Help Me decide what ticket option I should take...

[andrelaplume]

Been to WDW 10 times...but not in a decade...THINGS HAVE CHANGED!

We are arriving mid day Sat Aug 20th (yea!) and leaving at 6am the following Sat (boo!) We know we want at least 6 'hopping' days between the parks...we figure the Saturday we arrive we will just settle in..though I could be talked into a 7th day...albeit less than a day...more like an evening the day we arrive.

AAA has a buy 4 days get the 5th free for $402. A 6 day hopper id $433. They said this includes tax. I also have 4 old pre2005 hopper passes at home. WDW could not determine how many days are left on each...but they are still active they said so I have at least a day, perhaps 2. I seem to recall only one.

BTW, there are 3 adults going.

Apparently you can no longer upgrade the old hoppers to 6 or 7 day passes....that would have likely been the cheapest thing to do. So as such, assuming even only one day left on each old hopper, I figure they are the equivalent of a one day hopper (if there is such a thing) and have a value of $100 or so. So that's a value of $300 for three tix I guess.

So I could buy the AAA 5 day hopper and use the old hopper for day 6. Somehow I feel like that is not economical when the 3 old hoppers are worth $300 or so and it only costs $100 more to get a 3 - AAA 6 day hoppers....

Then again...will I ever be in the neighbor of WDW and just want to pop in for ONE day...not likely...

Also, its possible (not likely) there are two days left on the hopper so I could use the old hoppers get me an extra day an a half....

I am probably overthinking all this...and WDW has figured out how to maximize their profit...no matter what I do......what would you do?

 

[Chef Mickey]

Just make sure you get a park hopper. Use your old days first and you can always upgrade your new park hopper if you need more days.

 

[andrelaplume]

Just make sure you get a park hopper. Use your old days first and you can always upgrade your new park hopper if you need more days.

Yes...would use the NEW hopper first since t hey now expire...but....is it wise to use the OLD hoppers for the day they have left or save them for a later date and just upgrade from a 5 to 6 day hopper from the get go?

 

[sxeensweet]

Direct from Disney prices are $414 for 5-day park hopper pass and $430 for a 6-day park hopper pass, and that is with tax also included just like AAA. I would just buy from Disney directly unless you're buying the 5 day which is only $12 cheaper but the 6 day is cheaper to buy from Disney.
As for what to do concerning your old passes and how many new days to get I would always get more days just in case and it's not much more money to get an extra day just in case. But as noted make sure to use the new ones first.

 

[andrelaplume]

yea...wdw 5 hopper day is $402 from AAA. The issue is whether I should spend another $33 on each pass and instead buy 6 day hoppers and save my old hoppers for another time OR combine a 5 day hopper with my old passes that have a day left.

 

[sxeensweet]

yea...wdw 5 hopper day is $402 from AAA. The issue is whether I should spend another $33 on each pass and instead buy 6 day hoppers and save my old hoppers for another time OR combine a 5 day hopper with my old passes that have a day left.

You would only have to spend technically $28 more a ticket if you buy the 6 day hopper directly from Disney since AAA is several dollars more for the 6 day hoppers than Disney. Just saying if that helps any. Haha!

 

[andrelaplume]

You would only have to spend technically $28 more a ticket if you buy the 6 day hopper directly from Disney since AAA is several dollars more for the 6 day hoppers than Disney. Just saying if that helps any. Haha!

Yes....the real question is do i buy a six day hopper or use the remaining day on my old one after using a new 5 day hopper.

 

[MaryJaneP]

If we were in your shoes, we would buy the AAA 4 day hopper as the 5th is free. We would also use the OLD tickets first for a number of reasons. One is you do not know how many days are on the OLD tickets. It seems, to us, best to nail the answer to this uncertainty as early in your stay as possible because it may impact whether you actually need to buy any additional day(s) on you new tickets. Second, it is almost like money found in an unused coat pocket. You have already paid for these OLD tickets and if you didn't have them, you would conceivably be paying more for your currently planned trip. Third, what if the OLD tickets actually have two (2) or three (3) days on them? What a nice gift to have discovered and given you party. Finally, you could use them to get into a park upon arrival and just chalk up the value as experiencing admission ahead of what you had planned. FWIW, YMMV.

 

[andrelaplume]

Thank...this is what iwas looking for.....99% sure each pass has one day left....now wife says just buy 6 day...give old hoppers to
To son and gf who will go at springbreak but only go to wdw one or two days....i guess thata a better value for them.....

 

[21stamps]

Thank...this is what iwas looking for.....99% sure each pass has one day left....now wife says just buy 6 day...give old hoppers to
To son and gf who will go at springbreak but only go to wdw one or two days....i guess thata a better value for them.....

Call and call some more!! I have 2 days remaining on a 3 day hopper from 20 years ago. The first 5 times I called I was told that I would have to wait until check in to find out remaining days, and to be able to make FP for those day or days.
A friend recommended that I keep trying to link them..magically, the 6th time I called I was transferred to an agent who knew how to do it!!
Now they are linked to my MDE.

Tell your son and girlfriend to try a few times before their trip. It's worth the hold time!

 

[sxeensweet]

If we were in your shoes, we would buy the AAA 4 day hopper as the 5th is free. We would also use the OLD tickets first for a number of reasons. One is you do not know how many days are on the OLD tickets. It seems, to us, best to nail the answer to this uncertainty as early in your stay as possible because it may impact whether you actually need to buy any additional day(s) on you new tickets. Second, it is almost like money found in an unused coat pocket. You have already paid for these OLD tickets and if you didn't have them, you would conceivably be paying more for your currently planned trip. Third, what if the OLD tickets actually have two (2) or three (3) days on them? What a nice gift to have discovered and given you party. Finally, you could use them to get into a park upon arrival and just chalk up the value as experiencing admission ahead of what you had planned. FWIW, YMMV.

The 5th day with AAA technically isn't free. Lol That's how they make people think you are getting a great deal when your not technically. The AAA price for a 4+ 1 free hopper is only about $10 cheaper than Disney direct pricing for a 5 day hopper and thats both tickets including all taxes too. And the 6 day hopper is cheaper directly through Disney than with AAA.

 

[sxeensweet]

Yes....the real question is do i buy a six day hopper or use the remaining day on my old one after using a new 5 day hopper.

Decisions Decisions!!!

 

[andrelaplume]

well....to heck with it ....i bought a 7 day hopper for 448ea with tax thru aaa. I found out a one day hopper cost over 150 so that is what i value my old ones at. I will convert then upon arrival and hen have them for a future trip where we only want to go for a day....or perhaps give them to my son for spring break depending on how disney converts them. We willbe there 6.5 days and are now free to go whever whereever...