"Magic Your Way" Tickets

[Pa@okw95]

The new tickets offered by WDW may be better for a lot of DVC members than the discounted AP, especially for someone like me that is not a commando type and just wants to go to the parks for a couple of hours per day at the most. It certainly is an option that we all should think about depending on many factors that fit you. I am delighted to have this option. It kind of takes the wind out of all those people that thought DVC got us something special with the AP's when it really is part of a larger campaign to get people back in the parks. These new tickets just might be the way rather than the AP's. Good News to have this choice.

 

[laceemouse]

I agree. I was thinking AP but now I need to weigh all of the options...Lacee

 

[DisneyDVClover]

They have some very good options with the new pass structure that I am sure many families will be able to use.

 

[tjkraz]

For some it may be nice to be able to opt out of the options they don't need (non-expiration, non-hopper), but let's not kid ourselves about the true nature of this change:

1. It was probably done to simplify the purchase process. On that level it will likely be a success. People have more control over their pass needs and cost without having to sift through PH, PHP, UPH, etc.

2. Most importantly, they tucked a nice little price increase in. Example:

The old 5-day PHP cost $300.33 with tax at the gate.

Now, to get that, one would pay: $193 base + 35 Park Hopper add on + $35 No Expiration add on + $45 Plus option + 6.5% tax. By my math, that comes out to $328.02, which is a hefty 10% increase in price.

Yes, you could opt out of something like the park hopping or the no expiration, but then you're not getting the same service value in your pass. On an apples-to-apples basis, this is a pretty big price increase.

Also, it may look nice to see the $3 price variance at the higher levels, but don't overlook the $10 additional to add the non-expiration option. If you can use the entire pass in one stay--great. But the $13 upcharge (plus tax) is pretty comparable to the old sliding scale for the PHPs.

 

[sjdisneywedding]

For some it may be nice to be able to opt out of the options they don't need (non-expiration, non-hopper), but let's not kid ourselves about the true nature of this change:

1. It was probably done to simplify the purchase process. On that level it will likely be a success. People have more control over their pass needs and cost without having to sift through PH, PHP, UPH, etc.

2. Most importantly, they tucked a nice little price increase in. Example:

The old 5-day PHP cost $300.33 with tax at the gate.

Now, to get that, one would pay: $193 base + 35 Park Hopper add on + $35 No Expiration add on + $45 Plus option + 6.5% tax. By my math, that comes out to $328.02, which is a hefty 10% increase in price.

Yes, you could opt out of something like the park hopping or the no expiration, but then you're not getting the same service value in your pass. On an apples-to-apples basis, this is a pretty big price increase.

Also, it may look nice to see the $3 price variance at the higher levels, but don't overlook the $10 additional to add the non-expiration option. If you can use the entire pass in one stay--great. But the $13 upcharge (plus tax) is pretty comparable to the old sliding scale for the PHPs.

This may be true for the lesser number of day tickets but:

new 10 day park hopper plus(expires): $289
old 10 day UPH(LOS): $436 advance purchase

huge savings

new 7 day park hopper plus(expires): $268
old 7 day UPH: 347

new 7 day park hopper plus w no expiration: $334
old 7 day PHP: 336

I dont think its about raising prices so much as entcing people to buy the larger ticket packages

 

[GoldenOldie]

2. Most importantly, they tucked a nice little price increase in. Example:

The old 5-day PHP cost $300.33 with tax at the gate.

Now, to get that, one would pay: $193 base + 35 Park Hopper add on + $35 No Expiration add on + $45 Plus option + 6.5% tax. By my math, that comes out to $328.02, which is a hefty 10% increase in price.

But you overlook the fact that you are getting more with the MYW 5 day than you were with the 5 day PHP. The MYW gives you 3 plus options instead of the old 2.

And the most important difference is you can use the plus option at DQ with the MYW. That alone would be worth over $90 in separately paid for DQ admissions.

