upgrading a ticket

[mlwear]

I'm sure hoping this is possible and will be relatively easy. Our family has 1 day base tix with our package, but will need to upgrade only one to a two day park hopper. Can we do this? If so, do we do it at check in or at the park?
TIA

 

[mlwear]

Anyone?

 

[seashoreCM]

Yes, very easy, immediately after getting the tickets at* check in or any time later.

You can do it either at the resort's guest services or a park's guest relations, the latter have windows or booths both inside and outside near the turnstiles.

Two day hoppers are extremely expensive in terms of cost per day. If you are there for 4 to 10 days, consider upgrading the ticket in question to cover the entire vacation and hold off on touching any older leftover passes you were thnking of using up.

*The room does not have to be ready yet.

Disney hints:
http://members.aol.com/ajaynejr/dispass.htm

 

[mlwear]

Thank you very much.

 

[Fionasmommy]

If you booked through a TA, call and upgrade before you go. I tried to upgrade out tix at the resort and we would've had to pay back our advance purchase savings as well as the additional ticket cost.

Some people have posted about having success upgrading tickets at Epcot and only having to pay the difference in the ticket price, but to be safe I'd do it before departing. I confirmed the repayment policy with several CM's at Disney, including the POFQ General Manager, and was told by each that the policy is the same at the parks as well as all resorts - because their computer reads the ticket as a money amount, and their system is only able to charge gate prices. So, basically they see that you paid X, and the gate price for the admission you want to purchase is Y and you have to pay the difference.

If you have no other choice, try Epcot, but I wouldn't be surprised if that stops working soon.

 

[GoldenOldie]

... I confirmed the repayment policy with several CM's at Disney, including the POFQ General Manager, and was told by each that the policy is the same at the parks as well as all resorts - because their computer reads the ticket as a money amount, and their system is only able to charge gate prices. So, basically they see that you paid X, and the gate price for the admission you want to purchase is Y and you have to pay the difference...

The POFQ GM is right as far as it goes but he/she left out one very important step. The step that was left out of the explanation (which is often overlooked when doing the transaction at a resort and often not even known about) is a code transaction that promotes the ticket from the price read to the gate price of the ticket. It's the omission of this step that causes a guest to lose their discount. Guest Relations (all of them) are much more consistent in doing this transaction correctly than the resorts are.

 

[Fionasmommy]

The POFQ GM is right as far as it goes but he/she left out one very important step. The step that was left out of the explanation (which is often overlooked when doing the transaction at a resort and often not even known about) is a code transaction that promotes the ticket from the price read to the gate price of the ticket. It's the omission of this step that causes a guest to lose their discount. Guest Relations (all of them) are much more consistent in doing this transaction correctly than the resorts are.

I had the same problem when I tried to get around the resort by upgrading over the phone. I thought the concierge desk had made a mistake, so I went back to my room and tried to upgrade over the phone through a Disney info line I found in my Birbaum's guide.

When that CM did the transaction, it also came up as around $30 - instead of the $6 price difference. She didn't know what the extra charge was, and I didn't volunteer the information because I was curious to see if the explanation would change. She put me on hold and got her manager to find out why the price was so high, and came back and said that her manager explained that it was because you lose the advance purchase price if you upgrade on site. She agreed with me that it was an outrageous policy, asked where I was staying, and offered to transfer me to the resort GM for further clarification, That's how I ended up getting speaking to the POFQ GM, and getting a third confirmation of the upgrade policy.

Anyway, long story short, it wasn't just the resort that gave me the info, unfortunately. I did ask if I had to repay the fee bacuse I was upgrading at the resort, and was told that they all have the same computers, so it didn't matter. It was our last day, and we had only wanted to spend an hour at MK, so it wasn't worth it for us to go all the way out there and test out that info.

 

[mlwear]

I think I follow what you saying about the discount. I don't think I can upgrade the one ticket only in advance because we had to get identical tickets for the free dining plan.
I am only upgrading one, one day base ticket to a two day park hopper ticket. (MIL is staying with us two days) I don't think there is much of a discount anyway for my situation, is there?

 

[seashoreCM]

(copied from another post)

It remains unknown whether tickets upon being upgraded should result in a loss of advance purchase discount. Maybe only tickets from "official resellers" such as AAA and Ticketmania should keep their advance purchase discounts but still, in pracetice, the results vary all over the map.

Maybe the guest should come right out and say verbatim that the CM "should" (choose one)

"Do a paper upgrade of the ticket to gate price and then compute the upgrade cost to me"

"Do the code transaction that promotes the ticket from the price readout to the gate price"

Disney hints:
http://members.aol.com/ajaynejr/disney.htm

OT:

* When talking to your boss never utter the phrase "you should..."

* When talking to an airline agent never utter the phrase "rule two for tea" except as a direct response to "Who says" or "What rule"