Cost to upgrade 5 day Park Hopper

[dnw25]

I purchased a 5 day Park hopper from UCT before the February price increases. It is linked to MDE and ready for our trip in early May. We are now arriving a day earlier and now need to upgrade it to a 6 day Park Hopper. Several Questions questions:

1. I need to go through the turnstiles and activate the ticket before I purchase the additional day to get the current 5 day price credit, correct?

2. the difference should be around $16 correct? I got these prices off the internet, including tax. (believe they are correct)
5-Day Magic Your Way Ticket w/Park Hopper $435.59
6-Day Magic Your Way Ticket w/Park Hopper $451.56

3. Where exactly do I purchase the upgrade? At guest services or the ticket booths outside?

When I called to ask ticketing yesterday how the difference was calculated she said she needed the ticket number (which I did not have) and that with the scenario I described above it should be $27. I told her I thought it would be around $15-16 and she insisted no, $27.

Thanks for the help.

 

[ravenclawtrekkie]

1) Nope. As long as the CM does their job right, you'll get the right price whether you used the ticket or not. (If the CM doesn't do their job right, you won't get the right price whether you used the ticket or not.) Feel free to use the ticket before upgrading - it won't hurt, it just doesn't matter.

2) Yep.

3) Guest Relations or a ticket booth can do it.

Don't call Disney for information. People on the phones give wrong info all the time.

 

[dnw25]

1) Nope. As long as the CM does their job right, you'll get the right price whether you used the ticket or not. (If the CM doesn't do their job right, you won't get the right price whether you used the ticket or not.) Feel free to use the ticket before upgrading - it won't hurt, it just doesn't matter.

2) Yep.

3) Guest Relations or a ticket booth can do it.

Don't call Disney for information. People on the phones give wrong info all the time.

We are staying on-site. Can I do this at concierge the day we arrive (non park day)?

Any advice on doing it ahead of time, if not over phone? It impacts our Fast pass options and I would really like to get at least a few on the extra day.

 

[ravenclawtrekkie]

I honestly have no idea what a concierge can do to tickets or how they do it. They use a different computer system than I do. I'd head to Disney Springs and do it at their Guest Relations location if I needed to upgrade tickets on a non-park day.

You can't upgrade tickets over the phone or online, only in person. If your tickets were part of a package you could change them before arrival, but not UCT tickets.

 

[maccagerl]

OP, the reason you must use your ticket at least once before upgrading is to get the best price.
If you upgrade before using the ticket , you will have to pay the difference between what UT paid for the ticket and the current price- I'm guessing that is the $27 that was quoted to you.
By using the ticket once, you bring it up to its current value ( the price you would have paid on that day to buy the ticket from Disney).
Thus the difference you would pat would be between the current value if the old ticket and the upgrade. I didn't do the math for myself but I believe this is how you got the $16.
So yes, use the ticket once, go to guest services and ask them to bridge the ticket , and pay the $16 .

Good luck and enjoy your trip!

 

[dnw25]

Thanks for the assistance. We get in too late to head to Disney Springs the first day but will head to MK Guest Services the next day.

Unless you guys think Guest Services at Epcot is shorter. We head there for dinner the first park day. Honestly don't even know where they are located. But I assume I could go to the ticket booth outside the International Gateway which never seems that busy when I walk by or Guest Services somewhere in Epcot. Then line at MK always seems to be outrageously long.

This is for my mom's ticket. I have an AP and already got amazing FP for that first day, but my mom won't be included with us - Anna and Elsa, Peter Pan and Fantasy Parade. I know I can only add her if there is availability that day which I doubt there will be. Thinking of letting her ride Peter pan with my DS and canceling the other two for something we can all get FPs

 

[Ladcassidy]

I have added park hoppers and extra days to my tickets at my resort, so you can certainly try that if it is more convenient for you.

 

[maccagerl]

This is for my mom's ticket. I have an AP and already got amazing FP for that first day, but my mom won't be included with us - Anna and Elsa, Peter Pan and Fantasy Parade. I know I can only add her if there is availability that day which I doubt there will be. Thinking of letting her ride Peter pan with my DS and canceling the other two for something we can all get FPs

If you already have the 5 day hopper for your mom, why can't you go ahead and book FP for her for the first 5 days, then after you upgrade to 6 days, book the FP for the 6th day?

 

[ravenclawtrekkie]

OP, the reason you must use your ticket at least once before upgrading is to get the best price.

This is not true. I don't know if it ever was, but it's not now, at least not at ticket booths. (I don't know what hotels do, as I said up-thread.) Price bridging is dependent on one thing and one thing only - the cast member knowing how to do their job. I personally scoured all the ticketing documentation and talked to trainers, coordinators, and managers in ticketing before beginning to correct this long-standing piece of misinformation here.

