Purchasing tickets at the gates vs. online

[Artoo]

My husband and I are finally reaching our one-year anniversary (actually, it's been a pretty quick year) and are planning on spending a Saturday at Disneyland. Unfortunately, we are unable to afford a park-hopper pass (even a one-day hopper is too much for us right now), so we are just going to spend one day at Disneyland, skipping out on CA for this trip.
We were going to purchase tickets online, but due to the fact that we don't have credit cards, we are thinking it would just be easiest to buy them at the gate.
Is this crazy? It seems like everyone either gets their tickets online or through a travel agency. I just want to make sure we aren't wasting too much time waiting in line for tickets!!!

 

[DangerMouse]

Single-day / single-park tickets are only available at the gates. You can't prepurchase them online, so I'd say you just got your answer.

 

[ColoradoMom!!]

Make sure there isn't a great deal for CA residents at your local Von's or something.

Anyone out there know if there is a current resident discount??

 

[Sherry E]

My husband and I are finally reaching our one-year anniversary (actually, it's been a pretty quick year) and are planning on spending a Saturday at Disneyland. Unfortunately, we are unable to afford a park-hopper pass (even a one-day hopper is too much for us right now), so we are just going to spend one day at Disneyland, skipping out on CA for this trip.
We were going to purchase tickets online, but due to the fact that we don't have credit cards, we are thinking it would just be easiest to buy them at the gate.
Is this crazy? It seems like everyone either gets their tickets online or through a travel agency. I just want to make sure we aren't wasting too much time waiting in line for tickets!!!

Do you have a debit card you can use? Most folks have them! I don't use credit cards but I use my debit card to order a bucnh of stuff over the phone and online. You can order your one day/one park tickets over the phone. If you look on the DL website, there is a phone number to call for one day/one park tickets and you can call and order them with the debit card. It is the same money you would be spending to get in at the gate anyway, so you might as well try it! I am not sure whether or not the Disney Stores in malls sell one-day/one-park tickets.

I wish you could spend the extra $28 per ticket to upgrade to one-day hoppers once you get the one-day tickets, because it really is worth it to see DCA. Some of their rides - like Soarin' and the Toy Story ride - are among the best rides Disney has to offer! My friend who was in from out of town recently went to DL and DCA for one day only, and although she missed some things due to time constraints, she also saw a lot, and it was really worth it for her to get a little taste of both DL and DCA. But I DO understand financial difficulties and limitations TOO well, so I can empathize with your situation and not being able to afford the PH at this time!

Oh, and the previous poster is correct - there are often great deals for Park Hoppers at Vons or even Ralphs or Costco - usually for the more 'off-peak' times. I think next year is the get in for the child's price deal at DL for a brief time. And of course, DL is offering a special 'get in free on your birthday' deal for next year!

 

[bumbershoot]

If you do buy them at the gates, just get there EARLY. We've done two one-day one-park visits, and, as I've said a few times b/c I like saying it, it's like each person in front of us was trying to broker a peace agreement between two enemy countries, that's how long each transaction seems to take. So you want to minimize the number of peace brokers (ha) in front of you, and you do that by getting there early.

And it's not like buying tickets takes that long, either. When we would get up to the counter we'd tell them what we wanted, paid, signed, they gave us the tickets and we were done. So I do not know what other people are doing at those ticket booths, but the slow-down isn't b/c of the CMs we've encountered, that's for sure.

 

[bumbershoot]

I was going to suggest trying really really hard to upgrade to the so cal select AP, but it was more $ than I thought it was, at 134 vs the one-day one-park's 69. Maybe next time.

 

[Artoo]

Thanks for all the great advice, everyone!
Like I said, this is my first EVER time to DL and I have been looking forward to it since BEFORE we moved to L.A.!
Anyway, I will probably just go ahead and get the tix at the gate (I already told DH to look forward to waking up super-early that morning!)
I would LOVE to get get AP's for the hubby and I. Maybe next year, since things are sort of tough right now.
Thank you all, and may the magic be with you!