Mid-Day Magic Tickets Now Available

[brockash]

I’m another cynical one who thinks this could be testing the waters for increasing pricing at peak times of the day. I worry they’re getting us used to pulling apart the components of the tickets even more and charging for them. Air Disney!

I’m just picturing the disboards in 10 years, with discussions about paying for the “base” hours or paying a premium for full day and nobody thinking anything of it.

100%.... and they'll get us finding ways to "get a great deal," that in reality is still way more expensive or restrictive.

 

[ChipnDale79]

Again though, WDW already has paid Early Morning Magic at multiple parks, Extra Magic Hours for on-site guests only, paid Halloween parties, paid Christmas parties, paid Disney After Hours, paid VIP tours. All are paying extra to experience parks with mostly reduced waits.

I already have a problem with that, this is just another ticket option that could be greatly confusing to people.

Someone needs to offer a masters degree in disney budgeting and vacation planning soon. Its out of control.

I know how to plan and budget for one because we go yearly, i wonder how confused i'll be after we take next year off. Guess i need to stay in the "game" to make sure i understand what i'm doing when it comes time for planning 2021.

 

[Cynt]

We'll probably get these nooner tickets since we're down for a softball tourny. Hoping DH as AM games so we can hit the parks in the afternoon. But now I need to go and check park closure times and special evening event times. I think with this ticket they should let you stay thru the event for RIDES ONLY and no partaking in the events.

 

[mom2rtk]

I think with this ticket they should let you stay thru the event for RIDES ONLY and no partaking in the events.

There is no way they could police that.

 

[DGsAtBLT]

There is no way they could police that.

Yup.

Also the whole point is you get to pay less for less park time. It doesn’t make sense for them to extend it when hours are shorter. They sure aren’t extending full day ticket time during party season where they eat up a ton of the evening hours and those people aren’t getting a full day.

 

[GeneralTso]

It is mind-boggling how many different types of tickets are offered.
As if planning a WDW trip isn't overwhelming enough. For those of us who have done it and know how to work the system and book stuff, OK.
But for newbies (think of that friend who is planning their first time trip) it's nuts. Even WITH help from a Disney vet.

 

[Sparkly]

I already have a problem with that, this is just another ticket option that could be greatly confusing to people.

Someone needs to offer a masters degree in disney budgeting and vacation planning soon. Its out of control.

I know how to plan and budget for one because we go yearly, i wonder how confused i'll be after we take next year off. Guess i need to stay in the "game" to make sure i understand what i'm doing when it comes time for planning 2021.

It is mind-boggling how many different types of tickets are offered.
As if planning a WDW trip isn't overwhelming enough. For those of us who have done it and know how to work the system and book stuff, OK.
But for newbies (think of that friend who is planning their first time trip) it's nuts. Even WITH help from a Disney vet.

I don't find this so difficult a concept. The problem is that people over complicate matters and there's too much conflicting information on sites like these. To make the most sense, you need one good written down source and explains things clearly enough for everyone to understand.

 

[ww52]

OK - I'm not getting something (not surprising).

I happened to see this a day or two ago on the Disney site when I was pricing tickets for our 2020 visit. I didn't pay much attention to it - was looking to see the incremental cost of adding days to our hopper cost.

We're going to be there 6 nights - a park starting late afternoon the day we arrive,
then the next two days,
then a "no park" day,
then the next two,
and no park the day we leave.

A five day hopper (even though we won't "hop" the first day.

I looked at the incremental cost of a 4 vs 5 vs 6 day hopper. Unless I really messed up, the difference in adding a day was less than $10. So I said we should get the six day as insurance in case we decide to do a park later on our "off day". For $10 we could go somewhere and do something. (Staying at the Dolphin so an easy trek to Epcot or HS)

So unless you're ONLY going for 1 or 2 days - why would this mid day thing EVER be an option? I can see someone in my situation getting suckered into thinking it would be cheaper to get a mid day for the first day - but if I think of that as my 5th or 6th day, it's MUCH cheaper to add a day to the hopper.

