Buying tickets a year ahead - questions

[PeasandCarrots]

I'm taking extended family next summer (2016) to WDW and I want to go ahead and buy our tickets now to lock in the current pricing. I'll be buying 6 tickets. Currently hub and I have annual passes. We will be going to the world again in Oct on our annual passes.

1) How do we keep the tickets we buy from being "used" instead of the APs when we go to the park in Oct. if they are in MDE?
2) I have read tickets bought from Disney never expire until you use them - is this true?
3) Can you think of any reason buying them ahead is a bad idea?
4) Even if the other 4 family cancel, we can still use their tickets towards future annual passes for ourselves right?

Thank you!

 

[sharonabe]

1) I don't think they are automatically in MDE; I think you have to add them, but I would check with guest services before going into the parks to be sure they have the AP as your primary.
2) Yes that is true
3) Only if you might be eligible for free dining when you go. Free dining requires the purchase of a ticket, and if you already have yours, you would have to buy more.
4) Yes you can

 

[gatormom2tots]

We just bought ours for our visit next May...no fear of confusion to APs if you dont add them to MDE.

 

[isabellea]

Tickets you buy on Disney website automatically link to MDE. I would buy the tickets from Undercover Tourists to save money and get a plastic tickets. When it's time to link them to MDE it's super easy.

 

[Luv2Camp]

Hope it's ok to add a question to this thread!

If we purchase our tickets now for a 2016 trip & our trip got cancelled for some reason, could we get a refund on our tickets? Would it make a difference if the tickets came from Disney or UT?

 

[Marionnette]

Hope it's ok to add a question to this thread!

If we purchase our tickets now for a 2016 trip & our trip got cancelled for some reason, could we get a refund on our tickets? Would it make a difference if the tickets came from Disney or UT?

Disney tickets are non-refundable if purchased from Disney. They are refundable if purchased from UT as long as you have not linked them in MDE. You will pay a restocking fee for the UT tickets if you return them.

ETA: The UT refund policy is good for 365 days after your purchase as long as UT still carries those types of tickets.

 

[Marionnette]

Tickets you buy on Disney website automatically link to MDE. I would buy the tickets from Undercover Tourists to save money and get a plastic tickets. When it's time to link them to MDE it's super easy.

Couldn't you just make your purchase without signing into your Disney account? Then the tickets would not be linked to any account until you decide to link them.

 

[soniam]

You could also purchase the tickets from Disney but on a different MDX account. However, you can only access one MDX account from your phone app. So, you wouldn't be able to access this second account from your phone, if you have ever used the phone app. You could still access it from a web-browser though on your phone.

 

[disneynutz]

We have banked around 10 years worth of various admission media. I enter them into our MDE account as necessary for our next vacation.

Bill

 

[Jimsig]

Before you enter the park, but after bag check, you need to see a CM, at MK they were wearing plaid, not sure if they dress the same at the other parks. They have IPads or iphones/iTouchs and can prioritize your ticket usage. IIRC the oldest ticket (soonest to expire) usually is "on top" so I'd imagine in your case it would be the AP, but double check to make sure. Only takes a min or two.

 

[POOHsie]

I'm taking extended family next summer (2016) to WDW and I want to go ahead and buy our tickets now to lock in the current pricing. I'll be buying 6 tickets. Currently hub and I have annual passes. We will be going to the world again in Oct on our annual passes.
... 3) Can you think of any reason buying them ahead is a bad idea?
... Thank you!

Buying tickets ahead of time is not a bad idea, but it's NOT a slam-dunk that you'll lock in current pricing. WDW had a price increase in February 2015, and probably there will be an increase before Summer 2016.

Ticket Source #1: Disney Online.
If you buy from Disney online, and there's a price increase, but you don't change the tickets in any way, you'll be good. But Disney will charge you for any price increase since your purchase if you make any changes to those tickets, such as adding a day or adding PH or WPF&M.

