Redeeming expired tickets later on...?

[TexanInBrazilandBackAgain]

According to WDW website, this is completely possible, allowed, etc.; if your ticket expires before you can use it, you are able to redeem the value of what you paid for that ticket *towards the purchase of a new ticket* so long as the new ticket is more expensive than the one you're redeeming.

In reality.....does this actually work? Hard to do? Easy? Anyone done it successfully???

DH's boss is being a jerk about a long-planned vacation of ours (throwing a fit about the timing of it), and so now we're looking at how to squeeze our trip into less time (we were hitting both Universal and Disney). The Universal tix flat out expire, the end, you don't use 'em, you lose 'em, so sad for you.

BUT we won't have time for both complexes (meaning, both sides of Universal *and* the 4 parks of WDW) in the amount of time that won't tick off DH's boss. SO.....we need to wait on WDW and return another time for that half of the trip.

But only if we actually *can* redeem the unused, unexpired tix towards the purchase of new tix when we get there.

Anyone able to confirm this, from experience??

 

[_19disnA]

The Disney website indicates that only UNEXPIRED tickets can be exchanged. Multi-day tickets purchased after 2004 expire 14 days after first use. So if you use only 3 days of a 4 day ticket, that would expire after 14 days and can't be exchanged if that is what you are asking. That is usually the best website to use for such questions. Other non-Disney sites may have incorrect information.

https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/faq/tickets/converting-old-tickets/

 

[TexanInBrazilandBackAgain]

I was looking at this, which applies to our tickets (we bought ages ago, originally planning to go Dec 2018, then bumping to May 2019, then bumped again to Dec 2019, and now we're facing this issue with the boss.....):

Additional Information on Tickets Purchased Before October 16, 2018
The amount paid for an unused, expired ticket may be applied towards the purchase of a new ticket at the current price so long as the new ticket purchase price is equal to or greater than the amount paid for the original ticket.
Validity dates will continue to be published from time to time. The dates assigned to each season and the number of days in each season may change from year to year.
Unless otherwise stated, tickets are not valid for separately priced activities or events. No credit or refund will be given if a higher season ticket is used on a lower season date. Admission is subject to capacity closures and to other restrictions.

Was wondering if anyone had ever done this or had info on it.....?

 

[_19disnA]

^^ Where is that quoted from? The Disney website is the only official source I would refer to on such matters. Lots of other websites posts opinions and aren't official Disney policy.

 

[lanejudy]

Multi-day tickets purchased after 2004 expire 14 days after first use.

This isn't exactly true anymore - it is true of older tickets, but as of about 3 or so years ago (maybe Feb. 2016), WDW starting issuing "expiration dates" on tickets. And about a year ago (Oct. 2018) nearly all tickets issued are dated -- with a valid start date and use window specific to the number of entitlements on the ticket.

But only if we actually *can* redeem the unused, unexpired tix towards the purchase of new tix when we get there.

Anyone able to confirm this, from experience??

Yes. This is correct. If your tickets are unused but expired, you can trade them in for new tickets. I think it can only be done in-person, though, once the tickets expire. If you have an idea of your new dates, you could modify those tickets now to the new dates (and further adjustment can be done if needed once plans are finalized). You would need to pay the difference between the value of your current tickets (that won't be used) and the price of tickets for the new dates. Doing this will allow you to book FP+ in advance of the future trip. The Ticket Sticky on the Theme Parks Attractions and Strategies board forum has all the details.

Sorry your plans are changing - enjoy what you can salvage of your vacation!

 

[starry_solo]

^^ Where is that quoted from? The Disney website is the only official source I would refer to on such matters. Lots of other websites posts opinions and aren't official Disney policy.

It's what was found here:
https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/faq/tickets/ticket-dates/
Second to the last header of the page, before they ask whether the information was useful.

OP, you should be good. Hopefully you remember what you paid for the original tickets and/or when they were purchased.

 

[TexanInBrazilandBackAgain]

^^ Where is that quoted from? The Disney website is the only official source I would refer to on such matters. Lots of other websites posts opinions and aren't official Disney policy.

Here's the link; I went to the WDW website, put "expired tickets" into the search bar, and if you scroll down, this is what comes up regarding pre-Oct 1018 tickets.
https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/faq/tickets/ticket-dates/

It's what was found here:
https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/faq/tickets/ticket-dates/
Second to the last header of the page, before they ask whether the information was useful.

OP, you should be good. Hopefully you remember what you paid for the original tickets and/or when they were purchased.

Ah, I see you posted the same link; sorry for the duplicate.

Yes, I have the original receipt and all. The original tickets don't actually show an expiration date on them, but when you log into MyExperience, I think that's where it shows it.

 

[lanejudy]

originally planning to go Dec 2018, then bumping to May 2019, then bumped again to Dec 2019

I have the original receipt and all. The original tickets don't actually show an expiration date on them

It sounds like the tickets may have already been upgraded or modified a couple of times since the original purchase. Or are they still older MYW tickets and not date-based?

