Walt Disney World Date Based Ticket System FAQ • Read First Page

[cruiser21]

I have a slightly different interpretation. Some of us have flexible vacation schedules and no kids to pull out of school. I can go to WDW almost anytime my boss approves, so when the ticket is $112 per day, that signals to me it's less crowded than a period when the average is $124. I will avoid the $124 day ticket, because aside from the extra cost, that's a signal to me that it's much more crowded. So then Disney will have successfully moved someone off the more expensive date to the cheaper date. Of course, if enough people are flexible like me, it will backfire. I'll be more miserable on a cheap day with all my fellow cheap guests, and the $124-paying guest will benefit from others leaving that date.



About time. With Galaxy's Edge opening and Toy Story at DHS, plus Pandora at AK, MK is no longer the only park with high demand. Woo hoo.

I homeschool and I an am flexible, but I already know when it crowded and when it’s not. What’s going to motivate me to go in September or January or any other slow time is the fact that I can stay at A deluxe for 300 a night and not 600. The few dollars I’d save off a ticket wouldnt matter. Off sight or on sight hotels are going to cheaper. Locals most likely have aps so that’s not a factor. I think most people know when the busy and slow times are without looking at ticket pricing chart.

If paying a thousand dollars a night hasn’t scared people away from Christmas week an extra 10 bucks for a ticket certainly won’t.

 

[musical2]

Glad bought a bunch of the old 10 Day Magic Your Way Tickets with Park Hopper and Water Park Fun and More and No Expiration. I have several left in my Safe Deposit Box.

 

[gottalovepluto]

Currently have 7 day PH tickets bought a few months ago. I called today to see if we could upgrade to 8 days (a couple people want 8 day tickets but they decided that after we purchased!) and the agent said yes we can do that on the phone now. I was the first she tried it with and she had to put me on hold, came back and said upper management says they're still doing "enhancements" on the system and she can't really do anything yet and to call back in a couple days. I also asked if I could upgrade one of the tickets to an AP on the phone instead of in-person. She said they could do that if it was "paid in full" and not a FL resident. While I loved all her "yes" answers today TBH I'm just not sure of the agent's knowledge of the new system: I asked if I had to enter the park on the first day of the ticket and she said yes because it's all date based now- but the details on the website say any day from X day to X day. I really don't see how they can deny someone entry on their ticket when they don't say you have to use it on the first day it's valid, but I'm not willing to be a guinea pig on that to save $5.

While I wasn't able to upgrade a ticket now and upgrade another ticket to an annual pass, I would much rather do that on the phone than while on vacation so I will attempt again in a couple days.

 

[scrappinginontario]

Currently have 7 day PH tickets bought a few months ago. I called today to see if we could upgrade to 8 days (a couple people want 8 day tickets but they decided that after we purchased!) and the agent said yes we can do that on the phone now. I was the first she tried it with and she had to put me on hold, came back and said upper management says they're still doing "enhancements" on the system and she can't really do anything yet and to call back in a couple days. I also asked if I could upgrade one of the tickets to an AP on the phone instead of in-person. She said they could do that if it was "paid in full" and not a FL resident. While I loved all her "yes" answers today TBH I'm just not sure of the agent's knowledge of the new system: I asked if I had to enter the park on the first day of the ticket and she said yes because it's all date based now- but the details on the website say any day from X day to X day. I really don't see how they can deny someone entry on their ticket when they don't say you have to use it on the first day it's valid, but I'm not willing to be a guinea pig on that to save $5.

While I wasn't able to upgrade a ticket now and upgrade another ticket to an annual pass, I would much rather do that on the phone than while on vacation so I will attempt again in a couple days.

This scenario is interesting as it appears you want 3 different types of tickets on one reservation number. Is this possible now? Was it in the past?

I thought (and I could be wrong) that all people in a room needed to have the same configuration. Has this changed or, was I incorrect in thinking this was the way it was in the past.

I will say that we normally purchase full packages that includes dining so possibly that's what is confusing me? Also, our past number of trips have been Free Dining trips which might be adding to my confusion.

Anyway, is it possible to now have 1 confirmation and within that have different people with different combinations of ticket duration/APs?

 

[disneygirlsng]

This scenario is interesting as it appears you want 3 different types of tickets on one reservation number. Is this possible now? Was it in the past?

I thought (and I could be wrong) that all people in a room needed to have the same configuration. Has this changed or, was I incorrect in thinking this was the way it was in the past.

