August 1, 2024 âą 58 mins
Join us as Robyn and the rest of the team explore the many options of Disney tickets. We compare annual passes with UK 14-day tickets, discussing perks, costs, and overall value. Learn about discounts, free parking, and savings on merchandise and dining.
Our discussion covers the financial benefits of annual passes for multiple trips, trip planning strategies, and the value of UK ultimate tickets. With a mix of humour, expertise, and personal anecdotes, this episode offers insights for UK visitors choosing the best Disney ticket option. Tune in for an engaging guide to navigating Disney experiences.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
From wherever in the world you are joining us, welcome to the
great British Mickey Waffle. I'm your host for the show
Robin. Today we are talking annual
passes versus UK 14 day tickets or multi day tickets.
What are the benefits of each ticket and is the price
difference worth it for an annual pass?
So grab a cuppa and join us while we break it all down and
(00:22):
help you decide which ticket is the one.
I'm going in my head. I'm driving down the highway.
Gonna do this my way. I can feel it in the air.
Here I go. Well, just one Can you believe
(00:51):
it's August already like, and ifsomeone could tell you know, the
British summer that it's August and it's meant to be summer,
that would be great because I don't like you, but I'm freezing
I. Think heating on at least one or
at least or at least contented. True Rome.
When I talked about Lightman fire the other day, it's like
(01:12):
he's July. It's wrong.
Totally wrong. It's July, not November.
Well, actually, it's August. And now it's.
Like almost October, yes, October, late October weather,
what is happening, But it is the1st of August and that means
we've got a new show. And it means my count my my.
(01:34):
Countdown to the 8th day. I mean, I mean.
Hang on home. It's August though.
Which of us goes to Florida thismonth?
Everyone. Got us, you know, dear.
Well, look which. Is the wrong year.
It's August next year, Yeah. That makes a change.
There we go. Yeah, For all this time, all
(01:55):
this time I've. I've had to and I was going to
say enjoy, but I haven't. I've enjoyed waving you off on
your holidays and things like that.
And actually it's now, now it's my turn.
I'm quite. Now you're joyous, John.
Woo Hoo. I can't wait.
Someone has to stay here and look after you.
Yeah, well, hold on. For someone's going to do it,
someone's going to do it, guys, someone's going to do it.
(02:18):
I can't wait to just, John, how many times have you sent me a
message on days that we've flownto Florida and just tracked the
plane? I'm so looking forward to doing
that. It's it's going to be so good
and a. Long time coming.
Yeah, it has. And, and the other side to all
of this is the fact that when we're out there, we've got loads
and loads of stuff that Claire and I are going to do because
(02:39):
we're going to do cornhole tasks.
We've got the Halloween party and things like that.
So just make sure people keep intouch with us through social
media. There will be some pictures and
and then actually the costumes for the Halloween party might be
something that are worth just worth waiting for.
We're not going to going to giveanything away, but worth
waiting. They might, they might know
(03:03):
there's all sorts of hot glue gun things going on in my house.
I feel like when he's like. Creation.
Costume creation. I feel like we need on some sort
of life and health and safety thing that make sure you're
using hot glue gun correctly. Honestly, I can't even tell you
(03:25):
how many burnt fingers have happened already.
Oh. No.
But it'll be worth it. It'll be worth.
It it will be worth it. I thought, wait, I'm really
excited. I know I've heard I might be
talking about possible ideas, but I didn't.
I don't know what you ended up with, so I'm excited.
To speak, we don't know what we've ended up with either.
It goes. What I love, it's August and so
(03:47):
obviously it's Halloween. Yeah.
Obviously isn't. Isn't it in August you?
Have to do. It.
You've got to do it. Christmas in July, Halloween and
August. Exactly.
Why not? Exactly?
Why not? So going back to the topic on
hand, we're talking about tickets.
(04:09):
What ticket is the right one foryou?
Have we all here had an annual pass before?
Yes. John.
Yeah, Yeah, we have, we have. And actually that's, that's
going to be a really good thing to, to actually look at the, the
debate between the, the ticket that we get in the UK, an annual
pass and then obviously the difference.
(04:30):
And there are a lot of people who listen from the United
States, they have different options as well.
So I think we're going to we're going to explore quite a bit of
this. Yeah.
Yeah. Covering all tickets today.
Well, practically all tickets. But as as we've all either been
or are currently annual pass holders, I thought we should
(04:51):
start there. There are different annual
passes if you didn't already know, if you weren't already
familiar. There are different annual
passes now. Sadly, lots of them are only for
Florida residents, so we'll spend a lot of time talking
about those one. We'll start with the most
expensive, the one that's available to everyone.
Wherever you are in the world. You can buy this one and that's
(05:12):
the Incredi Pass. It's got 0 back out dates, but
it's the most expensive. It's currently today $1543.00
including the tax. Yeah.
Quite a lot of money. So yeah, that's not the most
expensive one. If you're going at Christmas.
If you don't don't live in Florida or you're not a Disney
(05:34):
Vacation Club member, then this is the ticket for you.
Which brings us on to the small service pass and the next step
down that is available to Florida residents and also
Disney Vacation Club members. So if you have a Disney Vacation
Club membership, you can buy this one.
There's only 20 blackout dates. There's still hardly any and
(05:55):
it's so Thanksgiving and Christmas and New Year.
So as long as you're not planning to go in those times,
this, this would be the one for you.
And that is $1064 in including tax.
The next, there's two more passes.
The next one is the Pirate Pass,which is Florida resident only
65 blackout dates around most ofthe holidays, and that's $851.00
(06:16):
in tax. And then there's the Pixie Dust
Pass, which is again Florida residents only.
That's blacked out most of the year.
Well, not mostly, but half the year you can't go weekends, all
the holidays all blacked out. And that one's 468.
I'm not really sure who that one's appealing to because if
you don't go weekend, are you working?
Maybe you work shifts, I don't know.
(06:38):
I'll, I'll say my cousin and herhusband both are they, they're
Florida residents and they have Pixie passes and they, they use
them during the week because they also have universal annual
passes which cover the weekends.I like that here for thinking.
But do they not work during Monday to Friday then?
So they they have a house in Orlando that they go to on
(06:59):
holiday and sometimes they work during the week, sometimes they
don't. So often they will work for some
of the day and then go to the parks in the evening and then
they'll do the same at the week.They'll use the weekends for
Universal. That is a brilliant.
Idea don't put it sorted. Yeah.
I just didn't realise how much of a price difference there was
between a Pixie dust and the incredibly expensive pass.
(07:23):
Yeah, it's just, is that what itcould mean?
Incredible. Yeah.
Yeah, it's a. Huge, huge price difference, but
as I said before, the UK gets out of state out of Florida yes,
most of us can only get the incredible pass and if you're
lucky enough to be DVC, you can buy the sorcerer pass.
(07:44):
So I think we'll, we'll spend most of the time when we compare
and things thinking of those twopasses rather than the cheaper
ones because sadly, most of us are not lucky enough to live in
Florida by the other sad time, sad time.
So with all I'll give you, I've got a pros and cons list who's
ready? Pros and cons, go for it.
(08:06):
These are my pros and cons. Feel free to add your own.
So my the pros of all of the annual passes.
Free parking in the parks. And that's the big one.
And that that actually, that is something you just need to just
bear in mind as we go through this show.
I think we'll come back into it later when we come back to the
UK tickets and things like that.But having free parking, I've
(08:30):
got to say, is one of the greatest feelings in the world.
You get into the parking lot andyou feel as if the day.
Is you just get to wave your card and.
You feel like there you go. I mean, it's just like, well,
magic band idea. Out the window, it's like, yeah,
just scam my back-to-back. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
(08:50):
That's a big one. That, that to me is one of the
biggest perks, especially if you're if you're staying on
site, yeah, OK, maybe not the biggest perk for you because you
get free parking, but if you're not staying in Disney, it's $30
a day at the moment for. Standardly, it adds up.
Yeah, and it's only free to standard parking.
It's a good, good mentioning there you don't get the free
(09:11):
preferred, but free standard parking.
I'll still take 20% currently discount on merch.
I fair personally feel like I make my money back right there.
Yeah. No, I, I agree.
I remember we were out in was itJune 2023 and for that whole
month there was a pass holder month and we got 30% off and or
(09:36):
we might have been but it was 30% off food and it was 40% off
managed ice. I got some bags Bags.
I, I, I, I, I think we, we, we came back with an awful lot more
stuff than we got. We, we've been thinking about
this, Cutlery said. For a while.
(09:56):
Ah, buy it. It's 40% off.
That's literally not. You you went to Orlando and you
came back with a canteen of cutlery, you know, like.
I also have the cutlery set. In fact, I have two because one
wasn't enough. We've got the.
Colour now I. Feel like the poor relation.
Well, next time you aren't there, bring one.
(10:19):
I'll be going in just a few days.
I'll be disappointed if you don't bring one back.
No one's not enough. You need two if you're taking
them out for special occasion. Yeah, you need to.
Mine are used all the time. We just don't invite people
around. Sufficient because we're anti
(10:43):
social? Yeah.
Also on my prayers list is discounting that dining
discount. Yeah, it's not as
straightforward because not not 100% places give them and not
(11:04):
everywhere it's the same. Mostly it's 10% off entrees at
table service. There are some quick service
that offer 10%. There are some table service
that offer 20%. I believe it's hit and miss.
Check out the the annual plus onthe website.
You can find out where you're getting, but as a general rule
it's kind of 10% on your entree.Not not great if you want a
(11:27):
starter and a dessert, but I. Just don't know if I'm in asking
because I don't. I have It's almost fun to you.
You get to a point where the cast members will always ask
whether you've got a discount ornot.
But actually if they haven't said it, just just ask.
It's like they'll and. They'll say no, yeah, I always
say, do you take any discounts? Bearing in mind I know that I've
(11:49):
got the annual pass and the Disney vacation and it's worth
that. Some are better than others in
the same place. So it's always better asking if
they're the same because sometimes there's been times
where annual pass has been 15% and these DDCS intend.
I used to just like giving them both of my cards and just going
(12:09):
like choose whichever one's the most.
So interestingly, now if they might take the card, it all has
to be on the approved because it's got the dates on it.
Yeah. So yes.
So that's yeah, the frustrating bit, making sure you've got it
on your phone available. Also, pros get discounts on
things like boat rentals, tours,VIP tours, VIP tours Yeah, all
(12:34):
the tours, all the Halloween andChristmas parties, Halloween
Christmas parties, the H2 glow nights, the typhoon looking H2
special events, yeah, all those sorts of things.
Discounts for those they might not be much, but they're often
$10 or more yeah. So you know it's it's worth it
you're. Not going to say no to a little
(12:54):
bit of money back in your pocket.
Exactly at what point do we we see it as Disney are paying us
to be there? I don't know.
So the. Disney math is a real thing.
Yeah, without the doubt. Absolutely, You know.
You buy many fast and your tripsare free.
Is that right? Yeah.
And you took after about 18 days.
(13:15):
Is is a pro park ticket? Yes.
So I have a spreadsheet people. I'm so excited by my
spreadsheet, so I I'm. Excited.
By your spreadsheet here. So I've I've been placing my
spreadsheet so I bought my annual pass.
I haven't in credit pass. When I purchased it last year it
was $14199. So it's gone up by about $50
(13:36):
since I bought it last year and I it was activated on the 1st of
December last year. So since then I have calculated
how much I have saved over and above the cost of the say $1500
for the ticket it so everything I've saved including the cost of
the ticket. So I've added it all up,
cancelled out the cost of the ticket and then over and above
(13:56):
that with in terms of not havingto buy part tickets.
So the ultimate passes that we're going to come onto on site
hotel discounts which we haven'tcome.
To. I was going to mention that.
Yeah, so the discounts in various different trips and I
will have take by the time my pass runs out, I'll have done 5
trips. So, you know, bear in mind
(14:17):
that's more than most people would probably do in a year.
Talk about getting value for money.
That's the point. It's.
Watching the poor friend becauseshe's on all these Disney trips.
It's cost you a fortune and flights, but you save money on
tickets. You're all right.
