Annual Pass confusion

[Sandisw]

I called the VIP Passholder line today to inquire if I was eligible to buy new APs. Our passes expired after the pandemic started and I received a refund. I was told that I would be able to buy new APs with a member discount. I was also told that I would be receiving a call in about 3-4 weeks to discuss the purchase. The person I spoke to seemed rather assured that new APs could be purchased.

They can as long as they are eligible for the recovery offer, which your situations counts,

In order to get right now, someone had to be an active passholder when the parks closed and either let it expire during closure or took a refund,

Anyone who didn’t have one at all in 2020 prior to the suspension of them, or they expired prior to March 2020 can not get them right now.

 

[mousestruck]

I was hoping for some pixie dust, but haven't gotten it. My situation was that my passes expired on 2-2-2020. I had until 3-4-2020 to renew them (30 days). Because the pandemic was starting, I didn't. WDW closed down 2 weeks later. Technically, I am ineligible for the recovery pass by 14 days.

I called and was told I'd get a call in a week, and that I might be permitted to get AP's because "It was only 14 days". I've waited 5 weeks, and no call back.

Our situation is similar. Our passes expired the end of February, giving us until the end of March to renew. I assumed that we would not be eligible for the recovery program since the passes expired before the shutdown. Now I'm wondering if it's worth a call. We decided not to renew as the pandemic got worse and our future travel was unsure. We are planning to return on 12/30/21 and will probably go back summer of 2022, so I APs would definitely save us some money.

 

[pineapplepalms]

In order to get right now, someone had to be an active passholder when the parks closed and either let it expire during closure or took a refund,

Anyone who didn’t have one at all in 2020 prior to the suspension of them, or they expired prior to March 2020 can not get them right now.

An exception to this is if you have a little one who did not previously need a ticket or AP and has already or will turn 3 by their next trip. My DD was 1 on our last trip in February 2020 so she didn’t have an AP even though the rest of us did. Our next trip is later this year when she will be 3, and they let us buy an AP for her too. This allowed us to make park reservations for everyone at the same time.

 

[crazybones27]

We were AP holders during the shutdown. Our passes were extended to Jan 2021. They expired because I just wasn’t sure when we’d be returning to renew. Now I see we will be going this year. From what I read we might fall in the exceptions category to be able to renew or purchase new gold AP’s? I’m willing to wait on hold to do so but I just want to see if we indeed qualify.

 

[Chuck S]

We were AP holders during the shutdown. Our passes were extended to Jan 2021. They expired because I just wasn’t sure when we’d be returning to renew. Now I see we will be going this year. From what I read we might fall in the exceptions category to be able to renew or purchase new gold AP’s? I’m willing to wait on hold to do so but I just want to see if we indeed qualify.

Since you had AP during the closure, I think you qualify. Be sure to call the VIP Passholder line and not Member Services, they will have all your info handy to check your status and tell you for sure if you qualify. I really didn't have to wait on hold long, I hope you are able to get through quickly. I'm still waiting for my call back, though, that said it could take a month after my call for them to get back to me.

 

[4fordisneyworld]

I called yesterday to the VIP Passholder line, as Chuck has mentioned, and I think I might have been on hold for 1-2 minutes. Super easy! The CM was great and confirmed our passes expired during the closure (ours expired in May) and he said he would pass our information on as there is a special team working on these case by case. He asked when our next trip would be and confirmed we should have time to get this taken care of. He told me to expect a call in 72 hours. So hopefully by Sunday or Monday. Good luck to everyone!

 

[Sandisw]

We were AP holders during the shutdown. Our passes were extended to Jan 2021. They expired because I just wasn’t sure when we’d be returning to renew. Now I see we will be going this year. From what I read we might fall in the exceptions category to be able to renew or purchase new gold AP’s? I’m willing to wait on hold to do so but I just want to see if we indeed qualify.

Because your pass just expired, you would have been able to renew it without doing anything special. However, you are beyond the 30 day renewal window,

So,I would call and see if you can at least renew late. It doesn’t hurt.

 

[Maudes my mom]

Both of those situations are considered applicable to the recovery offer out there. I am glad they were able to get the passes.

I actually have a different question but don’t know where to ask. I want to go to a park with visiting family. She has a reservation, but through some confusion on dates my reservation got cancelled and now there is no availability for APs. If I purchase a regular ticket, can I make a reservation in my name using that ticket? And does that still count as one of three reservations? Sorry so long.

 

[we"reofftoneverland]

When you get new APs via the recovery, by when do you have to activate them?

