Ticket question

[disfanforlife]

We are going to WDW from November 15-21 - probably go in the park 5 or 6 days. Hope to hang by the pool or relax if weather is nice at least one day. We have 10 day non- expiration tickets that haven't been used at all. But, I was wondering if it would be better for us to get AP's because our tentative plan for our next trip the following year would be November 5 - 12. Alternatively we could use some of our 10 days tix for this trip a then just by a 7 day pass for our next trip. I would like to use the 10 day tix on trips that I know we will be there for less than a week like this coming trip. We are relatively new still for DVC - this will be our third trip as members. We only go to Disney once a year, but this might be a good year for the pass since the next trip will be a week earlier.

 

[dianeschlicht]

Since you are doing two trips in less than 365 days, I'd hang on to the 10 day passes and do the APs this time around.

 

[disfanforlife]

That is what I was thinking. Do the AP's allow you to park hop too?

 

[fishermouse]

That is what I was thinking. Do the AP's allow you to park hop too?

Yes any park anytime for 365 days, extra if you want to add the water parks

 

[disfanforlife]

Thanks for the input! We have never had AP's before so I think we might go for it! Those we buy through the member's page right to get the DVC discount? Also, with the 10 day park hoppers that we have the also have the water park, so if we did want to go to a water park we could use one of those for it. That is something else we have never done before either! Our son would love to go to one of the water parks but the last few years that we have been to WDW it hasn't been warm enough while we were there to go. But staying at BCV this year it might be enough for us to just hang out at Stormalong Bay hopefully!

 

[dianeschlicht]

The thing we love about APs is that we can go into 1 park for half an hour in a day or hit all 4 in a day and it doesn't matter. We've even used it for a quick morning in one of the parks when we were just "passing through" Orlando to other destinations.

 

[3DisneyKids]

The thing we love about APs is that we can go into 1 park for half an hour in a day or hit all 4 in a day and it doesn't matter. We've even used it for a quick morning in one of the parks when we were just "passing through" Orlando to other destinations.

YES! This is what is best about APs. There are plenty of times we just want to go into a park for dinner. We may have spent the whole day by the pool, but want a specific restaurant for dinner. Heck, there has even been a time when we went to Epcot just because my husband wanted the certain beer they were serving in Germany.

 

[bonrea]

We get 10 days of MYWBase Tickets each time we run out with the Park Hopper Option and No Expiration Option. This is $50.40 per day for adults and $47.10 per day for DD. We break up our 1 week trips into park days and down days for relaxing by the pool or other activities so we only visit a park three days each visit. This is plenty for us. The Annual pass is $619 per adult so that is more then the 10 day tickets for us which is (with tax) $305 cheaper plus we carry over the other 4 days to the next year which saves money. DH buys 10 more each time they annouce a rate hike on the price. We have tickets left that we haven't used yet from November 2008 that were purchesed at the $72+ price.

 

[disfanforlife]

We get 10 days of MYWBase Tickets each time we run out with the Park Hopper Option and No Expiration Option. This is $50.40 per day for adults and $47.10 per day for DD. We break up our 1 week trips into park days and down days for relaxing by the pool or other activities so we only visit a park three days each visit. This is plenty for us. The Annual pass is $619 per adult so that is more then the 10 day tickets for us which is (with tax) $305 cheaper plus we carry over the other 4 days to the next year which saves money. DH buys 10 more each time they annouce a rate hike on the price. We have tickets left that we haven't used yet from November 2008 that were purchesed at the $72+ price.

I thought the same thing and before we owned DVC we were able to use one set of 10 days for two trips that were 5 days each. I bought another set but haven't used them yet because the last two trips we were going for a week each and I knew we wanted to go to a park every day (which we did). This year will only be a 6 day trip and I really want one down day....Who knows if I will get it or not??? But since I know we are planning our next trip less than a year after this one I thought it might be worth it. That $619 is not with the DVC discount is it? I thought it was around $300, now I need to check.

