While I'm sure some frugal guest are buying them up to use on future visits but I'm sure many sit in desk drawers unused or thrown away over time like unused gift cards.
The policy more gives them increased flexibilty as many guest may just rebudget their no expiration funds into upgrading their dining plans or others options.
You can get the info by using the old website or calling. I also checked Undercover Tourist and the option is still available there as well. Whew.
We ordered our last batch in 2006. The price for the 10-day park hopper/no expiration has increased $250 (each) since we last bought.
We own a timeshare and have gone to Orlando almost every year. But honestly, since we don't consider it a "trip of a lifetime," we only go to Disney once or twice during the week we are there. The rest of the time we go to our resort pools, Winter Park for lunch, Downtown Disney, etc. We almost always enjoy a different Disney restaurant at one of the hotels on a day we are not at a park. We'll go and explore, eat a nice dinner, and try to time it so we're finished in time to see the fireworks. Disney is making money off of us on our non-park days! To be totally honest, if we did not have the non-expiration tickets, we'd probably go to SeaWorld or Universal more often.
Because we had these tickets in our pockets, we have actually found ourselves making an unscheduled trip when we've stumbled upon an airfare deal (yes, we actually few a couple of years ago for $19/each way!).
I don't fault Disney for wanting to maximize profits (I'm a shareholder), but frankly, this stunt leaves me with a bad taste in my mouth.
Now, I'm worried I'll get a surprise in a year or two with Disney telling me I'm a second class citizen and can't make dinner reservations or whatever because I have an "old" ticket.
Having unused tickets lying around is risky. You might forget to use it, or you may lose it.
Perhaps I'm missing something but I don't see a great appeal - if you wait 10 years then maybe its a good investment?
I think this will combat people trying to resell tickets,
The very best reason for getting this option is emotional. When you leave WDW with days still left, or just notice the old tickets in passing in the drawer at home, you KNOW you will DEFINITELY go back to WDW soon. This always makes us feel a little better when we'd rather be at WDW than home...
We will hate to see this option go.
No-expiration tickets are just like gift cards and Disney should not give up on a gold mine. A significant amount of the unused days will never be redeemed. People loose the tickets. People forget they have them. People don't return at all or as often as they thought they would. And best of all Disney can book this revenue at the time of purchase unlike gift cards.
I have unused days from tickets purchased in 1999, 2001, 2003 and 2008!
The no expiration option isn't the enabler for ticket resellers or renters. They can clearly work in the 14-day expiration window. Disney is largely to blame for enabling them because the biometrics should make it impossible for the ticket to be used, but clearly someone is making exceptions at the turnstile or these guys would be out of business.
Guest: Hello Lex - I am looking at the website to buy tickets, and I noticed the option to buy a "non-expiring" park hopper is not listed. Is this type of ticket still available?
Lex: It would still be available, but now can only be added in a Theme Park.
Guest: Great, thank you for your help.
This change wouldn't bother me so much on its own, but combined with a lot of other rollbacks in discounts and constant ticket price increases, it's frustrating. The trends are not positive for Disney World right now, and I doubt this is the last change.