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View Full Version : YASCAPQ (Yet Another SoCal AP Question)



redrhino
09-15-2003, 02:06 PM
I suspect that I should address this question to Darkbeer because he seems to know all the answers on such issues as this.

My family and I have had SoCal APs twice in the last four years, so I should probably know myself, but ...

We intend to buy another set of SoCal APs (five this time) in a month but would like to visit the parks Fri-Mon during the trip we intend to buy. I gather that we could buy a regular two-day pass then upgrade on Saturday. Is this the only way we can visit on Saturday while still buying the SoCal APs?

The reason I am asking this is that I've heard from a not-so-reliable source that we could buy the SoCal APs right off the bat on Friday and that they come with one free admission on a blockout date during your first visit. I suspect that this individual thinks this because if you buy the SoCal AP on a Saturday you are, indeed, allowed to visit the parks that one blockout day.

It would be far more convenient to not have to buy the one form of ticket then convert. Especially if the conversion takes an hour or so (as it did last time).

Along those lines, would it be quicker to convert regular admission media to APs at DCA than in Disneyland? Which tends to have a lower wait-time?

All the best ....

redrhino

MonorailMan
09-15-2003, 03:43 PM
Actually, if you just buy the pass on Saturday, they let you in that day. Easy as that. :)

Ghoulish Delight
09-15-2003, 03:57 PM
Originally posted by MonorailMan
Actually, if you just buy the pass on Saturday, they let you in that day. Easy as that. :) But they want to be in the park on Friday. If they buy the AP Friday, they can't get in Saturday (unless they do give the "get out of blockout day free" card, which I'm not sure.

As long as the 2 day pass is LESS than the price of the So-Cal AP, you're plan to buy the 2-day on Friday and upgrade on Saturday will work. So that's a good backup plan. I would ask them at the ticket booth if they'll let you in on Saturday if you get the AP on Friday.

Cadaverous Pallor
09-15-2003, 04:18 PM
Originally posted by redrhino
The reason I am asking this is that I've heard from a not-so-reliable source that we could buy the SoCal APs right off the bat on Friday and that they come with one free admission on a blockout date during your first visit. I have never heard about this one. Anyone else?

EandCDad
09-15-2003, 05:29 PM
Originally posted by redrhino
The reason I am asking this is that I've heard from a not-so-reliable source that we could buy the SoCal APs right off the bat on Friday and that they come with one free admission on a blockout date during your first visit.

I can't imagine that this is correct. I think, as you've suggested, your source is confusing the "get in on a blackout day" that you get on the day you buy your AP. Disney couldn't really know how many days your "visit" would be.


Originally posted by redrhino
Along those lines, would it be quicker to convert regular admission media to APs at DCA than in Disneyland? Which tends to have a lower wait-time?


The DCA wait time is usually zero, since they don't have any AP processing facility. Actually, if you have pictures in the computer from last year and everyone will still be using the same one, it should go a bit faster at the AP facility then it does if everyone needs a new picture.

Darkbeer
09-15-2003, 10:06 PM
Hi RedRhino, you pretty much got it...

You will need to buy the 2 day ParkHopper at the Main Entry Plaza on Friday ($99 for Adults, less for kids (3-9), but it doesn't really matter, you will be paying $105 per person regardless of age (3 and over) at the end). You can't buy anything more expensive, since you must UPgrade, and you can't get a SoCal AP with a ParkHopper worth more than $105.

Since the SECOND day is the blackout date, you need to do this. The date of purchase of a NEW (not renewal) AP, the blackout date is waived, so if you started on Saturday, you wouldn't need to do this.

Now, technically you can upgrade anytime on Saturday (At the AP processing center at the Hub on Main Street, as mentioned earlier, there is no AP center in DCA), you might run into problems at the entrance gates if you want to parkhop (the system needs to be manually overridden by the CM, and some don't understand, and will call over their supervisor (but many do understand). I recommend doing it later in the evening, to prevent potential problems.

I think your "source" got mixed up with the FIRST day of purchase can be on a blackout date rule.

Once you are in Disneyland for the evening on Saturday, just keep checking in on the place, it is amazing how quickly that line moves at the end of the evening (guess the CM's want to go home....);)

redrhino
09-15-2003, 10:49 PM
Oh well ...

