Is this the best idea for my GAD??

Xanthe

Mouseketeer
Joined
Feb 17, 2008
Messages
287
My husband and I are heading to WDW in May. We're staying for 5 days with the QSDP pin, we've bought 3 days of passes and we're planning to use our GAD's for a 4th day. Now I'm not sure if thats the best choice!

Would it make more sense to apply the $80.00 value of the GAD towards a 5 days pass?? Can I do that??

TIA!!

Xanthé
 
Well, there are a few problems with your plan. :goodvibes The first is that you can't use the GAD voucher to upgrade an existing ticket (the 3-day pass). What you can do is redeem your voucher for a one day ticket, then upgrade that one day ticket to however many days you need.

(Even if you could upgrade the 3-day to a 4-day, the cost difference between a 3-day and a 4-day is only $6 per ticket. It wouldn't give much value to the GAD voucher, even if you could do it.)

Since you have booked the QSDP, you are required to purchase tickets with your package. You can't book the dining plan unless you buy tickets (with a few exceptions that don't apply here).

So your choices are:

Downgrade your package to include one day tickets (if you are not within 45 days of check-in, you can do this at no charge). When you arrive, redeem your GAD voucher on your first day at the parks, then upgrade it to the number of tickets you will need. Your cost will be the ticket cost - the value of the GAD voucher ($79 per adult) + 6.5% tax. You will have one day tickets on your KTTW cards that will never expire if you don't use them. You can have them removed from your KTTW cards and you can save them for another trip. They can be upgraded when you return to the number of days you need.

If you don't want to have tickets to save for another trip, you can:

Redeem each voucher for a set of Fastpass cards for your group (up to six people) - this will give each person in your group a set of "instant" fastpasses for the park where you redeem the voucher. More info here:

http://www.oinc.net/disney/fastpass.php#gad

Or, you can redeem each voucher for the figurine and pin set, or you can donate the vouchers to participating organizations.

Alternatively, you can cancel the package with the QSDP and book room-only, then you don't have to buy tickets through a package and you can just upgrade the GAD vouchers to whatever you need.

Hope this makes some sense! :goodvibes

Edited to add:

I just re-read and see that you are going in May, so you probably have already made final payment. Disney may charge a $50 change fee if you change a package to one with a lower cost. Best to call and see if you can change from a 3-day to a one-day ticket if you want to save the tickets for another trip and upgrade the GAD (you can save the 3-day tickets as well and upgrade for another trip if you can't change the package, but I am trying to minimize your cost right now).
 
Oh I am confused! We're within our 45 days, so I'm thinking theres nothing I can do?

thx
Xan
 
Oh I am confused! We're within our 45 days, so I'm thinking theres nothing I can do?

thx
Xan

Well, I'd call and ask. I think Disney will probably charge $50 to go from 3-day MYW tickets to one-day tickets, but they might not. You have $160 worth of tickets in the form of GAD vouchers. You would still have to pay for the one day tickets on your package, but they will never expire as long as you don't use them. It just depends if it is worth the hassle for you. You would be paying $50 more now (if they charge you the change fee), but you would end up with two one-day tickets that you could upgrade for another trip. The GAD vouchers expire December 15 and you have to use the ticket the day you redeem them, so there is no point in saving the vouchers unless you are coming back this year. But the package tickets will be good forever as long as they are not used.

If you are going at a busy time, the FP cards have some value so you can do some of the most popular rides with little waits. But if you are going at a slower time, the value is diminished.
 

Some numbers for you to try to make it make sense:

your current package (ticket cost only):

2 3-day MYW tickets (I'm assuming base tickets) - 466.48 (this is the ticket cost of your package right now)

if you downgrade:

2 1-day MYW tickets - 168.28
change fee (maybe) - 50.00
total ticket package cost - 218.28

upgrade GAD vouchers to 2 3-day MYW tickets - 466.48 (3-day price for two tickets)-168.28 (value fo two GAD 1-day tickets) = 298.20

total cost for 2 3-day tickets and 2 1-day tickets (including change fee) - 298.20 + 218.28 = 516.48

You will spend $50 more if you have to pay the change fee, but the two 1-day tickets you will have left have a value of over $160 (if you will ever be returning to WDW)
 
UPDATE May 1 - I called Disney and the nice CM (Broderick) said all I needed to do was, once we arrived, take my KTTW to a call window outside one of the Parks and I can upgrade it there.

Hopefully its that easy!!

Thanks for all the help everyone :)
Xanthé
 




















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