Old park ticket question

[horizons82]

I've asked some general questions about this topic before, but now that I have some more info about the actual ticket involved, I wanted to follow-up.

So, I have this friend (yes, this really is for a friend--I'm an AP so this doesn't involve me)...

Anyhow, I have this friend who was given an old park ticket--it's a 5-day World Park Hopper ticket that was dated as being from 1996. This ticket was given to her by one of her friends who had it for a very long time but supposedly never used the last day on the ticket.

What my friend is trying to find out is:

1. Whether or not a ticket that old can still be vaild after all of these years (assuming it really does have one unused day on it and that there was no expiration date).
2. Is there any reason she would not be able to use the ticket for admission since she was not the original guest who used the first 4 days on the ticket?

I realize some tickets these days are 'assigned' to ticketholders because they are discounted tickets, passes, or Fl Resident tickets, but I don't see anything on this ticket that says there is any expiration, nor do I see anything about it being a Fl resident ticket. I also don't recall tickets this old having any kind of biometric scanner or anything used at the entrance gate that would associate it with a particular guest.

I am in the process of contacting WDW about this for her, but are there any thoughts from anyone else about whether the ticket will be useable by my friend or not?

Thanks!

 

[Monty]

The older tickets were still non-transferable. I have a number of old Park-Hopper Plus tickets that have our family name printed on them. I suppose as long as there is someone with my family name in the group, they would work. If there is no name on the tickets, they should be usable.

Prior to Magic Your Way, I believe all park tickets were no-expire, so that shouldn't be a problem.

 

[DisneyJoe]

Prior to Magic Your Way, I believe all park tickets were no-expire, so that shouldn't be a problem.

That is correct, and MYW began in 2005.

AllEars has an extensive Ticket FAQ page too that may have an answer.

 

[Goofyernmost]

If the question is "can it still be used" the answer is Yes, yes it can. If you want to go deeper in to should it be used by someone other then the original user, then legally No. However, and this isn't an endorsement to use it, I don't know how they would be able to know the difference from that far back. So physically, yes in all probability it can be used with no hassle. Ethically, I don't want to use the word "morally" because I don't equate a trip to a theme park as a moral issue one way or the other. Ethically, it would be a personal choice, but, that is not what the intent was originally.

 

[scottnj1966]

I hear they would be worth the face value. So you would be able to use it towards a new pass.

 

[CleveRocks]

Actually, NO, you wouldn't be able to use it towards a new pass. Old tickets can be used for admission, but they can't be upgraded. There is no "value" on it that can be applied towards the purchase of a new ticket. That old ticket's only value is for a 1-day admission to a theme park, and that's all.

And since it can't be used towards the purchase of a new ticket, the practical question is, "Is it wise to use the ticket at all?"

If the OP's friend plans to spend exactly and only one day in Disney theme parks, then this ticket is perfect, a great find. Using it will save the friend roughly $100, the approximate price of a newly-bought 1-day base ticket, or will save the friend about $134 if the friend will park hop. But if the friend plans to go to Disney parks for, say, five days, then it's better to keep that ticket in a drawer rather than use it. By using the old ticket, the friend would need to buy a 4-day ticket rather than a 5-day ticket. With the 4-day hopper costing $354 and the 5-day costing $364, using the old ticket will save the friend only 10 bucks ($10).

So in that last scenario, it would be best to not use the ticket, to hold onto it for some unknown future time when you would visit Disney parks for only a single day.

 

[flynnibus]

One more note, since the ticket is from 1996 - before AK opened, you won't be able to use it to get entry to AK. Only MK, HS and EPCOT. At least that was our experience with an old ticket.

never had that problem with trading in old tickets (even from the 80s when it was only MK and EPCOT). They traded in the tickets (even comp tickets) for single day park hoppers.

As stated before, they won't combine tickets, or use value towards upgrades, but you can get your old media traded in for a modern park hopper.

 

[MikeyK72]

I remember having a 5-day ticket from 1994 where Disney blew me away with their use of technology by taking a black and white digital picture of my face real-time at the gate and printing it on my ticket as it went through the turnstile machine. At that time, digital cameras were not on the market...or at least I wasn't aware of them so this was pretty remarkable to me at the time.

At some point, Disney replaced the photos with the "2-finger around the little post" bio scan...does anyone remember when that 2-finger bio scan started?

If the OP's ticket doesn't have a photo on it, it's reasonable to think that Disney has 2 finger's worth of prints in their systems for the original ticket holder. And since you still have to validate your ticket with 1 finger today...I think it's at least possible that the ticket may not be usable by anyone but the original purchaser.

 

[flynnibus]

If the OP's ticket doesn't have a photo on it, it's reasonable to think that Disney has 2 finger's worth of prints in their systems for the original ticket holder. And since you still have to validate your ticket with 1 finger today...I think it's at least possible that the ticket may not be usable by anyone but the original purchaser.

The biometrics (if they existed) can simply be overridden by guest relations - it's not a barrier at all.

 

[CleveRocks]

The 2-finger finger scan stated with the Magic Your Way ticketing system on January 2, 2005; it's very possible they did some pilot-testing of it before that date, but that was the official start. Some time in 2006, then changed it to a 1-finger scan.

 

[horizons82]

Thanks to all for this interesting and informative information.

Currently, my friend has e-mailed a department at WDW that deals with ticketing a copy of her photo ID as well as a copy of both sides of the ticket. We are waiting to see what they have to say. I'm definitely interested to see what comes of this.

 

[Figments Friend]

She should have no problems using the ticket as most old media is still valid for admission since they did not have expiration dates in the days of yore.
As Disney used to say - *When we say your ticket does not expire, we mean it does not expire until you do ! *
( actual quote from a 2001 Official Guide Book..)

She will need to exchange it at one of the ticket windows at the Park however, or at Guest Relations at DTD, before trying to enter.
There the old ticket will be taken, and checked to see how many (if any) days are left valid on it.
If there is a day left as she thinks their might be, she will then be given a brand new 1-Day Park Hopper.

Old multi-day WorldPassports with ink stamps ( used up until the early 90s ) and the later magnetic stripe Park Hoppers are also all valid and can be exchanged for new tickets.
The old Passports with the ink stamps are easy to figure out how many days are still left, while the later magnetic stripe/ non-ink stamped ones are not. Those require a CM to check that for you at a ticket window.

I have several old multi-day WorldPassports still valid from 1983, as well as the 3-Park version from 1989.
A friend gave me a set of 1994 *LIon King* comp tickets from DAK*s first year to check for her while i was at WDW once. They were all 3/4 day PH with magnetic stripes and she was wondering if any of them were unused.
I had them checked at Guest Relations at DTD and of the four one was still valid.
They issued a new 3/4 Day PH to replace it and stamped the others *Void* so i could keep them for collector purposes.