Help, buying hoppers vs. Annual Pass/Premier Pass

[disneydenisel]

Hello,

We are planning to go to WDW and DLR this year, and DLR next year. I am trying to figure out the most economical way to buy tickets. We would buy 3-4 day park hoppers at DLR and use 1/2 of a 10-day no expiry park hopper at WDW.

Am I right to figure that it costs about $50/day for park hoppers at each resort (no water parks at WDW), so if the Premier Pass (both parks) costs $722, then I just divide that by 50 and that will tell me the number of days I need to visit any of the parks to break even? If so, the number I get is 14.44 days to break even.

If we go to WDW for 5 days, then I would need to go to DLR at least 10 days to break even? Does that make sense?

Our trips could be:

June 2011 DLR 4 days
November 2011 WDW 5 days minimum
December 2011 DLR 4 days
June 2012 DLR 4 days

If we buy hoppers at DLR, then I am figuring $200 each trip x 3 = $600. If we only went twice, then $400.

Do you think that it is worth it to shell out $722 for the Premier? We primarily eat at counter service places, snack places, and occasionally a sit-down table service meal. We shop at the stores and buy souvenirs, but maybe only spend $200 on merchandise.

 

[skiingfast]

Why do you need no expiration WDW tickets? If you are planning to use them in that year include them in the calculation if not then just WDW PHs.

Generally you can make a premiere worth it in three visits.

So look at it like this.

4 day DL PH 186
3 day DL PH 201
5 day WDW PH 291

Total only $678

You can make up the $40 on a room discount at WDW, since it's likely you would stay onsite there. Dining and Merchandise will just be icing on the cake.

 

[mvf-m11c]

I think it is worth it to get the Premier Pass. Even though it is really expensive at $722 a person, you do get a lot out of the premier than just going to the parks. It does make sense that 15 days is way enough to make up for the PH tickets at both DL and WDW.

If you don't like getting everyone a Premier Pass it is good to just to get one in your group since you can use it to get discounts on the merchandise and food. The AP room discount is good to use if you plan on staying on-site. The good thing about the Premier Pass is that you get more discounts at the stores and restaurants while WDW has a few selected stores and restaurants to get discounts. Also you get free parking at both resorts which does make a big difference if you are staying off-site. When I went to WDW and stayed off-site, I have saved $84 in parking tickets during a 6 day trip to WDW and I also have saved hundreds of dollars at the DLR parking lot..

 

[disneydenisel]

Why do you need no expiration WDW tickets?

We actually have 5 days left on our no expiry hoppers from 2010, so I am factoring in the cost of those ($500 divided by 2 trips). We will go to WDW again in 2013 so will need to buy tickets that year unless we decide than Premier APs are the way to go.

We'll stay onsite using our DVC membership so parking is included at both WDW and DLR.

Still, with 2.5 trips to DLR and one trip to WDW, it seems a break-even and no-brainer. However, coming up with $722x4 all at once is painful.

 

[smile4stamps]

Since you already have the PH for WDW I would consider just getting the AP for DL unless you just want to hang onto you current WDW passes till another time.

 

[smile4stamps]

The other option if you want to keep your current PH for WDW till your 2013 trip is to purchase DL AP's in June and then upgrade those when you go to WDW for the Premier. That way you do not need to pay the whole $722 all at once.

 

[disneydenisel]

Since you already have the PH for WDW I would consider just getting the AP for DL unless you just want to hang onto you current WDW passes till another time.

We would be okay hanging onto our current PH for WDW until 2013, so I like your plan about buying the DL APs and then upgrading in November at WDW. Then, if we don't feel like spending the money, we can also just use our no expiry PHs.

Can we also just buy DL regular park hoppers and upgrade them to APs while we are there in June (using a DVC discount of $20 on the APs)? That would be an option because we haven't been to DLR in years and don't know for certain that we will go back in December 2011 and June 2012...I was just thinking ahead that we would probably love to go back again and again if it turns out to be a magical trip .

 

[Presley]

Is the Premier Pass you are speaking of the one where it allows all parks on both coasts? They had it on the website for $700 a few months ago. It could have gone up to $722 since then.