What am I missing?

(EDIT - I see you can only get a 2 day "mid-day" ticket. So clearly this is meant for people who don't plan on being at the parks more than a couple of days.)

(EDIT 2 - Unrelated, but I realized some people might be thinking of their multi-day tickets inadvertently wrong. People think "why go to a park on the first day - what a waste of money. No - don't think of the day you get there as the first day but as one more day added to a 4 or 5 day hopper. That makes that first day essentially $10 and not $100+)

 

[Mikey15]

What am I missing?

I don't really think you're missing anything. In rough numbers normal tickets are ~$100/day for your first four days (well, more like $110-$120 this year but still...), and ~$10/day for each day thereafter. Reason? They have 4 parks. Lots of people are planning a day at each park, and Disney is maximizing the money they get out of casual visitors who want to "see it all."

Beyond Day 4, they're just happy to have you captive at their property, spending your money at their restaurants, parking, hotels, shopping. Otherwise, after Day 4 you'd probably be going to their local competitors. Most people only have so long for vacation so Disney is happy to take 5/7ths of your week or 6/10ths of your ten days. That way you spend more money with them rather than saving it for the other guys.

 

[Starport Seven-Five]

I guess its good for arrival day if you can't make it to opening...but you have to buy 2 day min. Probably still cheaper to add another day to a multi day ticket & just burn a day.

I was thinking exactly this. I have a non-Disney trip to Orlando coming up and have my arrival day free. If they offered a single day I wouldn't mind stopping by the park for the afternoon.

 

[ChipnDale79]

I don't find this so difficult a concept. The problem is that people over complicate matters and there's too much conflicting information on sites like these. To make the most sense, you need one good written down source and explains things clearly enough for everyone to understand.

It's easy for us because we love disney and we go often, its why you and i are on this forum (more than likely). It's not easy for the casual person. You know the ones that when they visit this forum are confused as all get out by the terms we use for all things disney? (by the way, i have some favorite ones that really make me laugh....MILF and ***, sometimes i do have the mind of a teenager)

Those people are already confused at how to plan those vacations, disney is just complicating it even more.

options are a good thing, but sometimes too many get out of control. Its like going into a restaurant and looking at the menu and not knowing what to get because there are 500 different items on it.

 

[ww52]

It's not easy for the casual person.

Exactly - and let's be honest (even though I LOVE Disney) they aren't in the business of saving people money. They are in the business of getting as much as they can while satisfying the people paying it.

Nothing wrong with that AT ALL, to be clear.

But I do think something like this SOUNDS like a good deal to people who aren't' thinking it through. Using my example - I could see someone thinking "well, we're not going to get to the park the first day until later, so maybe this makes sense." And then buy that and later add a multi-day hopper. Or something. Shame on them of course - but if Disney is marketing this as a money saving option, that's misleading. Only a money saving option in (to me) a very narrow situation

Here's what I'd like to see - some sort of web program that asks questions regarding a planned stay and determining two things: optimal tickets for that situation and THEN pointing out further options (like "did you know you could add one more day for only $10?" Or "are you SURE you will never want to go to two different parks in the same day"? "

To be fair, the ticket calculator on the WDW site is VERY close to that already. I was impressed at how easy it was to see options on days fo the week or month of visit and then duration of the ticket.

 

[HeiHei2018]

[QUOTE="ChipnDale79, post: 60965450, member: 438671
options are a good thing, but sometimes too many get out of control. Its like going into a restaurant and looking at the menu and not knowing what to get because there are 500 different items on it.
[/QUOTE]

Agreed. Social science studies have shown that people are actually happier with a limited set of choices. Adding more options makes people more likely to be unhappy with their choice.

 

[Sandiz08]

I think this will probably only benefit non early risers. Good for the time of the year that is not so hot.

