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

[lundve]

If I buy discount tickets through a reseller can they be upgraded to an annual pass before I use them/arrive? Obviously assuming AP sales resume before my trip in June? My biggest concern is that AP sales would resume this Spring and then be stopped again before we get there…Trying to decide whether to buy now or keep waiting.

 

[glocon]

If I buy discount tickets through a reseller can they be upgraded to an annual pass before I use them/arrive? Obviously assuming AP sales resume before my trip in June? My biggest concern is that AP sales would resume this Spring and then be stopped again before we get there…Trying to decide whether to buy now or keep waiting.

I feel like you have to call in to do this (not online).
I’ve not done this personally, but this question gets asked kind of frequently on these boards, and calling seems to be the answer.
Have fun and good luck!

 

[lanejudy]

If I buy discount tickets through a reseller can they be upgraded to an annual pass before I use them/arrive? Obviously assuming AP sales resume before my trip in June? My biggest concern is that AP sales would resume this Spring and then be stopped again before we get there…Trying to decide whether to buy now or keep waiting.

Historically, yes, you could upgrade a regular ticket to an AP regardless of where the regular ticket was purchased. Whether that will be true once APs go back on sale is anyone's guess.

 

[StacyStrong]

Im going to have two sets of date based tickets. One set is for June and the other for August. Since they are date based, do I have to worry about setting the priority? In June, do I have to stop to see a CM to prioritize?

Does anyone know if you have to prioritize date based tickets?

 

[rhenkt]

Just wanted to share our experience to see what people's opinions are.

We had a 6 night vacay booked at Pop. Everything booked through WDW, including 4 day standard ticket.

Due to weather forcing us to change our plans around, we used all four park tickets in the first four days.

On the 5th day I went to front desk at Pop and asked if we could add a park day to our vacay. She said sure but it would cost the full price of a one day ticket. Of course I know that going from a four to five day ticket is only around $30 per person. She said since we had already used our original four day ticket, we couldn't just add a day. I accepted this and moved on, although I felt a bit aggrieved because we still had two days left in our "package."

Before everyone chimes in, "that's the policy, you should've known"...my question is, should that policy be changed? Doesn't it make more sense to allow the base ticket to be added to while the guest is still in their actual resort stay, in the same package, on the same dates?

 

[lanejudy]

I'm sorry that caught you by surprise. Would it have been nice if the CM pixie dusted and upgraded the ticket? Yes. But the upgrade rules have been in effect for a LONG time and require that the ticket not be fully used up. You can upgrade on the night that you have used the last park entry, just do it before the parks close for the night. It sounds like maybe weather caused you to arrive earlier than planned and therefore use your tickets earlier -- that would have been a good time to add the extra day when you decided to use one early. Also be aware that if theme park reservations are "sold out" one cannot add days to a ticket, so depending on crowds that hits folks in a similar way.

 

[40ariel]

I purchased our 4 day 1 park per day tickets on the Disney World website. I have made park reservations for the 4 days we would like to go to the parks.

Questions:
1. With the waterpark and sports option, am I limited to visiting the waterparks only on the days that I have park reservations? If no, see question 2
2. How do I upgrade to the waterpark and sports option without affecting the park reservations I have already made? Can I do it before the trip or only once I arrive? If I can change the tickets in advance, should I change by phone or online.

Thanks for your help.

 

[scrappinginontario]

I purchased our 4 day 1 park per day tickets on the Disney World website. I have made park reservations for the 4 days we would like to go to the parks.

Questions:
1. With the waterpark and sports option, am I limited to visiting the waterparks only on the days that I have park reservations? If no, see question 2
2. How do I upgrade to the waterpark and sports option without affecting the park reservations I have already made? Can I do it before the trip or only once I arrive? If I can change the tickets in advance, should I change by phone or online.

Thanks for your help.

1. No. WPs are a seperate bucket. You can go in park days or non-park days and not affect your park reservations.
2. In MDE if you have a ‘change’ button you can add it there or, call. Note, if ticket prices have increased, you will be charged the price increase on the entire ticket. The earlier you add the additional feature the better, if you’re sure you’re going to add it.

 

[40ariel]

1. No. WPs are a seperate bucket. You can go in park days or non-park days and not affect your park reservations.
2. In MDE if you have a ‘change’ button you can add it there or, call. Note, if ticket prices have increased, you will be charged the price increase on the entire ticket. The earlier you add the additional feature the better, if you’re sure you’re going to add it.

Thanks! I called Disney and they said that I can also upgrade once we arrive which I think I might wait to do. That way, if the kids are too tired and change their mind about the waterparks, I can skip it, or if they are super energized and want to try both waterparks (if they are open) I can add it on the first day.

 

[lanejudy]

I purchased our 4 day 1 park per day tickets on the Disney World website.

Just to add... price it out. If you have base tickets (1 park per day), it may actually cost more to add the Water Parks & Sports option than to simply buy a 1-day water park ticket (at best it may break even). Unless you plan more than 1 water park day and/or the mini-golf or Oak Trail options as well.

