Oh WDW tickets.... why are you so expensive...

[SDSorority]

Generally speaking, the smaller your party (sounds like 2 for the OP), the less likely it is that the package deals are the better deal. I travel solo and with the exception of the buy 4, get 3 free deal they had a couple years ago when the economy was really in the toilet, packages are never the better deal for me. I doubt we'll see that discount again anytime soon. I've priced out packages for 2 too, just in case I was going to have company, and again, room only discounts, and tickets discounted through Mousesavers or AAA are the better deal, over package discounts.
Bigger families would be wise to take the package thing into consideration, as they can be a better deal for them, but with the increase in tourism in Orlando over the last year, package discounts aren't going to be as good as they've been.

Yep! We don't ever do packages like free dining because we are starting to exclusively rent DVC points from Dis'ers for our hotel stay when we go. Plus, we have food allergies so we rent a car and bring in our own food for 2 of our 3 meals each day.... so we've always been a separate booker, not a package booker. With AAA for a Value room discount (if we don't rent DVC points), buying gift cards at the local grocery to use on our meals/snacks in the parks and on Southwest gift cards (to get $ off gas for $$ we're going to be spending anyway), renting the car through Hotwire or Priceline, and doing Mousesavers' discount with UT has seemed to be the most economical for us. Just shelling out the $600 for the tickets in one big ole lump sum is always a shocker.

 

[MapleGirl]

I here you, OP! The tickets for DH and I for our upcoming April trip cost a total of $1332 at the gate. We are buying (2) adult 10-day park hopper passes with the water park and more and no expiration date add-on's. We'll be able to use these tickets for our next (4) week-long trips to the World. I've been planning and saving for the past year to get our out of pocket costs down. Here's what I've come up with:

$1332
-300 (Chase Disney Reward Points)
-300 (Disney gift cards, gifts from family )
-25 (DVC gift card for taking their phone/online tour)
-181 (2 Adult 1-day passes at $90.63 each, we'll use them for one day then upgrade them to our 10-day passes at guest services as Cheshire Figment recommends)

Total Out of Pocket: $526​

The tickets are expensive, but I'm pleased with our plan.

 

[BadgerGirl84]

I here you, OP! The tickets for DH and I for our upcoming April trip cost a total of $1332 at the gate. We are buying (2) adult 10-day park hopper passes with the water park and more and no expiration date add-on's. We'll be able to use these tickets for our next (4) week-long trips to the World. I've been planning and saving for the past year to get our out of pocket costs down. Here's what I've come up with:

$1332
-300 (Chase Disney Reward Points)
-300 (Disney gift cards, gifts from family )
-25 (DVC gift card for taking their phone/online tour)
-181 (2 Adult 1-day passes at $90.63 each, we'll use them for one day then upgrade them to our 10-day passes at guest services as Cheshire Figment recommends)

Total Out of Pocket: $526​

The tickets are expensive, but I'm pleased with our plan.

I'm sorry if this is in the tickets sticky, but can you explain to me the advantage of buying the 1 day tickets now and then upgrading later? Sounds interesting. Thanks!

 

[ValpoCory]

I here you, OP! The tickets for DH and I for our upcoming April trip cost a total of $1332 at the gate. We are buying (2) adult 10-day park hopper passes with the water park and more and no expiration date add-on's. We'll be able to use these tickets for our next (4) week-long trips to the World. I've been planning and saving for the past year to get our out of pocket costs down. Here's what I've come up with:

$1332
-300 (Chase Disney Reward Points)
-300 (Disney gift cards, gifts from family )
-25 (DVC gift card for taking their phone/online tour)
-181 (2 Adult 1-day passes at $90.63 each, we'll use them for one day then upgrade them to our 10-day passes at guest services as Cheshire Figment recommends)

Total Out of Pocket: $526​

The tickets are expensive, but I'm pleased with our plan.

Why is the $181 not included in your out of pocket cost? Whose pocket is that coming out of?

Also, the DVC gift card for that tour is now $40. You should call back and ask about getting the difference.

 

[ValpoCory]

I'm sorry if this is in the tickets sticky, but can you explain to me the advantage of buying the 1 day tickets now and then upgrading later? Sounds interesting. Thanks!

Upgrading after using a ticket is key if you got a deal on your tickets (Military discount, mousesavers newsletter, work discount, etc.). Not sure that applies to MapleGirl, as she wants to upgrade full price tickets I think ($85*1.06 is $90.10). Not sure what her $90.63 tickets are.

 

[MapleGirl]

I'm sorry if this is in the tickets sticky, but can you explain to me the advantage of buying the 1 day tickets now and then upgrading later? Sounds interesting. Thanks!

Sure. Cheshire Figment explained it much better than I could. Here is his sticky: http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1452684

Here is the part about upgrading previously bought tickets:

If you purchased your MYW ticket at a price less than the current gate selling price for that ticket (such as from a discounter/broker or Advance Purchase) and you wish to do any upgrade, Disney will not penalize you for the discount provided the ticket has been used. We will make an "intermediate" ticket at the current gate price, charging the difference between your old ticket and the intermediate one to an internal voucher account. Then we will take the intermediate ticket, which is at the current gate price, and upgrade it with the additional days and/or options you want, and you will only be charged for the differences in the current gate price plus tax. Note if you had paid full current gate price for your old ticket the intermediate step is not done.

​

Basically if you buy a 1-day ticket and don't use it (don't put it through the turnstiles), you can save it indefinitely. When you want to, use the ticket then immediately go to Guest Services inside the park and upgrade that 1-day pass to whatever you want. Disney will deduct the current gate price for a 1-day pass from whatever you buy rather than what you actually paid for that ticket.

Example​

(I have no inside knowledge of what the ticket prices will be in 2022. I am making these ticket prices up.)
Buy a 1-day pass today for $90.
Save it for 20 years.
In 2032 use that ticket to go to the Magic Kingdom, then head over to Guest Services and upgrade the 1-day pass to a 10-day pass.
In 2032 the cost for a 1-day pass will be $300. The price for a 10-day pass will be $1000.
Guest Services will deduct the current $300 from $1000 and you will have to pay $700 for your 10-day pass.​

The 1-day tickets we have are leftover from a previous trip. We had to buy at least a 1-day ticket to get the Free Dining promotion a few years ago. That particular trip we had park passes left on our 10-day tickets from an earlier trip so we saved the 1-day tickets. We just keep buying 10-day passes that don't expire and use them for multiple trips. If we must buy a 1-day pass here or there, we save them and upgrade when we need new 10-day passes.

 

[MapleGirl]

Why is the $181 not included in your out of pocket cost? Whose pocket is that coming out of?

Also, the DVC gift card for that tour is now $40. You should call back and ask about getting the difference.

The $181 was spent several years ago (2008?). I consider it a sunk cost. I've had these tickets sitting in my safe for a while.

Thanks for the heads up about the DVC. I'll look into that.

 

[pixiewings71]

You can buy your tickets now and use them in 2013 or 2014. Tickets aren't valid until the first time they are used at the gate and are valid for 14 days from first use. Unless of course you bought the non-expiring tickets.

No you would not have to pay the difference at the gate.

I don't have an AP, so hopefully someone else can help answer that question for you.

Wow.....that is pretty cool to know. It's not like that at DLR, if you buy tickets today and the price goes up tomorrow you have to pay the difference. I just assumed WDW was the same, this is really good to know! It will help us plan/budget/buy for our WDW trip we want to do. It's probably going to be more like 2014, that's when DD15 will graduate from HS.