You can buy tickets to the Walt Disney World theme parks at the ticket window on the day of your visit. While this gives you the ultimate flexibility, it also means you end up paying more for what are already pretty expensive admission tickets. Buying tickets in advance is a great way to save money. The downside is that travel plans can change, sometimes at the last minute. So, can you cancel or refund a Disney World ticket?
Tickets and vacation packages to Walt Disney World are not refundable. You cannot cancel and get a refund on your tickets or vacation package. Your tickets to the theme parks will eventually expire, whether they are basic one-day park tickets, multi-day tickets, or park hopper tickets.
That’s the bad news. The good news is that some exceptions apply (more on that later). Also, in some cases, you may be able to use unexpired theme park tickets towards a future Disney vacation.
Can I cancel Disney World tickets and get a refund?
Unfortunately, tickets for Disney World theme parks are nonrefundable. You cannot cancel the tickets and get your money back. Simply put, once you have handed over the money to Disney, it’s unlikely you’ll ever see the cash again.
However, this does not mean your money goes down the drain if you cannot go on the planned date. If your tickets are still valid, you can change the dates of your visit and use the tickets another time.
Cancellations and refunds for Disney vacation packages depend on the booking terms and conditions (the fine print). Generally speaking, for cancellations made 30 or more days prior to arrival, you may be able to get a refund minus the cancellation fee. However, for cancellations made 1 day or less prior to arrival or for guests who are no-shows, the full price of the package is non-refundable. So, the closer to the arrival date you cancel, the more severe the penalty.
Are Disney World theme park tickets transferable?
It depends on whether or not you’ve used the tickets. If you have already partially used a Disney World theme park ticket, all subsequent admissions on that ticket are linked to the specific person who first used the ticket. In such a scenario, you cannot transfer your ticket to anyone else. You will have the use the remaining days on that ticket.
However, if you have not yet used your ticket, you can transfer it to another person. This means you can give your ticket to a friend or sell your ticket to someone and recover your money.
Can I change the dates of my Walt Disney World theme park tickets?
Yes, you can change the date of your Disney World tickets. Theme park tickets are valid for admission beginning on your selected start date. They must be used within the validity period chosen at the time of purchase. For instance, a 1-day ticket expires on the selected start date. A multi-day ticket, on the other hand, expires several days after the start date. As an example, a 6-day ticket expires 9 days after the selected start date. A 10-day ticket expires 14 days after the selected start date.
So, if you have a 6-day base ticket and you had chosen your start date as December 1, the ticket will be valid for entry into the Disney World theme parks on any six days between December 1 and December 9.
Now, let’s say there’s been a change in plans. You want to reschedule your trip from December to February. You can go online or go to the My Disney Experience mobile app and change your selected start date for your Disney World theme park tickets. All you have to do is click on “My Tickets” and choose the “Change Ticket” option. You’ll then be able to change the ticket dates, the number of days, and ticket type. If there is any price difference, you’ll be prompted to pay the difference at checkout. You can do this date change as long as your tickets are still valid, i.e., they are unexpired.
It’s worth noting that changes to reservations for Disney vacation packages, such as a change in travel dates, hotel accommodations, party size, etc., are subject to availability. Moreover, guests are responsible for paying any increase in price resulting from the changes. So, if you changed your travel dates from November to December, you will likely end up paying more for the same vacation package because prices in the holiday season are higher. Also, changes made within 30 days of arrival may be subject to a change fee per package.
Are there any exceptions to the non-refundable rule for Disney World tickets?
There is a Hurricane Exception to Disney World Tickets. If the National Hurricane Center issues a warning for the Orlando area or your hometown within 7 days of your scheduled arrival date, you may be able to reschedule your visit or cancel your tickets or vacation package without any cancellation or change fees imposed.
However, keep in mind that Disney is only responsible for your theme park tickets and vacation packages booked through them for stays at Disney World Resort hotels. For any other inclusions in your vacation from third-party providers, for example, airlines, car rental agencies, travel insurance, or non-Disney hotels, you will be responsible for any non-refundable purchases or cancellation or change fees imposed by those providers.
I purchased tickets to Disney World and never used them. Are they still valid?
If your tickets to Walt Disney World are unexpired and have remaining admission days, they will be honored and you can use them on your next visit to Orlando.
If you previously purchased tickets that had the No Expiration Option, then these tickets are valid for entry to the Disney World theme parks no matter when they were purchased.
It is worth noting that Walt Disney World no longer sells tickets with the No Expiration Option. Your tickets to the theme parks will eventually expire. For instance, some tickets purchased in a particular year (say 2020) expire at the end of the following year (2021). But this may not be true for every ticket. If you’re not sure when your ticket expires, you can find out the validity of your ticket by calling Disney customer services or taking the ticket to a theme park.
My Disney World ticket has expired. Is there anything I can do?
If you have a wholly unused ticket that has expired, you may be able to apply the amount you paid towards the purchase of a new ticket at the current price. The price of the new ticket should be equal to or more than the amount you paid for the original ticket. So, if you paid $550 for a multi-day ticket that you never used and which has expired, if you purchase a new ticket, you may be able to apply the $550 towards the new ticket. If your new ticket costs $600, they’ll adjust the $550 and you’ll only pay $50 more. However, if your new ticket costs $400, you won’t get a refund for the remaining $150. Also, typically the tickets cannot be adjusted against special events and separately priced activities.