Ticket/AP upgrade question

[RememberWhen]

Does anyone know if I can upgrade a discount ticket to a DVC annual pass?
We are currently at an RCI exchange near Disney and they offer a 2 day ticket for 2 people for $180 each. You do have to sit through a timeshare presentation. That would be $360 instead of the current price of $639.
A) is this math correct? It seems unlikely...
B) assuming it is, can we go to the parks today and upgrade to a DVC platinum pass? Will they bridge the pricing? Saving almost $300 would be pretty good.

 

[correcaminos]

My guess is no. Disney does not allow upgrades on many promotional tickets like that.

 

[nickys]

My guess is no. Disney does not allow upgrades on many promotional tickets like that.

I agree.

You could still upgrade but the chances are you would pay the difference to the gate price first and then to upgrade.

If you buy “normal” discounted tickets from 3rd party sellers you can usually bridge. But promotional rates are likely to be excluded.

However OP could be lucky and get a great deal!

 

[dreamfinder]

Depends on the "discount". If you are sitting through a timeshare presentation, chance those tickets were bought at full price by the timeshare location, and they are eating the "discount" as the cost of getting you to sit through the time share. So I would suspect that they would be upgradable, just as any other ticket that you bought from a reseller.

The discount tickets that are usually not up-gradable are those bought from Disney direct at a heavy discount, often for sports or educational programs, or those that are donated to organizations by WDW for give aways or raffle/auction prizes.

 

[nickys]

Depends on the "discount". If you are sitting through a timeshare presentation, chance those tickets were bought at full price by the timeshare location, and they are eating the "discount" as the cost of getting you to sit through the time share. So I would suspect that they would be upgradable, just as any other ticket that you bought from a reseller.

The discount tickets that are usually not up-gradable are those bought from Disney direct at a heavy discount, often for sports or educational programs, or those that are donated to organizations by WDW for give aways or raffle/auction prizes.

Interesting! Hadn’t considered that possibility, thanks for the info.

 

[Master Yoda]

Depends on the "discount". If you are sitting through a timeshare presentation, chance those tickets were bought at full price by the timeshare location, and they are eating the "discount" as the cost of getting you to sit through the time share. So I would suspect that they would be upgradable, just as any other ticket that you bought from a reseller.

The discount tickets that are usually not up-gradable are those bought from Disney direct at a heavy discount, often for sports or educational programs, or those that are donated to organizations by WDW for give aways or raffle/auction prizes.

This. ^^^

You will also want to use the tickets to enter a park and then upgrade them. This at least use to essentially erase any type of discount that would lower the ticket value below gate prices.

 

[nickys]

This. ^^^

You will also want to use the tickets to enter a park and then upgrade them. This at least use to essentially erase any type of discount that would lower the ticket value below gate prices.

You don’t have to use the ticket first anymore.

But what you should definitely do is head over to the DIS, have a look under their Theme Park and Strategies forum and the Tickets sticky by user “Robo”. Use his step by step guide to work out how much the upgrade should cost you, and then you will have a good idea whether or not the CM who does the upgrade knows what they’re doing. If necessary, ask for a manager and have your calculation ready! He also lists many ticket types that are, and are not, upgradeable.

 

[correcaminos]

Depends on the "discount". If you are sitting through a timeshare presentation, chance those tickets were bought at full price by the timeshare location, and they are eating the "discount" as the cost of getting you to sit through the time share. So I would suspect that they would be upgradable, just as any other ticket that you bought from a reseller.

The discount tickets that are usually not up-gradable are those bought from Disney direct at a heavy discount, often for sports or educational programs, or those that are donated to organizations by WDW for give aways or raffle/auction prizes.

Interesting. I only know of one person who did it and couldn't upgrade, so I assumed they got some sort of discount not subsidized. That was also many years ago. But if subsidized that would make sense.

Googling a little, it looks like it totally depends. Some buy the discounted tickets you cannot upgrade on and others do not.

