Why is checking remaining days difficult?

[kaytieeldr]

And Disney should keep the unpurchased tickets under lock and key because it is inventory

It's got nothing to do with stolen inventory. These are tickets that people buy, use some (or all ) the days, then either hand them off to friends, or get a few dollars for them from the souvenir booths along 192 and I Drive, or sell on eBay...

If I want to call and see how many days I have left on my ticket which I paid for they should tell me with no questions asked.

But how, on the phone, does Walt Disney World know you're the original buyer or user of the ticket? With park admission being nontransferable (different from being a gift) and the vast number of unauthorized ticket resellers, they're simply trying to protect both their product and their guests.

 

[FireDancer]

But how, on the phone, does Walt Disney World know you're the original buyer or user of the ticket? With park admission being nontransferable (different from being a gift) and the vast number of unauthorized ticket resellers, they're simply trying to protect both their product and their guests.

They don't have to. They answer how many days are left on the ticket assuming that I, their customer, am not a thief. The time to verify I am the rightful owner is at the turnstile, not on the phone.

Someone buying unused tickets doesn't cost Disney anything, someone using those tickets to get into the parks is what costs them money.

 

[kaytieeldr]

Someone buying unused tickets doesn't cost Disney anything, someone using those tickets to get into the parks is what costs them money.

People buying unused tickets generally don't have any need to determine how many days are left on those tickets. What Walt Disney World is trying to prevent is the sale, trade, use, etc., of partially used tickets - use by anyone other than the person/s who used them originally, and sale or trade by anyone not specifically authorized by Disney. Again, WDW tickets are nontransferable and can't be sold by anyone at any point in their use cycle, except by authorized ticket resellers and completely unused. They can, though, be bought by one person for another as a gift.

True, many people - like those in this thread - are innocently trying to find out how many days remain on tickets they have always possessed. It stinks that those guests get treated with suspicion because of the ones trying to beat the system.

 

[FireDancer]

People buying unused tickets generally don't have any need to determine how many days are left on those tickets. What Walt Disney World is trying to prevent is the sale, trade, use, etc., of partially used tickets - use by anyone other than the person/s who used them originally, and sale or trade by anyone not specifically authorized by Disney. Again, WDW tickets are nontransferable and can't be sold by anyone at any point in their use cycle, except by authorized ticket resellers and completely unused. They can, though, be bought by one person for another as a gift.

I get all that. It still doesn't mater if the tickets are rightfully mine or not when I call, it only maters when I show up at the gate. Answer the question over the phone and don't worry about whether the ticket was resold partially used until they get to the gate. Disney isn't out anything until the person uses the ticket to get into the park anyway.

I know the rules about partially used tickets, I don't need a lecture. Those rules don't mater until you try and use them so Disney doesn't need to worry about it until then.

 

[Mamu]

When we were there in September, I had some old tickets going back to 99 which still had water park passes on them, plus some tickets to the park from the early 2000. Guest Services gave us no trouble looking up what was left on each ticket.

My children and Grandchildren used some of the water park tickets. Another DD used the old park tickets, but she used one ticket in the morning then another ticket in the evening. The next day she went to GS and they looked up the previous days ticket use and saw she had used 2 different tickets on one day and issued her a new ticket. They were very nice about the whole situation.

Some years back when Grandson was 13 he insisted on carrying his own ticket, well naturally he lost the ticket, having left the receipt at home I had no proof of purchase. Called when I got home and was told I had to do it in person at GS, but I'm not returning for a year. One year later took the receipt to GS, they looked up the ticket and found there were still day on it and issued me a new ticket. I do understand with all the fraud that going on today why this has to be done in person.

In all my trials and tribulations Guest Services have always been more then willing to help and always with a smile.

 

[Cheshire Figment]

I have worked tickets/Guest Relations for Disney for almost six years. I have been involved, from time to time, in catching people involved with ticket fraud. Because of the way Disney front-loads prices it hurts Disney's "bottom line" when partially used tickets are sold. Disney has security measures in place to prevent fraud.

I am a retired CPA with lots of Internal Audit experience and also over ten years as, among other duties, The Security Officer for the Central Accounting System of the Federal Courts. I see where Disney needs these rules in place and they are effective.

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.

 

[kaytieeldr]

Those rules don't mater until you try and use them

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?

 

[BigMommaMouse]

I have 4 tickets from 2004 with 2 water park days left. This is before the finger tag system was used. How would I prove they are mine other then having them in my possession?

 

[chartle]

I have 4 tickets from 2004 with 2 water park days left. This is before the finger tag system was used. How would I prove they are mine other then having them in my possession?

By telling the CM their usage history.

 

[DianeV]

OMG these are Disney tickets we are talking about. Not gold. I understand there is fraud but geez dont turn off customers in the process. It used to be tickets were good forever. That means there are going to be some people who arent sure if they have days left. Dont treat them like a criminal and yes I have had it happen to me too. The whole third degree thing. It is ridiculous

 

[BigMommaMouse]

By telling the CM their usage history.

Thanks for your reply. Honestly over 7 years ago... the only thing I remember is that I used my theme park days. I could not say what the last park we visited was.

