Unique First Trip Opportunity

[aboden]

Now it wouldn't be my first trip of course

But I've lived in SEAsia for about 3 years now and make a yearly trip back home to see my parents in Orlando, my home town.

Now my soon to be SEAsian wife I have wanted to bring her home to see my parents and stuff. Most especially taking her to WDW were I literally grew up at, have Florida Resident Annual Passes in the 80's and early 90's had their benefit.

So I'm hoping to get her a Visa to visit this winter. Even after we're married it'll take almost a year and a half of processing. But so what makes this unique is that not only has see never been to ANY place like this but it's so far beyond her wildest dreams. Of course I've showed her some of the fan made videos and such. But I don't think she yet has the idea of the scope of the parks.

So we'll stay a month back home. And I'm trying to decide if just buying tickets or getting a one Florida resident seasonal annual pass for me since I still keep residency there and my bank. And get her 10 day ticket with Park Hopper Option which would be about $440. And my will be $340, so that will be a total of $759. OR just pay an extra $250 and get her a regular annual pass and me a seasonal F/R pass since November has no blackout dates for seasonal. So effectively we could go every day we're here lol. That might be excessive but think IF we go more than 10 days, even for half days, we'll eat up another $250 easy with having to purchase more and we'll save some with the discounts on food. Not much albeit. Also with free parking it's not very important because I always go the back way into TTC to avoid paying parking lol.

Of course we want to spend time with my family and everything so it's not like we'll be out there everyday and half days are expected. Plus my parents still have non-expiring tickets from when my mom worked out there. They never go if I'm not there, they don't have the initiative.

But I feel she may get burnt out on going also. She may not love it as much as I do lol. I'm siting in my office listening to the Request stream most of the day haha.

What do you guys think? Looking for input.

[Amy]

How exciting that you will be able to show your fiancee the place that means so much to you ~ plus visiting your family as a bonus!
I would guess that she will be as excited to go to the parks as you just to share that interest, but I would guess you wouldn't go everyday. Is the Tables in Wonderland card an option? That would help save money on food correct? And only one of you needs an AP to get discounts on merchandise and food and parking correct? You might need to sit down and crunch through the numbers to see what would work best. Whatever you decide on, I bet you are going to have a blast showing her around! Congratulations!!

[cy1229]

My initial thought is, have you talked about all this with HER? She might have different ideas about what she wants to do with a month in the U.S.!

Me, personally, I would take her for 2 or 3 days near the beginning of your visit home, then show her other things and relax a bit, then go back for a few days in the middle, again relax, and then return once more before you head back to Asia. Thus, I personally would buy her a 14-day no expiration ticket rather than a park-hopper. You could go to one park in one day and just hang there for awhile until you're tired, knowing you can go back to another park another day, and not feel like you must go to more than one park to make the park hopper feature worthwhile. And for Heaven's sake, don't forget to take her over to Cape Canaveral!

Congratulations on your engagement and upcoming wedding!

[aboden]

My initial thought is, have you talked about all this with HER? She might have different ideas about what she wants to do with a month in the U.S.!

Me, personally, I would take her for 2 or 3 days near the beginning of your visit home, then show her other things and relax a bit, then go back for a few days in the middle, again relax, and then return once more before you head back to Asia. Thus, I personally would buy her a 14-day no expiration ticket rather than a park-hopper. You could go to one park in one day and just hang there for awhile until you're tired, knowing you can go back to another park another day, and not feel like you must go to more than one park to make the park hopper feature worthwhile. And for Heaven's sake, don't forget to take her over to Cape Canaveral!

Congratulations on your engagement and upcoming wedding!

Thank CY

Ya I've tried to gauge her enthusiasm and I'm unsure. She not like a kid in a candy store but it's there. She says mostly she's never been to a place like that so she's unsure how to react. Which is understandable. What the there's a 14 day no expiration? I didn't see that. That was my hesitation about the 10 day (max I saw) with needing to be used within 14 days of first use.

Oh god ya have to do the Cape and see Nasa. Maybe even Gator Land lol hey is Marine Land still open? Making a day to St. Augustine too.

How exciting that you will be able to show your fiancee the place that means so much to you ~ plus visiting your family as a bonus!
I would guess that she will be as excited to go to the parks as you just to share that interest, but I would guess you wouldn't go everyday. Is the Tables in Wonderland card an option? That would help save money on food correct? And only one of you needs an AP to get discounts on merchandise and food and parking correct? You might need to sit down and crunch through the numbers to see what would work best. Whatever you decide on, I bet you are going to have a blast showing her around! Congratulations!!

What's the Tables in Wonderland? I've been gone for going on 4 years now and never took a interest in the dinning options because I had a pass and just went when I wanted and left if I got hungry. Ya I might crunch the numbers but probably leave the actual purchasing up to when we arrive. No need to jump the gun quite yet. And thanks as well Amy!

It may be premature still because I'm looking at a job in Saudi Arabia and if that happens it'll have to be arranged around Ramadan because I get a month off at that time if I take it. I just hate waiting because seems things never get done unless I pursue them before hand. First is the Visa for her.

