Can you still upgrade a parkhopper to an annual pass?

[Rebekkap]

Hi folks,

we're visiting (from Australia) for two days at the end of December (which would be blocked out days on the Deluxe Annual Passport), and then for seven or eight days in the second week of January (not blocked days).

Information on the internet suggests our best option may be to buy a two-day park hopper for the two days in December, and upgrade it to a Deluxe annual passport on the second day, which we can then use for the second week of Jan, including a discount at the hotel we want to stay in.

Otherwise we'd be looking at $200 for a two-day park hopper, and then $292.99 for a 14-day park hopper (which you can only buy here in Oz) - so a total of $492.99 rather than $469.

Can you still upgrade a park hopper to an annual pass?

thanks
Rebekka

 

[theluckyrabbit]

Yes, you can do that. Just make sure to upgrade before the last day of use, which in your case would be the second day of the parkhopper.

 

[Rebekkap]

Yes, you can do that. Just make sure to upgrade before the last day of use, which in your case would be the second day of the parkhopper.

I'm confused - does that mean I can upgrade on the second day, or I have to upgrade on the first day? If on the first day, it's not going to work as we'll then need to buy a blockout day pass, as the pass won't be valid the second day...

 

[theluckyrabbit]

You must upgrade before the end of your second day. Use your first day, use your second day, and before the end of your second day, go to the ticket booth to upgrade to an AP. You can email Disney Guest Services or Ticketing to double check for any loopholes or fine print restrictions.

 

[Rebekkap]

You must upgrade before the end of your second day. Use your first day, use your second day, and before the end of your second day, go to the ticket booth to upgrade to an AP. You can email Disney Guest Services or Ticketing to double check for any loopholes or fine print restrictions.

Ok, awesome! thanks for the info

I will order two-day park hoppers online, and we'll exchange them on the second day.

 

[cooniez]

I didn't know about this option the last time we were at DL this past June. Can someone explain to me again what the trade in value is? And if it's worth upgrading (or is this only if you know you will be going to DL X amount of days per year)? Also, does the 1-year start/get activated on the day you upgrade to AP from your PH?

 

[theluckyrabbit]

Disney will credit you the price you paid for your ticket. So if you paid the full price, you'll be credited that amount. If you got a discount, you'll be credited the discounted amount. If the ticket is promotional, it has zero value, and you'll receive no credit. Then you will pay the difference between your credit (if any) and the price of your AP.
It really is worth crunching the numbers to see if buying a pass will be worthwhile for you. How many trips, how many days per trip? What about parking? If you stay at a hotel with a shuttle or take ART, that might work out to be cheaper than adding on the parking to a pass.

 

[cooniez]

Disney will credit you the price you paid for your ticket. So if you paid the full price, you'll be credited that amount. If you got a discount, you'll be credited the discounted amount. If the ticket is promotional, it has zero value, and you'll receive no credit. Then you will pay the difference between your credit (if any) and the price of your AP.
It really is worth crunching the numbers to see if buying a pass will be worthwhile for you. How many trips, how many days per trip? What about parking? If you stay at a hotel with a shuttle or take ART, that might work out to be cheaper than adding on the parking to a pass.

Hmm...we went in 2010 and this past June, and end of October will be the 3rd trip as a family. I can see us making a trip to DL at least once a year from now on (now that our 4.5 year old DD is old enough to understand/remember being here). We typically stay onsite at one of the DL resort hotels so we just walk to the parks. I don't know why I am still on the fence about upgrading to an AP. I think my poor exhausted brain is just too overworked to do any math or calculations right now.

 

[Disney Dreams]

Hmm...we went in 2010 and this past June, and end of October will be the 3rd trip as a family. I can see us making a trip to DL at least once a year from now on (now that our 4.5 year old DD is old enough to understand/remember being here). We typically stay onsite at one of the DL resort hotels so we just walk to the parks. I don't know why I am still on the fence about upgrading to an AP. I think my poor exhausted brain is just too overworked to do any math or calculations right now.

The key piece of information that we do not have in order to help you properly is: How many days do you visit the Parks? The three trips you mentioned above are spread out over two years if I am understanding correctly, so they would not all have been on the same AP.

As for your unanswered question above, "Also, does the 1-year start/get activated on the day you upgrade to AP from your PH?": The expiration date of the AP is the date of first use of the PARKHOPPER, not the annual pass post-upgrade.

HTH,
Dreams

 

[cooniez]

The key piece of information that we do not have in order to help you properly is: How many days do you visit the Parks? The three trips you mentioned above are spread out over two years if I am understanding correctly, so they would not all have been on the same AP.

As for your unanswered question above, "Also, does the 1-year start/get activated on the day you upgrade to AP from your PH?": The expiration date of the AP is the date of first use of the PARKHOPPER, not the annual pass post-upgrade.

HTH,
Dreams

Hello! In June we were in the parks 5 days, but for our October trip we will only be in the parks maybe 2 days since we were there so recently.

 

[GrandBob]

I can see us making a trip to DL at least once a year from now on (now that our 4.5 year old DD is old enough to understand/remember being here).

The key to getting value out of an AP if you're making annual trips is to stagger the trips correctly. Done right, you can get two trips out of a one-year AP.

Say, for example, that you like to go in late July / early August. In 2013, go the first week in August, buying an AP. You can then still use that AP for a trip on the last week of July 2014. Let the AP lapse, which it will do as soon as your trip is over. Then repeat again for August 2015 and July 2016. Etc.

In other words, if you stagger trips at 11 months and 13 months, rather than every 12 months, you can buy an AP once every two years, but still get it to cover your trips. Done that way, the AP makes economic sense. An AP makes no sense, though, if you only use it for one trip before it expires.

HTH,
Bob