Originally Posted By fidoprincess We have 5 day park hoppers from the disney site and I think we should upgrade them when we go for Thanksgiving because chances are we will go at least one more time throughout the year. (Still regret that I didn't do it last Spring Break and here we are going again!) I remember reading something about having to do it on the last day so we get the "full" whole year but what are the other tricks/benefits? We need to get the ones that have no blockout dates because we can only come when the kids are out of school. Is that a DAP? How much more would they cost? Do we go to guest services outside the park to do this? There are 4 of us, 3 adult tickets and one child. Thanks in advance for your help.
Originally Posted By SuzieQ The AP with no blackout dates is the Premium. It comes with parking as well. There is an advantage of upgrading the last day if you have unused features with your parkhopper. Otherwise it's better to upgrade earlier and start getting your AP discounts. If you have an ESPN Zone card with your ticket, pick that up first. Also, use any early entries before converting. You can upgrade at Guest Services, any ticket booth or at the processing center inside the park. The full cost of your parkhopper will be applied to the AP you choose. Your AP must cost more than you paid for the parkhopper, though. "Upgrading" only. Here's a link to the information about the various AP and their associted discounts. https://secure.disney.go.com/disneyland/en_US/ap/index?name=AnnualPassholderGatewayPage&appRedirect=<a href="http://disneyland.disney.go.com/disneyland/en_US/ap/gated/landing?name=AnnualPassholderLandingPage" target="_blank">http://disneyland.disney.go.co m/disneyland/en_US/ap/gated/landing?name=AnnualPassholderLandingPage</a>
Originally Posted By trekkeruss If you need year-round access with no blockout dates, you want the PAP: the Premium Annual Pass. Personally, I would just upgrade at least one passport immediately, so you could take advantage of all the discounts that come with an AP.
Originally Posted By Darkbeer WARNING!!!! DO NOT UPGRADE during Thanksgiving week until the last day, as you might have to buy Blockout Passes for the rest of the weekend!!!!
Originally Posted By belle42 Darkbeer dear, if they get Premiums they don't have to worry about blockouts and if I recall, it's the Premiums that have all the discounts.
Originally Posted By Darkbeer OK, there are 4 types of Annual Passes, there are two types of SoCal passes, and then the two most common ones, the Deluxe and the Premium. You can see the blockout dates for all the AP's at... <a href="http://www.disneyland.com/ap" target="_blank">http://www.disneyland.com/ap</a> So, most people get the Deluxe, as there are only 50 dates blocked out, mainly Saturdays and Major Holidays. Blockout passes are just $30 a day, so if you will have one blockout date during your second visit, that is a lot less than $120. Look at the dates, and figure out will you visit when there are 4 or more Blcokout dates, if not, more than likely you will want the Deluxe. The other thing to think about is the discounts... Pretty much, all 4 AP's get the same Hotel Room discounts, and the Downtown Disney discounts. The food discounts, Deluxe and SoCal's get 10% off at most places, and Premium gets 15% off. The one major difference is the fact that only the Premium gets 10% off merchandise inside the park. Also, the Premium gets free parking at the Mickey and Friends Structure (other AP's can buy the parking for $49 a year). So, if you plan to upgrade directly to a Premium, then do it after you have gotten your ESPN Zone game card, and used the Early Entry, then upgrade for the discounts. But if you are planning to get a Deluxe or SoCal AP, make SURE there are no more Blockout days before you upgrade. For Thanksgiving week, that means after your LAST entry into the park on Saturday (if you upgrade earlier that day, you could run into problems when re-entering the park). As for where to upgrade, do it at the Bank of Main Street (the AP Processing center), there is NO reason to stand in two lines, when you can get everything taken care of (payment and photo) in one stop. If you upgrade at the Ticket windows, they will collect your money, but you still have to stand in the line at the Bank of Main Street to get your photo taken. Alas, Disneyland.com does not allow non-AP holders to see the full list of discounts.... Here is a link to a site that does give a good list... <a href="http://www.mousesavers.com/dlticketprices.html#annual" target="_blank">http://www.mousesavers.com/dlt icketprices.html#annual</a> As for the discounts, with the change in September, unless you buy a LOT of Food and Merchandise, it doesn't make much sense to buy a Premium just for the discounts. Many families do need the parking, and what they do is have one family member buy a Premium, and then the rest of the family gets Deluxe's or SoCal's...
Originally Posted By fidoprincess WOW! Thanks for all of your help. Now I can't decide-ugh. To upgrade to Premium would be $750 (1396-646pd). To buy new 5day tickets next year would be $686 so it's only $64 difference but I am not positive we'd go more than once throughout the whole year. I already have AAA discounts and the Disney Visa discounts so not sure the extra 5% discount is worth it. We never use the parking even when we got it free through AAA. On the other hand, the hotel rates would be nice but we don't mind staying off property and having the frige/micro and a shorter walk than PP or DH. (Never stay at the GC because DH smokes outside and there is no place for him to go at that hotel.) And no early entry ever again unless staying on property? Well I have 2 weeks to decide so if anyone else has tips/hints etc. let me know and thanks again for all the info!
Originally Posted By Mrs ElderP oh, and when you upgrade, if you are buying parking with a deluxe on down, have your parking recipt and they will credit that too. ($10 is $10!) I don't know if they credit the parking you paid that day towards a premium. Anyone else know?