 

[Sandisw]

We bought the AP's last year because our trips were 51 weeks apart. We also visited in December so got great use out of them.

We plan to do this every other year so that we get at least 2 trips out of one pass.

Now, it is possible that I will be making an impromptu trip to Disney (when I visit my parents in Florida) next February. If that is the case, then I think I will buy a non-expiration ticket to use for those trips that are not planned.

We are a family that always park hops and never does the same park in the AM that we do in the PM so the AP's really make sense. Plus, it was always nice not to have to stay at a really crowded park since we knew we could leave and just go somewhere else.

 

[dianeschlicht]

The price of the AP with the DVC discount is $100 off the regular price. That's for the standard AP. If you do the premium, it's more. We never do water parks, so we've never done the premium one. I think last time our APs were under $400 apiece. We usually figure it costs us under $15 a day in the parks. Pretty good when you consider that single day tickets are up towards $75 a day now.

 

[disfanforlife]

We bought the AP's last year because our trips were 51 weeks apart. We also visited in December so got great use out of them.

We plan to do this every other year so that we get at least 2 trips out of one pass.

Now, it is possible that I will be making an impromptu trip to Disney (when I visit my parents in Florida) next February. If that is the case, then I think I will buy a non-expiration ticket to use for those trips that are not planned.

We are a family that always park hops and never does the same park in the AM that we do in the PM so the AP's really make sense. Plus, it was always nice not to have to stay at a really crowded park since we knew we could leave and just go somewhere else.

That sounds great and in theory that is what we are "planning" to have our trips 51 weeks apart. We actually prefer to go one week earlier in November than the week we are planning this year. But, due to a school play that our daughter wants to be in we pushed our trip back by a week. Otherwise, we would most likely plan our trip every year for the same week. So, this trip and the next may be our only time to get the two trips out of the AP. But, who knows with two teenagers - their schedules and minds can change and once they go to college it will get even harder......We have never been a family to park hop much. We tend to enjoy one park for a whole day and stay and even eat there too. This year though since we are staying near Epcot, I am hoping to hop in there a lot even on days where we are somewhere else in the morning!

 

[disfanforlife]

The price of the AP with the DVC discount is $100 off the regular price. That's for the standard AP. If you do the premium, it's more. We never do water parks, so we've never done the premium one. I think last time our APs were under $400 apiece. We usually figure it costs us under $15 a day in the parks. Pretty good when you consider that single day tickets are up towards $75 a day now.

I looked on the member site and was referred to WDW site that lists the passes for DVC members for $389. Is that the correct price? I looked on UT and the current price for a 10 day PH no expiration is $497. So, it seems to me $389 is worth it for the two trips. The only draw back is if for some reason we are not able to schedule our second trip as planned, but I guess that is the only downside potential.

 

[dianeschlicht]

Yes, you do have to assume that you will travel twice in the 365 days to make it worthwhile. We tend to do it a bit different now than we used to. We always did the two trips 51 weeks apart thing, but now we buy our APs and take our 2-3 trips on them. Then we don't renew, but buy new APs the next trip to start the process over again. For example: this year should have been an "off" year for us. We used our old APs in December, but started new ones in March because we knew we wanted to go again in December this year as well. Now friends of ours have decided they want to go in January, so we are going to do another week in January too. That means we will likely not have APs from March '11 until December '11. We'll buy new ones for the planned Dec. trip rather than have the passes sitting "dormant" for 8-9 months.

 

[bonrea]

I thought the same thing and before we owned DVC we were able to use one set of 10 days for two trips that were 5 days each. I bought another set but haven't used them yet because the last two trips we were going for a week each and I knew we wanted to go to a park every day (which we did). This year will only be a 6 day trip and I really want one down day....Who knows if I will get it or not??? But since I know we are planning our next trip less than a year after this one I thought it might be worth it. That $619 is not with the DVC discount is it? I thought it was around $300, now I need to check.

