Annual pass discounts?

[TinkerTerry]

I am considering buying my first annual pass. Question is...where to get one...are they only available thru Disney or does AAA or Undercover Tourist sell them at a discount?

 

[kphamousbr]

I believe you can get annual pass from Disney . Have a magical weekend.

 

[jmmess]

Just Disney, but you could buy a discounted pass from one of the trailers you mentioned, use it a day and then upgrade to the AP.

 

[BruinEd03]

Just Disney, but you could buy a discounted pass from one of the trailers you mentioned, use it a day and then upgrade to the AP.

That won't get you the discount. Disney would put the cost of the discounted ticket towards the annual pass. So if you paid less for the ticket, then you get less towards the annual pass. The only benefit is that I believe the annual pass would then start the day you turn in the ticket. So if it was a 5 day ticket, and you upgrade at the last day, your annual pass would begin at the last day (thus you get those extra few days).

However, you can buy Disney gc at a discount at Sam's Club (about 5%) and use it towards the annual pass. Thus, you would get 5% off.

 

[ravenclawtrekkie]

That won't get you the discount. Disney would put the cost of the discounted ticket towards the annual pass. So if you paid less for the ticket, then you get less towards the annual pass. The only benefit is that I believe the annual pass would then start the day you turn in the ticket. So if it was a 5 day ticket, and you upgrade at the last day, your annual pass would begin at the last day (thus you get those extra few days).

None of this is true.

Discounted tickets from resellers like AAA and UT (and others) can be 'price bridged' during the upgrade process to give the full gate value of the ticket towards the upgrade. A ticket upgraded to an annual pass should get the expiration date of one year from the ticket's first use. (If the ticket is unused at the time of the upgrade, then yes, the expiration should be one year from the date of the upgrade.)

Now, if the CM doing the upgrade doesn't know what they're doing, they might charge you a higher price and/or give you a wrong expiration date... But you're more likely to get a year from the date the ticket was originally issued (which could be months before you actually used it) than a year from when you do the upgrade, because of how the computer system works.

 

[jmmess]

That won't get you the discount. Disney would put the cost of the discounted ticket towards the annual pass. So if you paid less for the ticket, then you get less towards the annual pass. The only benefit is that I believe the annual pass would then start the day you turn in the ticket. So if it was a 5 day ticket, and you upgrade at the last day, your annual pass would begin at the last day (thus you get those extra few days).

However, you can buy Disney gc at a discount at Sam's Club (about 5%) and use it towards the annual pass. Thus, you would get 5% off.

Unless it has changed, Disney bridges the cost of the ticket at full value to the AP, so you still save the difference. For example, if you buy a 7 day ticket that was 4 days plus 3 free, Disney will bridge the cost of the 7 day ticket to the AP, saving you the difference of the cost of 7 vs. 4 days. Again, you need to use the ticket the first day and then upgrade the next day.

And as PP said, the date of expiration is based on the first day you use the ticket, not the day you upgrade.

 

[ravenclawtrekkie]

Again, you need to use the ticket the first day and then upgrade the next day.

This is also not true. Price bridging has nothing to do with usage. I do it on a semi-daily basis.

 

[BruinEd03]

Unless it has changed, Disney bridges the cost of the ticket at full value to the AP, so you still save the difference. For example, if you buy a 7 day ticket that was 4 days plus 3 free, Disney will bridge the cost of the 7 day ticket to the AP, saving you the difference of the cost of 7 vs. 4 days. Again, you need to use the ticket the first day and then upgrade the next day.

And as PP said, the date of expiration is based on the first day you use the ticket, not the day you upgrade.

Huh they must've changed the policy on this. That or the CM I dealt with years ago was mistaken.

In any case good to know.

 

[jmmess]

This is also not true. Price bridging has nothing to do with usage. I do it on a semi-daily basis.

It is true in my experience. If you don't use the ticket first, the full price of the current ticket isn't bridged. But that's my experience.

 

[ravenclawtrekkie]

It is true in my experience. If you don't use the ticket first, the full price of the current ticket isn't bridged. But that's my experience.

It's my literal actual job and the procedure is exactly the same either way.

 

[jmmess]

It's my literal actual job and the procedure is exactly the same either way.

Then some CMs are not as good as you! When I upgraded a ticket the first time, they bridged the price of the original ticket price rather than the gate price of the ticket! After that I always used the ticket first and then upgraded and haven't had the issue since. But love knowing its your job! I hope you're my CM next time I bridge.

 

[supersnoop]

Then some CMs are not as good as you! When I upgraded a ticket the first time, they bridged the price of the original ticket price rather than the gate price of the ticket! After that I always used the ticket first and then upgraded and haven't had the issue since. But love knowing its your job! I hope you're my CM next time I bridge.

Tickets purchased directly and separately from Disney are credited the price paid. Perhaps that's what happened your first time?

