AP question....

[sublimesting]

I booked next fall for Sept 24 thru Oct 8th, 2011. We are staying at Pop and get free dining. I upgraded the dining to one table instead of 2 walk up for $20 per day ($10/person). The problem is you can only book a trip for 10 days then have to start over (for ticket purchases).

Would it have been a better investment to do an AP (for 2 ADULTS)?

If I did AP for 2 adults, would I lose the free dining?

My total trip cost came out to $3183.76 to stay at Pop Century with free Walk up dining. Did I miss anything to get the cost down...is there a way to lower that cost? I don't want to make a rookie mistake as this is only the 4th trip I booked there.

 

[Mukta]

What kind of ticket did you purchase? Did you add park hopper or waterpark option?

 

[lilclerk]

It might be worth looking into just making one reservation for the 2 weeks with 10 day tickets, then upgrading your tickets to APs once you get there.

 

[Master Yoda]

It might be worth looking into just making one reservation for the 2 weeks with 10 day tickets, then upgrading your tickets to APs once you get there.

This will be the best thing to do.

 

[sublimesting]

This will be the best thing to do.

What would be the benefit to upgrading once I get there as oppossed to prior?

I messed up anyways as I booked the 14 days in hotel with 10 days of tix then added 4 days of tickets in addition. Is it too late to cancel the tix and redo it?

Also if I have AP do I still get free dining?

 

[Master Yoda]

What would be the benefit to upgrading once I get there as oppossed to prior?

I messed up anyways as I booked the 14 days in hotel with 10 days of tix then added 4 days of tickets in addition. Is it too late to cancel the tix and redo it?

Also if I have AP do I still get free dining?

As long as you are outside of 45 days you can modify without penalty. You will need to upgrade to an AP after you get there to get the free dining. A ticket purchase is required to get free dining so as long as you get the 10 day tickets and then upgrade it to an AP at the parks you will still get the free dining. You will want to tell the CM that you have dining on your tickets so he/she can make sure that dining remains on your key to the world card.

 

[Monty]

What would be the benefit to upgrading once I get there as oppossed to prior?

I messed up anyways as I booked the 14 days in hotel with 10 days of tix then added 4 days of tickets in addition. Is it too late to cancel the tix and redo it?

Also if I have AP do I still get free dining?

You definitely want to cancel one of the two tickets right away! The upgrade to APs can only be done with one ticket.

 

[sublimesting]

OK, I called them and here is what I did:

Kept the 14 night hotel reservations and ammended the tickets from 10 days to 2 days (to keep the free dining). I still have my 3-day tickets that I had to buy separate. Then when get there I upgrade to AP and roll the 2 day (about $450) and the 3 day tickets (abut $600) into the AP package and pay about $200.
Does that sound right?

 

[wannabeBelle]

I believe Monty is correect and you can only use one ticket towards an upgrade to an AP. Why did you have to purchase a three day ticket as well?? Hope this helps! Marie

 

[Monty]

OK, I called them and here is what I did:

Kept the 14 night hotel reservations and ammended the tickets from 10 days to 2 days (to keep the free dining). I still have my 3-day tickets that I had to buy separate. Then when get there I upgrade to AP and roll the 2 day (about $450) and the 3 day tickets (abut $600) into the AP package and pay about $200.
Does that sound right?

You can only upgrade one ticket to one AP. The only option if you already have the extra tickets is to save them for a future trip or possibly if you will be at WDW when your APs come up for renewal you might be able to apply them to the renewal cost. You can upgrade whichever ticket you want to an AP, just be sure not to accidentally use the tickets you want to save as entry or they'll expire 14 days later and be useless.

I bought one-day tickets in order to get free dining a few years ago while I already had APs. I just left them on our KTTW cards until we bought new APs a couple of years later and upgraded them.

 

[sublimesting]

You can only upgrade one ticket to one AP. The only option if you already have the extra tickets is to save them for a future trip or possibly if you will be at WDW when your APs come up for renewal you might be able to apply them to the renewal cost. You can upgrade whichever ticket you want to an AP, just be sure not to accidentally use the tickets you want to save as entry or they'll expire 14 days later and be useless.

