Questions on type of tickets to buy

[Logan]

Hi

Just trying to decide whether I should tailor my choice of tickets just to the Parks which we are hoping to visit, or if I should go for more expensive choices to give greater flexibility.

For example, 7 day Premium is £144, while Ultimate is £153.
- now 7 days at the parks and 5 at water parks, etc is plenty, but I'm just wondering about the odd visit in the evenings to see fireworks, etc after visiting another park. Do others find this practical, or are you generally knackered after say US/IOA, SW and wouldn't bother heading into a Disney Park?

Another scenario is that if we had a rest day, say at a waterpark and/or shopping, with flexibility we could still head to whatever park we fancied later on.

Again, with Universal, a 2 day pass is £54, while a new week ticket is £69.

I hope you can get what I'm trying to say, basically is it practical and worthwhile to do a bit of park-hopping, particularly in the evenings, or do you find that your one or two days at a park generally does you?

Suggestions and advice welcome! :d:

[Leanne1977]

In my opinion, i would always go for the most flexible option.

We are going for two weeks next year and intend to get the 14 day ultimate and the 5 park flexi. We like to do all the parks including BG and we also like popping to say IOA during the day and back to MK for fireworks in the evening.

We like having all the options in front of us and i wouldnt enjoy counting how many more days we have left in a certain park.

I think for the extra few pounds, the more flexible tickets are so much better. But as i say that is only my opinion.:)

Let us know what tickets you decide on.:wavey:

[Sue]

I agree with Leanne
We were there in September for two weeks and had the 14 day WDW Ultimate and 4 park Flex tickets (we knew we were not going to Busch). The flexibility is great, plus the Ultimate gets you into Disney Quest as well (we did this for the first time in 5 visits and really enjoyed it)
I do not know if you have been before, but we love to park hop and for example, did Seaworld the day of our Fantasmic MGM dinner package. We think the more flexibility you have the more options and as you say, you are talking about very little price difference; whereas if you had to pay extra once there (should you have used all your days) it would be a lot more

[loadsapixiedust]

We like to have the flexible option. It was lovely to just pop into a park for fireworks or a couple of rides. It also gives you more leeway if you have to make unforseen changes to your itinerary while you are there.
I would also consider what time of year you are visiting and whether you will have youg children with you. Whether or not you are staying at a WDW resort could also be a factor as you would then be able to make use of EMH giving even longer hours.
In peak season the park hours are longer anyway so it is more practical to visit one park in the daytime and another in the evening. Off peak this may not be an option as parks close earlier in the evenings.
Crowd levels can also have a bearing. If you are going at a busy time then we found the flexibility to leave in the mid afternoon and return later in the evening helped us to get more done and avoid the worst of the crowds. With the more flexible ticket options, if it is too hot/wet/crowded or you or your kids are just tired, you will not feel like you have wasted a day's admission if you leave the park after only a short while.

[TH1]

The first time we went (before Animal Kingdom and IofA opened) we went for the 10 day ultimate disney ticket with the 14 day (5 park) flexticket. We spent the disney ticket in full but only used the flexticket for a day and separate evening at Universal, a day at Seaworld and a day at Busch Gardens.
When we returned in 2002, we went for a 7 day Disney Pass with a 14 day (5 park) flexticket. Again, we used the Disney pass in full but only visited Seaworld and Universal.
Our next visit was in 2005 and we went for the same deal. As before, we used the Disney pass in full but only visited Seaworld and Universal.
When we go back in 2006, we will have a 14 day pass to Disney with a pass to Universal and IofA. If we do decide to go to Seaworld, we will go for Discovery Cove.
Just our experience

[jdybnsn]

Have you read this recent thread - it may also help you decide :

http://www.thedibb.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=77502

:d:

[BevS97]

I like to have the full flexibliity for Disney, as that's where we spend most of our time, and we do often go to a park just for a couple of hours for a meal or to see fireworks - I would hate to be worrying about if we are 'wasting' a day to do that.
Last year, we arrived, checked into the hotel, swam and then went to Magic Kingdom for a hot dog and just to 'Hey, wow, we are really here' we were probably only in MK for under an hour, but with our passes it didn't matter. That was probably one of the best moments of our trip - I would have hated to miss it because of pass issues.

Now, for us, Universal/IOA doesn't hold the same appeal, so we probably won't go at all - but if we did go then for a £15 difference I would say it was worth the week pass. That way, if you get there and then you have to leave for whatever reason (bad weather, don't feel well, kids are playing up, just not in the mood (can happen!)) then you can just go back - no worries, no panicking that we have to stay because this is our only day to see IOA. Plus if you don't manage to get on anything you can pop back for a few hours another day to see the things you missed.

