Tickets and Annual Pass Questions - Please add your ticket questions to this thread

[Robo]

Hey there! Quick question about convention tickets ...

Next year I'll be traveling to WDW and staying at the Swan for a convention. I know I'll have the option to purchase discounted park "convention tickets" in advance. If I buy through the convention, will I still be able to book FP+ and dining reservations in advance? Or is that only available if I book through MDE?

Dining reservations do not require having any kind of tickets at all.
You can book advance FP+ by -linking- any kind of valid ticket to your MDX account.

 

[TJA]

We are Annual Passholders and I usually just renew our AP's each year online. We have decided to try Free Dining and I have a package booked starting this weekend which coincides with our AP's expiring (expired on July 29, so we're still within our 30 days, barely). I really wanted to renew our AP's and apply the hoppers from the FD package online, but I couldn't figure out how to so I called Disney directly. The CM said I'd have to do all of this when we arrive in Disney. Is this correct info, or is there another way? Preferably online, but I'd be ok if I had to call back and speak with a different CM.

 

[SABeasley98]

I have one more ticket question
I am attending a conference from Nov 2-6th then my family is coming down for the 9th-17th.
I can purchase conference tickets that are slightly cheaper than Undercover Tourist.
It seems that it will let me purchase multiple tickets. Am I allowed to purchase my family's tickets through this or is that against the rules since they won't be arriving until after the conference is over?

 

[Robo]

We are Annual Passholders and I usually just renew our AP's each year online. We have decided to try Free Dining and I have a package booked starting this weekend which coincides with our AP's expiring (expired on July 29, so we're still within our 30 days, barely). I really wanted to renew our AP's and apply the hoppers from the FD package online, but I couldn't figure out how to so I called Disney directly. The CM said I'd have to do all of this when we arrive in Disney. Is this correct info, or is there another way? Preferably online, but I'd be ok if I had to call back and speak with a different CM.

Since this is a "minimum tickets REQUIRED" resort package, you do need to wait to "use" (upgrade, in this case) the package tickets
any time after you arrive at WDW (immediately after you get to WDW will be fine.)

 

[Robo]

I have one more ticket question
I am attending a conference from Nov 2-6th then my family is coming down for the 9th-17th.
I can purchase conference tickets that are slightly cheaper than Undercover Tourist.
It seems that it will let me purchase multiple tickets. Am I allowed to purchase my family's tickets through this or is that against the rules since they won't be arriving until after the conference is over?

Sorry, I don't know.
But, buying conference tickets for guests who won't actually BE THERE until after the conference is ended is a bit
troublesome, if for no other reason than conference tickets have a much shorter/closer expiration date than regular tickets.

 

[Robo]

AP's are very valuable if you can make the trip to WDW enough.

 

[Jimmy Mouse]

AP's are very valuable if you can make the trip to WDW enough.

LOL you even made me a title and moved my question to the correct thread. That's awesome lol. I had no idea where to put it

 

[SaharanTea]

Since this is a "minimum tickets REQUIRED" resort package, you do need to wait to "use" (upgrade, in this case) the package tickets
any time after you arrive at WDW (immediately after you get to WDW will be fine.)

If I book a 14-night Disney resort package with free summer dining and a 10-day ticket attached, can I upgrade to an AP before my 60-day window to be able to book fast passes for all 14 days of my trip at the 60-day mark?

Your post mentions needing to wait to arrive for a "minimum tickets required" package.

 

[Wood Nymph]

If I book a 14-night Disney resort package with free summer dining and a 10-day ticket attached, can I upgrade to an AP before my 60-day window to be able to book fast passes for all 14 days of my trip at the 60-day mark?

Your post mentions needing to wait to arrive for a "minimum tickets required" package.

A free dining resort package always requires a minimum ticket purchase and even though you bought a ten day ticket, you still have package tickets. Those tickets don't become active until the first day of your resort reservation. You won't be able to upgrade them to an annual pass until then. That means you can only make fp's for ten days.

 

[slowbro]

A free dining resort package always requires a minimum ticket purchase and even though you bought a ten day ticket, you still have package tickets. Those tickets don't become active until the first day of your resort reservation. You won't be able to upgrade them to an annual pass until then. That means you can only make fp's for ten days.

Similar situation. Have a ten day park hopper with fourteen day free dining package. The regular price is about $570. But when asked to upgrade at park, was given only about $410 credit “due to package deal.” Is it right? Thanks.

 

[SaharanTea]

A free dining resort package always requires a minimum ticket purchase and even though you bought a ten day ticket, you still have package tickets. Those tickets don't become active until the first day of your resort reservation. You won't be able to upgrade them to an annual pass until then. That means you can only make fp's for ten days.

