Florida Resident Ticket Question

[monkfish78]

I'm trying to figure out which cast member was correct in this situation. Last year, before the pandemic, my wife and I decided to treat my in-laws to a Disney world trip. I knew as a NJ resident I wouldn't be able to purchase Florida resident tickets on my MDE account. I called up and explained to the cast member exactly what I was trying to do. He helped me do it. We used our credit card and had the tickets mailed to my in-laws in Florida. No issues.

Then Corona hit and we canceled our trip, but got the credit. I just called back since we've rescheduled for September. This time the cast member acted like I was crazy. While he didn't outright say it, he implied the only way I could have purchased Florida resident tickets would be if I created a fake MDE account. Needless to say, he said there was no way a cast member would have allowed us to purchase Florida resident tickets with a NJ credit card. In the end, he said the only thing he could for us was to refund the money for the original ticket and just send my in-laws a check. He even claimed that had my in-laws tried to redeem the tickets, they would have had to buy regular tickets as they wouldn't have been let in.

This makes no sense to me. We can't be the only people trying to gift tickets. Why would Disney care who pays if a Florida resident is using the ticket? It just seems really convoluted for no reason. Can anyone confirm if this is true? I mean, we can send my in-laws a check but it's such a waste of time. Thanks for the help!

 

[lanejudy]

Did you get refunded for last year’s tickets? Or are they still sitting in someone’s MDE as a credit? Or were the tickets possibly extended through 9/26/2021 as was done for most tickets from last year (I don’t recall if the FLR tickets were extended).

 

[monkfish78]

Did you get refunded for last year’s tickets? Or are they still sitting in someone’s MDE as a credit? Or were the tickets possibly extended through 9/26/2021 as was done for most tickets from last year (I don’t recall if the FLR tickets were extended).

Yes, they gave us a full refund because it was tied to our credit card and the cast member could see that. That's what made the whole thing even more weird. He could see I had paid for the tickets and that they shipped them directly to my in-laws but kept insisting that wasn't possible.

 

[Robo]

There is no accounting for what some "Phone CMs" believe and pass on as "rules."

That said, the fact that a FL RES ticket cannot be purchased with a non-FL credit card IS a "rule" that I've seen mentioned many times.
BUT, like most "rules," I've also seen some exceptions have been made (like in your case from last year.)
Bottom line is that since Disney MAKES the rules, Disney can make EXCEPTIONS when they want to.
If you want to try again, call again (and again, if necessary)
and "ask nicely.

 

[lanejudy]

Yes, they gave us a full refund because it was tied to our credit card and the cast member could see that.

The reason I asked about a refund is this made it sound like the unused tickets were still in MDE (unused but possibly expired):

In the end, he said the only thing he could for us was to refund the money for the original ticket and just send my in-laws a check.

If the tickets were still in MDE, there was no reason for a refund. Most tickets were extended to Sept 2021 and could simply be used as-is.

I agree with Robo. Last year you apparently got a CM willing to bend and make the ticket purchase happen. The phone CM you spoke with recently wasn't wrong, but not willing or able to bend the rule. You can always call back to try again.

 

[mac_tlc]

When I went to renew our "Silver" pass last month, we were at our house in CT so I did it on-line. It would not let me use a credit card that did not have a Florida billing address. We were not going to be in FL before the renewal period would have expired, so I changed the billing address of one of our credit cards to our Florida house address. I was then able to renew them and get the monthly payment option. No issues with our MDE account and linking them.

When we first purchased them last year, we did it in-person and brought the required documentation to the ticket window, so there were no issues.

 

[HopperFan]

I know for our FL APs that we were doing monthly payments we were required to use a FL address credit card. So you are saying to buy a regular FL Resident ticket you also have to use a FL address credit card?

Scenario is the whole family is going this summer, big kids were going to buy their own but do not have FL credit cards, only bank accounts. Am I going to have to buy them all since we need in advance to make reservations?

Also DD has access to Tickets At Work where she gets it further discounted ... when purchasing from 3rd Party Sellers would she need the FL address credit card?

 

[monkfish78]

I know for our FL APs that we were doing monthly payments we were required to use a FL address credit card. So you are saying to buy a regular FL Resident ticket you also have to use a FL address credit card?

Scenario is the whole family is going this summer, big kids were going to buy their own but do not have FL credit cards, only bank accounts. Am I going to have to buy them all since we need in advance to make reservations?

