Disney announces new Ticket system for WDW

[tlmadden73]

We purchased 9 day PH passes but are now wanting to convert them to annual passes since we just booked another trip in May 2019. Our trip begins 10/21/2018 and I was planning on upgrading our tickets once we arrived. I’m worried about the possible increases to the AP. Is there anyway to change our tickets ahead of time to avoid any increases? I don’t think I can change the tickets online.

Most people who try to upgrade tickets online are unsuccessful and are told to do it in person. But I think it depends where you bought the tickets. If you purchased them from a 3rd party (like Undercover Tourist) Disney (for some reason) doesn't have the price those tickets are worth.

Those prices must be hidden on some notebook somewhere in Florida that a somewhat simple process like this can't be done online in today's day and age.

 

[KatyWDW]

Most people who try to upgrade tickets online are unsuccessful and are told to do it in person. But I think it depends where you bought the tickets. If you purchased them from a 3rd party (like Undercover Tourist) Disney (for some reason) doesn't have the price those tickets are worth.

Those prices must be hidden on some notebook somewhere in Florida that a somewhat simple process like this can't be done online in today's day and age.

Thank you! I called Disney and waited over an hour but finally spoke with someone who changed everything for us. They had to add the annual pass and then delete our regular tickets so we wouldn't lose our FP's. I don't know how accurate this is but they mentioned that they were not expecting any AP increases. Then they mentioned that they really won't know until the new prices are released on the 16th.

 

[tlmadden73]

Thank you! I called Disney and waited over an hour but finally spoke with someone who changed everything for us. They had to add the annual pass and then delete our regular tickets so we wouldn't lose our FP's. I don't know how accurate this is but they mentioned that they were not expecting any AP increases. Then they mentioned that they really won't know until the new prices are released on the 16th.

So .. were your tickets purchased through Disney or a 3rd party? That seems to be the difference if you can do this over the phone.

So this makes it sound like we just wake up on the morning of the 16th and bam .. new prices are announced and in effect.

Hmm. Not sure if I trust that. I don't want to be hit by another price increase .. I already opted to NOT buy the AP back in February even though I was already planning on it back then. I just didn't want to throw that amount of money down so far in advance. Now that we are less than a month away, that's not so bad.

Time to go to Target and get another $1000 or so gift cards and just buy the AP before Tuesday, I guess. Just buy it outright instead of trading in my old tickets. Those I will just save for a 2020 or beyond trip.

 

[KatyWDW]

So .. were your tickets purchased through Disney or a 3rd party? That seems to be the difference if you can do this over the phone.

So this makes it sound like we just wake up on the morning of the 16th and bam .. new prices are announced and in effect.

Hmm. Not sure if I trust that. I don't want to be hit by another price increase .. I already opted to NOT buy the AP back in February even though I was already planning on it back then. I just didn't want to throw that amount of money down so far in advance. Now that we are less than a month away, that's not so bad.

Time to go to Target and get another $1000 or so gift cards and just buy the AP before Tuesday, I guess. Just buy it outright instead of trading in my old tickets. Those I will just save for a 2020 or beyond trip.

We bought ours directly through Disney, but the person on the phone did ask if I purchased them through a 3rd party or direct with Disney so there must be a difference there.

Since we were already planning on getting the AP I just didn't want to risk a price increase over a weeks difference. I think she was trying to comfort me a bit by saying that she hadn't heard of any increases for the AP but at the same time she had to say that nothing was certain and they wouldn't know of any increases for sure until the 16th. I just didn't want to take the chance since our trip is next week. I checked everything and all of our FP's are linked and everything looks in place.

That's a tough decision on trading in old ones I really hope they don't raise the prices again. That would be two times this year. We were in the same boat and didn't buy back before the AP price increases hit earlier this year and I regretted it. With the AP price increases factored in we just opted for a 9 day PH for our Oct trip...then we decided to go again in May and now are back on the AP train. Would have just saved us a big headache if we had purchased earlier but I wanted to wait as long as possible for cash flow lol.

 

[tlmadden73]

I would guess if new prices aren't announced today, we probably won't know them until they go active on the 16th.

 

[rteetz]

I would guess if new prices aren't announced today, we probably won't know them until they go active on the 16th.

Why would they announce them today?

 

[Iowamomof4]

Why would they announce them today?

Maybe "leaked" is a better word.

 

[tlmadden73]

Why would they announce them today?

I am just going on the M.O. from the past few years where we would "hear" (or leaked) about what the specific price increases were a few days before they go into place.