I guess it would be up to the OP if this is worth trying or not.

 

[Master Yoda]

Interesting. I only know of one person who did it and couldn't upgrade, so I assumed they got some sort of discount not subsidized. That was also many years ago. But if subsidized that would make sense.

Googling a little, it looks like it totally depends. Some buy the discounted tickets you cannot upgrade on and others do not.

I guess it would be up to the OP if this is worth trying or not.

Tickets classified as "Comped" have no value and typically can not be upgraded. If a timeshare place somehow got a stash of those, you could not upgrade them.

As I understand it, most timeshares purchase regular tickets from Disney or at worst, from a legitimate reseller. But it would not surprise me if some of them grabbed them from anywhere they could.

 

[correcaminos]

Tickets classified as "Comped" have no value and typically can not be upgraded. If a timeshare place somehow got a stash of those, you could not upgrade them.

As I understand it, most timeshares purchase regular tickets from Disney or at worst, from a legitimate reseller. But it would not surprise me if some of them grabbed them from anywhere they could.

Yep, that's what I was reading. Many buy them in a more regular manner and some do not. That would explain why the one I knew could not. Cannot recall who they were with too.

If the tickets didn't expire it might be worth a gamble

 

[Master Yoda]

Yep, that's what I was reading. Many buy them in a more regular manner and some do not. That would explain why the one I knew could not. Cannot recall who they were with too.

If the tickets didn't expire it might be worth a gamble

I did it once many years ago.

I would sooner shut my bits and pieces in a car door than ever do that again.

 

[correcaminos]

I did it once many years ago.

I would sooner shut my bits and pieces in a car door than ever do that again.

Yeah, not my idea of fun either!

 

[ctosh]

Does anyone know if I can upgrade a discount ticket to a DVC annual pass?
We are currently at an RCI exchange near Disney and they offer a 2 day ticket for 2 people for $180 each. You do have to sit through a timeshare presentation. That would be $360 instead of the current price of $639.
A) is this math correct? It seems unlikely...
B) assuming it is, can we go to the parks today and upgrade to a DVC platinum pass? Will they bridge the pricing? Saving almost $300 would be pretty good.

YES..my daughter and I just did this. I purchased 9 day tickets from Undercover tourist and before we left on our 9th day we upgraded to APs.. they put the full purchase price ($500 each) towards the APs , we done it at Guest services at Disney Springs and only got the Gold pass but that works for us... hope this helps

 

[Dad 2 M & M]

YES..my daughter and I just did this. I purchased 9 day tickets from Undercover tourist and before we left on our 9th day we upgraded to APs.. they put the full purchase price ($500 each) towards the APs , we done it at Guest services at Disney Springs and only got the Gold pass but that works for us... hope this helps

Not splitting hairs here, but wanted to clarify. They will credit the current Disney price of the tickets being upgraded, not the Undercover Tourist price you paid.

 

[RememberWhen]

Thanks all! In the end we opted for the Amex card and used it to pay for lunch.

 

[Phonedave]

Depends on the "discount". If you are sitting through a timeshare presentation, chance those tickets were bought at full price by the timeshare location, and they are eating the "discount" as the cost of getting you to sit through the time share. So I would suspect that they would be upgradable, just as any other ticket that you bought from a reseller.

The discount tickets that are usually not up-gradable are those bought from Disney direct at a heavy discount, often for sports or educational programs, or those that are donated to organizations by WDW for give aways or raffle/auction prizes.

I had to explain this to somebody once at a charity event. The event had a silent auction and once of the items was a set of 4 one day park passes. Somebody was there with their phone looking up park tickets and explaining to their husband that as long as they were below the price of a one day ticket it would pay to get them and then upgrade to however many days they needed. I felt kind of bad explaining to her they the tickets were worth $0 in the case of an upgrade (it even said it in the fine print) because it WAS a charity event, and I didn't want to take money from them, but on the other hand did not want to see this person get shafted either.