And to the PP's point... if a price increase occurs between when you initially purchased your tickets and the time of your trip (or the time you upgrade if done in advance), you would need to pay the extra cost to bring your tickets up to current value as of the date you make that upgrade. That could play into your decision to upgrade vs buy a 1-day water park ticket.

 

[wvjules]

I bought a 5 day PH from UT ($681). However, I realized that I need a park ticket for 6 days. My options are to upgrade via MDE (which looks like I can't do online for some reason), or purchase a new 6 day PH from UT for $711 and get refunded my 5 day ticket purchase. Is one of these a better option?

 

[twinklebug]

I bought a 5 day PH from UT ($681). However, I realized that I need a park ticket for 6 days. My options are to upgrade via MDE (which looks like I can't do online for some reason), or purchase a new 6 day PH from UT for $711 and get refunded my 5 day ticket purchase. Is one of these a better option?

Depends on your situation. I don't like high value transactions repeated with any vendor, even though UT is my go-to for park tickets. It just increases the opportunity for error.

I'd wait until I was on property and first thing would be to hit up a window and add that extra day.

Make sure when you book your park passes for the 5 days you currently have that you are using them on days and parks you absolutely must be in (dining reservations, MK etc)

 

[lanejudy]

I bought a 5 day PH from UT ($681). However, I realized that I need a park ticket for 6 days. My options are to upgrade via MDE (which looks like I can't do online for some reason), or purchase a new 6 day PH from UT for $711 and get refunded my 5 day ticket purchase. Is one of these a better option?

Would you get the full refund from UT, or is there a restocking fee? The restocking fee could wipe out all or most savings for the new 6-day ticket.
How much is the savings on the 6-day from UT? How does that compare to the savings on the 5-day? Unless ticket prices have increased, you should retain that original savings on the 5-day ticket if/when you upgrade it. If there has been a price increase, you'll need to pay the difference.

Waiting until you arrive may be iffy, depending on dates. If any of your dates are "sold out" of theme park reservations WDW will not allow you to add a date, even if the "extra" you want to add is not sold out. It's kind of crazy and frustrating; best to have tickets and theme park reservations in advance.

 

[wvjules]

Would you get the full refund from UT, or is there a restocking fee? The restocking fee could wipe out all or most savings for the new 6-day ticket.
How much is the savings on the 6-day from UT? How does that compare to the savings on the 5-day? Unless ticket prices have increased, you should retain that original savings on the 5-day ticket if/when you upgrade it. If there has been a price increase, you'll need to pay the difference.

Waiting until you arrive may be iffy, depending on dates. If any of your dates are "sold out" of theme park reservations WDW will not allow you to add a date, even if the "extra" you want to add is not sold out. It's kind of crazy and frustrating; best to have tickets and theme park reservations in advance.

They will refund 100% of the entire purchase. I think I should go this route. Thank you!

 

[BaybeeYoda]

If you purchased from a reseller, and you want to change the dates or upgrade, do you get the full value of the ticket?

I just called to change my dates from June 16 to June 17, and to upgrade from a hopper to a hopper plus. The CM on the phone (MDE) would only give me the price I paid for the ticket in November 2022 (before the increase in price).

The value they are assigning my ticket is $760 (June 16, 10 day park hopper through UCT)
The full value of the ticket is $821 (June 16, 10 day park hopper)
The "upgraded" price is $846 (June 17, 10 day hopper plus).

Any advice? Am I stuck paying $89 if I want to make the changes, or should I wait to go to Guest Services in person on June 16th when we get to disney? Any help much appreciated in advance!!

 

[lanejudy]

If you purchased from a reseller, and you want to change the dates or upgrade, do you get the full value of the ticket?

You should get the value of the ticket as WDW had it priced at the time you bought it. Not today’s value. If there has been a price increase since then you will need to pay the extra for the increase as well as any extra for the new dates and the “plus” upgrade. (Including any increase in the hopper and/or plus if those changed.)

I think your post quotes today’s price for the current ticket (I find $819 on the WDW site), but you also mention a price increase (early Dec) has occurred since you bought in November. So $89 may well be the cost to change dates and add the plus option.

 

[alte]

Am I able to buy 5 day base tickets and then once I'm at the parks just update ONE of those dates to a park hopper? It seems like whenever I go to buy tickets it's all or nothing. Either buy a 5 day park hopper or a 5 days base ticket. I'm not sure we'll park hop at all, the only day I think we would maybe park hop is our last day - if the kids want to go back to a favorite park. On that day am I able to just that single day to a parkhopper, or do they backdate the entire 5day pass to a park hopper (obviously way more expensive than I would be willing to do). I realize parks may sold out at the time, we are going in slow season and I don't forsee that as a problem, and overall am willing to risk it for the savings!

 

[lanejudy]

Park hopping is "all or nothing" meaning it's the same price whether you hop 1 day or all 5.

 

[alte]

Okay thanks! That makes sense why I couldn't find it anywhere! Disney really knows how to get you to spend those extras I'll have to chew on that and plan ahead accordingly. Thanks again!

 

[cjhentschel]

Hello
Not sure if this has been asked and answered. But is there a discount for wanting to buy tickets after 5pm? Thx