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shoreline
12-04-2005, 01:35 PM
OK, ethics aside, what things do I need to think about when considering sharing park hopper tickets with another family? For our family of 5 it would pretty much be cost prohibitive to go to Disneyland any other way. We were thinking about buying 5 day park hoppers and offering to share them with another family- either a family we know or from ebay or something. Where can we buy them for the most reasonable price? Do they require signatures ever or take the tickets from you? We'd be sunk if we had to sign them and the other family couldn't use them. If you order them online from Disney, do they come pre-printed with names? Is the price pre-printed on each ticket no matter where you buy them from? I understand that at the end of the ticket usage, they can be upgraded to an annual pass for the difference in the price you paid for them?

We're really wanting this to be an option for us but need to think through all the important stuff. Please advise....

MammaSilva
12-04-2005, 01:42 PM
As expensive as Disney is, and I can appreciate the expense involved, I highly doubt you're going to find many folks here that will advise you to try to do this. First of all all the ticket media say non transferable, we'll skip that for just a second, but if you can't afford to purchase the tickets and do, then one gets lost or damaged? You can't recover the money. I know there are people who sell 'partial tickets' On ebay but not knowing your location, once the tickets have been used the first day they expire the 14th day after that so how would you set it up to transfer ownership of the tickets?

Now, the reality of this is I'm not the morality police at all, I am the type that buys tickets for the 3 year old, but I will bring snacks for my daughter in my bag....I don't 'sneak' it in but it's there in spite of the "please, no outside food or drink spiel" but I just can't support your plan for a multitude of reasons.

The CM at the gate can require you to sign each ticket, then what would you do?

The already mentioned damage or potential loss...

The inequity of trying to 'share' them...

the list is too long.

Darkbeer
12-04-2005, 01:48 PM
The tickets are clearly marked Non-Transferrable, many tickets do have a name printed on them, and any Cast Member can ask that you either sign or print your name on them.

Crazy4DL
12-04-2005, 03:06 PM
I have to agree fully with MammaSilva on this one, ethics aside, it seems way too risky. I would hate to have to worry about getting caught, losing the tickets, etc while I was suppose to be having the time of my life at Disneyland.

Next Spring, from I think Jan - March or April, you can buy 5 day hoppers for an adult at $179 and then get the kids in for free. (one free child with an adult ticket) I would try to go when there is one of those deals going. You save money and don't have to worry about something going wrong. Just a thought.

GrumpyUTboi
12-04-2005, 03:47 PM
We have always had to sign the hopper tickets, but no one has ever asked us for id at the gate. I have seen on ebay people selling their portion of the tickets, but one you use the ticket you have 13 or 14 days to use them.

This year our DS turned 10 but looks like he is 9, and for a small moment we thought of buying a childs ticket, but then we thought what type of message would that send to our children.

When are you looking to go to DL?

TahoeBob
12-04-2005, 04:41 PM
Where can we buy them for the most reasonable price? Do they require signatures ever or take the tickets from you?

I bought my 5 day hopper from the Disney web page, the last 3 times I have done this they never have asked for a signatures. I then resold the last 3 days on ebay




do they come pre-printed with names? no they are not


Is the price pre-printed on each ticket no matter where you buy them from? I understand that at the end of the ticket usage, they can be upgraded to an annual pass for the difference in the price you paid for them? don't know on this one


We're really wanting this to be an option for us but need to think through all the important stuff. Please advise....I will not get into a discussion of it is right or wrong, but if you do by tickets on ebay be very carefull, only do buisness with someone who has a very high positive feedback rating. ask questions like can I call you at home or at work, if you are selling your reaming days on ebay it will only work if you have a good positive selling record. Most people will not fork over hundreds of dollers to a seller who has a low rating. If this is the way you want to go and please feel free to email me with any other questions.

Bob

ToursbabeC3po
12-04-2005, 04:49 PM
Although Disneyland has not done this yet I have heard that they are going to some sort of finger scanning system for park hoppers? It was planned to go in effect in 2006. I am not sure if they have changed plans for this or not.

Leap for Joy
12-04-2005, 05:04 PM
You wouldn't be able to use the tickets on the same days with another family. After a ticket has been used in a day, you need a hand stamp plus the ticket to get back in.

Selling the remaining days is problematic because they expire 14 days after the first use, so just getting them shipped to someone else in time isn't easy.

I recommend that you take advantage of the specials coming up this spring, where adults can play for the kids price, and you can get a kids ticket for free with each adult ticket purchased. I believe getawaytoday.com is already selling these.

