Buy 4 Nights Get 3 FREE -- Not a Good Value Anymore?

[vicki_c]

We're taking advantage of the 4/3 deal in January and it works for us since our APs will expire then.

Hope I can sneak in a couple of quick questions here. We've never applied the value of tickets to renew our APs. Is it a difficult process? Do we have to use the tickets once before renewing? We also bought the 5 day tickets - is it a better value to buy 7 day tickets, add park hopper, non expiring options etc. to upgrade?

TIA

1 - use the tickets once before upgrading to make sure the credit is worth the full ticket you have (the paid + the free days), not just the price for the paid days.

2 - no it's not difficult at all, we just did it in June. Used the tickets to go to the MK and stopped at guest relations outside the park on our way out, and handed over our KTTW cards, our expiring APs (and in our case, our DVC membership card), said - we want to upgrade our tickets to renewal APs and that was it. Took about 5 minutes.

3 - the best value is to buy the ticket with the biggest discount you can find that does not cost more than the price of the AP (because you might not get a refund). In your case, the 4/3 from Disney -- that is the most discounted ticket you're going to get - pay for 4, get 3 free. So I would get the 7 day ticket with your package. On the previous 4/3 deal, adding NE to your ticket was a good deal, because you only had to pay to add NE to a 4 day ticket and you received NE on a 7 day ticket. Not sure if that's still the case or not.

In any case, the key is to not purchase a ticket that costs more than the AP price (or renewal price).

 

[wdwnomad]

I don't think this promotion would suit my needs either as an AP holder. Although I could use the ticket towards a renewal I am not sure how many more tickets I need. I am starting to have more tickets than renewals. I have one left over from last December. I will also have another one day ticket from this December and another one coming up next year.

 

[Lynne M]

Moving this to the Codes & Rates board. Better late than never.

 

[yooperfan]

1 - use the tickets once before upgrading to make sure the credit is worth the full ticket you have (the paid + the free days), not just the price for the paid days.

2 - no it's not difficult at all, we just did it in June. Used the tickets to go to the MK and stopped at guest relations outside the park on our way out, and handed over our KTTW cards, our expiring APs (and in our case, our DVC membership card), said - we want to upgrade our tickets to renewal APs and that was it. Took about 5 minutes.

3 - the best value is to buy the ticket with the biggest discount you can find that does not cost more than the price of the AP (because you might not get a refund). In your case, the 4/3 from Disney -- that is the most discounted ticket you're going to get - pay for 4, get 3 free. So I would get the 7 day ticket with your package. On the previous 4/3 deal, adding NE to your ticket was a good deal, because you only had to pay to add NE to a 4 day ticket and you received NE on a 7 day ticket. Not sure if that's still the case or not.

In any case, the key is to not purchase a ticket that costs more than the AP price (or renewal price).

So if you activate the 4/3 park pass, when you upgrade to AP you get the value of the 7 day pass? Do you mind if I ask you what they gave you for a value for your 4/3 ticket at trade in time?

 

[Rip]

You guys might be the next DVCers and since you have already bought in (AP ticket holders) you are kicked to the curb for them soliciting more people to attend. WELCOME HOME

Yep, APers were the specific target of this change in policy, and IMO it was a terribly bone-headed move. They basically are flipping us the bird, and I'll not be renewing my Disney APs next year.

 

[Rip]

Can't you just save your 5-day ticket, not use it and then apply it to the purchase of a new AP when you're ready to make that purchase (or use it for another trip at another time?)

I guess I don't really see the problem, unless you never buy another AP or take another trip to WDW.

We elected to get 7-day tickets with our 4/3 package. I have the 7-day ticket (I had guest services remove it from my room card and give me a separate 7-day ticket). As I understand it, I can use it for another trip -- or I can use it as a credit toward a new AP.

Turns out, though, that Disney came out with a nice AP renewal offer -- buy a 12 mo. AP and get three months free. So, I used that promotion to renew my AP.

I still have the 7-day ticket, which - as I understand it - never expires until I use the first day on it, after which it expires within 14 days. I figure at some point I'll renew my AP and use the 7-day ticket credit toward that.

Am I missing something?

No, other than the fact that most people don't want to have to shuck out that kind of money for a family of 4 after they've already paid close to $2000 for their APs on the thought that one day, if nothing happens, they will ultimately get some value out of it.

I don't go to the car dealer and give them $1000 to apply to a new car that I may or may not buy at some unforeseen time in the future.