 

[jmmess]

Tickets purchased directly and separately from Disney are credited the price paid. Perhaps that's what happened your first time?

I purchased tickets from AAA and they were a few years old by the time I upgraded them. My understanding is/was that once you use the ticket, it brings the price up to current gate price, so you don't pay the differential between when or where you bought and when you upgrade.

 

[TinkerTerry]

So I purchased 8 day hoppers for $420.from undercover before the latest increase. Disney is currently selling those tix for $480 and the annual pass is $800. How much will I pay to upgrade my ticket?

 

[jmmess]

So I purchased 8 day hoppers for $420.from undercover before the latest increase. Disney is currently selling those tix for $480 and the annual pass is $800. How much will I pay to upgrade my ticket?

I'm hoping Raven will respond. In my experience, if you used the ticket one day, the differential would be $800 - $480, saving you $60. If you didn't use the ticket, then it was $800 - $420, saving you nothing. Whatever the answer, I still hope it saves you $60!

 

[ravenclawtrekkie]

My understanding is/was that once you use the ticket, it brings the price up to current gate price, so you don't pay the differential between when or where you bought and when you upgrade.

What brings the ticket to gate price is the CM putting it through a function called "Quick Upgrade" in their computer. I had to remind a co-worker to do it today because she was going to charge someone $128 to add park hopper to a ticket - and the guest had already used that ticket to enter a park. Once she did that step first, the guest got the right price on adding park hopper.

So I purchased 8 day hoppers for $420.from undercover before the latest increase. Disney is currently selling those tix for $480 and the annual pass is $800. How much will I pay to upgrade my ticket?

An 8 day park hopper ticket is currently worth $478.19 after tax. A Platinum annual pass for a non-Florida resident is $797.69. The price difference is $319.50. If you're quoted any other price, go to a different CM, regardless of usage on the ticket. (Just make sure to upgrade before the end of your 8th day on your ticket.) (If you're a Florida resident or DVC member, the AP price is different, look it up and do the math. )

 

[jmmess]

What brings the ticket to gate price is the CM putting it through a function called "Quick Upgrade" in their computer. I had to remind a co-worker to do it today because she was going to charge someone $128 to add park hopper to a ticket - and the guest had already used that ticket to enter a park. Once she did that step first, the guest got the right price on adding park hopper.

Awesome, thanks for the info!

 

[bristowe]

Hi
We just became DVC members. When already had a regular trip booked in August with park hoppers in our package. We went the second day to upgrade to the Annual Gold Pass and it was much less than I anticipated. So I was trying to figure out why and found this discussion.

So I just used touring plans to find the best price on hopper passes to run through a scenario, does this seem correct?

If we renew 4 adult gold annual passes (at current rates):
$1864

If we let our passes lapse and bought new passes (using current rates):
$2196

If we buy 7 day park hopper via parksavers:
$1577.85 a savings of 292.32 off Disneys prices (according to parksaver)
but with a "Quick Upgrade" disney would see this as $1870.16 so our upgrade would be $325.84 allowing us to save the same 292.32 someone buying the hopper pass through park savers would save. This would bring our cost to 1903 which isn't much more than the renewal price.

The key is making sure the cast member knows to use "Quick Upgrade"

 

[Marionnette]

Hi
We just became DVC members. When already had a regular trip booked in August with park hoppers in our package. We went the second day to upgrade to the Annual Gold Pass and it was much less than I anticipated. So I was trying to figure out why and found this discussion.

So I just used touring plans to find the best price on hopper passes to run through a scenario, does this seem correct?

If we renew 4 adult gold annual passes (at current rates):
$1864

If we let our passes lapse and bought new passes (using current rates):
$2196

If we buy 7 day park hopper via parksavers:
$1577.85 a savings of 292.32 off Disneys prices (according to parksaver)
but with a "Quick Upgrade" disney would see this as $1870.16 so our upgrade would be $325.84 allowing us to save the same 292.32 someone buying the hopper pass through park savers would save. This would bring our cost to 1903 which isn't much more than the renewal price.

The key is making sure the cast member knows to use "Quick Upgrade"

You can renew your APs in person and use the value of your MYW ticket toward the cost of the upgrade. It just takes a CM who knows how to accomplish this. The CM at Guest Services in AK flatly refused to do it for me. Claire, in the MK GR, knew exactly what I wanted to do and accomplished it with no problems whatsoever.

 

[disfanforlife]

You can renew your APs in person and use the value of your MYW ticket toward the cost of the upgrade. It just takes a CM who knows how to accomplish this. The CM at Guest Services in AK flatly refused to do it for me. Claire, in the MK GR, knew exactly what I wanted to do and accomplished it with no problems whatsoever.

This is exactly what I am planning do next month. Renew our gold APs and use MYW tickets towards the cost of the renewal. I am not using the tickets first because our APs do not expire until a few days after our trip ends. I hope we get a CM who can do the quick upgrade for us. Will report back after our trip.