Just the other day I added WPF&M to some brand-new, just picked up at will call UCT tickets for some guests. I price bridged them and got the right price for the guests. They had not entered a park. If they had entered a park, I would have done the exact same process, because usage is irrelevant.

 

[SUSIEQ]

This is not true. I don't know if it ever was, but it's not now, at least not at ticket booths. (I don't know what hotels do, as I said up-thread.) Price bridging is dependent on one thing and one thing only - the cast member knowing how to do their job. I personally scoured all the ticketing documentation and talked to trainers, coordinators, and managers in ticketing before beginning to correct this long-standing piece of misinformation here.

Just the other day I added WPF&M to some brand-new, just picked up at will call UCT tickets for some guests. I price bridged them and got the right price for the guests. They had not entered a park. If they had entered a park, I would have done the exact same process, because usage is irrelevant.

Thank you for this info. I always enter at the IG, and then exit to go to Guest Services to upgrade my UT tickets to an annual pass. I'm glad this isn't required.
Does it still stand that if you bought your tickets directly from Disney(not as part of a package), they are not price bridged.

 

[dnw25]

If you already have the 5 day hopper for your mom, why can't you go ahead and book FP for her for the first 5 days, then after you upgrade to 6 days, book the FP for the 6th day?

MDE won't let you book FP for more days than you have tickets, regardless of length of resort stay. So, 60 days out booked our FPs (mom, DS and myself). A few days later I booked FPs for myself and my son that first day in case we were on separate flights and we got in before her since we can go in on my AP. Fantasy Parade, 3:15 Peter Pan, and 7:50 Anna and Elsa.

I called yesterday and spoke to FP support. Since she only has a 5 day ticket, I can only make 5 days worth of FP selections for her. He told me I would have to first cancel a day of FPs if I want to add her to our first day of FP. Additionally, I would not know if there is availability to add her until after I cancel another day's FP. He advised keeping the ones I had since they are next to impossible to get.

Problem is I got all the hard to get FP. Anna and Elsa, Peter Pan (multiple times since DS loves the ride), 7DMT, Main St. Electric, Fantasy (willing to let go) Toy Story, Safari. The real issue is no availability for many of these two weeks out let alone day before or even a few days before. Day 6 is all the top ones at MK before noon, due to departure.

 

[ravenclawtrekkie]

Does it still stand that if you bought your tickets directly from Disney(not as part of a package), they are not price bridged.

Yes. The computer won't do it. (Well, we can force it to using a different process, but it's against the business rules.)

 

[dnw25]

This is not true. I don't know if it ever was, but it's not now, at least not at ticket booths. (I don't know what hotels do, as I said up-thread.) Price bridging is dependent on one thing and one thing only - the cast member knowing how to do their job. I personally scoured all the ticketing documentation and talked to trainers, coordinators, and managers in ticketing before beginning to correct this long-standing piece of misinformation here.

Just the other day I added WPF&M to some brand-new, just picked up at will call UCT tickets for some guests. I price bridged them and got the right price for the guests. They had not entered a park. If they had entered a park, I would have done the exact same process, because usage is irrelevant.

Great to know. Thanks so much for the info. Do you think it is possible I just need to keep calling (to get the right agent) before we fly down?

Although honestly, if I can go to concierge and do it the night we arrive, that would really be the easiest and quickest.

 

[ravenclawtrekkie]

Great to know. Thanks so much for the info. Do you think it is possible I just need to keep calling (to get the right agent) before we fly down?

Although honestly, if I can go to concierge and do it the night we arrive, that would really be the easiest and quickest.

Whether you call and get a "right" answer or a "wrong" one on the phone, it's not going to affect the service you get from on-site CMs. Even when a guest tells me, "Well, they said on the phone..." I still have to do what I'd do anyway.

Ask your concierge when you get there. First, ask "Can you do this?" and then ask "How much?" If they say no, or if the price is wrong, wait to do it at a Guest Relations or ticket window.

 

[maccagerl]

MDE won't let you book FP for more days than you have tickets, regardless of length of resort stay. So, 60 days out booked our FPs (mom, DS and myself). A few days later I booked FPs for myself and my son that first day in case we were on separate flights and we got in before her since we can go in on my AP. Fantasy Parade, 3:15 Peter Pan, and 7:50 Anna and Elsa.

I called yesterday and spoke to FP support. Since she only has a 5 day ticket, I can only make 5 days worth of FP selections for her. He told me I would have to first cancel a day of FPs if I want to add her to our first day of FP. Additionally, I would not know if there is availability to add her until after I cancel another day's FP. He advised keeping the ones I had since they are next to impossible to get.

Problem is I got all the hard to get FP. Anna and Elsa, Peter Pan (multiple times since DS loves the ride), 7DMT, Main St. Electric, Fantasy (willing to let go) Toy Story, Safari. The real issue is no availability for many of these two weeks out let alone day before or even a few days before. Day 6 is all the top ones at MK before noon, due to departure.