That's what I was afraid of. I was thinking buying a second set of tickets would do it, but you can only use one set to upgrade to an AP, correct?

It seems my only options are to settle for ten days of early fastpasses or buy a set of two-day tickets for the package to use at some future date. As I understand it, these would expire before we use them but we could still use their worth on a future ticket purchase.

Unless anyone has a better suggestion?

Of course, there's always the good possibility they expire this particular deal anyway.

Thanks for the help.

 

[Robo]

Similar situation.
1. Have a ten day park hopper with fourteen day free dining package.
2. The regular price is about $570.
3. But when asked to upgrade at park, was given only about $410 credit “due to package deal.” Is it right? Thanks.

1. Exactly WHEN did you book your resort package?
Are the package tickets you have 10-day Park Hopper, OR 10-day Park Hopper PLUS (including Water Parks?)

2. The value of a current 10-day Park Hopper is $553.80 w/tax.
3. If you first arranged for your resort package after Feb. 11, 2018, that's not correct.
(It's not even correct if you booked your resort package BEFORE Feb. 11, 2018.)

HERE is how to figure the cost to upgrade tickets.

Note that I give instructions on upgrading a "Ticket bought as part of a WDW Resort Package."

 

[slowbro]

1. Exactly WHEN did you book your resort package?
Are the package tickets you have 10-day Park Hopper, OR 10-day Park Hopper PLUS (including Water Parks?)

2. The value of a current 10-day Park Hopper is $553.80 w/tax.
3. If you first arranged for your resort package after Feb. 11, 2018, that's not correct.
(It's not even correct if you booked your resort package BEFORE Feb. 11, 2018.)

HERE is how to figure the cost to upgrade tickets.

Note that I give instructions on upgrading a "Ticket bought as part of a WDW Resort Package."

I booked park hopper (not plus) during free dining promotion period in April. Don’t remember the price of ticket exactly; should be around $550. I have been to two ticket booths in MK and HWS, and both gave me the same eatimate of my ticket, and quoted about $480 upgrade price. I also have memory maker, but they dodn’t even mention it. Asked about ticket price bridging but they had no idea. Both time they said my ticket was issued by Disney Travel Company and it allocated a lower price to my ticket due to the package promotion.

 

[Wood Nymph]

That's what I was afraid of. I was thinking buying a second set of tickets would do it, but you can only use one set to upgrade to an AP, correct?

It seems my only options are to settle for ten days of early fastpasses or buy a set of two-day tickets for the package to use at some future date. As I understand it, these would expire before we use them but we could still use their worth on a future ticket purchase.

Unless anyone has a better suggestion?

Of course, there's always the good possibility they expire this particular deal anyway.

Thanks for the help.

You are right that you can only use one set of tickets to upgrade a ticket. I think that the best way to handle it is to settle for ten days of fastpasses and plan your trip so that you can add the last four days of fastpasses after you upgrade to an annual pass. You will find that a park like Magic Kingdom will have plenty of fastpasses available for you. There is often availability for even the hard to get rides at MK in the evening. You will be there for two weeks so just get fastpasses for the hard to get rides first.

 

[Robo]

I booked park hopper (not plus) during free dining promotion period in April.
1. Don’t remember the price of ticket exactly; should be around $550.
2. I have been to two ticket booths in MK and HWS, and both gave me the same eatimate of my ticket, and quoted about $480 upgrade price. I also have memory maker, but they dodn’t even mention it.
3. Asked about ticket price bridging but they had no idea.
4. Both time they said my ticket was issued by Disney Travel Company and it allocated a lower price to my ticket due to the package promotion.

1. You would not know what was the price you paid just for the ticket. Disney doesn't tell you when you book a package.
HOWEVER, it does not matter what YOU paid for the ticket.
2. Those CMs made a mistake. Looks like they don't know how the ticket upgrade process works.
3. No surprise, there.
4. That is not correct. That situation is covered by (and is the reason for) "Price Bridging."
Your 10-day Park Hopper is worth $553.80. (And, it is still worth that full amount even if you have already USED day (or a few days) on that ticket already.)
Don't settle for the wrong price. You need to go to another ticket location. I'd pick a "Guest Relations."

 

[slowbro]

1. You would not know what was the price you paid just for the ticket. Disney doesn't tell you when you book a package.
HOWEVER, it does not matter what YOU paid for the ticket.
2. Those CMs made a mistake. Looks like they don't know how the ticket upgrade process works.
3. No surprise, there.
4. That is not correct. That situation is covered by (and is the reason for) "Price Bridging."
Your 10-day Park Hopper is worth $553.80. (And, it is still worth that full amount even if you have already USED day (or a few days) on that ticket already.)
Don't settle for the wrong price. You need to go to another ticket location. I'd pick a "Guest Relations."

