GAD Ticket with Package Question

[teacherlisa1978]

So, let me make sure I have this straight:
If we book a package through Disney with a 1 day base ticket (in order to make it a true package thus eligible for upgrade to free dining if offered) we would then have to go to the park gates to use our GAD vouchers to purchase a multi-day ticket. (There are 2 adults in our party.)

Which means--we'd pay $79 for the ticket added onto our package.

We'd be able to use the other adult's GAD voucher to upgrade to a multi-day ticket and get $79 off that price.

So what I'm getting at is, if we wait until we are at the parks to obtain our tickets we get $79 off both of our multi-day tickets. But then we can't purchase a package through Disney and if free dining is offered would have to cancel our reservation and re-book in order to take advantage of it. But what if our resort is sold out by that time? Oh, the price of peace of mind...

Ahh! What to do?

 

[Cheshire Figment]

That is correct.

A GAD voucher/ticket cannot be applied to a package.

A GAD ticket may only be used on the day that it is issued or it becomes invalid. It may be upgraded to any ticket which you normally could buy, up to and including a Premium Annual Pass. You would receive the full gate value of the ticket toward the upgrade.

And note that an upgrade is one ticket plus cash (or something similar) to end up with one ticket with more features and/or days. You cannot combne two or more tickets toward an upgrade.

 

[teacherlisa1978]

That is correct.

A GAD voucher/ticket cannot be applied to a package.

A GAD ticket may only be used on the day that it is issued or it becomes invalid. It may be upgraded to any ticket which you normally could buy, up to and including a Premium Annual Pass. You would receive the full gate value of the ticket toward the upgrade.

And note that an upgrade is one ticket plus cash (or something similar) to end up with one ticket with more features and/or days. You cannot combne two or more tickets toward an upgrade.

Thank you CF!

I think we will plan to:
1) Purchase a single one day ticket with the package we book.

2)Purchase a multi-day ticket (5 days)using one of our GAD vouchers on our first park day.

3)Purchase a multi-day ticket (4 days) using cash.

4)Use our other GAD voucher for the FP or ear hat figurine.

I think I've got this figured out now, thanks for your help!

 

[doconeill]

Thank you CF!

I think we will plan to:
1) Purchase a single one day ticket with the package we book.

2)Purchase a multi-day ticket (5 days)using one of our GAD vouchers on our first park day.

3)Purchase a multi-day ticket (4 days) using cash.

4)Use our other GAD voucher for the FP or ear hat figurine.

I think I've got this figured out now, thanks for your help!

I'm not sure you have how the package works quite straight. Everyone on the reservation must have the same entitlements. So, if you get a package that includes tickets, then everyone must have the same ticket. So if you are required to have at least 1-day tickets for dining, then you'll have two 1-day tickets.

You are also better off upgrading that 1-day ticket to 5-days, than purchasing a separate 4-day ticket. You've already paid for the 1-day ticket (nominally $79) as part of the package. A 4-day base ticket would be another $225+tax. Upgrading the 1-day ticket to a 5-day ticket would be $149+tax.

Now, once you have those 1-day tickets in hand at check-in, you can do with them as you please - upgrade them independently, or just pocket them and keep them for a future visit. So your options are:

- Pocket the package tickets for the future, and turn in two GAD vouchers for tickets and upgrade to 5-day each.

- Pocket 1 package ticket, upgrade the other, turn in one GAD voucher for another ticket and upgrade, and use the other GAD voucher for an alternate option.

- Use the package tickets, and use the GAD vouchers for two alternate options.

Also, if free dining is offered, don't you have to cancel and rebook anyways even if you already have a package? If that is the case, why not book room only and plan to use the GAD tickets? Unless you want dining whether it is free or not...

 

[teacherlisa1978]

Thank you for helping me clear this up. It's kind of funny really, the amount of time I'm spending trying to figure out what the best deal is for a promotion that may not even be offered (dining).

We only want dining if it's free. Our priority though is to stay at POFQ and I worry that if we don't book now, there won't be availability when/if that promotion comes out.

If we book now with 2 one day tickets maybe we can cancel those tickets and make it room only at that point?

Or maybe we should just save those 2 one day tickets for a future visit, I know we'll be back.

Lots of thinking to do, thanks for your advice!

 

[seashoreCM]

If you did not have GAD vouchers, would the package, tickets and all, save you anything over booking the room by itself and paying for meals one at a time? Usually the savings by booking packages is miniscule unless some promotion such as free dining or free water park fun is in effect.

Whatever you figure out, do it so each person uses only one ticket card all vacation long. Tickets ordered with packages will keep forever unused without the need to add non-expiration.

 

[teacherlisa1978]

Thanks again--this all came up suddenly...we'd planned to drive to California and go to Disneyland but WDW comes within about $200 of that trip and feels more "vacationy" too us plus no wear and tear on a vehicle...so this has all come about suddenly. I appreciate everyone helping me think everything through I was missing.

We're going to book room only and plan to buy tickets when we get there using our GAD. We're going to plan to eat very cheaply and if free dining is offered we'll cross that bridge when we come to it.

Thanks!