How far ahead do you buy your park tickets?

[kimwim8]

We haven't bought our park tickets yet for October. I know there was a price increase recently & I'd like to get them before another increase happens.

BUT

My dad (who has a terminal heart disease) is pretty sure he's coming with us, but may back out at the last minute.

Are the passes refundable. I don't think they are, but I thought I'd ask. Dh, dd, ds & I will definitely be going back next year, so I guess we could use his park passes then if he does back out this year.

What would you do??

 

[swilphil]

I buy my tickets as soon as I've booked the room and flight. If you know for sure that you are going to be taking another trip, then I would buy them ASAP. I wish your father good health!

 

[disneyatl]

I purchased our tickets in March for our trip in July. Good thing I did because I got them before the price increase.

No they are not refundable. You could purchase all the tickets except for your dads and wait until closer to you leave to purchase your dad's ticket. I believe this years price increase was the first increase in years. They shouldn't increase the price again in the same year.

 

[IndyDisneyFan]

I always wait until just a few weeks before I go, but I buy AP tickets usually and they haven't increased those for a while. If I remember correctly September is a big month for raising the prices. I would bet that as long as you get them before then you will be just fine. If you are buying park hopper passes, they never expire, so you can continue to use them forever. And the same person who started using it doesn't have to finish using it. They are transferable. I am still using options on pluses that I bought 5 years ago. I wish your father well, and have a great trip!

Laura

 

[js]

We purchased our 5 day park hopper passes for December last month
Although we live in NY, we called NC AAA and got them for $220 each
We also have our MVMCP tickets, our plane e-tickets (JetBlue $79 each way) and spending 10 nights at OLCC in a 3 bedroom unit for $500 for the full 10 days (it is owned by my husband's friend and he had too many weeks banked and just wanted someone to use it I have the rental car reserved but always looking to see if I can get a better price. My mom is taking my family of 4 and my sister, her husband and their then 9 month old son

 

[kimwim8]

Thanks for responding & for the well wishes for my dad. He was actually diagnosed in 1988 & told he would only live a couple more years (he was 38 then). He's doing pretty good, had heart surgery last year, but you just never know when he'll feel bad & as we all DO know Disney is a high-energy place.

He knows he's gonna have to take it easy & a little slower than some of us, but he's excited to go with his 3 daughters & 5 grandchildren!

Thanks again!

 

[DisneyAddict_M]

My trip is in November and I haven't bought my parkhopper passes yet. I'll probably buy them at the end of the summer. The reason for this is because my dad might also back out at the last minute!

 

[GoldenOldie]

Originally posted by IndyDisneyFan
I always wait until just a few weeks before I go, but I buy AP tickets usually and they haven't increased those for a while. If I remember correctly September is a big month for raising the prices....

You must have missed it when AP's went up in March.

There's no pattern to Disney's price increases. In the past 6 years, they have been all over the place:

March 2004 - PH/PHP's (Gate & Advance), AP/PAP's, FL Seasonal
February 2004 - UPH's (Gate & Advance)
June 2003 - all gate prices except AP/PAP (No advance prices raised)
September 2002 - across the board
January 2001 - across the board
January 2000 - across the board
May 1999 - non-AP increase (Eveything *BUT* AP/PAP's)
September 1998 - AP increase

Nothing is ever etched in stone with Disney price increases but it is pretty safe to say that since everything has already gone up in 2004 that you most likely will not see another increase until 2005.

 

[SnackyStacky]

Once I have airfare and hotel booked, as SOON as I can afford it, I buy admission. I like to have that taken care of and out of the way as SOON as I possibly can.

For our honeymoon, I purchased annual passes. I was planning on just buying them at the Earport and having them active from purchase, but Disney decided to raise the price, so I bought them ahead of time at the Disney store.