Might want to buy your AP now before price increases

[dwight16]

so it looks like there is some information breaking on ticket prices 1 day prices confirmed for MK to go up to 105 looks like a 5% increase. so my guess is everything is going to go up this month.....

http://wdwnt.com/blog/2015/02/confi...oming-this-month-1-day-tickets-to-exceed-100/

 

[dwenviro]

Hi, Trying to decide whether to get a FL Seasonal Pass ticket (mine previous ticket expired in Oct) or get the FL Resident Discovery Ticket - and have a question about if I purchase a Seasonal Pass before prices go up, may I wait until April to activate it? (I don't have plans to go to Disney before mid-April.)

Also, since I don't have a current ticket, I cannot make FP+ reservations (tried just to see in case we wanted to go in Feb) - will this change if I get the Discovery Ticket or a Seasonal voucher? I'm not sure if I'll be staying on-site or at a DTD hotel (realize there is a 30-60 day time period to select FP) - but if I wait to get my ticket, then I also cannot get advance FP+ selections? FYI, I'm a seasoned Disney goer (over 100 times since 1971), and this stuff still confuses me - I can't imagine what most folks have to figure out their first time! LOL ºoº

 

[nalajms]

Yes, you can buy it ahead of time, link it to MDE and make FP+ before activating it. If you stay off site, there's a limit of how many days you can make FP+. I believe it's around 7. Are you going again on the AP? The discovery ticket expires 6m after first use. We are looking at no-expiration tickets paired with FL Seasonal for the next couple of years.

 

[erionm]

Hi, Trying to decide whether to get a FL Seasonal Pass ticket (mine previous ticket expired in Oct) or get the FL Resident Discovery Ticket - and have a question about if I purchase a Seasonal Pass before prices go up, may I wait until April to activate it? (I don't have plans to go to Disney before mid-April.)

If you purchase on-line, you still have to stop at either a Park Ticket Window or Guest Relations Location to exchange for the actual ticket/pass. For APs, the year starts when the CM hands you the pass.

Also, since I don't have a current ticket, I cannot make FP+ reservations (tried just to see in case we wanted to go in Feb) - will this change if I get the Discovery Ticket or a Seasonal voucher? I'm not sure if I'll be staying on-site or at a DTD hotel (realize there is a 30-60 day time period to select FP) - but if I wait to get my ticket, then I also cannot get advance FP+ selections? FYI, I'm a seasoned Disney goer (over 100 times since 1971), and this stuff still confuses me - I can't imagine what most folks have to figure out their first time! LOL ºoº

If you purchase on-line, you can link the confirmation to MDE which will allow advance FP+ selections. If not staying at a Disney Resort, your FP+ booking window is 30 days prior to day of use. If staying at a Disney Resort, your FP+ booking window opens at 60 days from check-in.

 

[dwight16]

i bought my passes online and linked them to my family and then they mailed them to my house well the vouchers and i activate them when i go next time...

 

[dwenviro]

Thanks for the confirmations...I was hoping I could purchase now before prices go up but activate in April - just need to decide if the Discovery Tix will be enough, or if I should just go ahead and get the FL Seasonal Tix now. Does anyone know how much AP prices will increase later this month? Will they give us any heads up or just say when the new prices go into effect? Thx!

 

[BirdsOfPreyDave]

I guess it's a gamble. Buy a pass now before the price increase, or wait to see if they offer another DVC PAP deal.

 

[nalajms]

I guess it's a gamble. Buy a pass now before the price increase, or wait to see if they offer another DVC PAP deal.

If you bought the FL Seasonal now and there's a DVC AP/PAP deal, couldn't you upgrade it? There's no way a DVC AP/PAP deal will be cheaper than a FL Seasonal. Or could it only be done at the parks?

 

[WilsonFlyer]

I'd rather use my own money until I need the tickets or renewals (APs). Maybe I'm in the minority here but we're a family of 3 and while I hate price increases as much as the next guy, $50-60 is hardly gonna stop this train. If it does, there were grander issues than ticket prices.

Our APs expire in June and we're going in April and December. Assuming we don't go in-between (and granted we very well may), I can hardly see investing $1500 for 10 months to save $60. It just doesn't make sense to me.

Just my take and a different point of view.

 

[WilsonFlyer]

Here's another thing just while I'm arguing.

"But where's the pain threshold where people won't pay the prices anymore."

There likely isn't (think GLOBAL here and get your mind out of the US only) and Disney knows it. Why? Because they can, and there are essentially NO ramifications. None. Nada. Zilch. Doodly. Zero. Period.

Go ahead. Make an argument against it. I'd love to hear it.

 

[Anal Annie]

We are going in late July so I need to get my AP voucher numbers by May in order to set up our FP+. We're also only a family of 3 but my car is currently in the shop for the umpteenth time this year (water pump, timing belt and head gaskets this time around which is gonna HURT badly whenever it's done) and our DS is a senior in HS, graduating in May and heading off to a private college in August. Knowing that I have to spend the money on the passes soon anyway I plan to go ahead & order them before the rumored 5% price increase. That is $75 I can't afford to lose when I am going to be buying them soon anyway. Maybe $75 is nothing to some people but it's A LOT to us right now and I plan to save every cent I can. I love that mouse but he's an expensive pet to own.