It's not surprised actually though how much it balances out.
(14:38):
Parking on site, merchandise discount, dining discount.
Pandora jewellery discount is really good.
So you do get a slightly bigger price.
You get bit bit sometimes you get 25 and 30% off Pandora.
And bearing in mind both my children have Pandora jewellery.
So yeah, it's good presents and,you know, purchase for Christmas
(14:59):
in advance and all of those things and then tour discounts.
So by the time the end of my year has completed over and
above the cost of the ticket that's been cancelled out
already, I will have saved $5513.
One hour. Good grief.
Wow, so $7000 with the. Party.
(15:22):
That's a whole lot of Pandora, Claire, I've got to say that's.
A whole lot of ET. So, yeah, with the with the cost
of the ticket in, yeah, that's that's if I was to add that
$7000 well. I have a question that I'm
interested in. You might not know something
yet. How much of that is the discount
(15:43):
that you get for the annual passon your discount on the hotel
room so I can make an acceptance?
Yeah, it does. I can tell you the hotel
discount. Bear with me.
Because I feel like that might be a big chunk of that.
Yeah. So especially when they do not
ten or 20 or 30% off certain times and even even more.
So that would be best part of $1700 on hotel discounts.
(16:04):
Wow, so you still. That's the cost of the ticket
out. Plus the ticket so every time I
don't have to buy an ultimate pass for me is 712 dollars.
Wow. That's amazing.
If I'm going for two trips, yeah, it's it's worth buying the
ticket. I Claire, I actually think that
from certainly from our experience of having an annual
pass a few years ago, that is the tipping point is basically
(16:26):
the second trip. Now if you've got, if you've got
any way, shape or form, you knowthat you're going twice.
This is the route to actually godown because you will save money
even if even it's only one of your party that actually buys
the annual pass. That's the key.
You actually, yeah, because you all will get free parking if
you've got the one car, it then means it opens up so much for
(16:51):
you. It really does.
And that, that, that for me has always been that the tipping
point if you, if you go for two trips, the annual pass becomes
it basically becomes your friendand it become basically even
just for parking, the parking takes up so much of the cost
that it covers so much before you go on to merchant and dining
(17:11):
and even hotel reservation discounts as well that.
So Even so, even the the cost ofthe if I was just going in
August and I was going for two weeks.
So the ultimate tickets, they'veconverted it all to dollars
because it was easier to work out in terms of the, the park
pass. So $712.00 for the ultimate
ticket and then $430 for parking.
(17:32):
So you know, by the time you've added that, sorry, $420.00.
So when you've added that together, that's nearly $1000
just on one trip without any discounts, without any hotel
savings, without, you know, a second trip in the year.
It absolutely makes sense if you're going to go more than
twice. If you're going to go twice or
more in an in a year of your annual pass, it makes sense.
(17:57):
I always say if you're planning just one trip a year, plan it
within a year. So if you can only go in the
school holidays, so the end of August.
Yeah. Yeah, then you've got, you're
only still having one trip a year, but you've got both.
But then that's when Disney mathcomes in and you're like, well,
(18:18):
I've already got an annual pass and I've seen the cheap flights.
And then you're like, Oh well, I'm basically going for free
and. It it makes the trip cheaper
because I remember when our passwas expiring last October, but
we thought, oh, last November. So can we fit another few more
days in and it's like, oh OK, got some really cheap flights
with north or can Tesla for lessthan two in Japan.
This trip is going to happen. The tickets are done.
(18:40):
It's like all we need to do is book it off and go.
It's like. That is, that is the problem,
that when you've got an annual pass, it burns a hole in your.
Check every time you open your wallet, there's a there's a
reminder of going right. Oh, it's like, oh.
Yeah. How much are the flights?
But yeah. And then, and then you look at,
but you look at flights and you think, ah, bango, I've got miles
from the last time I went. That's so I can do miles and
(19:03):
money. And then suddenly it's like, oh,
I can get that. They're playing me today.
Do you know, we talk about all the all the positives, but there
are some drawbacks. Yeah, you.
Know I've got all positive I've got to say Robin, the the first
(19:24):
one on your list is the one thatfor me is a bit of a deal
breaker and I actually think I'dbe interested to see what you
guys think. And I know Claire, I think for
you this this for me is this is this for me takes away that
little bit of freedom. And it's the fact that you still
have to make a theme park reservation.
And I actually feel that that if, if you just on that Disney
(19:47):
math of should I or shouldn't I?This is the bit for me that
actually it it, it, it pushes meback towards the UK ticket.
And that's, that's a bit, that's, that's a bit that I'm
actually, I'm really struggling with this because actually I
know that when we're going next.And we've got, we've got an
ultimate ticket, but I know thatwe can wake up in the morning
(20:09):
and we can just decide we were going to go, we were going to go
Epcot. But I tell you what, I really
fancy going to Magic Kingdom because actually I want to do
something different. And we've got that real freedom
of of planning. And you come away from that, you
come away from that sort of rigid, rigid sort of structure
that you have to be in the themepark, you have to make that
(20:29):
reservation. And that for me, I, I think, you
know, I, I think as annual pass holders, I think people should
just rise up and, and make a massive complaint about this
because it, it seems seems deeply unfair, deeply unfair.
I think, I think it's worth mentioning that, John, that you,
you only have to make a park reservation if you're going to
go in before 2:00. If it's after 2 o'clock, you can
(20:51):
go into any park apart from Magic Kingdom at the weekend.
Yeah. And it just sounds.
Sounds overly complicated. In a.
In a. In a real if.
It doesn't go in for early morning.
It doesn't matter. Touché you know.
For me, I like to be there you. Know rope?
(21:12):
And I get it because actually itseems ridiculous as an annual
pass holder, I've given you tonsof my money and yet you're still
going to make me make a park reservation where the other
people who have bought just a stand alone ticket don't have
to. However, I will say that at no
point on any of my trips so far Touchwood have I not been able
(21:33):
to get in the park that I want to go to.
So that may change. Even at Christmas when I was
there with Anna and it was a there were busy days, we we
didn't have an issue, but I'm sure it happens.
It so it happened to me, Claire,they there was an issue when we
were going through the turnstiles and the IT wasn't an
(21:57):
issue of my ticket wasn't an issue of my friend's ticket.
I think she might have booked the wrong day for the wrong or
the wrong park of the wrong day.They're very kind people let
changed it for cancelled it and remade it only what they did was
they cancelled the next day's ticket by mistake that like park
reservation and then it sold outand we went guest relations and
I could show them a screenshot. I could show them I booked it
(22:19):
and they were like, I can't helpyou.
There are no reservations for tomorrow as it happens.
I mean, I was quite firm and I was like, I appreciate what
you're saying. However, given this was not our
fault, I would like you to find a manager that who can fix it
please, because they also cancelled mine for the next day
(22:40):
and I was like, I wasn't even a part of this.
So as it happens, they she said,I mean, I don't know, she went
out the back and she came back and she's like, oh, would you
believe it too? Just three days.
Here's what. But look, they fixed it for you.
That was they. Fixed it.
And often, and that was a very busy time and often, John, I can
(23:03):
wake up in the morning and decide I don't want to go to
Animal Kingdom today. I want to go to Epcot and I can
change it in this space. Yeah.
You also, if you're staying on site, you you don't you, you can
book as many reservations as. You want because it's a length
of stay, isn't it? Yeah.
It's a length of stay, but if you're staying offsite, you can
book 5 Parkway. Yeah, so it does limit you a
(23:26):
little bit, but there's good to go days where you don't need a
reservation. You you can book, have you first
book another one, use that the next book another one and just
do it every couple of days. It's a minor inconvenience.
Yeah, it's a minor inconvenience, but you know,
well, one thing I really wish they would do is take into
(23:47):
account if you're staying in Disney.
So if I booked to stay in a resort, I feel like as an annual
pass holder, they should just go, well, we know you're going
to be here. You don't need to make a.
Reservation like they do with the data deal.
They don't make no sense. I guess that tech maybe isn't
quite sophisticated enough to different.
Because we're on the Disney Internet and Wi-Fi and I'm not.
(24:09):
Sure, you're in a position to speak.
And one. Tonight's podcast is sponsored
by Disney's IT. Yeah, but yeah, no, the the park
preservation thing, it's a minorinconvenience.
It's not, it's not a deal breaker.
And. What deal breaker?
Especially when you look at yoursailings there.
It's just something to adding toyour planning, isn't it?
(24:32):
It's a bit like when the first time we went for our first trip
to Florida, we bought every single ticket that was unlike
the Orlando Flexi ticket and we only used three of them.
It was, there was a lot we didn't use.
It's something that actually through experience and think you
actually it's what once you sat down and done your plan, you
know what ones you want to book for.
And as you said, you've been able to have no issue or since
(24:55):
you've had your annual pass not going?
And not yet. I don't go, you know, I'm not
going on Thanksgiving, I'm not going Christmas Day.
I was at the beginning of December.
I went in April after spring break had all finished.
I was there in May, August and then October.
So you know, I'm not going and I'm not trying to go to like
Magic Kingdom on the 4th of July.
So it's, it's unlikely to affectme because of when I'm choosing
(25:19):
to travel. I think if you're an annual
pulse holder and you were, you know, a Florida resident and you
were trying to get a reservationfor a trip to go with family on
a special occasion, I think, youknow, it could end up being a
little bit of a, a quibbling point.
I mean, we went Christmas Day the other year and I don't
remember having an issue gettinga reservation, and that was back
(25:41):
when everyone needed a reservation.
Yeah, and that that wasn't an issue at all.
Magic. On.
Christmas Day we did. Yes, it was freezing.
Freezing different. No, no, we could, we could have
changed on the on Christmas Eve,it's all available all week.
We hadn't. There was no issue.
So maybe, maybe that. Might have been the weather, to
(26:02):
be fair, but yeah, maybe so. It was a bit chilly.
Oh, what else? What are the other drawbacks?
Well, I was just about to say the only other drawback I have
in my my sort of my little list is the annual annual passes.
None of them include memory maker or the water parts which
include get both included in UK ultimate tickets.
(26:24):
You don't get them in the American tickets but the UK
tickets. If you want to add on memory
maker it's $99 plus tax. Just add it on one person and
then everyone download on that person.
So my ticket has memory maker onit, yeah.
We do the way it made sense justto have one of the party to have
it on. I make.
Some sense. I have enough friends that have
(26:46):
it so I don't bother and and if ever I'm not with anyone, we're
all linked and I'll just be likeand then one will magically
appear on my phone. Certainly, yeah.
So yeah, I I don't. Also water parks is another $99
plus tax. Yeah.
So it depends if you if you're interested in the water parks
(27:07):
again, you can get discounted one day tickets at the water.
Parks 54 dollars or something for a day?
Yeah. So if you're thinking you might
go once, yeah, in the whole yearthat you have the past, maybe
even worth getting a ticket. If you think you're going to go
twice, then it's worth adding onthe order parks, Yeah.
So yeah, that can make your pastan extra $200.00 plus tax more.
(27:28):
If you if you do. But honestly, that's my only
drawbacks personally. Anyone else got any drawbacks?
The only thing is my bank balance when I keep having to
put to make sure it's like, oh, I can squeeze another one in.
But other than that, there isn't.
And I think we haven't spoken much about the ultimate.
There's there's that point of when for us, it was we were out
there once in June. It was like we weren't sure when
(27:50):
our next trip was going to be, but when we're out that we
decided to upgrade. I know you can't do that anymore
from an ultimate ticket to or you can depends on where you go.
Depends. Who you are Stan friendly did it
lovely. Like it really does depend who
(28:11):
you are. Were they DBC?
No, that was just a standard UK tickets.
But I would say don't bank on itbecause lots of people are not
able to and then a few people are.
Because we used to just Oh well,buy the 14 day ticket because it
was easier and then we'll just up everywhere out there.
But now it's you just got a plan.
If you know you're going to comeback within 12 months just by
(28:33):
the annual pass. I know it's a lot of money to
spend, so don't don't waste it if you're not going to do that
second row, but I. Feel like maybe we should have
started with the ultimate fastest tickets.