I bought one-day tickets in order to get free dining a few years ago while I already had APs. I just left them on our KTTW cards until we bought new APs a couple of years later and upgraded them.

i'M KIND OF CONFUSED...SO THE cm WAS INCORRECT THEN? Or am I mistaken? Maybe I should explain better:

I originally booked an 8 day trip with 8 days of park hopper tix for 2 adults...we also got free dining. Then we extended the trip to 14 days. So at the time I added 2 days to the original tix and then had to purchase two 3-day tickets (it should have been 4, that was an error) for $597 so we could visit the park every day we were there. I paid for these tickets already and have them in hand. Afterwards it dawned on me that I should have just done an AP for 2 adults. So the CM told me to downgrade the 1o day tickets to 2 day tickets (which costs us about $430 or so) and then upgrade to AP whe we arrive and roll the tix (maybe he meant only the 3-day tix) into the AP pass. He said we should only have to pay about $200 or so to do this and it would save us about $200 or so over our original plan.

So does this sound right? What exactly am I doing and why? Am I using the 2 day tix first and then upgrading to AP on my3rd day and rolling the 3-day tix into the AP rate? Am I really saving money by doing this?

 

[got2lovedisney]

We tried to take advantage of free dining in September. We had our Seasonal Passes but since we had to get the 2 day tickets, now I'm "out" $170 plus the upgrade fee from QS to TS plan which was $10/per/day. I didn't want to get stuck with another 2day ticket for our November trip so instead I booked the room with the A/P discount and then add the dining. Ended up being cheaper even with stepping up from Pop to Coronado. Remember, to get free dining you need to pay RACK RATE for the room. You might want to consider contacting a travel agent to help you out.

 

[Monty]

i'M KIND OF CONFUSED...SO THE cm WAS INCORRECT THEN? Or am I mistaken? Maybe I should explain better:

I originally booked an 8 day trip with 8 days of park hopper tix for 2 adults...we also got free dining. Then we extended the trip to 14 days. So at the time I added 2 days to the original tix and then had to purchase two 3-day tickets (it should have been 4, that was an error) for $597 so we could visit the park every day we were there. I paid for these tickets already and have them in hand. Afterwards it dawned on me that I should have just done an AP for 2 adults. So the CM told me to downgrade the 1o day tickets to 2 day tickets (which costs us about $430 or so) and then upgrade to AP whe we arrive and roll the tix (maybe he meant only the 3-day tix) into the AP pass. He said we should only have to pay about $200 or so to do this and it would save us about $200 or so over our original plan.

So does this sound right? What exactly am I doing and why? Am I using the 2 day tix first and then upgrading to AP on my3rd day and rolling the 3-day tix into the AP rate? Am I really saving money by doing this?

If the CM gave you the impression that all the tickets would roll into the APs, then they were wrong. The only way you won't waste money is to use one ticket and upgrade the one ticket you've used to an AP. Do NOT use the second ticket on this trip, save it for use on a future trip after your AP has expired or to apply to your renewal if you are renewing at WDW [it won't help with renewing on-line or by phone].

If you use both tickets to enter parks this trip, you're wasting the entire value of the ticket you don't upgrade to an AP. It would be like burning the money you paid for the ticket.

 

[sublimesting]

If the CM gave you the impression that all the tickets would roll into the APs, then they were wrong. The only way you won't waste money is to use one ticket and upgrade the one ticket you've used to an AP. Do NOT use the second ticket on this trip, save it for use on a future trip after your AP has expired or to apply to your renewal if you are renewing at WDW [it won't help with renewing on-line or by phone].

If you use both tickets to enter parks this trip, you're wasting the entire value of the ticket you don't upgrade to an AP. It would be like burning the money you paid for the ticket.

So, I use the ticket from the 2-day ticket portion. Then I roll the 3-day ticket into the price of the AP and save the one day I have remaining from the 2-day portion? Why do I need the 2-day instead of just 1-day? Also, I did not purchase non-expiring for any of this, do I have to? Also, I upgraded to TS meals from CS for $20/day (2 adults at $10) as we are staying at Pop. Does this make any difference?

