First time considering AP: buy UT and upgrade or simply buy voucher?

[vinotinto]

Please check my thinking:

We are planning a trip for the end of March. I'm assuming there will be an AP price increase in February, and that we won't have much (any?) heads up.

I see two options:

I can buy a 9-day PH from UT for $496. According to the sticky and assuming the ticket is from post-Feb 2018 stock, I would get bridged to $543 value, effectively saving $47/ticket. The advantage, besides saving $47 is that I don't have to commit as early to an AP.

Or, I can buy an AP voucher. Last time, the increase was $70/ticket, so that would be a bigger savings, and I wouldn't have to deal with the whole bridging issue, but would have to commit to an AP much earlier, not to mention, plunking$3,650 in one fell swoop.

Thoughts? Am I thinking about this correctly?

 

[starry_solo]

How long is your trip?

 

[vinotinto]

How long is your trip?

I haven't booked yet, but planning on 9 days. Then, hoping for at least another trip within a year.

 

[Dumbo7]

You’ll want to factor in room discounts and other discounts. You might not need to get annual passes for everyone in your party.

 

[alliecat523]

And if you buy the AP, it doesn’t activate until you go to Guest Relations at the Park. So you’re really no worse off in terms of timing.

 

[PSUGuy]

I buy from UT more than 60 days out in order to have the tix to make FP+ choices. We save a few bucks, we upgrade the first day there and we time our trips to get two 9 - 10 day trips in under 365 days. This Oct trip is covered by last year's AP.

Bill From PA

 

[tlmadden73]

I always buy my tickets from UT - it is cheaper and you just have them on hand, but that was before I thought about getting an AP.

I bought 5-day non-hoppers back in early 2017 (before a price bump) and plan on upgrading those to APs when I arrive in November, but I bought those tickets with intention to use them for a trip this year or next. Then now (a year and half later) .. I have decided to make the AP plunge to go twice in 11 months (when my daughter is 2 .. and then right before she is 3). For me, getting APs now are a lot cheaper when one of the children are free!

I don't see the point of buying 9-day tickets just to upgrade them later to an AP unless you need the tickets in the system to do Fast Passes and the like. Seems like a hassle if you already know you want the AP.
I am going through the hassle because I already have these 5-day tickets in hand.

 

[SaintsManiac]

I have 6 day hoppers in my account and I still went ahead and just purchased the APs last year before my FP window opened up. I just didn't feel like dealing with the upgrade on our trip.

It's really just a personal preference for you, OP. Is the money saved worth the time/effort?

 

[starry_solo]

If you want to deal with upgrading while at the parks, that's fine since your trip would be the same length as the tickets you want to get. But can't you save more if you get the 10 day park hopper?

Me, I would just go ahead and get the APs.