You look at it from the frame of reference that it's a more expensive ticket. Others who will use the DQ feature will look at it as being a terrific bargain. It all depends on how you are going to use it.

 

[DrTomorrow]

[...] the MYW [...]

Awwww, it's the first time I've seen the new acronym.....

 

[tiberius]

I dont think its about raising prices so much as entcing people to buy the larger ticket packages

The best part for Disney is that they collect more parking, dining, store sales, and to some degree longer hotel stays by keeping people in the parks.

For my part, I will be happy to be able to buy long term no-plus tickets to use with my small stack of leftover tickets with pluses only.

 

[sjdisneywedding]

But you overlook the fact that you are getting more with the MYW 5 day than you were with the 5 day PHP. The MYW gives you 3 plus options instead of the old 2.

And the most important difference is you can use the plus option at DQ with the MYW. That alone would be worth over $90 in separately paid for DQ admissions.

You look at it from the frame of reference that it's a more expensive ticket. Others who will use the DQ feature will look at it as being a terrific bargain. It all depends on how you are going to use it.

great points, wheres the breakdwon of the plus options, mousesavers says you get 2-5 plusses depending on base ticket

 

[tjkraz]

But you overlook the fact that you are getting more with the MYW 5 day than you were with the 5 day PHP. The MYW gives you 3 plus options instead of the old 2.

Point taken. But it still represents an upcharge. Even if I only wanted to take two trips to waterparks, I still pay $30 more per ticket out of pocket.

In many ways it's similar to gas stations eliminating 86 octane gasoline. 87 octane became the low-end standard. It's certainly a higher quality product, but you have no choice other than to pay $.05 more per gallon (on average) than 86.

It all depends on how you are going to use it.

Absolutely true. I never said otherwise.

But I don't think there's any question that some people, many people, will end up paying more out of pocket than they would have under the old PH / PHP pricing. The fact that the passes may contain greater value is a secondary issue. A guest who is coerced into paying $100 more for longer duration ticket than they really need means Disney is sticking those $$$ in the bank while we stick the pass in a drawer for months or years. Heck I've got a cousin who took her family to WDW 5 years ago, now have no idea when or if they will ever return, and they still have valid passes sitting at home somewhere (assuming they haven't been thrown away yet.)

The best part for Disney is that they collect more parking, dining, store sales, and to some degree longer hotel stays by keeping people in the parks.

If that were true, WDW would throw the gates open for free and sit back in awe as people gobbled up the overpriced food and souvies.

Actually they tried something similar in the past. It was called FastPass. The driving force behind FastPass was NOT getting people on more attractions during the day. Paul Pressler and his cronies developed all of these fancy charts and graphs showing how much more money people would spend shopping and eating if they weren't spending time waiting in lines.

It never happened. Revenues remained flat and Disney eventually had to admit that people couldn't be convinced to spend money they didn't already intend to spend.

By all accounts, WDW attendance has fully recovered from 9/11 and then some. I find it hard to believe that WDW feels compelled to drop ticket prices to attract more guests. And, although I shouldn't rule it out altogether, it seems unlikely that they would embrace a philosophy of "slash prices in one business unit and people will just spend it elsewhere."

I don't think there's any question that people on these forums are a lot more astute than the average Disney guest. And it wouldn't surprise me to find that people here are able to save money in the short run (for example, using old Plusses and buying longer Theme Park-only passes for multiple trips). But Joe Sixpack taking his family to WDW for the first time could easily be convinced to pay for days or features that will never be used.