Saving up for a trip can be a great learning experience for kids. If you're planning a trip far in advance, you can estimate the cost of the trip and calculate how much everyone needs to put in the jar each month or week to save up. If you're hoping to go soon you might advise the kids to ask Santa for Disney Dollars in lieu of getting lots of toys.

To make the trip affordable, price motels for several different dates as far in advance as possible and make a reservation even if you're not sure you'll be able to go. You can cancel the reservation if needed. I've had my reservations for the week before Christmas for months now, and the price is $57/night.

It isn't easy, but it is possible to save up for a family trip. Working together to make it happen can be a great way to bring the family closer.

jennia
12-04-2005, 06:29 PM
Check into the tickets at your local Costco if you have one.

They are NOT Park Hoppers but they are good for a much longer time frame. I think you get a 3 day pass for $119 this year. I know that is still 5 x $119 BUT you can use the days slowly over a year and then at the end you can upgrade to an Annual Pass if you want to.

Pirate Princess
12-04-2005, 07:49 PM
Although Disneyland has not done this yet I have heard that they are going to some sort of finger scanning system for park hoppers? It was planned to go in effect in 2006. I am not sure if they have changed plans for this or not.
Are you serious???? I think people would flip OUT! I don't want to get into a huge discussion of privacy issues in this thread, but WOW!

MammaSilva
12-04-2005, 07:59 PM
There are already some forms of this in place in other parks, biometrics isn't a new thing...and I think Disney would be wise to invest in it I have no problems letting them have my finger print to verify my pass, then if I lost it I could in fact prove I'd been there and had 2 or 3 days or what ever left on my ticket.

Darkbeer
12-04-2005, 08:29 PM
WDW already uses Bio-Metrics...

And it does NOT use your fingerprints.

It takes an image of the TOP of your hand (or selected fingers) and comes up with a code number based on the size and bone structure.

Pirate Princess
12-04-2005, 09:19 PM
WDW already uses Bio-Metrics...

And it does NOT use your fingerprints.

It takes an image of the TOP of your hand (or selected fingers) and comes up with a code number based on the size and bone structure.

I'd be okay with this.. but fingerprinting NO WAY! If people can hack government websites (and already hack the Disney website on a regular basis) I do not want my fingerprints on file. Too much identity theft as it is. It seems that everyone I know lately is having MAJOR problems with identity theft... I wan't to stay away from anything that puts me more at risk.

mi_mous
12-04-2005, 11:14 PM
Check into the tickets at your local Costco if you have one.

They are NOT Park Hoppers but they are good for a much longer time frame. I think you get a 3 day pass for $119 this year. I know that is still 5 x $119 BUT you can use the days slowly over a year and then at the end you can upgrade to an Annual Pass if you want to.

I have done this, getting tickets for a friend for his honeymoon. When I took the tickets to get redeemed at the ticket booth, they ask for a name to go with each ticket. They then print up the tickets with each persons individual name on them.

I don't know if they do this with other tickets or not, and I don't know if they asked for ID's after that. Just a little bit of advice on the Costco tickets.

The Costco tickets are for 4 days at one park per day. They are NOT park hoppers, but you could try to make them 2 day park hoppers, I also don't know if they allow you to do this either. They also will expire 13 days after the first use. NOT throughout the year, as Jennia posted.

Tinker222
12-05-2005, 04:58 AM
Ethics aside, a family we went to Disneyland with recently bought used hoppers while we had a package deal. They bought tickets that had enhanced fast passes and it was a life saver during the trip. It was great to be able to get a fast pass for every ride when they got into the park. It
saved several hours in line throughout the day and did not have to have
such late return times. So, if you can find a reputable seller, there should
not be a problem. There were no names on the tickets. I highly recommend that you try and find someone selling
tickets with enhanced fast passes, if you go this route.

jennia
12-05-2005, 01:47 PM
We bought a Costco ticket last year. Yes they did ask for a name but they never asked for verification when we went to the park. 2 of the 3 visits my son brought the same friend but we did let a different friend join us for one useage. I guess I'm bad for doing that but these are 11 year old kids who live in So Cal and have never visited Disneyland because their parents couldn't afford it. This way they got to go and I could afford to take them. I did talk the one mom into buying an AP for her son so he can go with us. He has 2 special needs brothers so going as a family for them ios tough all around. So Disney is going to sell an extra AP between now and Christmas.

However, my suggestion was meant to imply that if the tickets were cheap enough maybe the family could use them over the course of the year THEMSELVES and not share them. Then at the end possibly even purchase AP's but cashing in the tickets at the end.

Another thought- a couple of years ago we got Disneyland passes as presents from some of my family who went in together for the purchase. :D

AVP
12-05-2005, 02:00 PM
A note on upgrading admission to an annual pass:

They are going to ask for the original receipt for the ticket. If you don't have it, they are going to ask a lot of questions you may not be able to answer if you weren't the person who bought the ticket, like "exactly where and when did you buy it" and "how did you pay for it?"

