New "Least Expensive Ticket Options" page from the Unofficial Guide

[lentesta]

Mods, feel free to move this to the Budget forum if necessary.


Hi folks,

For a few weeks now we've been trying to come up with a simple way to explain the best way to choose admission media from the 160+ different ticket options to Walt Disney World. After beating our heads day after day, we gave up and wrote a computer program. A link to the program is below.

This page will allow you to enter all of your trip information, including how many days you'll visit the theme parks, water parks, Pleasure Island and DisneyQuest. It tells you the four least-expensive ticket options that cover everything you want to do.

So, for example, if the least-expensive option is for you to buy a 5-day Park Hopper, a 1-day Pleasure Island ticket, and a 1-day Water Park ticket, that's what we'll recommend first. Of course, you'll want to check the other options listed just to make sure there's not a better deal that just costs a few dollars more.

We make separate recommendations for children and adults. We'll also consider Florida resident discounts, "Shades of Green" discounts, and whether you're able to use Advance Purchase discounts.

As noted below, this is a pre-release version of the software. I've been told that Netscape users might have some trouble with it. Please address all issues here, if possible.

Thanks very much!

Sincerely,

Len Testa

Warning: this is "beta-test" code.

Unofficial Guide "Best Ticket Option" Page

 

[WDWAurora]

Well I entered my info, for 4 days in parks...and none of the Park Hoppers were for less than 5 days! That just seems a little odd...I mean, I know that it's probably a good value to go ahead and get a 5 day, but why does it not even give that option?

Anyway, this is a very very cool idea. Thanks for letting us be your guinea pigs!!

Hope I helped a little!

 

[bballmom56]

It worked very well for me and confirmed my original plan to purchase UPH's. Unfortunately, I can't save with the advance purchase price because we are at the Swan. But it was still the best for what we wanted to do. It made me feel confident that I've been doing my research well (with the help of the UG and these boards!)

 

[bballmom56]

I'm sorry, I forgot to say THANK YOU ! Don't know where my manners are! That's a really good idea to help people sort out their admission options. Thanks again!

 

[BethR]

Len,

Would you mind posting this on the Budget Board as well? (Just click on the link in my signature.) I am sure that there are a number of people over there who would like to test this program for you.

 

[shanlynn63]

Thanks Len! I allready knew the right answer just wanted to see if your test did!! Great tool !

 

[jcemom]

Is it supposed to give just the least expensive options, or the "best" options? Here's what I entered: returning within a year-yes, major parks-9 days, disney quest-4 days, water parks-0, pleasure island-0. It keeps telling me to buy UPHs, which would probably be the best deal if it were only for this one trip, but since I am coming back within a year I think I should buy APs plus DQ APs. The recommended UPH was over $400 and what I think I should get would be under $500 and cover the second trip as well. Do you think it isn't taking the "yes" to returning with a year into consideration? It also recommended a pleasure island one day ticket in one option, a water park one day ticket in another, and a DQ one day ticket in the fourth. If I got the recommended UPH I wouldn't need those.

I do think this is a terrific idea, though. Am I just doing something wrong?

 

[jaysue]

Thanks lentesta - innovative again!

cheers
jaysue

 

[lentesta]

Thanks folks for helping test this.

Jcemom, we're still working on the 'preferred' recommendation, including what to do when folks say they'll be returning within 12 months. Sometime this evening that should be working. Sorry I didn't mention it before.

FWIW, the really odd "least-expensive" options seem to pop up more often for off-site guests with around five days in the parks. There are scenarios where different combinations of tickets will save about $10 per person. Multiplied by millions of people per year, and pretty soon we're talking about a nice chuhnk of change.

Thanks again. I'll post updates to the page later today, including an explanation of what each question on the page means.

Sincerely,

Len

 

[kaylajr]

HMMMMMMMMM
keeps telling me page not available

maybe it doesn't like me



oh well i'll try again later seems like a cool thing to know

 

[cruisnfamily]

OK Len, I tried it...although I already knew the answer and I've determine that your program does not know about FL Res discounts(or at least it's not recommending them!) I told the program 2 adults, 2 kids, 4 days in parks, no DQ or PI or Water parks. Here's what it recommended:
For each adult:
The number of ticket combinations examined was 17576.
************
* Option 1 *
************
2 Day/1 Park Adult Ticket ($111.3)
1-Day/1 Park Adult Ticket ($51)
1-Day/1 Park Adult Ticket ($51)
Total cost for all tickets = $213.30

************
* Option 2 *
************
Advance Purchase 4-Day Park Hopper Adult Ticket ($215.13)
Total cost for all tickets = $215.13

************
* Option 3 *
************
3 Day/1 Park Adult Ticket ($164.28)
1-Day/1 Park Adult Ticket ($51)
Total cost for all tickets = $215.28

************
* Option 4 *
************
1 Day/1 Park Adult Ticket ($58.31)
2 Day/1 Park Adult Ticket ($111.3)
1-Day/1 Park Adult Ticket ($51)
Total cost for all tickets = $220.61

The play 4 days pass is only $109 for adults and kids and is much cheaper than all options suggested. I must say though...if the Play4days wasn't available, I'd take Option 2 over Option 1 any day. Is your software going to strictly limit itself to cheaper ? Because option 2 is a better value than Option 1 even though it's $2 more it's well worth that.

