Dear Julianna,
Thank you so much for stopping by to visit us here at the Disney Parks Moms Panel with your great question on planning ahead for your upcoming
Walt Disney World Resort vacation!
What a lovely and generous gift, to purchase
Walt Disney World Resort tickets for your friend or family member! I'm sure that those will be much appreciated!
Yes, for most tickets, the cost of the ticket can be applied to an upgrade of the ticket, as long as it's done before the ticket expires or is fully used. There are a few exceptions though, so I recommend calling to speak to a friendly Cast Member at 1(407)W-DISNEY before purchase to be sure that the exact ticket that you plan to purchase is able to be upgraded.
Another option that you might consider is the purchase of a
Disney gift card in the amount you choose, so that the recipient can use that to purchase their own tickets for their desired length of stay.
Hope that helps with your magical planning!
- Jan K.