DDP & Ticket Question

[ncseric]

I'm pretty sure I've got this right, but I wanted to confirm this with the all-knowing DIS community. Since we are DVC members, we can get the dining plan without buying tickets, right? So, we don't necessarily have to buy our tickets from Disney directly, right? I've been checking out other online ticket brokers and have found significant savings by using undercovertourist or ticketmania. I understand that if we buy tickets through one of these brokers, we'll have paper tickets that are separate from our room keys/dining plan cards. I assume that anyone with APs has to carry separate tickets and keycards, right? Has anyone done it this way before? Thanks for any help you can provide!

 

[Ed T]

DDP is separate from park tickets however they will tell you that you need park tickets to get into the parks if you have reservations for dinner at restaurants within the parks. YOu have to tell them in advance of arriving at the DVC that you want the DDP. Can not book at check in. Also have to pay them when you check in for the DDP.

 

[corinnak]

Yes, you certainly can buy tickets from those other brokers and still get the dining plan.

I have hesitated to mention this before - it seems to be a weird perspective, but I kind of like having the room key separate from the park admission. I think I would appreciate it even more if we had DDP on our room tickets, and I will tell you why: Fastpasses. If your group splits up, if one person is grabbing the fastpasses, the others still have their room cards/charge/dining credits. I guess it doesn't apply if you always travel move en masse or never want to use your DDP credits while someone is off grabbing fastpasses. I like the flexibility, though. Maybe I would like the ease of consolidation if I went that direction, too.

 

[btrim]

You are exactly right about the DDP. We stayed at SSR in June of this year, and we used the DDP and we already had our park passes. We are planning on using the DDP in January again and once again we already have our park passes.

btrim

 

[MILLZ]

I gotta ask cause I always see this can you really save that much money going else where.. I dont want to hijack your thread but everytime I look I dont see the savings like i just looked at a 7-day hopper pass
results
undercover tourist 250
ticjetmania 244
online disney 248

so I dont see the savings or maybe im looking at it wrong so if anyone can help

 

[ncseric]

Actually, the Disney price is over $264 once you add in the taxes. On the Disney site, the prices are pre-tax (6.5%). The online brokers show prices with tax included.

 

[ncseric]

Yes, you certainly can buy tickets from those other brokers and still get the dining plan.

I have hesitated to mention this before - it seems to be a weird perspective, but I kind of like having the room key separate from the park admission. I think I would appreciate it even more if we had DDP on our room tickets, and I will tell you why: Fastpasses. If your group splits up, if one person is grabbing the fastpasses, the others still have their room cards/charge/dining credits. I guess it doesn't apply if you always travel move en masse or never want to use your DDP credits while someone is off grabbing fastpasses. I like the flexibility, though. Maybe I would like the ease of consolidation if I went that direction, too.

Thanks for this perspective. Never thought of this before. It does make sense though. Not sure if we'll take advantage of this or not since we have two small kids, but I see that it could definitely help groups that are more able to split up.

 

[corinnak]

Thanks for this perspective. Never thought of this before. It does make sense though. Not sure if we'll take advantage of this or not since we have two small kids, but I see that it could definitely help groups that are more able to split up.

I have 2 small kids, too. Though yours are a little younger than mine. I never want to schlep them back and forth more than necessary, so often DH will get them a snack or do some small attraction with them while I run over to get Fastpasses for whatever thing we're wanting passes for. There was also one time that I took my DS 2 to see Beauty and the Beast while DH took D7 to see Indiana Jones and I snagged 3 Tower of Terror Fastpasses for DH and took the kids on the backlot tour while he got dropped in an elevator three times in a row. Brought to you by the magic of my having all the passes! I know that a lot of families stay closer together, too - whatever works best for you.