 

[nalajms]

Here's another thing just while I'm arguing.

"But where's the pain threshold where people won't pay the prices anymore."

I agree, there is no threshold. Their pricing strategy doesn't make sense to me... granted I'm not the CEO of a Fortune 500 company and never expect to be...but it's all one pot of money for us. If I spend more on tickets, I'll spend less on eating and gifts. If there's a 5% increase in tickets, I'm not increasing my Disney budget by 5%.

Wouldn't they make more money selling "cheaper" tickets to get people in the door and buying/eating there? I can understand if their strategy is to make 1day tickets ridiculous so that people will stay longer, but they are not....

I would invest $1500 for 10m just to save $60....planning to in fact. That's 4%, I'm lucky to get 1% in my savings. And if I don't need that money, why not? Yeah, i could put it into stocks or mutual fund, but then I'd have to try to time the buying/selling, taxes, commissions, fees,etc. For a short term, that's probably not going to beat 4%.

 

[disneynutz]

I agree, there is no threshold. Their pricing strategy doesn't make sense to me... granted I'm not the CEO of a Fortune 500 company and never expect to be...but it's all one pot of money for us. If I spend more on tickets, I'll spend less on eating and gifts. If there's a 5% increase in tickets, I'm not increasing my Disney budget by 5%.

Wouldn't they make more money selling "cheaper" tickets to get people in the door and buying/eating there? I can understand if their strategy is to make 1day tickets ridiculous so that people will stay longer, but they are not....

I would invest $1500 for 10m just to save $60....planning to in fact. That's 4%, I'm lucky to get 1% in my savings. And if I don't need that money, why not? Yeah, i could put it into stocks or mutual fund, but then I'd have to try to time the buying/selling, taxes, commissions, fees,etc. For a short term, that's probably not going to beat 4%.

Disney doesn't need to do cheaper, record attendance and a company profit of 7 billion per year will keep the prices increasing!

Bill

 

[kittyab]

We got ours last month

 

[dwenviro]

Okay have run the numbers and as many of you stated, it depends on your situation. Here are approximate costs for those of you who may be debating the same thing:
I can get the 4-day FL Discovery Tix for about $169 w/tax add in another $30 (if I want to Park Hop....which we usually do with our APs, but not necessary) cost is $201 pp due ASAP....vouchers good thru June 5.
Then I could get my Seasonal APs - $340 = currently $106 at purchase, then $19.50 per month....if prices go up say 5%, then we'd pay $110 at purchase and $20.50/month.
If we go for 4 days before June 5 cost per day is $50 (with park hopper)....$44 without. (I'm rounding most times)
With an AP, we usually go at least 6 visits per year, min 2 days = 12 park days or let's just be conservative and say 10 park days = $34 (includes hopping)
So I'm paying more for the Discovery Ticket per visit and up front....but I know I cannot use the AP tix over the summer...and wouldn't want to anyway due to crowds and heat....but when I'm renewing my AP tix within 30 days I get an even better deal!...didn't this year due to finances and knowing I wouldn't have time to go see the Mouse ºoº between November and January....it was costing me more money and not go ($60 for a $50 savings) then just letting my AP expire.
Now here's the kicker....I'm thinking I may actually be able to go for 5 days before June 5 so I'm now leaning toward the AP...but that's me!

Hope everyone figures out their best plan and go enjoy Disney as much as you can! It's great being a FL Resident! ºoº

 

[kshark1958]

My wife and I won't be going to WDW until December 2015 then a family trip probably Oct 2016. Is there a timeline that I have to use the AP by or can I buy the AP before the price increase then wait till December to activate it.

 

[disney junky]

Here's another thing just while I'm arguing.

"But where's the pain threshold where people won't pay the prices anymore."

There likely isn't (think GLOBAL here and get your mind out of the US only) and Disney knows it. Why? Because they can, and there are essentially NO ramifications. None. Nada. Zilch. Doodly. Zero. Period.

Go ahead. Make an argument against it. I'd love to hear it.

I don't think there is any either. I look closely at what I pay, but I'm going to get the best possible deal. I just ordered AP's Saturday for our December trip with the assumption that they will go up. I still look at the cost of a Broadway show, a decent sit down meal, a tank of gas, and I can't really complain. It does seem like a lot, but the admission is the one thing that can't be negotiated. Personally, I think the cost of the meals has been much more shocking, and I don't think the quality has kept pace with the price, but that's for another thread....

 

[erionm]

My wife and I won't be going to WDW until December 2015 then a family trip probably Oct 2016. Is there a timeline that I have to use the AP by or can I buy the AP before the price increase then wait till December to activate it.

You can purchase prior to increase and wait until your trip to activate the passes.

 

[disney junky]

My wife and I won't be going to WDW until December 2015 then a family trip probably Oct 2016. Is there a timeline that I have to use the AP by or can I buy the AP before the price increase then wait till December to activate it.

Your timeline is similar to ours. That's why I bought them now. I'm assuming February price increase. Last year it was Feb 22.

 

[kshark1958]

How much notice did they give before the price increase last year