Right, so make FP for days 1-5 for all of you, including your mom. When you get to the parks and upgrade her ticket to add the 6th (last) day, at that point go onto MDE and make her FP for day 6.

You really don't need FP for the parade, and you should still be able to book Peter Pan, esp if you keep trying.
Don't know about A&E, but does she really care about meeting them? Maybe she can just sit that one out while you take your son in, or she can take your son in while you wait it out.

There are lots of options here if you keep an open mind!

 

[dnw25]

Whether you call and get a "right" answer or a "wrong" one on the phone, it's not going to affect the service you get from on-site CMs. Even when a guest tells me, "Well, they said on the phone..." I still have to do what I'd do anyway.

Ask your concierge when you get there. First, ask "Can you do this?" and then ask "How much?" If they say no, or if the price is wrong, wait to do it at a Guest Relations or ticket window.

Thanks so much. I really appreciate the answers. That's exactly what I am going to do. Every call to WDW is at least 15 minutes somehow....

Right, so make FP for days 1-5 for all of you, including your mom. When you get to the parks and upgrade her ticket to add the 6th (last) day, at that point go onto MDE and make her FP for day 6.

You really don't need FP for the parade, and you should still be able to book Peter Pan, esp if you keep trying.
Don't know about A&E, but does she really care about meeting them? Maybe she can just sit that one out while you take your son in, or she can take your son in while you wait it out.

There are lots of options here if you keep an open mind!

Not sure if Mom will care about A&E but DS does and she might because of that. We took him for his first trip in December and he LOVED everything - absolutely everything. I never thought we would meet a character that trip but he had so much fun with it. She wants to see him thrilled, which I totally get. Plus she lives 6 hours away and wants to spend every second with him. I am now second fiddle, which is fine. Totally, agree with Fantasy Parade. Going to watch across from Pecos if we can get a spot. Not sure about Main St. Electric. In December we had one and honestly, it was really easy. Plus, people were already lining up when we arrived to the FP spot and since the parade starts right there we were out of the park immediately.

 

[maccagerl]

This is not true. I don't know if it ever was, but it's not now, at least not at ticket booths.I personally scoured all the ticketing documentation and talked to trainers, coordinators, and managers in ticketing before beginning to correct this long-standing piece of misinformation here.

Just the other day I added WPF&M to some brand-new, just picked up at will call UCT tickets for some guests. I price bridged them and got the right price for the guests. They had not entered a park. If they had entered a park, I would have done the exact same process, because usage is irrelevant.

Yes, it has been true for years, but that's great if you are now able to price bridge without the person having to enter the parks first.
Since you can't give out your name and schedule, let's just hope that everyone attempting to upgrade tickets in this way is lucky enough to be at your booth, on a day that you are working, and happen to get you to do that transaction!

 

[maccagerl]

Thanks so much. I really appreciate the answers. That's exactly what I am going to do. Every call to WDW is at least 15 minutes somehow....


Not sure if Mom will care about A&E but DS does and she might because of that. We took him for his first trip in December and he LOVED everything - absolutely everything. I never thought we would meet a character that trip but he had so much fun with it. She wants to see him thrilled, which I totally get. Plus she lives 6 hours away and wants to spend every second with him. I am now second fiddle, which is fine. Totally, agree with Fantasy Parade. Going to watch across from Pecos if we can get a spot. Not sure about Main St. Electric. In December we had one and honestly, it was really easy. Plus, people were already lining up when we arrived to the FP spot and since the parade starts right there we were out of the park immediately.

I haven't tried this, but I think if you link your tickets and your mom's in MDE, there is a way to add the FP you already have to her MDE? Not absolutely sure but I think I've read of people doing this.

I'm sure that you will get it all figured out and will all have a great time!!

 

[dnw25]

I haven't tried this, but I think if you link your tickets and your mom's in MDE, there is a way to add the FP you already have to her MDE? Not absolutely sure but I think I've read of people doing this.

Exactly what I am going to try. The agent yesterday said there had to be availability though. So, odds are not that great. If it doesn't work I'll send them on PP and who knows about A and E....

Thanks again

 

[ravenclawtrekkie]

Yes, it has been true for years, but that's great if you are now able to price bridge without the person having to enter the parks first.

FWIW, several of my co-workers who've been in ticketing for 8-10+ years have no idea where this use-tickets-before-upgrading piece of information ever came from. Their best guess is maybe it came from resorts.

Since you can't give out your name and schedule, let's just hope that everyone attempting to upgrade tickets in this way is lucky enough to be at your booth, on a day that you are working, and happen to get you to do that transaction!

They don't need to get me, they need to get any reasonably experienced vacation planner who knows what the computer functions do.