 

[InstImpres]

great points, wheres the breakdwon of the plus options, mousesavers says you get 2-5 plusses depending on base ticket

1-3 days = 2 plus
4 & 5 days = 3 plus
6 days = 4 plus
7 days = 5 plus

 

[sjdisneywedding]

1-3 days = 2 plus
4 & 5 days = 3 plus
6 days = 4 plus
7 days = 5 plus

thank you

 

[elfbo]

This may be true for the lesser number of day tickets but:

new 10 day park hopper plus(expires): $289
old 10 day UPH(LOS): $436 advance purchase

huge savings

new 7 day park hopper plus(expires): $279
old 7 day UPH: 347

You dont seem to be factoring in the loss of unlimited lenth of stay access to DQ, the Waterparks and PI. With the new tickets of 7 days you would only get a total of 5 accesses to these. As a person who goes to DQ, or PI everyday, its definitly a loss in value for me, as the only way I can see to get the same service is to buy a PAP or annual passes to those parks.

 

[denecarter]

In many ways it's similar to gas stations eliminating 86 octane gasoline. 87 octane became the low-end standard. It's certainly a higher quality product, but you have no choice other than to pay $.05 more per gallon (on average) than 86.

I was thinking it sounded similar to my cable company... they raise the price and say it is because they added more channels. Well, yes, but I don't watch the shopping, spanish, or religious channels that they added.

 

[sjdisneywedding]

You dont seem to be factoring in the loss of unlimited lenth of stay access to DQ, the Waterparks and PI. With the new tickets of 7 days you would only get a total of 5 accesses to these. As a person who goes to DQ, or PI everyday, its definitly a loss in value for me, as the only way I can see to get the same service is to buy a PAP or annual passes to those parks.

Actually you are correct in that its not all 7 days of plus features as a UPH would give you but the savings is huge over that old ticket

new 7 day hopper with 5 plusses: $268 advance
old 7 day length of stay: $347

with that savings just go buy the add ons if you need to go to plusses for more than 5. Again the option is there to SAVE money for people who can be more flexible, if you cant i wouldnt get all worked up over it, there are plenty of options to get exactly what you are getting now for basically the same price

 

[tjkraz]

with that savings just go buy the 2 add ons if you need to go to plusses for 7 days instead of 5(you'd probably still sve money). Again the option is there to SAVE money for people who can be more flexible, if you cant i wouldnt get all worked up over it, there are plenty of options to get exactly what you are getting now for basically the same price

I mean who can argue with this

I can.

Remember that Plusses are OPTIONS, not days. If elfbo wants to go to Blizzard Beach in the afternoon and then bop between Pleasure Island and DisneyQuest at night, that's THREE Plus options (or features, or whatever the term is today.)

Also note that your new ticket price does not include tax, while the UPH price does. Taxes add about $18 to your figure.

 

[sjdisneywedding]

I can.

Remember that Plusses are OPTIONS, not days. If elfbo wants to go to Blizzard Beach in the afternoon and then bop between Pleasure Island and DisneyQuest at night, that's THREE Plus options (or features, or whatever the term is today.)

Also note that your new ticket price does not include tax, while the UPH price does. Taxes add about $18 to your figure.

true enough, you grabbed my post before i edited it

BUT, there are options, if he then went and bought an annual pass to PI he would still only be paying

about $350 for 7 day park hopper plus and annual pass to PI or )as compared to
$347 for 7 day UPH.

Doesnt solve everything, but then that in turn gives you a ton of options. You can then use you 5 plusses for the water parks and DQ and the annual pass on PI

Obviously if you go to all 3 everyday as a norm, you would lose out some, but I cant imagine your going to a park, a water park, DQ, and PI all in the same day for 7 straight days. If you are my hats off to ya

 

[JessetheCowgirl]

For my part, I will be happy to be able to buy long term no-plus tickets to use with my small stack of leftover tickets with pluses only.

LOL!!! That was my thought as well. Maybe we will finally use up those old tickets

 

[disfountainofyouth]

I wish I had heard about this a little sooner. I bought 4 6 day PHP off
of Mousesavers at what would have been a nice savings. Now with
the new ticket structure, I over paid by $200.
Feb '05 BWV

 

[Doctor P]

Sounds like they are going to credit unused tickets, so I'm not sure you lost out. Never hurts to ask when you get there, at least.