you can save about $15 per adult AP by purchasing at the Disney Store by the end of the year. The Disney Store will give you an Annual Pass voucher which you present at WDW Guest Services during your next trip. The AP will then be issued with a start date equal to the date that you exchange the voucher. In other words, the clock doesn't start to tick when you buy the voucher, it's when you redeem the voucher.

If you don't have a Disney Club card, or just don't want to purchase that far in advance, just get the passes when you arrive at WDW. There are no advance purchase discounts for the AP, and you cannot buy it from any other third-party vendors.

 

[Disney Enthusiast]

You have all been so wonderfully informative. I can't thank you all enough for your insight on this matter.

It sounds to me like the AP is my family's best option, and then purchasing a single ticket to BB w/ my DVC or AP discount on a sunny day, or not purchasing it if it happens to rain all week. With my 2 small children, we probably will be going into the parks (for at least a little bit) every day for the 10 days we are there, and so I am leaning more towards the AP. I wouldn't be able to use the PH to just pop into a park for lunch or for a parade or something because I'd worry too much about wasting the all-day ticket for a couple hours.... would ultimately drive me crazy. I'd rather know I can drop in and out of the parks at my leisure rather than pushing the family to get our money's worth. This gives me the convenience and flexibility I'm looking for as well as the money savings.

Again, many thanks for your time in answering my questions!

 

[InstImpres]

Brigette -

Just one more thought as your "10 day" statement popped out at me.

There is a 10 day pass that includes PI, DQ & Water parks:
* Ten (10) days of admission to the MAGIC KINGDOM Park, EPCOT, DISNEY'S ANIMAL KINGDOM Them Park, Disney-MGM Studios, DISNEY'S BLIZZARD BEACH Water Park, DISNEY'S TYPHOON LAGOON Water Park, DOWNTOWN DISNEY Pleasure Island, DISNEYQUEST Indoor Interactive Theme Park, and DISNEY'S WIDE WORLD OF SPORTS Complex (valid only on event days; some events require an additional admission charge). Each day the Ten (10) Day World Ticket is used at any park or attraction constitutes one full day of use.

* One (1) Traditional Resort Breakfast or Disney Character Breakfast at participating restaurants located within the WALT DISNEY WORLD Resort. Each breakfast includes choice of juice, one (1) main breakfast dish, one (1) hot beverage and one (1) bakery item OR full breakfast buffet. Applicable gratuities are included. (Priority Seating is required). Excludes the following locations: Cinderella's Royal Table at the MAGIC KINGDOM Park and The Crystal Palace at the MAGIC KINGDOM Park.

* Use of the WALT DISNEY WORLD Resort transportation system (includes monorails, ferry boats and motorcoaches).

* The Ten (10) Day World Ticket expires 20 days after the date of first use at park or attraction.

It is $336 an adult and $276 child ($15 pr order shipping)
http://reservations.paramountinternationaltravel.com/DisneyOrderTickets.asp

Just food for thought.
Sandy

 

[LR_BCV]

Since the Disney Club ends 12/31 this may not help anyone, but you CAN get the DC discount on APs at the park. I bought my APs at Epcot using the DC discount. Some of the posts made it sound like you could not get the discount unless you bought at the Disney store.

 

[Disney Enthusiast]

Thank you again for your posts. Every tidbit of information is worth researching. I so appreciate you giving me some great advice. I had no idea I had so many great options out there, but all of you put them into perspective for me so I could understand my options and decide more wisely as to what is right for my family. I knew I could depend on my Dis Family to steer me in the right direction.

Sincerely

 

[jersey shark]

Hello Disney Enthusiast:

I am an AP holder for a family of 4, and I would say the 3 biggest benefits for us are (once you pass the 8-day breakeven point)

a) (as you mentioned previously) the wonderful feeling that you don't have to rush to do and see everything...and can do a leisurely half day at the parks

b) you tend to be open to opportunities that will take you to FL so that you work in a 2nd or 3rd trip to WDW because you are AP holders. In our case, we had planned on the 2nd trip to be 11 and a half months after the first, but low and behold, we have seized another opportunity to get down to Orlando (for our 3rd visit) in late Jan 04 (which may be our favorite trip since crowds will likely be less of a problem then!). We don't plan on visiting again for a few years and part of that has to do with getting our "fix" with 3 visits this year.

c) the "parking perk" can't be ignored either....we'll probably spend a total of 15 days in the park....saving us $105 on an approx $1300 spend (about 8%)

Have a good trip!

 

[dianeschlicht]

c) the "parking perk" can't be ignored either....we'll probably spend a total of 15 days in the park....saving us $105 on an approx $1300 spend (about 8%)

What do you mean by "parking perk"? If you are staying at DVC, why do you pay for parking?