I will say that we normally purchase full packages that includes dining so possibly that's what is confusing me? Also, our past number of trips have been Free Dining trips which might be adding to my confusion.

Anyway, is it possible to now have 1 confirmation and within that have different people with different combinations of ticket duration/APs?

If you have a package, everyone must have the same tickets/dining/days, etc. If it's not a package, then everyone can have different tickets.

 

[AngiTN]

I have a slightly different interpretation. Some of us have flexible vacation schedules and no kids to pull out of school. I can go to WDW almost anytime my boss approves, so when the ticket is $112 per day, that signals to me it's less crowded than a period when the average is $124. I will avoid the $124 day ticket, because aside from the extra cost, that's a signal to me that it's much more crowded. So then Disney will have successfully moved someone off the more expensive date to the cheaper date. Of course, if enough people are flexible like me, it will backfire. I'll be more miserable on a cheap day with all my fellow cheap guests, and the $124-paying guest will benefit from others leaving that date.

This is us too but I don't think there is a large enough percentage of total guests that have this flexibility to make a dent in the crowd numbers. We amount to nothing more than a single needle in the haystack.

 

[AngiTN]

Currently have 7 day PH tickets bought a few months ago. I called today to see if we could upgrade to 8 days (a couple people want 8 day tickets but they decided that after we purchased!) and the agent said yes we can do that on the phone now. I was the first she tried it with and she had to put me on hold, came back and said upper management says they're still doing "enhancements" on the system and she can't really do anything yet and to call back in a couple days. I also asked if I could upgrade one of the tickets to an AP on the phone instead of in-person. She said they could do that if it was "paid in full" and not a FL resident. While I loved all her "yes" answers today TBH I'm just not sure of the agent's knowledge of the new system: I asked if I had to enter the park on the first day of the ticket and she said yes because it's all date based now- but the details on the website say any day from X day to X day. I really don't see how they can deny someone entry on their ticket when they don't say you have to use it on the first day it's valid, but I'm not willing to be a guinea pig on that to save $5.

While I wasn't able to upgrade a ticket now and upgrade another ticket to an annual pass, I would much rather do that on the phone than while on vacation so I will attempt again in a couple days.

Exactly. The agent was 100% incorrect about the bold. Her own website contradicts her info. Maybe she should sit down and read it while waiting on magical enhancements to finish so she stops giving out wrong info to guests. I find it shameful that she wouldn't know that #1 fact already.

 

[gottalovepluto]

This scenario is interesting as it appears you want 3 different types of tickets on one reservation number. Is this possible now? Was it in the past?

I thought (and I could be wrong) that all people in a room needed to have the same configuration. Has this changed or, was I incorrect in thinking this was the way it was in the past.

I will say that we normally purchase full packages that includes dining so possibly that's what is confusing me? Also, our past number of trips have been Free Dining trips which might be adding to my confusion.

Anyway, is it possible to now have 1 confirmation and within that have different people with different combinations of ticket duration/APs?

We didn't purchase a package so our tickets are separate from the room reservation.

 

[bryanb]

They already do this with their hotel rooms. The more expensive the room, the more crowded it’s going to be.

While some people will research enough to notice that an August trip is cheaper than mid June, for example, the vast majority won’t. Just because it’s “normal” to research the best possible deal on the DIS doesn’t mean that everyone in the park with you on any given day did the same. Some people just pick their vacation dates and pay whatever they are told without researching anything further.

Interestingly, the bolded sentence expresses really well why I think the ticket price calendar will make a bigger difference among the general public. Disney is making it even more clear to the average guest when it's more crowded. That average guest would not normally do that much research, if it were not now fed to them at a glance*. I agree that some people do pick their vacation days and pay whatever. But if you can influence even 5-10% of people who have flexibility to choose a different day, that can make a huge difference. I know it works for airline tickets.

Either way, I guess we'll see! I'm sure Disney is interested in how well this works too, otherwise they wouldn't have invested so much energy into a fairly complicated tiering strategy.


*With hotel room pricing, Disney hasn't ever posted a hotel pricing calendar (although that would be really cool!), so one would have to do a bit more work to infer which weeks are busier.

 

[SL6827]

So I take it as this new ticket thing hurts those with room only reservations if they generally buy say a 4 day ticket but usually stay longer than a week?
But for some like me who might buy that 4 day ticket and only stay one week, there is not that big of a difference?

