Buying AP ?

[BurnsideMommy]

We're planning a trip down this summer. We want to get just 1 Premium AP for the discounts & parking (done the math - its worth it for us). The rest of the family will have Disneyland tickets from DL.com. We'll arrive around dinner time the day before we plan to be in the parks.

Do I buy a ticket from DL.com for myself and then upgrade it to my PAP the first night we're there? I couldn't see any point to buying a ticket only to upgrade but maybe I'm missing something? Do I just go to the ticket booth and buy an AP, then go in the park for pics?

Also, tix from DL.com - how does that work? Do we print out a confirmation number and pick something up? Can we get our tickets the night before we plan to be in the parks to save time the first morning in the parks?

 

[jtown]

You can buy it at the ticket booth or online. If you buy online, you'll get an e-ticket (same as any other online ticket purchase) that you print at home on regular paper and take directly to the gate where it's exchanged for a standard format ticket which you take inside to the processing center where you exchange it for a card with your picture.

 

[Nala83]

Are you staying on site? The reason many people buy a park hopper and then upgrade after a day or two is to take advantage of the MM. It isn't a problem if you are staying on site (you'll get MM that way) but if you're staying off site the only way to get a MM is to buy a 3 day hopper and upgrade to the AP after using the MM.

 

[azdisneylover]

One reason you might want to wait until your last day to upgrade to an AP is the days that are blocked on the pass you are going to get. If none of the days are usually blocked the days you are going to be there, upgrade the first day, otherwise, wait until the day or days you are blocked are done, or the last day! Have fun!

 

[Nala83]

The premium AP doesn't have any blockout days, so you don't need to worry about that.

 

[Eeee-va]

Nala83 is right that the reason to wait and upgrade to an AP is so that you can get Magic Morning. Since you are needing the pass for parking discounts (in part), I would imagine that you're off-site.

For your situation I would suggest:

• If your family will be able to get to the gates an hour before the park opens on your first day AND
• Your first day is a Magic Morning Day (generally days starting with "S" or "T")

then it might be worthwhile to go to the parks, pay for parking, use your Magic Morning together, and then before you spend any other money, upgrade one pass to a Premium AP. Last I heard, they will even refund your parking for that day if you upgrade (but that policy may have changed).

On the other hand, if you cannot use that Magic Morning on your first day at the park, then you'll be giving up a lot of discounts by waiting to upgrade until the second day (or later!). That would probably tilt the scales away from the AP upgrade being profitable.

So in short, I probably would just buy your Premium AP online with the rest of the passes, unless you are reasonably certain that you will be able to use that Magic Morning for your very first entry into the park.

Have a great trip!

 

[ConnieB]

Can you explain more about the Magic Morning? Is this only for staying onsite?

We're staying off site....will enter the park using our GAD vouchers, then will upgrade to APs (probably same day so we get the parking refund).

 

[mvf-m11c]

Can you explain more about the Magic Morning? Is this only for staying onsite?

We're staying off site....will enter the park using our GAD vouchers, then will upgrade to APs (probably same day so we get the parking refund).

Magic Morning lets you get into the park earlier before the general public and can get in like one hour before the park opens. For example (Disneyland Park hours for June 22nd, 2010 is 8:00am-12:00am, MM goes from 7am-8am). The days that DL has MM is Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays. If you have a 3 day or more day Park Hopper ticket, you can choose one of those four days to go to DL in the morning before the public comes in. Only Fantasyland and Tomorrowland will be open during MM.

Here is a link that will tell you more about MM at DL:
http://allears.net/dlr/tp/early.htm

It is also good for guests who are staying at one of the three DLR hotels. If guests have an AP, you can take advantage of the MM. You must have a valid DL resort hotel room key to take advantage of MM. Just like WDW Extra Magic Hours (EMH) for morning and evening offerings for the hotel guests who are staying on-site, DL doesn't have a late night offering, just the morning.

 

[bumbershoot]

And here's a locally-created thread about Magic Morning.


Connie, if you guys upgrade the GAD vouchers directly to APs it will be great, but you will indeed miss out on Magic Morning, since you either need to be staying onsite OR have a 3+ day ticket. But honestly, since you're getting APs taht means you're likely coming back and back and back, and that'll be good. We went an entire year without having access to MM, and it was fine b/c we went relatively often (for living in WA, that is).