disney tickets through undercover tourist

[sddis]

I'm looking at buying tickets through UT. This would be for 8/15.

I looked at their website and didn't see how long the tickets are valid for. They have tickets that don't expire. But for the tickets that do expire, when do they expire?

Secondly, I am not sure how many days we are going to disney for. It's anywhere from 5-8. Can I purchase the 5 day ticket and then add on days later for the same price as if I bought all the days together? Through UT or when I get to disney?

Similar to my last question, are the tickets refundable? I read their FAQ and it looks like they impose a 5% fee if you return the tickets unused. Is that accurate? What if I wanted to exchange them for different dates, would that till incur a 5% fee?

Also, when I receive the tickets, can I link them to my disney experience account? And if I do, are they still considered unused such that I can return them?

TIA

 

[jimandami]

1) The UT Disney tickets do not expire. If you buy "normal" tickets, they will expire 14 days from the date you first use them. The "non-expiration" tickets are for people who want to buy one set of tickets and use them for multiple trips.

2) Yes, you can add days at around $10/day when you get to Disney. You cannot add them before you arrive, however. One thing to be aware of is that if you buy a 5 day ticket, you will only be able to make FP+ reservations for 5 days in advance.

3) Again, the tickets are not dated so you don't need to exchange them. There is a 5% restocking fee if you return them UNOPENED and unused.

4) Yes, you can like them, but no, they won't be considered unused because you will have to open them to link them.

 

[sddis]

Thanks you explained that very well!

Are ticket prices set for the whole year? In other words, buying now doesn't save me any money? So I only need to get them 60 days in advance for the fastpass registration? Or should I get them 180 days early for the dining reservations? I have the hotel reservations already, can I make the dining reservations without the tickets?

 

[jimandami]

They typically go up at least once a year, and they have already gone up once this year. However, in the past, we had at least received a 1-2 day notice tickets were going up, but this year we didn't. They went up overnight. Having said that, UT usually sells their remaining inventory at the lower price so you still have a couple days.

 

[POOHsie]

When you arrive at Disneyworld and you want to add days to your tickets, have in mind that you bought your tickets at a discount price. If you upgrade your tickets before using them to enter a theme park, you'll pay for the upgrade plus pay back the original discount you received. BUT, if you use the discount tickets to enter a theme park first, then upgrade your tickets, your tickets will be given full gate price credit towards your upgrade and you'll just owe the upgrade cost -- $10.65 per day added to ticket.

If you're thinking you may return your UCT tickets, then don't link them to your MyDisneyExperience. Once you do that, the tickets are non-returnable. I can't think of a good reason why you would need to return your tickets, as they don't expire if they are unused. You could keep them for years and they'd still be good.

 

[sddis]

Thanks!

I'm pretty sure we won't returm them. But I'm kinda scared of ariline ticket prices which aren't available for a few months. So I want to make sure everything is refundable if we change our minds.


Another question. If a special comes up for free dining or discounted tickets or discounted hotel, will I be able to apply it retroactively? I bought tickets through UT and booked hotel through Disney. The biggest expense is the dining plan, so if that becomes free, do I have to reorder tickets or rebook hotel to get it? Or is it just a matter of applying a code to my disney experience?

 

[msb578]

Thanks! I'm pretty sure we won't returm them. But I'm kinda scared of ariline ticket prices which aren't available for a few months. So I want to make sure everything is refundable if we change our minds. Another question. If a special comes up for free dining or discounted tickets or discounted hotel, will I be able to apply it retroactively? I bought tickets through UT and booked hotel through Disney. The biggest expense is the dining plan, so if that becomes free, do I have to reorder tickets or rebook hotel to get it? Or is it just a matter of applying a code to my disney experience?

Free dining requires the direct booking of a Package, including a minimum ticket purchase of two days per person.

A room-only reservation is more flexible. You could apply a room-only discount and still use your UT tickets.

 

[POOHsie]

Thanks!

I'm pretty sure we won't returm them. But I'm kinda scared of ariline ticket prices which aren't available for a few months. So I want to make sure everything is refundable if we change our minds.


Another question. If a special comes up for free dining or discounted tickets or discounted hotel, will I be able to apply it retroactively? I bought tickets through UT and booked hotel through Disney. The biggest expense is the dining plan, so if that becomes free, do I have to reorder tickets or rebook hotel to get it? Or is it just a matter of applying a code to my disney experience?

