What would you do?

[starwood]

DS is marching at WDW in April. We have booked a 2 bedroom at OKW. We are arriving Saturday. He is staying at All Star Music with the school but joining us Tuesday until Friday. We are also planning on bringing another family who's son is also marching and will join us Tuesday. I'm not sure if we are going to get the dining plan or not. Should I just give MS our names and leave the 2 band members off and they won't get the dining plan but can share our appetizers/desserts?

 

[CarolMN]

I think I'd probably not get the DDP at all - is the DDE an option for your trip?

By leaving the two boys off the reservation, they won't get room keys. Without room keys, they won't be able to take advantage of EMH or go off on their own (unless you or your DH gives them one of your keys).

FWIW, on the trip before last, I tried to get an extra key for my brother (who was coming just for the day to see us). The Front Desk gave us one, but it messed up our other keys (stopped working). They couldn't figure out how to make it work so finally I just said to forget it - thank goodnes we didn't have the DDP or our tickets on our keys. I know we probably just ran into "newbie" at the front desk, but he did go to a supervisor for help.

 

[starwood]

We don't have AP's (although I would like to - I can't talk DH into it). We need to go more than 7 times in 1 year for it to pay and we will be there 6 or 7 days this trip. I may look into it as we will need additional days on our tickets. DS is getting 4 days with the trip and has 6 days left on his ticket (won't need a new ticket for him). I have 6 days on my ticket which will finish it up. But DH only has 5 days left on his ticket - he will need 1 more. Maybe I can get an AP for him and the DDE card. It's something to think about.

Am I rambling?

Ooops - I forgot we are using 2 days of our tickets at DL next month. DH and I will both need tickets.

 

[CarolMN]

Just in case you don't already know - only one of you (an adult) has to get an AP to be eligible to buy the DDE card. And of course you know that the tickets you already have never expire, so you could certainly save either yours or your DH's for a trip after the AP expires.

We usually go only once a year for 6 or 7 nights. We still get APs because we schedule to get two trips out of the AP. For example, if we went 12/8 -12/15 this year, next year we'd go 11/29 -12/6.

 

[ccigliano]

Just a follow up on the AP comment you made about the 7 times, as I am a bit confused and want to clarify. You can go once a year for a week and the AP works better than park hopper tickets and here's why. Let say you go December 7th, 2007 for a week and purchase an AP, that pass in good until Dec 7th, 2008. Just make sure you go back November 30th the next year and its still valid for your entire week so you just got two weeks out of an annual pass by going once a year in reality. Keeping in mind that as DVC members we get $100 off so instead of $460/adult its $360, not to mention all the other discounts. So it really does pay off. Just my two cents as I wanted you be sure you had enough ammunition when you tell you husband that he's wrong.

 

[kcdisneymom]

Noticed ds was staying on property too. I believe all on property resorts and hotels (owned by Disney) get EMH. Also did your dh start out with a 10 day pass and now only have 5 days left? I'd call and see if you could add one more day while your there. If not the cm might have another idea. I think I remember a cm once said you could trade in the value of your current ticket toward and annual pass. So with the DVC discount it may not cost much at all. I'd definently call and ask.

 

[irish dancer]

Ooops - I forgot we are using 2 days of our tickets at DL next month. DH and I will both need tickets.

Can you use WDW tix at DL?? I thought they were not interchangeable?

 

[Dean]

Can you use WDW tix at DL?? I thought they were not interchangeable?

My understanding is you can use Disney World tickets at Disneyland but not the reverse.

 

[starwood]

I would love to be able to plan another trip before annual passes would run out BUT DH will not commit. Also, we are going for Spring Break 4/18/08. We can only go when DS is not in school which would mean, probably, going back in the summer (which DH would not want to do).

There is another thread on the DL board that says you can use WDW tickets at DL. I hope they are right.

We all started out with 10 day tickets but DH went down for a business meeting and used up one of his days (without us!). At the end of this we will all end up with different days left.

I am leaning toward the AP. How would I go about getting one if I want to apply our current tickets toward the AP, get the DVC discount and get the DDE card?

 

[Dean]

There is another thread on the DL board that says you can use WDW tickets at DL. I hope they are right.

I believe there may be some additional restrictions so you may want to be certain. Also realize that this would not apply to an annual pass from my understanding and that Disneyland tickets are significantly cheaper than Walt Disney World.

Here's what mousesavers says.

Using Walt Disney World Tickets at Disneyland

Interesting, unpublished fact: you can use any unexpired, leftover days on a Walt Disney World ticket at Disneyland or DCA! Present the Disney World ticket at the gate on arrival -- they will take it somewhere, deduct a day from it, and give you a one-day Disneyland and/or DCA ticket. You can repeat this day by day until the Disney World ticket is used up. They will not give you a multi-day ticket all at once, even if you have multiple days left on your Disney World ticket.

