Trying to strategize w/ new ticket options - help please!

[TXMommy]

OK, I understand the whole new ticket pricing thing. Now I'm trying to decide what to do! We are not usually "park hoppers" - have only really used this feature once or twice - so I'm thinking about saving the money and buying the basic 4-day ticket w/out the hopping option (cheaper!). BUT, there might be ONE evening we want to park hop. It is cheaper for me to buy a 5-day non-hopping ticket than a 4-day hopper - my question is this: Can I use my 5th day on my ticket as an entry to a different park on my 4th day?

 

[BrianD]

It sounds like the answer to that would be No. My guess is that the gate computer would just deny the ticket if you were trying to enter a park on the same day that you were in another park.

 

[ironz]

Oh, I would think you could, but it would cost you a day. In Brian's scenario, it's as if you left a park and Disney said you can't go anywhere else that day. I think they would be happy for you to blow another day of your ticket to go to a second park in one day.

 

[TXMommy]

That's what I was thinking, ironz. I realize I would be blowing a whole day's admission for only a few hours at a different park, but it's still cheaper than buying a Hopper Pass under the new pricing, especially if I only want to hop 1 time! Anyone else know for sure?

 

[sters]

It sounds like you pay a flat $35 for hopping privledges, no matter how many days you purchase, which becomes more cost effective the greater number of days you buy.

 

[Safari Steve]

No, you can't use the 5th day on day number 4, sorry.

 

[TXMommy]

OH!!! DUH!!! I was figuring $35 per day!!! Silly me!! OK - I get it now.

 

[leebee]

It looks to me like hopping costs $5 per day, so maybe they will let you add this on the the remaining number of days on your ticket???

 

[Hippychickali]

I think the hopper pass is your best bet for the amount of time you are going. It's a pretty good deal and would probably be cheaper if you were planning to use two of the days no the ticket in one day.

Ali

 

[TXMommy]

Actually, I refigured my original calculations and I did do it right the first time - only figured $35 flat rate instead of $35/day. A 5-day no hopper is still cheaper than a 4-day hopper. But if I can't use the 5th day for a different park on my 4th day, it doesn't really matter! Now I have to decide....to hop or not to hop?

 

[Brian Noble]

Safari Steve: not that I'm doubting you (I suspect this is exactly the way these tickets work, since DisCo is usually pretty good about snuffing out these sorts of loopholes) but I'm wondering what your source is---have you seen Disney say this publicly somewhere?

 

[seashoreCM]

Not a true apples to apples comparison but I did a quick rough comparsion between Annual Passes and Magic Your Way (new) passes and come up with:

Regular AP breaks even with eleven days of equivalent MYW passes (no waterpark admissions).

Premium AP breaks even with twelve days of MYW passes (with waterpark, etc. admissions).

Disney hints:
http://members.aol.com/ajaynejr/disney.htm

I would rather have the MYW pass without the hopping option be dishonored at a different park rather than tick off an additional day. Too many people would waste days accidentally in the latter case.

 

[jtdl]

Actually, I refigured my original calculations and I did do it right the first time - only figured $35 flat rate instead of $35/day. A 5-day no hopper is still cheaper than a 4-day hopper. But if I can't use the 5th day for a different park on my 4th day, it doesn't really matter! Now I have to decide....to hop or not to hop?

I'm going through exactly the same dilemma. Gosh, if things were only easy with Disney planning!

 

[senecabeach]

Here's more news from my mousesavers newsletter this AM

Big, Big News From Walt Disney World!

This morning (December 2), Disney announced some very exciting new changes to its admission tickets and vacation packages. It also announced that the Extra Magic Hour (early entry for Disney resort guests) will be changing slightly.

Highlights of the changes are below.

********************************************************************************

Walt Disney World Tickets Will Now Be Totally Flexible!

Beginning January 2, 2005, Disney will sell only Magic Your Way tickets at the gates, in advance and in association with vacation packages.

* You start with a Magic Your Way "base ticket" of 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 or 10 days. That ticket allows admission to one theme park per day and expires 14 days after first use. The cost per day drops dramatically as you buy more days, from $59.75 for a 1-day ticket to just $29 per day for a 7-day ticket!

* You can add a No Expiration option for an extra charge ($10-$100, depending on the number of days). This is cheap insurance if you think you might not use up your whole ticket during your trip, or you could buy a 7-day or 10-day ticket and use it over the course of multiple trips if you wanted.

* You can add on a Park Hopper option for a flat rate of $35 per ticket (regardless of the number of days). That means you can now buy a one-day, two-day or three-day Hopper ticket if you wish.

* You can add the "Magic Plus Pack" which gives you a set number of admissions to the water parks, Pleasure Island, DisneyQuest and Wide World of Sports, for a flat rate of $45 per ticket. The number of "plus" admissions varies with the length of the ticket (ranging from 2 to 5 "pluses"), so there is an incentive to buy a longer ticket and get more "pluses" for your $45.

