Upgrading tickets - Adding a day timing

[dbenesch]

We are headed to USO after Christmas and currently have 3-day park-to-park tickets. Our flight into Orlando arrives earlier than planned, so we are considering adding a 4th day to enjoy the park as soon as we arrive. I know I can easily add a day to my tickets, but my question is about timing. When I called to upgrade my tickets, it cost over $450 to add a 4th day for the five of us (my tickets were bought 18 months ago at a great discount), which I can't quite justify. However, I saw some posts from several years ago saying that if we use the tickets first, we will get credited "full gate value" and would then be able to add a 4th day for $10-20 a person (vs. $90 now). Can anyone confirm this? Thank you in advance.

 

[ruthies12]

I can confirm that it used to be this way as recently as 2021. Hopefully someone who has been more recently can answer. If you don't get confirmation from anyone here, then your best bet would be to have one of you enter the gate and see how much it is to upgrade that one ticket at the guest services desk just inside (there is one inside each park just inside the gate). If it is a price you can live with then the rest of your party can enter and you can upgrade everyone's tickets. If it's not a price you like, then you aren't out as much money since you only had to upgrade one ticket. go hang at the pool or do something in city walk and wait until the next day for everyone else to enter. Good luck!!

 

[ruthies12]

And if you have time when you get back I would love to hear about your experience! I am planning something similar for my Jan 13th trip, going to upgrade my ticket to a seasonal pass for sure and if isn't too much money then I will upgrade my family's tickets as well.

 

[dbenesch]

I can confirm that it used to be this way as recently as 2021. Hopefully someone who has been more recently can answer. If you don't get confirmation from anyone here, then your best bet would be to have one of you enter the gate and see how much it is to upgrade that one ticket at the guest services desk just inside (there is one inside each park just inside the gate). If it is a price you can live with then the rest of your party can enter and you can upgrade everyone's tickets. If it's not a price you like, then you aren't out as much money since you only had to upgrade one ticket. go hang at the pool or do something in city walk and wait until the next day for everyone else to enter. Good luck!!

Ooo... thanks for the idea! I'm disappointed that I didn't think of only upgrading one ticket at first, but it's a great 3rd option. We were planning on just hanging out at the pool, but it's going to be a high of only 53° so I've been looking at alternatives. Hollywood Mini Golf is an option, but I don't think it will occupy too much of my kids interest. I'll let you know how it goes. Thanks again!

 

[ruthies12]

And if you end up having to go with that option of upgrading one ticket and then you do end up having everyone else enter, remember that you don't have to do all the upgrades that day. You can go ahead and make the best use of your time in the park that day and worry about getting everyone elses upgrades done the next day when you have a full day. The best place to do the rest of the upgrades is the Hogsmeade station customer service desk, they almost never have a line and you can be upgrading the tickets while everyone else is grabbing a butterbeer.

yes 53 is a tad chilly lol. Don't forget the escape rooms and the movie theater in citywalk and I think all the onsite hotels have arcades depending on where you are staying. And cabana bay has a bowling alley too I think

 

[SCSabresfan]

Aren't the tickets date specific? Most of the individual (non AP) tickets usually require you to select a start date when purchased. The tickets then have to be used within a 7-day window starting on that date. I don't know if you would be allowed to enter the part the day before your start date. Somebody please correct me if I am wrong.

 

[ruthies12]

@SCSabresfan depends on what type of tickets she bought, not all of them are date specific. You can get non-date specific ones. It is called a flexible ticket and is usually a little pricier than a dated one.

 

[dbenesch]

Aren't the tickets date specific? Most of the individual (non AP) tickets usually require you to select a start date when purchased. The tickets then have to be used within a 7-day window starting on that date. I don't know if you would be allowed to enter the part the day before your start date. Somebody please correct me if I am wrong.

You are correct. Our tickets are date-specific, but our selected first day is the day we arrive so we will be able to enter. They are good for six calendar days and we are staying four nights, so it covers the entire span of our trip.