Buying tickets and upgrading later

[michellez54]

I have a question about upgrading tickets over a long period of time. I would like to purchase tickets at the current prices for a future trip to WDW. There is a very small chance that we would be able to go in 2008, but more likely in 2010. Ideally, I’d like to have 10 day, no expiration, park hopper tickets, but can’t afford to buy those now. Can I purchase say a 3 day ticket now and upgrade tickets and add days before I arrive at the original purchase rate or do I have to wait until I arrive to upgrade or add days? Does anyone else do this?

[disneymom15]

When you say WE, I assume there is more than 1 person in your party. How about buying one 10 day ticket at a time? Then upgrade later to the hopper and no expire.

[TracyL]

I'm not too sure about what you can add when overall, but I would expect that you'd pay whatever the prevailing rate is at the time you make the changes. I do know that if you add days with different options (such as adding the no expiration or park hopper option to your ticket), they make you add that option to all the days of the ticket, not just the unused days. So keep that in mind.

[DizneyRox]

I've heard conflicting stories, but from what I understand, if the ticket is unused, you get credit for the current ticket value towards the current ticket you wish to upgrade to.

So, in your case, if you paid $50 for a 3 day pass, which currently goes for $100. AND you want to buy a 10 day pass which currently goes for $200, you would pay $100 to upgrade it.

At least that's the understanding I get from all the reports. If you use that 3 day for like one day, you would get 2/3 of the original value towards the purchase of the 10 day, or about $33 towards the $200.

[mulderxcoltrane]

In addition - to save $ - you might buy a few less days and eliminate the pricey no-expiration option.

As long as you don't use the ticket - it will never expire/become active until its first use. In addition, individual days start getting quite cheap after 5 or 6 I believe (around $6 or less/day). So - maybe try buying a 6 day park hopper and then if you were to upgrade later, you would have already purchased the expensive days.

[anlashokna]

We had bought our 4 day (1park per day) at Shades of Green for the military rate. Last day on the ticket we decided we might try to go back to a park and I went back and was able to add the additional day for the $3 per ticket difference between the 4 and 5 day rates. From my understanding you can upgrade and pay the difference between the prices until the ticket expires. I would think as long as you don't use the ticket and upgrade before you use it you should be okay. You can always call disney and just check with them. Can't hurt.

[CleveRocks]

I know the OP didn't ask this, but it is important to note ...

Once a ticket has been used, at all, the clock starts ticking on upgrades. NO upgrades/changes can be made past 14 days of the first use. This applies even if the no expiration feature has been purchased.

In other words, let's say you bought a 7-day no expiration ticket, and used 1 day of that ticket. You can't add another 3 days to that ticket 2 years later. It still has 6 days of park admission left -- those days will never expire -- but you are no longer able to add any more days to it. That ship sailed 14 days after the first day it was originally used.

[magicofdisney]

I know the OP didn't ask this, but it is important to note ...

Once a ticket has been used, at all, the clock starts ticking on upgrades. NO upgrades/changes can be made past 14 days of the first use. This applies even if the no expiration feature has been purchased.

In other words, let's say you bought a 7-day no expiration ticket, and used 1 day of that ticket. You can't add another 3 days to that ticket 2 years later. It still has 6 days of park admission left -- those days will never expire -- but you are no longer able to add any more days to it. That ship sailed 14 days after the first day it was originally used.
I'm glad you brought this up because I think too many ppl are not given this information accurately.