What to do if you missed your chance to buy tickets?

 

Flexoffers

It is official, as discussed yesterday, Disney World ticket prices have gone up.  How much you ask?  Well if you check the Disney website right now, this is what you will find:

From a computer system point of view, this change was huge, and it is evident that they were not able to get everything sorted out over night.  We do not have the current ticket prices “officially” from DIsney yet, but it is fair to say that several sources believer that they do. There is a great article about the changes at the Orlando Sentinel.

How to earn yourself a little discount on a annual pass?

There really are no official ways to get discounted season passes that I am aware of, but if you like being creative, there is a little tip that I have to save up to 5.68% on your season pass.  With the cheapest pass currently priced at $749, you can save about $42 per ticket.  For a family of four, that can save you up to $168.

So what’s the secret?

Is February 28th the BIG day?

For everyone that has been following several Disney sources in the past few months, everyone has been predicting a price increase is coming soon.  This is a normal occurrence that happens every year, and sometimes twice in a year.  Last year, the magic day was February 22nd.   On october 4th, Disney increased annual passes, but the regular Disney prices have stayed the same.  We have now made it a full year without a ticket price increase, even while watching the Universal ticket prices pass up Disney’s earlier this month.

In my experience over the past few years, everyone likes to post “ticket prices are coming soon.”  But it appears that no one is able to predict the exact date, until 24 hours before it happens.  Several sources have now predicted that the day is tomorrow, but that is not the real news.  SO WHAT IS THE BIG NEWS?

How to make Disney affordable??

Before getting into to many details, I must first provide a warning:  if the title if the article had you thinking “free Disney vacation,” then let me apologize for misleading you.  Magic Kingdom was ranked #1 in theme park attendance with 19,332,000 guests, in 2014; as a result of this single fact, simple economics of supply and demand will dictate that Disney world is relatively expensive to most people.  If you put it in perspective with other theme parks, like Universal and Seaworld,  I personally think Disney is a deal (relatively speaking of course).  A Disney vacation can likely cost the average family of 4 anywhere from about $2,000 to well over $6,000.  Since most people reading this article are likely looking at the $2,000 figure more than the $6,000 figure, I must add that it will take rewards points, free flight vouchers, or maybe free accommodations from friends or family that may live in Orlando.  Since each person has different priorities, I would love to share with you all the possibilities to help make your vacation a little bit more affordable for you.

Should you renew your annual pass?

The simple answer to this question is no.  Here is the reason why.  Annual passes are activated the first day that you enter the park.  This gives you 365 days to go to the park on your annual pass.  If you decide to renew your annual pass, the new pass starts on day 365.  My advice to all annual pass holders is to plan your trips so that you are able to use your pass on the first (which is automatic) and the last day that the pass is active.  If you do not return to the parks for 3 months (or more) after your pass expires, that is an extra 3 months that you do not have to pay for.  If you renew your pass, you will be paying for those extra 3 months.  The savings you receive for the annual pass renewal depends on the type of pass, but the biggest savings you can experience is approximately $120.

When do you consider an Annual Pass ?

General Rule of Thumb – Two Visits

The general rule when deciding whether or not it is necessary, or whether it makes sense to upgrade to an annual pass is the two trip rule.  So the general rule says that if you will make two trips in a year, you may want to consider an annual pass.  Of course the general rule is just that, very general.  In other words, if you are only going one time, do not even consider it.  If you are going more than two times, it is a no brainer.  But going two times requires a good amount of planning and analysis to really determine whether it is better to go with an annual pass, or with a regular ticket.  It is also important to understand the benefits of an annual pass, which can be found here at this link..

In order to get a little more specific, the following charts below  provide a little more specific analysis to each person’s individual situation.

More Specific Analysis

Platinum Pass compared to a base theme park ticket

When compared to the base theme park ticket, the annual pass is an obvious choice for an adult, when visiting the theme parks for 9 or 10 days, two different times during the year.  The annual pass is not a good choice for an adult that spends less than 4 days in the park on two different trips or a child that spends 5 days or less on two different trips.   For all other scenarios, additional savings and considerations should be considered before deciding whether or not a annual pass is worth buying for your family.

Platinum Pass compared to a Park Hopper theme park ticket

When compared to the Park Hopper Ticket, the annual pass is an obvious choice for an adult, when visiting the theme parks for 5 days or more, two different times during the year, or a child that visits more than 6 days, two different times during the year.  The Pass is not a good choice for an adult that spends less than 2 days in the park on two different trips or a child that spends 2 days or less on two different trips.   For all other scenarios, additional savings and considerations should be considered before deciding whether or not a annual pass is worth buying for your family.

