Has anyone price bridged recently?

[DexLabDeeDee]

We were at AK today (our first day) and went to Guest Services to add 2 days on to our 7 day ticket. I knew that after entering we should be able to price bridge our tickets ($21 each instead of $58 each).

The CM there said that it would be $58, I said that shouldn't we be able to price bridge? He seemed confused about what I was asking. I clarified and he asked for our MBs and said hold on. He went into a different room, came back, scanned our MBs multiple times and typed a lot on the computer.

We filled out a weird carbon copy form with our information and he entered it all in and then send the copy form through his machine.

Then he said: he was able to price bridge but that this was a huge exception...this is not policy...he had to get his manager to okay the transaction...it doesn't matter when we purchase tickets (we bought in Nov)...we still need to pay the difference but he wrote it all up in a "magic file"...he can - this one time - price bridge for us.

We got a rather stern talking to, actually. He made the "magic file" seem like some kind of criminal record.

My question is - was this really against policy? I've heard of many people getting a price bridge and it didn't seem to be a problem.

 

[Robo]

Before we get too far along...

From WHOM-
and HOW-
did you purchase your original tickets?

---------------------
There ARE certain circumstances when price bridging does not apply and should not be done.

You say you bought the tickets "in Nov." but you didn't say from whom. That can make a big difference. And, you didn't say how you got them (direct order, as part of a WDW resort pkg., etc. That also makes a difference.
You say that you "knew that after entering we should be able to price bridge..."
but, price bridging doesn't require you to enter a park before upgrading.
(It does not HURT you or STOP you from upgrading, or price bridging...
but it is not necessary.

There is more to say about these things, but we need more info from you so we can
judge the facts of the case.

Regardless, in general, price bridging is still a standard procedure and being done (and reported here) all the time.

 

[Princess Mulan]

We were at AK today (our first day) and went to Guest Services to add 2 days on to our 7 day ticket. I knew that after entering we should be able to price bridge our tickets ($21 each instead of $58 each).

The CM there said that it would be $58, I said that shouldn't we be able to price bridge? He seemed confused about what I was asking. I clarified and he asked for our MBs and said hold on. He went into a different room, came back, scanned our MBs multiple times and typed a lot on the computer.

We filled out a weird carbon copy form with our information and he entered it all in and then send the copy form through his machine.

Then he said: he was able to price bridge but that this was a huge exception...this is not policy...he had to get his manager to okay the transaction...it doesn't matter when we purchase tickets (we bought in Nov)...we still need to pay the difference but he wrote it all up in a "magic file"...he can - this one time - price bridge for us.

We got a rather stern talking to, actually. He made the "magic file" seem like some kind of criminal record.

My question is - was this really against policy? I've heard of many people getting a price bridge and it didn't seem to be a problem.

Earlier this summer we tried to add a day onto our park hoppers at Animal Kingdom guest services, and we were told we would have to pay an outrageous sum (around $80 apiece). We just said, "Thanks, but no thanks." Later we popped in at Epcot guest services, where we had no problem adding a day for the correct amount (about $10 apiece).

So, for anyone else having difficulty price bridging, you might try another guest services location if the first one is problematic.

 

[stobaugh6]

What is price bridging?

 

[Robo]

What is price bridging?

If a guests buys a ticket at a discount price and that guest wants to upgrade it, the ticket CM at WDW can "bridge" the discounted price up to the current
cost of a new-at-the-gate ticket of the same kind for the purposes of the upgrade transaction.

It allows guests to "keep" the discount that they originally got when they purchased the discounted ticket.

It is not something that a guest should have to ask for.
It SHOULD be done automatically by a competent ticket CM.
Many times, that is the case, but sometimes it is not done correctly.

 

[DexLabDeeDee]

Earlier this summer we tried to add a day onto our park hoppers at Animal Kingdom guest services, and we were told we would have to pay an outrageous sum (around $80 apiece). We just said, "Thanks, but no thanks." Later we popped in at Epcot guest services, where we had no problem adding a day for the correct amount (about $10 apiece).

So, for anyone else having difficulty price bridging, you might try another guest services location if the first one is problematic.

Hmmm. Maybe AK is the problem. I would have just walked away but he had our MB and he had already done all it all by the time he told us that they were making a huge exception.

 

[DexLabDeeDee]

Before we get too far along...

From WHOM-
and HOW-
did you purchase your original tickets?

---------------------
There ARE certain circumstances when price bridging does not apply and should not be done.

You say you bought the tickets "in Nov." but you didn't say from whom. That can make a big difference. And, you didn't say how you got them (direct order, as part of a WDW resort pkg., etc. That also makes a difference.
You say that you "knew that after entering we should be able to price bridge..."
but, price bridging doesn't require you to enter a park before upgrading.
(It does not HURT you or STOP you from upgrading, or price bridging...
but it is not necessary.

