Getting conflicting info on unexpired tickets

[kbar]

We're just back from a resort only trip (picking up a child from college but staying at Disney) where I attempted to nail down the days left on some non-expiring tickets. Complete and utter fail.

Backstory: In either 2013 or 2014, I went to Guest Services inside Hollywood Studios to convert 3 child tickets to adult tickets as the children were now over age 10. At that time, they also offered to convert 3 other non-expiring paper tickets to the new RFID card format. I agreed to that and they made the conversions. It took a considerable amount of time and required 2 CM's, but eventually we got it done and they wrote the remaining days on the back of each card. They kept the paper tickets on which I had made my notes about when the tickets were used and to whom they belonged, but I always made a copy of my tickets so I figured I could compare them when I got home to know whose were whose. First problem. Upon arriving home, some of the tickets didn't match my records, though the errors were mostly in my favor (more days than I thought I had.)

When Disney went to expiring tickets, we bought those and saved the non-expiring ones for future use since they wouldn't have covered a full trip, just odd days here and there. I meant to bring them to be read on a couple of trips, but forgot them until this year. Although not intending to enter the parks this trip, we went over to Magic Kingdom to have the tickets read. Most matched what was written on them (by the CM's who had done the conversions), but I was told that 2 had been used and that one other had more days than had been written on it. One of the ones she said had been used had 3 "plus" days and I knew it was impossible that we had used it 3 times since then. The CM double-checked and confirmed, so I let it go since I was up days on the other ticket and considered it a wash.

Just for kicks, I had them read again as we were checking out of Old Key West. Yep, new set of answers. There was total agreement on 2 of the tickets, the 2 that the MK CM said had been used got their days back (plus some for one of them), and the last 2 were now different from what I'd been told at MK, one in my favor, one not.

My question, after this excessively long story, is how do I ever know what is on the damn things?! I've heard too many stories about non-expiring tickets being used before expiring ones when both are uploaded to MDE to try that. I thought going straight to Disney would be the answer, but that only made it worse. Any thoughts or similar experience would be helpful!

Karra

 

[Robo]

My question, after this excessively long story, is
1. how do I ever know what is on the damn things?!
2. I've heard too many stories about non-expiring tickets being used before expiring ones when both are uploaded to MDE to try that.
3. I thought going straight to Disney would be the answer, but that only made it worse.
4. Any thoughts or similar experience would be helpful!

1. You can't.
2. That can certainly happen.
3. You are at the mercy of the CMs you encounter and the (often inadequate, sometimes glitchy) computer files
that relate to your tickets.
4. The HAPPIEST thing I can tell you is that Disney will often give guests the benefit of the doubt when it comes to a conflict. It may take some extra time to sort out, but in the end, you stand a decent chance of getting what would be the "better" of the deal, if you are not argumentative, but persistent, in what you believe to be the correct outcome.

 

[kbar]

1. You can't.
2. That can certainly happen.
3. You are at the mercy of the CMs you encounter and the (often inadequate, sometimes glitchy) computer files
that relate to your tickets.
4. The HAPPIEST thing I can tell you is that Disney will often give guests the benefit of the doubt when it comes to a conflict. It may take some extra time to sort out, but in the end, you stand a decent chance of getting what would be the "better" of the deal, if you are not argumentative, but persistent, in what you believe to be the correct outcome.

I appreciate that, and everyone I've dealt with so far has been unfailingly polite, but I find it absurd that DISNEY cannot reliably tell me what is on the tickets. The system MUST know if a ticket is good for admission or not and to whose finger it needs to match. I'm aware that their business model means that you can't just call and check the balance like a gift card, but having the owner there in person should be workable. For it just to be a crap shoot at the gate is RIDICULOUS.

If I have a lot of time on my hands some trip, maybe I'll go in and try to get it sorted out.

 

[seashoreCM]

Do you have your own diary about what parks you went to and when?

I haven't run into the situation myself but I am led to believe that if tell Disney what you should have had on the tickets after the tickets unexpectedly ran out as opposed to having to ask what is left on the tickets ahead of time, then the chances are better of having it resolved more to your liking. Your claim would have to make sense and have some supporting documentation perhaps including some restaurant receipts but would not have to be a rigorous proof that would stand up in court.

 

[Mome Rath]

I've heard too many stories about non-expiring tickets being used before expiring ones when both are uploaded to MDE to try that.

If you ever have multiple tickets of any type in MDE, when you go to enter a park always have guest services, or the concierge at the hotel, set up which ticket is to be used first. I've had multiple ticket types with different days in my MDE and as long as I had them prioritize it for me at the concierge, it has always used the designated one first (also check once I'm in the park). I've never been in your situation, but I would probably risk putting them into MDE just to see what in the world it shows, I think I'd be too curious not to.

