Is this fuzzy logic regarding park hopper passes?

[LauraR]

O.K., my family of 4 is only going to spend 4 days at the parks when we go to WDW in Dec., so I was planning on buying 4-day park hopper passes at a Disney Store for $204 (adults) and $161 (kids)---that's including tax. But then I noticed that a 5-day park hopper pass is only an additional $27 for adults, and $22 for kids (that's including tax). So now I'm thinking, "Wow, that's really cheap for a day at Disney!" I have no idea when, or if, we'll be back, but they never expire, and if the kids get older than 9 they can exchange their child's pass for an adult pass, right? Seems like a safe bet, but I'm starting to wonder about my judgment (I may have fried a few brain cells with obsessive overplanning!) Should I spend the $732 for 4-day park hoppers or $828 for the 5-day ones?

 

[GAIL HAYDEN]

Originally posted by LauraR
O.K., my family of 4 is only going to spend 4 days at the parks when we go to WDW in Dec., so I was planning on buying 4-day park hopper passes at a Disney Store for $204 (adults) and $161 (kids)---that's including tax. But then I noticed that a 5-day park hopper pass is only an additional $27 for adults, and $22 for kids (that's including tax). So now I'm thinking, "Wow, that's really cheap for a day at Disney!" I have no idea when, or if, we'll be back, but they never expire, and if the kids get older than 9 they can exchange their child's pass for an adult pass, right? Seems like a safe bet, but I'm starting to wonder about my judgment (I may have fried a few brain cells with obsessive overplanning!) Should I spend the $732 for 4-day park hoppers or $828 for the 5-day ones?

Yes, the children can exchange, at no charge, for an adult pass when they reach that magic adult age of 10.

 

[mainewmn]

I hear you loud and clear about the 4 and 5 day park hopper passes dilemma.
This is how we are only planning on going to 3 parks and made not future plans on going back to WDW prior to this. When I started researching the PHP at the Disney store I also noticed the small difference in prices between 4 and 5 day passes and we decided that since they never expire we might as well spend the extra $100 and get extra day at WDW. This way we will have to take another trip to WDW in order to use the passes which we are currently planning to take in 2005/06. The prices of the passes are only going up and I doubt that I will regret my decision the next time I’m planning my trip.

 

[Gretchen]

Ditto! This is how we did a super bargain trip, saved up unused days. If you have the extra 100, I'd do it.
Gretchen

 

[SeaWitch]

If you can afford the extra $ - go ahead and get the 5-day passes. We had friends that went on a trip using 'left over' days from 2 of their previous park hopper passes.

 

[jann1033]

if you can scrape an extra $70 per adult (not sure per kid) you can get a 7 day PHP at paramount or hotwire for right around $300 which is basically almost 1 trip for 1/2 the price. ( and paramount had breakfast vouchers for free with 6-7 day php if that is still good.

 

[BethR]

It is so easy to spend someone else's money. But I completely agree with Jann! That is what we did this summer. We were going back to Disney - all of us with one day (and 3 plusses) left from a previous visit. We usually spend only 4 days in the major parks, so we surely could have just bought a 3 or 4 day hopper. But after researching all of the available passes, we bought the 7 day PHP from Paramount. The price per day for an adult ended up being about $42 - and that is not even including the 4 plusses that we got on that pass AND the free breakfast (that saved us over $100!). After our trip this summer, we have 4 days (and LOTS of plusses) for our next trip.

See, once you have this Disneyitis, it is hard not to be planning that NEXT trip - no matter HOW far in the future if may be.

Fuzzy logic? HECK no!

 

[BibbidyBobbidyBoo]

Ditto that.
Our last (and first) family trip- we had no idea that we'd ever be going back. It was supposed to be/probably going to be our once in a lifetime trip- yanno? But I still purchased the 5 day park hoppers from the Disney website in advance- and we only used 4 days of them (1 day left over on each).
THIS time I bought from paramount 7 day park hopper plus tickets for all of us (except myself- I already have an premium annual pass purchased on my solo trip I took right after our "once in a lifetime" family trip LOL) we'll have probably 3 days total left over- PLUS probably some plusses also. It will probably be awhile before we go again (I'm burning out DH on Disney- unfortunately ) but we'll have them... even if the kids are over 9yrs by then (which I KNOW my oldest will be- she turns 10 in Jan) These also came with the breakfast vouchers plus it was the cheapest I have heard about buying online.