Platinum Pass Plus compared to a Park Hopper with Water Park Option and more theme park ticket

When compared to the Park Hopper with Water Park Option and more Ticket, the annual pass is an obvious choice for an adult, when visiting the theme parks for 6 days or more, two different times during the year, or a child that visits more than 7 days, two different times during the year.  The Pass is not a good choice for an adult that spends less than 4 days in the park on two different trips or a child that spends 5 days or less on two different trips.   For all other scenarios, additional savings and considerations should be considered before deciding whether or not a annual pass is worth buying for your family.

Still Undecided?

So if you plan on going twice in the next year, but you fall in the yellow category in the above charts, how do you decide?  Let’s break it down a little further.

The cost in the yellow areas of the above charts is not quite as much as the annual pass price, but they are close.  There are additional factors, or cost savings that may suggest you buy an annual pass.

1. Memory Maker – The new pass benefits for 2016 include the benefit of Memory Maker. The Memory Maker allows for you to download all your Disney photos at no additional cost.  Without the annual pass, this additional feature will cost you $149 – $169 extra.  Another thought to consider is that you will only need to buy one annual pass for your entire family to enjoy the benefits of the memory maker.  If you are barely in the yellow category, it may make the most sense for you to purchase one annual pass, and buy separate tickets for the rest of the family.
2. Free Parking – If you like to stay on property, this benefit is not really an added benefit for you, as all guest that stay on property have free parking available to them. If you like to stay off property, however, make sure you consider the cost of $20 per day of extra parking fees.  If you are going to go to the park 5 times a piece on two different trips, that can add up to be an extra $200 you may want to add to the amounts listed above.  But, just as noted above, you can buy just one annual pass for your family to receive this benefit and have all others purchase the regular park tickets.
3. Special Offers – If you think you would be able to take advantage of special room discounts throughout the year, chances are, that may make it more reasonable for you to add a annual pass for at least one family member. Again, all members can benefit if just one member is eligible for discounted rooms or special offers throughout the year.
4. Magic Bands – To be honest, it is unlikely that the complimentary magic band for pass holders is a legitimate reason to decide to buy a annual pass. But if you are on the yellow area very close to green on the charts above, and you can stand to benefit from free parking, free memory maker, room discounts, and park hopper, the magic band may be just the reason to push you over the edge.

As a big Disney fan myself, I have one more suggestion that will make your entire decision process easier.  If you fall anywhere in the middle of the yellow areas in the charts above, and are frustrated with trying to figure out whether it is worth it or not, the easy solution is to find a way to spend a couple extra days in the park each trip or take one more trip this year.  That would make the decision much easier.  If you plan on going to the park during the summer, spring break, and again next summer; just make sure your first summer trip is one week later the first summer compared to the 2^nd.  In other words, plan the trips June 15-20, March 13-18, and then June 10-15.  This would allow you a third trip in the same 365 days.

Annual Pass Benefits

Disney offers two categories of annual passes; Florida Resident Annual Passes, Annual Passes for Non-Florida Residents.   The main difference between the two is price, payment options, and block out dates.  To help decide if an annual pass is right for your family, read here for more information. .

Non – Florida Resident Annual Pass Options

Character Autographs

Character Autographs can be a lot of fun.  Most people just buy the standard autograph book from Disney and get each page signed by a different character.  Some are pretty creative and get a few ideas from Pinterest to make their own autograph book and make it a little more special.  But what do you do after your 10th trip and your 20th book, between multiple kids (because you know each one needs their own right??)

My family has found multiple creative ideas to continue to get character autographs on new souvenirs to bring home from the trip.  These ideas include pillow cases, large piggy banks, pumpkin from the Halloween Party, Lightening McQueen vinylmation, Mickey Vinylmation, and my all time favorite, Baymax paper Mache’.

In the process of obtaining character autographs, there have been two magical experiences that have been created.  Our first magical experience involved our Baymax paper mache’.  We carried our baymax around the park today as a prized possession.  We were very proud of our creation and did not want him to break.  Many guests and cast members were impressed and had many kind words about Baymax.  As anyone who has been fortunate enough to meet Baymax already knows, Baymax does not sign.  But we decided that we would take our little Baymax in line anyway so we can at least take a picture with him and show him to Baymax.  There was a small part of me that was hoping that there was some way he could be signed.  We met Baymax, showed him our little Baymax, and took pictures with him before exiting the area.  Just as we were leaving the area, a cast member stopped us and asked to see Baymax.  She told us that Baymax does not sign because his line is really popular and he does not want his friends to wait too long, but since we made a Baymax, he would be happy to take it back with during the break and sign it.  Our dreams had come true. Hiro and Baymax signed on the bottom of his right leg.