You booked a room-only with Disney. You can apply a future discounted room rate to your reservation. If you wanted a package later (room, tickets, dining), you would have to re-book. Free Dining requires 2-day base tickets for each person in a room (over age 2), a minimum 3-nite stay, and rack rate room cost. It's possible since you would be re-booking, that the room you selected wouldn't be available any more. Free Dining works well for families with kids, but for 2-3 adults only, you might do better to get a good room discount and dine out-of-pocket. You have to run the numbers.

In the Free Dining situation where you have to purchase tickets from Disney, you could return your UCT tickets. Or you could use the UCT tickets and have the package tickets removed (during your trip) and put on plastic ticket media to use at a later visit. The unused Disney tickets can also be sold or given to someone else (xmas gift).

 

[sddis]

Or you could use the UCT tickets and have the package tickets removed (during your trip) and put on plastic ticket media to use at a later visit. The unused Disney tickets can also be sold or given to someone else (xmas gift).

What do you mean "have the package tickets removed and put on a plastic ticket"? I'm not interested in saving tickets for later, so it sounds like returning them to UCT fora 5% fee would be my only option. Which is okay since its a couple of hundred dollars to save thousands.

 

[POOHsie]

What do you mean "have the package tickets removed and put on a plastic ticket"? I'm not interested in saving tickets for later, so it sounds like returning them to UCT fora 5% fee would be my only option. Which is okay since its a couple of hundred dollars to save thousands.

What I mean is package tickets appear on your MagicBands, but you don't have physical tickets. You can have the virtual tickets put on ticket media and take it home with you. OK so that doesn't work for you.

What do you mean it's a couple of hundred dollars to save thousands?

 

[msb578]

What I mean is package tickets appear on your MagicBands, but you don't have physical tickets. You can have the virtual tickets put on ticket media and take it home with you. OK so that doesn't work for you. What do you mean it's a couple of hundred dollars to save thousands?

OP could get free dining by purchasing package tickets, while returning the UT tickets. That would eliminate most of the cost of food, while costing the relatively small UT return fee. It sounds like the room was already booked at rack rate.

The Disney tickets would be slightly more expensive than UT. But still...

 

[sddis]

What I mean is package tickets appear on your MagicBands, but you don't have physical tickets. You can have the virtual tickets put on ticket media and take it home with you. OK so that doesn't work for you.

What do you mean it's a couple of hundred dollars to save thousands?

okay thanks for the clarification.

Like, the above poster said, I mean that if the free dining plan special comes out it would cost me a couple hundred to cancel unopened UCT tickets but i'd be saving thousands of dollars on dining.

But I'm not counting on the free dining. I am not going in off peak time, so doubtful they will offer free dining.

 

[bumbershoot]

They typically go up at least once a year, and they have already gone up once this year. However, in the past, we had at least received a 1-2 day notice tickets were going up, but this year we didn't. They went up overnight.

And to clarify for the OP, that's not Undercover's fault, that's what Disney does. They previously announced it a day or so before, but that doesn't seem to be what they do anymore. One day it's $x, the next day it's $y. UCT is able to give us a short bit of time at the old price because they sell what they had purchased already, and then the new tickets they buy from Disney they sell at the new (discounted) price.

 

[POOHsie]

okay thanks for the clarification.

Like, the above poster said, I mean that if the free dining plan special comes out it would cost me a couple hundred to cancel unopened UCT tickets but i'd be saving thousands of dollars on dining.

But I'm not counting on the free dining. I am not going in off peak time, so doubtful they will offer free dining.

I see what you're saying. But try to at least get a room discount so there isn't so big a hit to your budget if FD doesn't come out in your preferred vacation time. Sometimes I have used my AAA to get 10-15% off a Disney room if no Disney discount was available. However, AAA might run discounts on some resorts & categories, and not others.

Use Mousesavers.com to get historical Disney discount info. They also announce new Disney discount offers as soon as they come in, so keep checking. Here on the DisBoards you'll also find current info about room and dining discounts.

http://www.mousesavers.com/historical-information-on-walt-disney-world-resort-discounts/
http://www.mousesavers.com/walt-dis...disney-world-vacation-package-discounts/#2015
http://www.disboards.com/forumdisplay.php?f=93