Tips on ticket purchase and days please

[MattBoston]

HI all,

I have a DVC rental for boardwalk from Dec 8 - 14. 2 Adults and a 5 year old. I've already purchased Christmas party tickets for the day we arrive but I've been holding off on actual tickets until Sept 20th or so to see if Disney will publish any kind of ticket promotion like they've had since April. I have a few questions around what I should purchase and how to pick my park days:

1. Does waiting make any sense? How likely is Disney to have promotion around tickets for the fall/winter?
2. I know I don't need to pick my park days in advance anymore but with the Christmas party I've heard it's best to go during the day on a party day to MK because of lower crowds, is this true?
3. If I do use a day pass on a Christmas party day how do they make us leave? Is it possible to have dinner reservation and see the fireworks and just not go on rides without the after hour event ticket?
4. Is a park hopper worth it with a Toddler in tow? I don't foresee them lasting from morning until fireworks without some rest, so I'm wondering if it make sense to do half days at MK and AK then do evenings and the other two because they're closer.

Thanks for the help in advance!

 

[lanejudy]

1. It is very unlikely for a ticket promo to come out for December. You can save a few dollars buying from an authorized reseller.

2. That’s what I’ve heard as well but I haven’t been at that time of year for quite a while.

3. If you have a dining reservation that starts before the party you can stay to eat but likely will be escorted out afterwards. They won’t let you stay in the park for the party.

4. That’s really personal choice. My family has never used PH but some folks can’t imagine not hopping.

 

[Genie+]

1. Does waiting make any sense? How likely is Disney to have promotion around tickets for the fall/winter?

WDW usually does room package discounts this time of year - they lean on the rack rates being so high and then offer free dining with full price room and hopper ticket. This year they also have a room/ticket package that has room discount and free hopper upgrade*. I don’t think it’s likely the 3 and 4 day ticket deals we saw over the summer will happen over the lucrative holiday season.

Last year in Oct, Trip Advisor partnered with Target Circle and had a 20% discount on most/all tickets. It only worked up to $1200 per account but that’s one of the best ticket offers I’ve ever seen that time of year separate from a full WDW package. We used it to buy 6 Jollywood tickets and saved $240. Hope they repeat this year. Other people used it on multiday tickets and hoppers.

2. I know I don't need to pick my park days in advance anymore but with the Christmas party I've heard it's best to go during the day on a party day to MK because of lower crowds, is this true?

Yes. The crowd level between party and non party days is staggering. Non-party days are always packed because people want the longer hours and fireworks. You must leave the park by 7pm on party days without an MVMCP ticket.

3. If I do use a day pass on a Christmas party day how do they make us leave? Is it possible to have dinner reservation and see the fireworks and just not go on rides without the after hour event ticket?

They are vigilant about leading guests out of the park who do not have wristbands. MK technically closes 6pm and they’ll let folks stay for the 6:15pm tree lighting, but after that anywhere you try to go they’ll check and block you except in direction of exit. I think ADRs after 5:45pm or something warn you need party ticket. If you book an earlier meal and it runs past 6/7pm, they kind of usher you out of the park. By the time special parades and fireworks happen, al day guests are long gone. They have it down to a science. Like EEH just blocks people from rides, these parties keep checking everybody walking around.

You can get a view of the fireworks from outside MK, around those resorts.

4. Is a park hopper worth it with a Toddler in tow? I don't foresee them lasting from morning until fireworks without some rest, so I'm wondering if it make sense to do half days at MK and AK then do evenings and the other two because they're closer.

*The above mentioned hopper - I think this new type of WDW offer is to help guests have a better time by having an easier way to navigate around all the Christmas parties. Not only is it enticing, it helps protect guest experience.

Hoppers are a big expense to add but MK party season is probably the best use to get from them, and now JN at HS too. On party days you can anjoy MK, maybe take a break and go pop into EP or HS for a couple rides and those nightshows (both are fantastic!). On non-party days MK is an absolute zoo. So I’d go to a different park that day and just pop in to MK late for fireworks and a few other things.

Which resort are you staying? I plan my hopping around that usually. If we’re by EP/HS we’ll pair one of those with MK or AK. This way most of the day we’re near our room coming and going to freshen up, with a shorter jaunt to the other parks. It balances well. By MK we do similar. We’ll break MK into smaller chunks since it’s so easy back and forth.

 

[MattBoston]

WDW usually does room package discounts this time of year - they lean on the rack rates being so high and then offer free dining with full price room and hopper ticket. This year they also have a room/ticket package that has room discount and free hopper upgrade*. I don’t think it’s likely the 3 and 4 day ticket deals we saw over the summer will happen over the lucrative holiday season.

Last year in Oct, Trip Advisor partnered with Target Circle and had a 20% discount on most/all tickets. It only worked up to $1200 per account but that’s one of the best ticket offers I’ve ever seen that time of year separate from a full WDW package. We used it to buy 6 Jollywood tickets and saved $240. Hope they repeat this year. Other people used it on multiday tickets and hoppers.

Yes. The crowd level between party and non party days is staggering. Non-party days are always packed because people want the longer hours and fireworks. You must leave the park by 7pm on party days without an MVMCP ticket.

They are vigilant about leading guests out of the park who do not have wristbands. MK technically closes 6pm and they’ll let folks stay for the 6:15pm tree lighting, but after that anywhere you try to go they’ll check and block you except in direction of exit. I think ADRs after 5:45pm or something warn you need party ticket. If you book an earlier meal and it runs past 6/7pm, they kind of usher you out of the park. By the time special parades and fireworks happen, al day guests are long gone. They have it down to a science. Like EEH just blocks people from rides, these parties keep checking everybody walking around.

You can get a view of the fireworks from outside MK, around those resorts.


*The above mentioned hopper - I think this new type of WDW offer is to help guests have a better time by having an easier way to navigate around all the Christmas parties. Not only is it enticing, it helps protect guest experience.

Hoppers are a big expense to add but MK party season is probably the best use to get from them, and now JN at HS too. On party days you can anjoy MK, maybe take a break and go pop into EP or HS for a couple rides and those nightshows (both are fantastic!). On non-party days MK is an absolute zoo. So I’d go to a different park that day and just pop in to MK late for fireworks and a few other things.

Which resort are you staying? I plan my hopping around that usually. If we’re by EP/HS we’ll pair one of those with MK or AK. This way most of the day we’re near our room coming and going to freshen up, with a shorter jaunt to the other parks. It balances well. By MK we do similar. We’ll break MK into smaller chunks since it’s so easy back and forth.

We're staying at boardwalk by way of a renting DVC points so I'm going I saved money vs going with the current promotion. Based on the responses I should buy my tickets now, I just need to decide on how many days and if I want to purchase a PH. The extra price x3 is not easy to swallow but neither will be missing nighttime shows constantly from having a tired child.

 

[Best Aunt]

OP, interesting that you are thinking that if you buy now, a discount might come out later.

I'm always thinking that if I don't buy now, a price increase might come out later.

 

[CarolynFH]

I just need to decide on how many days and if I want to purchase a PH.

You can buy base tickets now and add the PH option after you get there and can decide whether it's useful to you or not. Just be aware that the PH option will cost the same whether you add it on the first day or the last or any day in between.

 

[Genie+]

OP, interesting that you are thinking that if you buy now, a discount might come out later.

I'm always thinking that if I don't buy now, a price increase might come out later.

Good point! Rumor is price increases set to happen Oct 9.

Ya never know though. On Monday they can say tomorrow, or even give no advance warning at all.