New Tickets - Package Stays

Walt Disney World
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I thought this was worth stating in a thread of it’s own, since I think on this site the info was lost in a more general thread.

There are two important things to know about the new tickets that apply to package stays.

  1. Whilst anyone buying a new style ticket separately has a specific timeframe to use those tickets (not the full 14 days as before), if you book a package your tickets will be good for the length of your stay up to 14 days.

This is a definite “plus” to booking a package.

  1. The new style tickets linked to a package stay cannot be activated early.

This is a definite “minus” compared to what we have been used to. It means you no longer have the flexibility to activate the tickets if you fly in a couple of days earlier, even if staying onsite. Unless of course you rebook a new package.

If you booked before 16th October, you should still be able to activate your tickets early.

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This also appears to mean that you can’t book package tickets for the full length of a split stay, because of the expiration dates. You would have to get two separate tickets.

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Yep. Split stays will now become trickier. You can still book a package and a room-only, but you’d need tickets for the length of your stay, or pay the premium. They seem to be trying to reduce split stays and room-only stays in favour of packages.

I’m still waiting to see if they do anything for DVC members, along the lines of the special tickets for DCL cruise passengers.

The official line is that the new ticket validity is in line with how most people used their tickets anyway. And there is the flexible option if you want the longer validity period.

But the no early activation rule is a biggie for a lot of people. It reduces the flexibility around a package, if your dates have to change -cheaper flights, school dates etc.

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Never mind. Lol

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Worse for me is the idea that your start date is the date you arrive. Not bad for expiry as they are length of stay or 14 days, whichever is greater, but could be a negative if you’re arriving on a high price day (that’s the price you pay) but starting to use them a day or two later which is more affordable.

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If you booked room-only could you not just pick the cheaper start date?

For packages, yes, it means you have no choice but to pay for the more expensive ticket.

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If you do room only, and buy ticket separately, then yes.

This also applies and works to your advantage if you have a split stay

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I personally don’t usually do a package but most of my friends do

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The main thing for split stays will be you need to make sure your tickets last for long enough to cover both stays.

I’ve lost count of the number of times on here though that people add on a couple of days before a package because they can now come for longer. And we tell them they can activate their tickets early.

They now won’t be able to use the tickets until the package starts, which pretty much nullifies any reason for coming for longer in the first place.

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Are you sure? I booked a UK package in June for next September. I booked 7 nights at AKL with 14 day tickets. I then decided that I wanted to extend my stay by arriving 5 days earlier but I was told that I could not activate my tickets earlier and that I would have to buy another set of tickets for the first 5 days. I double checked this by calling WDW twice and speaking to two CMs. I ended up booking the extra 5 days after my AKL stay.

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Sure about what? Activating tickets early? For US packages, you could with the old style packages, but only in person so no advance FPs.

UK packages though are totally different, so t&cs will be different too. I don’t know if we can activate tickets early or not.

Remember though, those telephone CMs will be reading off a script and may not have ever been to WDW. Any answer you get is therefore not set in stone. Unless you can get it in writing.