I-75 billboards that advertise WDW tickets?

[disneychick0412]

When traveling to Disney on I-75, there are lots of billboards advertising WDW tickets at a discount. Is this for real? I always assumed there was a catch to this. We have our annual passes, but my BIL and family might join us on a trip and will need tickets. Any advice would be appreciated!

 

[Robo]

1- Is this for real?
2- Any advice would be appreciated!

1- Nope.

2- Keep driving!

 

[jlevis]

Many, if not all, of these places are selling multiday tickets that still have days left on them. The catch is that these tickets have been used and are linked to the finger biometric and they can not be reused. You'll not be able to use them to get into the parks and you'll not get your money back.

 

[fbarker]

Many, if not all, of these places are selling multiday tickets that still have days left on them. The catch is that these tickets have been used and are linked to the finger biometric and they can not be reused. You'll not be able to use them to get into the parks and you'll not get your money back.

This is going to be a stupid question but if what you are saying is true how do they get away with it? I would think the state of Florida would shut them down.

 

[3 MEN AND A BOAT]

I always assumed it was some sort of time share sales pitch but I'm probably way off

 

[Cheshire Figment]

There are a lot of authorized resellers who do Park Tickets as part of their operation and may be legitimate. For example, when I go to Southeast Florida and return home along you will see lots of signs for the Yeehaw Junction exit (which is a real name) and they have a big gas station and convenience store that does legitimately sell tickets.

Look carefully at the tickets first; generally they will have a code starting with "WTS" and a date that is at least several weeks old on the tickets. They should be willing to accept credit cards and also will give you a detailed receipt showing what you have paid for and their name and address. Obviously if you have a credit or debit card and you get to the gate and find the tickets are not valid you would be able to contact your card company for a chargeback.

 

[okw4us]

I read in the paper the other day that Disney is suing several unauthorized ticket sellers...in particular, the ones all up and down Route 192.

 

[DCTooTall]

There are a lot of authorized resellers who do Park Tickets as part of their operation and may be legitimate. For example, when I go to Southeast Florida and return home along you will see lots of signs for the Yeehaw Junction exit (which is a real name) and they have a big gas station and convenience store that does legitimately sell tickets.

Look carefully at the tickets first; generally they will have a code starting with "WTS" and a date that is at least several weeks old on the tickets. They should be willing to accept credit cards and also will give you a detailed receipt showing what you have paid for and their name and address. Obviously if you have a credit or debit card and you get to the gate and find the tickets are not valid you would be able to contact your card company for a chargeback.

Cheshire,

out of curiousity, What are the various codes on the tickets, and what do they stand for or represent? i've seen the dropdowns when registering my AP on the Passholder site and always wondered what the difference between the different codes was. (I'm assuming something to do with the ticket origin?)

 

[larryz]

Any advice would be appreciated!

Caveat Emptor.

 

[Cheshire Figment]

Cheshire,

out of curiousity, What are the various codes on the tickets, and what do they stand for or represent? i've seen the dropdowns when registering my AP on the Passholder site and always wondered what the difference between the different codes was. (I'm assuming something to do with the ticket origin?)

The fist three characters always start with a W and indicate to an extent the park or other location where the tickets were printed. The three numbers specify the exact terminal or ticket booth at that location where the ticket was issued. The date is the actual date that specific ticket was printed, and the one to five digits at the end is the sequence number for that date for that specific terminal.

It tends to be rare for the last set of numbers to be four or five digits; When tickets are issued in bulk, such as for the Disney Store, they are printed on high-speed machines.

Having that combination makes it impossible to have two tickets with the same serial number.

 

[Illinistifler]

Here is a link to the latest Disney assault on the 192ers

http://www.disunplugged.com/2012/06/26/disney-sues-unauthorized-ticket-resellers-in-orlando/

 

[seashoreCM]

Tickets from these noname ticket sellers could be of various character:

1. New standard (Magic Your Way) tickets, typically discounted no more than 5 percent,

2. Special issue tickets that are not upgradable, not sold at the theme parks, with a somewhat lower list price, also legitimate,

3. Old stock, tickets of earlier (pre-Magic Your Way) vintage, that are not upgradable, also legitimate,

4. Partially used tickets, whose use by a different person is not allowed by Disney.

 

[jlevis]

This is going to be a stupid question but if what you are saying is true how do they get away with it? I would think the state of Florida would shut them down.

As noted above Disney is and has brought suit against these folks. Often, they get shut down only to reappear elsewhere. And, like any scam, the people scammed are often too embarrased to go to the police.

 

[fla4fun]

There are a lot of authorized resellers who do Park Tickets as part of their operation and may be legitimate.

I agree. I worked for a company that operated a legitimate ticket reseller location just off I-75 in Lake City, Florida for several years, as well as a location near the airport and one on west Highway 192. But it's really a buyer beware sort of issue.

Our reseller locations looked like permanent locations, not just a portable desk or a shack in a parking lot. There should be some sort of license available for viewing, such as a business license or occupational license. We sold all sorts of tickets, not just Disney. The Lake City location also would book hotels for guests, dinner shows, sightseeing tours - it was a full service welcome center right down to the complimentary orange juice. We did have billboards advertising our welcome centers along I-75 and other areas. Unfortunately, none of the locations we operated are still in business because the company was sold several years ago and the new owner decided to go in a different direction.

If you stop somewhere, and you get a bad feeling, just get back in your car and move on. Your first instinct is usually the right one. It's no different than stopping in a "gift shop" while you're on vacation - some are good and some are not so good.