Seaworld we normally buy the 1 day ticket and they tend to give you a free day on the way in.

[Logan]

Thanks for advice, so far, very helpful as ever! :grin:

There are 4 in our group, me and DW in our 40's and 2 'kids', DS 20 and DD 17 (who dreams of swimming with dolphins).
We are going 18 June - 2 July 2006 and it's our first time. :d:

Flexibility seems to be a good idea, especially on our first visit, so here's what I'm thinking, comments welcomed!

4 Disney 14 day Ultimate at £153 each (with themepark)
1 DC swim 14 day for DD at £167
- this gives 14 day access to SW and BG (7 day option with SW/BG + 1 day to SW/BG = £182)
1 DC non-swim 14 day for DW at £113 (£128 as above)
2 Flexi-tickets, 5 park at £119 each for me and DS
(I know DW and DD won't have access to W n W, but will have to Disney's 2 water parks.)
2 of the new 2 week Universal tickets for DW and DD at £73 each

I think that's everything covered, giving total flexibility to all the main parks and Disney's water parks and DC for my daughter.
The water parks are important, as we plan to use them for any rest days which can be squeezed in ;) . I hear that TL and BB are far superior to WnW, so I'm not worried about DW and DD not having access.

How does that sound to you guys? :spin:

[BevS97]

Wh do you and your son want different tickest to your dd and wife? You already have seaworld access with your discovery cove tickets and as you say, the disney parks beat WnW hands down, so I would just get everyone the universal week long tickets

[Logan]

Well, wife and daughter will have access to SW and BG for the entire 14 days, so to give us the same, Flexi 5-park is best option. (son and me are not doing DC)

[florida2000]

The water parks are important, as we plan to use them for any rest days which can be squeezed in ;) .

Free days!! Not Likely.

That's a busy agenda. Last time, we did the 14 day Ultimate and 4 park flex ticket. We were there for 16 days and managed 3 at water parks. With you going for 14 days AND including DC and BG - you'll be BUSY but will love every minute of it I'm sure.

I'd always pay the very little extra to get the flexible tickets and you may well do the park-hopping suggested here if you are staying on-site at WDW. If you are staying off-site I wouldn't over-egg how much you'll use the flexibility. Before going last year I had all these ideas about 'popping into MK for an hour to see Mickey' etc but the practicalities make this quite difficult. Doing US/IOA and WDW in one day is actually quite a lot of effort. The time you get parked at US, then the time it takes to get back out of the park, then you've got to get to the WDW car park (every worse the transportation centre then monorail for MK).

I think we did this once but a few quid extra in a £6k holiday just to have the choice there if required is worth it.

[Logan]

Before going last year I had all these ideas about 'popping into MK for an hour to see Mickey' etc but the practicalities make this quite difficult. Doing US/IOA and WDW in one day is actually quite a lot of effort. The time you get parked at US, then the time it takes to get back out of the park, then you've got to get to the WDW car park (every worse the transportation centre then monorail for MK).


That's just what I've been wondering, not having been I have no idea of the scale of things, distances, size of car parks, etc. I would imagine that by the time you go to another park late in the day, you would be parked about row Z! :pgig:

Folk have mentioned that it depends too where you are staying. First week on South ID, near SW and second at Port Orleans Riverside. We planned to do DC, SW, Universal and possibly BG, depending on how everyone is sticking the pace, the first week, with possible evening visits to some Disney parks for fireworks/meals. Second week would be almost solely Disney, taking advantage of D transport and EMHs. :d:

[Flo]

I would have thought that if you buy the ultimate Disney 14 days, you park in one car park at the first Disney park and then use their transport between Disney parks.

Disney is huge nothing can prepare you for the scale, get on your walking shoes and do as much as you can , its fab.

[Logan]

I would have thought that if you buy the ultimate Disney 14 days, you park in one car park at the first Disney park and then use their transport between Disney parks.

Disney is huge nothing can prepare you for the scale, get on your walking shoes and do as much as you can , its fab.

Yes, I would plan on doing that when we stay on-site the second week, get to one of the parks nice and early then if we park-hop, use their transport. That way, we will presumably be able to pick up Disney transport near the entrance and get left to the entrance of the next park.

I couldn't face dragging ourselves all the way to our car, finding our way to the next park in the traffic, queue and park miles away, etc.

Only down side is that we will have to get back to our car! :erm: Maybe it would be better to use Disney transport ALL day, and leave the car at POR. :cry: