AP vs. MYW tickets????

[marvali]

Have made a number of trips to Disney, but most were back during the days of E-tickets or Length of Stay passes, so I am looking to learn from the experience of others here.

Just to clarify, if we purchase a 10-day base ticket with WPF&M AND NO expiration, I'm pretty sure this means we get 10 entries into the 4 major parks, and 10 separate entries into the minor (water parks, disney quest, etc.) parks for a total of 20 entries, regardless of which order we use them.

We are currently scheduled to be at WDW for six days this summer, and then again for three days at New Year's. If we use 4 days in the major parks and 2 days at the water parks this summer, and then use 2 days at the major parks and one day at Disney Quest and one evening at Pleasure Island at New Years, we will still have 4 days at the major parks and 6 days (entries) left to use any time in the future if I understand correctly.

Based on what others have done, would we be better off to get the 10-day passes I mentioned, or use our DVC discount to get the AP (without the minor park benefit, but allowed to park hop instead) and then be able to get the additional savings on meals by purchasing the DDE?

The trade-offs would be probably only getting 9 days in the parks on the AP before they expire and the discounted food costs vs. being able to use the 10-day passes on future trips (remember, DVC so plan to return at least every other year) at the additional savings of locking in the current price of admission.

What have others on here done, and how did it work out for you? Which seems to be the best way to go for your particular travel plans and patterns?

 

[macosx]

Have made a number of trips to Disney, but most were back during the days of E-tickets or Length of Stay passes, so I am looking to learn from the experience of others here.

Just to clarify, if we purchase a 10-day base ticket with WPF&M AND NO expiration, I'm pretty sure this means we get 10 entries into the 4 major parks, and 10 separate entries into the minor (water parks, disney quest, etc.) parks for a total of 20 entries, regardless of which order we use them.

We are currently scheduled to be at WDW for six days this summer, and then again for three days at New Year's. If we use 4 days in the major parks and 2 days at the water parks this summer, and then use 2 days at the major parks and one day at Disney Quest and one evening at Pleasure Island at New Years, we will still have 4 days at the major parks and 6 days (entries) left to use any time in the future if I understand correctly.

Based on what others have done, would we be better off to get the 10-day passes I mentioned, or use our DVC discount to get the AP (without the minor park benefit, but allowed to park hop instead) and then be able to get the additional savings on meals by purchasing the DDE?

The trade-offs would be probably only getting 9 days in the parks on the AP before they expire and the discounted food costs vs. being able to use the 10-day passes on future trips (remember, DVC so plan to return at least every other year) at the additional savings of locking in the current price of admission.

What have others on here done, and how did it work out for you? Which seems to be the best way to go for your particular travel plans and patterns?

If "one day at Disney Quest and one evening at Pleasure Island at New Years" is the same day, isn't only ONE ticket needed, and not each location? My understanding is you can also visit the water parks same day on the same ticket as well, no?

How much do you plan on spending on dining? How much will DDE save versus 2008 DDP, versus just eating less or outside Disney? We did 2007 DDP and while it was fair value, wasted lots of food, so cash price would have been similar or less for less food. As far as DDE, the more people the more savings, so for larger groups makes sense, but 2 or 3 people might not.

More important than the food is whether you want to visit the other non-theme parks. If you do, then the no expire tickets seem to make the most sense. Otherwise, you'll spend a little less with the annual pass with DVC discount.

 

[jns]

are you sure you get 10 extra passes
we had the 10 day pass before and only got 6 extra passes with ours

 

[airman]

I believe the water parks & more is for 6 tickets on a 10 day ticket package. The waterparks and more feature is for each entry, so if you do DisneyQuest in the a.m. and Pleasure Island in the evening that would use 2 tickets.

 

[marvali]

Okay, so it appears that you get six entries in the minor parks. I thought I read somewhere you got one for each day but maybe not. The minor parks, we can take or leave, but to get 16 entries out of a ten day pass with no expiration could be better than possibly nine visits to the major parks on the AP, when you add in the dining discounts. We have two teenage sons who can eat pretty good at times. We don't normally do a lot of TS dining, but do plan to try a few restaurants so if we had the dining plan to get the savings we might give a few more of them a try on these two trips.

My main reason for this thread was to see if others have made the choice between AP or 10 day no expiration tickets, and how it worked for them and which they felt was the most cost effective. I'm looking for personal experiences. As for us, we could go either way, but that would dictate whether or not we take in any minor parks, and how much we eat out at TS restaurants.

If we go with our normal type trip, the no expiration ticket with the minor park supplement would probably be the best way to go, since we usually don't eat out that much. Then again, as they say, variety is the spice of life. There has to be a break even point somewhere. Anyone think they have found it?

 

[flechette]

Tickets changed this year (I think - might have been last year), a 10 day should get you 10 entries to the minor parks. Disney decided to make it a little easier to remember what had how many days.

If you are looking more at the 10 day non expiring, don't forget to sign up at Mousesavers for their monthly newletter. They have a special link/discount with a ticket vendor that ocassionally has a great deal on the 10 day tik.



So far we're leaning towards 10 day tiks - but mainly because our trip w/ other people are in Oct 2008 and then Nov 2009 so the annual pass won't work for us. From past posts - you generally need to spend 10 days in the park to break even or get the better deal with the annual pass. Actually we're debating 8 day park hopper fun and more non expiring, save a little more $$ vs the 10 day and then we plan on Disney Quest or a Water park each trip.... could work~

Happy trip planning!

 

[kgc07]

We bought 10 day non-expiring tickets with park hoppers and water park fun and more for our 6 day trip in May. We figured this would last us at least two if not 3 trips with the 10 extra minor park entrances. It works out better for us than the AP.

 

[marvali]

We bought 10 day non-expiring tickets with park hoppers and water park fun and more for our 6 day trip in May. We figured this would last us at least two if not 3 trips with the 10 extra minor park entrances. It works out better for us than the AP.

Thanks kgc07. What are your eating habits like when you visit Disney? Are you like us and do mostly CS and quick meals in the room, or do you do a lot of TS restaurants? If we were able to purchase the DDE due to having an AP, we might try more TS meals while we could take advantage of the discount, but still not sure if the savings would be enough to offset the no-expiration tickets for future uses. I think we would get full use in July and January, plus our summer vacation in 2009 with the 10-day passes. Not sure we would go early enough next summer to be able to use the AP again on that trip.

 

[NYMomof4]

The no expiration option used to be even better with only $100 to get the no expiration on a 10 day hopper. I did get some back in 2006 and we saved the plus options for water park days on our trips now. For us we found that the APs work better if we get 2 trips out of it, and we tend to go for at least 2 weeks in August, so with the AP we feel like we are not wasting a day if it is crowded or we just go for a few hours or to eat.

The plusses on the current 10 day passes are worth it, IMO, since the water parks are at about $40 now. I've also just done the regular MYW tickets, which are a good deal for longer trips (more than 5 park days).

 

[Muushka]

We get the 10 day non-exp MYW with plusses and hopping. We will get several trips out of them. We don't tend to go into the parks every day and we do enjoy relaxing. So in a 7 day period, we may only do the parks 2 or 3 days and a plus or 2.

This Jan we will get an AP. We will use it for that vacation, another in Sept and then again in Dec.

Also, when we have the MYW passes we will do the hard ticket events (MNSSHP or MVMCP). And when we have APs, we skip them. That way they will always be special to us not doing them every year. So it is a win win for us.

 

[BirdsOfPreyDave]

If "one day at Disney Quest and one evening at Pleasure Island at New Years" is the same day, isn't only ONE ticket needed, and not each location? My understanding is you can also visit the water parks same day on the same ticket as well, no?

I don't see where anyone answered this for you.

Theme parks (Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, Disney Studios, and Epcot) are based on days. If you don't have the park hopper option, you can only visit one of those parks on any given date. (You can not use two "days" from your ticket on the same date. Without the hopper option, the ticket will be rejected at the second park.) If you have the hopper option, you can go to any number of these four parks on the same day.