Fuzzy logic? No way. LOL I may even buy more park hopper plus tickets soon after our trip just to "have"- because who knows how high the prices will go before our NEXT trip after this family one!

 

[LauraR]

Thanks for your input everyone! You've definitely pushed me off the fence on getting 5-day park hoppers instead of 4-days. Now the real question is whether to get the 5-day PH's or the 7-day PHP's! (Now let's see if I can explain my logic to my husband...)

 

[catherines_mama]

Ok.. someone tell me if this is right, If I purchase a 7PHP for my Feb trip, and do not use the pluses... can i use those pluses on someone else in the future?

My DD will only be 2 1/2 in Feb so she does not need a pass. I was going to get a 5day PH Just for me. But if I get a 7 PHP i can use the leftover 2 days when we come back with my folks in a year or so.. and can I put my left over pluses towards my DD minigolfing on our next trip???

How does that work? Thank you!
Deedee

 

[BethR]

Hi Deedee!

You definately can use the Plusses anytime that you return to WDW. They never expire.

Unfortunately, you will not be able to use them for mini-golf since they can only be used for the water parks, Pleasure Island, and Disney's Wide World of Sports.

Also, and I don't know if you were asking this or not, you cannot use the same pass 2 times at the same time in order to get 2 different people in. For example, you have one pass that has 2 plusses left on it. You and your DD are going to go to Typhoon Lagoon. You can NOT use that ONE pass to get both of you into Typhoon Lagoon.

I hope that this makes sense.

 

[PattiPB]

"Fuzzy logic" depends who you ask---on this board you are just NORMAL!!!!

4/03, I came up with an extra $500 and bought five 7-day PHP instead of 4-day PH passes (Total price $1400 instead of $900). We used (as planned) 4 park days and 1 plus option. Starting to plan for 12/04, and you should see my budget!!!! That $500 was paid off before we even left in April, and my 12/03 budget is so LOW because we don't need passes!

It may "hurt" a bit this trip to buy extra days, but the other end of the vacation scale is pure BLISS!!!!

Patti

 

[jann1033]

this 7 day is such a good deal I can not decide what to do..husband wants to buy APs as we would like to go next Nov or Dec. but what if...with the 7 day they would not expire but the AP is another story. we are right on the border now as are planning on going to a park every day but one (8, jumping around alot, and sometimes going to epcot basically to eat!) but I wonder if we will really do that.. usually we do one park for a day and pick up here and there on the other 2...for 6 days in, the rest someplace else. I already got DQ tickets( good deal ) but do not think I will use most of the plus options on the php and do not think there is a 7 day with out the pluses. so do I want that $180 now or not. decisions decisions

this trip started as a 5 day "get away"' has grown to 11 days now and is getting ready to mutiply by 2,,how'd that happen?????

 

[crisi]

One word of warning - you do need to be able to find those passes when the next trip rolls around (or at least the numbers on them to have Disney replace them as "lost"). Make sure to keep them in a safe place (and not that "I put them in a safe place when I returned, I wonder where I stuck them" place I always use).

I admire people who can do this. I've faced facts that I'll just loose mine and be out the money anyway, so I might as well just by LOSs.

 

[bjakmom]

Can one 6/7 day pass be used by two different people (not on the same days)? Ex: Friend is joining us for the first 4 days - hubbie coming from day 5 to 7 - can I use the same pass or is there some ID attached to it? Also - if you save a day or two for another trip that would mean that someone different could use the unused days on the future trip, right?

Since we are definitely doing a character breakfast this would be a great savings - anyone know when the breakfast certificates currently expire?

 

[jann1033]

I think they are the same that expire 5/2004 and I think that with the passes is a no no. I know that is how it used to be at least but can not remember what they used to check( I think at one time they had your name on it but can not remember right now). I do know someone who did and think it says nontransferable.( just looked at my DQ tks and it says only you can use in about 3 different ways!)