I guess that we will need to UPgrade.

Thanks for the info!

Redrhino

SueinSac
09-16-2003, 12:53 AM
Hi Redrhino --

We've frequently done the "buy a pass and then upgrade" plan.

However, if you're a member of AAA, you might want to buy your initial pass at AAA instead of the main gate. With a AAA pass, you get free parking until you upgrade. You're going to end up spending the same amount of money for your So-Cal APs in the end, regardless of any AAA vs. main gate price differences. You just get to save on parking in the meantime. 8-)

Sue in Sacramento

Darkbeer
09-16-2003, 02:29 AM
The ACSC (Automobile Club of Southern California) does not sale just "tickets", but only packages (which does include the Passport Plus)... Since the cheapest Passport Plus is MORE expensive ($122.75) than a SoCal AP, this will not work.

If parking is important to you, you might want to think about buying ONE Premium AP, and then 4 SoCals. The cost difference is $120, but you would get the free parking (normally $8 a day), plus better food discounts, and the 10% merchandise discount. And the one Premium AP can be used for the "entire" group (so long as the Premium AP holder is present. Between the three savings, it MIGHT pay for itself... Only you know how much you spend in on-property food, merchandise, and how many times you would use the Mickey and Friends Parking.....

FYI, in case you didn't know it, Disneyland is now enforcing the Zip Code requirements to purchase a SoCal AP.

redrhino
09-16-2003, 07:33 AM
So, if I pay an additional $120ish, I can cover the $40 parking fee I had been intending to pay, but I will expand my discount to additional eateries and to all merchandise.

Let's do the math. At 10 days worth of visiting (four two or three day trips during the upcoming year ... but possibly more) that would mean that with a 10% discount on dining and other purchases we would need to spend $80/day (before discount) to make it worthwhile. With four kids, breakfast (sometimes), lunch and dinner plus bribes at $10/day/kid we are just about at the break even point.

However, if out of town relatives want to visit the parks during Summer, it will only mean upgrading three passes to delux or buying four blockout day tickets instead of five.

Thanks for the info!

Redrhino

Ghoulish Delight
09-16-2003, 10:18 AM
Originally posted by Darkbeer
Disneyland for the evening on Saturday, just keep checking in on the place, it is amazing how quickly that line moves at the end of the evening (guess the CM's want to go home....);) Hrmm, not necessarily. We were just there at closing last Friday. When we got there, there were two CMs actually processing (and about 4 wandering around doing paperwork). Each of those CMs were servicing a family. We were second in line. It took FOREVER! We were there a good 20 minutes before we got helped. It was a matter of there being a couple largish (4+) families in front of us, and one group that either had a problem or needed every little thing explained to them. So with only two CMs servicing guests, it went SLOOOW.

redrhino
10-21-2003, 11:47 AM
We ended up going with one premium AP (because with our spending patterns and likely number of visits we probably won't be more than $40 ahead or behind in either case).

However, we did notice something after buying the AP ... the "selected" places to eat where the discount applies isn't necessarily the places we would choose to eat. In particular, we would sometimes want pancakes at the River Belle Terace but that won't get a discount. Bummer. Similarly, Cafe Orleans is non-discount. Village Haus was where we first bumped into this, but no big loss ... we don't tend to go there anyway.

My point (I do tend to ramble on sometimes) is that the person who is likely to eat at the "fast food" places and not likely to eat at the "fancy" places will experience fewer of the benefits and so should take that into account when considering which pass to purchase.

Redrhino (who noticed he was sweating a LOT on Sunday and Monday)

Andrew
10-21-2003, 11:51 AM
Originally posted by redrhino
However, we did notice something after buying the AP ... the "selected" places to eat where the discount applies isn't necessarily the places we would choose to eat. In particular, we would sometimes want pancakes at the River Belle Terace but that won't get a discount. Bummer. Similarly, Cafe Orleans is non-discount. Village Haus was where we first bumped into this, but no big loss ... we don't tend to go there anyway.

Don't forget that AP discounts change all the time, sometimes at the whim of the opening manager of each location. Ask for your discount every time, even if you've been turned down in the past. Don't put up a fuss if you don't get it, though!