Why is checking remaining days difficult?

[FireDancer]

A Disney CM on the phone has no idea who's calling for the information. Is it the person who originally used the ticket? Is it a friend, family member, acquaintance to whom they passed it? Is the caller someone who bought the ticket from an unauthorized source - eBay, craigslist, the 'we sell and buy theme park tickets' booths outside/inside souvenirs stores?

While it's truly unfortunate the first group has to be inconvenienced, why shoul WDW make it easy or convenient for those in the other categories to find out in advance how many days - if any - remain on nontransferable tickets that were transferred to them?

I think you are missing my point. It doesn't matter who is calling. Whether it is the rightful owner of the ticket, someone who bought it on Craig's list or Ebay, someone who found them lying in the street, someone who bought them illegally from the road side, or anything else. None of that matters until you get to Disney so when any of those people, rightful owner or not, calls Disney should say there are x days on the ticket. If it turns out after they get to the gate that they are anyone other than the rightful owner then you turn them away.

Bottom line: It doesn't matter who calls to check days so tell them. That way if it is the legitimate owner of the ticket they get good customer service and if it is not the legitimate owner it doesn't matter because they can't use them anyway. The person on the phone shouldn't care one iota if the person calling has any right to use the ticket, that isn't the question. The question is how many days are left on them. Full stop. In fact if the caller says flat out I bought these tickets on eBay how many days are left the CM should tell them how many days are on it while also reminding them that they will not be able to use them because they were already used by another guest.

 

[BigMommaMouse]

I am still working off a big stack of tickets that I purchased before the finger scan system. I simply use them as you describe, without putting a finger in the scanner, and they pass through with no questions asked. I don't think any CM has ever asked me for any validation.

Great to know as I this is the assumption I had before today.

I do think it is weird you can give partial used tickets away as gifts, as per the back of the ticket, but how would the recipient know what parks you visited.

 

[dzorn]

Great to know as I this is the assumption I had before today.

I do think it is weird you can give partial used tickets away as gifts, as per the back of the ticket, but how would the recipient know what parks you visited.

Used or partially used tickets are non transferable. Unused tickets can be given away.

Denise in MI

 

[BigMommaMouse]

Used or partially used tickets are non transferable. Unused tickets can be given away.

Denise in MI

Boy my tickets haven't been handled this much in years! Just reread the back as saw the part about used by the same person.

 

[rlduvall]

This is exactly the point of my post. Some people have no problems with their experiences, while others, myself included, have gotten junior deputies intent on solving a crime.

That made me laugh.

In my situation, I could certainly understand her asking about 1 - 2 days usage, but every single stinkin' day was a little overkill. Or, as you state, maybe she was working on her Junior Deputy patch.

 

[seashoreCM]

Come to think of it, once (Ca., 2010 time frame) I was asked what parks I was in on prior days prior to entering a park the next day. I mentioned the park I was in "yesterday" but then added I was in several parks prior. I do not expect to have to remember everything and I do expect to have my ticket honored as purchased.

 

[3Minnies1Mickey]

A person who is a legitimate owner of partially used tickets should be aware of what remains. Disney has their internal control rules in place for good reasons.

THIS!!

Bottom line: It doesn't matter who calls to check days so tell them. That way if it is the legitimate owner of the ticket they get good customer service and if it is not the legitimate owner it doesn't matter because they can't use them anyway. The person on the phone shouldn't care one iota if the person calling has any right to use the ticket, that isn't the question. The question is how many days are left on them. Full stop. In fact if the caller says flat out I bought these tickets on eBay how many days are left the CM should tell them how many days are on it while also reminding them that they will not be able to use them because they were already used by another guest.

1) Having people call in requires manpower, either a call line or talking to CMs directly in ticketing.
2) Phone CMs are notoriously unreliable for giving out accurate information.
3) If you talk to someone directly in a ticketing office its taking these CMs away from guests actually IN Disney that need help in that moment.
4) It may just be easier for Disney to make guests check while in Disney, since realistically they don't need that information until they get there.

 

[NotUrsula]

I think it is natural to assume that if someone calls and asks how many days are left on this ticket, it could be thought of as something less then on the up and up. It is so simple to keep track of...a simple stick-it note attached to the ticket with the number of days remaining, done at the end of a trip is pretty solid

No, that's really not the best way to do it; attaching it to anything is risky because things can get separated, and Disney tickets are things that people WILL handle if they find them stored somewhere. We always have at least 20 tickets around our house, including those stored in the safe, and including several old used-up ones that we let the 4 yo use to "play turnstile". All of our tickets are 10-day + hoppers with no expiration, so messing up the counts is a major mistake. You really have to use a permanent marking system if you are going to reliably keep them straight over the long run.

Here is what I do: I mark the back of each ticket with codes, P for a theme park, and + for a plus value (water parks, etc.). When I buy them I use a Sharpie to put the full number of entries that are included on it, such as P P P P P P P P P P + + + + + + + +, and then each day as we use the tickets, I scribble through the code for that one use.

Be really careful with old ticket stock that must be exchanged, such as the old strip passes with photos, or regular hoppers that were originally used when the holder was a child. If you believe that they have PLUS value on them, ASK about it specifically, because CM's will not initially look that up when they check remaining days, and your remaining admissions might not be properly credited. I once had a CM take off with a ticket at the DAK turnstile when I accidentally pulled out and tried to use one that had had all the theme parks used -- I had to stand there for 20 minutes and INSIST that they dig it back out of the "bad tickets" pile so that I could get it exchanged to keep the value of the water park admissions. There were 6 of them on it; that's around $300 worth of admission value. (They were able to find it because of my marking system.)