 

[Anthony1971]

I have non expiring tickets I still use and it is very difficult for them to tell what is on them if they were the paper tickets to start and or they were modified with if they were the cards which were the final year or years they were available it is easier.
As far as I am aware and I am fairly certain it is still true by 99% you can add them to any magic band and the day(s) will then be associated with that person at that point they become new tickets. So you can add all tickets to one magic band as you add them it will tell you what each ticket was not always what is left but once you associate it with a magic band it cannot be changed..... so how do you know how many day are truly left... start making fast pass reservation a week or 2 from the day you add them as it will only let you add fast passes for as many days as you have.... Make them for less popular rides and cancel them when you are done so others have the chance to get the fast passes. as far as the water parks there is just no way...
The other option is you can still email Disney with the ticket numbers to guest.services..waltdisneyworld.com you will need to supply a copy of your state id and they can tell you what is left. In the email I would include briefly how the tickets were acquired and when the last time they were used any modifications with month and year and par if you recall IE ticket#00000000 part of a package sating at Grand Floridian feb 2006 last modified to add 2 days in April 2009 last used in EPCOT November 2010... you need to show ownership as best you can.

 

[kbar]

If you ever have multiple tickets of any type in MDE, when you go to enter a park always have guest services, or the concierge at the hotel, set up which ticket is to be used first. I've had multiple ticket types with different days in my MDE and as long as I had them prioritize it for me at the concierge, it has always used the designated one first (also check once I'm in the park). I've never been in your situation, but I would probably risk putting them into MDE just to see what in the world it shows, I think I'd be too curious not to.

I may do this with dummy accounts, but I want to understand it better before I do it. I agree, it may be the only way. But again, that's RIDICULOUS!

 

[kbar]

Do you have your own diary about what parks you went to and when?

I haven't run into the situation myself but I am led to believe that if tell Disney what you should have had on the tickets after the tickets unexpectedly ran out as opposed to having to ask what is left on the tickets ahead of time, then the chances are better of having it resolved more to your liking. Your claim would have to make sense and have some supporting documentation perhaps including some restaurant receipts but would not have to be a rigorous proof that would stand up in court.

Sort of? My diary was what I had written on the paper tickets and I assumed it would match what they gave me after the conversion. I also realized later that I'd only copied the backs of the tickets and my twins only knew which character was on the front of their own. Can probably get away with that though, they're identical

 

[kbar]

I have non expiring tickets I still use and it is very difficult for them to tell what is on them if they were the paper tickets to start and or they were modified with if they were the cards which were the final year or years they were available it is easier.
As far as I am aware and I am fairly certain it is still true by 99% you can add them to any magic band and the day(s) will then be associated with that person at that point they become new tickets. So you can add all tickets to one magic band as you add them it will tell you what each ticket was not always what is left but once you associate it with a magic band it cannot be changed..... so how do you know how many day are truly left... start making fast pass reservation a week or 2 from the day you add them as it will only let you add fast passes for as many days as you have.... Make them for less popular rides and cancel them when you are done so others have the chance to get the fast passes. as far as the water parks there is just no way...
The other option is you can still email Disney with the ticket numbers to guest.services.. you will need to supply a copy of your state id and they can tell you what is left. In the email I would include briefly how the tickets were acquired and when the last time they were used any modifications with month and year and par if you recall IE ticket#00000000 part of a package sating at Grand Floridian feb 2006 last modified to add 2 days in April 2009 last used in EPCOT November 2010... you need to show ownership as best you can.

This I probably can't do. We used to buy 10 day non-expiring tickets and then use them over multiple trips. We always had water park days left and used them once per trip over many years. Later, we also bought expiring tickets if the length of the trip or cost of the tickets made sense. Consequently, there wasn't always a lot of rhyme or reason to which tickets were used when and tickets were purchased for individual family members as needed, not as a group. It made sense at the time...

I'm sure I can prove ownership based on purchase, but probably no trip detail. Although we always stay DVC, so those dates should coincide with ticket usage. Maybe I'll give it a try.

 

[DisneyWishes14]

Oh boy, what a mess. I, too, have some non-expires and some non-date specific tickets and, while my non-expires seem to be ok, 3 of my non-date specific tickets completely disappeared from MDE in March and I had to get IT involved. Thank goodness I kept the receipts saved in my e-mail account (I had purchased them a few years ago) and they found and re-linked them. I would reiterate what the PP suggested. I would e-mail WDW with the ticket info that you have and get an answer in writing. I feel like this would be your best bet on getting some type of "definitive" answer and at least it would be in writing. Here is the info on how to submit your request via e-mail: https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/faq/tickets/uses-remaining/

 

[PatMcDuck]

I had (have!) non expire plus tickets. With only the plus days left. They were 5+4 tickets. 2 of these, and each had 2 days left for water parks, they were from before DQ was included. They converted them to RFID plastic cards about 4 years ago. Who knows who they are associated with and if they would still work, lol. I still have them.