UPH vs PHPlus ticket dilemna.... Advice?

[PenguinGal]

Will be making our first trip to WDW in June - travelling with DH and three kids 12, 14, and 17 yrs - staying at POFQ. We will be there a week and will have six full days available to visit the parks, etc. I am trying to decide which type of tickets to get and have narrowed it down to either the Ultimate Park Hopper or Park Hopper Plus - just can't decide between the two. We want to visit at least one water park and Disney Quest as well as all of the theme parks. I know that UPH tickets give the most options/flexibility but also expire on the last day. PHPlus don't expire but also don't cover Disney Quest. Since this is our very first trip, should we pay the extra for UPH to cover all of our bases? Or could we save any $$ by going with PHPlus and just buying one-day Disney Quest passes? If we did that, any chance we'd end up wishing we could visit Disney Quest more than once during our stay? Also, any benefit (in terms of a better room discount) to buying an AP or PAP for DH? Thanks for any advice - I have received such great info. from these boards!

 

[FINFAN]

I am in the thinking stages of our next trip and face the same choices...we have used 5 PH on a past trip and needed more days, and then our last trip we had the UPH with the FairyTale 7/4 PKG, and we REALLY loved those! Being able to come and go as we pleased, Epcot for just a meal...DQ for an hour when it got rainy...now the 7/4 package was a really nice deal, so the room discount of an AP was not needed....I think I will purchase at least the 7 day PH w/4 plusses, or spend on the UPH....You have until midnight of the day you check out..so it is almost another day depending on when you need to leave to head back. My kids do want to go back to the water park(s) so a reg AP is tricky since it does not allow that, but weather can be iffy and a PAP is big$$$$, so I think having the hoppers that do not expire is better for us. You can buy 1 AP and hope for room discounts using that, and then buy your other tix for the rest of the family, and pay the entrance to DQ or waterpark for single AP holder....it is really personal choice. It does sound like you have a lot planned for 6 days tho...when we used up our 5 day hopper it was during a 7 day trip...but now we have learned to stop and smell the roses a bit...and enjoy the resort too. As much as I would love to go to WDW 2 times a year, getting from Chicago to Orlando is pretty expensive , so I guess I need to plan based on 1 trip during a year...but then again if you time it just right, you can get 2... this is gonna drive me !

Pam
P.S. you don't say when you are going...DQ can get just as crowded as the parks..with no FP ..We spent 3 hours there and had not done all we wanted, but it was raining and crowded, during Aug. I took DD back for 2 more hours another night, but DH AND DS had had enough of waiting in the lines. You kids are older tho and may not mind. I would say allowing 4-6 hours is plenty of time, esp if not crowded.

 

[Steffy]

I think you should get UPH. Let's say you want to go to MGM just for Fantasmic. Or your kids love DQ and wants to just take the bus over after all the parks close from 9:30 to 11:30. You and DH like Pleasure Island and go a couple of times.

Or you want to stop at a water park just for an afternoon and then go to MK for Wishes.

The UPH or length of stay pass gives you the freedom to do whatever you want when you want to. Want to go to the water parks every day? You are not confined to 3 times. Like DQ. Go. Like Pleasure Island? Go.

This is your first trip and I hate seeing people go and then not be able to have the freedom to do whatever they want to. If you have a resort day, fine. It is not a waste of your ticket. You have the ability to go eat dinner at EPCOT and not "burn" a park day.

I think first timers should get UHP. You don't know what you are going to like and you should have the freedom to explore.

JMHO...

 

[allforpooh]

I have to agree with Steffy, Disney Quest is a big draw for us and the kids go several times a trip. Also we love the flexability, we now buy UAP's and plan trips every other year, with multiple trips in the year we buy the UAP's.

Denise

 

[KathyTX]

First, are you SURE the UPH is more expensive for you? It looks like the prices are about the same.

You say you've got 6 full days. Looking at the rates currently posted at allears.net, the rate for a 6 day/5 night UPH is $335. The 6 day PHP is listed at $332.

(When you buy the UPH at resort check in time, you can drop the first day if you are arriving late, or the last day if you're departing early... so you don't have to pay for a day of admissions that you can't use.)

Since they're essentially the same price and you're pretty sure you'll want to try Disney Quest, I'd go for the UPH. It gives you the most flexibility, and will cost less when you consider the DQ visit.

 

[bigbabyblues]

I had the same problem, I had read the PHP's were so much cheaper than the UPH, but when I did the math on Disney's site (granted, these are Disney prices, I don't know about Ticketmania or anyone else's prices), the difference was about $20 or so total for all three of us.

We plan on going to a park on our arrival day and our departure day, we'd like to do a water park or two, but with two little ones, who knows. For the extra $20, I'm going the the package/UPH. That way I know I'm covered.

I'd say the UPH, that way you can do DQ and a waterpark as much as you want without worry!

~Steph--determined to plan this trip without DH help, only his wallet

 

[PenguinGal]

Thanks so much for the great advice. Sounds like the UPH is the best option; I was already leaning that way but just needed the reassurance that I was on the right track. (I swear, planning this first WDW trip is like walking through a dark forest alone - I definitely need those who have been there to walk me through!)