Thanks for the reply. Just checked disney app and it gives me the upgrade price of $329 before tax, which corresponds to the full ticket price of $520 (and $553.8 after tax). Just want to get my memory maker credited to the upgrade which seems can only be done in parks. Not sure whether I did it the wring way. I just walked up to a CM and asked for upgrade. She scanned my magic band and looked at the computer screen and told me it would be $480 to upgrade. Both time the amount was the same so I think it’s hard coded. How to ask the CM to try a different way?

 

[jeff_h]

I read the sticky posts on APs and upgrading, noted the comment about anniversary date being the first time that the guest enters a park, so I think that answers one of the questions below but want to verify.

We will visit in October and our daughter will be with us, but we will also visit in November and she will not be with us (had planned to go originally but just got college schedule and now cannot go).

So now it looks like we will have an unused 2-day hopper from UT that expires 1/14/19 and also an unused 3-day hopper from OTC that also expires 1/14/19. I saw mentions in the sticky that only one of these can be used for upgrade, but not both.

I want to upgrade to an AP for our daughter but have a couple questions:

1 - If we upgrade her to an AP in October or November and she doesn't use the AP for park entrance until January, would her AP anniversary not start until January?

2 - Does our daughter need to be present when we upgrade to a pass in her name? If the anniversary doesn't start right away (the above question) I guess it won't matter and we could upgrade in October, but wanted to check.

Thanks!

 

[Robo]

Thanks for the reply. Just checked disney app and it gives me the upgrade price of $329 before tax, which corresponds to the full ticket price of $520 (and $553.8 after tax). Just want to get my memory maker credited to the upgrade which seems can only be done in parks. Not sure whether I did it the wring way. I just walked up to a CM and asked for upgrade. She scanned my magic band and looked at the computer screen and told me it would be $480 to upgrade. Both time the amount was the same so I think it’s hard coded. How to ask the CM to try a different way?

If you can pull up the correct info on your MDX, can you do the upgrade VIA your MDX yourself?
Otherwise...
Go to a Guest Relations CM.
If you can pull up the correct info on your MDX, show the CM.
If at first the CM seems lost, nicely decline and go elsewhere.
It's just a matter of finding a competent CM.

 

[Robo]

I read the sticky posts on APs and upgrading, noted the comment about anniversary date being the first time that the guest enters a park, so I think that answers one of the questions below but want to verify. We will visit in October and our daughter will be with us, but we will also visit in November and she will not be with us (had planned to go originally but just got college schedule and now cannot go).So now it looks like we will have an unused 2-day hopper from UT that expires 1/14/19 and also an unused 3-day hopper from OTC that also expires 1/14/19.
3- I saw mentions in the sticky that only one of these can be used for upgrade, but not both.
I want to upgrade to an AP for our daughter but have a couple questions:
1 - If we upgrade her to an AP in October or November and she doesn't use the AP for park entrance until January, would her AP anniversary not start until January?
2 - Does our daughter need to be present when we upgrade to a pass in her name? If the anniversary doesn't start right away (the above question) I guess it won't matter and we could upgrade in October, but wanted to check.

3- Correct.
1- If you are UPGRADING a ticket that is USED to enter a park, the AP (upgraded from that ticket) will
have an anniversary date of the first date that original ticket was used.
If you are UPGRADING a ticket that is NOT USED to enter a park, the AP (upgraded from that ticket) will
have an anniversary date of the first date that new AP is first used.
2- Wait to upgrade until she can be present.

 

[SaharanTea]

You are right that you can only use one set of tickets to upgrade a ticket. I think that the best way to handle it is to settle for ten days of fastpasses and plan your trip so that you can add the last four days of fastpasses after you upgrade to an annual pass. You will find that a park like Magic Kingdom will have plenty of fastpasses available for you. There is often availability for even the hard to get rides at MK in the evening. You will be there for two weeks so just get fastpasses for the hard to get rides first.

I appreciate the help. Thank you.

I'm leaning toward going the 10-day ticket route as well. I'm a planner so it kind of annoys me, but I also like saving money (I know that's an anathema in WDW vacationing). Being a planner though, I'll have to draw up my plans to snag what I can after we upgrade at arrival if this promotion is even available.

I agree MK will be the easiest park to pull late fastpasses for. FOP will likely still be a tough pull, but Epcot (probably) and Hollywood (definitely) will have newer attractions come 2020. I'd say it would go MK-->AK-->EP-->HS from easiest to most difficult at that time.

I digress; this is becoming an FP discussion instead of a ticket one. Thanks again, Wood Nymph!