cheapest way to buy annual pass (DVC)

[nboicepardee]

Hi all,
I am doing my best to understand how to buy the cheapest annual pass, as a DVC member. From what I understand, I can buy a ticket (let's just say a 7 day MYW ticket) from Undercover tourist for 232.95 (adult). I use it once, and then upgrade to a DVC annual pass. They will then give me $79 off the cost of the annual pass (one day's worth of admission). Does it matter which ticket I purchase first? How much will the annual pass cost me when I am all done? I am figuring about $320.

Thank you for helping me understand! I have read about this before, but I want to know I am doing it correct!

Have a great day!
Natalie

 

[FigmentLady]

I could be mistaken but from what I understand, you will pay the difference between the DVC AP price and the gate price of the ticket you are upgrading.

They don't give an additional credit/discount they just don't penalize you if you upgrade a ticket that has been used.

If you upgrade the ticket before you use it, then they charge you the difference between the price you paid and the price of the AP.

 

[vicki_c]

Hi all,
I am doing my best to understand how to buy the cheapest annual pass, as a DVC member. From what I understand, I can buy a ticket (let's just say a 7 day MYW ticket) from Undercover tourist for 232.95 (adult). I use it once, and then upgrade to a DVC annual pass. They will then give me $79 off the cost of the annual pass (one day's worth of admission). Does it matter which ticket I purchase first? How much will the annual pass cost me when I am all done? I am figuring about $320.

Thank you for helping me understand! I have read about this before, but I want to know I am doing it correct!

Have a great day!
Natalie

I don't understand - does it matter which ticket I buy first? You have to buy a ticket, then you upgrade it - there's no other way to do it.

You will pay the difference between the price of the DVC AP less the gate price of the ticket you have in hand.

If you get a ticket from UT that costs $232 that is worth $250 at the gate (just a made up #), you will get $250 applied to the purchase price of the AP (provided you use the ticket at least once before upgrading). I think the current DVC AP price is around $420, so you would owe about $170.

When you purchase the ticket from UT - you want to buy the ticket that has the greatest discount off the gate price, without going over the price of a DVC AP. I think someone posted a while ago that that was a 7 day hopper - but because UT prices change, you would want to check those #s yourself.

 

[lucyem]

Buy a ticket. Use it once. Upgrade within 14 days to the DVC AP.
Final price = cost of DVC AP - gate cost of that ticket.

Buy a ticket. Do not use it. Upgrade to DVC AP.
Final Price = cost of DVC AP - the cost of that ticket that you actually paid.

If you bought that ticket through UT for example at a slightly discounted price, you can save a little bit when upgrading it after the first use. Buy a ticket with the largest discount without going over the cost of the DVC AP because they will not give you money back.

 

[dis-happy]

Buy a ticket with the largest discount without going over the cost of the DVC AP because they will not give you money back.

I messed up on this account (did the math the wrong direction and ended up with a ticket worth more than the DVC AP price) and they actually gave my money back, to my great surprise. You never know when you'll gather some pixie dust!!!!

 

[disfanforlife]

Question what if you used the 7 day ticket more than once. Would you still get the full price applied to the annual pass? What day would the annual pass start from? The first day you used the ticket or the actual day that you made the upgrade?

 

[dis-happy]

Question what if you used the 7 day ticket more than once. Would you still get the full price applied to the annual pass? What day would the annual pass start from? The first day you used the ticket or the actual day that you made the upgrade?

You have 14 days to upgrade. AP will be backdated to first day of ticket use.

 

[kapeman]

Right now the sweet spot for Undercover Tourist tickets to upgrade to APs is the 6-day hopper with no expiration, a $23-24 savings per ticket.

 

[clc053103]

Right now the sweet spot for Undercover Tourist tickets to upgrade to APs is the 6-day hopper with no expiration, a $23-24 savings per ticket.

confused! Why not the 7 day, at a savings of $31 per ticket?

