Tickets and Annual Pass Questions - Please add your ticket questions to this thread

[Robo]

I've seen some threads from last year indicating that a price increase took place in February, and that increases in prior years have also taken place during this month.

Assuming the same happens again in 2017, how much advance notice does Disney typically provide (if any) before the increase goes into effect?

The "notice" (if you can call it that) is about two days in advance.
They announce the increase to their ticket CMs on a Friday, with the actual
price change going into effect on Sunday, two days later.

There is not a long history of the increases coming in any particular month.
In the last 2-3 years, it has come in Feb.
It very well might come in Feb. again this year, but when you have been around these things for a long as I (and many others have been,) it would come as no surprise to see the increase come at some other time of year.

Stay tuned to this board.
It will "light up" if and when the increase info becomes known.

 

[sb74]

Understood, and thanks. So regardless of whether the next price increase takes place in February or later this year, Disney will likely provide at least two days' notice, because they've never (in your recollection) implemented one without any advance notice whatsoever?

 

[Robo]

Understood, and thanks. So regardless of whether the next price increase takes place in February or later this year, Disney will likely provide at least two days' notice, because they've never (in your recollection) implemented one without any advance notice whatsoever?

Correct.
They have to give their ticket employees the new info that they need to be able to sell tickets.

ALSO... It is valuable to know that even after a ticket increase has gone into effect, many of the ticket resellers (discounters) will still have a certain stock of tickets at the pre-increase price.
So, guests would generally have an opportunity to buy some of those tickets for awhile following a price increase.

Lastly, the increases, when they do come, are not usually "staggeringly high" in relation to the pre-increase price.

 

[Fladis32]

Please know that I'm a little confused going in. Ok. I have 4 day park hoppers as part of my whole stay/dining package. I am considering upgrading them to AP. Can I upgrade them at the hotel or do I have to go to Guest Services? Also, how can I get my annual pass clock to start on the last day of our trip?

 

[ravenclawtrekkie]

Please know that I'm a little confused going in. Ok. I have 4 day park hoppers as part of my whole stay/dining package. I am considering upgrading them to AP. Can I upgrade them at the hotel or do I have to go to Guest Services? Also, how can I get my annual pass clock to start on the last day of our trip?

Resorts can't do annual pass transactions as far as I know.

If you upgrade a used ticket to an AP, the AP will start the first day you used the original ticket. There's no way around that other than hoping the CM who does the upgrade is bad at their job and gives you a year from the upgrade even though they aren't supposed to.

 

[prmatz]

Can I exchange my annual pass voucher for the actual pass at the resort (CBR)? Or do I need to do this at the park, or guest relations at Disney Springs?

Trying to figure out logistics of what is easiest/most convenient when arriving at the resort mid-afternoon, and having an 8:00 a.m.m dining reservation in the park the following morning.

 

[Robo]

1. Can I exchange my annual pass voucher for the actual pass at the resort (CBR)?

2. Or do I need to do this at the park, or guest relations at Disney Springs?

Trying to figure out logistics of what is easiest/most convenient when arriving at the resort mid-afternoon, and
3. having an 8:00 a.m.m dining reservation in the park the following morning.

1. Nope.
2. Yes.
3. Guest Relations outside the parks opens 90 minutes before "regular" opening time.
(or 30 min. before AM EMH opening time.)
So for a 9AM opening day, you can go to the GR window at about 7:30AM.

Otherwise, you can go to a park or DS on the afternoon or evening before
and do the activation then.
No need to go inside a park...
but you COULD do that as soon as you've activated the AP...
and just have a snack and/or "look around" a bit, just for fun.
(You have an AP, after all.)

 

[LSUfan4444]

I didn't even consider Ap price increases when we decided up upgrade to APs for our trip in May.

We've already purchased 7 day hoppers (4 days + 3 free) and have them linked to MDX.

We paid $1236 (two adults and one child).

Cost through Disney now is $1297.

So if I am understanding correctly, if we upgrade after we've entered the park for the first time they will apply the current (WDW) cost of our tickets to the cost of the AP ($1297 rather then $1236) but if we upgrade before we enter (and before a price increase) then we just pay the difference between what we actually paid for the tix ($1236) and the actual cost of the APs, correct?

So, if the increase is more than $61 I would come out ahead upgrading before the price increase rather than waiting to bridge inside the park?

 

[Robo]

I didn't even consider Ap price increases when we decided up upgrade to APs for our trip in May.

We've already purchased 7 day hoppers (4 days + 3 free) and have them linked to MDX.

We paid $1236 (two adults and one child).
Cost through Disney now is $1297.

So if I am understanding correctly,
1. if we upgrade after we've entered the park for the first time they will apply the current (WDW) cost of our tickets to the cost of the AP ($1297 rather then $1236)
2. but if we upgrade before we enter (and before a price increase) then we just pay the difference between what we actually paid for the tix ($1236) and the actual cost of the APs, correct?

