Discounted Disney World Tickets: Buyer Beware

In my last post, I discussed some of the things that I looked for when deciding where to buy discounted Disney World tickets. One of the things I found out when I first started researching this topic, was that it was just as important, if not MORE important, to consider carefully where NOT to buy. What I learned is as follows:

First of all, never, ever, ever buy tickets from eBay or Craigslist. I know it is tempting, as the prices are usually reeaaaallly good. Well there is a reason for that! It is simply because you have no way of knowing….at all….what you are truly buying until you get to the park gate. Disney tickets do not identify in any way, how many days are available on them, so despite everything the seller tells you, you really can’t be sure that there are as many days left as he/she says…if there are even any days left on the ticket at all, until that pass is scanned at the parks. Invalid ticket? Too bad for you, as Disney will certainly not help you at all.

This then brings me to the second thing that I learned: it is illegal in the state of Florida to resell partially used tickets. Again, for the reason stated above, there is no way for the buyer to be sure of how many days are on the ticket. And the thing is, there are sellers of used tickets all over the internet, and despite the law, even at locations in Florida. Disney does enforce this policy, through the use of a biometric finger scan: basically it “reads” the first person to use a ticket, and after that, no one is able to use the pass. Sooo, even if you were lucky enough to find an “honest” ticket reseller, who assured you that there were 7 days left on that Park Hopper pass, and there were indeed 7 days left on that Park Hopper pass…well, you still couldn’t use it if someone had used it before you. So again, too bad for the unsuspecting buyer.

There is one other thing that I watch out for with sellers of discounted Disney World tickets, and that is, are they trying to get you to sit through a timeshare presentation? This is an extremely popular strategy in the Orlando area, to get folks interested in the many timeshares that are available. So to attract folks to these presentations, there are many sites and businesses that advertise “free” Disney tickets….but be sure to read that fine print! Because those free tickets will cost you several hours or more of your hard-earned vacation, for some pretty high pressure sales tactics. Now there are some folks that would not mind this in order to get free tickets and if you are one of them, then enjoy! Just make sure that you know, ahead of time, the situation, and then you can be prepared. My main complaint is with the companies that do not clearly spell this out, until you are there to pick up your free tickets. Too late then!

I think my philosophy about all this can be summed up in what everyone’s grandparents used to say: “If it seems too good to be true, it probably is”.

It is certainly possible to save money on a Disney vacation by purchasing discounted Disney World tickets, and I really recommend it! My favorite broker, Undercover Tourist is a reputable, authorized-by-Disney, ticket agency, with great service, excellent prices, and free shipping!

Hopefully you have found this information to be helpful. For additional Disney vacation planning ideas, and ways to save money on your next Disney World vacation, visit The Affordable Mouse.

Have a magical day!