Disney UK 14 Day Pass

[Portugal1000]

My friend has a couple of 14 day passes that she planned to use this year but has now had to postpone trip to next year. I am pretty sure there is nothing she can do but is there anyway she can get them extended to next year. She sent email to Disney but didn't get a response. She bought them on the Disney UK website.
Thanks

 

[Shooby doo]

I'm sure the passes will be fine for next year,it's only really the TAs that put the date on,when you read the back it only states 14 days from First Use not by a certain date.
HTH SD

 

[catherine]

I'm sure the passes will be fine for next year,it's only really the TAs that put the date on,when you read the back it only states 14 days from First Use not by a certain date.
HTH SD

Perhaps it's changed now, but when I first enquired about buying these passes I was told that you couldn't purchase one for the following year.

 

[cowza]

I'm pretty sure the Disney policy on the tickets is that they have to be used between 1st January and 31st December of the same year. You should check the website where you bought it for a guest service number though and tell them your situation. They may allow you to exchange the tickets for 2009 ones.

 

[Shooby doo]

It will state on the back of the pass,I've just checked some of our old ones,including flex passes,& unless they've changed the small print it just says-"valid for 14 days from first use" no use by date.
SD

 

[wicket2005]

My 14 day Ultimate tickets from this year clearly state that they have to be used before 31/12/08 this year. Years ago you could buy tickets for the next year (at this year's prices) but then Disney decided to put an expiry date on these special tickets. Otherwise people could stock pile up on cheaper tickets from the year before whilst the prices for entrance had gone up.

 

[Portugal1000]

I called Disney UK for my friend today. It was hard work! Spoke to someone in the US and they just could not understand why anyone would not want to use their Disney tickets. Tried to explain trip had to be postponed until next year. Offered to pay extra so that tickets were valid in 2009. Lady I was speaking to kept putting me on hold and then coming back asking the same question. Eventually said they would have to be used in 2008 (already knew that) but just didn't know what to do with regards to getting them re-issued. Surely people must change their plans all the time and not be able to use tickets.
Last week I called Disney UK with a question about my trip I had booked for next August and I gave up in the end. I was hoping that it was just a one off but obvioulsy not.
So has anyone out there not been able to use Disney tickets for the original year of use? If so what did you do?
Thanks

 

[gobofraggle]

(stuff deleted - realise I was probably wrong)


Not being sure when we would go on our trip was why I bought Annual Passes this year - the cost was only slightly more than for a 14 day Ultimate ticket, after the DVC discount and before the recent 6.5% price increase - which take the form of a voucher which can be exchanged for the tickets any time within the next year.

 

[gobofraggle]

... Surely people must change their plans all the time and not be able to use tickets....

Thinking about it, with plane tix, if you can't use them you usually need to claim on travel insurance ... It might be a case of looking at terms of travel insurance?

 

[Shooby doo]

Porugal I would post your question on the US forum,there are a few CMs that are still working at WDW who may be able to help. But does anyone wonder why Disney can't seem to figure out what you are talking about? Could it be that they don't need to be used in the year they were bought but they don't want everyone to know this! Straight from the FAQs on the Official Disney site:
Q. Is there an expiration date on these tickets?

A. Yes. Disney's Ultimate Tickets expire 14 days from first day of use for a 14-Day Ticket and 21 days from first day of use for a 21-Day Ticket. For Disney's 5- or 7-Day Premium Tickets, Theme Park admission and options expire 14 days from the first day of use. However, you can purchase a non-expiration component at the Theme Park front gate.

You'll notice only mention of 14/21 Days from first use! For those passes that have a use year is it a stamp or is it in the small print?
SD

 

[gobofraggle]

I edited my post above because I was wrong. I thought that you couldn't add 'no expiration' to tix once bought and, having read a bit more, it seems that you probably can, although this is about 'magic your way' tix:

"In general, guests can upgrade to any type of ticket, provided the new ticket is of equal or greater value than the old ticket by simply paying the difference. However, no refunds will be issued if the new ticket is of lesser value. So, yes, guests who purchased Walt Disney World tickets before the new Magic Your Way tickets became available will have the option to upgrade to a new pass."
- http://www.wdisneyw.co.uk/mywfaq.html

It might be a case of simply making it clear to them by describing what you want in a different way. Instead of saying you want to use your Ultimate tix next year, or that you want to swap it for Ultimate tix next year - say you want to *upgrade* them to a more expensive (or equal value) ticket, which does not expire this year.

Of course it may be that the Ultimate tix have totally different terms&conditions because they are for UK people only. If you think about it, since the Ultimate tix are not available to people in the US and are often better value than the US option, they must be governed by different rules than the standard tickets. One of the rules being who is allowed to buy them...

 

[wicket2005]

You'll notice only mention of 14/21 Days from first use! For those passes that have a use year is it a stamp or is it in the small print?
SD

It is in large print, printed under the small print section.

