Florida Residents - Beware!

[WDWNeighbor]

OK, dumbest Disney policy ever!!!!

For those Fla. Residents considering the annual passes with monthly payment program, be aware of the fact that the passes go into effect from the date you purchase them online. There are not exchange tickets sent to you like there are for other annual passes. I spoke to three different Disney agents, including two who work directly for the company handling these tickets, and they all confirmed the same thing.

So if you want to purchase them, you better find an Internet connection the day you plan on going to the parks and purchase them that day otherwise you will waste some of your annual pass!!!

 

[larryz]

OK, dumbest Disney policy ever!!!!

For those Fla. Residents considering the annual passes with monthly payment program, be aware of the fact that the passes go into effect from the date you purchase them online. There are not exchange tickets sent to you like there are for other annual passes. I spoke to three different Disney agents, including two who work directly for the company handling these tickets, and they all confirmed the same thing.

So if you want to purchase them, you better find an Internet connection the day you plan on going to the parks and purchase them that day otherwise you will waste some of your annual pass!!!

Well, if you roll your APs from year to year, it really won't matter all that much, eh?

 

[Cheshire Figment]

I'm sorry, but you are misinformed. If you go to the site which discusses this, you will find in the FAQs:

Q. When will my Florida resident annual pass expire?
A. Your Pass will be valid for one year from the date of issuance.

By definition an AP is issued only at WDW. Again, you will get an e-certificate which must be exchanged of an actual AP. And you will have to show proof of residency to confirm the demographic information at the ticket booth (or Guest Relations Office).

 

[Luvchefmic]

Cheshire Figment I asked you a ? in one of the threads with the new payment plan & I know you're busy so you might not have seen it...I just want to confirm something..when your FL Res AP expires how long do you have to renew it..in other words at what point can you let that one just die off and become a NEW FL AP holder to take advantage of the monthly payment plan, since renewals I understand aren't included in the new advantages. Gosh that was a run on sentence but I think you know what I mean
Doing the math I know I'll be losing out on the 15 month AP deal but I REALLY need the payment plan more.....

Thanks,

Ruthie

 

[DebbieB]

Cheshire Figment I asked you a ? in one of the threads with the new payment plan & I know you're busy so you might not have seen it...I just want to confirm something..when your FL Res AP expires how long do you have to renew it..in other words at what point can you let that one just die off and become a NEW FL AP holder to take advantage of the monthly payment plan, since renewals I understand aren't included in the new advantages. Gosh that was a run on sentence but I think you know what I mean
Doing the math I know I'll be losing out on the 15 month AP deal but I REALLY need the payment plan more.....

Thanks,

Ruthie

They aren't going to force you to renew. You can just go in and buy a new AP.

 

[Luvchefmic]

They aren't going to force you to renew. You can just go in and buy a new AP.

I'm not sure you understand..I doubt I can buy a NEW one until the OLD one has passed the "point of no return" ..thanks though

 

[mrbghd]

OK, dumbest Disney policy ever!!!!



So if you want to purchase them, you better find an Internet connection the day you plan on going to the parks and purchase them that day otherwise you will waste some of your annual pass!!!

Or you could pay for it in full upfront. It may not be a convenient policy but it is not dumb it makes sense. They are anticipating a percentage of people that will stop paying (even though it is set up with electronic payment) and that is why they are doing this.

 

[A Mickeyfan]

if you wanted to purchase a new pass, you would probably have to wait the 30 days after your expiration date to purchase it.. but why would someone want to pay more since you save when you renew???? I understand the paying over time thing, but then what it amounts to is like paying your credit card off over time since you would be paying more to get it that way.. did I make sense

but then again, you may not have to wait at all if you just purchase "new".. I don't think they can force you to "renew" and doubt that they will since to renew is cheaper than purchasing new...

 

[Luvchefmic]

if you wanted to purchase a new pass, you would probably have to wait the 30 days after your expiration date to purchase it.. but why would someone want to pay more since you save when you renew???? I understand the paying over time thing, but then what it amounts to is like paying your credit card off over time since you would be paying more to get it that way.. did I make sense

but then again, you may not have to wait at all if you just purchase "new".. I don't think they can force you to "renew" and doubt that they will since to renew is cheaper than purchasing new...

I do understand what you're saying about more $$ in the long run (and will technically be losing the additional 3 months that can be added on with the promotion that ends mid Aug) but If I have to pay all at once to renew then I can't....see ? Whereas when I can buy NEW I only have to have the initial down payment (the amt of a one day pass) and then do the monthly payments...God am I making sense ? sort of like the 50 # bag of dog food is cheaper per lb in the long run but maybe today I can only afford the 4 # bag .and they're hungry .;-)

 

[WDWNeighbor]

I'm sorry, but you are misinformed. If you go to the site which discusses this, you will find in the FAQs:


By definition an AP is issued only at WDW. Again, you will get an e-certificate which must be exchanged of an actual AP. And you will have to show proof of residency to confirm the demographic information at the ticket booth (or Guest Relations Office).

Thanks for clearing that up... Someone needs to tell the Disney reservation folks then that the same usual rules apply. They told me time and time again that because you can only buy the monthly payment plan ticket right now through online only that the year for which you are paying for goes into effect immediately. Someone needs to set them straight. I understand the payments start immediately but it made absolutely no sense to me that the 365 day period would as well. What you are saying makes complete sense, hence the reason I was baffled by the CMs on the phone. Thanks again!

 

[Cheshire Figment]

When you call Walt Disney World, unless you really know a direct number, you will get one of two offices.

