Ticket question - for DVC members who travel often (Like us.)

[disneyfan2kids]

Weeklong trip planned end of May. Split Poly/Cabins FW. REALLY looking forward to both resorts (haven't stayed at either since I was young.) Initially meant to be a resort only trip - but recent events have me thinking I'd like to do some parks perhaps. So here are our likes and our options. (Again, we come annually - nothing is a "not to be missed" as we will be back.

• We love Epcot countries. That's most of our Epcot time. We eat/drink/sample/shop and generally these are our best nights in WDW.
• MK is just "ok" for us. We like the atmosphere and love to people watch - but NO rides are a "must do" at this point in time for us and our ages and our # of past visits. PLUS we get to watch MK fireworks every night from beach at Poly/FW so we get that experience.
• DHS - Huge Star Wars family - love SW land and would likely LL the Millenium Falcon, walk around SW and people watch. Take a pic with characters (Disney Visa) and ride Toy Story and maybe Slinky dog. Most of others we'd ride and down and/or we can skip really. We love the street actors - but their times are spotty so no guarantee.
• AK - We will rope drop or LL Pandora. And possible ride Rapids and/or Yeti. See Nemo show maybe and the new 3d (tough to be a bug). AK has never been our favorite park. Lots of walking - not alot of entertainment for us.

SO - here's my options for minimal park pass - would love opinions of cost/benefit (considering above) (costs are estimates)

• 1 day 1park (169/each)(5 people - total cost $900) We'd go to Epcot - morning for rides (Guardians/Soarin/Test) - midday break - and then Countries ALL night until close.
• 1 day 1 park HOPPER ($248/each) (5ppl - Total $1320) We'd likely do DHS in morning, rope drop Millineam - walk/ride what we could - mid day break - and then countries all night until close (with a LL for Guardians in there if possible)
• Disney + Perk (3 day/3 park no MK no hopping) $325/each - 5ppl total $1,730. We'd likely do the same Epcot as first option (favorite park) and then shorter trip to DHS one day (with a few rides and mostly people watch - maybe a show) and then similar a short trip to AK (with a few rides and maybe some people watching)
• We do also have the option of the Epcot After Hours for DVC. That is about $169 and gets us into Epcot 7pm and includes the countries and likely some lower wait lines included. I could maybe try to combine that with a single park day at DHS OR a 2nd park day at Epcot on it's own (to get 2 Epcot nights) But not sure of the value there - its not much less than a full epcot day - is the lower wait lines and late entry offsetting the similar cost?

OK DVC vacationers - give me your thoughts. I was "all in" on resort only until I realized how much we'd miss Epcot & Countries. So now I'm weighing cost/benefit while still wanting time to make SURE we enjoy our resorts.

 

[Sandisw]

What about a 2 day ticket so you can do HS and Epcot each on their own day…how does it compare to the Disney plus ticket?

 

[disneyfan2kids]

What about a 2 day ticket so you can do HS and Epcot each on their own day…how does it compare to the Disney plus ticket?

$10/more than Disney perks for 1 less day. 2 single days is $336/ticket vs 3 days for perk is $325/ticket.

 

[Sandisw]

$1/more than Disney perks for 1 less day. 2 single days is $336/ticket vs 3 days for perk is $335/ticket.

Then I’d go for the Disney plus and consider AK a bonus and if once there, if I decided to not visit at all, I wouldn’t!

 

[disneyfan2kids]

Then I’d go for the Disney plus and consider AK a bonus and if once there, if I decided to not visit at all, I wouldn’t!

I like this thought process. Especially if we decide "hey, lets just go ride pandora and come home - it's basically a "free day" anyway.'

 

[Brian Noble]

give me your thoughts.

If you haven't ever done it before: Commit to a no-tickets trip. Then do all of the "outside of the parks" things you've always told yourself you've wanted to do, but never made time for. Because once you've bought tickets, you are going to be in the parks.

 

[disneyfan2kids]

If you haven't ever done it before: Commit to a no-tickets trip. Then do all of the "outside of the parks" things you've always told yourself you've wanted to do, but never made time for. Because once you've bought tickets, you are going to be in the parks.

This was my exact "want" in the beginning. LONG pool days at Poly, true Disney Springs nights without worrying about "park time" we were missing, riding the golf carts around FW with my kids, maybe a minigolf trip, and resort hopping on monorail.

Epcot is what is killing me. My (adult now) kids are saying "how are we to get thru 7 days THAT close to the countries and not go? We. LOVE. The Countries. We each have our favorite foods we MUST get each trip - our favorite souvenirs, our "must do" pictures, etc. This Epcot is what is costing me money! And I'm trying to plan that on maybe the transfer day between resorts - so maybe instead of a yucky "transfer/waiting" day - we can enjoy Epcot knowing we were "without a home" between 11am and 4pm anyway. If that makes sense?

 

[Brian Noble]

See, that's exactly the reason not to get tickets: You will be *forced* to do new things. The kids will get over it---especially when the answer is "We're going to be back, we own here."

Putting a rope drop/break/evening park day on a resort move would not be my first choice. If yI were to visit Epcot on a resort move day, I would get single day tickets and do a World Showcase afternoon.

 

[disneyfan2kids]

See, that's exactly the reason not to get tickets: You will be *forced* to do new things. The kids will get over it---especially when the answer is "We're going to be back, we own here."

Putting a rope drop/break/evening park day on a resort move would not be my first choice. If yI were to visit Epcot on a resort move day, I would get single day tickets and do a World Showcase afternoon.

Nice idea - what are your thoughts on the Epcot After Hours for DVC? It's $40/cheaper than a full park day - but you get entry at 7pm - we could do countries from 7-9 and then the "after hours" rides stay open until 12:30 (saves us the LL fees - but we'd be cramming in the countries in 2 hours. That one would have to be done the day before check out day though. Hard date.

 

[Brian Noble]

If it were me: Not one minute in a theme park. But I'm dogmatic about this.

Note that if you've never been to a water park, getting tickets to one or both would be a grand idea.

 

[disneyfan2kids]

If it were me: Not one minute in a theme park. But I'm dogmatic about this.

Note that if you've never been to a water park, getting tickets to one or both would be a grand idea.

Is "free water park on check-in day" still in effect?