New ticket system coming to WDW - Begins October 16th

[gratefulfred]

They are going to need to double the size of the guest relations buildings at all the entrances. Plans change and people are going to need to change the dates of those tickets.

 

[GillianP1301]

I know why everyone is upset. This is harder to control and much less flexible. But keep in mind, most people don't buy tickets in advance to store on their MDE for a future trip. And most people, when they do buy their tickets, do so knowing their vacation dates. This will only hurt the people that buy the packages and have an AP or the people who stock up on tickets.

For me, even though we're off site, I already know my dates. My only question is whether there's a chance at a cheaper deal if I wait to buy tickets or if they will go up for me. Currently, the dates I'm planning are listed as value and regular dates.

I think that line is the key and I totally agree. I have no data to back this up, but I'm pretty sure a very large majority of visitors to WDW know the dates they are going to be there and book their package to those dates and use the tickets in their package for those dates. For that majority of people, this change is really not that big of a deal. I personally fall into the majority bucket. We go the same time each year, I have never changed my dates after booking and I buy a 10 day ticket. Even with the change, that same 10 day ticket will continue to remain valid for 14 days, so I literally will have no impact other than any price increase, which happens every year anyway.

What we don't know yet, but info is pointing to it not being in their favour to AP holders who book packages and save tickets for a later date or split stay people who will need to pay a premium to extend their tickets through the 2nd part of their split stay. I feel for those of you in those categories because this change will definitely require you to rethink how you are booking your vacations at WDW.

 

[OrangeCountyCommuter]

Didn’t I read somewhere that the tickets can still be used at a later than chosen date but you may have to pay an increase for that date (And not get a refund if it happens to be a cheaper time)? They just expire sooner than 14 days now if you do use it on a non-package trip.

What I am reading seems to indicate that tickets tied to a package deal expire when the package does. So if your package is December 1-5th on the 5th the tickets go "poof"

 

[Jon84]

UK Ticket sites like ATD already have prices for 2019 tickets, so I assume they are still going to be selling 14 and 21 day tickets to some markets

 

[Tink's Pixieduster]

Are the aaa tickets on the website priced diff than the local stores?

The answer may depend on the region you're in. Where I live, the discount is applied in local stores. At my local AAA, the current price difference for 6-day PH was only about $4 more than the price at UCT, and $43 less than purchasing through Disney.

 

[meremac]

So, if you wanted to go on a cruise in between your stay, you don't have the days to save those tickets. Right now, I could buy a 4 day ticket that's good for 14 days, do 2 days at the parks, then cruise for 7 days and come back to use my remaining 2 days at the parks. It doesn't sound like this will be possible anymore.

THIS. We have a cruise booked for November 2019. The plan was to 1) Book a WDW package with with an arrival date of 1-2 days before our cruise and to add 3-day park tickets to the package. 2) Book a 1-2 night room-only stay for after our cruise. 3) Use 1-2 days of tickets before the cruise, and use 1-2 days of tickets after the cruise. We can't confirm our exact travel dates for a few months due to work schedules, so I won't be able to book this until after the new ticket policy takes effect.

So our new plan is to not go to WDW at all before the cruise. Stay near the port and do the Space Center. Then MAYBE go to WDW for one day after the cruise if SWGE is open. If not, we'll just go to the beach or Universal instead. In other words, a cruise guest who was planning to spend a total of 3 days in the parks is now spending, at most, 1 day. I'm not sure they thought through the logistics of this for cruise folks.

 

[hiroMYhero]

split stay people who will need to pay a premium to extend their tickets through the 2nd part of their split stay.

Those with Split Stays wouldn’t necessarily need to pay a premium if their ‘valid ticket time span’ covers both stays. The checkout day of Stay#1 won’t affect a lengthy ticket with a time span that is still valid through Stay#2 or #3.

 

[TheyCallMeStacey]

For me, even though we're off site, I already know my dates. My only question is whether there's a chance at a cheaper deal if I wait to buy tickets or if they will go up for me. Currently, the dates I'm planning are listed as value and regular dates.

This is me exactly, I was going to purchase tickets for our May trip in January, but might have to pull the trigger. I'm nervous that there will be a significant price increase now.