Now, that I know what type of tickets we want, I still need to find out:

1. Would there be a significant cost benefit on our room rate if we buy a PAP for DH? I know that it would cost approx. $200 more than the UPH, so we'd have to save more than that on the room rate to make it advantageous.

2. Our flight arrives in Orlando at 5:45pm and departs the following week at 1:05pm. If I can only drop one day of the UPH, should it be the first day or the last day?

Any thoughts?

 

[FINFAN]

Again, depends on when you are going...try looking up the park hours to see what they are in June...I know the summer hours are longer so the you may get a few hours out of your arrival day,if you have a quick check-in etc. Hard to say...there may be traffic from airport, etc. but, since you need to be at the airport an hour or so before boarding..that may cut into you r time for your departure date. However if you are packed, early risers, have your luggage down at guest services, you may squeak a few hours in there s well. Personally, we are always so excited to get to the parks, we go A.S.A.P., so we would drop the last day and enjoy the pool at resort, or head to DTD to get last minute souvee's! Not sure if you can drop both days...also check into DQ hours, at least you may be able to get a quick visit in there!
Pam

 

[Disney Debbie]

If you plan on going to at least one park every day, if you know you'll go to a water park or two and for Disney Quest then I'd definitely get the UPH. I've got park hoppers - but we know we aren't going to the parks every day (it's our 50 gazillionth trip! ) The first time we stayed on site we did the UPH and we were glad we did - we were still "commandos" then and were staying at All Stars so we didn't really want to hang out by that pool all day!

I'd drop the arrival day. If your flight arrives at 5:45 (assuming it's on time!) you'll still kill at least an hour getting luggage, getting to hotel etc. You can plan on going to DTD or just relaxing around the resort, go to another resort for dinner - all sorts of things that don't require a pass. The last day you could plan on getting to the parks for some early morning fun - or you might make a separate "room only" ressie for your last night so that you don't have to pay for the UPH for that day either. Your UPH from the first reservation is good through midnight of that next to the last day so you'd be covered for that day.

 

[Eyore4Ever149]

Well, gee wiz,

I thought I had my ticket stuff all straightened out. Now you've got me thinking about it again!

I bought a regular AP for myself (saved 45% off our room)
but I know it does not cover water parks or DTD, Disney Quest, Pleasure Island.

I bought my husband a 5 day park hopper plus.

We will be there 6 days (I added a day to ressie after purchasing tickets). But we might go do Universal for a day.

UPH expire, Park Hoppers dont.

My understanding of how a PH works is that you can go to Epcot for breakfast, do lunch at MK and go over to MGM for fireworks if you really wanted to and you only use up 1 day off your pass.
I also thought they told me the "pluses" are good for Disney Quest- almost sure of it.

The UPH was more expensive than the PHplus. $263 for PHplus and about $315 for UPH.

I know ticket prices went up some since I bought mine in early March.

I believe I have the ability to switch- if I do, can I change DH's ticket BEFORE we get there, so I dont pay rack rates on anything.

Can UPH be purchased from locations other than WDW??

Did I make the right decision? Should I have got DH an UPH??
How much is DQ anyway? Is it cheaper to buy tickets elsewhere, before going?

And I was so confidant I had this all decided!

 

[KathyTX]

Originally posted by Eyore4Ever149

My understanding of how a PH works is that you can go to Epcot for breakfast, do lunch at MK and go over to MGM for fireworks if you really wanted to and you only use up 1 day off your pass.

That's right!

I also thought they told me the "pluses" are good for Disney Quest- almost sure of it.

Nope. The "pluses" are good for Blizzard Beach, Typhoon Lagoon, Pleasure Island, and Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex.

The UPH was more expensive than the PHplus. $263 for PHplus and about $315 for UPH.

Sounds like you're comparing 5 day PHP with a 6 day/5 night UPH. So far, so good.

I believe I have the ability to switch- if I do, can I change DH's ticket BEFORE we get there, so I dont pay rack rates on anything.

No. The only place you can trade his PHP toward another ticket is the Guest Relations windows at the parks.

Can UPH be purchased from locations other than WDW??

UPH can ONLY be purchased at the resorts, or in advance as part of a resort package. (Not at the parks or from the Disney Store.)

Did I make the right decision? Should I have got DH an UPH??
How much is DQ anyway? Is it cheaper to buy tickets elsewhere, before going?

If you've already bought his PHP, stick with that and enjoy it. DQ admission is $33.

And I was so confidant I had this all decided!

There are so many options, you could make yourself crazy second-guessing your decisions.

You've made good decisions. Go, be happy, and enjoy your trip!

 

[PenguinGal]

KathyTX - Where do I go for instructions on how to post using quotes from previous posts like you just did? Sorry if that is a stupid question - I am still a computer/message board neophyte!

 

[KathyTX]

Not a stupid question at all!!

If you want to see how I did that, just hit the "quote" button at the bottom of my post and you'll see all of the codes.

And anytime you want to know how to do something, just ask. If you post your question on the Technical Support board, we'll teach you more than you ever really wanted to know.