Can Disney tickets be split?

[Scanner]

You know who this question is for but anyone can jump in.

I was thinking of going to Disney in the winter for 6 days and splitting my time equally with my boys - 3 days each. . .for a total of 6 days each. I would go down with my youngest on the plane and then hopefuly switch them off halfway into the trip with the oldest navigating down (nearly 13) himself (mostly).

I was going to work Thanksgiving and Christmas this year to pay for it - a little salve for the divorce they are going through.

My question is do I have to buy 2 3 day tickets or can they split it among 1 7 day ticket? The two brothers fight like mad and I think seperate time would be special and fun other than the taxi rides on the 3rd day. I may leave Day 4 for "transition time". I could do DisneyQuest and he likes eating out at pubs with the older one and such and Magic Kingdom and sugary places with the younger one.

Still mulling over just packing them all up together and just going for 3-4 days.

Thanks in advance.

PS: I think this may be a little complex from a travel itinerary standpoint and I would probably use a local travel agency (Liberty) than I have been pleased with using in the past. Again, I would have to decide if it's worth it or not.

[Scanner]

Never mind. . .I read Disney's policy and the tickets are non-transferable.

[disneysteve]

I'll answer anyway.

The official answer is no, as you've read. The realistic answer is that you would probably have no trouble getting away with it. When you enter the park, they sometimes use their biometric scanner to link the ticket to the user, but they don't use it consistently. We were in the parks for 7 days over the past 2 weeks and only had to use the scanner maybe 3 times. If you use the scanner and it doesn't match what is on file, you just complain and they let you through. There is really no way for them to accurately enforce their own policy. It is really policy more as a deterrent.

One issue. How old is the younger child? If he is under 10, he qualifies for a child ticket. The older child is an adult so his ticket would be more. That would mean using an adult ticket for the younger one. That could still be cheaper than 2 3-day tickets but they might wonder why you are using an adult ticket for a child.

[Scanner]

The young child is 6 years old to turn 7. . .that's why I am on the fence about separate "Dad-time" - I figured I would just buy an adult ticket for the both to split but yeah, I see the problem - one is looking like a tweenager and the other is looking like a child. I guess I could make up something and say we left the wrong ticket at the room and the other was back at the room - ah, hell, it's not worth it, LOL.

Another option I thought is I could buy a 7 day no-expiration ticket for each of them. . .let them swipe it for 3 days each when we were down there and then use them at a later time to do the same thing maybe in a year.

Wow. . .I priced the difference between Feb. and May it was $500 cheaper in May too. . .offseason I guess.

[disneysteve]

Wow. . .I priced the difference between Feb. and May it was $500 cheaper in May too. . .offseason I guess.

Ticket prices are the same year-round (though there was a price increase August 2). Room prices change. Best advice is to stay off-site. If you are interested, let me know and I'll send you info.

[MonkeyMama]

For the record, Disneyland and DisneyWorld have completely different policies. (Disneyland is far more strict - not even sure they sell no-expire tickets).

Anyway, do they put individual names on tickets? If Scanner purchases the tickets, would just his name be on them anyway? Does it matter which kid uses it, if he is there?

We have some tickets from 2000, no one has ever asked for an ID on those. I think those just have my dh's name on them, but their rules have changed vastly, since. So who knows - not that my experience is relevant.

[disneysteve]

Disney World does not put names on tickets. There is a line on the back that you are supposed to sign, but nobody ever does. What would be the point of having a 6-year-old sign a ticket?

The biometric system is supposed to link you to your ticket, but the system isn't foolproof. As Scanner already figured out, he could just tell the gate attendant that he must have grabbed the wrong ticket when he left the hotel since he had two kids and only brought one with him that morning. Disney is not going to turn you away and not allow you into the park.

FYI, the reason Scanner had this thought is based on how Disney World tickets are priced. The tickets are "front loaded" meaning the first 3 days are the most costly. A 3-day adult ticket is $219. A 7-day adult ticket is only $234, just $15 more. So Scanner's idea would cost him $234 instead of $219 plus $219 or $438, a difference of over $200.