 

[Sandisw]

I actually have a different question but don’t know where to ask. I want to go to a park with visiting family. She has a reservation, but through some confusion on dates my reservation got cancelled and now there is no availability for APs. If I purchase a regular ticket, can I make a reservation in my name using that ticket? And does that still count as one of three reservations? Sorry so long.

As long as the bucket to match your ticket has room, you can book. So, if you just buy a day ticket with no room reservation,you are set

 

[Sandisw]

When you get new APs via the recovery, by when do you have to activate them?

Normal voucher. Activate when you go next..expiration is 2030.

 

[Maudes my mom]

As long as the bucket to match your ticket has room, you can book. So, if you just buy a day ticket with no room reservation,you are set

Thank you for helping. I hate spending the extra $$, but I really want to go that day. If using that extra ticket, can I add that park reservation as a 4th day? Or am I still limited to 3?

 

[Sandisw]

Thank you for helping. I hate spending the extra $$, but I really want to go that day. If using that extra ticket, can I add that park reservation as a 4th day? Or am I still limited to 3?

Only AP holders without a room reservation are limited to 3. If you are regular ticket holder, you can book as many as you want that match the ticket,

So, if you have both an AP and a ticket, the AP would get 3 and the day ticket gets one, Just be sure you buy the ticket for a day you can actually get the park you want.

 

[GDUL]

I called yesterday to the VIP Passholder line, as Chuck has mentioned, and I think I might have been on hold for 1-2 minutes. Super easy! The CM was great and confirmed our passes expired during the closure (ours expired in May) and he said he would pass our information on as there is a special team working on these case by case. He asked when our next trip would be and confirmed we should have time to get this taken care of. He told me to expect a call in 72 hours. So hopefully by Sunday or Monday. Good luck to everyone!

I was given the same information when I called the VIP phone number and was told that I'd hear back in 2 or 3 days. That was almost 4 weeks ago. I've called back since my first call and was told that they go in order of received calls and when they reach my information, I will get a call. I do hope that you hear back soon but from what I've been reading it can take up to a month to hear back.

 

[Meriweather]

Soooo..................I've been kind of following trying to understand all this (old brain).

Our APs were extended until June.
We don't want to renew as we don't go again until January......and then 2 other times after that.
We want a new AP.
Can we get one after our ones we have now expire?

 

[kes601]

Soooo..................I've been kind of following trying to understand all this (old brain).

Our APs were extended until June.
We don't want to renew as we don't go again until January......and then 2 other times after that.
We want a new AP.
Can we get one after our ones we have now expire?

Not with the present set of rules. You had to have cancelled or had it expire DURING the COVID closure. In your situation you are letting it lapse therefore would not qualify for a recovery AP.

 

[CraigInPA]

Call again and remind them you are still waiting, I have read some have taken a month or so.

Called and actually got through with only a 45 minute wait. I missed the cut-off by 11 days, and they have "no flexibility" to allow me to purchase a recovery pass. The CM "couldn't even guess" whether AP's will go on sale before my next trip, in October 2021.

AP's save me $1300 or more a year, based upon 2 trips of 10 days each, so today was not a "magical day".

 

[Bearval]

That contract you speak of actually says that Disney doesn’t even guarantee there will be parks to go to. They certainly don’t guarantee annual passes. Maybe you should read what you are signing. And sorry, if you can’t afford an extra $500 for passes, then don’t go. Either do a resort only stay or stay home. You’re right, I don’t know everyone’s financial situation, but I do know this much. If you can’t afford that, then maybe a luxury item like DVC is not for you. I stand by my statement, threatening to sue over annual passes is one of the dumbest things that I have read on these boards in my almost 20 years of reading them.

I think you are underestimating people, I am sure there have been dumber things said on these boards in the past. This however is the winner since COVID-19 so far.

 

[Chuck S]

Called and actually got through with only a 45 minute wait. I missed the cut-off by 11 days, and they have "no flexibility" to allow me to purchase a recovery pass. The CM "couldn't even guess" whether AP's will go on sale before my next trip, in October 2021.

AP's save me $1300 or more a year, based upon 2 trips of 10 days each, so today was not a "magical day".

I'm truly sorry you missed the the cut-off date.

I was lucky, I got the call during lunch today. My AP voucher is showing in MDE now. The call was 27 days after my initial call to the VIP AP line.

 

[starry_solo]

Soooo..................I've been kind of following trying to understand all this (old brain).

Our APs were extended until June.
We don't want to renew as we don't go again until January......and then 2 other times after that.
We want a new AP.
Can we get one after our ones we have now expire?

Not with the present set of rules. You had to have cancelled or had it expire DURING the COVID closure. In your situation you are letting it lapse therefore would not qualify for a recovery AP.

So with those circumstances, renew and advance one of your 2 other trips to occur before it expires again in June 2022....