Ticket Media Help Please!

[HvnzCaress]

Hello everyone! I have a somewhat unique situation and am in desperate need of some help and advice in deciding what type of tickets or plan to get.

The travelers consist of myself, a teenager at heart husband, a very responsible 14 year old daughter and my son who will be celebrating his 10th Birthday in the world (August 28). Also along for the ride with accommodations at the onsite kennels will be our 4 year old Pembroke Welsh Corgi.

We intend to leave our upstate New York home on August 15 and make the 22 hour drive to Orlando. I estimate arrival at our campsite at Ft. Wilderness to be about 1:00 pm (check-in time) where we'll need approximately 1-2 hours to set up our tents and personalize our resort "room". We will be tearing down camp in the early morning hours of August 28 and possibly spending more time at the parks before departing on our drive home. This gives us about 12 full days to experience the fun that is Disney and the Orlando area.

We have already decided that the majority of our time and limited budget will be spent on maximizing our fun rather than on where we stay or what we eat which will be done mostly back at our campsite. We intend to visit all four WDW parks (probably for 6 or 7 days total), Disney Quest, PI (adults only), spend time at the ocean (which neither my kids or husband have ever seen), and swim with the dolphins at Discovery Cove (which includes a pass to Sea World probably for a separate day).

I would also love to include a spa treatment at the Grand Floridian for my husband and I (probably letting the kids return to DQ for that period of time), a surprise Richard Petty Driving experience for my husband while the kids and I possibly go horseback riding at the campground, as well as parasailing and water mice rentals.

Here goes the question….what kind of entrance media or package plan do I buy to get the most for the least expense?

Please note that we do not need an annual pass to gain additional discount on our site and do not expect to be returning within a one year period. Although we are not adverse to buying at least one member of the party this media if it proves cost effective with discounts for other activities.

 

[FoodLover]

Since you only plan to enter the theme parks for 6 or 7 days, it would make no sense to buy a package or Ultimate Park Hopper passes. Probably your best bet would be 7-Day Park Hopper Plus passes. Those would cover your Pleasure Island admissions as well. Then just buy the additional admissions (DisneyQuest, etc) with the best available discount.

Because you are planning a long trip and will be purchasing many recreation/entertainment offerings such as DisneyQuest, spa treatments, Richard Petty Driving Experience and watercraft rentals, it would be wise to invest now in a Disney Club membership, since it will give you discounts on all of those recreational "extras" as well as on your campsite and passes. The Disney Club will provide benefits through 2003 but the last date to register is December 12, 2002 (just about three weeks from now). After that registration is closed forever.

It MIGHT be worth your while to buy at least one Annual Pass in order to take advantage of the many discounts offered on the recreation items, but frankly the Disney Club discounts are similar.

Sometimes there are Annual Passholder discounts on the campsites (which for 12 nights could amount to $100 or more in savings). If that occurs and you decide you can save money, just upgrade one of your Hopper passes to an AP on arrival. (You don't need the AP at the time you reserve the campsite with an AP discount -- you only need it at check-in.)

You can do the ticket upgrade at Guest Services and just pay the difference. With the Disney Club discount, the price difference between an advance-purchase 7-Day Park Hopper Plus and an Annual Pass is about $67, so that's how much you would need to save by purchasing one.

You can see all of the pricing and discounts on my web site, by the way, in order to do your calculations.

Hope this was helpful!

Mary
MouseSavers.com

 

[dgaston]

It seems wrong somehow to add to a post from Mary (thank you, thank you, thank you for the website), but I am such a penny pincher I don't like to use my plusses for PI. I have gotten great prices from both www.floridaorlandotickets.net and www.ticketmania.com. When the water parks (great in August) cost around $30, and PI full price is $21 (less with the specials on the internet) I love to save the plusses for TL and BB.

Just a thought.

 

[Jinnyboom]

Mary is definitely the OFFICIAL expert in saving money when planning a WDW vacation!!!
DO....sign up for her monthly newsletter www.mouseavers.com
You will be able to take advantage of some great discounts on Disney Quest and others.

 

[FoodLover]

First of all, thanks for the kind words, and I'm glad you like my site!

Secondly, you're absolutely right -- it's smart to use the "plus" features of a Hopper Plus pass for water park admissions rather than Pleasure Island, because the water parks are more expensive.

However, that only applies if you want to go to the water parks! The original poster didn't mention the water parks, so I wasn't sure if that was on her agenda... if so, definitely that's where to use the "plus" features on a Hopper Plus pass!

And I'll second the thought that you may be able to get a better deal on passes than the Disney Club discount, through the two ticket vendors that were mentioned. Good point.

Mary
MouseSavers.com

 

[HvnzCaress]

Thank you Mary and others for your responses. In fact I have already done quite a bit of researching on your website and these message boards. That is why I chose to come here in hopes you all will be able to help me sort out my planning confusions. I really want to be the best possible trip I can make it.

A package was a very passing thought. I had pretty much already discounted them as an econimical option.

Without going into further detail no amount of AP resort discount will save me additionally on what I will already be saving on the campsite rental. However, I haven't seen that there is any DC discount available for the Richard Petty Driving experience, the spa or the parasailing. However, are these discounts alone worth the additional cost of at least one annual pass?

The truth is we haven't yet decided if we will visit the water parks because we figure they will be quite crowded that time of the year due to the heat. Will most of a day at the waterparks be spent waiting in long lines for the slides and alike? Are there simply pools to swim or soak in within the waterparks? I once visited River Country and would have definitely chosen to spend a day there but all indications are that it is closed for good.

Admittedly, I am second guessing our plans to utilize the parasailing and water sports in WDW. We have similar activites and rentals such as these available to us closer to home which can be done in the summer months for a slightly greater amount of time.

 

[Cindy B]

Originally posted by HvnzCaress
home. This gives us about 12 full days to experience the fun that swim with the dolphins at Discovery Cove (which includes a pass to Sea World probably for a separate day).



Acutally when we went to Discovery Cove, last August, it included a seven day pass pass to Seaworld.

 

[HvnzCaress]

I thought when I read the seven day pass portion on the Discovery Cove site it meant that it was good for one day within the next 7 after visiting Discovery Cove.

Are you saying that in fact you can go for 7 days into Sea World without additional cost if you swim with the dolphins at Discovery Cove?

Also can you give me your thoughts? Was Discovery Cove experience worth the cost?

 

[Cindy B]

Yes, you get a seven day pass to Seaworld, not one day... it is a true 7 day pas, which can be used in any portion of seven days either before or after your actual Discovery Cove experience.


As for the actual day at Discovery Cove, it was indescribable. It was just amazing, the highlight of our trip.

There are many many reviews on the Seaworld/Discovery Cove forum, just a few clicks away.

Here it is

http://www.disboards.com/forumdisplay.php?s=&daysprune=&forumid=32



Yes, the seven day pass was an amazing thing. We got to truly see Seaworld, and do so many things.. we actually used four of the seven days, and it was so much fun.

 

[dgaston]

After all those great posts about Sea World, you may not have time to do either BB or TL. In August we found that it wasn't that crowded in our 8/18 to 8/22 trip. My DH just loves floating in the inner tubes around Castaway Creek at TL. We like the theming there when it's hot! We didn't wait too long for the body slides or tube rides, but did get an early start.

After Discovery Cove and Sea World, you just may not have time! LOL