 

[TraceyL]

I edited my post above because I was wrong. I thought that you couldn't add 'no expiration' to tix once bought and, having read a bit more, it seems that you probably can, although this is about 'magic your way' tix:

"In general, guests can upgrade to any type of ticket, provided the new ticket is of equal or greater value than the old ticket by simply paying the difference. However, no refunds will be issued if the new ticket is of lesser value. So, yes, guests who purchased Walt Disney World tickets before the new Magic Your Way tickets became available will have the option to upgrade to a new pass."
- http://www.wdisneyw.co.uk/mywfaq.html

It might be a case of simply making it clear to them by describing what you want in a different way. Instead of saying you want to use your Ultimate tix next year, or that you want to swap it for Ultimate tix next year - say you want to *upgrade* them to a more expensive (or equal value) ticket, which does not expire this year.

Of course it may be that the Ultimate tix have totally different terms&conditions because they are for UK people only. If you think about it, since the Ultimate tix are not available to people in the US and are often better value than the US option, they must be governed by different rules than the standard tickets. One of the rules being who is allowed to buy them...

This is the case with UK tickets - the 14/21 Ultimate tickets are not 'upgradeable', only the 5/7 day Premium tickets

 

[Shooby doo]

Wicket I have seen the large print but in all the cases that I've seen the large print has been added after the small print,this makes economic sense as WDW would end up with thousands of passes on 31st Dec that were no use. My Flex plus passes for this year (I can't check my WDW ones as I get them at check-in ) have the usual small print & then large print that has been added by ATD,this states for use on or after 1st March 2008....so as long as I use it after that date I can use it anytime.
Unless things have changed? You insert the pass into the turnstile & away you go?All the turnstile reader has to do is read the barcode,say to itself "right 14 days from now...."
In all likelyhood what the OP or their friend needs to do is go to Guest Relations when they get to the park & at worst have to pay the difference,Disney would have to have the worst Customer relations going to just say "Too late!"
SD

 

[wicket2005]

The flexi pass is different in that it doesn't say you have to use it in a particular year. With the Disney ones it does and it is clearly stated when you buy them. As I said before Disney used to not date stamp tickets but changed it to make sure people paid the proper admission price for the year.

As already said the tickets do also carry an expiry date of 14 days after first use. I have never used the full 14 days on any of the tickets but wouldn't think on trying to claim them back. It is a bit similar with these Ultimate tickets, they are sold with conditions. If you don't want to buy them you can buy non expiry ones you do have that option.

There is no harm in asking whoever you bought tickets from to see if they would allow you to swap them but then would the ticket company know if they had already been used or not?

Yes you can ask at Disney when you get over there and explain the situation but it would be entirely up to the person concerned whether they would do a swap. I don't really see why you cannot do this if you pay the extra but it is Disney that are making the rules not us. The other thing is the Ultimate style tickets are extremely good value and then if you get over there and Disney will not change the tickets you will end up paying more out for say a week's ticket, and you have to pay extra for park hopping and non expiry.

I think I would probably just try and sell them on to someone if I was fortunate enough to know someone going.

 

[gobofraggle]

...In all likelyhood what the OP or their friend needs to do is go to Guest Relations when they get to the park & at worst have to pay the difference,Disney would have to have the worst Customer relations going to just say "Too late!"
SD

At worst?
Being able to just pay the difference would be *at best*!
At worst, they'll have to buy new tickets.

I really don't agree that it would be a reflection of Disney's customer relations if somebody turns up in 2009 with an expired 2008 ticket (because that's what you're talking about - they can't go this year) and Disney doesn't accept it.

Some things aren't refundable if you can't use them. Like plane tickets.

Somebody bought my dad one of those 'red letter day'-type experience vouchers and they had to take a hot air balloon flight before it expired. In the end it expired before they were able to use it - no refunds, no swaps for another experience, no nothing.

The UK Ultimate tickets are a good price and they come with strings attached.

Like I said, above, I'd check your travel insurance. Costs associated with being unable to travel - flights or accommodation which cannot be refunded - are usually covered: these tickets might be, depending on how good your insurance is.

 

[Portugal1000]

Thanks fo all your replies. Doesn't look hopeful. I think she will do as suggested and just try and find someone who wants to buy them. It just seems odd that Disney can't do something. This must happen all the time. Makes me even more happy that I have bought annual passes for this my December trip which I can then use next August. I guess the best thing to do is to only buy the 14 days tickets just before you go.

 

[gobofraggle]

Thanks fo all your replies. Doesn't look hopeful. I think she will do as suggested and just try and find someone who wants to buy them. It just seems odd that Disney can't do something. This must happen all the time. Makes me even more happy that I have bought annual passes for this my December trip which I can then use next August. I guess the best thing to do is to only buy the 14 days tickets just before you go.

This forum would probably be a good place to advertise them.
If that's allowed.

 

[Shooby doo]

Gobofraggle in most cases I would agree but this is Disney For instance Old style Hopper passes are still valid,in fact any days on old (before the days of from use) are still valid the only difference being if a Park eg AK or BB wasn't open at the time of you buying your pass then you couldn't use them for that particular park but you can pay to upgrade the days that are left.IMO there is no difference.
SD