Smart idea? Buying tickets 3 years in advance

[Seoulbro]

Hello all,

I'm Canadian and right now Disney has a deal for us; 25% off 4 day or more tickets. I can add park hoppers and the water park and more option (the water park option is only 19.50/ticket!). I was planning on but 4 seven day tickets with the options. With the exchange, it costs the same as if the were regular tickets with an at par dollar.

My question is, knowing we will be going in 2019-2020, or around those times, is this a good investment? Will Disney honour the tickets (they don't expire) if ticket structure changes? Knowing new worlds will be added, I'm assuming prices will only rise. Am I thinking too much or should I jump at this opportunity? Any input would be greatly appreciated.

 

[powellrj]

I wouldn't want to tie up that much money for that long, but I know it wouldn't bother many people. I feel too much could happen between now and then to take a chance.

 

[22Tink]

I don't think I'd take the chance buying them that far in advance. I agree with the pp that there's too much that could happen in that time span.

 

[Seoulbro]

When you are saying too much could happen, do you mean on my end or Disney's end. Im fine with it on my end, and with tickets always increasing and rumours or doing away with water park options, what could happen on Disney's end that would make this a not so great deal? I am always reading about people using passes from 15-20 years ago and gaining entry.

 

[marchingstar]

Fellow Canadian here. No one can know exactly what's going to happen with ticket pricing in the next couple of years--I can't imagine a way your tickets will become unusable, but if Disney keeps heading towards tiered pricing (I'm not sure if this is still considered likely. I've been away from the boards for a while!) it might mean you can only use them during off-peak times or some other limitation? I know the discounted tickets never expire (I myself just ordered a couple through air miles even though I'm not sure when we'll use them), there just might be new restrictions on when you can use them under a new ticket system.

I noticed an entire thread about these discount tickets over in the Canadian threads--it might be worth taking a peek there to see if folks with lots of knowledge of the tickets suggest buying that far in advance.

 

[Jen and Ashwin]

When you are saying too much could happen, do you mean on my end or Disney's end. Im fine with it on my end, and with tickets always increasing and rumours or doing away with water park options, what could happen on Disney's end that would make this a not so great deal? I am always reading about people using passes from 15-20 years ago and gaining entry.

Are you sure they are non-expiring tickets? From my understanding, Disney changed tickets so that they now expire. Once expired, you are able to apply the value of that ticket towards a new ticket at current cost in 2019-2020. So you would save 25% on the value now, but if tickets increase by $100 between 2017 and 2019, then you would have to make up that difference in cost.

That is my understanding, but others may know more.

 

[Seoulbro]

This is straight from the website: The best part? You can use these discounted tickets at any time during 2016, 2017 and beyond—they won’t expire!

Doesn't Disney honour the existing conditions of the tickets. For example, if they are for use anytime, wouldn't it be the same in the future?

 

[cvjw]

Buy them if you have the discretionary income. Disney will either honor them as is, or give you a credit of what you paid for them towards another ticket.

I have some tickets right now that are over 10 years old. At one point, I had 10 seven day park hoppers and 12 ten day non expiring park hoppers. All unused. I have used part of them since buying them, but still have some unused. I will get around to using the no expiration tickets, but it will be many years!

I have not worried a bit that Disney would not honor any of the tickets!

 

[Pooh2]

We have some vouchers for Annual Passes that we purchase about 5 years ago and probably will not use them for until 2019 so we are with you hoping that it all goes well! The price has gone up significantly since we purchased.

 

[Seoulbro]

Buy them if you have the discretionary income. Disney will either honor them as is, or give you a credit of what you paid for them towards another ticket.

I have some tickets right now that are over 10 years old. At one point, I had 10 seven day park hoppers and 12 ten day non expiring park hoppers. All unused. I have used part of them since buying them, but still have some unused. I will get around to using the no expiration tickets, but it will be many years!

