Warning: long.
We are traveling to the World this December, 12/19-12/22, pretty much just so we can see the Osborne Lights before they go away. Usually, we never go to WDW during “peak” periods.
Under normal circumstances, the new (cheaper) “Gold” AP would serve our needs just fine. But given that this upcoming trip takes place during Xmas week (one of the Gold’s blackout periods), we have to use MYW or a Platinum AP to enter the parks. Our current AP expires in November, so we will have to make some sort of ticket purchase (MYW or AP renewal) to use this December.
DVC Platinum AP renewals for a family of five costs about $3,000. This would allow us to get into the parks this December, but that’s really the only time we’d need a Platinum (a Gold could be used for all of our other usual trips), so it almost feels like a waste of money.
Five DVC Gold renewals for a family of five costs a hair under $2500. Again, this wouldn’t let us into the parks this December, but would suffice for all of our other trips in 2016.
So I am trying to think of a way to do this:
1.) buy five 3-day MYW tickets for this December (total cost = $1650);
2.) book advance FP+‘s;
3.) visit the parks 12/19-12/21; and then
4.) apply the MYW tickets’ value to the cost of the DVC Gold renewal APs.
If I can make this work, it’d be a $500 savings, so obviously I am interested in pursuing the possibility.
I am assuming that if I upgrade to a Gold AP at the beginning or the middle of my trip, I will be locked out of the parks due to being in the Gold’s blackout window. If I am right, then the question turns to when can I upgrade to Gold without jeopardizing my 12/19-12/21 park entry and FP+'s. If that’s even possible at all.
Am I just chasing my tail here, or is there a way to make this happen?
