Park Hopper or Length of Stay

[KyMattDisney]

How do you decide between the above passes? I am having difficulty deciding.....because I am a DVC member (first time) I know I get a discount only on the LOS pass but what is the difference..

we are going from Friday July 11-Friday July 18th and will be staying 2 nights at AKL and then over to BWV.....probably getting the one day pass for Saturday to AK since we are arriving Friday late afternoon and then need the passes for Sun-Friday....we definately will be park hopping and using the water parks......

Thanks

Group of 4,
Me, wife and planner 34
Husband, 36
Two sons, age 8 and 3 1/2

 

[WDWorBUST]

Everyone has different opinions on this topic. To sum it up here is how I decide and a couple of things for you to consider.

One thing you need to know is the only way you get discounts on ticket media anymore is to buy them in advance (I'm not sure if this applies to DVC members or not - hopefully someone else can tell you that....if not I would definitely call and find out). If you are wanting to drop a day you have to do that once you arrive - when I was looking at dropping one day last December it was actually almost the same price as buying the extra day in advance. (between 6 and 7 days if I remember correctly)

Second - you will need to buy two separate LOS passes since you technically have two stays.

Those are the technicalities of the issue.

Me and my husband like to do anything we want whenever we want when we are at WDW. So that means we usually get the LOS pass so we can go anywhere we want all in the same day if we want to. If you want to be able to do a park in the morning and a water park in the afternoon a couple of different days I would recommend the LOS since you can do that and not lose anything. If you got a Plus pass you would lose a park day and a plus option on the same day which isn't a great value. Also you cannot use a plus option at DisneyQuest if you have any interest in going there.

We are considering a short trip in September that if we go I'll be 7 months pregnant and will probably just get 4 day hoppers or 7 day plus passes to use over two trips because I don't see us being up late enough to enjoy Pleasure Island, etc. so I won't get the LOS since I won't be able to get the most out of it and I don't want to lose a day if I just don't feel like going one day. I'm trying to keep my options open not knowing how I will be feeling then.

It's really all about how you like to vacation. Those are just a few things to think about though. Oh one other thing to consider - with the LOS passes if you get sick and don't go to the parks one day you just lose that day. Or if it rains cats and dogs all day one day and you don't want to get out in it you just lose that day - or go and make the best of it. That's what we ended up doing this past December....but if I had had a hopper plus there would have been at least one day we would have lazed around the hotel.
The park hoppers never expire.

Hope that helps you a little bit anyway.
Amanda

 

[natt]

It's me again with another scenario. Based on what you just explained: With a 7d/PHP, I can visit a waterpark in the morning and still go to a major park in the evening. I've lost one of my 7 days and one of my pluses, but still have 3 pluses left to use on a "non-park" day!
Am I getting this right? Can I use plus visits the same days with major parks? Thanks, Natt

 

[WDWorBUST]

Yes you can definitely use your plus options on the same day that you use a park day. Most people just don't because they get a 7 day plus to use over 11 days or two trips. But you are correct. If you use a park and water park on day one you would have 6 park days and 3 plus options left. So you do have a lot of flexibility if you plan on using it on only one trip that is 7 or 8 days.

 

[happiest in Disney]

there is one other thing to think of ...if you are considering Disneyquest or Pleasure Island these are included in the length of stay and not with park hopper passes. THat adds up...
Donna

 

[GoldenOldie]

Originally posted by happiest in Disney
there is one other thing to think of ...if you are considering Disneyquest or Pleasure Island these are included in the length of stay and not with park hopper passes. THat adds up...
Donna

Pleasure Island is included as a plus option on the hopper plus passes. Only DisneyQuest is not.

 

[happiest in Disney]

yes, you are correct. but if you were planning on going to pleasure Island and Water parks you could only do one of each. If you wanted to do pleasure Island more than once the cost of the extra admissions may be worth the difference. Just a thought.

 

[luvindisneyworld]

7 Day PHP passes has 4 plus options and they can be used anyay you want to excluding DQ so if you wanted to do a water park one day and go to PI that night you can.or if you wanted to use them all in one day you can do that too.if you are thinking of 7 Day PHP try www.paramontinternationaltravel.com their prices are 300.00 including tax and you get a free breakfast voucher.i would suggest calling and placing the order with Rosa and tell her that you would like the breakfast voucher.almost forgot the shipping is 15.00 for your entire order.
Misty

 

[Harambe]

We bought LOS first trip and they were too much "pass" for us. Our kids love to spend a day at the pool so we paid for passes for four that day that we just enjoyed our hotel! Then some of our group decided to go to Universal one day (paid for Universal and WDW for the same day for four). Our last morning, we used the pool again before we left for the airport (passes for four again not used). Wasted a huge amount of money.

Last trip bought 5 day hoppers. Stayed at Poly and spent our arrival day unpacking, at the pool, then a great dinner at Ohana's.
On another nonpark day, used the pool and went shopping/eating at Boardwalk.

 

[cruisnfamily]

Luvindisneyworld.....your link doesn't work

 

[natt]

Sonya; There is another thread going "HELP - Park Passes Cheap" (Not the exact title) but someone gave the same link and it worked!

 

[phamton]

Originally posted by natt
Sonya; There is another thread going "HELP - Park Passes Cheap" (Not the exact title) but someone gave the same link and it worked!

I think the link doesn't work on this thread because paramount is misspelled. The "u" is left off.

Try this: http://www.paramountinternationaltravel.com/

Or here for the tickets page:

http://www.paramountinternationaltravel.com/orderTickets.asp