Hi there Simon and welcome to planDisney!
Having lived in Melbourne for a while it's always so nice to be able to connect with
Australians making the trek overseas to the Most Magical Place on Earth! I remember how challenging it could be to try and contact Cast Members long-distance about planning trips to Disney Destinations with the time difference and the currency exchange, so I took the opportunity to reach out to the Reservations Cast Members for their most recent guidance for your holiday trip next January:
- They let me know that when you're purchasing a Vacation package with date-based tickets at a Disney Resort Hotel directly through the Walt Disney World Resort website, your tickets have a validity period that only begins from your check-in date onwards. We just ran a simulation together to create a booking that begins and ends on the dates that you provided and as you select 10 days of Theme Park Tickets to add to the vacation package it should show the following under Multi-Day Theme Park Ticket Expiration: Valid any 10 days from January 15, 2024 through January 28, 2024.
- Since you're planning on entering the Theme Parks prior to your check-in date, the Cast Member suggested that it might be best for you to purchase your Theme Park Tickets separately to avoid the date restrictions that typically come with the Vacation packages. Just be sure to select the earliest start date for your validity period and remember that tickets can be used on non-consecutive days! When we input January 8, 2024 as your start date for a 10-Day Ticket it currently shows that your validity period extends from that date on any 10 Days until January 21, 2024.
Bear in mind that offerings and policies are always subject to change without prior notice, so I'm hoping that this remains consistent with your experience when you venture over here next year! I remember many Australians needing the use of their travel agents who definitely ought to know the ins and outs of validity dates to help sort this out for them, but I'm glad that you're doing your research to avoid any surprises or disappointment when you arrive in Orlando. Something else to keep in mind is that the
Theme Park Reservations system currently in place is
set to change at the beginning of 2024, which could affect you on the front end of your visit depending on the types of tickets that you purchase. In the meantime, don't hesitate to
come back to planDisney again to ask me for any other tips or tricks ahead of your trip!
Here's to our awesome Australian Adventurers at Disney Destinations around the world!
Prince