Buying admission tickets to the Disney World theme parks before your vacation is a great way to save money. But if your plans change, it can be very confusing to figure out what happens to your theme park tickets. Is it money down the drain? Or can you cancel your tickets and get your money back? Does Disney allow you to modify the start date on your theme park tickets? To get you up to speed, today we’re answering the question: Do Disney World tickets expire?
Yes, Disney World theme park tickets expire. The tickets are valid for admission starting on your selected start date. They expire a fixed number of days after your chosen start date. You must use the tickets within the valid use period you selected at the time of purchase.
Keep reading to learn when you can use your theme park tickets, what to do if you can’t go on the selected start date, and how you can check the validity of your Disney World tickets.
Disney World tickets validity and expiry
Your Disney World theme park tickets have a limited validity that begins on the selected start date and ends after a fixed number of days depending on the type of ticket.
A 1-day base ticket expires on the chosen start date.
A 2-day ticket is valid for 4 days after the selected start date.
A 3-day ticket expires 5 days after the chosen start date.
A 4-day ticket is valid for 7 days after the chosen start date.
A 5-day ticket expires 8 days after the selected start date.
A 6-day ticket is valid for 9 days after the chosen start date.
A 7-day ticket is valid for 10 days after the selected start date.
An 8-day ticket is valid for 12 days after the selected start date.
A 9-day ticket expires 13 days after the selected start date.
A 10-day ticket is valid for 14 days after the selected start date.
So, if you purchased a 9-day base ticket and selected a start date of December 1, your ticket will be valid for any 9 days from December 1 to December 13.
Can I modify or cancel my Disney World tickets?
Admission tickets for the Walt Disney World parks are nonrefundable and nontransferable. You cannot cancel and get a refund for your theme park tickets. Also, once you have used a ticket partially, your biometrics are linked to the ticket and only you can use it for admission to the theme parks. Meaning, you cannot give a partially used multi-day ticket to a friend or family member to use the remaining days.
If there’s been a change in plans, you can modify the selected start date of your Disney World theme park tickets. Simply log in to your Disney account online or go to the My Disney Experience mobile app. Click on “My Tickets” and choose the “Change Ticket” option. Select the tickets you want to modify and click “Continue.” On the next screen, you’ll get options to change the date, the number of days, and the type of ticket. Once you’ve made the changes, select “Check Out.” You’ll be prompted to pay the price difference between your previous selection and the new one, if any.
Unused, expired tickets
Disney World theme park tickets have an expiry date which is typically the end of the subsequent year. For example, if you purchased the tickets in 2020, they are valid until the end of 2021. However, this is not a hard and fast rule. The exact validity of your tickets can vary depending on purchase conditions.
Before 2004, Disney World used to sell tickets with a No Expiration Option. If you bought these tickets, Disney will honor them if they have remaining admission days. However, after 2004, all multi-day theme park tickets expire a maximum of 14 days after first use.
If you were unable to go on a Disney vacation within the validity period of your theme park tickets, the amount you paid for unused, expired tickets may be applied towards a new ticket at the current price. So, if you paid $105 for a one-day base ticket and never used it, you may be able to apply this amount towards a new ticket. Now, if the new one-day base ticket costs $119, you’ll only pay the difference, i.e., $14. However, if the price of the new ticket is less than the amount paid for the original ticket, you won’t get a refund.
Extension of Disney tickets expiration date in special circumstances
In special circumstances, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, the Walt Disney World Resort may officially extend the validity of theme park tickets. If your partially used multi-day theme park ticket was impacted by park closures, the validity may be extended to a date several months later to allow you to enjoy the parks. If you are unable to visit by the extended validity date, you may be able to apply the value of a wholly unused ticket towards the purchase of tickets for a future date.
How to check if my Disney World tickets are still valid?
Walt Disney World offers many ticket options and the validity of the tickets depends on the type you choose. A single-day single-park ticket expires on the chosen date. Multi-day tickets expire a fixed number of days after first use. These rules also apply to park-hopper passes that allow you to visit more than one Disney park in a single day.
The first use of a multi-day ticket purchased in a particular year must happen before the end of the subsequent year. But this may not always be true. If your tickets are old and you do not have the receipts and there is no indication of the expiry date on the tickets, the only way to find out is by calling the Disney World helpline on 407-939-1289. A guest representative will check your ticket’s validity.
Important tips on buying Disney World tickets
There’s nothing worse than losing your Disney World tickets or getting scammed into buying fake discounted tickets. Always purchase Disney World theme park tickets from the official site or licensed sellers. Do not give in to the temptation of buying partially used multi-day tickets. There’s no way for you to tell how many days are remaining on a ticket. Besides, Disney tickets are nontransferable. Your biometrics won’t match when you try to enter the park and you won’t be able to use the ticket. It’s also illegal in Florida to sell partially used multi-day admission tickets.
We’re going to sign off with a very important tip regarding Disney World tickets. These 5 seconds could save you hundreds of dollars. After you purchase your tickets, be sure to take a photo of the front and back or make a copy. If you take a photo with your phone, e-mail a copy to yourself, in case your phone gets lost or stolen. If you lose your Disney World tickets, this is the only way to get them re-issued. Without the coded information on the back of the tickets, you’re out of luck as far as getting your Disney World tickets replaced. The Walt Disney Company is not obligated to replace lost or stolen tickets (which is why you should keep them safely). However, if you can provide the information, Disney will most likely replace them and void the earlier (lost) ones.
So, now you know… Disney World tickets do expire. Most times, you will go on your Disney vacation as planned and have a great time. But on the rare occasion when you need to make changes, knowing how the validity and expiry of Disney theme park tickets works can save you a lot of stress.