Are You Sure You Want the Unlimited Magic Pass?

OR - Shameless Plug No. 1: "How to save a lot of money and enjoy a Custom Itinerary, or even a VIP Tour, from MICHAEL'S VIPS with your savings!"

Those of you that have already made a resort package reservation through Walt Disney Travel Company, or your friendly travel agent, are going to be disappointed with a lot of the following information. Those that have not, or can still change your reservation, will rejoice, however. With that noted, please read on:

Walt Disney World, and the travel agents that use them on behalf of clients, sell a lot of 'resort packages.' As in millions of them. There are sixteen hotels on property with over 30,000 rooms that are at 100% occupancy for most of the year. What most guests have failed to realize is that these packages are not provided 'to be nice.' Instead, they are carefully designed to maximize profits for the Walt Disney Company and its shareholders.

A large majority of the resort's guests select from a variety of packages, and all of them require the inclusion of the Unlimited Magic Pass with their 'flex options' or perks. (or 'UMP' as those that are 'in the know' call them.)

I have found, however, that the resort packages chosen by most guests
have more to do with what they can personally afford, and seldom have
anything to do with what they need, or even have the ability to actually use
during their vacation. This is especially true at the deluxe resorts!

That specific monetary difference between what they pay for vs. what they need is what the following articles are really all about.

The Unlimited Magic Pass is almost magical. It includes all four theme parks, the three water parks, Pleasure Island, DisneyQuest, and general admission to the Wide World of Sports. And for your convenience, they even download it to your resort ID, which can also include your room key and room charge for all-in-one freedom.

The sales pitch for the UMP is simple: "You want this ticket because it gives you total flexibility to visit everything at Walt Disney World whenever you want!" 

Wow, that's great isn't it? You can do EVERYthing! But the question you should ask yourself is, "Do I want to?" And another even more important question, "Will I have the time to see EVERYthing?" I can answer that one for you ... "No."

Oh, and another minor detail: "This ticket is valid during your ENTIRE visit! From the moment you arrive until the moment you leave, you will be able to do EVERYthing at Walt Disney World!" There is that 'EVERY-word' again, huh?

They are not misleading you though. It really is true! When you arrive on your first day, no matter how early, or how late it is , your tickets are activated as soon as you check in at the front desk. Even if your room is not yet ready, you at least have tickets to go have fun with. And on your last day, you can get up early and visit a park again before you leave!

"But, wait a minute," you say. "Our flight does not arrive until 2:40 PM on our first day. By the time we get our luggage and catch our Town Car service to the hotel, it will be at least 3:30 PM. The parks close a few hours later!"

"Yes, but you could go to Pleasure Island or DisneyQuest, remember? The clubs are open until 2 AM."

"But, we have children! We want them to get a good night's rest so we can get them up for their Magic Kingdom's Magic Morning."

"Okay, you can do that."

"But are we charged for the first day, even though we're not going anywhere that needs a ticket?"

"Well, yes, you are. Your tickets are valid from time of check in until time of check out because they are attached to your reservation. You are the one that is making a decision not to use them. We're sorry about that."

"Oh." 

"One more thing?"

"Yes?"

"On our last day, we are leaving the hotel in the morning because our flight leaves at 12:10 PM. We're being charged for park entry that day too, right?"

"Yes you are, but it is a wonderful ticket that allows you do EVERYthing at Walt Disney World! Have a great time!"

I believe that most guests choose these Unlimited Magic packages because of two reasons:

1) They are not aware they have another choice. And it is a simple one. You should make your hotel reservations, decide what you want to do before you arrive, and then buy the tickets that allow you to do what you have planned. Spending $1 more for tickets that are good for more than you need is throwing money away. That can be between $200 and $450, or more, for an average family!

2) This ticket takes advantage of your fears. You know what I mean. You are worried that you are going to miss out on some wonderful opportunity because you don't have enough days on your tickets, or they are not valid for entry. A ticket that can go anywhere at any time? It's very tempting. 

My argument, though, is the cost of that convenience is too high. A little planning can literally save you hundreds of dollars!

Shameless Plug No. 2: If you are not sure what you want to do, contact us at MICHAEL'S VIPS and ask us to design your itinerary for you. We do not advise the tickets for our clients until after we are finished with this necessary first step. In almost a year that we have been designing Custom Itineraries and VIP Tours, I have yet to recommend the Unlimited Magic Pass.

I would like to introduce you to the Smith family from Dallas, Texas. They are a nice, typical, two-income 'Disney' family with husband, David, wife, Kelly, Daniel, age 9, and Karen, age 6. Naming your first born son with a name that begins with the same letter as the father was a traditional Smith family tradition, so Kelly thought it should apply to her and Karen as well. What a cute idea.

Grand Floridian lobby at holiday time - photo by Karl Buiter

They are coming to Walt Disney World from December 5 through 10, 2000. They called 407-WDISNEY and were told that their request for a garden view (standard) room at Disney's Grand Floridian Resort and Spa was available. Despite the pressure from the helpful CRO agent, they decided to only reserve the room and then choose the best ticket package later. They were politely informed that they can make any changes to their reservations at least 46 days from their arrival with no penalties.

They were given four packages to choose from, and it was all so confusing over the phone. Karen was impressed, though, with the flex options. They need our help. Let's examine their price quotes and decide why they should or should not choose one package over the other.

(Or, maybe, when we are done, we will decide they shouldn't have any package at all ...)

Let's look at the basic reservation facts for David, Kelly, and the children.

The cost of their garden view (standard) room at Disney's Grand Floridian Resort and Spa, December 5-10, 2000, is $306 plus 11% tax. That is $339.66 x 5 nights = $1698.30

The cost of their Unlimited Magic Passes: Regardless of their arrival and departure times, they will be charged for 6 days and 5 nights. Those Unlimited Magic passes are $285.14 per adult and $230.02 per child (ages 3-9) for a total of $1030.32.

The combined costs of both room and UMPs is: $2728.62

When they called Disney, they were told that they should definitely choose the Resort Magic package if they were looking for the best value. 

The next segment in this series will examine what this very popular package provides and see if it is a good value for this family.

NEXT : Disney's Resort Magic Package
- Is It Better To Have or Have Not?

I knew I wanted to develop my own business some day, so in college I majored in Economics and Finance Management and hoped it would prove useful. It has. It forces one to look at everything from a 'total realized cost' angle. What is the real cost per 'widget' per day? Our enjoyment of 'widgets' is illustrated with a bell curve, etc. I could continue, but you don't want me to. Trust me.

I hope this introduction to a series of articles that delve into the world of Disney Resort Packages makes a positive difference with your vacation planning. The information you will learn here can free up money for other things, instead of on tickets and packages that you do not need. It's true in life ... 'Waste not, want not.'

Please visit the Michael's VIPS site to find out more about the quality services Michael Hewell offers.

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MousePlanet® is not associated in any official way with the Walt Disney Company, its subsidiaries, or its affiliates. The official Disney site is available at www.disney.com. This MousePlanet Web site provides independent news articles, commentary, editorials, reviews, and guides primarily about the theme park resorts of the Walt Disney Co. All information on this site is subject to change. Please call destinations in advance to confirm the most up-to-date information.