The Disney Reservations Center (DRC) includes Walt Disney Travel Company (WDTC), Central Reservations Office (CRO), Disney Dining, and some other lesser known information lines. To the best of my knowledge the DRC locations are in the International Drive area, Tampa, Houston, Salt Lake City and somewhere in North Carolina. There may be more. Some of the people working at the DRC call centers may never have been to either WDW or DL (or both).

The Main Switchboard (407-824-2222) is also where all calls to Disney Resorts go if you are dialing the phone number on the back of your reservations form. Also that is where calls go if you dial the Operator from your room, and possibly even calls to the Front Desk. The Main Switchboard people will, if asked, also identify themselves as Guest Services. They can put you through to any number on WDW.

At both DRC and MS they have access to a computer which has lots of Guest Information and it is very well organized. Actually, all CMs who have access to a terminal, or who even can access the "Cast Portal" from off-site, have access to this Guest Services information. I will often open an extra window when I am responding to people and go into the Portal for the latest official information.

The people at DRC and MS do not deal with upgrades, partially used tickets, or problems related to tickets. They do not know all the rules. The people at DRC can sell unused tickets; the people at MS don't deal with tickets at all.

The people who work in the ticket booths at the Parks or in Guest Relations at the Parks (and this includes TTC, the Water Parks, and GRO in DTD) deal with ticket upgrades and unusual problems on a daily basis. I would not say that someone you talked to on the phone lied to you, but just they were attempting to answer a question when they really did not have an answer.

 

[DebbieB]

I'm not sure you understand..I doubt I can buy a NEW one until the OLD one has passed the "point of no return" ..thanks though

I once bought a new AP about 1 week after my old expired because I wanted the expiration date to be good for my trip the following year. They didn't say "no, you have to renew". I didn't even tell them I had a previous one, I just bought it as new. Unless you are logged in with your current AP #, they are not going to stop you from buying a new one. They will be happy to take more money from you.

 

[fruitcake]

I was wondering the same thing about when the tickets go into effect. When I called tonight, the young lady was very nice and gave me a passholder specific number (1-888-701-4100) to call because she did not know the answer. She confessed that she could only help me with resort reservations and did not want to give me false information. Unfortunately, the passholder number is only good till 8pm so I won't be able to call them back till Monday, but if you go on the website and pick which tickets you want and continue as if you are going to make a purchase, it does list them as, for example, weekday select fl resident exchange. It would make much more sense to do it this way but I just want to make sure. We are not going till November, again next May, and would like to possibly go again next fall. Don't want it to start counting away the days now.

 

[Feralpeg]

I think it is a wonderful plan. It is much easier for many to come up with the cost of a one day MYW ticket and $25 a month than a lump sum amount for the AP. I believe more people will purchase the AP this way.

By the way, Sea World/Busch Gardens has had a similar plan for some time.

 

[A Mickeyfan]

I do understand what you're saying about more $$ in the long run (and will technically be losing the additional 3 months that can be added on with the promotion that ends mid Aug) but If I have to pay all at once to renew then I can't....see ? Whereas when I can buy NEW I only have to have the initial down payment (the amt of a one day pass) and then do the monthly payments...God am I making sense ? sort of like the 50 # bag of dog food is cheaper per lb in the long run but maybe today I can only afford the 4 # bag .and they're hungry .;-)

2 confused minds understand each other
Yes, you make sense & I do see what you are saying.

 

[A Mickeyfan]

I think it is a wonderful plan. It is much easier for many to come up with the cost of a one day MYW ticket and $25 a month than a lump sum amount for the AP. I believe more people will purchase the AP this way.

By the way, Sea World/Busch Gardens has had a similar plan for some time.

Universal too.. for many years.

 

[MommyBoss]

I think it is a wonderful plan. It is much easier for many to come up with the cost of a one day MYW ticket and $25 a month than a lump sum amount for the AP. I believe more people will purchase the AP this way.

By the way, Sea World/Busch Gardens has had a similar plan for some time.

With the Bush Gardens plan your ticket price never goes up. I purchased mine in 1997 and am locked in at $4.50 a month. I never have to renew, they just keep charging every month until I decide to cancel.

 

[fla4fun]

I do understand what you're saying about more $$ in the long run (and will technically be losing the additional 3 months that can be added on with the promotion that ends mid Aug) but If I have to pay all at once to renew then I can't....see ? Whereas when I can buy NEW I only have to have the initial down payment (the amt of a one day pass) and then do the monthly payments...God am I making sense ? sort of like the 50 # bag of dog food is cheaper per lb in the long run but maybe today I can only afford the 4 # bag .and they're hungry .;-)

According to the article on the Orlando Sentinel website, they will be offering this on renewals at a later, unmentioned, date (bolded by me for emphasis):

"The new Disney World payment option is available to Florida residents who purchase new annual passes, which range in price from $148 for limited “Epcot After 4” passes to $521 for “premium” passes with unlimited admission to Disney’s theme parks, water parks and other venues. Disney says it will extend the installment option to existing passholders looking to renew later this year."

Since I put a little money away every paycheck for my pass renewal, I'll be getting mine with the three month extension and paying in full. But it will be nice when they do offer it on the renewals.

 

[fruitcake]

Spoke with a wonderful lady today at the payment plan phone line and she said that when you make your initial payment online, you will receive a confirmation email regarding your purchase. You will also receive "E" tickets to print out and trade in at any of the parks or at Downtown Disney to receive your actual pass. The passes do not go into effect until you turn in the "E" ticket. Woohoo...now I just have to save up enough for 3 one day tickets and I am set until I go in November! Love it!! Hope this info helps.

 

[seashoreCM]

Do you have to make all of the payments before you can start using it?
As in layaway?
Or are the installment payments a form of credit?