The type of Disneyland ticket you will receive is based on the Walt Disney World ticket you present: if you have a Disney World ticket with the Hopper option, you will get a Disneyland Hopper that allows you to visit both parks in the same day; on the other hand, if the Disney World ticket had no Hopper option, you will get a one-day/one-park ticket and will have to pick which park to enter that day. This has been going on for at least 5 years that I know of, and the information was last reconfirmed by a MouseSavers.com reader as of May 2007.

Disneyland passes are NOT accepted at Walt Disney World, and Annual Passes are only good at the park where they were purchased (WDW Annual Passes are NOT good at Disneyland, and vice versa).

 

[starwood]

I figure that what I paid for the 10 day park hopper WDW tickets was about $39/day. I couldn't find any 2 day DL tickets for that price. I wouldn't get the AP until after our DL trip.

 

[Dean]

I figure that what I paid for the 10 day park hopper WDW tickets was about $39/day. I couldn't find any 2 day DL tickets for that price. I wouldn't get the AP until after our DL trip.

I know a five-day park hopper ticket was significantly cheaper per day then that for Disneyland. Realize you cannot replace that ticket at Disney World the for that price.

 

[starwood]

The going price at Undercovertourist with the mousesavers discount is approx. $411 for a 10 day non exp. park hopper.

 

[Dean]

The going price at Undercovertourist with the mousesavers discount is approx. $411 for a 10 day non exp. park hopper.

And 5 days at DL will be around $183 or so but I don't think they have a non expiration option. If you bought only 2 days at WDW it would be far more per day. An AP would actually be cheaper if you used it correctly. Still, if you have expiring days it's good to have the option. But if you're willing to invest in a 10 day ticket to have days to use at DL, that might work for some. Realize that the value of those last 2 days might be much more in the future as prices go up every year.

 

[starwood]

I feel like I need some kind of a degree to figure out all of these options . I don't think DL offers non-expiration. All days need to be used within 14 days. I will probably make some kind of a spread sheet. I think the cheapest 2 day DL ticket I could find was through DH's work - it was $113or $56/day.

 

[CarolMN]

...(snip)....I am leaning toward the AP. How would I go about getting one if I want to apply our current tickets toward the AP, get the DVC discount and get the DDE card?

Disney no longer allows you to apply the remaining value of a partially used ticket (even if it has the no-expiration option) towards the purchase of an AP.

Actually that's in your best interests. The MYW tickets are very heavily front end loaded. The last few days of a 10 day ticket can be worth as little as $8 or $9 each. Much better to save the remaining days and use them for park admission.

When you order the AP online or by calling MS (you can get the DVC discounted AP either way), be sure to have the voucher mailed to you. It costs $3 more. DO NOT CHOOSE WILL CALL if you plan to order the DDE. The Dining CM needs the numbers off the pack of the voucher or off the actual pass to send you the DDE card. The confirmation number on the will call email confirmation will not work.

The DDE year starts when you order it - not when you first use it. If you want the card to start in April 2008, order it in the last half of March - ask the CM when you call if the card will start in March or April. If it is March, ask when they switch to April and call back then. If you do that, the card will be good through the end of April 2009 - in case you son gets to go back again, LOL.

 

[starwood]

Well his band trip is a one time only deal. He is a sophmore next year and they have been told they will not be going back for another 4 years. They may get to march in the Macy's parade before he graduates (they are working on it). The problem with AP is we are going 6 days. The cost of a 7 day ticket is $338.95, an 8 day ticket is $380.95 and an AP is $355.71. So we need about 7 1/2 days to make it pay.

I would have no problem going again, and again, and again.

 

[CarolMN]

Do you think you will spend more than $410 on Table Service meals on your trip? If so, it would make sense to get 1 AP just to get the DDE card.

The difference between the 7 day MYW ticket and the AP is $16.76. The DDE costs 65. So let's assume the DDE is going to cost you $82 ($17 +$65).

Since the DDE saves you 20% on most TS meals, anything you spend over $410 (that's the break even point if you pay $82 for the DDE card) will save you 20% on your TS meals.

If you aren't big on TS meals, an AP isn't going to make sense for you - but of course, I think you already knew that, LOL.

 

[kcdisneymom]

"I am leaning toward the AP. How would I go about getting one if I want to apply our current tickets toward the AP, get the DVC discount and get the DDE card?"

Definently call member services. There might be a question on the dvc discount since I believe you have to order those online but you can always ask.

 

[uncw89]

I have an AP and was wondering if you renew it would the new exp date be the next day? If it exp on Nov.10, then the renewal would start on Nov.11 and exp the following Nov.11? Does that make sense. I know this is sort of OT but I was curious. Thanks!