[Amy]

I thought you might be aware of the Tables in Wonderland card having grown up in and around WDW, but maybe that is a newer program. Here is a link ~ that will explain it best I think
https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/passh ... onderland/


As for the no expiration option, that might be a thing of the past. I found an article from early 2013 that shows that it was being phased out. And I just checked the Walt Disney World ticket page and it has this quite clearly stated ~ with no sign of a no expiration option available. Might be worth a call to an agent, but it looks like the no expiration option has become a part of yesterland

Important Multi-Day Ticket Details
Tickets and any options purchased must be used within 14 days of first use.

[theBIGyowski]

You can still buy the no-expiration passes...but you have to get them from a broker...or you could maybe buy them on property. I have a link I can send you, aboden, if you want to take a look at some discounted legitimate ticket prices.

Based on what I see, it looks like an AP is cheaper than a 10 day non-expiring single park pass. ($675 vs $710) With an AP you would be able to hop from park to park all you wanted...so it would be cheaper and you could do more. Discounts would be pointless since you yourself would also have an AP.

If I were you, that would be route I would go based on cost alone and assuming you will want to go at least 8 days within the month of November.

Not sure if either of you drink alcohol...but it is worth noting that Tables in Wonderland includes alcohol in its 20% discounts. For a lot of people, the savings on alcohol can more than pay for the price when you talk about bottles of wine.

[Amy]

Handy to know you can still get the no expiration option ~ thanks BIG. I might give WDW a call in the next few days just to see what they say there as far as if you can still get them on property too.

[aboden]

I thought you might be aware of the Tables in Wonderland card having grown up in and around WDW, but maybe that is a newer program. Here is a link ~ that will explain it best I think
https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/passh ... onderland/


As for the no expiration option, that might be a thing of the past. I found an article from early 2013 that shows that it was being phased out. And I just checked the Walt Disney World ticket page and it has this quite clearly stated ~ with no sign of a no expiration option available. Might be worth a call to an agent, but it looks like the no expiration option has become a part of yesterland

Important Multi-Day Ticket Details
Tickets and any options purchased must be used within 14 days of first use.

Ya I never even heard of it, granted after my mom stopped working there in the late 90's it was sporadic that I had a AP and I never looked into anything else. Ya that's what I saw also on the 10 day pass the 14 day limitation.

You can still buy the no-expiration passes...but you have to get them from a broker...or you could maybe buy them on property. I have a link I can send you, aboden, if you want to take a look at some discounted legitimate ticket prices.

Based on what I see, it looks like an AP is cheaper than a 10 day non-expiring single park pass. ($675 vs $710) With an AP you would be able to hop from park to park all you wanted...so it would be cheaper and you could do more. Discounts would be pointless since you yourself would also have an AP.

If I were you, that would be route I would go based on cost alone and assuming you will want to go at least 8 days within the month of November.

Not sure if either of you drink alcohol...but it is worth noting that Tables in Wonderland includes alcohol in its 20% discounts. For a lot of people, the savings on alcohol can more than pay for the price when you talk about bottles of wine.

That that would be great if you could send me the link, I appreciate it. And you're right I may still go with the AP because of the cost savings. Albeit if she's as excited as I am and I'm not just projecting my wants onto her. But I feel once she gets there she'll be.

This is the extent of her "theme park" expierence and I really use that word liberally for this place lol http://www.dreamland.com.kh/ I have to add I have nightmares about that clown in their video

Handy to know you can still get the no expiration option ~ thanks BIG. I might give WDW a call in the next few days just to see what they say there as far as if you can still get them on property too.

I'll probably wait as I said to buy on property or just use a couple of my mothers old cast member tickets to gauge what she will want to do.

[horizons1]

You can still buy the no-expiration passes...but you have to get them from a broker...or you could maybe buy them on property.

Right. UndercoverTourist still sells them.

[aboden]

I'll resurrect this old thread but just an update it looks like getting a multi day pass would be optimum of me and my gf. But I'm unsure on which one to get. The 4 days is not much in my mind since that's only 1 day for each park and the 8/10 is getting back into annual pass amount of money. But the time we'll be spending in the states is not much, only 30 days. Just running out of time doing anything lol.

Have to take her to Universal(Halloween Horror Nights) still and Wet & Wild and perhaps Seaworld, then Kennedy also. Plus taking a trip up north. So all in all the number of days available is very short. I would perhaps stay more but for tax reasons lol I can't stay more than 35 days in the states. The 330 tax rule.

So if we do things how I think I want it's at least 20 days none stop then I'll have 14 days to mix in there for other things. Still seems like a lot of time but I know once we get there it's easy for days to go by and run out of time real fast. Plus the getting over a 30 hour plane flight from Cambodia to Orlando and getting readjusted for the time difference. Plus preparing for the trip back.

Seems like the 8 day pass is good but I wish it wasn't on a 14 day use it or lose it deal.

