What if your Disney Tickets were stolen or lost?
Are you prepared?
I ask because this recently happened to a MDT reader and their family. They’d arrived in Orlando for their long awaited vacation and stopped at a local grocery store for some supplies. While in the store, their vehicle was broken into and their luggage was stolen with their Disney World tickets inside.
What an awful situation!
They were a large multi-military member party using an assortment of military discounted ticket types purchased at different Bases. Some tickets they were able to have replaced (because their ITT/ITR kept good records) and others could not be and they had to buy replacements.
What You Can Do To Protect Yourself
If you are purchasing your Disney Armed Forces Salute Tickets (Disney World or Disneyland) from your local base prior to leaving on your trip you should follow these procedures in case your tickets are lost or stolen.
- Save your receipt!
- Take pictures of the back of each ticket
- Forward the pics to at least one other in your party
- Keep the tickets and receipt in a safe, known location while waiting for your trip
- Put a reminder on your phone or packing checklist to get the tickets when getting ready to go (perhaps a reminder where they are too)
The reason for all of this is that Base Ticket Offices sell what are called Exchange Vouchers, which are non functional tickets that must be activated upon arrival at Disney by presenting the Voucher and your military ID. If the vouchers are stollen or misplaced before you activate them you are out of luck!
Note: Disney Armed Forces Salute Tickets purchased fro Shades of Green are sold pre-activated.
Tickets that are sold activated like the Armed Forces Salute Tickets purchased from Shades of Green or the Regular Military Discounted Magic Your Way Tickets can be linked to your My Disney Experience Account before leaving home and the physical ticket is no longer needed.
Yes, you can link your exchange vouchers to your MDE account, but the physical voucher is still needed for activation!
When leaving for vacation
Keep the tickets and receipt separate. For example, tickets in your carry on luggage, and the receipt in your wallet or purse.
Then, if your tickets are lost or stollen you can use the picture and the receipt to get replacement ones from Disney at no cost.
Different Military Disney Tickets
There are two types of Military discounted tickets, the Disney Armed Forces Salute tickets and the Regular Military Discounted Magic Your Way tickets.
Depending on which you have will require different procedures from this point.
The Disney Armed Forces Salute tickets must be activated prior to use. In doing so you are registering those tickets in your name. If they are lost or stolen after activation Disney can just pull you up in the computer and re-issue you your tickets. You can ditch the pictures and other proof at that time.
If you buy your Disney Armed Forces Salute tickets direct from Disney and activate them at the same time there is no need for these precautions as your name is associated with the tickets from the get go.
The Regular Military Discounted Magic Your Way tickets are ready for use when you buy them and no interaction with Disney staff is required during their use. If they are lost or stollen at any time until they are used up you will need your assembled proof to get them re-issued so be sure to keep it separate from the tickets!
An Ounce Of Prevention
I know this might seem over the top. But it takes almost no time and could literally save your vacation.
By the way, during the re-issue process the old tickets are voided in the system and become of no use to the thief.
I was so sorry to hear the above story from someone in our community and I hope this info will help protect us all!
Cheers, Steve
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This MDT Post By: Steve Bell Steve is the the Military Disney Tips Founder. He a retired U.S. Military Member who's been touring the Disney Parks since 1971! Steve's mission is to help military families with their Disney vacations in every way. Check out Steve's Bio. Subscribe to Steve's email newsletter to get website updates and news by clicking this link. |
Planning a Disney Trip? Want to get the best military discounts that are available? Feeling a little confused? See Our Great Disney Discount and Planning Info:
- Disney Veteran & Military Discount Eligibility Guide
- The Military Family’s Walt Disney World Comprehensive Vacation Planning and Preparation Guide
- Military Disney Tips Disney Packing Checklist
- Disney Military Tickets – Your Start to Finish Guide
- Resorts/Hotel Overview Page
- Dining Overview Page
- Transportation Overview Page
- Technology Overview Page
- Shades of Green, WDW’s Military Only Resort
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Military Disney Tips' Recommended Disney Travel Agent
Ears of Experience Disney Only Travel Agency. Military family owned and operated! They know all the ins and outs of Disney military discounts! |
Hi,
Recently I have misplaced my Disney Land Military Salute ticket that has already been activated. They took my photo and everything. I called to verify that I was in their system and the cast member I talked to said I had to provide the paper copy (the one issued to me by ITT I’m sure) in order to receive a new ticket. I emphasized that they took my picture, fingerprint, etc. Maybe I just talked to the one guy who didn’t want to help me, but seeing as though this was written in 2013 the statement that my name is associated with the ticket may not be accurate anymore. I just wanted to put this out there before (god forbid) someone went to the park thinking they could just get another one because they have activated their ticket and get turned away for not having their paper copy. I really hope I’m wrong and I just got a really lazy guy who didn’t feel like looking me up.
Jeannelle
Hi Jeannelle,
The people you talk to on the phone are call center workers, they aren’t anywhere near the parks and so know very little.
Whether military or regular, Disney deals with lost tickets all the time. Since you’ve activated it and used it already, it is in the system and you should only have to show ID to prove who you are.
The bit about having to show the paper voucher is silly, they took that from you when you activated the ticket and got the real one.
What if you lost your ITT issued voucher (stapled with the receipt, of course!) BEFORE getting to the park?
Oh no, did you take a picture?
No, I didn’t get that piece of advice 🙁 ITT ticket office {left coast) did provide me with voucher number series for tickets. But wouldn’t reprint even though they could look up and see they were not redeemed yet. Anything I can do now that I have the voucher numbers when I get to Disney? Thank you!
Oh that’s good Dee,
Having the voucher numbers is good. Disney should exchange tickets as long as you have those. Bring your original receipt too if you have it.
Thank you! I called Dland today. They instructed me to take the voucher numbers to the main ticket booths & they’d issue tickets for us. Such a sigh of relief! Will forevermore take your sage advice and immediately take pictures before we leave the base 🙂 I appreciate the moral support, have a great day!
Awesome!, have a great time!
You are very welcome!