To be fair, we haven't spoken about a much.
No. What?
Maybe we should get off to it better.
Yeah. So the the UK ultimate tickets,
Right. So what have I written down?
Oh yeah, here we go. Alice.
(28:54):
The name suggests it's a 14 day ticket.
So it's designed for UK guests because we tend to come for at
least two weeks. American guests tend to do
shorter trips. So they, they've done this one
just for us and it's, although they say UK tickets, I don't
know where it sits. If you put a VPN on and tell
(29:17):
your VPN that you're in the UK and buy tickets, I don't know,
maybe you can do that. I've never tried, but they're a
deal. I'll be honest, they're a deal.
Compared to standard multi day tickets in the US they're a
deal. So at the moment the current
costs on the Disney website for September is 519 lbs which is
(29:41):
about 700 ish dollars. And that's 14 day tickets with
hoppers, with water parks, with golf, mini golf with memory.
Yeah, memory maker, no park reservations like and it's good
for although it's 14 day ticket,it's actually good for over 18
days. So you don't have to go
consecutively consecutively. So if you're going for a
(30:04):
slightly longer trip, it's it works out quite well.
You don't have to buy two sets. You can sort of space it out.
They're also if you if you are in the in the market, we have a
link for attraction tickets AGB Mickey Waffle link that we'll
put in description. If you'd like to click on that
and small percentage comes back to us add affiliates.
(30:26):
We would be very grateful. Currently also until the 5th of
August that attraction tickets have got a discount code which
gets you 10% off and the free Magic brand, possibly something
else I forget. And the code is happy and it
actually makes them cheaper thanDisney tickets.
They're roughly, they're a little bit more at the moment
without the discount, but once you get the 10% off it, they
(30:47):
makes it cheaper than Disney. So just say if you want to click
on in until the 5th of August. So yeah.
But yeah, there's pros and cons.I feel like they're a lot
shorter with the UK tickets. It's a lot of pros.
The pros, it's cheaper. It's so much cheaper than buying
if you're only going once and gofor one trip.
It's so much cheaper than buyingan annual pass.
(31:10):
No park reservations. You can do exactly like you say,
John, just wake up in the morning and be like, so where
are we going to go today nonetheless?
Oh, we'll have to go on and cancel that one and change it.
That's definitely a pro for me, water parks included.
Oh, I feel like going towards park for just a couple of hours,
I'm not going to do that. If I've spent $54 to go in one
(31:30):
day, I'm staying. Yeah, that's great.
Yeah. Two or three hours.
Bored now. Get out.
Go somewhere else. All the storms are in.
Let's go somewhere else. Anyone else with pros?
You get mini golf included as. Well, it is the end of.
The day. See, we knew it was always
included, but we never, we've never got.
(31:50):
Yeah, I've never. Done.
It Oh, you've missed out there, I must admit.
I'm not about this for Disney. Parks are right there.
Why am I going to go and stand it ball around?
Oh, because it's brilliant. It's like it's it's golf on a
different level and of our. I've just been trying to check
you used to be able to get nine holes on The Walking course and
(32:14):
which was like proper golf, which was proper golf.
But the problem it was, it was so hot in August that you
actually you just sort of sweated like mud and it became
quite a tricky one. Yeah, but that.
Another reason, but it's too many.
Proper, but nine holes of propergolf was just superb.
But it doesn't look as if it's now on that ultimate ticket.
(32:36):
And it used to be. You used to get preferential
Magnolia, but you don't. Yeah, but you do get your mini
golf every day. You want to play every day?
You can play every day. Wow, I'll take that.
I'll always take. I was surprised it wasn't just
like once a trip for I know yes,that's.
But I mean, maybe they offer it every day because nobody's doing
it every day, so why not? We'll offer it.
(32:58):
We've done it too. It's always, it's always quite
busy, it's always quite busy. I feel like that's something you
need to go like, like live on later this month.
If you're not Claire, why are you doing OF?
Course at the at the Mantasia Gardens is insanely difficult.
Really, it's really hard. Yeah, yeah.
Your next level. Is it, it's, yeah, it's it's
(33:21):
like the Himalayas. It's like a it's like a par 39
hole course but with a par. Yeah, isn't it?
Useless. Yeah.
In fact, yeah, Anger. That's the thought.
I'll put that on me list for packing.
Paki sandwich. We Callaway in Titleist golf
(33:42):
balls as well rather than playing with them different
colour balls because I'm not going to, I'm not going to, I'm
not going to reply on that because it end up on the
bloopers real. It's the temperature in Florida.
(34:04):
Yeah, in August you're not catching me.
Stood outside for any extended period of time if I.
Take your garments when you get wet.
It sprays you with water and. Also, it's the lip.
It's interactive, yes, it's. Interactive.
Yeah, and the winter Summerland one is really cool.
As it it's towed well. Oh that is so good.
I love winter Summerlands as well.
(34:24):
That's yeah. Maybe one day, maybe.
But yeah. Totally not.
I can see the. Yeah, it's.
Like. But we do have tentative plans
to do it this year. Tentative plans parks though.
So yeah, we're going to the park, so we need to find out.
We are going to a park for two, a few parks but not in all of
(34:45):
them. How, how the tune has changed,
Yeah. I don't know in any parts at all
and now. They're doing my Kingdom and
Universe socks, just not. Yeah.
Yeah, I don't think it's callingit's name.
The other pros for the ultimate ticket is obviously you
mentioned the inclusion of the memory maker for everyone which
is good. I think also if you were to
(35:07):
compare them to the cost of AUS ticket or even, you know, the
tickets that you see people buying at the booths on the way
past. Oh yeah, and you're like, what
are you doing? Yeah, I want that.
I want their tickets. That's about $129.
So I I know that Morgan's friendwas there to visit him in in
July. Yeah.
(35:27):
And he paid $169 one day. Oh.
My and then had to add on part copying.
And that was a. That was a Sunday in July.
So that's that's what you're talking for a single day ticket.
So you were to multiply that by 14.
You have made a massive saving by the UK Wow ticket.
(35:49):
Absolutely so. Absolutely, were I really do
think. It's amazing value, it's such.
Such good value when you think how like, I'm not someone that's
going to go to Florida and buy all the park tickets and do all
the parts all day every day. I'm too old and decrepit.
That's not happening. So I'm quite happy to do 14 days
(36:10):
of Disney and not be there all day every day because it's
happening. Spend a few hours in the park,
go home and swim for a bit, go back to the parks in the
evening. I just think it's such good
value when you feel like that. Where is it?
You bought a one day ticket $169plus the hopper.
You're giving a second before you have.
(36:32):
Yeah, I would be doing all four parks on that day.
I actually think, I actually think it's one of those things
that when you talk to people whocome from different places in
the States and just telling themabout the ticket that you have,
there tends to be a lot of jealousy about the fact that you
can actually get come across. Because their tickets are very
(36:56):
rigid in what you can and can't do, what you can access.
And whereas if you buy the UK ultimate ticket, you've
basically got it, it's all all there.
And, and it just frees up that little bit of doubt that
certainly if you go, if you go for the first time and you go
and just once that's your ticketbecause you know, for your
Disney fix, you saw it and it doesn't matter.
(37:18):
You want to go any, any part, you want to go to any water
park, any mini golf, it's done and you get your photos with it.
The Americans don't have that. And I think that's, that's one
thing that they feel really quite by the time you say, oh,
you'll get your photographs as well.
Yes, I do actually. It's just like, Oh my God, OK,
(37:38):
I'll, I'll maybe not, maybe not Labour the point there, but it
just it is such a it is such a really good ticket from the UK
if you go, if you go and want just that once a year.
So I've just done this, I've just done the maths.
So it's like 4040 lbs a day. Yeah.
Nothing to get into the parts and I did a quick comparison of
(37:58):
Thorpe Park and Alton Towers. So if you were to do a walk up
at either of those, you're looking at 70 to ÂŁ75 a day for a
day at Hall Park. You can book them in advance for
about 30 to 35 lbs. So you know any park in Walt
Disney World? You.
Get lot, you get lot. Bottles, yeah, a day of thought.
So I think if you're to do some sort of comparison.
(38:20):
I know which one I'd prefer. Rainer.
Yeah. Yeah, I mean, I might need a
flight to the hotel to get to the Florida, but I don't.
The other thing is as well to bear in mind and, and this is
again, I'm not wishing to decry sort of UK theme parks, but my
youngest son when we're recording this on the day we're
recording this is actually at Open Towers with his friends.
(38:40):
He turned up this morning and now on half of the big rides
were not in operation until at least one or two in the
afternoon. And you know, when you you walk
in somewhere and you're thinkingthis is just, this doesn't
happen in America very often unless weather comes into it.
It wasn't weather related towers.
It was either staffing or just they couldn't be bothered or
(39:02):
whatever. You know what you get and when
you go to Disney and you know what it's actually it's it's
it's very transparent. If something's something's down
for refurbishment, it will be onthe website weeks, if not months
in advance. You're not going to get there
and see that half of the park isis closed and things that and I
think that's the thing to also bear in mind that the difference
(39:23):
because I've, you know, again, don't want to talk down UK
feedbacks, but actually they don't do that sort of
communication bit very well either.
Yeah. And talking for refreshment,
Sean, hopefully later this monthfor D23, we might find out what
other stuff is happening refurbishment wise.
So we might get some dates of when things might close or
reopen. Yeah.
(39:43):
And actually that's, that's something again, keep an eye on
our socials because I think we're going to try and do as
much as we can about 23 this year.
The Ruber Mill is absolutely on fire at the moment and I think
that. Let me, let me.
Yes, the same is going to be another part, the new part.
No more. Blue sky.
We want blue sky thinking. That's what we want.
(40:05):
We don't want specific plans, wewant more blue sky ideas that
they got. Some concrete concrete thoughts
would be helpful. I will just add this minute.
I just want blue sky. I don't want to.
I'm going back to what Becca says.
A bit of con concrete pouring would be even better, I think.
Yes, Yeah. I think from a Disney
(40:25):
perspective, you know, they needsomething and it's right for
something because otherwise, like we've said the past couple
of podcasts, they're kind of getso left behind by Universal and
I think a lot of people within that Disney sort of area at the
moment, yeah. You know, when planning permits
go in and things like that. At the moment I think Universal
(40:46):
have stolen a March and it couldbe quite frightening.
Not long until D 23. I know.
But if but if it's not quick andit's not a quick turn around,
Robin, I think the danger is a lot of people this time next
year are going to be looking up the road and that will be the
the first and foremost port callon a trip to Orlando.
And and that in Disney's eyes, is something they've never had
(41:09):
to contend with. Even even when Harry Potter
opened, it wasn't a deal breakerwith a whole new parts you can
turn with. They've got their water part,
they've got their other parts. Universal are actually in this
fight and they're actually to me, they seem to have taken
round one and let's see what? Let's see.
Let's see what Disney got to bring.
Oh, we love competition because it's just better for all of us,
(41:30):
isn't it? Yeah.
Two, right? Yeah, right.
Encourages everyone to raise their game.
Yeah. Unfortunately, I think that they
both tend to do and raise at thesame time is their car.
Offering prices. Right when when the university
goes, oh, we're going to drive to 32 dizzy day later, oh, we'll
raise. It as well.
(41:53):
So to bring us back round onto topic, there's 1 ticket type
that we brushed on but I haven'treally delved into and that is
the the US multi day tickets. So we know they don't include
memory maker. They don't as standard include
park hopping. They don't include water parks
as standard. You can pay to upgrade them, but
(42:14):
as standard they don't include them.
So we mentioned how good value the UK tickets are.
I've I did today comparison for September, a three day base
ticket on undercover tourist including tax is $403.
A five day is $526 and a seven day is $583.
(42:38):
That doesn't include hopping. It doesn't include water parks
and doesn't include memory maker.
So it's very easy to see that this is the most expensive
option. But if we can buy these tickets
as well, if you're going to Florida for a short amount of
time, if you're going planning only a couple of days in Disney,
I think these are cheap, the cheapest option.
(43:00):
It's a very I think it by the time I think it's like a fight
the breaking break even ish point is about a five day.
