Purchasing Tix/AP at DLH Check In

[Congo Queen]

Hello All - I bought tix years ago at GCH front desk, so just checking that it is still possible to do and this time at the DLH. My family is going in July, and we will stay at the DLH. My regular MO is to purchase hotel and tickets as a combo package from AAA. But this year there was no money saved doing that so I just booked the hotel separately (got a 20% discount Orbitz coupon). Annnnywayyy, I was thinking of waiting until we check-in at the DLH reception desk to buy our tickets. Why wait, you ask, when I could just go to Disney website and buy tix that way? Well this year I am debating (arguing with myself) about going full monty and buying my first AP. I may argue all the way through May, June and July and may not decide until I am right there at the check-in desk with the teacups chairs and Goofy posing for pics in the lobby. So, can I wait all that time and buy an AP or park hopper tix at the DLH reception desk or will I need to take care of it before I arrive like a sane person?

 

[SMD]

The only reason not to buy tickets in advance is that you might cancel and they're nonrefundable. You can always upgrade tickets to APs for the end of your last day using the tickets. If you can find discounted tickets I'd buy those now. You may lose the discount when you upgrade, but you'd be paying full price for an AP at the ticket booth anyway, so it works out the same. If you decide to just do tickets and not upgrade, at least you got the discount.

 

[Congo Queen]

Good point - many thanks

 

[purple figment]

If you purchase your tickets in advance from an authorized re-seller (e.g. AAA, Undercover Tourist, Maple Leaf) use the tickets to enter a park at least once to bring it up to that day's gate value before upgrading to the AP. Do the math beforehand so you know how much you will have to pay for the APs (the difference between that day's price for your MYW ticket and the price of the AP).

One reason to upgrade at the start of your vacation rather than at the end is to take advantage of the shopping discount. There are also some dining discounts, but you can purchase a Tables in Wonderland card for better dining discounts.

If you purchase your tickets in advance and for some reason cannot go, as long as they are totally unused they can be saved for a future trip.

 

[ebenmax]

Hello All - I bought tix years ago at GCH front desk, so just checking that it is still possible to do and this time at the DLH. My family is going in July, and we will stay at the DLH. My regular MO is to purchase hotel and tickets as a combo package from AAA. But this year there was no money saved doing that so I just booked the hotel separately (got a 20% discount Orbitz coupon). Annnnywayyy, I was thinking of waiting until we check-in at the DLH reception desk to buy our tickets. Why wait, you ask, when I could just go to Disney website and buy tix that way? Well this year I am debating (arguing with myself) about going full monty and buying my first AP. I may argue all the way through May, June and July and may not decide until I am right there at the check-in desk with the teacups chairs and Goofy posing for pics in the lobby. So, can I wait all that time and buy an AP or park hopper tix at the DLH reception desk or will I need to take care of it before I arrive like a sane person?

We are planning to buy tix when we arrive, too. Will the hotels take MULTIPLE Disney gift cards as payment?

 

[focusondisney]

If you purchase your tickets in advance from an authorized re-seller (e.g. AAA, Undercover Tourist, Maple Leaf) use the tickets to enter a park at least once to bring it up to that day's gate value before upgrading to the AP. Do the math beforehand so you know how much you will have to pay for the APs (the difference between that day's price for your MYW ticket and the price of the AP).

One reason to upgrade at the start of your vacation rather than at the end is to take advantage of the shopping discount. There are also some dining discounts, but you can purchase a Tables in Wonderland card for better dining discounts.

If you purchase your tickets in advance and for some reason cannot go, as long as they are totally unused they can be saved for a future trip.

The OP is considering APs to Disneyland, not WDW. I don't think there is a Tables in Wonderland program @ DL. From what I understand, there are several dining discounts tho, so still a good reason to buy APs early in the trip.

 

[ParkHopper1]

And yes...all of the resort hotel front desks can act as full ticket booths for park tickets and AP's...so unless you are getting a deal somewhere else there is no need to buy your tickets in advance and worry about loosing or forgetting something. You can do it all when you check in.

You can also even book the AP rate at the resort hotels ahead of time without even having an AP yet...you just need to present them your AP before you check out to keep that rate. You would need to call however for that rate...you can not access the AP rate on line until you have an AP to register with.

 

[LisaT91403]

If I wanted to buy a ticket at the GCH front desk, will they a) allow the use multiple gift cards, and b) allow you to upgrade a ticket (e.g. can I present a 1-day ticket and pay the difference to a 3-day)?

 

[Congo Queen]

And yes...all of the resort hotel front desks can act as full ticket booths for park tickets and AP's...so unless you are getting a deal somewhere else there is no need to buy your tickets in advance and worry about loosing or forgetting something. You can do it all when you check in.

You can also even book the AP rate at the resort hotels ahead of time without even having an AP yet...you just need to present them your AP before you check out to keep that rate. You would need to call however for that rate...you can not access the AP rate on line until you have an AP to register with.

This is extremely helpful. Thanks so much. I am going to call the resort and see if the AP discount for July is better than the 20% off coupon I got from Orbitz.

 

[calilou]

You can use multiple gift cards to pay for ticket purchases or hotel charges, etc. You can buy tickets at the hotel front desks. However, when we bought our most recent passes a little over a year ago while staying at the DLH we had to go to the ticket booths to do it. Perhaps something has changed since then, but you may want to double check on that.

 

[calilou]

This is extremely helpful. Thanks so much. I am going to call the resort and see if the AP discount for July is better than the 20% off coupon I got from Orbitz.

There usually aren't AP discounts in the summer months. I just booked in July and there was not one (so I went through Orbitz). They also tend to block hotel AP discounts around Christmas, etc - all the high season times. At least that's been my experience.