Ticket Options

[mrte62]

Need your thoughts:

DW and I are going on on first WDW trip without the four kids - all of whom are in college. Yea we earned a break.

Will be there 10/30 - 11/5 and will be staying on site (a moderate to be determined). We will be back in the future. We are not planning on going to the parks more than 4 days, but will park hop.

Should we look into the 10 day park hopper no expiration, 4 day park hopper that expires or something in between?

I know there isn't a "right answer" but you folks are the best with suggestions ... thanks!

[NJGIRL]

This is something that you have to do the math yourself. No expiration is expensive. If you get a 10 day ticket and use 4 days you will have 6 days left. Is that enough for your next visit?

What I always do is go to the Disney web site and plug in all sorts of combinations and then decide what fits best for our upcoming trips.

[ibelieveindisneymagic]

I agree with Rita.

If the 6 days will COMPLETELY cover your next trip, then the non-expiration option can be an advantage.

But, if you think your next trip will be longer than that, and you'll end up needed a few extra days (or even one extra day) of tickets, I would skip the longer ticket, as the cost will end up being more than just buying the tickets you need each time.

[alaMode]

I purchased 10-day ph/no expiration tix for our upcoming 4-day trip b/c I know we'll be returning next June for a 6-day trip. It was a great deal compared to buying the tix separately for each trip and I bought the tix before the price increase in June.

Before I bought them I also went on the WDW site and checked out all the possible scenarios. The 10-day no-expiration made the most $ sense for us.

Good luck!

[VWL Mom]

If you are returning within a year you may want to consider an AP.

[NJGIRL]

If you are returning within a year you may want to consider an AP.

This is also something to look into, but again it depends on your situation.

Last year I needed a 6 day ticket for Oct and a 4 day ticket for Nov. I purchased the AP, but for me ONLY not the rest of my family. We stay offsite and the AP allowed us to save $15 a day in parking (for 10 days). It also gave us savings on meals,water park tickets and purchases. Our savings by me buying the AP totaled $400.

You really have to look at every part of your trip to decide what is most cost effective for your family.

A friend of mine was going to Orlando for a baseball tournament last month. They were going to be there for 14 days. They had been to Disney once before and she ask my advice on the tickets. I told her to go on the web site and plug in what she thought she may be able to do in between baseball. I did tell her no matter what not to get 10 day tickets with the water park option because she would never get full use of them and would be wasting her money. What did she do???? She got 10 day tickets with the water park option. :( What did she actually use???? One day each at DS, AK, EPCOT, Disney Quest, & BB. They didn't even go to the MK! This was a family of 4! What a waste of money. :confused:

[sixshot19]

If you are returning within a year you may want to consider an AP.

This is what we are thinking of doing, with a trip this oct and another in feb. I worked the math and it works the best for us.

[ibelieveindisneymagic]

Have a great time on your trips!

[mrte62]

Thanks for all of your help ... priced it all out and reviewed our rough outline of a schedule.

7-day park hopper with expiration and the free dining plan works best.

Thanks again!:mickey:

[CleveRocks]

I purchased 10-day ph/no expiration tix for our upcoming 4-day trip b/c I know we'll be returning next June for a 6-day trip. It was a great deal compared to buying the tix separately for each trip and I bought the tix before the price increase in June.

Before I bought them I also went on the WDW site and checked out all the possible scenarios. The 10-day no-expiration made the most $ sense for us.

Good luck!I'm surprised. But maybe the new pricing structure has changed things. At today's prices, a 4-day base ticket costs $258.80 and a 6-day base ticket costs $275.84. The total for those 10 park days in two separate tickets is $534.64. By contrast, a 10-day No Expiration base ticket costs $549.54. So at the current prices, the 10-day No Expire ticket costs more than separate 4-day and 6-day tickets.

But let's just pretend that buying the No Expiration feature could save, say, $50. I still wouldn't buy it in your situation. WHY? Because I could never be 100% sure of my park day needs for a future vacation. Let's say for my second trip my plans change and I decide I have time for and realy want to do 7 park days instead of 6. If I had 6 days leftover on a No Expire park ticket, the only way I could get into a park on that 7th day would be to pay about $90 for a new 1-day ticket.

Unless my plans are so set in stone (I mean airline tickets and all), I won't commit to knowing exactly how many park days I'll definitely need for next time, and therefore I won't buy the No Expiration option in such a circumstance.