All Unused Park Tickets to Expire in 2005

[Braque]

Unlikely? Maybe. I apologize to anyone upset by the topic/tone of this post. I specifically did not post to the Debate board. I don’t mean to inflame the troops but initiate a discussion that I think will be deeper here in Rumors. I believe that this is an inevitability that we may see within the next ten years. What will you do about it? What can we do to prevent it? Probably nothing.

Personally, I hope this day NEVER comes, but after it happens there will be plenty of people to say how unrealistic and naive it was for us to expect that unused days on park hoppers would last 10 - 20 years until we “got back” to the park. The Street would hail it as a positive financial move, the Disney publicists will (hopefully) give us plenty of advance notice, after all Disney Corp., is in the business of making money.

 

[OnWithTheShow]

The tickets actually do have a expiration date built into them otherwise the computer system would not accept them. All tickets that are set never to expire actually have an expiration date of 12/31/30. There are no plans to stop honoring these tickets. We even still honor old paper tickets from before the days of ATS.

 

[DisneyKidds]

Hello fellow NY Hudson Valley Disney fan

Is this possible? Anything is possible. Would anyone be called naive for crying foul if it happened? Asolutely not. At least not as long as they continue to state that unused days never expire. I would think that they would have to identify tickets purchased before any such change would be implemented so that tickets purchased as 'good forever' would be just that, and tickets purchased after any such change would not be. Disney is very good at tracking tickets so it could be done.

Do I think Disney would do this? Well, it sure would be another blow to someting which has been a Disney hallmark since the Disney theme park business began. I have heard stories of people recently getting credit on old ticket book tickets. It would be a short sighted move that would generate much more negative press and sentiment than it would revenue........but that hasn't stopped them in the recent past.

All we need is a cryptic AV post alluding to this 'not being as far off as we think' and I can think of a few people who would throw a fit . We use AP's primarily, and prior to that got length of stay type passes, so unused days have never been an issue for us. However, it would signal the further erosion of the underlying philosophy..................

 

[WDW2002]

Why should Disney have nonexpiring tix?? In fact for the most part this is WDW specific. The tickets most used for Disneyland in fact expire, within 13 days of first use. A few tickets have an extended experation date of 2 years. I do not see a problem with it.

As for putting an experation on already issued tickets, I think this would be a PR nightmare. But if Disney decided to start putting an experation on newly issued tickets, then so be it.

 

[NotUrsula]

Yes, the sort of folks who hang out here keep detailed records and keep passes w/ remaining days in the safe deposit box, but we are a very small minority, in terms of the number of people who visit WDW annually. I'd really be interested to know what percentage of WDW visitors use admission media dated more than a year previous; I'm betting it's a pretty small percentage.

Most people who buy Hopper passes either a) use all days in one trip, b) forget that they have unused days long before they ever get around to planning another trip, or c) know that they have the days, but lose the pass itself.

I would be willing to bet that keeping unused Hopper days valid "forever" really costs WDW very little in terms of gate receipts, but it is priceless in terms of consumer goodwill.

 

[RoutemanDan]

I have a 4 day park hopper pass from 1989 with 2 days left on it.They would actually give me credit for the remaining two days? How would that credit be based considering AK wasn't there then.
The price was a whopping $97.00

Here's a digital I just took of the pass.Probably worth more to keep for nostalgia.I can't imagine what wdw would value it at.
<img height=500 width=400 src=http://www.boomerweb.net/users/garage/clipartist/4dayfrnt.jpg>

<img height=500 width=400 src=http://www.boomerweb.net/users/garage/clipartist/4daybk.jpg>

 

[OnWithTheShow]

Speaking as a WDW guest services cast member as long a your park ticket does not state an expiration date on that fine print on the back it still has two valid days. I am unsure of whether it is valid at AK (because I am not at work). You need only take it to any guest relations window at the theme parks and they will stamp an additional date on it and issue you an ATS ticket.

 

[Walt's Frozen Head]

They would actually give me credit for the remaining two days? How would that credit be based considering AK wasn't there then

Back when AK opened, I vaguely recall Disney honoring such tickets as yours, as is, at the parks other than AK.

I also vaguely recall that they did away with that restriction, allowing AK access with those tickets, but I can't remember the details... it might not have been permanent.

Disney will still give you "credit" for even an old "A" ticket... but those really are worth more as a bookmark than admission media. I believe you'll get good value out of Hoppers of all vintage, though.

Of course, at this point, I think they're letting people into AK with a Bazooka Joe cartoon and the promise they'll buy a large Coke before they leave the park...

-WFH

PS: The really funny part about this is that, as NotUrsula alludes, the "good forever" policy means that Disney is selling days they will never ever have to supply, and that guests are going to be more likely to buy more days on a pass for the discount. In other words, "good forever" is a policy that earns Disney money in return for absolutely nothing, and provides an easy-as-pie upsell to maximize the dollars they're raking in _today_. While still being seen as a benefit by the consumer.

If Disney really does this, I think it's worse than a sign that all they care about is the money; it's a sign that they just don't know what the hell they're doing.

 

[Mouse Ears]

It's always fun to open a thread that looks like an interesting news or rumor bit to find out that it's neither!

Ya got me, what can I say?!?

M E