 

[jrbenji]

This would be something I would be interested in using in the summer time when the parks usually have later closing times

Stay in late then go

 

[kclark9830]

Something that maybe is (or maybe isn't) worth noting is that over the last several weeks as I've been doing surveys on online survey sites, I've had several that were in regard to theme parks. In one survey I was asked what matters most to me at a theme park--rides, atmosphere, or entertainment. In a different survey I was asked how long I'm willing to wait in line for a ride at an amusement park. There were many choices but I chose no more than 30 minutes.

In a different (and the most recent) survey on this subject it asked what was the highest price I'd be willing to pay to enter a theme park. It gave multiple choices. On THIS particular survey, at the end and just before it redirected me back to my homepage on the survey website, it asked "Did you know Walt Disney World welcomes XYZ <amount of> visitors each year?" (I used XYZ because I can't remember the number) I thought that was a curious way to end the survey, and it put me in mind of the other surveys I had taken on the subject recently.

Maybe Disney is feeling out the general public? Maybe not, but interesting to me all the same.

 

[Jrb1979]

I like Disney as much as the next guy and I love this new ticket. Would have saved me money in February when I went to MK on last minute decision.

Here is what I don't like about it. Its more detailed planning for a vacation to Disney. That's is what I like best about Universal. With there express pass I can do what I want when I want. Doesn't anyone like to vacation like that anymore.

 

[RedAngie]

Article about these tickets with a major error.

https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/disney-world-finally-cheaper-tickets-142453693.html
It’s no secret that tickets to Disney World aren’t cheap and aren’t getting cheaper, but a new ticket option could make your next trip to “The Most Magical Place on Earth” more affordable if you’re willing to accept a few restrictions.

Mid-Day Magic tickets are valid for admission to one Disney park per day after noon. Since most parks open at 8 or 9 a.m., that’s not an insignificant amount of time to miss, particularly when you consider that central Florida mornings are a lot nicer than central Florida afternoons.

There are a couple of other catches. The eligible parks are Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Hollywood Studios, and Animal Kingdom. That’s right, you still won’t be able to get into Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge on the cheap.


Author apparently thinks Star Wars Galaxy Edge is its own separate park.

 

[Nancyg56]

Article about these tickets with a major error.

https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/disney-world-finally-cheaper-tickets-142453693.html
It’s no secret that tickets to Disney World aren’t cheap and aren’t getting cheaper, but a new ticket option could make your next trip to “The Most Magical Place on Earth” more affordable if you’re willing to accept a few restrictions.

Mid-Day Magic tickets are valid for admission to one Disney park per day after noon. Since most parks open at 8 or 9 a.m., that’s not an insignificant amount of time to miss, particularly when you consider that central Florida mornings are a lot nicer than central Florida afternoons.

There are a couple of other catches. The eligible parks are Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Hollywood Studios, and Animal Kingdom. That’s right, you still won’t be able to get into Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge on the cheap.


Author apparently thinks Star Wars Galaxy Edge is its own separate park.

I think the author is acknowledging what may become the reality for many, GE is the only reason to enter DHS and is a major draw to that park.

The new ticket option would not be an option for my family but I can see why Disney is offering it. It will be an option for people who are willing to skip DHS, will not clutter up the extended EMH hours that are going into place with the opening of GE, and may help to even out how people enter the parks during the day.

I have no idea if it will work, but if I was on the management team responsible for crowd control in the parks when the new land opens I would be popping Tums like candy. Frankly, for a few months, unless all projections go up in fames, I would seriously be looking at 24 hour parks! LOL! Not really that drastic, but if crowds swell at 6 AM at parks with EMH and never slow down, no one is going to feel that they have any kind of value, onsite or off.

 

[LovePug]

If this was offered during the time we will be back, I'd seriously be considering it and likely be adding on park days. I don't think we've been in the parks before noon since our early years of visiting. During our last trip (Easter), I think the earliest we were in the parks was around 3pm where we ate dinner first and then enjoyed the parks. (That trip was one of my most enjoyable trips, yet.)

I haven't looked into it, but can you add a Hopper to these tickets?