First timer, family trip in March, hotel/ticket strategy

[SmileyFacesNow]

Hi All, good evening. Hoping for a little strategy advice.

I’m planning a first time family trip (2 adults, 2 kids with age at travel- 7yo DS, almost 5 yo DD)
DH and I have been to Universal, and I’ve been to MK 2x and Epcot 2x. Kids have not been to anything. We are going to go at Spring Break, mid-March (it is what it is).

I currently have a reservation for a hotel at AoA (first night deposit paid), and am questioning my best strategy for buying tickets. I looked at Undercover tourist, and found a buy 4-days, get a day ticket for about $240 (family) off rack rate at Disney. What’s my best strategy here - do I buy the tickets from Undercover / etc, add them to my account, buy the Disney tickets and add to package, etc. I want to get the memory maker. Are there advantages that I’m missing to pursuing tickets one vs. the other? Part of me prefers to book directly with Disney in these weird times.

I‘m sure this general question has been asked eleventy billion times. I have read posts with references to doing the discounted ticket purchase and advantages of only booking a room for flexibility to pay at check in And minimize some risk with cancelling. Just wondering if I‘m missing a nuance somewhere.

thanks for your time and advice. Also, do my littles need a magic band?

 

[CarolynFH]

We would go with the discounted tickets and book the room separately. The downside to buying tickets separately is that if something happens and you have to cancel the trip, you can't get a refund on the tickets. However, they retain their value (the Disney online price the day you bought them, so keep a record of that) and can be used in future as a credit toward buying new tickets when you are able to go. If you book a package with Disney of room + tickets and have to cancel, everything is cancelled, you don't have any tickets hanging around, and you get your money back (within Disney's cancellation policy).

Insofar as MBs are concerned, I would get them. Makes it much easier to enter the park - otherwise you would be having to keep up with ticket cards and scanning them or your phone at the gate - and the kids will enjoy unlocking the room door too. (You might have to make them take turns - one gets to press the elevator button and the other opens the door!) Of course, there's the issue of making sure no one loses their MB (our 9 y/o GS lost his and had to spend his souvenir money on a new one), but if you have their tickets listed in MDE you'll be fine.

 

[SmileyFacesNow]

We would go with the discounted tickets and book the room separately. The downside to buying tickets separately is that if something happens and you have to cancel the trip, you can't get a refund on the tickets. However, they retain their value (the Disney online price the day you bought them, so keep a record of that) and can be used in future as a credit toward buying new tickets when you are able to go. If you book a package with Disney of room + tickets and have to cancel, everything is cancelled, you don't have any tickets hanging around, and you get your money back (within Disney's cancellation policy).

Insofar as MBs are concerned, I would get them. Makes it much easier to enter the park - otherwise you would be having to keep up with ticket cards and scanning them or your phone at the gate - and the kids will enjoy unlocking the room door too. (You might have to make them take turns - one gets to press the elevator button and the other opens the door!) Of course, there's the issue of making sure no one loses their MB (our 9 y/o GS lost his and had to spend his souvenir money on a new one), but if you have their tickets listed in MDE you'll be fine.

Thank you for the advice...especially with the Magic bands! yes, given that my kids fight over pressing elevator buttons and opening doors with a keycard today...I can see where youre coming from

 

[DebLovesPooh]

I would also buy the discounted tickets and link them. We don’t cancel vacations, we just postpone them, so I’m not worried about losing the value of the tickets. Add the memory maker in advance for the discount.