Park Hopper Tickets and Upgrading to an Annual Pass!!!

[Darkbeer]

I was over another board, answering a question, when this BRAIN STORM came into my head...

First off, some of the cheapest park hopper tickets that I know about are available online, and with NO restrictions, don't need a certain zip code, or belong to a certain group, just pre-purchase them at the Disney.com website.

http://disneyland.disney.go.com/disneylandresort/ResortInfo/Tickets/TicketPrices/index?id=6071&Grouping=TG

So, for $90 you get a three-day, or $111 for a four-day. Now what to do once you get to the park...

I read on another website this post from Driftwood...

>>Believe me, you do not have to live in Southern California to buy the SoCal AP. While it may say that you do on the webpage, in person at the park is a different story. The management overseeing "Vacation Planning" a.k.a. Ticket Sellers/Bank/Pavillion will sell you ANY 3 of the APs. Preferrably the Premium, of course. Unless they change the policy, which I don't see happening because it could potentially limit Annual Passport sales (which is a bad thing).<<

So, that means anyone could take a three day park-hopper and upgrade to a SoCal AP for just $9, or if they bought the three-day at the ticket window for $114, they could get a SoCal AP for FREE!!!

The four day is $111 online, so a SoCal for free, or for just $48, they could get a Deluxe AP. The Four day is $141 at the ticket windows, so for just $18, they could get a Deluxe AP.

ANYBODY buying park-hoppers should SERIOUSLY think about upgrading to an AP while at the park, for many folks, the SoCal AP would be free, or close to it!!!!

Nice thing is, they get three summer days (normally blacked out on a SoCal), then the rest of the year at no extra charge (or close to it!).

And you single day folks, you can apply your single day ticket purchase (for example, a Saturday) and apply it to a Purchase of an AP...

[SoCalDisneyLover]

To clarify what the previous post stated, you may only Upgrade to an Annual Pass that is more expensive than the Park Hopper price you paid. Thus, if you paid $114 for a Hopper, you may only upgrade to a Deluxe/Premium...you cannot get the $99 Pass for Free.

Also...if you use the pass 3 different times during the summer, and then decide to upgrade on the 3rd time...the Annual Pass becomes effective as of the First Day the Hopper was used, so by using it once in May, once on a Saturday in June...and again on a Saturday in July...you have still been on Annual Pass time since the May visit.

It is a good deal, just make sure you follow the guidelines so you're not taken by surprise. :-)

[Darkbeer]

Most park-hoppers now expire 13 days after the first use, so I don't think you can do the May, June, July thing!

And why does Disney make DLR passes expire in two weeks, but WDW are good until used up??????

[Jason Reynolds]

At the bottom of the page on the Disney.com site it says that the park hopper's are not transferrable. Does this include transferring to an AP?

[cstephens]

In this case, "non transferrable" means only one person can use the ticket. For instance, if it's a 3-day park hopper, the same person has to use it all three days. You can't have three people use it for one day each.




/cs

[Lani]

One caveat -- the SoCal AP has quite a few blockout days. If you plan on visiting on weekends during busy season you may want to get a Deluxe instead.

[Darkbeer]

Let's say you go to the DLR in June, and take advantage of the 3-day park-hopper on sale at Disney.com, and you are not sure if and when ou can get back to the DLR. You can upgrade to the SoCal for just $9. Then, after you get home and figure out when you are coming back, if there are too many "blackout" days on your return trip ($25 gets you a one-day "blackout" pass), THEN you can upgrade your pass to a Deluxe, or Premium if needed when you return to the park.

By doing this, you are just "reserving" your rights to an AP for just $9.

The one drawback is that the price might go up again, but they JUST had a price increase, and it was only $10 more for a deluxe

[jslivinski]

I'm using a similar line of reasoning with purchasing our AP's, I have trouble with the $200+ price tag. But the way I understand it, if I buy the 4-day ticket on-line for $111 ($141 value) when I upgrade the credit will be the value of the ticket. So I'll actually be paying $189.00 when all is said and done.

It may not work out that way in reality, but from my understanding it should work.

[Dave Z]

Originally posted by SoCalDisneyLover
.

Also...if you use the pass 3 different times during the summer, and then decide to upgrade on the 3rd time...the Annual Pass becomes effective as of the First Day the Hopper was used, so by using it once in May, once on a Saturday in June...and again on a Saturday in July...you have still been on Annual Pass time since the May visit.

We purchased 3 day Hoppers in March (I'm talking DLR, not WDW) and used them first on Mar 1, then Mar 2, then Mar 3. On Mar 3 we upgraded to APs which have an expiration date of mar 3 (03-03-03, kind of cool). So I think the annual clock starts ticking on the day you upgrade.

DZ