If you add water parks, mainly maker and park hopping, by the
time you've got a five day including all that US ticket,
you may as well have a 14 day ultimate.
So if you're kind of going for less than five days or if you
just want to do one part one day, you can work out cheaper
(43:22):
that way. But yeah, I feel like this is
this is the least value ticket than is all of that and sadly
the one that's most Americans are left choosing.
Yeah. And that's that's a frightening
bit. And I think for us from the UK,
like you've just said, there is a tipping point on that as well.
(43:42):
And I think, I think the only thing I would say there is the
fact that just do you do your homework, know how many days you
want, because actually for some people, this, that three day
base ticket might just perfectlyfit the bill for, for what
you're you're there for. You know, you might be you might
be going on a cruise or you might be going somewhere else.
And so you don't want 14 days worth of pack.
(44:04):
Absolutely. So it might just be it might be
the one that. Absolutely.
It it. There's definitely a place for
them. If you're going to be in Florida
for a week and you're doing universal or even if you're
there for two weeks, but you're planning Universal, you see,
well, your Busch Gardens, you'redrinking evenings, you're
shopping shopping days and thesethings you're like, well, I'm
actually only going to get bored.
(44:24):
I'm not really that that into Disney.
I just want to do a few days to get a bit of Disney magic 3 days
and that's cheaper than you pay pass.
And yeah, it it could be worth it.
It the pros are it's good if you've got a short trip.
The cons are I think it's the most expensive out of all the
tickets options. And it's always cheap to put
clothes in advance, and it is torock up at the gate and go,
(44:46):
what's the price of the day? Oh.
And the, the lot, obviously the longer the tickets, the cheaper
it is and the better value you get if you book them in advance,
then if you book them on the day.
So yeah, it's, it's always better with those to, to book in
advance. If you're in the UK and you want
to buy them from the official Disney website, you will have to
(45:07):
use AVPN. You'll have to download one
that's the same. Actually, if you want to buy an
annual pass in advance, the UK Disney website only wants to
sell you 14 day tickets. If you want anything other than
a 14 day ticket, you're out of luck.
So. What what I did find out
interesting the other day that and if you've got a dizzy
vacation club lesser sorcerer pass, you can't now renew it
(45:31):
through the app that you used tobe able to.
You now have to phone member services to then say you're to
check the Euro dizzy vacation club and before you can renew
because you spreads just buy it.And then you go and show your ID
before you get it going to park,because now if things on the app
and on the Magic band, they're taking that that step out of it.
I felt so annoyed about that then I don't want to talk to
(45:53):
anyone, open up my screen and click a few buttons.
I don't want to have to sit there, type in my member number,
type in my phone number, type inmy address, type, and then wait
for everyone and go through it all.
Again, then you're on hold because you get Small World for
half an hour first. Do you think the last time I was
on hold to Disney and it was nothing can stop us now?
(46:16):
Oh, that's a new one. And it was like, yeah.
I was on hold. It was the trolley show song.
It was like they were talking. That's me, Me.
That's that's out of order, thatis.
It Yeah. Yeah, it's just wrong.
Just wrong. So yes, Summer, in summary,
which ticket are you going for? I mean, we know what one
Claire's going for. She's going for an annual pass
(46:38):
because she's been going. Yeah, if I'm going to go more
than twice in a year, I'm going for an annual pass.
However, my annual. Pass, I think if you're going
more. Than once it may be.
So if my mind is obviously expires in the beginning of
December, I haven't got a plan to go.
I mean there in October, I haven't got a plan to go back
yet until maybe February or March.
(47:03):
So I won't renew in December andget the discount.
I will wait. So then I've got the year.
There's no point in renewing in December knowing I'm not going
for three months or five months.So I will wait and I will suck
up the little extra bit of cost.I think it's a 10% discount you
get that will be offset by however many times I use it in
the future. So yeah, yeah, there's no point
(47:24):
renewing it just because I get 10% discount.
I'll wait and buy a new one. I'll completely agree with you.
There is a little a little part of me that's nervous when I do
that because remember, they did and.
They stop telling them. They stopped, That was it.
They stopped selling them. They did stop selling them and
they frequently do for Disneyland.
When they sell out, they only sell a certain amount.
They haven't yet done that for Disneyland.
(47:45):
They only stopped after the pandemic.
So they haven't ever said, right, we're not.
We're stopping sales. No one else can buy them.
You've sold out, which makes me hopeful that won't happen, but I
am with you. I completely agree there's no
point renewing it if you're going to have.
Dead months and actually in credit pass, those will be the
(48:07):
ones they stopped selling last. So I'm sort of working on the
theory that they're not going tosell, they're not going to stop
selling the most expensive pass since first.
Yeah, hopefully. Fingers crossed.
And the other thing I was thinking was what you touched on
earlier, John. Is it worth it for one person to
get one in the family, to get the discounts on the merch, to
(48:27):
get the free parking? Even if you're going just once,
is it worth that discount? Are you going if you're going 14
days you know straight off the bat you can take $420.00 off the
purchase price because you say that immediately the difference.
What did you say? You worked outplay 700 ish
dollars for what? To buy the UK ticket if you can.
(48:50):
720. 712 dollars. $712.00 so ticket yeah.
If it's only one one trick, are you gonna save on merch and the
other discounts enough to cover that interim?
I'm not sure it's like in your parking then that would take it
up to probably 1100 dollars. Yeah, and 14 and it costs and
(49:12):
it's nearly 1600. It's it's trim I the mass, the
mass of that is really, really tight.
And and actually for our trip upcoming, we know that we
probably would be just about even in respect of an ultimate
ticket versus one annual pass inthe party.
So it doesn't really make sense for what we want to do because
(49:35):
one of the water parts we want to do mini golf that sort of
that and. Then you add that on.
Yeah, it's really, it is a really tight mathematical
equation for one, one trip, you go in again, it's well worth it.
And I think that's that's, if you take nothing else from this
podcast, It's, it's, that's maybe it, you know, it's.
(49:57):
There is one thing about having an annual pass which is the pain
and that is I was pricing up trips for next year and looking
at the cost of the package on the UK website for Disney where
you buy your hotel and your parttickets to get your free dining
plan. Now if you were to choose to
have three people in the hotel room, you can only buy 3
(50:18):
ultimate tickets. You can't choose to move to
reduce one of the ultimate tickets because you've not got
an annual. Because you need it as part of
the package. So you need it as.
Part of the package. So you then don't get the dining
plan for the. 3rd don't get the dining plan but you can't add
that person that check in to their.
Well, at their discretion, but yes.
Always. Say there's yeah, so you can,
(50:39):
you can then hotel, that's not usually not a problem, but you
don't get the dining plan for that per person.
So if you were looking to buy a package and say it's got an
annual pass, you can't abuse your annual classes instead of
the part ticket, which is the only thing that I found in a bit
of a moment. Yeah, it's annoying.
Did you think I've got a ticket?Why can't I get this?
It's yeah. The only thing I don't think
(51:00):
we've mentioned about the ultimate ticket, and it probably
goes with the other tickets as well, is the prices do vary
depends on the season. So I know we've quoted like 519
for like next year, but actuallyif you're going over Christmas,
you might find that goes up 20 or 30 lbs for that way.
And so it's, it's where if you buy an annual pass that you take
(51:24):
that bit out the equation. So if you know actually you're
looking at some more expensive time of year, as long as you've
got the, I mean credit pass, that's that's not going to be an
issue. Yeah, that's very true.
That's very true. I when I when I was looking, I
chose the cheapest time of year and it was September this year
with the ticket and that was thecheapest value season to get the
(51:45):
price. And they are, they are different
prices based on when you go. So yeah, that's a very good
point. It also depends how long you're
going to go for. If you're going to go for two
trips that are only a few days, it's still not worth getting
annual pass. It's only really worth it if
both trips you're doing really aweek or more, yeah.
(52:08):
That's good call. I'd go five nights or more,
twice. Well, I, I think I, I tend to
agree with you, Kate. If you're doing five nights or
more, 2 new five nights or more trips, it's worth 11 cars.
If it's two trips less than that, I'm not sure, again, that
it works out. And again, if you're staying in
Disney, you're not really worried thinking about juicy.
(52:30):
Yeah. So you can take that out of the
equation. If you don't tend to eat in
table service restaurants, you can take that discount out of
the equation. If you don't really buy much, I
don't know why we're friends. But if you don't really buy
much, you take that out of the equation.
Like it's, there's all these things that are really, they
make it and make it all really personal to you and to so if you
(52:53):
came to me and said, do I need to buy an annual pass?
I'm going to ask you lots of questions because it's not
straightforward. It's there's lots of variables.
Are you going to do tours that get you discounts?
Are you going to do a wild aftertrack you can get a discount.
Are you going to hire a boat andget a discount?
Are you going to do hoopty Doo and get a discount?
Are you going to ask you on whatyes you can do?
(53:15):
Are you going to spend 1000 lbs on doing your back handbags?
It's all very relative to you. The worth value is is very
different. If you take it back to bare
bones and you're doing 2 trips within 12 months of each other,
(53:36):
it's fair to say get it on your bus it works out similar price
to two UK tickets anyway and then you'll get discounts for
everything. I think yeah, that that's the
answer. If you're staying on site and
you want free dining every time you go, don't buy it on your bus
because you won't get free diving, yeah.
Yeah, it's an expensive show. You everyone's buying that in
(53:59):
your bus. That's me.
Always time let's have convince you to dine annual class.
That's me. So it's like we said with the
DVC as well. Do the math.
For your. Family, yes, that's absolutely
what's going to be best for you.Your trip, your holiday.
Absolutely, absolutely. What works for you won't work
(54:19):
for everyone, or what works for me won't work for you.
That's OK. And if something makes extra
special, if you become an annualpass holder on all of the parks,
there's a special entrance that says annual pass holder.
So you just think you can actually know what it's busy
there. I'm going to go in that and.
That's like the open last thing in the morning.
You can go to the you can go to the pass holder lounge in
(54:41):
Morocco and you can you get a little I.
Watch they do have special events.
They have VIP pass holder evenings.
I remember getting a a leaflet my VIP pass holder reasoning
only it was VI pass holder so ifyou read it as VIP there was no
(55:01):
extra P for pass holder. So it actually spells out
something very different. They value us very much.
Well, you do get free magnets from time to time.
Now and again. Yes.
Who doesn't love a free magnet? Exactly I've.
Bridges full. Of actually I have.
(55:23):
I've got 3 coasters that say Disney Pass hold on them.
I remember those days. Now we just get magnets.
Yeah, I've got chopping boards. I've got glasses, food and wine
glasses, Pass holder glasses back in the day.
Yeah, sadly, now it's a magnet. Or a little badge from the the
lounge, Yeah. Miserable.
You know, I didn't go in the lounge fair.
(55:44):
I did. I'm making sure I'm getting my
money for. What she go in I.
Know excellent the excellent Wi-Fi Brandy.
It was great. I think we've done all we can
now, but we decided which ticketto go for though if you're still
unsure, why don't you come and ask for more opinions in the
(56:06):
wafers arms, which is our lovelyFacebook community.
So thank you very much for joining us.
Thanks guys for letting me host forcing me.
You've done a, you've done a great job, Robin.
Now I think you should host moreoften.
Absolutely, yeah. I think it's not doing a more
terrible job than I. Mean, I think, I think we
(56:28):
mentioned this before the show started, but you you you last
posted a podcast. Was it last September?
So do we need now need to speak?You're in for next September, is
it? Yeah.
I like to do the next July. Yeah, we're bringing it forward
the month of each year. It's Robert Robin Robin's annual
pass that's basically. There you go.
(56:51):
If you missed any of our previous shows, don't worry, you
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You can stay up to date with allthings Waffle if you follow us
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(57:13):
So come and join in the chat or if you miss it, you can catch it
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So please leave a comment a likeor subscribe.
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Thanks very much. So thank you again.
(57:34):
And there's just one thing left to say.
See you real soon. See you real soon.
See you real soon now my. Wheels in motion.
And my windows open. I'm driving down the highway.
