Complicated old ticket question

[rcs]

I'm hoping some of you experts can help me with some good advice.

I have 2 totally unused park hopper passes for our kids from pre-covid. I want to use their value towards Sorcerer annual passes for them. When I talk to the DVC member line, they can't locate the old passes and told me to contact ticketing, "Who has much better systems for finding old tickets." When I speak with Ticketing, they transfer me to DVC because, "Only DVC can sell those passes." So, I'm totally stuck because of Disney's organizational silos.

Here's what I'm thinking:
1. First call WDW Ticketing, not mention the word DVC, and have them issue me a set of new regular tickets to use up the value I have on the old, unused tickets (assuming they can find them).
2. Link those new tickets to the MDE of my daughters.
2. Then call DVC and have them use the value of those new regular tickets, which I assume they can find as they will be linked to the correct MDE accounts, towards the purchase of the APs.

Will this work? There is a lot of money involved so I'd like to really know this will work before I attempt it. The last thing I need is even more unused tickets .

Thank you!

 

[Sandisw]

That is why I would do! Much easier!

 

[floribr1]

Agreed with @Sandisw. I have never needed to do anything like you are describing, but it makes sense to me and I think you will be minimizing your risk of anything getting lost in translation. Good luck! Let us know how it works out.

 

[CarolynFH]

Yes, I think I’d do the same. Please come back with an update!

 

[PolyRob]

Also curious to hear back what happens!

Disney is no longer "bridging" the value of tickets to current gate prices. They are minted at date of purchase and you get the value that the ticket was worth at that time (reseller) OR the value you paid directly with Disney. Not sure when you purchased your tickets, but if they are "Magic Your Way" tickets from 2010 - 2016 they should be linked in My Disney Experience with a 2030 expiration. If they are date based (2017 - present), they will have "expired" and dropped off the account, but the value at the time of purchase will remain. Or are they REALLY old and need to be looked up in the "old system" when the GRs CM would go in a back room?

If they are old MYW tickets or earlier the value is probably a fraction of what Disney is charging today and you would honestly be better off just using them and buying separate APs. A 7-day hopper in 2016 was about $400 and that same ticket date based could cost $840 this spring. Disney will no longer provide that "$840 value" towards an AP when the ticket purchased cost $400. If they were date based (2017 forward) I could see paying for the new valid ticket dates and then calling MS back to upgrade those like you mentioned in your post.

If you aren't visiting WDW during a Sorcerer Pass blackout period you could also just have your kids use the tickets and stop by GRs in person to perform the upgrade before the last day is used. In person GRs is always more competent with ticketing IMO.

 

[mickeymom629]

I tend to agree with the previous poster and just use the old tickets as is. You probably got a great price on them and trading them in isn't going to get you the value of what they are worth.

I bought DH and myself AP Gold passes before covid and had them sitting in my account as unused vouchers. We just went on a trip and were told that they needed to be used by the end of this year or we would need to pay the difference to get the sorcerers pass. I paid bout <$500/each for them. When they converted them to sorcerer's pass at the Epcot GR in October, the sorcerer's pass was more than double what I paid. I would have been so upset to have had to have paid so much money to use them in the future. Ticket prices are crazy!

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

I tend to agree with the previous poster and just use the old tickets as is. You probably got a great price on them and trading them in isn't going to get you the value of what they are worth.

I bought DH and myself AP Gold passes before covid and had them sitting in my account as unused vouchers. We just went on a trip and were told that they needed to be used by the end of this year or we would need to pay the difference to get the sorcerers pass. I paid bout <$500/each for them. When they converted them to sorcerer's pass at the Epcot GR in October, the sorcerer's pass was more than double what I paid. I would have been so upset to have had to have paid so much money to use them in the future. Ticket prices are crazy!

That's pretty arbitrary - use by the end of this year or else. I'll be asking for a supervisor if I run into that with an old voucher I still have.

 

[mickeymom629]

That's pretty arbitrary - use by the end of this year or else. I'll be asking for a supervisor if I run into that with an old voucher I still have.