Ticket Source #2: Third party resellers, The Disney Store, Disney Resort Package tickets.
If you don't change these tickets in any way, you'll be good. But if you want to make any ticket change, you will STILL be able to keep your 2015 price by following this procedure: USE the 2015 tickets FIRST to enter any theme park on your 2016 visit. After park entry, Disney "bridges" the value of these tickets to current gate price. In other words, you keep your discount, and you keep your old price (in case of price increase). You will only be charged for the ticket changes, but at the current Summer 2016 rate. Do your upgrade at any theme park Guest Relations or theme park Ticket Booth, or at DTD Guest Relations. Don't do this upgrade at a Disney Resort b/c they aren't trained in advance ticketing.

NOTE: If tickets from Ticket Source #2 are upgraded BEFORE entering a theme park, you will owe any price increase and you'll also owe the difference in price between the price Disney sold the tickets to the vendor wholesale and the current gate price. That's harsh, but Disney doesn't know what you paid for the tickets, since you bought them from another entity.

There are a few CMs at Park Guest Relations and Ticket Booths who don't seem to know about price-bridging. If the change price you're given is too high, Smile, ask for your tickets back, and find another CM to deal with. Know what your ticket change will cost before the transaction. Here's WDW's ticket price list including tax. If Disney raises prices before your Summer 2016 visit, this page will change (of course).
https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/tickets/

 

[bumbershoot]

2) I have read tickets bought from Disney never expire until you use them - is this true?

For WDW it's true. Just in case you ever travel west, though at DisneyLAND it's not true. You'll likely get credit for the price you paid, towards a new ticket, but you can't just use an old ticket there.



I think there are TWO Disney-purchased-tickets scenario, not just the one I'm seeing here.

There's buying through a package, where you don't actually pay for everything until 45 days out. With those, if you change stuff before your trip, it'll cause everything to be repriced, etc. And if you go to upgrade those tickets during your trip, you will only be given credit for *what you paid*.

But if you don't have a package, you buy and pay in full and maybe have the option of having tickets sent to you, then if you upgrade at the parks you will be able to take advantage of "price bridging".


That's my understanding, at least.

 

[POOHsie]

...But if you don't have a package, you buy and pay in full and maybe have the option of having tickets sent to you, then if you upgrade at the parks you will be able to take advantage of "price bridging".
...

If you buy from Disney (online, mail order, will call), separate from a WDW Disney Resort package, your tickets are not eligible for price-bridging. And there's no work-around.

The only reason WDW Disney Resort package tickets are eligible for price-bridging is that Disney Ticket Operations wholesales resort package tickets to WDTC (Disney Resorts). Then Disney Resorts uses this wholesale-retail gap to cover the cost of offering discount specials on room price, ticket price and (free) dining.

See Cheshire Figment's Post #22 Price Bridging, and also Post #6 Upgrading MYW tickets. These posts explain price-bridging and which tickets are eligible. I sure do miss Cheshire Figment's contributions to WDW ticket info. http://www.disboards.com/threads/everything-about-wdw-tickets.1452684/page-2

 

[isabellea]

And if you decide you want a package to get the dining plan you can still get one if you buy tickets from a third party (UT, etc.). It's called a ticketless package and I was able to get one with tickets I got from airmiles (Canadian reward points) and UT without any issue and I combined this ticketless package with the summer promotion (room only promo). The only problem would be IF you want free dining if it's offered during your trip (usually fall). To get a free dining promotion you absolutely need to buy tickets at full price, even if you have some on your MDE.

 

[vicki_c]

See Cheshire Figment's Post #22 Price Bridging, and also Post #6 Upgrading MYW tickets. These posts explain price-bridging and which tickets are eligible. I sure do miss Cheshire Figment's contributions to WDW ticket info. http://www.disboards.com/threads/everything-about-wdw-tickets.1452684/page-2

Me too, but your explanation post above is very good too!