Water Park Fun & More options (Blizzard Beach, Typhoon Lagoon, DisneyQuest, Pleasure Island, and Wide World of Sports Complex) do not work this same way. They are not affected by the hopper option. You can visit more than one attraction on the same day, but doing so will always cost you multiple admissions. If you go to Blizzard Beach in the morning, then Typhoon Lagoon after lunch, then Pleasure Island that night, you'll use 3 WPF&M admissions. This is the case whether your ticket has the hopper option or not.

Note that you can always leave a park or WPF&M attraction and return to that same place later the same day without any additional charge to your ticket.

 

[LSchrow]

numbers approximate:
MS link 10 day NE hopper $440A $401C
MS link w/10day minor parks $476A $431C

DVC AP $377A $335C
PAP $491A $437C

sooooo, if you plan on using the minor parks, the MYM is the better deal (saving $15A, $6C). if you are only going to the majors, it looks like the AP wins (saving $63A, $66C).

if you plan on doing most of your dining onsite, the DDE can quickly pay for itself. so, just a suggestion for a different scenerio: buy one adult DVC AP, and the rest MYM passes, so you can purchase the DDE. very important tho: check into where it is accepted, & especially if they are any black-out dates (since you're going during NY's).
remember also, you can purchase the DDP instead, which might be more beneficial if you are going during a time when dining surcharges apply (then you would not need the AP).

hth
laurie s

 

[marvali]

A lot of good info so far, and a lot more to consider. Thanks goodness there is still a few months before I have to make a final call. In the mean time, keep those cards and letters coming.....the more info, the more informed the final decision.

 

[macosx]

I don't see where anyone answered this for you.

Theme parks (Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, Disney Studios, and Epcot) are based on days. If you don't have the park hopper option, you can only visit one of those parks on any given date. (You can not use two "days" from your ticket on the same date. Without the hopper option, the ticket will be rejected at the second park.) If you have the hopper option, you can go to any number of these four parks on the same day.

Water Park Fun & More options (Blizzard Beach, Typhoon Lagoon, DisneyQuest, Pleasure Island, and Wide World of Sports Complex) do not work this same way. They are not affected by the hopper option. You can visit more than one attraction on the same day, but doing so will always cost you multiple admissions. If you go to Blizzard Beach in the morning, then Typhoon Lagoon after lunch, then Pleasure Island that night, you'll use 3 WPF&M admissions. This is the case whether your ticket has the hopper option or not.

Note that you can always leave a park or WPF&M attraction and return to that same place later the same day without any additional charge to your ticket.

Thanks for the clarification. I'm disappointed, but after looking at the Disney site, it does say Park Hopper is for Theme parks (leaving the ambiguity). It's rare that there's time to visit more than one park in one day anyway. My plan was to get the no expire tickets, so the WPF&M aren't much more. Mix in a few relaxing days at the resort and a part day trip to one of the non-Theme park activities.

 

[Muushka]

For us the park hopping is a must because we don't go into the parks that much and we do like to take a break in the afternoon. Being able to go to a different park in the evening is so nice. Plus it makes for more efficient touring (like MK is always in the AM and Epcot is always in the evening).

 

[dianeschlicht]

Thanks for the clarification. I'm disappointed, but after looking at the Disney site, it does say Park Hopper is for Theme parks (leaving the ambiguity). It's rare that there's time to visit more than one park in one day anyway. My plan was to get the no expire tickets, so the WPF&M aren't much more. Mix in a few relaxing days at the resort and a part day trip to one of the non-Theme park activities.

Interesting that you say "It's rare that there's time to visit more than one park in one day anyway." We find that we ALWAYS visit more than one park in a day. We are used to having APs (been doing them for about 12 years now), and we don't tour like day guests anymore. Now we might get up early and go to catch opening festivities at one park, switch to another park as it gets crowded, go back for a "nap", and then hit a third park in the evening, depending on what we want to see or do. I have a hard time forcing myself into thinking I MUST stay in one park all day. It wouldn't seem like a very good value to me. With the APs, we feel like we can pick and choose what we do and not go at a commando pace. The longer you are a DVC member, the easier that gets. We take 2-3 WDW trips a year, and usually have about 28-30 days of park entries on our APs. It really all depends on the way you tour.