I have not worried a bit that Disney would not honor any of the tickets!

THanks!

 

[Jen and Ashwin]

This is straight from the website: The best part? You can use these discounted tickets at any time during 2016, 2017 and beyond—they won’t expire!

Doesn't Disney honour the existing conditions of the tickets. For example, if they are for use anytime, wouldn't it be the same in the future?

Can you link the website. What I found doesn't say anything about expiration. But it does say you need to show a Canadian passport. If these are in fact non-expiring tickets, I might buy one for my husband since he is a Canadian citizen. We don't plan to go back until 2019, but it would be nice to save a bit and head off the price increase, at least on one ticket.

 

[Seoulbro]

Can you link the website. What I found doesn't say anything about expiration. But it does say you need to show a Canadian passport. If these are in fact non-expiring tickets, I might buy one for my husband since he is a Canadian citizen. We don't plan to go back until 2019, but it would be nice to save a bit and head off the price increase, at least on one ticket.

https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/special-offers/multi-day-tickets/

I think you might need to be in Canada to see that offer, it always comes up first when you go to the Disney site.

 

[Jen and Ashwin]

So after reading through all of the details, I don't think I will actually buy this ticket. You have to pick it up at a Will Call window with your Canadian passport. The passport isn't the problem, but rather the fact that we wouldn't be able to make any fastpass reservations at the 60-day mark because my husband wouldn't have a ticket until the day we arrive.

 

[Seoulbro]

So after reading through all of the details, I don't think I will actually buy this ticket. You have to pick it up at a Will Call window with your Canadian passport. The passport isn't the problem, but rather the fact that we wouldn't be able to make any fastpass reservations at the 60-day mark because my husband wouldn't have a ticket until the day we arrive.

YOu can make them 60 days before. It will be linked to your account once you buy it. Check out the the thread in the Canadian section, all your answers are there.

 

[supersnoop]

Are you sure they are non-expiring tickets? From my understanding, Disney changed tickets so that they now expire. Once expired, you are able to apply the value of that ticket towards a new ticket at current cost in 2019-2020. So you would save 25% on the value now, but if tickets increase by $100 between 2017 and 2019, then you would have to make up that difference in cost.

That is my understanding, but others may know more.

Tickets don't expire until you start to use them (except for certain 1-day tickets). Most tickets expire 14 days after you first use them. The no-expiration option was completely different. It eliminated the 14-day expiration. With the no-expiration option, you could use a 10-day ticket as if it were a book of 1-day tickets over many, many years. The term was, apparently, too confusing, which is why they first removed the option from the price list, and eventually discontinued the tickets.

 

[Sparkly]

Tickets don't expire until you start to use them (except for certain 1-day tickets). Most tickets expire 14 days after you first use them. The no-expiration option was completely different. It eliminated the 14-day expiration. With the no-expiration option, you could use a 10-day ticket as if it were a book of 1-day tickets over many, many years. The term was, apparently, too confusing, which is why they first removed the option from the price list, and eventually discontinued the tickets.

Yeah that was what I was going to say, I didn't think they expired until you actually began using them. So theoretically you could buy a ticket now and begin using it in 2019, but would you want to? What if you decide you don't want to go to Disney, or something happens and the money is better used elsewhere- new car, emergency bills?

 

[tzeitel]

I bought WDW tickets 3 years in advance once since I found a great deal on Orbitz going through Ebates. I had no problems using them and saved us a nice chunk of money. Would totally do it again if I found a great deal - we are focusing more on DLR atm but I know we will go to WDW at one point in the next few years.

 

[Jen and Ashwin]

Yeah that was what I was going to say, I didn't think they expired until you actually began using them. So theoretically you could buy a ticket now and begin using it in 2019, but would you want to? What if you decide you don't want to go to Disney, or something happens and the money is better used elsewhere- new car, emergency bills?

We are DVC members, so we will definitely be going back. That isn't really the issue.