Help with tickets/days, please!

[severtlaw]

I am looking for some guidance on tickets/days for an upcoming trip to disneyland. We are DVC members and annual pass holders to WDW but wanted to try something different this springbreak and travel to disneyland for the first time this year. We will be there March 30-April 7 at the villas in GC. I was going to buy 6 day parkhoppers(unless someone know where to buy 8days) and just go to a beach or sightsee the other two days. However, the disneyland website is listing this week as a blackout week. Does that mean crowds are going to be awful? Would I be better doing 3/4 days at DL and trying to get a night in San Diego or any other suggestion or would you just buy as many days as possible and come and go with the crowd. Are there extra magic hours or will they stay open late? We have done springbreak at WDW this way but worried about the size and lack of alternatives at DL.

Thank you !

 

[GrandBob]

That's the week leading up to Easter, so it's probably the prime Spring Break week. So yes, it will be crowded. I'll leave it to others to say how crowded, as I haven't been during Spring Break.

As far as tickets: While they'll only sell hoppers up to 6 days, there have been several reports on this board that you can go to either the ticket booths or guest services and add a 7th day for very little, like $5 or $10 per person. I believe I even saw one report of someone getting an 8th day. Search the boards. Or, I'm sure someone who has done so will jump in. So I'd guess that your best bet is to buy 6-day hoppers and deal with the extra days when you get there. Actually, I'd say 6 park days are more than enough, and you may want to spend your extra time exploring Southern California; there's lots to do!

Being Spring Break, I'm sure that they'll have some very long park hours. I don't think you have to worry on that score.

Have fun at Walt's park! Good luck!

-Bob

ETA - Be sure to read Hydroguy's excellent treatise on A DLR Guide for WDW Vets. It's a must-read.

 

[3Minnies1Mickey]

Hours will likely by 8am-12am with Magic Mornings on Saturday, Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday. Since you are staying onsite you can take advantage of all the MMs during your stay (those staying offsite can only get 1 MM with a 3day or longer ticket). Its an extra hour in the morning in most of Fantasyland and Tomorrowland. You can get a TON done in that first hour before the parks regular opening.

As GrandBob said, you can add on to your 6 day ticket there. You may want to compare the price of the PH to upgrading your WDW AP to a Premiere Pass. You'll get 20% off on merchandise and 15% off on food in the parks, hotels, and most of DTD (TS and CS).

 

[skiingfast]

We are DVC members and annual pass holders to WDW but wanted to try something different this springbreak and travel to disneyland for the first time this year. We will be there March 30-April 7 at the villas in GC. I was going to buy 6 day parkhoppers(unless someone know where to buy 8days)

If you have a WDW AP, you should upgrade it to a Premier AP good at both resorts. It's about $200 to do that, about the cost of a DLR 3 day PH.

 

[taaren]

If you have a WDW AP, you should upgrade it to a Premier AP good at both resorts. It's about $200 to do that, about the cost of a DLR 3 day PH.

I was thinking this, too, until it occurred to me that they might have DVC AP's at WDW which are $100 less which means the upgrade would be $300 since they don't discount the Premier Bi-Coastal AP for DVC-ers ... still not a bad deal since they get the 20%, etc. I'm still contemplating it for next year but that's a lot of cash!

 

[severtlaw]

Thanks for replies. It is aDVC pass so cost prohibitive. I searched for adding days to no avail. So, you think we could go to park daily for a week?

 

[taaren]

Thanks for replies. It is aDVC pass so cost prohibitive. I searched for adding days to no avail. So, you think we could go to park daily for a week?

I was pleasantly surprised we went at the end of Sept/beginning of October, 2 nights at DLH, 5 in a 2 bedroom at VGC, then 2 nights at the Marriott Anaheim, so 9 park days altogether and had a ball, didn't get bored at all and even missed a few of the (weekend) shows we had wanted to see. A few days were not terribly park intensive, more resort time.

I bought our tickets in June before the price increase and called to ask about upgrading the 6 day to the 8 day since we are planning on WDW next year but would have had to have bridged the price increase. If you call the DLR ticketing number and explain they can put your name on an exception list to add the extra days (this is what they told us at the time). We ended up buying Deluxe APs since those with the DVC discount pre-price increase ended up being cheaper than the post price-increase 8 day hoppers. It also helped there were no blackout days during our trip though.

 

[skiingfast]

Thanks for replies. It is aDVC pass so cost prohibitive. I searched for adding days to no avail. So, you think we could go to park daily for a week?

At DLR tickets are goof for a period of two weeks. So you can spread the six days of use over 14 days.

If you want more, you can go to a ticket booth, first your 6day hopped will have to be upgraded to the gate price, currently $251. Then it is $5 more per day.

It's hard to find information on this because that vast majority of DL visits are 1 day, 2nd most is 2 days. It's a local park unlike WDW where most people go for a week. Since adding more days is uncommon you may have to ask at multiple ticket booths or ask for a lead to help. Some CMs haven't done it and will tell you you need another seperate ticket.