Buy park tickets now or wait?

[Disney for my boys]

We are traveling to WDW October 18-25th. We have not yet decided if we will be purchasing 5 or 6 day park tickets (we may go to the beach) or if we will purchase a water park day in addition to the 5 day ticket. It kind of depends on weather. I also want to get the best deal for my money. Do you know if you can buy tickets on My Disney Experience and upgrade them later? For example, could I buy a 5 day ticket and later decide to add a 6th day or a water park option for the difference in price? I want to be able to book fast passes but I can't without a ticket attached.

 

[KimK2006]

You can purchase a 5 day ticket through Disney (or ticket broker, like Undercover Tourist) and link to MDE. You can reserve FP's for those 5 days. When you are in Disney, if you find you want to add a 6th day, you can pay the difference and add the day. You just won't be able to reserve FP's for that 6th day.

 

[Canuckbiggs]

We are traveling to WDW October 18-25th. We have not yet decided if we will be purchasing 5 or 6 day park tickets (we may go to the beach) or if we will purchase a water park day in addition to the 5 day ticket. It kind of depends on weather. I also want to get the best deal for my money. Do you know if you can buy tickets on My Disney Experience and upgrade them later? For example, could I buy a 5 day ticket and later decide to add a 6th day or a water park option for the difference in price? I want to be able to book fast passes but I can't without a ticket attached.

You can add additional days at anytime BEFORE you use the last day. The cost is only the difference between a 5 and 6 day ticket.

You can add the "Water Park and more" option as well.

Last trip I bought 5 day tickets with the water park and more option from Undercover Tourist - because there was about a $90 savings versus buying them direct from Disney.

I then added a few days, once we were there and were sure we needed them.

With the new FP+ system I plan to order my tickets from UCT so I have them in hand 60 days before my reservation. Then I will link them to MDE account and book my FP+.

 

[slickpoetry]

It is very easy to modify ticket packages after purchasing. Even if you want to decrease days, as I did, Disney doesn't make a fuss about any of it unless you are less than 45 days from the first day of your trip.

IMHO, the only thing you "gain" by waiting to book is the chance of Disney instituting an unexpected price increase

 

[Disney for my boys]

Great info, thanks. One more question. If I purchase 5 days in the parks with the water park fun and more option, could I go to a waterpark on a day that I don't go into the parks or do I have to get a 6 day park ticket?

 

[lanejudy]

Great info, thanks. One more question. If I purchase 5 days in the parks with the water park fun and more option, could I go to a waterpark on a day that I don't go into the parks or do I have to get a 6 day park ticket?

You will have 14 days from first use to go to the major theme parks with your 5 day ticket (5 admissions) -- MK, EP, DHS, AK.

If you add the WPF&M option, you will get an additional 5 admissions to a "minor" theme park -- the water parks, Disney Quest, mini-golf.

You may only use one "major" theme park entry per day, but that can be combined with one or more "minor" theme park entries in the same day.

Enjoy your vacation!