Gonna do this my way. I can feel it in the air.
(57:57):
Here I go.
From wherever in the world you are joining us, welcome to the
great British Mickey Waffle. I'm your host for the show
Robin. Today we are talking annual
passes versus UK 14 day tickets or multi day tickets.
What are the benefits of each ticket and is the price
difference worth it for an annual pass?
So grab a cuppa and join us while we break it all down and
(00:22):
help you decide which ticket is the one.
I'm going in my head. I'm driving down the highway.
Gonna do this my way. I can feel it in the air.
Here I go. Well, just one Can you believe
(00:51):
it's August already like, and ifsomeone could tell you know, the
British summer that it's August and it's meant to be summer,
that would be great because I don't like you, but I'm freezing
I. Think heating on at least one or
at least or at least contented. True Rome.
When I talked about Lightman fire the other day, it's like
(01:12):
he's July. It's wrong.
Totally wrong. It's July, not November.
Well, actually, it's August. And now it's.
Like almost October, yes, October, late October weather,
what is happening, But it is the1st of August and that means
we've got a new show. And it means my count my my.
(01:34):
Countdown to the 8th day. I mean, I mean.
Hang on home. It's August though.
Which of us goes to Florida thismonth?
Everyone. Got us, you know, dear.
Well, look which. Is the wrong year.
It's August next year, Yeah. That makes a change.
There we go. Yeah, For all this time, all
(01:55):
this time I've. I've had to and I was going to
say enjoy, but I haven't. I've enjoyed waving you off on
your holidays and things like that.
And actually it's now, now it's my turn.
I'm quite. Now you're joyous, John.
Woo Hoo. I can't wait.
Someone has to stay here and look after you.
Yeah, well, hold on. For someone's going to do it,
someone's going to do it, guys, someone's going to do it.
(02:18):
I can't wait to just, John, how many times have you sent me a
message on days that we've flownto Florida and just tracked the
plane? I'm so looking forward to doing
that. It's it's going to be so good
and a. Long time coming.
Yeah, it has. And, and the other side to all
of this is the fact that when we're out there, we've got loads
and loads of stuff that Claire and I are going to do because
(02:39):
we're going to do cornhole tasks.
We've got the Halloween party and things like that.
So just make sure people keep intouch with us through social
media. There will be some pictures and
and then actually the costumes for the Halloween party might be
something that are worth just worth waiting for.
We're not going to going to giveanything away, but worth
waiting. They might, they might know
(03:03):
there's all sorts of hot glue gun things going on in my house.
I feel like when he's like. Creation.
Costume creation. I feel like we need on some sort
of life and health and safety thing that make sure you're
using hot glue gun correctly. Honestly, I can't even tell you
(03:25):
how many burnt fingers have happened already.
Oh. No.
But it'll be worth it. It'll be worth.
It it will be worth it. I thought, wait, I'm really
excited. I know I've heard I might be
talking about possible ideas, but I didn't.
I don't know what you ended up with, so I'm excited.
To speak, we don't know what we've ended up with either.
It goes. What I love, it's August and so
(03:47):
obviously it's Halloween. Yeah.
Obviously isn't. Isn't it in August you?
Have to do. It.
You've got to do it. Christmas in July, Halloween and
August. Exactly.
Why not? Exactly?
Why not? So going back to the topic on
hand, we're talking about tickets.
(04:09):
What ticket is the right one foryou?
Have we all here had an annual pass before?
Yes. John.
Yeah, Yeah, we have, we have. And actually that's, that's
going to be a really good thing to, to actually look at the, the
debate between the, the ticket that we get in the UK, an annual
pass and then obviously the difference.
(04:30):
And there are a lot of people who listen from the United
States, they have different options as well.
So I think we're going to we're going to explore quite a bit of
this. Yeah.
Yeah. Covering all tickets today.
Well, practically all tickets. But as as we've all either been
or are currently annual pass holders, I thought we should
(04:51):
start there. There are different annual
passes if you didn't already know, if you weren't already
familiar. There are different annual
passes now. Sadly, lots of them are only for
Florida residents, so we'll spend a lot of time talking
about those one. We'll start with the most
expensive, the one that's available to everyone.
Wherever you are in the world. You can buy this one and that's
(05:12):
the Incredi Pass. It's got 0 back out dates, but
it's the most expensive. It's currently today $1543.00
including the tax. Yeah.
Quite a lot of money. So yeah, that's not the most
expensive one. If you're going at Christmas.
If you don't don't live in Florida or you're not a Disney
(05:34):
Vacation Club member, then this is the ticket for you.
Which brings us on to the small service pass and the next step
down that is available to Florida residents and also
Disney Vacation Club members. So if you have a Disney Vacation
Club membership, you can buy this one.
There's only 20 blackout dates. There's still hardly any and
(05:55):
it's so Thanksgiving and Christmas and New Year.
So as long as you're not planning to go in those times,
this, this would be the one for you.
And that is $1064 in including tax.
The next, there's two more passes.
The next one is the Pirate Pass,which is Florida resident only
65 blackout dates around most ofthe holidays, and that's $851.00
(06:16):
in tax. And then there's the Pixie Dust
Pass, which is again Florida residents only.
That's blacked out most of the year.
Well, not mostly, but half the year you can't go weekends, all
the holidays all blacked out. And that one's 468.
I'm not really sure who that one's appealing to because if
you don't go weekend, are you working?
Maybe you work shifts, I don't know.
(06:38):
I'll, I'll say my cousin and herhusband both are they, they're
Florida residents and they have Pixie passes and they, they use
them during the week because they also have universal annual
passes which cover the weekends.I like that here for thinking.
But do they not work during Monday to Friday then?
So they they have a house in Orlando that they go to on
(06:59):
holiday and sometimes they work during the week, sometimes they
don't. So often they will work for some
of the day and then go to the parks in the evening and then
they'll do the same at the week.They'll use the weekends for
Universal. That is a brilliant.
Idea don't put it sorted. Yeah.
I just didn't realise how much of a price difference there was
between a Pixie dust and the incredibly expensive pass.
(07:23):
Yeah, it's just, is that what itcould mean?
Incredible. Yeah.
Yeah, it's a. Huge, huge price difference, but
as I said before, the UK gets out of state out of Florida yes,
most of us can only get the incredible pass and if you're
lucky enough to be DVC, you can buy the sorcerer pass.
(07:44):
So I think we'll, we'll spend most of the time when we compare
and things thinking of those twopasses rather than the cheaper
ones because sadly, most of us are not lucky enough to live in
Florida by the other sad time, sad time.
So with all I'll give you, I've got a pros and cons list who's
ready? Pros and cons, go for it.
(08:06):
These are my pros and cons. Feel free to add your own.
So my the pros of all of the annual passes.
Free parking in the parks. And that's the big one.
And that that actually, that is something you just need to just
bear in mind as we go through this show.
I think we'll come back into it later when we come back to the
UK tickets and things like that.But having free parking, I've
(08:30):
got to say, is one of the greatest feelings in the world.
You get into the parking lot andyou feel as if the day.
Is you just get to wave your card and.
You feel like there you go. I mean, it's just like, well,
magic band idea. Out the window, it's like, yeah,
just scam my back-to-back. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
(08:50):
That's a big one. That, that to me is one of the
biggest perks, especially if you're if you're staying on
site, yeah, OK, maybe not the biggest perk for you because you
get free parking, but if you're not staying in Disney, it's $30
a day at the moment for. Standardly, it adds up.
Yeah, and it's only free to standard parking.
It's a good, good mentioning there you don't get the free
(09:11):
preferred, but free standard parking.
I'll still take 20% currently discount on merch.
I fair personally feel like I make my money back right there.
Yeah. No, I, I agree.
I remember we were out in was itJune 2023 and for that whole
month there was a pass holder month and we got 30% off and or
(09:36):
we might have been but it was 30% off food and it was 40% off
managed ice. I got some bags Bags.
I, I, I, I, I think we, we, we came back with an awful lot more
stuff than we got. We, we've been thinking about
this, Cutlery said. For a while.
(09:56):
Ah, buy it. It's 40% off.
That's literally not. You you went to Orlando and you
came back with a canteen of cutlery, you know, like.
I also have the cutlery set. In fact, I have two because one
wasn't enough. We've got the.
Colour now I. Feel like the poor relation.
Well, next time you aren't there, bring one.
(10:19):
I'll be going in just a few days.
I'll be disappointed if you don't bring one back.
No one's not enough. You need two if you're taking
them out for special occasion. Yeah, you need to.
Mine are used all the time. We just don't invite people
around. Sufficient because we're anti
(10:43):
social? Yeah.
Also on my prayers list is discounting that dining
discount. Yeah, it's not as
straightforward because not not 100% places give them and not
(11:04):
everywhere it's the same. Mostly it's 10% off entrees at
table service. There are some quick service
that offer 10%. There are some table service
that offer 20%. I believe it's hit and miss.
Check out the the annual plus onthe website.
You can find out where you're getting, but as a general rule
it's kind of 10% on your entree.Not not great if you want a
(11:27):
starter and a dessert, but I. Just don't know if I'm in asking
because I don't. I have It's almost fun to you.
You get to a point where the cast members will always ask
whether you've got a discount ornot.
But actually if they haven't said it, just just ask.
It's like they'll and. They'll say no, yeah, I always
say, do you take any discounts? Bearing in mind I know that I've
(11:49):
got the annual pass and the Disney vacation and it's worth
that. Some are better than others in
the same place. So it's always better asking if
they're the same because sometimes there's been times
where annual pass has been 15% and these DDCS intend.
I used to just like giving them both of my cards and just going
(12:09):
like choose whichever one's the most.
So interestingly, now if they might take the card, it all has
to be on the approved because it's got the dates on it.
Yeah. So yes.
So that's yeah, the frustrating bit, making sure you've got it
on your phone available. Also, pros get discounts on
things like boat rentals, tours,VIP tours, VIP tours Yeah, all
(12:34):
the tours, all the Halloween andChristmas parties, Halloween
Christmas parties, the H2 glow nights, the typhoon looking H2
special events, yeah, all those sorts of things.
Discounts for those they might not be much, but they're often
$10 or more yeah. So you know it's it's worth it
you're. Not going to say no to a little
(12:54):
bit of money back in your pocket.
Exactly at what point do we we see it as Disney are paying us
to be there? I don't know.
So the. Disney math is a real thing.
Yeah, without the doubt. Absolutely, You know.
You buy many fast and your tripsare free.
Is that right? Yeah.
And you took after about 18 days.
(13:15):
Is is a pro park ticket? Yes.
So I have a spreadsheet people. I'm so excited by my
spreadsheet, so I I'm. Excited.
By your spreadsheet here. So I've I've been placing my
spreadsheet so I bought my annual pass.
I haven't in credit pass. When I purchased it last year it
was $14199. So it's gone up by about $50
(13:36):
since I bought it last year and I it was activated on the 1st of
December last year. So since then I have calculated
how much I have saved over and above the cost of the say $1500
for the ticket it so everything I've saved including the cost of
the ticket. So I've added it all up,
cancelled out the cost of the ticket and then over and above
(13:56):
that with in terms of not havingto buy part tickets.
So the ultimate passes that we're going to come onto on site
hotel discounts which we haven'tcome.
To. I was going to mention that.
Yeah, so the discounts in various different trips and I
will have take by the time my pass runs out, I'll have done 5
trips. So, you know, bear in mind
(14:17):
that's more than most people would probably do in a year.
Talk about getting value for money.
That's the point. It's.
Watching the poor friend becauseshe's on all these Disney trips.
It's cost you a fortune and flights, but you save money on
tickets. You're all right.
It's not surprised actually though how much it balances out.
(14:38):
Parking on site, merchandise discount, dining discount.
Pandora jewellery discount is really good.
So you do get a slightly bigger price.
You get bit bit sometimes you get 25 and 30% off Pandora.
And bearing in mind both my children have Pandora jewellery.
So yeah, it's good presents and,you know, purchase for Christmas
(14:59):
in advance and all of those things and then tour discounts.
So by the time the end of my year has completed over and
above the cost of the ticket that's been cancelled out
already, I will have saved $5513.