I assumed until this thread I would be able to insert them at the turnstile and have them honoured under the condition as they were sold to me, with no expiration date.

 

[chartle]

OMG these are Disney tickets we are talking about. Not gold.

They kind of are gold, gold is money, Disney likes money.

Why shouldn't Disney do everything to protect their livelihood? A 1% drop in profits due to legal ticket selling is like 50 bazzilion dollars.

 

[chartle]

Thanks for your reply. Honestly over 7 years ago... the only thing I remember is that I used my theme park days. I could not say what the last park we visited was.

I assumed until this thread I would be able to insert them at the turnstile and have them honoured under the condition as they were sold to me, with no expiration date.

And they will 99.9999% of the time.

 

[BigMommaMouse]

And they will 99.9999% of the time.

Your Awesome thanks. As I wrote on them how many days left I am positive about that. I will skip the whole GR experience.

 

[goofyernmost]

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. If you don't know that and you own the ticket the first thing that happens is they wonder...how come they don't know when they used their tickets. This brings in the concern that someone is buying tickets from e-bay or the like. If you cannot find out over the phone you would be less likely to purchase an unknown.

More than once I have seen people turned away at the gate because they "were sure" that there were days left on the ticket. That's a red flag no matter what business you are in.

I have never "traded in" my old tickets I just use them until they are used up. No matter how old they are. No one has ever stopped me yet, although some have commented on how they hadn't seen a ticket that looked like that for a long time.

It's also for your protection, it makes them a lot less valuable for someone to steal from you. It may be worth 10 days or it might be a worthless piece of paper or plastic. Not worth the effort and if the only way they can find out if it's any good or not is to show up in person and show ID. Well...score!

 

[chartle]

Your Awesome thanks. As I wrote on them how many days left I am positive about that. I will skip the whole GR experience.

Just so you know I am not a ticketing authority nor play one on TV.

 

[rlduvall]

I had some non-expire tickets in our travel folder at home that I thought were fully used. However, because they had the water parks and more option, I wasn't sure if everything had been used.

Knowing this, I brought them with us on our recent vacation and asked that they be checked at Guest Services at DTD.

I'm curious as to who helped you at DTD. I ask because December of 2010, I went to DTD Guest Services because I was thinking about upgrading my ticket to an Annual Pass. I have done this often at DTD using an Undercover Tourist pass - who is an authorized ticket broker for Disney. I have NEVER had any trouble. Guest Services was very busy and when I was next, a new CM came on-line to help with the back log of people and she didn't look happy to be there. The lady took my ticket, looked it over front and back suspiciously and demanded to know where I got the ticket. I told her nicely and that they were authorized to sell tickets to the public.

Apparently, she wasn't satisfied with my response. She then made me tell her every park I had visited for the prior 7 days - every park for 7 days in front of all the other guests!!!! It humilated me beyond belief . . . that by the time she told me the price difference with my DVC discount I just said, "No thanks." Of course, then I decided to go again this summer, so all I did was hurt myself.

 

[cigar95]

Thanks for your reply. Honestly over 7 years ago... the only thing I remember is that I used my theme park days. I could not say what the last park we visited was.

I assumed until this thread I would be able to insert them at the turnstile and have them honoured under the condition as they were sold to me, with no expiration date.

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.

 

[dtauer]

I'm curious as to who helped you at DTD. The lady took my ticket, looked it over front and back suspicously and demanded to know where I got the ticket.

Apparently, she wasn't satisfied with my response. She then made me tell her every park I had visited for the prior 7 days - every park for 7 days in front of all the other guests!!!! It humilated me beyond belief . . . that by the time she told me the price difference with my DVC discount I just said, "No thanks."

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.

My point is that for 4 of us the tickets cost over $2,000. They are completely legitimate and that is a good chunk of money. Please treat me like the good customer I am. A simple "we have some problems with fraud, so I could I please see some id" would have had me walking away with a completely different attitude than "these tickets are several years old, you'll need id for me to even help you" that I received.

Obviously some have good experiences, but a quick note to the people that do the checking to lighten up a little would go a long way toward customer satisfaction.

I understand why they need to be careful, I don't understand the presumed guilt tactic used by a couple of the cast members mentioned here.

 

[CookieDiva]

OMG these are Disney tickets we are talking about. Not gold. I understand there is fraud but geez dont turn off customers in the process. It used to be tickets were good forever. That means there are going to be some people who arent sure if they have days left. Dont treat them like a criminal and yes I have had it happen to me too. The whole third degree thing. It is ridiculous

We have tickets that go back to the early 2000's or perhaps even the late 1990s. Have only used them partially for a variety of reasons. I love WDW and like to think that I can remember EVERY DAY that I spent(d) there, but I can guarantee you that I will NOT remember what park I was at on what days over 10 years ago. The best that I can do MAYBE is to remember what dates I might have been there. MAYBE.

I know that I need to simply just get rid of completely used tickets, but there is a sentimental attachment. And God forbid that I accidentally throw away a ticket that might still have a day left on it! I guess I should just bite the bullet, deal with the suspicious attitude and have all of our tickets rescanned and put all of the completely used tickets FAR AWAY from any that still have days left on them. And pray that we match those tickets that have days on them up with the right person who used them originally.