New Ticket Upgrade Policy?

[jimandami]

Of course Disney is aware of price bridging or they wouldn't allow it or educate CMs on how to do it!! I would hardly call it a complicated scheme!

 

[SUSIEQ]

Perhaps if it didn't cost so dadgum much to purchase tickets people wouldn't feel the need to game the system.

Amen!

 

[MamaBear58]

And I would hope that Disney would actually make a public announcement.

Why would Disney make a public announcement? With respect to those tickets, Disney had no relationship with the ticketholder.

Disney's relationship is with the 3rd party seller. It has to announce to the third party sellers the new terms pursuant to which Disney will sell tickets to those third party sellers--e.g. the tickets being sold are not eligible for certain things--and the date the new terms are effective. It's then the third party seller's job to properly disclose what it is now selling to the public.

If this is true, it is simply Disney's way of keeping more business for itself. Now, only if you know exactly what you want is it worth using a 3rd party seller to get the discount. Otherwise, it's better to buy through Disney because later changes are possible at incremental costs. Whether or not that's a good business decision for Disney is another discussion, but I really don't understand the idea that Disney owes the public some announcement.

 

[chloelovesdisney]

One would hope they would disclose this to the third party sellers at least prior to starting the new policy.

 

[oliviaik]

Disney owes the public because the public bought their tickets from these third-party retailers while the policy was in place that we could upgrade with price-bridging. For those who have already bought tickets, this is unfair. People made plans with that policy in mind. Disney should have first notified the third party retailers prior to the policy change, given a date for the policy change, and grandfathered in previously purchased tickets under the old policy. Surely there is a way of noting on the ticket whether it was issued prior to the policy change or after the policy change. Those things are called "customer service" and "courtesy".

 

[roomthreeseventeen]

One would hope they would disclose this to the third party sellers at least prior to starting the new policy.

For all we know, it's not even true. AllEars has admitted they heard it from two Cast Members, which is the equivalent of asking the bus driver.

 

[3happydancers]

Again, I upgraded three 4 day tickets to annual passes and another to a 6 day with no problem. This was Saturday.

As I understand this new policy, tickets purchased from outside vendors CAN be upgraded to annual passes, seasonal passes, etc. without a problem ...just no days or options added to them.

I don't think this affects upgrading to AP passes as per the original post by Allears.net. (See post #17). However, it appears this notice has been removed from their website.

 

[fairy8i8]

I wonder if this is to prevent shady resellers in Kissimmee from buying used tickets and then upgrading them for more days (we had someone approach us at a gas station the last time we were at Disney). It might not be an issue for tickets linked to MDE that are attached to a person, credit card, and email.

Sources other than Disney is vague. Travel Agents make reservations and ticket purchases for their clients, but aren't considered resellers. It will be interesting to see how this plays out.

 

[Robo]

I wonder if this is to prevent resellers from buying used tickets and then upgrading them.

That is already enforced via not only Disney rules but actual state of Florida law.

 

[Crystal824]

Can Disney get any more complicated? I love Disney, but seriously, you almost need a degree in Disney to buy tickets and plan a trip anymore. If this is true, I will be extremely annoyed. We almost always use UT for tickets. Yes, we have added days before. We typically just purchase what we need, but in one instance, we wanted to go to the MK on the last day. We paid the extra few buck for about 2 hours in the park. No way, would we have purchased one day tickets, but $8.00 per ticket (the cost then) was well worth it to us.

If this is true, I will really hate how Disney just threw several ticket vendors under the bus. Yes, you can still use them, but I would be too afraid to save a few bucks per ticket in case plans changed, etc. while there. I imagine many others would feel the same.

 

[HookdonWDW]

Disney owes the public because the public bought their tickets from these third-party retailers while the policy was in place that we could upgrade with price-bridging. For those who have already bought tickets, this is unfair. People made plans with that policy in mind. Disney should have first notified the third party retailers prior to the policy change, given a date for the policy change, and grandfathered in previously purchased tickets under the old policy. Surely there is a way of noting on the ticket whether it was issued prior to the policy change or after the policy change. Those things are called "customer service" and "courtesy".

So when McDonald's changes the price on a Happy Meal or stops selling the McCardiacArrest Sandwich they need to inform the public because the public made their plans with this in mind??? Not saying how I feel one way or the other on this policy, but I think people are really quick to blame Disney for acting like a business. If other companies do the same sort of thing, no one bats an eye. If Disney does it, Walt is turning in his grave. There's a reason that they say Walt and Roy made a good team. It takes dreamers and money men to succeed.

 

[TagsMissy]

I always buy from Disney, so I have an honest question. Why are there so many people who need to upgrade when they get to Disney? Why don't they buy what they need at the discounted price to begin with?

We get base tickets through AirMiles (sometimes) and then upgrade to either longer hoppers or in the case of the tickets last year into APs.

Sometimes we don't decide until we're there if we want to park hop or not so we get X-days with no hoppers from UT and decide within the first day or two if we want to hop and add the option if we choose to do so.

 

[Robo]

We get base tickets through AirMiles (sometimes) and then upgrade to either longer hoppers or in the case of the tickets last year into APs.

Sometimes we don't decide until we're there if we want to park hop or not so we get X-days with no hoppers from UT and decide within the first day or two if we want to hop and add the option if we choose to do so.

