Hey Howdy Hey Cherie and welcome to planDisney fellow Buckeye!
That stinks that your whole party was not able to be with you all on your trip last year. One of the best parts about the
tickets to Walt Disney World Resort Theme Parks is the flexibility they come with. This comes applies to the booking of them, changing dates if necessary and even recovery in the event you are not able to use them. So let's go over what to do and how to get this done.
So to your question, YES, in most cases you are able to apply the purchase of an unused and expired ticket to the cost of a new ticket. In most cases, this will have to be done by a Cast Member so you will have to
call Disney at (407) 934-7639 for them to help you through this process. Make sure to try and have your original email with the confirmation number for the purchase handy as this will make the process go a little quicker.
I would also make sure to check on the
Special Offers that Disney has from time to time. Looks like Disney still has a
Special Ticket Offer for U.S. Military Members that may apply to the tickets you will be purchasing.
I hope this helps and good luck planning your next trip! Let us know if you have any further questions, we are happy to help.
Have a Magical Day,
Nick