On another occasion, we had a Mickey Vinylmation at Hollywood Studios that we were carrying in our back pack.  While waiting in line for the Great Movie Ride, our infant had a blow out.  We rushed out of the line, took everything out of our backpack, and tried to find the extra change of clothes.  In the process of trying to take care of our minor emergency, we left the Vinylmation on top of a trashcan.   It took about an hour before we noticed our mistake, and returned to the trashcan to find that our Vinylmation was no longer there.  We went to guest services to report our missing vinylmation, but he was not located.  The guest services personnel told us that they would be on the lookout and will let us know if he is found.  They asked what day we were leaving to go back home and assured that they would do what they could to help.  We were fortunate that my wife had a picture of the missing vinylmation so that they could see exactly the signatures that were there.  We continued to call guest services each day of the trip, but no luck.  They told us to come back to the park on our last day and they would do the best they could to help find our missing treasure.   Upon arrival to the park, we were provided a brand new vinylmation with most of our signatures, and a few extra.  As you can also imagine, it can be very difficult for characters with large hands to sign the vinylmations while trying to hurry and meet all the waiting friends.  This vinylmation was quite different and special.  The signatures were perfect.  You can notice the difference on the picture below.  Can you guess which vinylmation was signed “behind the scenes?”

The following is a list of all the characters in which we have signatures: Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, Donald, Daisy, Anna, Elsa, Doc Mcstuffins, Handy Manny, Jake, Oso, Sofia, June, Woody, Buzz, Jessie, Phineas, Ferb, Lilo, Stitch, Mr. Incredible, Mrs. Incredible, Frozone, Baymax, Hiro, Green Army Man, Gideon, Max, Captain Hook, Gepeto, Mr. Penguin, Mary Poppins, Meeko, Pocahontas, The Genie, The Queen, Russel, Dug, Tarzan, Rafiki, Alice, Jiminy Cricket, Alice, White Rabbit, Mad Hatter, Pooh, Piglet, Eeyore, Tigger, Drizella, Lady Tremaine, Fairy Godmother, Aladdin, Abu, Jasmine, Belle, Cinderella, Rapunzel, Aurora, Ariel, Merida, Tinker Bell, Rezeta, Terence, Gaston, Tiana, Naveen,  The Prince, Snow White, Flynn Ryder, Prince Philip, and Dopey.

February 21, 2016 – Disneyland 60

The Disneyland Resort Diamond Celebration is the inspiration for a glamorous, star-studded two-hour television event, “The Wonderful World of Disney: Disneyland 60,” on Sunday, Feb. 21 at 7 Central time on the ABC Television Network. The event will be hosted by two-time Emmy Award winner, Derek Hough, the special broadcast will originate from both the heart of Hollywood at the Dolby Theater and at some of the most iconic locations throughout the Disneyland Resort including Sleeping Beauty Castle, Main Street, U.S.A., and Cars Land.

The star studded line up of music, film and television personalities will participate in the festivities on “The Wonderful World of Disney:  Disneyland 60.”  include Jessica Alba, Jason Bateman, Kristen Bell, Julie Bowen, Ty Burrell, Sabrina Carpenter, Sofia Carson, Priyanka Chopra, Viola Davis, Hilary Duff, Ginnifer Goodwin, Nolan Gould, Neil Patrick Harris, Bryce Dallas Howard, Sarah Hyland, Jimmy Kimmel, Dame Helen Mirren, Lupita Nyong’o, Pink, Alfonso Ribeiro, John Stamos, Eric Stonestreet, Kiefer Sutherland, Kerry Washington, Ariel Winter and Zendaya Kelsea Ballerini,  Witney Carson, Harrison Ford, Josh Gad, Jessie J, Elton John, Tori Kelly and Kermit the Frog, Maddie Ziegler and The Los Angeles Philharmonic conducted by music and artistic director Gustavo Dudamel.

 

Star Wars: A Galactic Spectacular

Beginning on April 4th, there will be several changes to the the Star Wars offerings at Hollywood Studios.  Based on the most recent history, it looks like Disney will be continuing to add Star Wars events, shows and characters, leading up the the new Star Wars Land.   Today Disney has announced a new fire work show, a new stage show, and a new procession.

A new Star Wars fireworks show, “Star Wars: A Galactic Spectacular” will begin April 4th.  This new nightly show is the next generation of the current Star Wars-inspired fireworks show. The show will combine fireworks, pyrotechnics, special effects and video projections that will turn the nearby Chinese Theater and other buildings into the twin suns of Tatooine, a field of battle droids, the trench of the Death Star, Starkiller Base and other Star Wars destinations. The show will be punctuated with a tower of fire and spotlight beams, creating massive lightsabers in the sky. This new show will be the most elaborate fireworks display to take place in the history of Disney’s Hollywood Studios.

There will also be a new stage show – “Star Wars: A Galaxy Far, Far Away.” The new show will play out iconic moments from the film saga on Center Stage (in front of the Chinese Theater), and will feature appearances from Star Wars characters like Kylo Ren, Chewbacca, Darth Vader and Darth Maul.

On the same day, a procession will begin, in which Captain Phasma will begin leading a platoon of First Order stormtroopers on a march from Star Wars Launch Bay to Center Stage multiple times each day.