If they have already been converted to date-based tickets, that original ticket/receipt/purchase date/price/expiration won't really matter. I believe the exchange credit will be equal to the online price as listed for the Dec 2019 dates at the time you bumped them the last time.

But if they are still older MYW tickets, it's still not necessarily the paid-price but the value of the tickets at the time you purchased (or as of Feb. 11, 2017 if purchased prior to that date).

Enjoy your vacation!

 

[_19disnA]

This isn't exactly true anymore -......

Actually, I as just trying to summarize what was on the Disney website and didn't want to re-state the entire policy. Obviously, the OP can call the Disney phone # in my prior post to ask more details on their specific situation.

 

[vinotinto]

What expiration date is showing for your tickets on MDE? And I assume they are stand-alone tickets (not pulled from a package)? If they were purchased a long time ago, they may have a 2030 expiration date. If they were purchased after October 15 2018, they are date_based.

Either way, if they are stand alone tickets, you should be able to pay the difference to upgrade them to new dates. If they are not yet expired, you can select new dates now and pay the difference now. Once they expire, the upgrade may have to be done in person. The only hassles I’ve seen are when the tickets were pulled from a package.

 

[seashoreCM]

As a general rule, Disney has never allowed never-used standard tickets (the kinds purchased from ticket booths) to die outright.

Tickets with hard expiration dates, namely standard tickets sold in 2017 and later, have been allowed to be traded in towards current tickets using a value roughly equal to what Disney originally sold them for, either to a guest or to a wholesaler.

The major significance of hard expiration dates on tickets is to require guests to end up paying approximately the admission cost as of the time of visiting when the tickets were purchased several years ago.

 

[TexanInBrazilandBackAgain]

It sounds like the tickets may have already been upgraded or modified a couple of times since the original purchase. Or are they still older MYW tickets and not date-based?

If they have already been converted to date-based tickets, that original ticket/receipt/purchase date/price/expiration won't really matter. I believe the exchange credit will be equal to the online price as listed for the Dec 2019 dates at the time you bumped them the last time.

But if they are still older MYW tickets, it's still not necessarily the paid-price but the value of the tickets at the time you purchased (or as of Feb. 11, 2017 if purchased prior to that date).

Enjoy your vacation!

So, we've set, cancelled, and reset our dining reservations, fast passes, etc., but the tickets themselves are entirely unaltered, it's just the general "all tix prior to the date system have a first-use date of Dec 31, 2019" issue. They are not the date-based tickets.

And I have no idea how they'll determine the paid price/value of the tix. Makes sense they would base it on "this is what we sold those tix for at that time" and I'm sure they'll know from the code on the tix that they were Undercover Tourist tix, etc. We understand we'll have to pay the difference; makes sense. We were planning to upgrade to a 4 day ticket anyway from a 3 day, so....

Anyway, thanks!

What expiration date is showing for your tickets on MDE? And I assume they are stand-alone tickets (not pulled from a package)? If they were purchased a long time ago, they may have a 2030 expiration date. If they were purchased after October 15 2018, they are date_based.

Either way, if they are stand alone tickets, you should be able to pay the difference to upgrade them to new dates. If they are not yet expired, you can select new dates now and pay the difference now. Once they expire, the upgrade may have to be done in person. The only hassles I’ve seen are when the tickets were pulled from a package.

The MDE info shows first use by Dec 31, 2019; the tix were bought from Undercover Tourist in the last wave of sales before the tix switched to the date-based tix that they have now.

That's a good idea to call and extend/upgrade them now, before they expire, so we can do it via phone rather than waiting until we arrive and doing it in person. I'll have to check with DH if our future dates are firm/decided yet or not, so we can do that. They are stand alone tix; we are not staying on site.

Thanks!

 

[lanejudy]

And I have no idea how they'll determine the paid price/value of the tix.

Value towards upgrade credit is determined by when you bought or last upgraded the ticket. It sounds like you have the last of the non-date-based tickets, likely purchased sometime between Feb-Oct 2018 (with your original plans for a Dec2018 trip)? The link I shared to the Ticket Sticky on the TPAS forum includes links to WDW pricing based on when the ticket was bought -- if my assumptions here are correct, you would use the orange link to locate the value of your tickets:

The latest Ticket price increase: Tuesday, March 12, 2019.

"2019" CURRENT Prices can be found on the WDW ticket page HERE.
--Current 2019 tickets' expiration date: First use must be on or before December 31, 2019.
--Current tickets generally will be purchased and priced based to the specific date(s)
of use chosen by the guest.

"2018" Feb-Oct Prices on an archived Allears page HERE.
--2018 tickets' expiration date: First use must be on or before December 31, 2019.

"2017" Prices (Feb. 12, 2017 thru Feb. 10, 2018) on an archived Allears page HERE.
--2017 tickets' expiration date: First use must be on or before December 31, 2018.

"2016" Prices (Feb. 28, 2016 thru Feb. 11, 2017) on an archived Allears page HERE.
--2016 (and earlier) tickets' do not have a mandated expiration date.

The significance of the FOUR discrete price-level dates above figure into the
"upgrade value" of tickets issued in relation to those dates.

Enjoy your vacation!