There is more to say about these things, but we need more info from you so we can
judge the facts of the case.

Regardless, in general, price bridging is still a standard procedure and being done (and reported here) all the time.

I bought the 7-Day tickets on-line from Disney directly in Nov as regular one day per park tickets. Just by themselves, no discount, no package.

Thanks for the clarification about entry - I thought that it was easier for them to price bridge once you'd entered a park.

 

[JohnDaleswife]

I just posted a question about this exact same thing.

 

[Missyrose]

Hmmm. Maybe AK is the problem. I would have just walked away but he had our MB and he had already done all it all by the time he told us that they were making a huge exception.

Nope, there have been the same issues reported at every GR/ticket window at Disney.

I bought the 7-Day tickets on-line from Disney directly in Nov as regular one day per park tickets. Just by themselves, no discount, no package.

Thanks for the clarification about entry - I thought that it was easier for them to price bridge once you'd entered a park.

I believe tickets bought directly from Disney before a price increase aren't subject to bridging - only third-party tickets and package tickets are.

You no longer need to use the ticket once before bridging.

 

[Jestocost]

I bought the 7-Day tickets on-line from Disney directly in Nov as regular one day per park tickets. Just by themselves, no discount, no package.

Thanks for the clarification about entry - I thought that it was easier for them to price bridge once you'd entered a park.

The PP is correct. Tickets bought directly from Disney and not as part of a package are not eligible for price bridging so you shouldn't be able to offset any pricing increases that may have happened since you purchased them. Only tickets purchased at a discount--including tickets purchased as part of a package through Disney--are eligible for price bridging, so you did get an exception granted in this case. I believe that this changed within the past few years and prior to that all tickets could be bridged to current gate prices but it hasn't been that way for some time.

 

[Belle5]

So, if you've already attached the ticket to your Magic Band...do you just hand the guest services cast member all the Magic Bands for your group and tell them you need to add extra days?

 

[Robo]

I believe tickets bought directly from Disney before a price increase aren't subject to bridging - only third-party tickets and package tickets are.

THIS.
And, this is why I asked about the specifics of your ticket purchase.

The CM was CORRECT, and he DID do you a favor ("Pixie Dust") and it IS a "one time only" deal that he made for you.

AND...
This is also why it can actually be a poor decision to buy stand-alone tickets directly from Disney,
either in-person at the parks, or by mail, or by phone, or on-line,
if there is a possibility that you will want to upgrade them in the future.
Not only do you pay full price (no discounts,) but in cases of price increases, you don't get the "price bridging" operation.

 

[Robo]

So, if you've already attached the ticket to your Magic Band...do you just hand the guest services cast member all the Magic Bands for your group and tell them you need to add extra days?

Yes.
That will work.

(But, this situation doesn't affect the "price bridging" that the OP is asking about.)

 

[Belle5]

Yes.
That will work.

(But, this situation doesn't affect the "price bridging" that the OP is asking about.)

Why not?

 

[Missyrose]

Why not?

Because price bridging is based on how you bought the tickets, not whether the ticket media is attached to your MDE account.

 

[Jestocost]

Why not?

The rules for price bridging and upgrades are not impacted by whether or not the tickets are linked to a Magic Band.

 

[Belle5]

Because price bridging is based on how you bought the tickets, not whether the ticket media is attached to your MDE account.

Thanks. I didn't think it would make a difference. I just didn't want the fact that my tickets are attached to be a strike against me in some way!

 

[subtchr]

Thanks. I didn't think it would make a difference. I just didn't want the fact that my tickets are attached to be a strike against me in some way!

Just FYI, nothing at all is "attached" to a MagicBand. No tickets, no resort reservations, nada. All the bands do is access the information in your MDE profile. Same as a ticket card. It's a bit of a technicality, but it helps to understand how the system works.

 

[JohnDaleswife]

Oh, I am so confused!!!! So the 4, 4-day base tickets that I bought directly from Disney, that are in my MDE will or will not be able to be upgraded to a 5-day base tickets for around $75.00?

 

[Robo]

Oh, I am so confused!!!! So the 4, 4-day base tickets that I bought directly from Disney, that are in my MDE will or will not be able to be upgraded to a 5-day base tickets for around $75.00?

You CAN upgrade the tickets.

The difference is that if there is a PRICE INCREASE between
the time that you originally bought the tickets and the time that you upgrade,
you must pay for the upgrade (of course)
AND add-on the cost of the difference between what you originally paid for the tickets
and their new, current-day price.

Whatever the cost will be to upgrade will depend on the date when you originally bought the tickets,
and the date that you finally upgrade.