You can read full details about the new Magic Your Way Tickets, including the prices, at:
http://www.mousesavers.com/wdwticketprices.html#myw

 

[SnackyStacky]

Safari Steve: not that I'm doubting you (I suspect this is exactly the way these tickets work, since DisCo is usually pretty good about snuffing out these sorts of loopholes) but I'm wondering what your source is---have you seen Disney say this publicly somewhere?

He's a cast member.

 

[famcruisefun]

Oh boy! I knew I should have just bought my passes for the next trip last week and been done with it! We are going in March 2005. If I buy my passes right now - I can still buy the 5 day park hopper like I had planned and just go my happy Disney way - right? What is the advantage to the new tickets? We will be staying at the Swan for 6 nights. First night we arrive in the eve - won't go into the parks. Second day we all have one leftover day on our park hoppers from last time to use. So, we need 5 days of passes for this trip. We don't do the water parks - but may do Pleasure Island once and we will definately do DQ one day. Our plan was to buy 5 day park hoppers. Now I need to look at the new passes and see if there is a better option. What do you experts think?
thanks!
Kelley

 

[SnackyStacky]

Oh boy! I knew I should have just bought my passes for the next trip last week and been done with it! We are going in March 2005. If I buy my passes right now - I can still buy the 5 day park hopper like I had planned and just go my happy Disney way - right? What is the advantage to the new tickets? We will be staying at the Swan for 6 nights. First night we arrive in the eve - won't go into the parks. Second day we all have one leftover day on our park hoppers from last time to use. So, we need 5 days of passes for this trip. We don't do the water parks - but may do Pleasure Island once and we will definately do DQ one day. Our plan was to buy 5 day park hoppers. Now I need to look at the new passes and see if there is a better option. What do you experts think?
thanks!
Kelley

Cost of 5 day advance purchase park hopper for adult, 1 adult DisneyQuest admission, and 1 adult Pleasure Island Admission and Tax: $297.08

Cost of 5 day Magic Your Ticket (including park hopping, and 3 plus visits, and tax): $290.75

So it looks like you'd save $7, AND get an additional plus visit with the Magic Your Way tickets.

The only thing to consider is that if you want the non-expiring option, you'd have to add $35.

Personally, I'd go with the Magic Your Way option!

 

[disney4us2002]

That's true Dan if bought thru Disney; however, if bought thru ticketmania, Kelley could purchase the 5-day park hopper plus (PI included this way) and the DQ ticket for $260 + $21 = $281 for adult and $210 + $19 = $229 for child (shipping/tax included). Of course, this will probably change after Jan 1st. Who knows if the ticket brokers will even sell hoppers??

 

[ironz]

Well...what the OP asked about would be my only "beef" with the new system...though obviously, time will tell how these work in "real life."

I think if you have 5 non-hopping days you should be able to blow 2 in one day if you want... but I'm sure there's some good reasoning and theory behind it. Just don't like the idea of them saying...."oh, you changed your mind and want to leave the MK because of....xxx?....Nope...get back in the MK or sit around. No way are you going to Epcot or MGM or AK today!" So what would one have to do?? Upgrade to hopping, or buy another one day ticket for $59?

Oh, well...I would probably have hopping added on anyway, personally.

 

[SnackyStacky]

Well...what the OP asked about would be my only "beef" with the new system...though obviously, time will tell how these work in "real life."

I think if you have 5 non-hopping days you should be able to blow 2 in one day if you want... but I'm sure there's some good reasoning and theory behind it. Just don't like the idea of them saying...."oh, you changed your mind and want to leave the MK because of....xxx?....Nope...get back in the MK or sit around. No way are you going to Epcot or MGM or AK today!" So what would one have to do?? Upgrade to hopping, or buy another one day ticket for $59?

Oh, well...I would probably have hopping added on anyway, personally.

It's my understanding that it can't use two days because of the way the ATS ticketing system works. The computer looks at your admission in terms of "number of days", and whether or not your ticket has park hopping. Meaning - you've got 5 days of admission on a 5 day non-hopping ticket - NOT 5 admissions through a turnstile. Does that make sense?

Say on Monday, you go to Magic Kingdom in the morning. Then later on Monday, try to go to Epcot. When you put your ticket in, the computer can only say to itself "This ticket has been used today, but not here at Epcot. This ticket does not allow park-hopping." It then won't release the turnstile.

It basically works the same way now. That's the reason that two DIFFERENT people can't use two plus options on the same ticket on the same day. (Mom goes into Blizzard Beach. Passes the ticket to her son. Computer denies entry to son) And if you think about it, it works the same way with major theme park admission. Right now, with park hoppers - the computer KNOWS that the ticket's been used, it's just that almost all tickets allow park-hopping.

I would have to imagine that Disney will allow you to take your ticket to Guest Relations and add park-hopping if needed.