For example .. in February .. didn't we hear of what the price increases were "rumored" to be on the Friday or Saturday before the Sunday (Feb. 11) where they took effect?

 

[rteetz]

I am just going on the M.O. from the past few years where we would "hear" (or leaked) about what the specific price increases were a few days before they go into place.

For example .. in February .. didn't we hear of what the price increases were "rumored" to be on the Friday or Saturday before the Sunday (Feb. 11) where they took effect?

I guess but this is a complete redo of the ticketing system so I think its being treated differently than previous ticket increases. Also there won't be specific ticket increases with this as each day will be a different price essentially.

 

[tlmadden73]

I guess but this is a complete redo of the ticketing system so I think its being treated differently than previous ticket increases. Also there won't be specific ticket increases with this as each day will be a different price essentially.

True .. I guess it will be easier to just release the calendar in the system rather than just saying "ticket price is going up from $120 to $125"

 

[MSC]

Dang. Need a 3 day park hopper in Feb (including Presidents Day weekend). Was gonna wait a bit, but now not sure if I should get it now, to avoid the new pricing.

 

[OlieRow]

Dang. Need a 3 day park hopper in Feb (including Presidents Day weekend). Was gonna wait a bit, but now not sure if I should get it now, to avoid the new pricing.

I doubt the prices will go down and with Presidents Day weekend Id bet they’ll go up. I’d buy now.

 

[Bing Showei]

I doubt the prices will go down and with Presidents Day weekend Id bet they’ll go up. I’d buy now.

I'm having trouble understanding how anyone is thinking this change might save them money. With time Disney prices go up. Newton actually has a law about this - saw it on Wikipedia.

They've masked this latest price increase as a "new ticketing system", but it's just a way to limit ticket life span (from non-expiring, to expiring in 14 days of activation, to expiring in 7 days of a specific date range start), this will herd people into AP dependency just in time for us to get hit with price increases there... like lamb to the slaughter.

DUN DUN DUNNNN.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

I'm having trouble understanding how anyone is thinking this change might save them money. With time Disney prices go up. Newton actually has a law about this - saw it on Wikipedia.

They've masked this latest price increase as a "new ticketing system", but it's just a way to limit ticket life span (from non-expiring, to expiring in 14 days of activation, to expiring in 7 days of a specific date range start), this will herd people into AP dependency just in time for us to get hit with price increases there... like lamb to the slaughter.

DUN DUN DUNNNN.

I think it is plausible that the very cheapest day might be just a tick lower than - or at least the flat to - curent prices so that in their advertisement they can still use a relatively low number for "vacations start at ____" - even if the average date goes up by 20% or whatever

 

[mshanson3121]

I just have to say I'm shocked that nothing has been leaked about tomorrow, for the new pricing!

 

[rteetz]

I just have to say I'm shocked that nothing has been leaked about tomorrow, for the new pricing!

Not really sure what would leak. Each day is different pricing.

 

[MSC]

I'm having trouble understanding how anyone is thinking this change might save them money. With time Disney prices go up. Newton actually has a law about this - saw it on Wikipedia.

They've masked this latest price increase as a "new ticketing system", but it's just a way to limit ticket life span (from non-expiring, to expiring in 14 days of activation, to expiring in 7 days of a specific date range start), this will herd people into AP dependency just in time for us to get hit with price increases there... like lamb to the slaughter.

DUN DUN DUNNNN.

Yea, I’m not dumb enough to think that prices will be lower. No one with a brain thinks that. I’m really more concerned with *how much* they’ll increase. If the diff between getting today or tomorrow is $20, I’m not that concerned; I’ll wait. If it’s $100, I’d probably purchase today.

 

[TheMaxRebo]

I just have to say I'm shocked that nothing has been leaked about tomorrow, for the new pricing!

yeah, I was hoping something would leak but wound up just buying today to be safe

BTW - a number of the third party sites are running a "get the 5th day free on a 4 day ticket" which worked out well for the length of trip we are looking at

 

[rteetz]

I have started an FAQ thread that will have all the info and then some on this new system.

https://www.disboards.com/threads/w...ed-ticket-system-faq-read-first-page.3711842/

 

[shafke]

You need to look at the price for a single day MK ticket. If that goes up then you know there was a price increase built in to the new pricing scheme. To minimize any price increase you are going to want to minimize the number of Peak days in the usage period for your tickets.
For example: a 5 day ticket has an 8 day usage period (I think). If you have a start date on a Friday, Saturday, or Sunday you will have 3 weekend days in the period which for much of the year are Peak days. Monday - Thursday (which are mostly regular with a some value mixed in) would only have 2 weekend days.