 

[OLT2004]

I do not think it worked for me - Here is why -

It recommended the 5 Day UPH - but we are staying in a Disney Resort for a total of 8 nights/9 days....

It is my understanding that you must purchase UPH for your ENTIRE stay...unless you want to "check in/checkout"

Is this correct?

 

[cruisnfamily]

Len, I was just thinking....you should email a link to your test over to Mousesavers....I bet they'd love to help out on your beta test and everybody who reads over there would be interested in checking it out.

 

[disneyjunkie]

Would it be possible to add options like the 30 Fun in the Sun pass or the 10 day world pass?

My next trip is for 10 days. We want to visit parks each day. We'll do Disney Quest, Pleasure Island and the water parks several times during our stay.

When I entered this information I was told the UPH is our best bet. That will cost @ $446 each. I can get the 30 day pass for $311 each or the 10 day pass for $348 each. They each include the same options as the UPH plus a free character breakfast.

 

[lentesta]

Thanks folks. The page was momentarily unavailable this morning, but should be back now.

Crusinfamily, does the 4-day Florida Resident pass have blackout dates? I think we tried to stay away from any ticket that has those, as it would have required us to ask more questions to figure out whether you're going during prohibited dates. But if you want to help come up with a simple way to do this, we'd certainly give it a shot.

If there are no blackout dates, let me know and we'll add that as an option.

Disneyjunkie, if those passes do not have blackout dates, we'll be happy to add them. Thanks for the information.


OLT2004 (hey again!), I believe you can specify the start and stop dates for the UPH, as long as they're continuous. I've cut days off the beginning and end of my stay before. If that's not the case, let me know. If we have to add a question to the website to figure that out, let's come up with a good way to ask it, and I'll add it. Thanks very much.


One more thing:
We list the options in order of cost, and provide the four lowest-cost options. "Four" is an arbitrary choice. If folks think five or six is a better number, we can do that.

As crusinfamily notes, there are instances where you might find a "better" value in, say, option #2, than the least-expensive option. But "better" is a subjective term, so we avoided making any judgements in that area. By cutting down the number of possible ticket options from possibly thousands to just four, we hope to make it easier for families to come up with a final decision on tickets.

It's sort of like when you're buying an airline ticket and are trying to balance price versus departure time. The lowest-cost option might be leaving at 6 am, but for an extra twelve bucks you can leave at 8 am instead. Airlines list all those options, sorted by price, and let you make the final choice.

Thanks very much for the feedback on this! As noted above, if there are questions we can ask that will lead to lower costs or better suggestions, please let me know.

Sincerely,

Len

 

[cruisnfamily]

Originally posted by lentesta
Crusinfamily, does the 4-day Florida Resident pass have blackout dates? I think we tried to stay away from any ticket that has those, as it would have required us to ask more questions to figure out whether you're going during prohibited dates. But if you want to help come up with a simple way to do this, we'd certainly give it a shot.

The Play 4 Days pass has both black out dates and an expiration(in this case 6/4/04) but I think it should be listed somehow. Perhaps if the person answered "yes" to Fl Resident then some generic statement could preface the 4 approved choices. Maybe something along the lines of "There may be additional options available to you as a Fl Res, check at www.disneyworld.com" or something along those lines. The reason I think it should be added is that it's a huge savings (in my case about $400) and I'd hate for somebody to miss out on it because they assume your software would give them the cheapest deal.

"Four" is an arbitrary choice. If folks think five or six is a better number, we can do that.

I personally think 4 choices is enough.

 

[cruisnfamily]

Originally posted by lentesta
OLT2004 (hey again!), I believe you can specify the start and stop dates for the UPH, as long as they're continuous. I've cut days off the beginning and end of my stay before. If that's not the case, let me know. If we have to add a question to the website to figure that out, let's come up with a good way to ask it, and I'll add it. Thanks very much.

I don't believe you can do this. I'm sure somebody will correct me if I'm wrong but here's how I think it goes:
1)if you purchase in advance you must include all days in your UPH including arrival and departure day.
2)If you wait until you arrive at your resort you are sometimes able(at the discretion of the CM) to drop your arrival and departure day but not any other days. You would not get any advance purchas discount this way.

 

[lentesta]

Perhaps if the person answered "yes" to Fl Resident then some generic statement could preface the 4 approved choices. Maybe something along the lines of "There may be additional options available to you as a Fl Res, check at www.disneyworld.com" or something along those lines. The reason I think it should be added is that it's a huge savings (in my case about $400) and I'd hate for somebody to miss out on it because they assume your software would give them the cheapest deal.

Beautiful. I'll add it this weekend. Ah, the helpfulness that is DISBoards.

Thanks very much.

Len

 

[js]

Len, Glad you guys are now the OS of the Dis
Thanks for taking the time to write the program and have us test it out. I'll be inputting my info. Also, have your book in my backpack and take it on the bus back and forth to work everyday planning for our November 26-December 5th trip Thanks.

 

[NCRedding]

I entered data for friends travelling one day to MK. It gave me option one: One day/one park $51. Option 2: one day/one park $58.25. What is the difference?? Thanks for this--it would be very helpful.