One hour. Good grief.
Wow, so $7000 with the. Party.
(15:22):
That's a whole lot of Pandora, Claire, I've got to say that's.
A whole lot of ET. So, yeah, with the with the cost
of the ticket in, yeah, that's that's if I was to add that
$7000 well. I have a question that I'm
interested in. You might not know something
yet. How much of that is the discount
(15:43):
that you get for the annual passon your discount on the hotel
room so I can make an acceptance?
Yeah, it does. I can tell you the hotel
discount. Bear with me.
Because I feel like that might be a big chunk of that.
Yeah. So especially when they do not
ten or 20 or 30% off certain times and even even more.
So that would be best part of $1700 on hotel discounts.
(16:04):
Wow, so you still. That's the cost of the ticket
out. Plus the ticket so every time I
don't have to buy an ultimate pass for me is 712 dollars.
Wow. That's amazing.
If I'm going for two trips, yeah, it's it's worth buying the
ticket. I Claire, I actually think that
from certainly from our experience of having an annual
pass a few years ago, that is the tipping point is basically
(16:26):
the second trip. Now if you've got, if you've got
any way, shape or form, you knowthat you're going twice.
This is the route to actually godown because you will save money
even if even it's only one of your party that actually buys
the annual pass. That's the key.
You actually, yeah, because you all will get free parking if
you've got the one car, it then means it opens up so much for
(16:51):
you. It really does.
And that, that, that for me has always been that the tipping
point if you, if you go for two trips, the annual pass becomes
it basically becomes your friendand it become basically even
just for parking, the parking takes up so much of the cost
that it covers so much before you go on to merchant and dining
(17:11):
and even hotel reservation discounts as well that.
So Even so, even the the cost ofthe if I was just going in
August and I was going for two weeks.
So the ultimate tickets, they'veconverted it all to dollars
because it was easier to work out in terms of the, the park
pass. So $712.00 for the ultimate
ticket and then $430 for parking.
(17:32):
So you know, by the time you've added that, sorry, $420.00.
So when you've added that together, that's nearly $1000
just on one trip without any discounts, without any hotel
savings, without, you know, a second trip in the year.
It absolutely makes sense if you're going to go more than
twice. If you're going to go twice or
more in an in a year of your annual pass, it makes sense.
(17:57):
I always say if you're planning just one trip a year, plan it
within a year. So if you can only go in the
school holidays, so the end of August.
Yeah. Yeah, then you've got, you're
only still having one trip a year, but you've got both.
But then that's when Disney mathcomes in and you're like, well,
(18:18):
I've already got an annual pass and I've seen the cheap flights.
And then you're like, Oh well, I'm basically going for free
and. It it makes the trip cheaper
because I remember when our passwas expiring last October, but
we thought, oh, last November. So can we fit another few more
days in and it's like, oh OK, got some really cheap flights
with north or can Tesla for lessthan two in Japan.
This trip is going to happen. The tickets are done.
(18:40):
It's like all we need to do is book it off and go.
It's like. That is, that is the problem,
that when you've got an annual pass, it burns a hole in your.
Check every time you open your wallet, there's a there's a
reminder of going right. Oh, it's like, oh.
Yeah. How much are the flights?
But yeah. And then, and then you look at,
but you look at flights and you think, ah, bango, I've got miles
from the last time I went. That's so I can do miles and
(19:03):
money. And then suddenly it's like, oh,
I can get that. They're playing me today.
Do you know, we talk about all the all the positives, but there
are some drawbacks. Yeah, you.
Know I've got all positive I've got to say Robin, the the first
(19:24):
one on your list is the one thatfor me is a bit of a deal
breaker and I actually think I'dbe interested to see what you
guys think. And I know Claire, I think for
you this this for me is this is this for me takes away that
little bit of freedom. And it's the fact that you still
have to make a theme park reservation.
And I actually feel that that if, if you just on that Disney
(19:47):
math of should I or shouldn't I?This is the bit for me that
actually it it, it, it pushes meback towards the UK ticket.
And that's, that's a bit, that's, that's a bit that I'm
actually, I'm really struggling with this because actually I
know that when we're going next.And we've got, we've got an
ultimate ticket, but I know thatwe can wake up in the morning
(20:09):
and we can just decide we were going to go, we were going to go
Epcot. But I tell you what, I really
fancy going to Magic Kingdom because actually I want to do
something different. And we've got that real freedom
of of planning. And you come away from that, you
come away from that sort of rigid, rigid sort of structure
that you have to be in the themepark, you have to make that
(20:29):
reservation. And that for me, I, I think, you
know, I, I think as annual pass holders, I think people should
just rise up and, and make a massive complaint about this
because it, it seems seems deeply unfair, deeply unfair.
I think, I think it's worth mentioning that, John, that you,
you only have to make a park reservation if you're going to
go in before 2:00. If it's after 2 o'clock, you can
(20:51):
go into any park apart from Magic Kingdom at the weekend.
Yeah. And it just sounds.
Sounds overly complicated. In a.
In a. In a real if.
It doesn't go in for early morning.
It doesn't matter. Touché you know.
For me, I like to be there you. Know rope?
(21:12):
And I get it because actually itseems ridiculous as an annual
pass holder, I've given you tonsof my money and yet you're still
going to make me make a park reservation where the other
people who have bought just a stand alone ticket don't have
to. However, I will say that at no
point on any of my trips so far Touchwood have I not been able
(21:33):
to get in the park that I want to go to.
So that may change. Even at Christmas when I was
there with Anna and it was a there were busy days, we we
didn't have an issue, but I'm sure it happens.
It so it happened to me, Claire,they there was an issue when we
were going through the turnstiles and the IT wasn't an
(21:57):
issue of my ticket wasn't an issue of my friend's ticket.
I think she might have booked the wrong day for the wrong or
the wrong park of the wrong day.They're very kind people let
changed it for cancelled it and remade it only what they did was
they cancelled the next day's ticket by mistake that like park
reservation and then it sold outand we went guest relations and
I could show them a screenshot. I could show them I booked it
(22:19):
and they were like, I can't helpyou.
There are no reservations for tomorrow as it happens.
I mean, I was quite firm and I was like, I appreciate what
you're saying. However, given this was not our
fault, I would like you to find a manager that who can fix it
please, because they also cancelled mine for the next day
(22:40):
and I was like, I wasn't even a part of this.
So as it happens, they she said,I mean, I don't know, she went
out the back and she came back and she's like, oh, would you
believe it too? Just three days.
Here's what. But look, they fixed it for you.
That was they. Fixed it.
And often, and that was a very busy time and often, John, I can
(23:03):
wake up in the morning and decide I don't want to go to
Animal Kingdom today. I want to go to Epcot and I can
change it in this space. Yeah.
You also, if you're staying on site, you you don't you, you can
book as many reservations as. You want because it's a length
of stay, isn't it? Yeah.
It's a length of stay, but if you're staying offsite, you can
book 5 Parkway. Yeah, so it does limit you a
(23:26):
little bit, but there's good to go days where you don't need a
reservation. You you can book, have you first
book another one, use that the next book another one and just
do it every couple of days. It's a minor inconvenience.
Yeah, it's a minor inconvenience, but you know,
well, one thing I really wish they would do is take into
(23:47):
account if you're staying in Disney.
So if I booked to stay in a resort, I feel like as an annual
pass holder, they should just go, well, we know you're going
to be here. You don't need to make a.
Reservation like they do with the data deal.
They don't make no sense. I guess that tech maybe isn't
quite sophisticated enough to different.
Because we're on the Disney Internet and Wi-Fi and I'm not.
(24:09):
Sure, you're in a position to speak.
And one. Tonight's podcast is sponsored
by Disney's IT. Yeah, but yeah, no, the the park
preservation thing, it's a minorinconvenience.
It's not, it's not a deal breaker.
And. What deal breaker?
Especially when you look at yoursailings there.
It's just something to adding toyour planning, isn't it?
(24:32):
It's a bit like when the first time we went for our first trip
to Florida, we bought every single ticket that was unlike
the Orlando Flexi ticket and we only used three of them.
It was, there was a lot we didn't use.
It's something that actually through experience and think you
actually it's what once you sat down and done your plan, you
know what ones you want to book for.
And as you said, you've been able to have no issue or since
(24:55):
you've had your annual pass not going?
And not yet. I don't go, you know, I'm not
going on Thanksgiving, I'm not going Christmas Day.
I was at the beginning of December.
I went in April after spring break had all finished.
I was there in May, August and then October.
So you know, I'm not going and I'm not trying to go to like
Magic Kingdom on the 4th of July.
So it's, it's unlikely to affectme because of when I'm choosing
(25:19):
to travel. I think if you're an annual
pulse holder and you were, you know, a Florida resident and you
were trying to get a reservationfor a trip to go with family on
a special occasion, I think, youknow, it could end up being a
little bit of a, a quibbling point.
I mean, we went Christmas Day the other year and I don't
remember having an issue gettinga reservation, and that was back
(25:41):
when everyone needed a reservation.
Yeah, and that that wasn't an issue at all.
Magic. On.
Christmas Day we did. Yes, it was freezing.
Freezing different. No, no, we could, we could have
changed on the on Christmas Eve,it's all available all week.
We hadn't. There was no issue.
So maybe, maybe that. Might have been the weather, to
(26:02):
be fair, but yeah, maybe so. It was a bit chilly.
Oh, what else? What are the other drawbacks?
Well, I was just about to say the only other drawback I have
in my my sort of my little list is the annual annual passes.
None of them include memory maker or the water parts which
include get both included in UK ultimate tickets.
(26:24):
You don't get them in the American tickets but the UK
tickets. If you want to add on memory
maker it's $99 plus tax. Just add it on one person and
then everyone download on that person.
So my ticket has memory maker onit, yeah.
We do the way it made sense justto have one of the party to have
it on. I make.
Some sense. I have enough friends that have
(26:46):
it so I don't bother and and if ever I'm not with anyone, we're
all linked and I'll just be likeand then one will magically
appear on my phone. Certainly, yeah.
So yeah, I I don't. Also water parks is another $99
plus tax. Yeah.
So it depends if you if you're interested in the water parks
(27:07):
again, you can get discounted one day tickets at the water.
Parks 54 dollars or something for a day?
Yeah. So if you're thinking you might
go once, yeah, in the whole yearthat you have the past, maybe
even worth getting a ticket. If you think you're going to go
twice, then it's worth adding onthe order parks, Yeah.
So yeah, that can make your pastan extra $200.00 plus tax more.
(27:28):
If you if you do. But honestly, that's my only
drawbacks personally. Anyone else got any drawbacks?
The only thing is my bank balance when I keep having to
put to make sure it's like, oh, I can squeeze another one in.
But other than that, there isn't.
And I think we haven't spoken much about the ultimate.
There's there's that point of when for us, it was we were out
there once in June. It was like we weren't sure when
(27:50):
our next trip was going to be, but when we're out that we
decided to upgrade. I know you can't do that anymore
from an ultimate ticket to or you can depends on where you go.
Depends. Who you are Stan friendly did it
lovely. Like it really does depend who
(28:11):
you are. Were they DBC?
No, that was just a standard UK tickets.
But I would say don't bank on itbecause lots of people are not
able to and then a few people are.
Because we used to just Oh well,buy the 14 day ticket because it
was easier and then we'll just up everywhere out there.
But now it's you just got a plan.
If you know you're going to comeback within 12 months just by
(28:33):
the annual pass. I know it's a lot of money to
spend, so don't don't waste it if you're not going to do that
second row, but I. Feel like maybe we should have
started with the ultimate fastest tickets.
To be fair, we haven't spoken about a much.
No. What?
Maybe we should get off to it better.
Yeah. So the the UK ultimate tickets,
Right. So what have I written down?
Oh yeah, here we go. Alice.
(28:54):
The name suggests it's a 14 day ticket.
So it's designed for UK guests because we tend to come for at
least two weeks. American guests tend to do
shorter trips. So they, they've done this one
just for us and it's, although they say UK tickets, I don't
know where it sits. If you put a VPN on and tell
(29:17):
your VPN that you're in the UK and buy tickets, I don't know,
maybe you can do that. I've never tried, but they're a
deal. I'll be honest, they're a deal.