I live near Disneyland and I must say, having the Premier pass saves 20% on merchandise and 15% on most of the food. You could easily end up saving money by having a Premier pass. In my family, I have Premier and everyone else has deluxe. I have to buy everything to get the discount - they actually insist on me paying, even if I am standing right next to my husband.

At any rate, the pass that works at all parks on both coasts offers everything the DL premier offers and everything that the WDW premier offers.

 

[bumbershoot]

Is the Premier Pass you are speaking of the one where it allows all parks on both coasts? They had it on the website for $700 a few months ago. It could have gone up to $722 since then.

When you include tax on the WDW portion of the AP, it goes to something like 722.25.


OP, I would use simple math to work this one out. Add up the cost of tickets for your trips. Is it more than or less than the Premiere? Add up a DLR AP and the cost of WDW tickets...more or less? (if that no-expire ticket you have covers, exactly, the days you want to spend at WDW, I can't see paying for tix unless it really made sense to)

 

[pixiewings71]

I don't know to be honest, but if you're going more than once to DLR then you should at least get an AP for DL, I know that's more cost effective because I ran the numbers for that myself.

 

[disneydenisel]

OP, I would use simple math to work this one out. Add up the cost of tickets for your trips. Is it more than or less than the Premiere? Add up a DLR AP and the cost of WDW tickets...more or less? (if that no-expire ticket you have covers, exactly, the days you want to spend at WDW, I can't see paying for tix unless it really made sense to)

Thanks for your simple suggestion. I have tried to add them up and it is basically really close. I think that without an AP, we may just go to DLR in June and then in June again before it expired. We would use our already paid for WDW PHs for our November trip. Yes, there are enough days left (5-6) to cover that trip.

I can see saving them for 2013 and buying the Premier to use for 12 months of trips starting in June 2011. We would only go to WDW once since the airfare is cost-prohibitive. But driving to DLR is not awful so we would do that more with an AP.

The other option is just to go to DLR and buy regular park hoppers and only go once a year. Then no APs are needed. I like the idea of discounts, but realistically, if we spent $300 on dining we'd save at most $60.

 

[Disney Dreams]

...I like the idea of discounts, but realistically, if we spent $300 on dining we'd save at most $60.

And the problem with saving $60 is....? It's $60! Cha-ching! Plus money you would save on souvenirs. It adds up. I would definitely consider that in your math if money matters.

- Dreams

 

[disneydenisel]

And the problem with saving $60 is....? It's $60! Cha-ching! Plus money you would save on souvenirs. It adds up. I would definitely consider that in your math if money matters.

- Dreams

True! No problems saving money . Money certainly matters. Airfare to Orlando is expensive and gasoline to Anaheim round-trip three times in 12 months will be expensive, too. Sounds like the Premier is the way to go! We will probably upgrade from DL APs then to spread out the cost, unless anyone thinks that the Premiers will increase. Will DL APs increase this year before I have to buy them in June?

 

[starry_solo]

DL typically increases their prices the first or second week of August (at least, that's what they did for the last 2-3 years).

 

[Nonsuch]

I live near Disneyland and I must say, having the Premier pass saves 20% on merchandise and 15% on most of the food. You could easily end up saving money by having a Premier pass. In my family, I have Premier and everyone else has deluxe. I have to buy everything to get the discount - they actually insist on me paying, even if I am standing right next to my husband.

At any rate, the pass that works at all parks on both coasts offers everything the DL premier offers and everything that the WDW premier offers.

Your naming might be a little off...
Premier Passport is valid at DLR and WDW
Premium Passport is valid at DLR, with not blockout dates
Deluxe Passport is valid at DLR, with some blockout dates.

The OP should consider buying at least one Premium Passport, to receive the 20% merchandise and 15% food discounts. The DLR resort food discount applies to ALL sitdown (except Napa Rose) and counter service restaurants -- WDW discounts are much more limited.

Premier Passports receive the same discounts as Premium, but some Premier holders have had delays at the register getting the discount applied.