Park Tickets

[miblue]

Hi everyone!

We're trying to decide how long to stay. My husband has a conference for 3 days and I'd to get there early so we can go to the parks for a full day before his conference. So we could do a minimum of 3 day tickets but from looking at undercover tourist, it looks like it's only $10 more per ticket for a 4 day one which turns into a 4 day plus one day free so 5 days. Any advice on length would be good! We were there 6 days last time and it honestly seemed a bit long for my son's age.

Anyway, I'm wondering, is it possible to do a park hopper for just one day? We didn't really use the park hopper last time but I feel like it'd be nice if we wanted to go back to MK for fireworks one day.

Also, I'm wondering... my son will have just turned 4 when we go. Do I really have to get tickets? A friend told me before that they can't ask for birth certificates or anything. I don't like lying but also that is a ton of money for a kid who will not ride all the rides and spend a majority of the afternoon asleep in the stroller.

Thanks!

 

[luckygirl539]

Yes he has to have a ticket. No you can't buy a hopper for 1 day. It's for all days only. Hope that helps.

 

[monsterkitty]

Under 3 is free. 3 is not free. Since your son will be 4 he needs a ticket.

 

[miblue]

Thanks! Another question, is AAA a better deal for tickets or Undercover Tourist?

 

[Marionnette]

Hi everyone!

We're trying to decide how long to stay. My husband has a conference for 3 days and I'd to get there early so we can go to the parks for a full day before his conference. So we could do a minimum of 3 day tickets but from looking at undercover tourist, it looks like it's only $10 more per ticket for a 4 day one which turns into a 4 day plus one day free so 5 days. Any advice on length would be good! We were there 6 days last time and it honestly seemed a bit long for my son's age.

Anyway, I'm wondering, is it possible to do a park hopper for just one day? We didn't really use the park hopper last time but I feel like it'd be nice if we wanted to go back to MK for fireworks one day.

Also, I'm wondering... my son will have just turned 4 when we go. Do I really have to get tickets? A friend told me before that they can't ask for birth certificates or anything. I don't like lying but also that is a ton of money for a kid who will not ride all the rides and spend a majority of the afternoon asleep in the stroller.

Thanks!

Yes, you really have to buy him a ticket. He's 4. He is not "under 3". Lying is lying, whether you can rationalize it away because you don't see the value in spending that much for a child that age. Sorry, but he's more than old enough to require a ticket. Buy him one.

Have you checked with you husband's conference to see if they are offering convention tickets? They usually sell "after 2 PM" and "after 4 PM" tickets to conventioneers and their families. They also sell 3- and 4-day hoppers with a waterpark or DQ visit for much less than they sell for at the gate. It's worth it to ask about those tickets.

 

[miblue]

Yes, you really have to buy him a ticket. He's 4. He is not "under 3". Lying is lying, whether you can rationalize it away because you don't see the value in spending that much for a child that age. Sorry, but he's more than old enough to require a ticket. Buy him one.

Have you checked with you husband's conference to see if they are offering convention tickets? They usually sell "after 2 PM" and "after 4 PM" tickets to conventioneers and their families. They also sell 3- and 4-day hoppers with a waterpark or DQ visit for much less than they sell for at the gate. It's worth it to ask about those tickets.

I didn't see anything about tickets on the conference website but that's a good point to ask! I'll look!

 

[beck02]

I think the park hopper option isn't worth it unless your trying to do everything in 2 days or something insane like that--and with a family with young kids, it's not happening. There's 5 days for 4 parks. My kid got bored with the fireworks--they happen EVERY night. I think it's cheaper to add another day's tickets vs. adding park hopper.

 

[Marionnette]

I think the park hopper option isn't worth it unless your trying to do everything in 2 days or something insane like that--and with a family with young kids, it's not happening. There's 5 days for 4 parks. My kid got bored with the fireworks--they happen EVERY night. I think it's cheaper to add another day's tickets vs. adding park hopper.

It may be cheaper to add another day to a ticket but another day at Disney means another hotel night, another day's worth of eating out and possibly more expensive airfare for the return flight. Not everyone can extend their visit a day or two. Some people have to get back to work and can't add that extra day before or after a meeting.

 

[Marionnette]

I didn't see anything about tickets on the conference website but that's a good point to ask! I'll look!

You can also ask about tickets through human resources. Sometimes larger companies have really great ticket discounts. My brother works for a company that sponsors one of the attractions. He can get tickets for much less than what they charge on UT.

 

[ssawka]

I think the park hopper option isn't worth it unless your trying to do everything in 2 days or something insane like that--and with a family with young kids, it's not happening. There's 5 days for 4 parks. My kid got bored with the fireworks--they happen EVERY night. I think it's cheaper to add another day's tickets vs. adding park hopper.

Yes, adding another day is cheaper, but just be aware that you cannot use multiple one day tickets on the same day to enter different parks.

As to whether or not a park hopper is worth the price is entirely up to you. IMHO it depends on where you are staying. If you are staying close to a theme park then it might be worth it. With young children, you most likely will want to take an afternoon breaks. After your break you might want to go to the park close to where you are staying rather than going back to the park you were at that morning.

Also, if you are not sure whether you will use the park hopper option or not, be aware that you can add that option at any time up until the ticket is expired. Thus, you could wait until you are ready to use the park hopper before paying for it.

 

[miblue]

Thanks! We're staying at BoardWalk so we'll be right by Epcot which is why I wondered if we'd be more likely to go over there. We stayed at All Star last time so when we'd get back to the resort we'd stay in the resort area. Anyone who has stayed there or Beach Club (right by there) have any insight?

And I called and they actually do offer a discount through the conference! 10% which is what UT and AAA are, right? So nothing special. They do offer a free days ticket to the water parks, Quest, etc. too.

 

[Marionnette]

Thanks! We're staying at BoardWalk so we'll be right by Epcot which is why I wondered if we'd be more likely to go over there. We stayed at All Star last time so when we'd get back to the resort we'd stay in the resort area. Anyone who has stayed there or Beach Club (right by there) have any insight?

And I called and they actually do offer a discount through the conference! 10% which is what UT and AAA are, right? So nothing special. They do offer a free days ticket to the water parks, Quest, etc. too.

No, UT is more like 5% off of the gate price in most cases and AAA is even less of a discount. You're much better off with the convention discount. However, convention tickets come with restrictions. They generally cannot be used more than a week prior to the start of the meetings and expire about a week after the meetings end. They cannot be upgraded at all. So if you choose to purchase them, make sure that you will be able to use them!

 

[miblue]

No, UT is more like 5% off of the gate price in most cases and AAA is even less of a discount. You're much better off with the convention discount. However, convention tickets come with restrictions. They generally cannot be used more than a week prior to the start of the meetings and expire about a week after the meetings end. They cannot be upgraded at all. So if you choose to purchase them, make sure that you will be able to use them!

Thanks! We'll only get there a day early and stay a day later so we won't have to worry about that.

 

[Cheshire Figment]

You might want to look at the Everything About WDW Tickets locked sticky in the TPA&S Forum. Especially the items bolded in the list below.

Post and Contents

1. This Table of Contents
2. Magic Your Way (MYW) Ticket Basics Including Definitions
3. Annual Passes and Water Park Tickets
4. Tickets Available Only to Florida Residents
5. Tickets Not Available to the General Public
6. Upgrading MYW Tickets (Not to Annual Passes)
7. Upgrading Tickets to Annual Passes
8. Dealing With Tickets Issued Prior to 1 January 2005 (Pre-MYW)
9. Children and Adults
10. Special Events
11. Comprehensive MYW Ticket Example
12. Hotel Card (Key To The World (KTTW))
13. Lost Tickets
14. Finger Scans
15. Frequently Asked Ticket Questions.
15A(1) Hopping Rules
15A(2) I Want To Hop For Only One Day On A Multi-Day Stay
15B. WPF&M With No Expire
15C. No Expire Upgrades
15D. Upgrading an Unused Ticket
15E. Upgrading Special Tickets
15F. Checking on Old Tickets
15G. Renewing Annual Passes
15H. Upgrading a Completely Used Ticket
15I. Getting Park Tickets Before Package Start Date
15J. Upgrading After Departure

Page Two of the Sticky

16. 2013 MNSSHP and MVMCP Information
17. 2012/2013 Armed Forces Salute Tickets
18A. Prices Effective June 1, 2013
18B. Reserved for Future Use
18C. How to Save Money on Annual Pass Purchases
19A. "Free" Tickets and Special Promotions
19B. Special DVC Member Premium Annual Pass Promotion
20. Ticket Purchase/Upgrade Locations and Telephones
21. Florida Resident Installment Purchases of Annual Passes
22. All About Price-Bridging (Or Not)

To get there directly, follow the link in my signature. The ticket sticky is your friend!

 

[ssawka]

Thanks! We're staying at BoardWalk so we'll be right by Epcot which is why I wondered if we'd be more likely to go over there. We stayed at All Star last time so when we'd get back to the resort we'd stay in the resort area. Anyone who has stayed there or Beach Club (right by there) have any insight?

And I called and they actually do offer a discount through the conference! 10% which is what UT and AAA are, right? So nothing special. They do offer a free days ticket to the water parks, Quest, etc. too.

Yes, if you are staying at BoardWalk, you'll probably want the hoppers. It is so easy to walk or take the boat to Epcot. Also, there are so many choices for restaurants since you enter Epcot through World Showcase.

 

[JessM]

Thanks! We're staying at BoardWalk so we'll be right by Epcot which is why I wondered if we'd be more likely to go over there. We stayed at All Star last time so when we'd get back to the resort we'd stay in the resort area. Anyone who has stayed there or Beach Club (right by there) have any insight?

And I called and they actually do offer a discount through the conference! 10% which is what UT and AAA are, right? So nothing special. They do offer a free days ticket to the water parks, Quest, etc. too.

I would get hoppers if you are staying at the Boardwalk. We used to stay at the Beach Club a lot and we always got hoppers because it was so easy to walk over there after our afternoon break. This was when my brother was little and we had to take afternoon breaks. Epcot has great places to eat so we walked over there almost every night for dinner and my Dad and I would stay for Illuminations while my Mom took my brother home. The Boardwalk area has some great restaurants but there isn't much in the way of quick service over there (pizza window and bakery), with two young kids I'm thinking the ability to walk over to Epcot for a QS dinner might be welcomed.