Compared to standard multi day tickets in the US they're a
deal. So at the moment the current
costs on the Disney website for September is 519 lbs which is
(29:41):
about 700 ish dollars. And that's 14 day tickets with
hoppers, with water parks, with golf, mini golf with memory.
Yeah, memory maker, no park reservations like and it's good
for although it's 14 day ticket,it's actually good for over 18
days. So you don't have to go
consecutively consecutively. So if you're going for a
(30:04):
slightly longer trip, it's it works out quite well.
You don't have to buy two sets. You can sort of space it out.
They're also if you if you are in the in the market, we have a
link for attraction tickets AGB Mickey Waffle link that we'll
put in description. If you'd like to click on that
and small percentage comes back to us add affiliates.
(30:26):
We would be very grateful. Currently also until the 5th of
August that attraction tickets have got a discount code which
gets you 10% off and the free Magic brand, possibly something
else I forget. And the code is happy and it
actually makes them cheaper thanDisney tickets.
They're roughly, they're a little bit more at the moment
without the discount, but once you get the 10% off it, they
(30:47):
makes it cheaper than Disney. So just say if you want to click
on in until the 5th of August. So yeah.
But yeah, there's pros and cons.I feel like they're a lot
shorter with the UK tickets. It's a lot of pros.
The pros, it's cheaper. It's so much cheaper than buying
if you're only going once and gofor one trip.
It's so much cheaper than buyingan annual pass.
(31:10):
No park reservations. You can do exactly like you say,
John, just wake up in the morning and be like, so where
are we going to go today nonetheless?
Oh, we'll have to go on and cancel that one and change it.
That's definitely a pro for me, water parks included.
Oh, I feel like going towards park for just a couple of hours,
I'm not going to do that. If I've spent $54 to go in one
(31:30):
day, I'm staying. Yeah, that's great.
Yeah. Two or three hours.
Bored now. Get out.
Go somewhere else. All the storms are in.
Let's go somewhere else. Anyone else with pros?
You get mini golf included as. Well, it is the end of.
The day. See, we knew it was always
included, but we never, we've never got.
(31:50):
Yeah, I've never. Done.
It Oh, you've missed out there, I must admit.
I'm not about this for Disney. Parks are right there.
Why am I going to go and stand it ball around?
Oh, because it's brilliant. It's like it's it's golf on a
different level and of our. I've just been trying to check
you used to be able to get nine holes on The Walking course and
(32:14):
which was like proper golf, which was proper golf.
But the problem it was, it was so hot in August that you
actually you just sort of sweated like mud and it became
quite a tricky one. Yeah, but that.
Another reason, but it's too many.
Proper, but nine holes of propergolf was just superb.
But it doesn't look as if it's now on that ultimate ticket.
(32:36):
And it used to be. You used to get preferential
Magnolia, but you don't. Yeah, but you do get your mini
golf every day. You want to play every day?
You can play every day. Wow, I'll take that.
I'll always take. I was surprised it wasn't just
like once a trip for I know yes,that's.
But I mean, maybe they offer it every day because nobody's doing
it every day, so why not? We'll offer it.
(32:58):
We've done it too. It's always, it's always quite
busy, it's always quite busy. I feel like that's something you
need to go like, like live on later this month.
If you're not Claire, why are you doing OF?
Course at the at the Mantasia Gardens is insanely difficult.
Really, it's really hard. Yeah, yeah.
Your next level. Is it, it's, yeah, it's it's
(33:21):
like the Himalayas. It's like a it's like a par 39
hole course but with a par. Yeah, isn't it?
Useless. Yeah.
In fact, yeah, Anger. That's the thought.
I'll put that on me list for packing.
Paki sandwich. We Callaway in Titleist golf
(33:42):
balls as well rather than playing with them different
colour balls because I'm not going to, I'm not going to, I'm
not going to reply on that because it end up on the
bloopers real. It's the temperature in Florida.
(34:04):
Yeah, in August you're not catching me.
Stood outside for any extended period of time if I.
Take your garments when you get wet.
It sprays you with water and. Also, it's the lip.
It's interactive, yes, it's. Interactive.
Yeah, and the winter Summerland one is really cool.
As it it's towed well. Oh that is so good.
I love winter Summerlands as well.
(34:24):
That's yeah. Maybe one day, maybe.
But yeah. Totally not.
I can see the. Yeah, it's.
Like. But we do have tentative plans
to do it this year. Tentative plans parks though.
So yeah, we're going to the park, so we need to find out.
We are going to a park for two, a few parks but not in all of
(34:45):
them. How, how the tune has changed,
Yeah. I don't know in any parts at all
and now. They're doing my Kingdom and
Universe socks, just not. Yeah.
Yeah, I don't think it's callingit's name.
The other pros for the ultimate ticket is obviously you
mentioned the inclusion of the memory maker for everyone which
is good. I think also if you were to
(35:07):
compare them to the cost of AUS ticket or even, you know, the
tickets that you see people buying at the booths on the way
past. Oh yeah, and you're like, what
are you doing? Yeah, I want that.
I want their tickets. That's about $129.
So I I know that Morgan's friendwas there to visit him in in
July. Yeah.
(35:27):
And he paid $169 one day. Oh.
My and then had to add on part copying.
And that was a. That was a Sunday in July.
So that's that's what you're talking for a single day ticket.
So you were to multiply that by 14.
You have made a massive saving by the UK Wow ticket.
(35:49):
Absolutely so. Absolutely, were I really do
think. It's amazing value, it's such.
Such good value when you think how like, I'm not someone that's
going to go to Florida and buy all the park tickets and do all
the parts all day every day. I'm too old and decrepit.
That's not happening. So I'm quite happy to do 14 days
(36:10):
of Disney and not be there all day every day because it's
happening. Spend a few hours in the park,
go home and swim for a bit, go back to the parks in the
evening. I just think it's such good
value when you feel like that. Where is it?
You bought a one day ticket $169plus the hopper.
You're giving a second before you have.
(36:32):
Yeah, I would be doing all four parks on that day.
I actually think, I actually think it's one of those things
that when you talk to people whocome from different places in
the States and just telling themabout the ticket that you have,
there tends to be a lot of jealousy about the fact that you
can actually get come across. Because their tickets are very
(36:56):
rigid in what you can and can't do, what you can access.
And whereas if you buy the UK ultimate ticket, you've
basically got it, it's all all there.
And, and it just frees up that little bit of doubt that
certainly if you go, if you go for the first time and you go
and just once that's your ticketbecause you know, for your
Disney fix, you saw it and it doesn't matter.
(37:18):
You want to go any, any part, you want to go to any water
park, any mini golf, it's done and you get your photos with it.
The Americans don't have that. And I think that's, that's one
thing that they feel really quite by the time you say, oh,
you'll get your photographs as well.
Yes, I do actually. It's just like, Oh my God, OK,
(37:38):
I'll, I'll maybe not, maybe not Labour the point there, but it
just it is such a it is such a really good ticket from the UK
if you go, if you go and want just that once a year.
So I've just done this, I've just done the maths.
So it's like 4040 lbs a day. Yeah.
Nothing to get into the parts and I did a quick comparison of
(37:58):
Thorpe Park and Alton Towers. So if you were to do a walk up
at either of those, you're looking at 70 to ÂŁ75 a day for a
day at Hall Park. You can book them in advance for
about 30 to 35 lbs. So you know any park in Walt
Disney World? You.
Get lot, you get lot. Bottles, yeah, a day of thought.
So I think if you're to do some sort of comparison.
(38:20):
I know which one I'd prefer. Rainer.
Yeah. Yeah, I mean, I might need a
flight to the hotel to get to the Florida, but I don't.
The other thing is as well to bear in mind and, and this is
again, I'm not wishing to decry sort of UK theme parks, but my
youngest son when we're recording this on the day we're
recording this is actually at Open Towers with his friends.
(38:40):
He turned up this morning and now on half of the big rides
were not in operation until at least one or two in the
afternoon. And you know, when you you walk
in somewhere and you're thinkingthis is just, this doesn't
happen in America very often unless weather comes into it.
It wasn't weather related towers.
It was either staffing or just they couldn't be bothered or
(39:02):
whatever. You know what you get and when
you go to Disney and you know what it's actually it's it's
it's very transparent. If something's something's down
for refurbishment, it will be onthe website weeks, if not months
in advance. You're not going to get there
and see that half of the park isis closed and things that and I
think that's the thing to also bear in mind that the difference
(39:23):
because I've, you know, again, don't want to talk down UK
feedbacks, but actually they don't do that sort of
communication bit very well either.
Yeah. And talking for refreshment,
Sean, hopefully later this monthfor D23, we might find out what
other stuff is happening refurbishment wise.
So we might get some dates of when things might close or
reopen. Yeah.
(39:43):
And actually that's, that's something again, keep an eye on
our socials because I think we're going to try and do as
much as we can about 23 this year.
The Ruber Mill is absolutely on fire at the moment and I think
that. Let me, let me.
Yes, the same is going to be another part, the new part.
No more. Blue sky.
We want blue sky thinking. That's what we want.
(40:05):
We don't want specific plans, wewant more blue sky ideas that
they got. Some concrete concrete thoughts
would be helpful. I will just add this minute.
I just want blue sky. I don't want to.
I'm going back to what Becca says.
A bit of con concrete pouring would be even better, I think.
Yes, Yeah. I think from a Disney
(40:25):
perspective, you know, they needsomething and it's right for
something because otherwise, like we've said the past couple
of podcasts, they're kind of getso left behind by Universal and
I think a lot of people within that Disney sort of area at the
moment, yeah. You know, when planning permits
go in and things like that. At the moment I think Universal
(40:46):
have stolen a March and it couldbe quite frightening.
Not long until D 23. I know.
But if but if it's not quick andit's not a quick turn around,
Robin, I think the danger is a lot of people this time next
year are going to be looking up the road and that will be the
the first and foremost port callon a trip to Orlando.
And and that in Disney's eyes, is something they've never had
(41:09):
to contend with. Even even when Harry Potter
opened, it wasn't a deal breakerwith a whole new parts you can
turn with. They've got their water part,
they've got their other parts. Universal are actually in this
fight and they're actually to me, they seem to have taken
round one and let's see what? Let's see.
Let's see what Disney got to bring.
Oh, we love competition because it's just better for all of us,
(41:30):
isn't it? Yeah.
Two, right? Yeah, right.
Encourages everyone to raise their game.
Yeah. Unfortunately, I think that they
both tend to do and raise at thesame time is their car.
Offering prices. Right when when the university
goes, oh, we're going to drive to 32 dizzy day later, oh, we'll
raise. It as well.
(41:53):
So to bring us back round onto topic, there's 1 ticket type
that we brushed on but I haven'treally delved into and that is
the the US multi day tickets. So we know they don't include
memory maker. They don't as standard include
park hopping. They don't include water parks
as standard. You can pay to upgrade them, but
(42:14):
as standard they don't include them.
So we mentioned how good value the UK tickets are.
I've I did today comparison for September, a three day base
ticket on undercover tourist including tax is $403.
A five day is $526 and a seven day is $583.
(42:38):
That doesn't include hopping. It doesn't include water parks
and doesn't include memory maker.
So it's very easy to see that this is the most expensive
option. But if we can buy these tickets
as well, if you're going to Florida for a short amount of
time, if you're going planning only a couple of days in Disney,
I think these are cheap, the cheapest option.
(43:00):
It's a very I think it by the time I think it's like a fight
the breaking break even ish point is about a five day.
If you add water parks, mainly maker and park hopping, by the
time you've got a five day including all that US ticket,
you may as well have a 14 day ultimate.
So if you're kind of going for less than five days or if you
just want to do one part one day, you can work out cheaper
(43:22):
that way. But yeah, I feel like this is
this is the least value ticket than is all of that and sadly
the one that's most Americans are left choosing.
Yeah. And that's that's a frightening
bit. And I think for us from the UK,
like you've just said, there is a tipping point on that as well.
