Hiya Carol and welcome back to planDisney!
There are a number of things that Guests must consider when planning their
Walt Disney World Resort vacation, but one of the most important is what
admission ticket to purchase. You want to make sure the ticket option you select not only covers the theme parks and activities you plan on enjoying, but the number of days you will be in the middle of the magic. It is also important to know when your tickets expire so you do not end up missing any additional days of fun.
The easiest way to understand the expiration date policy is to start with how many days your ticket is for. For example, a single day park admission ticket is good for the one day that was selected when purchased. This means if you purchased a one day ticket for next Wednesday, the ticket is only good next Wednesday and expires at the end of that day. The exception would be if you change what day you visiting prior to midnight eastern time on the day the ticket was valid. For example, you change the valid date to next Friday, now it would expire next Friday.
If you have elected to purchase a multi-day ticket, you will be able to select the start date for your ticket and then be given a period of time that the ticket is valid during. It is typically the number of days of the ticket plus a few extra days. For example, if you purchase a 4 day ticket with a start date of March 1, the ticket would typically be good beginning March 1st for 6 days. The good news is you do not need to use your ticket on consecutive days as long as the entire ticket is used prior to the last date of the valid window. This means if I decide to visit for 6 days but purchase a 4 day ticket, I could enjoy the theme parks for the first two days of my visit and then take a day or two in the middle to enjoy
Disney Springs or relax at my
Disney Resorts Collection hotel, before finishing my vacation with two more days at the theme parks.
A few important reminders regarding Disney World admission tickets - they are non-refundable. This means once you purchase the ticket, you can elect to change the dates of the ticket, as long as it is changed prior to midnight on the day prior to its first valid day of use, but you will not be able to request a refund. Another important thing to know is if you elect to change the dates on your ticket and there is a difference in the cost for your new dates, you will need to pay that difference. If your new dates are at a lower cost than what you paid, that amount cannot be refunded. If something happens and for some reason you did not use your ticket and did not change the dates for which it was valid, you would be able to
contact Guest Relations. They can assist in applying the cost of the ticket towards a future visit. However, if you used a portion of the ticket (but not all of it) and it expires, you would lose the value of the unused days. For example, if you purchased a 4 day ticket, but only use 3 days before the expiration, you will lose the value of the 4th day.
My best suggestion is to always read the information provided regarding the time frame the tickets are valid, and if you have any questions, it is always best to
contact Guest Relations before proceeding. If I can help with any additional planning questions, I hope you will stop back and
see me.
T-T-F-N Ta-Ta for now),
Margaret