Old tickets - does anyone know?

[disneywithdrawal]

My DBF has two 3-day tickets from when he was a kid - early 80's, just MK & Epcot, old kind before scanning (3 boxes for a date stamp for each day). They were gifts that were never used. Now we're going this year and we're obviously both adults by now and we're wondering if we can do anything with his old kid's passes. Can anyone help me? I know they don't expire. I've heard they'll change a child ticket to an adult ticket and they'll convert the old ticket format into new, but since I'm dealing with both and it's been so long I wonder if it will be that easy. Does anyone know what I can expect? Have any suggestions or advice?

 

[LibertyBelle]

They will be able to exchange the ticket for you but... being that the ticket you have was purchased when only MK and Epcot were open then tickets they will reissue for you will not be valid at MGM or AK... Not sure about the price difference being a child ticket converted to an adult ticket, but I know that it can be done. Most ticket transaction are failrt easy and Guest Relations has seen them all so I would not worry about it being too time consuming, if it saves you money it was worth the time in my opinion.

 

[GoldenOldie]

The tickets are still good. They need to be exchanged at Guest Relations for magnetic strip media. Once exchanged, the ticket will be good at all four parks.

As to how they will handle the exchange, that will depend on who you get doing the transaction. Disney policy states that any completely unused child ticket can only have the original dollar value of the ticket credited towards a new one.

But had the old tickets been partially used, your BF would have been able to have the remaining days converted to an adult ticket for free providing he submits proof of age (driver's license or passport) that correctly correlates to the 3-9 year old age range he was in the 80's.

Now the reason why I say it depends on who you have handling the transaction is that unused child passes have been known to be handled both ways by different GR CMs and supervisors.

Your worst case scenario is that GR will apply the dollar value of the old ticket towards the purchase of a new one. That would still save you a few dollars. Your best case is that you get a CM who will just issue you new adult tickets at no charge.

Be expecting the first and be pleasantly surprised with the second to avoid any disappointment.

 

[bubba's mom]

Originally posted by GoldenOldie
Once exchanged, the ticket will be good at all four parks.

Thanks for posting that. I thought tickets were good at any park...not issued for just certain parks. I have a ticket I won back in the 80's for a free day at a park. (MK & Epcot were the only 2 parks at the time.) At GR, they told me they can exchange it for the new magnetic tickets and be used at any park!!

 

[SondraD11]

A long time ago, I think in the 80's, I won 4 one day admissions to either Disneyland or Disney World in a contest that I entered by getting the Magic Kingdom card from my employer. In February this year, I redeemed some of the tickets at Guest Relations. For each ticket redeemed, they gave me a one day magnetic strip ticket that was only good for one park. I could have gone to any of the four parks, but I could not park hop. It was a very easy transaction and like a previous poster mentioned, I think Guest Relations has seen it all. Just thought I would share my experience.

Sondra

 

[clkelley]

Since the Studios has been open for 15 years and the Animal Kingdom open for 6 years, I think they have waived the requirement about the ticket being only good at parks open at the time.

That seems to only apply the first few years a new park is open.

Especially since all the new ticket media is now pre-printed with the words "this ticket media is only effective for parks that have opened before mm/dd/yyyy" and that date is after animal kingdom opened. (The statement above is paraphrased from memory).

They would have to have some special ticket stock with each of the park grand opening dates on it to enforce the rule of old tickets only being good for the parks that were open and I don't recall reading about anyone getting such ticket stock when they traded in old tickets.

I'm sure it would cost more money than it is worth to keep up with which parks older tickets are good for.

Carol

 

[disneywithdrawal]

Thanks!

 

[bubba's mom]

If you thought about this.....it's the same price to enter any of the parks...so, what difference would it really make??

 

[clkelley]

The difference is that ticket prices do go up each and every year, and the older tickets were priced (theoretically), based on the value of being able to hop to 2 or 3 parks.

Today's tickets are priced (theoretically), based on the value of being able to hop to 4 different parks, and therefore, since WDW tickets do not expire, they initially limit the park hopping to what is open when the ticket was purchased.

However, I believe they have discovered that since all of the parks have been open for awhile it does not make economic sense to restrict the older tickets use.

However, if a fifth major gate were to open, I would imagine that for the first year or so at least, tickets purchased before that park opens would not be good for that park. If the new park is a huge success, they might even feel it worthwile to make that restriction permanent. (NO I AM NOT SUGGESTING THEY ARE WORKING ON A FIFTH PARK)

Carol

 

[All Aboard]

If you thought about this.....it's the same price to enter any of the parks...so, what difference would it really make??

Here's the theory on that... A multi-day park hopping ticket that is valid for entry into 4 theme parks is inherently more valuable than a mult-day park hopping ticket that is valid for just 2. And, the price increases that have taken place when a new park opens have supported that.

Therefore, if you bought a 3 day pass that allows you hopping privaleges between MK & Epcot, getting the opportunity to hop, at will, between those 2 parks, plus 2 more is really more valuable.

 

[Simba's Mom]

I can tell you what happened to DS when he did this in 2003. He had child's tickets from 1987 and 1989, when he was 4 and then 6, each with one day left, the kind where they stamp the pass at the gate. At MK, they told him to go to Guest Services, so rather than take the time, he put it away and used a current pass. Tried it the next day at Epcot, at the gate, they told him he'd only have to change the pass if he wanted to use Fastpass. He didn't so in he went (no proof of age needed). The next day he used the 1989 one at MGM gate, the year MGM opened. No problem. I had to chuckle at how at 5'9" 21 yo used a child's ticket without question.

 

[disneywithdrawal]

Originally posted by GoldenOldie
Disney policy states that any completely unused child ticket can only have the original dollar value of the ticket credited towards a new one.

But had the old tickets been partially used, your BF would have been able to have the remaining days converted to an adult ticket for free providing he submits proof of age (driver's license or passport) that correctly correlates to the 3-9 year old age range he was in the 80's.

Does anyone know why the policy is different if the tickets were never used? Just curious.

 

[bubba's mom]

Originally posted by gcurling
Therefore, if you bought a 3 day pass that allows you hopping privaleges between MK & Epcot, getting the opportunity to hop, at will, between those 2 parks, plus 2 more is really more valuable.

i understand all what y'all are sayin'.....i am talking about a one day/one park pass from the 70's or 80's. i didn't mean park hoppers. my ticket is good for 1 day at either MK or Epcot (only 2 open at the time I won it). GR said when i exchange it for the current magnetic ticket, i can use it at any park. i assume, because of previous poster, that the parks have been open for a long time now--and what I meant was: since they've all been open for awhile and they are all the same price for one day admission , what difference did it make what park you went to? I understand the value of 2 day vs. 4 day hopping.....but, I was talking about one day/no hop! Sorry for the confusion......blonde moment!