You are correct. That is w/out the DVC discount.

 

[disfanforlife]

Yes, you do have to assume that you will travel twice in the 365 days to make it worthwhile. We tend to do it a bit different now than we used to. We always did the two trips 51 weeks apart thing, but now we buy our APs and take our 2-3 trips on them. Then we don't renew, but buy new APs the next trip to start the process over again. For example: this year should have been an "off" year for us. We used our old APs in December, but started new ones in March because we knew we wanted to go again in December this year as well. Now friends of ours have decided they want to go in January, so we are going to do another week in January too. That means we will likely not have APs from March '11 until December '11. We'll buy new ones for the planned Dec. trip rather than have the passes sitting "dormant" for 8-9 months.

Now, that makes it even more confusing for me....Is it not cheaper to renew the passes rather than buy new AP's? Maybe when my DH and I are older we will be able to go more often, but for now once a year is it plus we live far away - upstate NY.

 

[hoffmann2828]

Now, that makes it even more confusing for me....Is it not cheaper to renew the passes rather than buy new AP's? Maybe when my DH and I are older we will be able to go more often, but for now once a year is it plus we live far away - upstate NY.

Yes, renewals are cheaper, but here is a scenario for you, assuming you travel every year around sept/oct.

October 2010 - get and use new annual pass
September 2011 - use annual pass previously purchased
- let that pass expire

October 2012 - get and use new annual pass
September 2013 - use annual pass previously purchased

See how that would work? Over 4 years, you would only buy 2 annual passes.

If you bought a renewal pass in say, October of 2011 (based on above), you might only get the October 2012 in for that pass, so you'd pay the renewal for just one week. Then, you'd buy another renewal for the September 2013 trip.

Math wise, with buying just two "new" annual passes, you pay $389 each ($778), with the renewal route above, you'd pay $389+$344+$344+$344 ($1421).

Jenny

 

[disfanforlife]

Yes, renewals are cheaper, but here is a scenario for you, assuming you travel every year around sept/oct.

October 2010 - get and use new annual pass
September 2011 - use annual pass previously purchased
- let that pass expire

October 2012 - get and use new annual pass
September 2013 - use annual pass previously purchased

See how that would work? Over 4 years, you would only buy 2 annual passes.

If you bought a renewal pass in say, October of 2011 (based on above), you might only get the October 2012 in for that pass, so you'd pay the renewal for just one week. Then, you'd buy another renewal for the September 2013 trip.

Math wise, with buying just two "new" annual passes, you pay $389 each ($778), with the renewal route above, you'd pay $389+$344+$344+$344 ($1421).

Jenny

That sounds great! If I could work it that way I will. But, for now all I can think about is if it will work for us for this year. Who knows what the plans will be like in a couple years because we have two daughters that will be going to college and that will probably change our whole vacation timing!

 

[dianeschlicht]

That sounds great! If I could work it that way I will. But, for now all I can think about is if it will work for us for this year. Who knows what the plans will be like in a couple years because we have two daughters that will be going to college and that will probably change our whole vacation timing!

And that alone makes buying a new pass more affordable than worrying about renewing. The problem is that renewals keep the same expiration date, so you are wasting a lot of time on that pass. The rate is $100 off an AP and $75 off a renewal. Since we live far away, it makes sense for us to wait until our next trip and start a new AP rather than waste the 6 months or more our pass would be sitting there unused if we renewed it.

 

[disfanforlife]

And that alone makes buying a new pass more affordable than worrying about renewing. The problem is that renewals keep the same expiration date, so you are wasting a lot of time on that pass. The rate is $100 off an AP and $75 off a renewal. Since we live far away, it makes sense for us to wait until our next trip and start a new AP rather than waste the 6 months or more our pass would be sitting there unused if we renewed it.

That makes sense. Why would anyone buy a renewal then if there is less of a discount on it than an new AP?