Complicated Ticket Situation- Which one would you buy?

[AtlantaDisneyDreamer]

My older daughter and I have APs, but I did not buy one for my younger daughter because when we went in July, she was only 2. I thought I was saving money, but as it turns out, I really made an expensive error by not buying her an AP back when they were $100 cheaper.

So my older DD and I have APs that expire July 12th, and at this point, we don't plan on renewing them (I love love love having an AP, but it has cost me a fortune over the last year).

Now, we have planned trips in April and July. Younger DD already has a 6-day, unused ticket that I purchased previously. I am trying to decide whether to upgrade her ticket to an AP (cost of about $475) at the beginning of our trip in April, or whether to just purchase another 6 day ticket for her for July (cost of $324.83).

We also have a bounceback FD package in September, but we had to buy water park fun and more with those, so for September, all four of us (DH, DD(9), DD(4), and I) have 2 day park passes with water park fun and more. So having DD(4) using an AP in September means she can't do the water parks with us. Should I try to convert our family 2 day water park fun and more passes to park hoppers instead (except we don't usually park hop- it is challenging with young children)? If she has an AP, then I can use or upgrade that 2 day water park fun and more ticket in the future. It has a value of about $258.80.

Oh- and also a big deal- if she has an AP in September, does that mean we get a free photo pass for that trip? I would love the photo pass since our whole family will be together. But how does that work when the 4 year old owns the pass? Can I download them on my account?


See? Hindsight is 20/20 and I should have bought her an AP last year. I am torn about what to do now.

Part of me is considering just canceling our FD package, booking a RO ressie in September, and renewing our APs. But then we would be on a different expiration date with our APs than my younger daughter.

Part of me thinks it is better to just buy her another 6 day ticket for our July trip ($324.83)

Sigh. What is the smartest financial choice at this point? Is there a better option I have not yet considered? I keep thinking there must be an easier and cheaper solution I have not yet considered.

Thanks for your help!

 

[mab2012]

If you're happy holding on to that 2 day ticket, have you considered just paying out of pocket for your younger daughter to go to the water parks in September? Current price for a child ticket in September is about $48 including tax. So your cost for the AP + water parks would be about $575 (based on your upgrade quote), which works out to nearly the same cost as the 6-day ticket in July plus the 2-day ticket in September. And this way you still have that 2-day ticket.

Plus then I would think you'd get the September Photo Pass, but I don't have first-hand experience with the technicalities of how that would work, so someone else would have to comment.

The only real downside is that you're out of pocket *now* for that extra 2-day ticket that you won't immediately need. As long as you're certain you'll use it at some point, that might not be a big deal. Depends on your personal circumstances and preferences.

 

[AtlantaDisneyDreamer]

If you're happy holding on to that 2 day ticket, have you considered just paying out of pocket for your younger daughter to go to the water parks in September? Current price for a child ticket in September is about $48 including tax. So your cost for the AP + water parks would be about $575 (based on your upgrade quote), which works out to nearly the same cost as the 6-day ticket in July plus the 2-day ticket in September. And this way you still have that 2-day ticket.

Plus then I would think you'd get the September Photo Pass, but I don't have first-hand experience with the technicalities of how that would work, so someone else would have to comment.

The only real downside is that you're out of pocket *now* for that extra 2-day ticket that you won't immediately need. As long as you're certain you'll use it at some point, that might not be a big deal. Depends on your personal circumstances and preferences.

That's not a bad idea. I am such a Disney fanatic that I am sure we would use that 2 day ticket in the future. I plan for us to go at least once a year. Then we would (possibly) have the photo pass, too, in September.

It is also a benefit to having the AP so we could park hop with her in April and July. The 6 day ticket prices I was quoting are one-day, one-park tickets. We don't park hop a lot, but last week when DD(9) and I were there, it was useful for EMH.

 

[mab2012]

That's not a bad idea. I am such a Disney fanatic that I am sure we would use that 2 day ticket in the future. I plan for us to go at least once a year. Then we would (possibly) have the photo pass, too, in September.

It is also a benefit to having the AP so we could park hop with her in April and July. The 6 day ticket prices I was quoting are one-day, one-park tickets. We don't park hop a lot, but last week when DD(9) and I were there, it was useful for EMH.

I love the flexibility of an annual pass. The park hopping is nice to have, particularly if it doesn't end up costing you more. I tried hard to make it make sense for our upcoming trip, but it really just doesn't. Sounds like it might for you though. Good luck!

 

[newdeal]

you are going on three trips within the next year so an annual pass is a no brainer. As for photopass, yes you will have it for ALL of your trips as long as she is linked to your MDE account which obviously she is, and as long as she has an active annual pass. As for those 2 day tickets with waterpark they are only good to upgrade to something, if you aren't planning to return for a year then I would upgrade to however many days you are going for and just use those, if you want to go to the waterpark then just buy her an individual ticket to go as I am sure you will only use one day of waterpark during the trip anyway. Don't cancel your free dining and book a room only reservation, that would cost a lot of money. Buying her an annual pass when she was 2 wouldn't have saved anything because it would have wasted like half of the pass when she didn't need a ticket at all, thats worth way more than $100

 

[DisneyWishes14]

My DS8 and I have two different expiration dates. It hasn't been that big of a deal. If you get her an AP, have you priced out the cost of adding the water park option to that? My DS has an AP and a separate water parks AP. Based on how we travel, that was a better deal for us. Just two other options to consider.

 

[AtlantaDisneyDreamer]

My DS8 and I have two different expiration dates. It hasn't been that big of a deal. If you get her an AP, have you priced out the cost of adding the water park option to that? My DS has an AP and a separate water parks AP. Based on how we travel, that was a better deal for us. Just two other options to consider.

If were were going to buy her a 2 day water park ticket, it would cost $90 plus tax, and the platinum pass is only a $79 increase from the regular pass, so it would actually make since to buy her the platinum plus pass rather than buying her 2 separate water park passes.

That is probably the best deal, although it is still very costly (and I am probably going to want to renew my daughter's and my pass, too).

I guess we just can't do Disney cheaply. It will always be much more expensive than we would like, but for now, I keep deciding the expense is worth the value.