Having your Disneyland ticket expire can be a frustrating situation, especially if you spent a lot of money on multi-day park hopper tickets. Fortunately, Disneyland has policies in place to help guests make the most of their expired tickets. Here is a quick overview of what happens when Disneyland tickets expire and options for what to do next.
Disneyland Ticket Expiration Rules
The first thing to know is that all unused Disneyland Resort tickets expire 13 days after first use. This applies to single and multi-day tickets. For example, if you purchase a 4-day park hopper ticket and first enter Disneyland on June 1st, any remaining days on the ticket will expire on June 14th. After a ticket expires, the barcode becomes invalid and can no longer be used to enter the theme parks.
In addition, unused Disneyland tickets purchased on or before December 31, 2022 will expire on December 15, 2023. So any unused days on those tickets must be used before then or they will be void.
Disneyland does not send alerts about ticket expiration dates. It is up to the guest to keep track of when their tickets expire. The expiration date is printed on the ticket, so be sure to check before your visit.
What Happens When Tickets Expire
Once a Disneyland ticket expires, the barcode is automatically canceled in Disney’s system. If you try to enter a park with an expired ticket, the scan will register as invalid. At that point, you will not be allowed to enter the park to use the ticket. The cast member scanning tickets will explain that the ticket has expired and is no longer valid.
For multi-day tickets, any unused days remaining on the ticket will be forfeited once the expiration date passes. For example, if you had a 4-day park hopper ticket and used 2 days before the ticket expired, the remaining 2 days would be canceled and could not be used.
Expired Disneyland tickets cannot be refunded. The value is simply lost once the expiration date has passed. However, Disneyland does allow guests to upgrade expired tickets in certain situations. More on that next.
Options for Expired Tickets
If you have an expired Disneyland ticket, you have a couple options on what to do next:
- Purchase a new ticket – You will need to buy a brand new ticket if you still wish to visit the parks.
- Upgrade the expired ticket – Disneyland allows you to use the value of an expired ticket to purchase a new ticket at the current gate price.
Purchase a New Ticket
The simplest option is to purchase a completely new 1-day or multi-day ticket for upcoming visits. Just keep in mind that you will not receive any refund or credit for the expired ticket value. All new purchases are at the current gate prices.
Disneyland currently offers 1-day, 2-day, 3-day, 4-day, and 5-day tickets for one park per day. Park Hopper options are available to visit both Disneyland and Disney California Adventure in one day. Multi-day tickets offer savings over buying multiple 1-day tickets.
New ticket prices typically range from $104 for a 1-day ticket to $415 for a 5-day park hopper ticket. Ticket prices are also subject to peak and regular pricing seasons. Be sure to check Disneyland.com for current gate prices before purchasing new tickets.
Upgrade the Expired Ticket
Rather than buying a completely new ticket, Disneyland does allow you to use the original value of an expired ticket to purchase a new ticket at current gate prices. This is essentially “credit” for the expired ticket that is applied when upgrading to a new ticket.
For example, if you had a 2-day ticket originally purchased for $200 that expired, Disneyland would allow you to apply the $200 credit towards a new 2-day or other ticket at today’s prices. You only have to pay the price difference between the original ticket and the new ticket.
To upgrade an expired ticket, you will need to visit the Disneyland Ticket Booth in person and present the expired ticket. As long as you have the original physical ticket, Disneyland will be able to look up the purchase price and allow an upgrade to a new ticket.
Upgrades are only allowed for unused expired tickets. If you used up all the days before a multi-day ticket expired, then there is no value remaining to apply to an upgrade.
Note that upgrade prices must be paid at the time of the upgrade. Disneyland will not provide rain checks or allow upgrading expired tickets after the fact.
How to Avoid Having Tickets Expire
To prevent having Disneyland tickets expire, the best practice is to purchase tickets as close to your actual travel dates as possible. Avoid buying tickets months in advance, since you will have to keep track of expiration deadlines.
If you do purchase tickets early, be sure to document the first use date and 13-day expiration period. Set reminders on your calendar so you do not forget. For multi-day tickets, plan your Disneyland trip so that you can use all days within the validity window.
Check your tickets carefully for the expiration date before arriving at Disneyland. Pay attention to any days leftover on multi-day tickets so they do not accidentally expire.
It is also a good idea to take a photo of the front and back of your tickets after purchase. That way you have a record of the expiry date, ticket details, and purchase price in case you need to upgrade later.
Be aware of the upcoming December 15, 2023 expiration date for all unused tickets purchased in 2022 or earlier. Use or upgrade those tickets before then.
Finally, if you have to postpone your Disneyland trip for any reason, try to modify your hotel and travel reservations so that your tickets do not expire before your new dates.
Can Expired Tickets be Refunded?
Disneyland does not allow refunds on expired tickets. Once a ticket expires, all value is forfeited. The only option is to upgrade the expired ticket towards a new purchase.
For this reason, it is highly recommended to use all days on multi-day tickets within the validity period. Otherwise you are throwing money away on any expired ticket days.
If you need to cancel your Disneyland trip, try to modify your reservations so tickets can be used at a later date. That way you avoid having paid for tickets that ultimately expire and cannot be refunded.
How Long are Disneyland Tickets Valid For?
All Disneyland Resort tickets are valid for 13 days from first use. For example:
- 1-day ticket = 13 days from first use
- 2-day ticket = 13 days after you use the first day
- 3-day ticket = 13 days after you use the first day
- etc.
Be sure to check your specific ticket for the valid use dates printed on it. Multi-day tickets must be fully used within 13 days from first visit, or any remaining days will be forfeited.
Separately, tickets purchased on or before December 31, 2022 will expire on December 15, 2023. So regardless of validity window, those tickets cannot be used after that expiration date.
Does Disneyland Extend Expired Tickets?
Disneyland does not extend expired ticket validity dates. Once a ticket expires, the barcode is automatically deactivated in their system.
Even if you had valid reasons for not using the ticket in time, such as an injury, illness, or family emergency, Disneyland will not reactivate expired tickets or extend the use dates.
The only option is to upgrade the expired ticket. You can use the original value to purchase a new ticket at current gate prices. But the validity window cannot be extended on expired tickets.
Can I Use an Expired Disneyland Gift Card?
Disneyland gift cards do not actually expire. You can continue to use gift card funds indefinitely for future purchases at Disneyland Resort locations.
So even if you have an unused Disney gift card from years ago, the full balance will still be active and redeemable. Simply present the card at checkout anytime to apply the funds.
Disneyland gift cards can be used for ticket purchases, food, merchandise, hotel stays, and more. They do not deactivate unless the card balance reaches $0.
Note that you cannot use an expired Disneyland ticket to purchase a new gift card. But if you already have a gift card, those funds remain valid no matter how old the card is.
Conclusion
Having Disneyland tickets expire can be an extremely frustrating situation. But by understanding Disneyland’s expiration policies, you can avoid losing ticket value or having to purchase all new tickets.
The key is carefully tracking validity dates, planning your trip within the expiration window, and upgrading expired tickets when possible. With some diligence, you can make sure your Disneyland tickets provide magical memories instead of headaches.
