Help figuring out best time to buy/use AP

[Shira Gertz]

Hi all,
I need help from you really smart people who love to run the numbers. We have an upcoming trip in the beginning of September for four days. I had bought tickets (right at price increase so got them before they increased!) through my tickets at work program - the tickets are 5 day hoppers (of which we would only use four days) and were $1186.50 (including tax - 2 adults one kid) and they are the old valid indefinitely kind.
It now appears we are going to go in March for 6 days (with in-laws). So it seems like I should get us annual passes. If we have annual passes we will likely go for at least 1 week over next summer. And if our previous history is to be believed once we have annual passes we'll hop down for a couple of 3 day weekends and possible a second week during the summer.
our annual pass price for gold (we are DVC members) is $1786.02 (including tax).
Should we use the first day of my tickets at work tickets and bridge to annual passes or just buy the passes and save those tickets at work for the future? Will they make us pay up to the current gate price before the bridge difference while buying the annual passes? When I bought the ticket at work passes it asked for a travel date - I put one in but as they are now linked to me MDE does it matter? ie will they not be good in 2019?
If we just use our annual passes outright should I use two of the 5 day hoppers for my in-laws on our march trip leaving just a kid 5 day hopper hanging around?
Thanks!

 

[Judique]

Go to a Guest Relations or a Ticket kiosk such as the one at International Gateway and ask them to check what the upgrade would cost you. You do not have to use the first day to do this. They would probably bridge the ticket for you if this is an upgradeable ticket. I don't know if tickets at work are an upgradeable ticket. Some discounted tickets are not.

You have two things going on. Were you going to buy tickets for your in laws anyway? Or - are they paying for their tickets? If they are paying and you let them have your tickets, that's a generous discount.

If you are paying for the in laws tickets outright, price what 2 hoppers would cost. If you are going to get annual passes anyway, you could use the child ticket to reduce your price, while saving the adult hoppers for the in laws. It's not all or nothing with tickets.

 

[Shira Gertz]

we would be buying the in-laws their tickets regardless of how.
That's part of my additional thought - who knows what programs may be available next march to AP holders! (last year there were the any park for one day for friends for $70).
So in your suggestion bridge the child ticket to an AP, buy two adult AP's outright and then use the two adult hoppers for my inlaws? That makes some sense.

 

[Judique]

we would be buying the in-laws their tickets regardless of how.
That's part of my additional thought - who knows what programs may be available next march to AP holders! (last year there were the any park for one day for friends for $70).
So in your suggestion bridge the child ticket to an AP, buy two adult AP's outright and then use the two adult hoppers for my inlaws? That makes some sense.

Yes, if they are upgradeable, that's what I would do.

 

[grumpy28]

Hi all,
I need help from you really smart people who love to run the numbers. We have an upcoming trip in the beginning of September for four days. I had bought tickets (right at price increase so got them before they increased!) through my tickets at work program - the tickets are 5 day hoppers (of which we would only use four days) and were $1186.50 (including tax - 2 adults one kid) and they are the old valid indefinitely kind.
It now appears we are going to go in March for 6 days (with in-laws). So it seems like I should get us annual passes. If we have annual passes we will likely go for at least 1 week over next summer. And if our previous history is to be believed once we have annual passes we'll hop down for a couple of 3 day weekends and possible a second week during the summer.
our annual pass price for gold (we are DVC members) is $1786.02 (including tax).
Should we use the first day of my tickets at work tickets and bridge to annual passes or just buy the passes and save those tickets at work for the future? Will they make us pay up to the current gate price before the bridge difference while buying the annual passes? When I bought the ticket at work passes it asked for a travel date - I put one in but as they are now linked to me MDE does it matter? ie will they not be good in 2019?
If we just use our annual passes outright should I use two of the 5 day hoppers for my in-laws on our march trip leaving just a kid 5 day hopper hanging around?
Thanks!

Post this on the theme park board. There is a sticky at the top, all about tickets. Robo will help you there. He is awesome.