Welcome to planDisney, Karin! I will gladly volunteer an answer for you about vacation packages and ticket options.
The starting date for your tickets is the first night of your reservation when you book a
vacation package. You will not be able to change the start date of your ticket with a package booked, and you won't be able to activate or use your ticket prior to the check in date. You can choose to make a room only reservation and book your tickets separately, and this would allow your tickets to start on a date prior to your
Disney Resort hotel check in date. Your four day tickets can be used on nonconsecutive days, and must be used within 7 days.
I did a sample vacation package booking for a Sunday through Wednesday in August, and the four day tickets would start Sunday and need to be used by Saturday of that week. By booking your tickets separately and starting them on Friday, you would be able to visit the theme parks until the following Thursday. This would cover all the days of your trip.
Check the terms and conditions of your vacation package to see if cancelling and booking your hotel room and tickets separately is an option for you. You may want to check pricing and availability of your selected hotel to ensure you can secure the resort you'd like for your visit. Also, check to see if there are any
special ticket offers you are eligible for that might make the separate bookings similar in price to what you budgeted for your vacation package. It's a lot to consider given the variables I have described for you here, so weigh the pros and cons of changing your existing plans in order to visit the theme parks a few days before checking in to your hotel.
I sincerely appreciate you trusting us here at planDisney with your question, Karin! Please let us know if there are additional inquiries we can assist you with. I hope you have an incredible visit to Walt Disney World Resort.
Stay magical,
Scott