Purchasing Park Tickets

[Smitty]

We are leaving for WDW next week and taking my son's girlfriend, who has never been to a Disney Resort or Park. Our family has either AP's or 6-day Park Hopper passes, she still needs to purchase her tickets. A family friend has given us 3 one-day Park Hoppers for her to use, but she is still 3 days short for the trip.

Any suggestions on buying tickets for her? She is on a tight budget and if she can park hop for 3 days, we are willing to stay put in one park each of the remaining days. We usually buy tickets from Undercover Tourist, but she won't need the full compliment of days they offer. Is buying directly from Disney upon arrival our best option? Are there any discounts available to us as DVC or on-property guests that I am forgetting?

Thanks in advance for any suggestions!

[carolina_yankee]

There aren't any ticket discounts from Disney for advanced purchases anymore, and no discounts for MYW tickets for DVC members, just APs. You're best bet is likely to just buy the 3 day ticket when you arrive.

You could try your local AAA to see if they offer a 3 day ticket as well . . Most places, you'll only save a couple of dollars, though.

Dirk

[griffs222]

First let me start by saying she is going to have a great time on her first visit. My first visit wasnt until I was 24, and I've been 8 times since. I've been looking for discount tickets, but I havent found any "great" discounts from the online ticket brokers, this includes undercovertourist.com. Ive found disney.com to be the easiest and fairest way to purchase ticket. As for you dilemma about buying hoppers or 3 day park tickets without the hopper, I'd recommend buying the hoppers anyway. Its 203.00 for a 3day pass, and 248 for a 3 day hopper from Disney.com The same ticket is 214.95 at undercovertourist.com and 263.95 for a hopper, but they will add "3 free" days for a total of six at that price. however, a 6 day hopper form disney.com is 262.00. So the "3 free days" is really not free, its just a scam. My Opinion is buy from disney, just to the ease of purchasing. but that again is just my opinion. Good Luck, have fun, and I hope your son's Girlfriend enjoys her firts trip as much as I enjoyed my first trip. I hope this is helpful and if anyone can find a real ticket discount, let us all know. Good luck

[Carol]

If she is on a tight budget, my advice is to wait until you arrive and then upgrade one of the 3 one day PH MYW tickets to a 4 day MYW ticket. (You can only apply one ticket to the price of a new longer ticket and you can only do an upgrade on-site).

A one day park hopper ticket is $123.54. So you could subtract that amount from either a 4 day PH MYW ticket (allows park hopping, no plus options & expires 14 days from first use) or a 4 day base ticket (no hopping, no plus options & expires 14 days from first use)

A 4 day PH MYW ticket is $273.71. So that would be $150.17 to your son's girlfriend if she upgrades.

A 4 day base ticket is $225.78. If you upgrade one of the 1 day PH MYW tickets, it would cost your son's girlfriend $102.24.

This assumes that the one day PH tickets are not complimentary (they should say so on the back of the ticket if they are complimentary). If so, those can't be upgraded as far as I know.

[gflatto]

Griffs222 - actually the tickets from undercorver tourist ARE cheaper, because the price they quote is the total, check out price (including tax). The prices on the Disney site are before tax is added, and I think I figured out that was either 6% or 6.5%.

I can agree that it's not a HUGE price advantage, but there is one.

[Smitty]

Thanks so much for the quick replies. We will get the "free" tickets this weekend from a friend and I will then be able to determine the best option. I don't know yet if the tickets we are being given were "complimentary", but if not, trading one in for an upgrade sounds like our best deal. No matter what, we will purchase or upgrade upon arrival.

[burcs]

A family friend has given us 3 one-day Park Hoppers for her to use, but she is still 3 days short for the trip.

hi smitty, i really don't have much to add to the pretty good answers you've already gotten (i'd try for the upgrade), but i'm curious what the circumstances are that would leave your family friend in the possession of 3 unused one day park hoppers (if i'm not being too nosy).

paul

[Smitty]

No, you aren't being too nosy...he recieved them as an incentive at work. Thus, my uncertainty as to whether they are "complimentary" or not. He usually has annual passes (as do we) and was nice enough to offer to share the wealth!

[disneyfreak89]

According to Allears.net you cannot upgrade "complimentary" tickets:

WHAT YOU CANNOT UPGRADE OR EXCHANGE

As a general rule, you can no longer upgrade previously used pre-2005 tickets. Tickets not available to the general public (such as band passes, sports tickets and some convention tickets) can not be upgraded to a regular MYW pass or AP/PAP. Also any pass that has a expiration date such as the occasional Canadian special at-par passes can not be upgraded or exchanged for credit on a pass with no expiration such as a regular MYW hopper pass. And of course, complimentary or free tickets (including the "Touch of Magic" tickets many time share tours give out) cannot be upgraded

[Mary]

If you can upgrade the pass you are better off saving two of them and upgrading the one for all of the days you need. My dd friend brought 2 tickets with her--I left the 2 day one in her bag, and upgraded the 3 day park hopper to a 7 day park hopper for a whopping total of $17.04. She still has the 2 day for another visit. I only did this last month so the numbers are current. Mary