No More Early Ticket Pickup?

[nanabell]

Has anyone else heard this? I just got an e-mail from a knowledgeable friend , she says she got an e-mail from Disney saying they will no longer allow early ticket pickup if you have a room only before your package starts.I think there was too much chatter about getting around the free dining dates and that's why they stopped it!

 

[skier_pete]

There have been many threads and posts about this. Several guest services cast members have posted here that this is NOT true.

I personally believe its NOT true, because if it was, they would have to inform the public. NOT through travel agents and Cast Members, but with an announcement. The same way they recently changed the way you can extend the tickets and they made an official announcement about it. I need to see an official e-mail from Disney if I'm going to believe it.

What I also don't get is, what exactly are we supposed to be "getting around" when we do this? We are booking a free dining package, with park tickets. We are arriving a few days early, but paying for our room for those days. They have no rules about me using my tickets AFTER the package is over. (I could just as easily book 3 days of FD - and then stay room only for 3 days with a 6 day ticket...why this that different from picking it up early?)

Someone said you could pick up the ticket and then cancel the package. But, I don't get that either...you have to pay the package 45 days in advance. Once you've picked up the tickets, they'll have that on record...they are not going to refund you tickets that you used. Just seems like crazy internet rumors combined with CM that don't know the whole story.

 

[javamommy]

You get different answers depending on who you talk to... CMs say no but I've talked with someone in Guest relations that says you can pick up your tickets up to 7 days early. I really wish I could see something in writing either way. I booked free dining Nov. 27 through December 3 with a 9 day hopper. I am hoping to pick up the tickets on Nov. 24, 3 days early, when we have a room only reservation.

 

[nanabell]

I hope it's not true, and I don't think Disney ever made an announcement that early ticket pickup was available for everyone to do so maybe they will quietly do away with it. I have done early ticket pickup myself to "get around" the free dining dates, meaning I changed the days of my package so I could get free dining,yet get discounted tickets for my room only days.

 

[Amy&Dan]

To me it would make no sense. If you can't pick up your tickets early that leaves you with nothing to do but possibly go to Sea World, Universal or the Kennedy Space Center. I don't get how anyone is getting around anything.

 

[skier_pete]

I hope it's not true, and I don't think Disney ever made an announcement that early ticket pickup was available for everyone to do so maybe they will quietly do away with it. I have done early ticket pickup myself to "get around" the free dining dates, meaning I changed the days of my package so I could get free dining,yet get discounted tickets for my room only days.

See, here's the thing...whether they've official said you can do it or not, its obviously been the policy, because you CAN do it. Now, if you've done it before, and they don't make any announcement, if you aren't on these boards seeing rumors fly around, now you show up to pick up your tickets, and they tell you no...well you (or I) are going to be FURIOUS. And there's gotta be thousands of others that would be too...not a good idea for Disney to do. They can't rely on TAs to communicate the policy. Me, for instance, I do all my booking myself...no one has said anything to me.

...that, in addition to reliable CM sources on the boards that work in ticketing (in particular Chesire Figment but there are others) have come out in the last week stating the policy has NOT change, there has been no instructions to the CM within Guest services / Ticketing. If there was, CF, who manages the ticketing FAQ on this site, would know this.

 

[mom2rtk]

I did find it odd that when I called to add free dining and break one day off my package as a room only, the CM went out of the way to say I couldn't pick up my tickets early. I hadn't even ASKED about that. I had read here how to do it and had already printed out Cheshire Figment's instructions on how the CM could find it in "The Hub".

But I have read all the many threads about the matter and did get some reassurance from some front line CM's.

My concern is that it DOES sound like they are moving that direction. I think if you went today or sometime soon, you wouldn't have any trouble picking up your tickets early. But our trip isn't until December, so I do worry that by then they might be following through and not allow it.

If they do make this change, I will be quite angry, as they do allow you to use the extra days AFTER your package. How is this any different? And if this is their policy, they they need to only allow you to pay for the number of days on your ticket equal to or lesser than the nights in your package.