Originally Posted By Darkbeer ^Yes, if you get Premium, or any other AP wuth Parking, you can get ONE day's Parking refunded, if you bring a paid receipt with processing.
Originally Posted By Darkbeer >>WOW! Thanks for all of your help. Now I can't decide-ugh. To upgrade to Premium would be $750 (1396-646pd). To buy new 5day tickets next year would be $686 so it's only $64 difference but I am not positive we'd go more than once throughout the whole year. << Upgrading to a Deluxe would just be $270 total. Did you look at the Blockout dates? When will you return, you would save money if you had just one blockout date during your second trip....
Originally Posted By fidoprincess Thanks Darkbeer, I did look at the dates and although there aren't many, those Saturday blockouts would be a killer! We sat down last night and talked it over and decided to do it)well, almost)! I said I wanted to go for my b-day Jan 12-16 and then we "could" go again 2/10-2/12 or 2/17-2/20. No March but April 14-21 is Spring Break for us and we decided not to do Mexico so why not DL-lol. Memorial Weekend is open and then school is out 6/8 so we have lots of chances to go. We only had 2 big concerns: neither of us likes the drive-we are on the coast between Monterey/Carmel and SF. The drive down is bad enough but coming home on the holiday weekends is really scary with bumper to bumper traffic the whole way home-ugh. Flights are so costly and since we are far from the airport, it only saves us about 2 hours for no less than $800/family. We also wonder how easy it is to get the AP rates at the hotels. If Jan rate at DL is only $79, that is $30 less than HoJo and really appeals but it looks as though "we" won't be able to get those rates going on weekends and holidays. Do you know? The kids are perfect ages (10,6)to do it and when I asked them about it they were very excited! Who knows how long the 10 year old will love DL and want to go. At least we know he will love it one more year-lol. Can you give me more info about getting the hotel rates? Can you "ask" for park view rooms or do you just automatically get the standard? Can you pay an AP rate for a view room? Thanks so much! Oh and it this true?:No early entry with any passport? IF staying on property, do you get EE?
Originally Posted By murfsmom i'm sure these questions have been asked over and over but here goes, my sisters and i are planning a 2 day trip to disneyland for our other sisters 50th birthday in april, were plannining on apr 3rd & 4th, i have a premium pass, so i don't need park hopper tickets, so what would be the best way to, should we book the hotel and get the tickets in a pkg deal ? or just get the room and tickets seperate ? and why is the concierge so expensive ????????? we wanted to go that route but changed our minds when we saw the cost, thanks for your help, murfsmom@sbcglobal.net
Originally Posted By mickeynewe Okay, I know that you can get AP rates for almost all of January right now. $89.00 Sun-Thurs; $109 Fri & Sat. Any "holiday" time you can pretty much throw out the window for AP rates unless for some strange reason the hotels are not getting filled up. Then it is just a matter of having to call repeatedly to find out. No big deal there! I always "request" a room with a view. They never "guarantee" it, but they always try their best if one is available. They don't charge extra for it. You can get early entry, you just have to show your hotel receipt or your hotel room charge card. murfsmom: I have always found it less expensive to just book everything myself, plus then you always have the option of cancelling out if the need arises.
Originally Posted By fidoprincess Thanks Miceynewe! Your posts are so helpful and we have so much in common! Are you from the Bay Area? How do you "get your money's worth" from your AP? Do you drive down just for weekends? DH said he wouldn't drive down on a Friday night and home on Sunday. He said it's not worth it. The kids have 2 mondays off in Feb (18th & 20th) so he said he would go those weekends but nothing else until Spring Break and then Memorial Day-ugh. Oh one last thing, when you book the resort rooms, is that when you "request" a view or when you check in? Thanks again! You leave soon too right? We go the 22-27. Are you at HOJO's then?
Originally Posted By mickeynewe Hi Fidoprincess! Yes, we are from the Bay Area!! We try to go on two vacations a year, that is how we get our money's worth! Plus, all the restaurant discounts, etc. We have driven down before for just a weekend when our daughter was little, now it is too much for her! LOL..you would think it would be the opposite, but with her school schedule, its just too tiring. We were supposed to have gone this week (actually we would have returned today!) but that vacation was cancelled. We are now hoping to go on November 26th-30th. However, his work is still not guaranteeing any vacations until after the first of the year so I also have another backup date in January. If we are able to go at the end of the month, we will be staying the night of the 26th at Hojos and then moving over to the DLH the next day. Saturday is a blackout day so we are planning on just bumming around DTD most of the day after we get there. I need to start making my reservations!! When requesting the "view" I always do it after the fact. I contact vacation planning to put in the request. Maybe we'll see you at Hojos!
Originally Posted By fidoprincess Oh I'm so sorry I didn't see that you had to cancel. I hope you get to go in Nov. I know all about Dh and work-lol. I was just begging mine to please take off for 1/12 Thursday so we could leave that morning but he said all he can do is take off 1/13 Friday-ugh. SO I guess we will drive down after work on Thursday, spend the 1st night at PP and then move over to DLH. We switched between the two hotels in the past and it was a real pain because you have to be out of one by 11 and then can't get into the other until 3 although they let us check in right away, just no room until after 3. They did move out luggage for us though but it cost $$ tipping both the guy who picked it up and the one who received it. I am one who just hates to leave the park for any reason-lol. At those rates though, it is hard not stay at one of the resort hotels. I guess we really wouldn't have to switch but DH has traditionally always been more expensive so if I am paying the same, I'd rather be there!
