Buyer beware…when it comes to Disney World admission tickets “if it seems to good to be true…” IT IS! Especially in the case of “ticket brokers” along U.S. Highway 192.

The popular route running east to west through Kissimmee is filled with hotels and “discount ticket retailers” (*wink *wink, nudge nudge). During a recent sting operation 3,617 fraudulent tickets were confiscated (that’s over $1 million dollars in tickets!). The tickets were for Disney World, SeaWorld and Universal.

The tickets weren’t counterfeit reproductions, at one point they were legitimate for park entry; and were used by the original purchaser. Remaining portions of the leftover tickets were purchased by these “brokers” for pennies on the dollar, marked up, and re-sold to you with a discount price tag to lure you in.

Yes, this is illegal in the State of Florida and no, these thief’s weren’t hiding in the back corner of a dark alley. They were operating right on the main stretch of highway in plain view.

Here’s what you should know about theme park tickets:

1. You get what you pay for-Some of these tickets that were sold as 4-day passes actually only had 1-day remaining on them. There’s no way of checking the legitimacy of tickets from 3rd party brokers until you try to enter the park, at which time it’s too late.

2. Beyonce sings, “if you like it then you should’ve put a ring on it”, Disney sings, “If you bought it then you should’ve put your finger on it..” The fingerprint scanners at the gate are there for a reason. If the fingerprint of the person who originally purchased the ticket doesn’t match the next person trying to use it…you’re going to be getting a whole bunch of trouble in place of park admission.

3. If you drive to WDW and pass through this stretch in Kissimmee…keep on truckin’. While your desire to save money on your Disney vacation is pure, purchasing tickets from an illegal broker can lead to all sorts of trouble, and I assure you the experience won’t be magical.

4. Be smart-If you don’t purchase your theme park tickets direct from Disney, research the legitimacy of your source before you pay up. Sites like Undercover Tourist have been researched and reviewed whereas individual sellers on Craigslist or E-bay have not.

5. Track the discounts-everyone wants to save money on their vacation, if you don’t have the time or interest in tracking discounts and promotions, get a travel agent who specializes in Disney travel to do it for you. They can do all the work and you can have all the fun.

Related articles

• Osceola County Sheriffs Arrest 10 Vendors on Charges of Reselling Disney Tickets (chipandco.com)
• Ask a Disney Question: E-Tickets (chipandco.com)