3. So, if the increase is more than $61 I would come out ahead upgrading before the price increase rather than waiting to bridge inside the park?

1. You do not need to wait to upgrade until after you have entered a park or used a ticket.
2. Nope. No difference.
(I know that info was widely posted on this board for years. Ignore it.)
The DIFFERENCE comes in FROM WHOM and HOW you purchased your tickets.

A. If you purchased from an authorized ticket reseller (discounter,) -or- if you bought the tickets as part of a WDW Resort PACKAGE, you WILL get the current gate price value for tickets purchased at a lower cost (after a price increase.)

B. If you purchased on-line or over the phone DIRECTLY from WDW, you will NOT get the current gate price value for tickets purchased at a lower cost (after a price increase.)


3. The only consideration is the currently "unknown factor" of how much is the actual ticket price increase vs. the AP price increase.

We, as yet, don't know the what, when, if of any increase.

 

[LSUfan4444]

We purchased our tix from Undercover Tourist online. So there is no benefit to waiting to upgrade to APs then?

 

[Robo]

We purchased our tix from Undercover Tourist online. So there is no benefit to waiting to upgrade to APs then?

You WILL get the current gate value when you do the upgrade. (Assuming the CM knows what (s)he's doing.)
You, of course, must wait to do the upgrade until you are at WDW, but you don't need to go into a park before
you do the upgrade. (But you CAN, if you like.) Same price either way.

 

[LSUfan4444]

Ah...I got ya. The bridging just has to be done AT WDW. That makes sense.

SO Basically I just need to see what gives me the better return. Upgrading before our trip (once I see what the AP increase is, if there is even one, etc) OR bridging once we get to WDW.

Thanks!

 

[Robo]

Ah...I got ya. The bridging just has to be done AT WDW. That makes sense.

SO Basically I just need to see what gives me the better return. Upgrading before our trip (once I see what the AP increase is, if there is even one, etc) OR bridging once we get to WDW.

Thanks!

Close.
But, you don't have a choice.
You cannot upgrade a 'stand-alone' ticket (especially a reseller's ticket) except in-person at WDW.

 

[Shandy1121]

Quick question...I never usually buy tickets by themselves through Disney on line. This year's a little different. We are staying off property and I'm getting the Florida resident 3 day base park tickets for $139. They are mailing them to me in about 2 weeks. What will I be getting in the mail? Paper tickets? Plastic card tickets? Some sort of paper to get them at will call? Just not sure as I've never had them mailed to me and with me not staying in property I know it won't be the magic bands.

 

[Robo]

What will I be getting in the mail?
1. Paper tickets?
2. Plastic card tickets?
3. Some sort of paper to get them at will call?
4. Just not sure as I've never had them mailed to me and with me not staying in property
5. I know it won't be the magic bands.

1. There are no longer any paper tickets issued at WDW.
2. If these are actual tickets, then yes. With built-in RFID tech, so they will work at the gates and for FP+.
3.& 4. I have no way of knowing what you actually ordered.

5. But, if you have older MB's, you can add these new ticket numbers to your current MDE account and
you can use your older MBs at WDW, just like before.
Your older MBs, even if their internal batteries are dead (from being over 3 years old, or so)
will still work just fine at the park gates and for FP+.

 

[cooperams]

Not sure if this is the right place for this question: planning on upgrading MYW tickets to AP upon arrival. Can I still get AP room rates if I can't upgrade until I'm on property? Would it make a difference if I went to customer service at the parks to upgrade before checking into the resort, or is this impossible to do?

 

[Robo]

Not sure if this is the right place for this question: planning on upgrading MYW tickets to AP upon arrival. 1. Can I still get AP room rates if I can't upgrade until I'm on property?
2. Would it make a difference if I went to customer service at the parks to upgrade before checking into the resort, or is this impossible to do?

1. There is no need to own or to even have ordered an AP in order to BOOK an AP Room.
2. No. (You can certainly do that, but there's no need.)

Since nearly everyone is now using "On-line Check-in" (and if not, why not?)
your MDE files will show if and when you do get the AP, so there's little need (if any)
to actually "show" anyone at the resort that you bought an AP.
As long as you do so that trip, you'll be just fine.

 

[cooperams]

great! Thank you for the quick response!

 

[SDSorority]

Is it possible or impossible to do a ticket upgrade by calling Disney before our trip? We have a 1-day ticket on our account and want to upgrade it to a Disney After Hours event ticket. I know we wouldn't NEED to do this ahead of time since there are no fastpasses or anything that are needed, but we like to have things done in advance.

 

[Robo]

Is it possible or impossible to do a ticket upgrade by calling Disney before our trip? We have a 1-day ticket on our account and want to upgrade it to a Disney After Hours event ticket. I know we wouldn't NEED to do this ahead of time since there are no fastpasses or anything that are needed, but we like to have things done in advance.

Is this a "stand-alone" ticket?
When, how, and from whom did you buy it?