 

[Monty]

So, I use the ticket from the 2-day ticket portion. Then I roll the 3-day ticket into the price of the AP and save the one day I have remaining from the 2-day portion? Why do I need the 2-day instead of just 1-day? Also, I did not purchase non-expiring for any of this, do I have to? Also, I upgraded to TS meals from CS for $20/day (2 adults at $10) as we are staying at Pop. Does this make any difference?

DO NOT USE BOTH TICKETS!

If you use an admission from the 2-day ticket, then upgrade the 2-day ticket you used to an AP. As long as you do not use any of the 3-day ticket it will still be a valid 3-day ticket ten years from now, 50 years from now... If you use an admission from it it expires 14 days later.

Similarly, if you want to do it by using the 3-day ticket towards the AP, then don't use any admissions from the 2-day ticket.

If you upgrade the ticket you haven't used to an AP you are wasting the entire value of the ticket you have used for admission.

 

[sublimesting]

DO NOT USE BOTH TICKETS!

If you use an admission from the 2-day ticket, then upgrade the 2-day ticket you used to an AP. As long as you do not use any of the 3-day ticket it will still be a valid 3-day ticket ten years from now, 50 years from now... If you use an admission from it it expires 14 days later.

Similarly, if you want to do it by using the 3-day ticket towards the AP, then don't use any admissions from the 2-day ticket.

If you upgrade the ticket you haven't used to an AP you are wasting the entire value of the ticket you have used for admission.

OK, i think I have this figured out:


The 2-day ticket for 2 people is $432.
The 3-day ticket for 2 people is $556.
The AP for 2 people would be $1,066.
The cost of a 10 day ticket for 2 people is $632

So the total of the 10 day + 3 day (my original plan) = $1188?

but the 2 day ($432) + AP minus the 3 day ($1,066 less the $556= $510) be $942

I save $246.

Now, my question then is I do NOT use my 2-day ticket AT ALL. Just roll the 3-day ticket into an AP and save the 2-day ticket for a future trip or to roll into a future AP purchase?

 

[fosse76]

OK, i think I have this figured out:


The 2-day ticket for 2 people is $432.
The 3-day ticket for 2 people is $556.
The AP for 2 people would be $1,066.
The cost of a 10 day ticket for 2 people is $632

So the total of the 10 day + 3 day (my original plan) = $1188?

but the 2 day ($432) + AP minus the 3 day ($1,066 less the $556= $510) be $942

I save $246.

Now, my question then is I do NOT use my 2-day ticket AT ALL. Just roll the 3-day ticket into an AP and save the 2-day ticket for a future trip or to roll into a future AP purchase?

I would use the 2-day ticket and save the 3-day ticket for the renewal, since it has a higher value. Remember, once you upgrade the AP, it is valid for a year, so you won't need to use that 3-day ticket until the AP expires.

 

[Monty]

Now, my question then is I do NOT use my 2-day ticket AT ALL. Just roll the 3-day ticket into an AP and save the 2-day ticket for a future trip or to roll into a future AP purchase?

Yes!

I would use the 2-day ticket and save the 3-day ticket for the renewal, since it has a higher value. Remember, once you upgrade the AP, it is valid for a year, so you won't need to use that 3-day ticket until the AP expires.

I would do the opposite. Save the 2-day. Why invest the higher amount with Disney interest-free? I'd rather keep the lesser amount for future use.

 

[Master Yoda]

I would do the opposite. Save the 2-day. Why invest the higher amount with Disney interest-free? I'd rather keep the lesser amount for future use.

Quite true however it will be a bit easier to upgrade the 2 day vs. separating the 2 day from the key to the world card, putting it on a separate ticket then upgrading the 3 day to an AP all the while not having the dining on the key to the world go poof. If it was a 2 day vs a 10 day I would of course go with the 10 day but with a 2 day vs. 3 day it is about a wash and I would go with the simpler option especially when a guest has never done this before.

 

[sublimesting]

Quite true however it will be a bit easier to upgrade the 2 day vs. separating the 2 day from the key to the world card, putting it on a separate ticket then upgrading the 3 day to an AP all the while not having the dining on the key to the world go poof. If it was a 2 day vs a 10 day I would of course go with the 10 day but with a 2 day vs. 3 day it is about a wash and I would go with the simpler option especially when a guest has never done this before.

And hat, I think was my final question being answered. Thanks a lot gents, you've been a big help!!!