?? Php

[Maude4Disney]

I know this has been asked (probably more than several times), but how do the Plus options work. Say if we buy the 7 day PHP , does that give us 7 days at the 4 main parks and then 4 additional days to use our plus options, or do the plus options have to be used within the 7 days as well? I guess I'm asking if they will get us access for 11 days, depending on what parks we choose. Do the plus options expire? You would think I would know this from all the reading I do on hear, but drawing a total blank on this one. Thanks for your help.

 

[wedindis'00]

The seven days ARE for the 4 main parks

the 4 plus options are for pleasure island/wide world of sports/water parks

none of them ever expire

yes you can use them for 11 consecutive days if you wish

 

[tjkraz]

The only comment I'll add is to make sure you are cognizant of the fact that the plusses are OPTIONS, not DAYS. You cannot use a single plus option to visit Blizzard Beach in the morning, Typhoon Lagoon in the afternoon and Pleasure Island at night. That would actually use three of your plus options. If you only visit one "Plus" park per day, then you can certainly stretch it out to 11 days on the one pass.

If you're going to be at WDW for 11 days, at least give some consideration to the Annual Passes. The regular AP will give you unlimited admission to the 4 main parks for a full year. The premium AP adds the water parks, pleasure island and DisneyQuest. The breakeven point (cost-wise) is typically 8 park days. If you take annual trips to WDW, the APs can be a real savings. Plan your next year's trip to fall under the same 365 day time frame, and you don't have to pay for tickets next time.

There are also a host of discounts available to AP holders including discounted room rates (some seasons), shopping discounts, free parking, dining discounts, etc.

 

[Maude4Disney]

Thank you for the replies. We are in the early stages of planning our next trip and I thought I would start purchasing our tickets now, as I get the money ( being that they don't expire) But now my curiosity is up....how good are the discounts if you have an AP? My original plan (hope) was to buy into the DVC, but we've just bought a new house and DH is a little reluctant to buy at this time, so I'm hoping to at least try to get a trip in within the next year to 18 months. If the AP discounts are good enough, then maybe I can get that trip out of him sooner. Thanks for the help.

 

[tjkraz]

The AP room discounts can be substantial, but unfortunately you cannot plan a trip and then assume the discounts will magically appear. If you are flexible and can travel on 3-4 months notice, then AP discounts will work in your favor.

For examples of recent discounts, check out Mousesavers.com. The AP discounts for November and December are around 40% off of the Rack Rate, which is a great discount. If you're planning a stay of 5 or 6 nights, the room discounts can more than pay for the price of the pass.

Also note that if there will be two of you traveling, you only need one AP to get the room discounts. So if getting a hopper pass makes more sense for your husband, don't be afraid to go that route.

 

[Maude4Disney]

Thank you for all your help. I know we have awhile before we will be able to go again and it's killing me. I see you're a DVC owner at SSR...congrats. Any helpful hints on getting DH to take the plunge!!??

 

[tjkraz]

Originally posted by Maude4Disney
Any helpful hints on getting DH to take the plunge!!??

From my experience, probably the most significant factor was our renting DVC points and staying at Old Key West our last two trips. My wife fell in love the the accommodations. You can't beat vacationing with a full kitchen, in-room washer and drying, balcony, whirlpool tub separate living and sleeping quarters, etc. Once I explained how we could get into SSR at the promotional pricing (then it was 11-12% off of the normal price point), and that it would pay for itself in 8-10 years, it was a no-brainer.

Yes, it is a big financial commitment and some people are uncomfortable with that. But I think that educating yourself helps ease much of the discomfort. Knowing that we can use our DVC points for cruises and even stays at non-Disney property around the world was a big plus.

DVC also has a very high resale value. I financed through Disney, and had to put 10% down. I won't go into the numbers here, but I know for a fact that if I was forced to sell my DVC ownership tomorrow, I would cover the amount that I financed and probably get back part of the down-payment as well.

Honestly DVC doesn't work for all people. It's "expensive" (point-wise) to stay on Friday and Saturday nights. You really do have to plan months in advance. The pricing also doesn't compare favorably to the value or even moderate resorts.

But if you like staying a first-class accommodations, can plan your trips 6+ months ahead of time, and don't mind staying Sunday to Thursday (or paying the premium point costs for weekends), then DVC may be right for you.

People on the DVC boards here are very helpful. Don't be afraid to pop over there and read the posts or ask your own questions. If I had to guess, I'd say that 95% of the people on the DVC board would tell you that their main regret is that they didn't buy into DVC sooner.

Also, don't be afraid to contact DVC directly and request some materials. I can tell you from experience that there is ZERO pressure in their sales tactics. They will send you an info packet that includes a full written explanation of the program, nice pictures of all of the resorts, and a 20 minute video that also walks you through the program and resorts.

Our Guide (sales rep) never suggested that we buy at a resort that we didn't like. He never suggested that we get more points than I requested. He never called me a home or work to "pester" me into making a decision. I think they've collectively come to the realization that DVC will sell itself when people realize the benefits, so they have no reason to use high-pressure sales tactics.

Good luck and feel free to PM me if you have any other questions I can answer.