 

[hiroMYhero]

What I am reading seems to indicate that tickets tied to a package deal expire when the package does. So if your package is December 1-5th on the 5th the tickets go "poof"

There’s alway the option to convert or upgrade those tickets to “Flexible” tickets to use at a later date.

 

[MommaBerd]

I wonder if Disney won’t have some various “Land & Sea” packages for you cruisers...but I know that not everyone who does the pre- and post-cruise visits stay on property.

 

[KenHutch]

Well I admit I was having trouble figuring this out so I asked one of the forensic accountants to take a look at the article and get his opinion. He said about a year after this starts when Disney has enough data he hopes that Mickey Mouse is there to kiss us during certain times because anyone who get screwed that badly should at least get a kiss. He "thinks" that when they have enough data some dates will get actually save money but on a lot of dates they will set the price way way up.

 

[meremac]

I wonder if Disney won’t have some various “Land & Sea” packages for you cruisers...but I know that not everyone who does the pre- and post-cruise visits stay on property.

I hope so. If people are staying on Disney property and going on a Disney Cruise, I feel like they should be able to use their park tickets both right before and right after the cruise without having to pay more.

 

[StacyStrong]

The Disney video if you watch it shows same cost of $85 per day all 4 days ....

"$85" per day ... Disney video says it is per day and = $338.13 plus $21.98 tax = $360.11.

Which is less than tickets are now at $404.70 .......... hmmm, does this mean there will be more on the higher end or that we haven't seen the worse start days during peak times yet in the samples? No way they are actually reducing ticket prices overall.

So if it does reduce for more days as the graphic shows .... it must not start until after day 4.



Oh and the video also has a disclaimer that ... "Prices shown do not reflect actual pricing ..."

So will the start date prices be higher, lower .....

Yeah I have no idea. Maybe 85 was the reduced price in the sample? Either way I'm not relying on those numbers because of the disclaimer like you mentioned.

It's just good to know that they will still lower cost the longer you stay.

 

[GillianP1301]

Those with Split Stays wouldn’t necessarily need to pay a premium if their ‘valid ticket time span’ covers both stays. The checkout day of Stay#1 won’t affect a lengthy ticket with a time span that is still valid through Stay#2 or #3.

True. I was thinking more about those who have something like a 4 night stay at resort 1 followed by 3 nights at resort 2 but only want 3 day tickets, as an example. Not the most likely scenario, but I'm sure it happens. The other split stay that will almost always suffer will be the split stay with something offsite in the middle (like a cruise). Again, not a huge % of guests, but some for sure.

 

[StacyStrong]

This is my understanding/assumption as well. I expect to see the same type of cost structure with it becoming lower cost per day the more days you have on your ticket. The big question in my mind is how much are they upping the starting point, because I certainly expect there will be some increase there with this change.

Single day tickets didn't go up too much it looks like (it seems it only did on the low end) so hopefully multi day tickets won't go up TOO much either.

 

[StacyStrong]

What I am reading seems to indicate that tickets tied to a package deal expire when the package does. So if your package is December 1-5th on the 5th the tickets go "poof"

I don't think they will go poof. I think that if they expire, the value will still exist, but you'll have to pay more to meet current prices.

But maybe I'm wrong because then what is the point of the flex option?

 

[hiroMYhero]

True. I was thinking more about those who have something like a 4 night stay at resort 1 followed by 3 nights at resort 2 but only want 3 day tickets, as an example. Not the most likely scenario, but I'm sure it happens. The other split stay that will almost always suffer will be the split stay with something offsite in the middle (like a cruise). Again, not a huge % of guests, but some for sure.

For TPAS terms on the FP FAQ, Split Stays only refer to 2 or more consecutive onsite or offsite stays. Those with breaks (cruises) between stays are ‘separate stays’ where those guests would then benefit from the Flexible Ticket or perhaps a ‘land-Sea-land’ package if those exist.

 

[StacyStrong]

I wonder if buying tickets for the dates in, say, February and adding the flexible dates option will save you money if you intend to use the tickets Christmas week.

 

[jerseygal]

Will I be able to use my length of stay ticket to upgrade to an AP?

I am wondering the same thing. I would "assume" that you can, but that is my intention also.

 

[Duck143]

I called the AP help line last night and asked about the Platinum AP's and Dis adding in BlockOut dates. The CM over the phone said that they won't add BlockOut dates after purchasing the AP that lists it has no block outs.