Also, if you go this route, the AP will expire 1 year from the first day the park hopper ticket was used. So if you buy one of the Costco tickets without an expiration date, don't expect to spread your five visits over a year and THEN get an annual pass for the next year - it doesn't work that way.

AVP

staymooney
12-05-2005, 02:19 PM
I share my annual pass even. That thing even has my picture on it. Nobody looks twice @ anything.

Pirate Princess
12-05-2005, 03:32 PM
A note on upgrading admission to an annual pass:

They are going to ask for the original receipt for the ticket. If you don't have it, they are going to ask a lot of questions you may not be able to answer if you weren't the person who bought the ticket, like "exactly where and when did you buy it" and "how did you pay for it?"

AVP

I didn't have this happen to me in May.. haven't heard of this. Is it new?

cpeak
12-05-2005, 03:38 PM
A note on upgrading admission to an annual pass:

They are going to ask for the original receipt for the ticket. If you don't have it, they are going to ask a lot of questions you may not be able to answer if you weren't the person who bought the ticket, like "exactly where and when did you buy it" and "how did you pay for it?"

AVP


What if you don't have a recepit, will they still be able to do it. My mom bought us park hoppers for x-mas from her credit union. Although she gave us a recepit, I think I threw it away. (I hate recepits!) I am trying to convince my husband into upgrading to AP's so we can go back a few more times this year without so much of a cost, since tickets are the most expensive part. (We always stay at a cheap motel.)

Mommy2NicknMax
12-05-2005, 04:16 PM
A note on upgrading admission to an annual pass:

They are going to ask for the original receipt for the ticket. If you don't have it, they are going to ask a lot of questions you may not be able to answer if you weren't the person who bought the ticket, like "exactly where and when did you buy it" and "how did you pay for it?"


I didn't have that happen either. Although I did have my receipt just in case. So I guess you never know, it's always better to be safe than sorry I guess.

AVP
12-05-2005, 04:19 PM
I guess it depends on whether they think there's something fishy with the transaction. A friend had it happen when they tried to redeem a one-day park hopper ticket they bought at a Disney store for an AP.

AVP

jennia
12-05-2005, 04:36 PM
The Costco tickets are for 4 days at one park per day. They are NOT park hoppers, but you could try to make them 2 day park hoppers, I also don't know if they allow you to do this either. They also will expire 13 days after the first use. NOT throughout the year, as Jennia posted.

I wonder if this varies by location? The ticket last year had several months before it expired (summer hit.) WE definitely used them over a few months. I thought I had read the fine print on the new Costco passes and they lasted until the end of the year, but I'll admit that my memory could be faulty. You can ask to look at the ticket and check the fine print yourself. That is what I did at my Costco just to make sure I wasa buying exactly what I thought I was buying!!

I live in the High Desert of So Cal so being able to space out the visits was REALLY nice!!!!!

Darkbeer
12-05-2005, 05:13 PM
Here is the info on the current Play4Days Costco ticket...

http://www.costco.com/Browse/Product.aspx?Prodid=11093545&whse=BC&topnav=&browse=




Disneyland® Resort Play 4 Days Exchange Certificate
(Southern California Residents Only)
Must reside within ZIP codes 90000-93599
Proof of residency required upon redemption
$119.00
Item # 948107
Plus Shipping & Handling (if ordered online)


Disneyland® Resort Play 4 Days Exchange Certificate Information:

Exchange this certificate at the Disneyland® Resort Ticket Booths located at the main entrance to receive one Play 4 Days ticket
Proof of Southern California residency, ZIP codes 90000-93599 must be presented upon exchange (California Drivers License or California ID Card)
Valid for four admissions of Guest's choice to either Disneyland® park or Disney's California Adventure® park (one park per day) - does not have to be 4 consecutive days
Must be used by the same person on any and all days
Tickets are non-transferable
Valid 10/1/05 though 11/15/06, expires 11/18/06
Offer cannot be combined with any other ticket discounts or promotions


So based on that info, and what I have known about the previous ofers, there is no "13 days after first use" clause, just the fact that all 4 days must be used by November 18th, 2006.


So you could go every other month for one day, if you wish.

By the way, there is no kids price, the ticket is for anyone 3 or older.

mi_mous
12-05-2005, 08:40 PM
Sorry to cause confusion.. I thought I had read that on the fine print when I bought the passes from Costco.. perhaps I was mixing it up with another ticket that was available that I also bought for another time...
SORRY!!! :( :( :( :( :(