I called DVC several different times and got the same answer. I was upset because I was saving the vouchers for when DH and I retire in a few years. But, if I hadn't used them by the end of this year, they would have needed to be updated with more money to be used, apparently - they were updated free because I used them by 12/31/23. The vouchers didn't expire but wouldn't have been able to be used as is since we bought a DVC Gold pass and that is no longer in the system. It didn't seem right to me but I didn't seem to have a choice since I never got a different answer. Unfortunately, our trip was only 7 days (almost made the trip for Jan. 2024 until I found out about my vouchers!), so I added 3 more days to the trip for DH and I to use the AP Now I'm thinking of a trip in April to use them again. This was not my original intention.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

I called DVC several different times and got the same answer. I was upset because I was saving the vouchers for when DH and I retire in a few years. But, if I hadn't used them by the end of this year, they would have needed to be updated with more money to be used, apparently - they were updated free because I used them by 12/31/23. The vouchers didn't expire but wouldn't have been able to be used as is since we bought a DVC Gold pass and that is no longer in the system. It didn't seem right to me but I didn't seem to have a choice since I never got a different answer. Unfortunately, our trip was only 7 days (almost made the trip for Jan. 2024 until I found out about my vouchers!), so I added 3 more days to the trip for DH and I to use the AP Now I'm thinking of a trip in April to use them again. This was not my original intention.

Oh - DVC gave you that answer? I'm not too concerned then actually. They really don't have all the answers on tickets and AP's. I have older vouchers and a ticketing window or GS window just converts them to some current pass that is applicable even though what I had and have hasn't been in the system for many years at this point. They were pre-Gold pass. Last time was in March and the window person had to get a supervisor involved but they knew what to do once they were included.

I do like your thinking since you did use them for AP's....another trip!

 

[PolyRob]

I called DVC several different times and got the same answer. I was upset because I was saving the vouchers for when DH and I retire in a few years. But, if I hadn't used them by the end of this year, they would have needed to be updated with more money to be used, apparently - they were updated free because I used them by 12/31/23. The vouchers didn't expire but wouldn't have been able to be used as is since we bought a DVC Gold pass and that is no longer in the system. It didn't seem right to me but I didn't seem to have a choice since I never got a different answer. Unfortunately, our trip was only 7 days (almost made the trip for Jan. 2024 until I found out about my vouchers!), so I added 3 more days to the trip for DH and I to use the AP Now I'm thinking of a trip in April to use them again. This was not my original intention.

I have DVC Gold vouchers that show an expiration of 12/31/30 in My Disney Experience.

Not sure where DVC got the one year information from? Maybe DVC was confused since new annual pass vouchers are only good for one year and then they expire?

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

I have DVC Gold vouchers that show an expiration of 12/31/30 in My Disney Experience.

Not sure where DVC got the one year information from? Maybe DVC was confused since new annual pass vouchers are only good for one year and then they expire?

Good point. That's probably what it was.

 

[mickeymom629]

I have DVC Gold vouchers that show an expiration of 12/31/30 in My Disney Experience.

Not sure where DVC got the one year information from? Maybe DVC was confused since new annual pass vouchers are only good for one year and then they expire?

Mine also had/have that date - they were Gold DVC annual passes bought in 2018 and in my MDE. You may want to call DVC. I think you are in the same boat as me - they are still valid but will need to be upgraded for $ to whatever current AP you want to upgrade them to. Unless you activate them before 12/31/23, you will have to pay the money. Before then, the upgrade is free. Honestly, I don't know how they can get away with that because I was not notified - I coincidentally had booked the trip and needed to call DVC for something and the CM said "oh, I notice you have AP vouchers that need to be activated by the end of this year or they won't be good as is". I called DVC several times after that to be certain the info was correct and, after checking, they all came back with the same answer.

 

[Cfabar1]

When the next recession hits, Disney is going to be in big trouble, and they will have to do a lot of give backs to get people coming again.