And, as has been the policy for years, regardless of where guests first bought their valid Magic Your Way tickets, Disney has been very happy for guests to decide to extend their stays, add park days, and/or upgrade to Annual Passes… all of which generate more revenue to the bottom line.

 

[JanaDee]

And, as has been the policy for years, regardless of where guests first bought their valid Magic Your Way tickets, Disney has been very happy for guests to decide to extend their stays, add park days, and/or upgrade to Annual Passes… all of which generate more revenue to the bottom line.

Which is why this potential policy change seems so unbelievable..

 

[msdaisy]

So when McDonald's changes the price on a Happy Meal or stops selling the McCardiacArrest Sandwich they need to inform the public because the public made their plans with this in mind??? Not saying how I feel one way or the other on this policy, but I think people are really quick to blame Disney for acting like a business. If other companies do the same sort of thing, no one bats an eye. If Disney does it, Walt is turning in his grave. There's a reason that they say Walt and Roy made a good team. It takes dreamers and money men to succeed.

Businesses can always change the rules, and that's fine. But, if I bought a ticket in February to enjoy a McCardiacArrest Sandwich in June and Mickey D's goes behind my back and puts a halt to the whole McCardiacArrest Sandwich then yea I will throw a little hissy fit. Especially when Burger King is over here telling me I can have it my way. It's the whole mystery of it that gets me. Just be a business and stand up and say yea or nay. I'm an insurance agent. It is no fun telling clients that a claim isn't covered, but I can't play games and change the rules. Well I can but then I can't expect to keep them as customers.

 

[Gillyrose779]

Was just considering upgrading my 7 day hopper to an Annual Pass so I could get the Tables of Wonderland card. I'm still trying to decide if this makes more sense over going with the deluxe dining plan.

Disney told me this morning I could do it over the phone without a problem but I did not mention I purchased my ticket third party. If I decide to got this route I will let you guys know what happens.

 

[damo]

So when McDonald's changes the price on a Happy Meal or stops selling the McCardiacArrest Sandwich they need to inform the public because the public made their plans with this in mind??? Not saying how I feel one way or the other on this policy, but I think people are really quick to blame Disney for acting like a business. If other companies do the same sort of thing, no one bats an eye. If Disney does it, Walt is turning in his grave. There's a reason that they say Walt and Roy made a good team. It takes dreamers and money men to succeed.

If it was only the price of a Happy Meal that I'd be out, I wouldn't really care. However, when I'll need to spend $400 to get a parkhopper ticket to match the rest of my group even though I was told that my non-parkhopper could be upgraded, I will care. And if I could have gotten a parkhopper to start with, I would have, but parkhoppers are not offered through my loyalty group.

 

[Missyrose]

Perhaps if it didn't cost so dadgum much to purchase tickets people wouldn't feel the need to game the system.

Please, please don't feel like I'm picking on you. But it really can't be considered gaming the system when what you are doing is part of Disney's official public policy.

 

[MamaBear58]

Disney owes the public because the public bought their tickets from these third-party retailers while the policy was in place that we could upgrade with price-bridging. For those who have already bought tickets, this is unfair. People made plans with that policy in mind. Disney should have first notified the third party retailers prior to the policy change, given a date for the policy change, and grandfathered in previously purchased tickets under the old policy. Surely there is a way of noting on the ticket whether it was issued prior to the policy change or after the policy change. Those things are called "customer service" and "courtesy".

It's only unfair if it is applied retroactively AND the 3rd party seller had represented to the purchaser (in writing) that the tickets could be changed (and not just that Disney, at that time, permitted changes) AND the 3rd party seller doesn't offer the purchaser anything for its loss (e.g. the current cost of the changes). In which case the purchaser has a legal claim against the 3rd party, and the "unfairness" will be addressed.

But again, that's all between the 3rd party and the purchaser. Unless Disney represented to the 3rd party that the tickets sold to the 3rd party could be changed and now doesn't honor that retroactively (unlikely, Disney has lawyers), I fail to see how Disney is being unfair. Going forward, it's a policy change with which we many not agree, but in my opinion, "unfair" is a stretch.

 

[Marionnette]

Businesses can always change the rules, and that's fine. But, if I bought a ticket in February to enjoy a McCardiacArrest Sandwich in June and Mickey D's goes behind my back and puts a halt to the whole McCardiacArrest Sandwich then yea I will throw a little hissy fit. Especially when Burger King is over here telling me I can have it my way. It's the whole mystery of it that gets me. Just be a business and stand up and say yea or nay. I'm an insurance agent. It is no fun telling clients that a claim isn't covered, but I can't play games and change the rules. Well I can but then I can't expect to keep them as customers.

Ah, but they didn't change the ticket that you bought. You will still get all of the entitlements that you were promised on the ticket when you purchased it. Your McCardiacArrest Sandwich has not been altered. They are now changing the rules for adding fries and a Diet Coke to your McCardiacArrest Sandwich.

I'm not crazy about the changes, if they do turn out to be true. But I also thought that it was very generous of Disney to permit bridging in the first place. I have a few tickets which were purchased from 3rd party sellers. I'll use them for what's on them and be happy with it. If Disney thinks that I'm going to shell out an additional $100+ for one more day during my vacation, they are mistaken. I will end up sitting by the pool, shopping in DtD or {{gasp}} wander over to Universal to check things out there.