Also DD has access to Tickets At Work where she gets it further discounted ... when purchasing from 3rd Party Sellers would she need the FL address credit card?

That's what the CM told me. I was genuinely surprised as when we did it the first time, the CM understood exactly what we were trying to accomplish and did it for us.

We just decided to send my in-laws a check and let them buy the tickets on their credit card.

Of course, that had it's own problems as they're now saying it's too much money. It's always something.

 

[decheez]

When I originally purchased my Florida resident AP I used my Canadian credit card (I was a snowbird at the time, residing in FL for half the year). I was allowed to purchase the pass that way but had to show the proof of my residence when I activated the pass. When I went to renew I could renew with a non-FL credit card as long as I was paying for it in full, if I wanted to use the monthly payment plan I had to use a credit card with a Florida billing address. This was for my renewal in both 2018 and 2019. Have not purchased a non AP ticket so not sure what rules apply there.

 

[Dis703]

The rules do indicate that they have to be purchased with a credit card with a Florida mailing address (we just did this and I read all the fine print). As for whether or not they break those rules I couldn't say. I can't even see Florida resident tickets in my MDE, but my boyfriend, who lives in Florida, purchases Florida Resident tickets for my kids and has to use his credit card and it has to be mailed to his home. And then when we go to the parks he has to be there to show his ID as well.

 

[Dis703]

"We can't be the only people trying to gift tickets. Why would Disney care who pays if a Florida resident is using the ticket? It just seems really convoluted for no reason. Can anyone confirm if this is true? I mean, we can send my in-laws a check but it's such a waste of time. Thanks for the help!"

I'm going to just take a guess here and say that the discount is intended only for a Florida Resident as in also a Florida taxpayer. So someone who lives there and is part of the local community and economy has the benefit of that savings, but that wouldn't extend to someone living in another state even if buying it for someone who lives in Florida.

For the future though, there could be a way around that if you use gift cards to buy the tickets.

 

[Jnjtrio]

Okay I was looking to do something similar. We have a trip planned for November, my parents will be coming, My dad has a sister in Miami, who he would like to come with us. I am all for this, we already bought 6 tickets through shades of green for all of us going 5 days. So need to get my aunt's ticket and decision was buy her a 4 day and 1 day ticket Florida resident. She is in her 70's they do not have a computer, I am doing all the planning.

I have her driver's license info and have created her an MDE account, my plan was to buy her ticket myself. She deserves no worries on cost for this trip, What I am seeing here is I might not be able to purchase as my credit card is not tied to a Florida address. If I purchase gift cards can I use them to buy her tickets online with MDE, was hoping to avoid the.possible long call waits.

 

[Robo]

If I purchase gift cards can I use them to buy her tickets online with MDE, was hoping to avoid the.possible long call waits.

You can only use one card if buying online.

Considering that you have set up an unique set of wants that don't fit the normal rules, looks like you should call.

 

[Jnjtrio]

You can only use one card if buying online.

Considering that you have set up an unique set of wants that don't fit the normal rules, looks like you should call.

I could easily get the money all on one gift card to complete the purchase for her ticket. Information I have read online says it should be possible, just wondered if anyone had done a purchase like this. I will update if I am successful, thanks for the reply Robo.

 

[Jnjtrio]

Just an FYI, I was able to purchase her tickets online using a disney gift card. I was unable to verify her Florida residency even when putting in her Florida drivers license information. So looks like we will have to make a quick stop on way into first park. Park reservations have been made that match the rest of the family.

 

[sheilafri]

There is no accounting for what some "Phone CMs" believe and pass on as "rules."

That said, the fact that a FL RES ticket cannot be purchased with a non-FL credit card IS a "rule" that I've seen mentioned many times.
BUT, like most "rules," I've also seen some exceptions have been made (like in your case from last year.)
Bottom line is that since Disney MAKES the rules, Disney can make EXCEPTIONS when they want to.
If you want to try again, call again (and again, if necessary)
and "ask nicely.

I have purchased my FL tickets for many years with an out of state CC. I am a seasonal FL resident and have to show proof of my FL (secondary) residence the first time I use the tickets so always go to a ticket window or GS. Disney has even sent my FL AP Voucher to my out of state address—a bit of bother as I was at my FL home at the time.
Disney is more generous in defining in-state than UO from what I’ve found so we’re sticking with Disney.