[Amy]

I'll resurrect this old thread but just an update it looks like getting a multi day pass would be optimum of me and my gf. But I'm unsure on which one to get. The 4 days is not much in my mind since that's only 1 day for each park and the 8/10 is getting back into annual pass amount of money. But the time we'll be spending in the states is not much, only 30 days. Just running out of time doing anything lol.

Have to take her to Universal(Halloween Horror Nights) still and Wet & Wild and perhaps Seaworld, then Kennedy also. Plus taking a trip up north. So all in all the number of days available is very short. I would perhaps stay more but for tax reasons lol I can't stay more than 35 days in the states. The 330 tax rule.

So if we do things how I think I want it's at least 20 days none stop then I'll have 14 days to mix in there for other things. Still seems like a lot of time but I know once we get there it's easy for days to go by and run out of time real fast. Plus the getting over a 30 hour plane flight from Cambodia to Orlando and getting readjusted for the time difference. Plus preparing for the trip back.

Seems like the 8 day pass is good but I wish it wasn't on a 14 day use it or lose it deal.

Did you check if they still offered the no expiration option? It sounds like you aren't going to have much extra time in the parks even if you wanted to ~ you have a busy schedule planned! Is your girlfriend a go-go-go kind of person?

[aboden]

She can be if the option arises, but not much to go-go in Cambodia. That's the thing. At first glance I was all gung-ho for annual passes and everything. But after a few months and starting to plan it, it doesn't seem viable. So 14 days I might have to do something every other day just to break it up. But ya so much walking is going to be killer on mine and her feet. Granted I'm 33 and she's 28 so it's not that we're old but I know myself after walking for days around at temples here I was wore out completely.

I only looked quickly tonight, and it may have had the add-on but I'll have to check.

I hate it I ask her if she wants to do these things and she just says "Whatever you want"... I guess she's just along for the ride and whatever I want to do is fine. Might even just take a couple more of the old employee tickets and go for one day and see how she likes it and stands up to the activity. Then if everything is ok go for buying the multi-day ones. Still 3 months left, got time to plan more.

[Amy]

She can be if the option arises, but not much to go-go in Cambodia. That's the thing. At first glance I was all gung-ho for annual passes and everything. But after a few months and starting to plan it, it doesn't seem viable. So 14 days I might have to do something every other day just to break it up. But ya so much walking is going to be killer on mine and her feet. Granted I'm 33 and she's 28 so it's not that we're old but I know myself after walking for days around at temples here I was wore out completely.

I only looked quickly tonight, and it may have had the add-on but I'll have to check.

I hate it I ask her if she wants to do these things and she just says "Whatever you want"... I guess she's just along for the ride and whatever I want to do is fine. Might even just take a couple more of the old employee tickets and go for one day and see how she likes it and stands up to the activity. Then if everything is ok go for buying the multi-day ones. Still 3 months left, got time to plan more.

Definitely notice the time on your feet more as you get older, even if you aren't very old, those extra miles add up. You might have a good idea with just taking a few of the employee passes to gauge her interest...

[aboden]

Definitely notice the time on your feet more as you get older, even if you aren't very old, those extra miles add up. You might have a good idea with just taking a few of the employee passes to gauge her interest...

Ya it seems like a good idea. Also what's came up with a friend here is that how is she going to handle the flight. She's only flown from Bangkok to Phnom Penh once and that's only a 50 min flight. And going on a 32+ hour flight may be a bad shock. I don't think so but again I've flown over SEA for the past several years for work and a 8 hour flight is nothing. But a new flyer it's quite a long time to be on the move. Only reason why I thought of it was because her sisters husband took her to HK and that's a 3 hour flight and said it wasn't a very good experience.

But I have 3 months now and have to still get her a visa and blah blah blah might be next year still. But I won't count it out yet. In that case I will just get myself a Florida resident season pass and live there for a month lol.

[Amy]

Definitely notice the time on your feet more as you get older, even if you aren't very old, those extra miles add up. You might have a good idea with just taking a few of the employee passes to gauge her interest...

Ya it seems like a good idea. Also what's came up with a friend here is that how is she going to handle the flight. She's only flown from Bangkok to Phnom Penh once and that's only a 50 min flight. And going on a 32+ hour flight may be a bad shock. I don't think so but again I've flown over SEA for the past several years for work and a 8 hour flight is nothing. But a new flyer it's quite a long time to be on the move. Only reason why I thought of it was because her sisters husband took her to HK and that's a 3 hour flight and said it wasn't a very good experience.

But I have 3 months now and have to still get her a visa and blah blah blah might be next year still. But I won't count it out yet. In that case I will just get myself a Florida resident season pass and live there for a month lol.

Ugh, I forgot about the travel. Yeah, hopefully she can sleep or read or watch movies well. My first overseas flight was to London from Minnesota and it took f-o-r-e-v-e-r! It was an overnight flight but I couldn't sleep and I thought I would go bonkers That was the first flight in my trip around the world though and by the time I flew back from Tokyo to California the flights didn't bother me. Maybe try a longer trip in the car and see how she does?