Why Doesn't Disney offer Half Day Tickets?

[WaltD4Me]

I'm sure there is a very logical reason, but I'm not seeing it.

I know several parks that offer 1/2 day tickets after a certain time and I'd think Disney would benefit from doing this too. I know I'm thinking of not going to a park on our arrival day because I hate to blow a day of my 10 day non-expiring hopper because we won't be able to get to a park until about 3pm and since it's off season, the parks close much earlier 7-8pm, so I really don't want to use a day on my ticket for just 5 hours of park time. I also don't want to spend $75 on a one day ticket to just get in for 5 hours either. I would pay $35 or $40 though, but instead we will probably just go to the pool at the resort.

I guess it might be hard to figure out logistacially since all parks don't close at the same time and tickets are confusing enough, but if they set an hourly thing, like a 5-6 hour ticket (depending on park closing time) it might work. No?

 

[trekker93]

There are times when I'm down in Olrando for business meetings. They typically get done by 4pm - it would be great to be able to get a pass from 4pm on. It would be a nice ending to a long business day! Call it a business travelors pass!

 

[calypso*a*go-go]

I thought you could get some kind of after-hours ticket through conventions that are booked @ WDW. Maybe it was something they offered in the past.

 

[drakethib]

Seems like it would be a pain to manage

 

[luke]

especially as, as the OP said, they'll just use a day off their multiday ticket anyway, giving Disney even less incentive to introduce such a scheme

 

[calypso*a*go-go]

I just checked online and they do offer tickets options for After 2pm & After 4pm -- but they need to be purchased in conjunction with a conference. So if there is a meeting scheduled that you are attending, definitely ask your HR people about getting the conference rate on theme park tickets.

 

[fakereadhed]

MNNSSHP= half day ticket.

 

[calypso*a*go-go]

MNNSSHP= half day ticket.

Good point -- but only if you're interested in MK. Too bad you can't add PH to a MNSSHP ticket because you'd actually get about 8 hrs use out of it if they continue letting people in as early as 4pm -- so 4 hrs @ MK, and then 4 hrs @ Epcot (or whichever park you'd like!). Ahhh, in a perfect world...

 

[WaltD4Me]

especially as, as the OP said, they'll just use a day off their multiday ticket anyway, giving Disney even less incentive to introduce such a scheme

But the thing is, I don't plan to use a day from my multi-day ticket. I don't want to waste a whole day from the ticket...so we'll be going to the pool at the resort instead....and therefore not spending any money in the parks, which to me is an incentive for Disney to offer something like this.

 

[luke]

but a lot of people WILL and do just use a day from their multiday ticket

 

[WaltD4Me]

but a lot of people WILL and do just use a day from their multiday ticket

And I bet alot of people would still do that rather than buying a half day ticket, mainly because their tickets are going to expire anyway, but more frequent travelers who buy non-expiring tickets aren't going to want to waste a day of that ticket.

 

[ChelleinNC]

But the thing is, I don't plan to use a day from my multi-day ticket. I don't want to waste a whole day from the ticket...so we'll be going to the pool at the resort instead....and therefore not spending any money in the parks, which to me is an incentive for Disney to offer something like this.

That's why DTD is so crowded on Saturday & Sundays. A lot of people who don't want to use a park ticket on check-in or check-out day go and spend their money at DTD. Others just use a day of the multi-day passes since each additional day costs less. Some, like you, will spend the day at their resort where they're still likely to spend money on snacks, meals & stuff in the gift shop (pins & autograph books).

 

[WaltD4Me]

Okay, but how about someone is going to be Orlando and decides not to go to Disney because they don't want to or can't spend the $75 to get in for the day?

In Feburary, my brother, SIL, nephew and I took a trip to Orlando just to get out of the snow for a week. We were off property and would not have done Disney (it would have killed me too) if it weren't for the P&P Party. No way would my brother and SIL have spent $75 each to get into the parks for one day, but they were ok with $45 party tickets. If Disney offered half day tickets, I probably could have talked them into Epcot for a night too.

I'm not trying to obstinate, but I really think half day tickets would be popular. Not everyone is like us Disney nuts, there are people (hard as it is to believe) that would be happy to just spend the evening in a Disney park then move on with their life.

 

[billwendy]

Are their any off property hotels that offer after 4 tickets??

thanks!

 

[aurorae]

A couple of years ago, I was at a convention at CSR, and got an after 4 PM ticket.

I don't know, though, whether off property conventions offer such a thing, but it might be worth asking the convention organizers.

 

[safetymom]

I can remember going to a conference at CSR before I moved here. The price of a half day ticket was almost as much as a full day. I didn't think it was worth the money.

 

[fla4fun]

I have friends who work for a destination management company. The after 2pm and after 4pm tickets are still available to convention attendees, but there are contracts regulating the sale of those tickets. You have to be attending a conference to get the tickets - they are not available to the general public. Off property companies who sell these tickets to convention attendees have to keep records of each sale, and which convention they were attending, etc. If you are attenting a convention you can buy these tickets for yourself and your traveling companions (i.e., if you bring your family with you), but it's more typical for the rest of the family to get the full day tickets, and the conventioneer the partial day. Even having "connections", I can't buy these tickets for my personal use because it could cost the company selling them their contract with Disney.

The after 2pm ticket is a little more than half the price of a full day, and the after 4pm ticket is a little less than half the price of a full day. Obviously, either one is a greater value when the parks are open later. You sure wouldn't want to use an after 4pm ticket if the park was closing at 6pm!

Do they still have the after 4pm Epcot annual pass for Florida Residents?

 

[SamSam]

5 Day - Adult 10+ $222 $220
5 Day - Child 3-9 $187 $184
6 Day - Adult 10+ $225 $222
6 Day - Child 3-9 $190 $186
7 Day - Adult 10+ $228 $224
7 Day - Child 3-9 $193 $187
8 Day - Adult 10+ $231
8 Day - Child 3-9 $196
9 Day - Adult 10+ $234
9 Day - Child 3-9 $199
10 Day - Adult 10+ $237
10 Day - Child 3-9 $202


As you can see there is only a few $$ difference between 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10 day tickets so it would seem to make more sense to use a day of a multi-day ticket rather than pay half-price of a one day ticket.

 

[billwendy]

5 Day - Adult 10+ $222 $220
5 Day - Child 3-9 $187 $184
6 Day - Adult 10+ $225 $222
6 Day - Child 3-9 $190 $186
7 Day - Adult 10+ $228 $224
7 Day - Child 3-9 $193 $187
8 Day - Adult 10+ $231
8 Day - Child 3-9 $196
9 Day - Adult 10+ $234
9 Day - Child 3-9 $199
10 Day - Adult 10+ $237
10 Day - Child 3-9 $202


As you can see there is only a few $$ difference between 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10 day tickets so it would seem to make more sense to use a day of a multi-day ticket rather than pay half-price of a one day ticket.

That has gotta be why Disney doesnt have half day - but we are only going 1 other day (staying in Daytona) so a 1/2 day pass for me to see those Osborne lights would be perfect.....