(43:42):
And I think, I think the only thing I would say there is the
fact that just do you do your homework, know how many days you
want, because actually for some people, this, that three day
base ticket might just perfectlyfit the bill for, for what
you're you're there for. You know, you might be you might
be going on a cruise or you might be going somewhere else.
And so you don't want 14 days worth of pack.
(44:04):
Absolutely. So it might just be it might be
the one that. Absolutely.
It it. There's definitely a place for
them. If you're going to be in Florida
for a week and you're doing universal or even if you're
there for two weeks, but you're planning Universal, you see,
well, your Busch Gardens, you'redrinking evenings, you're
shopping shopping days and thesethings you're like, well, I'm
actually only going to get bored.
(44:24):
I'm not really that that into Disney.
I just want to do a few days to get a bit of Disney magic 3 days
and that's cheaper than you pay pass.
And yeah, it it could be worth it.
It the pros are it's good if you've got a short trip.
The cons are I think it's the most expensive out of all the
tickets options. And it's always cheap to put
clothes in advance, and it is torock up at the gate and go,
(44:46):
what's the price of the day? Oh.
And the, the lot, obviously the longer the tickets, the cheaper
it is and the better value you get if you book them in advance,
then if you book them on the day.
So yeah, it's, it's always better with those to, to book in
advance. If you're in the UK and you want
to buy them from the official Disney website, you will have to
(45:07):
use AVPN. You'll have to download one
that's the same. Actually, if you want to buy an
annual pass in advance, the UK Disney website only wants to
sell you 14 day tickets. If you want anything other than
a 14 day ticket, you're out of luck.
So. What what I did find out
interesting the other day that and if you've got a dizzy
vacation club lesser sorcerer pass, you can't now renew it
(45:31):
through the app that you used tobe able to.
You now have to phone member services to then say you're to
check the Euro dizzy vacation club and before you can renew
because you spreads just buy it.And then you go and show your ID
before you get it going to park,because now if things on the app
and on the Magic band, they're taking that that step out of it.
I felt so annoyed about that then I don't want to talk to
(45:53):
anyone, open up my screen and click a few buttons.
I don't want to have to sit there, type in my member number,
type in my phone number, type inmy address, type, and then wait
for everyone and go through it all.
Again, then you're on hold because you get Small World for
half an hour first. Do you think the last time I was
on hold to Disney and it was nothing can stop us now?
(46:16):
Oh, that's a new one. And it was like, yeah.
I was on hold. It was the trolley show song.
It was like they were talking. That's me, Me.
That's that's out of order, thatis.
It Yeah. Yeah, it's just wrong.
Just wrong. So yes, Summer, in summary,
which ticket are you going for? I mean, we know what one
Claire's going for. She's going for an annual pass
(46:38):
because she's been going. Yeah, if I'm going to go more
than twice in a year, I'm going for an annual pass.
However, my annual. Pass, I think if you're going
more. Than once it may be.
So if my mind is obviously expires in the beginning of
December, I haven't got a plan to go.
I mean there in October, I haven't got a plan to go back
yet until maybe February or March.
(47:03):
So I won't renew in December andget the discount.
I will wait. So then I've got the year.
There's no point in renewing in December knowing I'm not going
for three months or five months.So I will wait and I will suck
up the little extra bit of cost.I think it's a 10% discount you
get that will be offset by however many times I use it in
the future. So yeah, yeah, there's no point
(47:24):
renewing it just because I get 10% discount.
I'll wait and buy a new one. I'll completely agree with you.
There is a little a little part of me that's nervous when I do
that because remember, they did and.
They stop telling them. They stopped, That was it.
They stopped selling them. They did stop selling them and
they frequently do for Disneyland.
When they sell out, they only sell a certain amount.
They haven't yet done that for Disneyland.
(47:45):
They only stopped after the pandemic.
So they haven't ever said, right, we're not.
We're stopping sales. No one else can buy them.
You've sold out, which makes me hopeful that won't happen, but I
am with you. I completely agree there's no
point renewing it if you're going to have.
Dead months and actually in credit pass, those will be the
(48:07):
ones they stopped selling last. So I'm sort of working on the
theory that they're not going tosell, they're not going to stop
selling the most expensive pass since first.
Yeah, hopefully. Fingers crossed.
And the other thing I was thinking was what you touched on
earlier, John. Is it worth it for one person to
get one in the family, to get the discounts on the merch, to
(48:27):
get the free parking? Even if you're going just once,
is it worth that discount? Are you going if you're going 14
days you know straight off the bat you can take $420.00 off the
purchase price because you say that immediately the difference.
What did you say? You worked outplay 700 ish
dollars for what? To buy the UK ticket if you can.
(48:50):
720. 712 dollars. $712.00 so ticket yeah.
If it's only one one trick, are you gonna save on merch and the
other discounts enough to cover that interim?
I'm not sure it's like in your parking then that would take it
up to probably 1100 dollars. Yeah, and 14 and it costs and
(49:12):
it's nearly 1600. It's it's trim I the mass, the
mass of that is really, really tight.
And and actually for our trip upcoming, we know that we
probably would be just about even in respect of an ultimate
ticket versus one annual pass inthe party.
So it doesn't really make sense for what we want to do because
(49:35):
one of the water parts we want to do mini golf that sort of
that and. Then you add that on.
Yeah, it's really, it is a really tight mathematical
equation for one, one trip, you go in again, it's well worth it.
And I think that's that's, if you take nothing else from this
podcast, It's, it's, that's maybe it, you know, it's.
(49:57):
There is one thing about having an annual pass which is the pain
and that is I was pricing up trips for next year and looking
at the cost of the package on the UK website for Disney where
you buy your hotel and your parttickets to get your free dining
plan. Now if you were to choose to
have three people in the hotel room, you can only buy 3
(50:18):
ultimate tickets. You can't choose to move to
reduce one of the ultimate tickets because you've not got
an annual. Because you need it as part of
the package. So you need it as.
Part of the package. So you then don't get the dining
plan for the. 3rd don't get the dining plan but you can't add
that person that check in to their.
Well, at their discretion, but yes.
Always. Say there's yeah, so you can,
(50:39):
you can then hotel, that's not usually not a problem, but you
don't get the dining plan for that per person.
So if you were looking to buy a package and say it's got an
annual pass, you can't abuse your annual classes instead of
the part ticket, which is the only thing that I found in a bit
of a moment. Yeah, it's annoying.
Did you think I've got a ticket?Why can't I get this?
It's yeah. The only thing I don't think
(51:00):
we've mentioned about the ultimate ticket, and it probably
goes with the other tickets as well, is the prices do vary
depends on the season. So I know we've quoted like 519
for like next year, but actuallyif you're going over Christmas,
you might find that goes up 20 or 30 lbs for that way.
And so it's, it's where if you buy an annual pass that you take
(51:24):
that bit out the equation. So if you know actually you're
looking at some more expensive time of year, as long as you've
got the, I mean credit pass, that's that's not going to be an
issue. Yeah, that's very true.
That's very true. I when I when I was looking, I
chose the cheapest time of year and it was September this year
with the ticket and that was thecheapest value season to get the
(51:45):
price. And they are, they are different
prices based on when you go. So yeah, that's a very good
point. It also depends how long you're
going to go for. If you're going to go for two
trips that are only a few days, it's still not worth getting
annual pass. It's only really worth it if
both trips you're doing really aweek or more, yeah.
(52:08):
That's good call. I'd go five nights or more,
twice. Well, I, I think I, I tend to
agree with you, Kate. If you're doing five nights or
more, 2 new five nights or more trips, it's worth 11 cars.
If it's two trips less than that, I'm not sure, again, that
it works out. And again, if you're staying in
Disney, you're not really worried thinking about juicy.
(52:30):
Yeah. So you can take that out of the
equation. If you don't tend to eat in
table service restaurants, you can take that discount out of
the equation. If you don't really buy much, I
don't know why we're friends. But if you don't really buy
much, you take that out of the equation.
Like it's, there's all these things that are really, they
make it and make it all really personal to you and to so if you
(52:53):
came to me and said, do I need to buy an annual pass?
I'm going to ask you lots of questions because it's not
straightforward. It's there's lots of variables.
Are you going to do tours that get you discounts?
Are you going to do a wild aftertrack you can get a discount.
Are you going to hire a boat andget a discount?
Are you going to do hoopty Doo and get a discount?
Are you going to ask you on whatyes you can do?
(53:15):
Are you going to spend 1000 lbs on doing your back handbags?
It's all very relative to you. The worth value is is very
different. If you take it back to bare
bones and you're doing 2 trips within 12 months of each other,
(53:36):
it's fair to say get it on your bus it works out similar price
to two UK tickets anyway and then you'll get discounts for
everything. I think yeah, that that's the
answer. If you're staying on site and
you want free dining every time you go, don't buy it on your bus
because you won't get free diving, yeah.
Yeah, it's an expensive show. You everyone's buying that in
(53:59):
your bus. That's me.
Always time let's have convince you to dine annual class.
That's me. So it's like we said with the
DVC as well. Do the math.
For your. Family, yes, that's absolutely
what's going to be best for you.Your trip, your holiday.
Absolutely, absolutely. What works for you won't work
(54:19):
for everyone, or what works for me won't work for you.
That's OK. And if something makes extra
special, if you become an annualpass holder on all of the parks,
there's a special entrance that says annual pass holder.
So you just think you can actually know what it's busy
there. I'm going to go in that and.
That's like the open last thing in the morning.
You can go to the you can go to the pass holder lounge in
(54:41):
Morocco and you can you get a little I.
Watch they do have special events.
They have VIP pass holder evenings.
I remember getting a a leaflet my VIP pass holder reasoning
only it was VI pass holder so ifyou read it as VIP there was no
(55:01):
extra P for pass holder. So it actually spells out
something very different. They value us very much.
Well, you do get free magnets from time to time.
Now and again. Yes.
Who doesn't love a free magnet? Exactly I've.
Bridges full. Of actually I have.
(55:23):
I've got 3 coasters that say Disney Pass hold on them.
I remember those days. Now we just get magnets.
Yeah, I've got chopping boards. I've got glasses, food and wine
glasses, Pass holder glasses back in the day.
Yeah, sadly, now it's a magnet. Or a little badge from the the
lounge, Yeah. Miserable.
You know, I didn't go in the lounge fair.
(55:44):
I did. I'm making sure I'm getting my
money for. What she go in I.
Know excellent the excellent Wi-Fi Brandy.
It was great. I think we've done all we can
now, but we decided which ticketto go for though if you're still
unsure, why don't you come and ask for more opinions in the
(56:06):
wafers arms, which is our lovelyFacebook community.
So thank you very much for joining us.
Thanks guys for letting me host forcing me.
You've done a, you've done a great job, Robin.
Now I think you should host moreoften.
Absolutely, yeah. I think it's not doing a more
terrible job than I. Mean, I think, I think we
(56:28):
mentioned this before the show started, but you you you last
posted a podcast. Was it last September?
So do we need now need to speak?You're in for next September, is
it? Yeah.
I like to do the next July. Yeah, we're bringing it forward
the month of each year. It's Robert Robin Robin's annual
pass that's basically. There you go.
(56:51):
If you missed any of our previous shows, don't worry, you
can catch up by downloading themfrom your favorite podcast app
or watch them on our YouTube channel.
You can stay up to date with allthings Waffle if you follow us
on social media at GB Mickey Waffle or Facebook, TikTok,
Instagram, everything. And don't forget we are live
every Wednesday at 8:30 on our YouTube channel.
(57:13):
So come and join in the chat or if you miss it, you can catch it
on the download on on Friday as well.
We love hearing from you and appreciate your support.
So please leave a comment a likeor subscribe.
They mean a lot to us and it helps the helps us know that
we're doing a good job and also helps the algorithm.
Thanks very much. So thank you again.
(57:34):
And there's just one thing left to say.
See you real soon. See you real soon.
See you real soon now my. Wheels in motion.
And my windows open. I'm driving down the highway.
Gonna do this my way. I can feel it in the air.
(57:57):
Here I go.
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