 

[hiroMYhero]

But for some like me who might buy that 4 day ticket and only stay one week, there is not that big of a difference?

Correct. You wouldn’t be affected at all by the “validity timeframe.”

 

[SL6827]

Correct. You wouldn’t be affected at all by the “validity timeframe.”

Ok, thought I might be right on that one.

 

[bryanb]

I homeschool and I an am flexible, but I already know when it crowded and when it’s not. What’s going to motivate me to go in September or January or any other slow time is the fact that I can stay at A deluxe for 300 a night and not 600. The few dollars I’d save off a ticket wouldnt matter. Off sight or on sight hotels are going to cheaper. Locals most likely have aps so that’s not a factor. I think most people know when the busy and slow times are without looking at ticket pricing chart.

If paying a thousand dollars a night hasn’t scared people away from Christmas week an extra 10 bucks for a ticket certainly won’t.

I'm not even claiming most people will be scared away. It's about Disney now publishing a really clear price schedule that doubles as a crowd calendar. Even if most guests ignore it, you only need to nudge a small percentage of people to a different date for this experiment to work. Like I said we'll see.

 

[rteetz]

We obviously are still learning things as we go with this new system. If anyone notices something wrong or missing on the first page please let me know so I can update that.

 

[SL6827]

Is all this having any negative effects on AP holders?

 

[rteetz]

Is all this having any negative effects on AP holders?

Not really other than a price increase.

 

[rteetz]

Added the following to the front page...

Strategy to consider when buying tickets...

It may be in your best interest to not purchase the tickets based on your start date. That means use the window given by Disney to find the cheapest possible ticket.

For example: Based on a 7-day ticket which has a 10-day usage window

I arrive Nov. 7th which is priced at $65 per day. Nov. 6th is priced at $63 per day. Pick Nov. 6th to save money as you can still use that ticket during your stay since it is inside the window given by Disney.

 

[AngiTN]

Interestingly, the bolded sentence expresses really well why I think the ticket price calendar will make a bigger difference among the general public. Disney is making it even more clear to the average guest when it's more crowded. That average guest would not normally do that much research, if it were not now fed to them at a glance*. I agree that some people do pick their vacation days and pay whatever. But if you can influence even 5-10% of people who have flexibility to choose a different day, that can make a huge difference. I know it works for airline tickets.

Either way, I guess we'll see! I'm sure Disney is interested in how well this works too, otherwise they wouldn't have invested so much energy into a fairly complicated tiering strategy.


*With hotel room pricing, Disney hasn't ever posted a hotel pricing calendar (although that would be really cool!), so one would have to do a bit more work to infer which weeks are busier.

Posted online? No.
Posted/printed and available? Yes.
I was given one at the resort just a month or so back (for BWI)
There are sites with them posted online. Just not Disney's site

 

[AngiTN]

This scenario is interesting as it appears you want 3 different types of tickets on one reservation number. Is this possible now? Was it in the past?

I thought (and I could be wrong) that all people in a room needed to have the same configuration. Has this changed or, was I incorrect in thinking this was the way it was in the past.

I will say that we normally purchase full packages that includes dining so possibly that's what is confusing me? Also, our past number of trips have been Free Dining trips which might be adding to my confusion.

Anyway, is it possible to now have 1 confirmation and within that have different people with different combinations of ticket duration/APs?

Yes, that is confusing you, I think
Folks who purchase room only can have 30 tickets, if they wanted.
But they aren't tied to a reservation number. Major difference between packages and room only

 

[AngiTN]

So I take it as this new ticket thing hurts those with room only reservations if they generally buy say a 4 day ticket but usually stay longer than a week?
But for some like me who might buy that 4 day ticket and only stay one week, there is not that big of a difference?

And really hits families who are a combination of AP and non-AP.
They are pretty much locked out of packages
They may not have guests with them who want a lot of park days, but may have a longer resort stay.

Does bring up another question that would be good to get a clarification on.
Disney does sell a ticketless package. AP holders can book them online, by adding Dining to an AP only room. Others can get them by calling.
Does this mean if I buy a ticketless package, and then separate tickets, the tickets will take on the valid use period that is tied to length of the package stay?
Or not?
I'm guessing not but really not sure. The above is the only way an AP holder can get a package and I'm still VERY annoyed that as such, anytime we bring someone along that needs tickets, we have to worry about use period.