How the heck do you all decide on tickets without a spreadsheet???

[castlegazer]

This is the first time I have had to buy tickets since the introduction of MYW. I am sitting here with a three page spreadsheet on different ticket prices and its driving me insane! I want 4 days, but with some companies the 5th day is free, but then again, you can go non-expiry and get more days for cheaper each day, and then again, I can go with a water park feature, or then I may want a plus, etc...... and on and on and on........................

Or does the normal person here just do packages?

We are just staying for two nights but will be coming over from Cocoa Beach a couple more times for quick day trips during our vacation so I am buying my tickets ala carte.

I just had to state this here that I am sooooooooooooo having a hard time with the different options plus the additional headaches of searching for the best deal through brokers.

Holy COW!!!!!!

 

[erikthewise]

Who says we do it without a spreadsheet ?!

Don't start looking at online tickets sellers until you are sure which type of ticket you want to buy. The price charts at http://www.allearsnet.com/pl/ticketchart.htm may help.

Everything depends on your plans, but it's hard for to imagine it making sense to you to pay for nonexpiry on a 4-day or 5-day pass. Say for example you are looking for 5-day park hopper passes with no pluses. The advance adult price (from Disney) is $254, or $297 with no expiration. So if you're not sure you'll use the 5th day (which only cost you $4!), you can pay $43 to make sure you can use it next visit. But guess what -- that extra day is likely to be just about free next time, just as it was this time!

Buying No Expiration only makes sense if you have two or three trips planned for a total of no more than 10 park days. In that case buying one ticket with all the days you'll need on it is cheaper. But if you don't have plans for that second trip yet, why put the money up front?

 

[seashoreCM]

If you start by looking at ticket prices and try to mold your vacation around the best bargain, you will end up needing spreadsheets.

If you start by crystallizing your vacation schedule and then choosing the best ticket and then choosing the best ticket dealer, that is quite easy.

If you are thinking of non-expiration, the 7 and 10 day tickets are usually the best bets while the 8 and 9 day tickets are bad buys.

In my opinion the per day cost of Water Park Fun and the per day cost of non-expiration as shown on the Disney web site are misnomers. Water Park Fun visits (plusses) can be done on either the same days as or different days from theme park visits. The cost of non-expiration should be spread out over just the unused park days and WPF visits come 14 days after first use, not averaged out over all of the days on the pass.

Disney hints:
http://members.aol.com/ajaynejr/dispass.htm

 

[castlegazer]

Those spreadsheets are the best! Thanks for the suggestion on the non-expiry - I also heard that only some very low percentage of tickets ever get reused - meaning people lose their extra days - which I have done on many occassions. So that means non-expiry is one of my last choices.

 

[wendypooh]

If you start by looking at ticket prices and try to mold your vacation around the best bargain, you will end up needing spreadsheets.

If you start by crystallizing your vacation schedule and then choosing the best ticket, that is quite easy.

Disney hints:
http://members.aol.com/ajaynejr/dispass.htm

I totally agree.......... we always decide how many days we want, what parks we want to do, hop or not, extra's, dining, resort, etc.... etc.... THEN, we look for the best deal to fit that!!!

 

[InstImpres]

I also heard that only some very low percentage of tickets ever get reused - meaning people lose their extra days - which I have done on many occassions. So that means non-expiry is one of my last choices.

If you buy non-expiring, put the numbers on the back of your ticket in several places (computer file, palm pilot, fire box, etc.) If you lose the ticket but have the numbers it can be reissued.