Disney used to understand the goal was to lock you into the system. Now they are trying to make every part of the system equally lucrative.

It's great to convert a park hopper into an annual pass, especially for a member who needs a DVC pass. Would be smart to apply today's value, but I see why from a P&L standpoint they don't want to.

Still feels short sighted to me, but then again Chapek and McCarthy seem to hate AP members, which I really resent. Whenever we go we stay in deluxe hotels, eat out at their expensive restaurants, and buy merch.

 

[CarolynFH]

Mine also had/have that date - they were Gold DVC annual passes bought in 2018 and in my MDE. You may want to call DVC. I think you are in the same boat as me - they are still valid but will need to be upgraded for $ to whatever current AP you want to upgrade them to. Unless you activate them before 12/31/23, you will have to pay the money. Before then, the upgrade is free. Honestly, I don't know how they can get away with that because I was not notified - I coincidentally had booked the trip and needed to call DVC for something and the CM said "oh, I notice you have AP vouchers that need to be activated by the end of this year or they won't be good as is". I called DVC several times after that to be certain the info was correct and, after checking, they all came back with the same answer.

I wonder whether the Passholder phone CMs or the Ticketing phone CMs would have had the same answer. In any case, I'm sorry you were forced to convert before you wanted to.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

Mine also had/have that date - they were Gold DVC annual passes bought in 2018 and in my MDE. You may want to call DVC. I think you are in the same boat as me - they are still valid but will need to be upgraded for $ to whatever current AP you want to upgrade them to. Unless you activate them before 12/31/23, you will have to pay the money. Before then, the upgrade is free. Honestly, I don't know how they can get away with that because I was not notified - I coincidentally had booked the trip and needed to call DVC for something and the CM said "oh, I notice you have AP vouchers that need to be activated by the end of this year or they won't be good as is". I called DVC several times after that to be certain the info was correct and, after checking, they all came back with the same answer.

I'm sorry it happened but after reading more details I really don't think DVC was giving you the correct info.

 

[mickeymom629]

I'm sorry it happened but after reading more details I really don't think DVC was giving you the correct info.

You may be right and that would make me so upset - more than I already am. However, when we went to the Epcot Guest Relations to have them activated, the CM there confirmed the information as she did the tedious conversion from the DVC Gold Pass (no longer an option) to Sorcerers Pass for both DH and me.

 

[CarolynFH]

You may be right and that would make me so upset - more than I already am. However, when we went to the Epcot Guest Relations to have them activated, the CM there confirmed the information as she did the tedious conversion from the DVC Gold Pass (no longer an option) to Sorcerers Pass for both DH and me.

Sounds like DVC was right, then - which is disappointing for sure, that Disney wouldn’t honor the 2030 expiration.

 

[mickeymom629]

Sounds like DVC was right, then - which is disappointing for sure, that Disney wouldn’t honor the 2030 expiration.

I agree! But they look at it as the voucher doesn't expire until 2030 but the voucher can not be used as the DVC Gold so it has to be upgraded to what is currently available. I don't understand why it won't be a free upgrade after 2023 or that they didn't send notifications to those who bought. I suppose there is still a possibility that those who try to use the voucher in the future, and complain that they weren't told, could luck out. I was afraid to take the chance.

 

[CarolynFH]

I agree! But they look at it as the voucher doesn't expire until 2030 but the voucher can not be used as the DVC Gold so it has to be upgraded to what is currently available. I don't understand why it won't be a free upgrade after 2023 or that they didn't send notifications to those who bought. I suppose there is still a possibility that those who try to use the voucher in the future, and complain that they weren't told, could luck out. I was afraid to take the chance.

I would have been afraid too! Hopefully your extra trip in April will work out!

 

[New Mouse]

If you bought an AP voucher with a valid expiration date they should be putting you into the current equivalent ap at no charge. If everyone really wanted to push the issue, they should be required to give you the exact product you paid for up until the expiration, it's not our fault they decided to change the product.