I didn't realize UT changed rates often, last month it was the 7 day MYW PH plus WPF!

 

[bumbershoot]

Remember, if you are using UCT to sign up for Mousesavers emails. On the 15th they send out a regular email with a special link inside the email (and only in the email) with even better prices than normal.

 

[kapeman]

confused! Why not the 7 day, at a savings of $31 per ticket?

I didn't realize UT changed rates often, last month it was the 7 day MYW PH plus WPF!

The 70-day, $31 dollar tickets are water park and more tickets.

I don't know if those will upgrade just like the non-water park tickets.

 

[clc053103]

Here's a thread on the subject-
basically, you can buy a water park and more ticket, and NOT use the waterpark feature, and trade it in for a regular AP.
However, if you use the water park feature before upgrading, then you have to upgrade to a Premium AP.

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2459925&highlight=ap&page=2

 

[kapeman]

Here's a thread on the subject-
basically, you can buy a water park and more ticket, and NOT use the waterpark feature, and trade it in for a regular AP.
However, if you use the water park feature before upgrading, then you have to upgrade to a Premium AP.

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2459925&highlight=ap&page=2

Thanks.

I knew there was some stipulation, but I couldn't remember what it was.

 

[soxyes]

So do you think this would work???

Buy a ticket from UT. Use it once. Upgrade it at Disney and include the GAD voucher. Would that all be possible?

 

[vicki_c]

So do you think this would work???

Buy a ticket from UT. Use it once. Upgrade it at Disney and include the GAD voucher. Would that all be possible?

No it is not possible. You can only do upgrades on a 1 to 1 basis, so one ticket upgraded to 1 AP. You can't combine multiple tickets to do it.

 

[Mlissa88]

I was wondering how this worked...thanks.

 

[bwvBound]

Natalie -

Keep in mind that WDW media often experiences a price increase in early August. If your plans include a visit to WDW before the price change -- stop reading now. If your next WDW visit, like mine, is beyond early August ... keep in mind that the increase in AP pricing may erode some of your savings. Might want to weigh that into your calculations.

For me, I think I'll simply buy a DVC AP voucher online before the (traditional) rate increase ... vs buying the discounted Hoppers to use for later upgrade against a yet-to-be-announced AP rate.

 

[OKWJan]

Tickets do not have to be used once before they can be upgraded. The ticket just needs to be brought the regular gate price first, then Mickey vouchers off the difference, and you pay the difference between the regular gate price of the ticket you have and the anual pass.

You just have to make sure the person upgrading your ticket brings it to gate price first. Guests are not penalized for purchasing in advance (AAA or other) and saving money.

 

[vicki_c]

Tickets do not have to be used once before they can be upgraded. The ticket just needs to be brought the regular gate price first, then Mickey vouchers off the difference, and you pay the difference between the regular gate price of the ticket you have and the anual pass.

You just have to make sure the person upgrading your ticket brings it to gate price first. Guests are not penalized for purchasing in advance (AAA or other) and saving money.

According to Cheshire Figment, the ticketing CMs will not do that bridging step (to bring it up to current gate value) unless you have used the ticket to enter the park (heck, sometimes you have to argue with them or get a manager for them to do it even when you DO use the ticket first). I trust his information, since he works in Disney ticketing and he has always stated that it must be used first.

 

[FigmentLady]

Natalie -

Keep in mind that WDW media often experiences a price increase in early August. If your plans include a visit to WDW before the price change -- stop reading now. If your next WDW visit, like mine, is beyond early August ... keep in mind that the increase in AP pricing may erode some of your savings. Might want to weigh that into your calculations.

For me, I think I'll simply buy a DVC AP voucher online before the (traditional) rate increase ... vs buying the discounted Hoppers to use for later upgrade against a yet-to-be-announced AP rate.

If that's the case and I purchased an 8 day park hopper through Disney as part of my package, but won't be traveling to September, would my ticket be worth what I paid or the increased price come September?