As it is, I'm now going to tie up 2 ADR's for that first night, one inside the MK like we want to keep, and one on the monorail as a backup plan. I hate to do that since with free dining I'd like to cancel one and free it up for someone else. And who knows, they might tick me off and send me completely offsite to do something!

If this is true, I find it to be petty and controlling. I certainly didn't find them turning down my $135 for that first night to stay at a VALUE resort!

 

[Tarheel girl 1975]

They just talked about this on the DIsUnplugged. They said all the information they got from Disney indicated that tickets would not be available early. They didn't say you definitely wouldn't be able to get them, but that you you shouldn't count on it.

 

[mom2rtk]

They just talked about this on the DIsUnplugged. They said all the information they got from Disney indicated that tickets would not be available early. They didn't say you definitely wouldn't be able to get them, but that you you shouldn't count on it.

Nothing like a clear policy to make your company user-friendly.

 

[skier_pete]

They didn't say you definitely wouldn't be able to get them, but that you you shouldn't count on it.

Sorry, but what the heck kind of policy statement is that. Either they'll let you or they won't. I (and many others) ARE counting on it...

...I'm still not worried, I will go up through the ranks at guest services until I get to Bob Iger until I get my tickets.

 

[mom2rtk]

Sorry, but what the heck kind of policy statement is that. Either they'll let you or they won't. I (and many others) ARE counting on it...

...I'm still not worried, I will go up through the ranks at guest services until I get to Bob Iger until I get my tickets.

You're gonna post back here and let us know how it goes, right??????

I do think it's classic Disney that they will SELL you a ticket for that day..... you just can't pick them up apparently!

If this is their policy, they need to go back to the old way and have your ticket be for only the length of stay.

 

[Tarheel girl 1975]

Sorry, but what the heck kind of policy statement is that. Either they'll let you or they won't. I (and many others) ARE counting on it...

...I'm still not worried, I will go up through the ranks at guest services until I get to Bob Iger until I get my tickets.

Sorry, I'm sure I could've written that most clearly. All of the CM's the podcast team spoke to said that you could NOT pick up your tickets early. So the podcast team said that they don't know if that is being enforced, but they are telling their clients not to count on being able to use those tickets.

 

[DisneyBamaFan]

I will be attempting my early ticket pickup on the 25th for a package starting on the 28th. I'll let everyone know how it goes.

BTW, I added 3 day on the front end of my package and was not told that I could not pick up my tickets early. My reservations are linked, and I have tickets with my package for 2 days longer than I could possibly use them without my front end reservation. So, if they tell me no, they will get an earful.

 

[PrincessesX3]

Same here. I added a day and the CM on the phone said I could put up the tickets early, but my kttw card won't include them.

 

[DanaAustinChelsea]

Has anyone else heard this? I just got an e-mail from a knowledgeable friend , she says she got an e-mail from Disney saying they will no longer allow early ticket pickup if you have a room only before your package starts.I think there was too much chatter about getting around the free dining dates and that's why they stopped it!

Thats what I was told on Saturday when I was going to book an additional night. The tickets could only be picked up when the package begins! I was also charged a $15 processing fee to re-add another person to my reservation.

 

[Rachaelt]

^Are you within 14 days of arrival?


This has actually always been the policy. However, the practice was to allow it in some cases. It was never meant for just anyone to be able to do it. I know that the communication has not reached some GR cast members yet, but I have talked with some who have already been told. They're just going to start enforcing the policy that was already in place. Discontinuing the practice, which was not to enforce that policy.

 

[Grumpy Grandma]

Thats what I was told on Saturday when I was going to book an additional night. The tickets could only be picked up when the package begins! I was also charged a $15 processing fee to re-add another person to my reservation.

$15.00 to add a person?

 

[Rachaelt]

If it's within 14 days prior to arrival, there is a $15.00 special handling fee. Whether package price increases or decreases. If it decreases, there's also the $50.00 modification fee.

 

[Grumpy Grandma]

If it's within 14 days prior to arrival, there is a $15.00 special handling fee. Whether package price increases or decreases. If it decreases, there's also the $50.00 modification fee.

Thank you .... I need to add a person but I'm over 60 days out so I should be okay.

 

[Rachaelt]

Yep, when adding someone you're good until 14 days out.