Annual Passholder Question - From Someone far far away

[KCmike]

Okay if I went crazy and wanted to visit this Christmas again and then go for our annual vacation in the summer but then pleaded with my wife to go one more time again when would my passport conclude?

I'm thinking of a November trip. So if I bought the AP on Nov 1st would it expire next Nov 1st? Which passholder would be the best to buy?

 

[DebbieB]

Okay if I went crazy and wanted to visit this Christmas again and then go for our annual vacation in the summer but then pleaded with my wife to go one more time again when would my passport conclude?

I'm thinking of a November trip. So if I bought the AP on Nov 1st would it expire next Nov 1st? Which passholder would be the best to buy?

I live in PA - even farther away! I buy the deluxe pass, the one with blackout dates. I typically going during the off season, Sunday to Friday so I don't hit the blackout days and it's cheaper than the premier.

I always buy mine at a ticket booth before I enter, so the year starts then.

 

[sonnyjane]

The AP is good for one year from the first day it is activated in the parks, not the day it is purchased, so if you buy it Nov. 1st, 2011 but don't use it in the parks until Dec. 1st, 2011, your year will be up to (and including) Dec. 1st of 2012.

DebbieB (and OP), that means you can buy your AP online ahead of time and then activate it at the parks and you will avoid waiting in line that first day of your visit. You just take your voucher straight to the turnstiles and they will exchange for a card that you'll take to the AP center at some point to get an AP. And again, the AP will expire one year from your first day of the visit, not one year from the day you buy it!

 

[skiingfast]

KCMike I just want to add, especially because it might work out better for you and not apply to Debbie. If you want to save a bit and get a delux some things to consider.

You can come with an eticket Park Hopper or buy it when there, doesn't matter(just saves time since the eticket is taken strait to the gate. Use it in December and then upgrade to the AP. You will pay the difference between what the PH cost and the AP costs. Buy using the PH first, you can get a Morning Magic once if it's at least 3 days long. Not have to worry about blackouts when you are using the PH. Then anytime while there, at least before the last day of the PH ends, upgrade it to the AP.

But if you consider the delux vs premium, consider the savings on parking, greater discount the premium has on dining and merchandise too.

 

[nunzia]

We figure if we are going to come to the parks twice within a calendar year then it is a pretty nice savings, so we get the Deluxe and come when there are no blockout days. I think I read that the 10% merchandise discount at DLR for deluxe APs has been extended again..that's an added little bonus

 

[dmked]

We bought 4 day PHs first, used the MM then upgraded to DAPs. It is nice to be able to use the MM, but you also don't start getting the discounts on food and merchandise until you get the AP (obviously!) If you do the upgrade thing, say you get a PH and start your first day on Nov 1, 2011, use the MM then upgrade to an AP on Nov 3, 2011, your AP will still expire on Nov 1 2012, does that make sense?

 

[kelmac284]

I have been an AP holder since 06 but I heard something on here I have never heard before and hopefully one of you will know the "right" answer. For the first time I am going to go ahead and let mine expire because we have no immediate trips planned until at least next march. My current pass will expire on June 18 of this year. So rather than renewing it THIS June and not using it for half the time, using it in march and then having to renew it AGAIN before we took another trip next summer I thought I would wait and get a NEW one in March with a new start/end date of March. However I heard on here that they will sometimes consider your AP a renewal up to 6 months after you don't renew. Is this true?

I mean the whole point of letting mine lapse is to start the date over so I have a longer window to use it. Why on earth would I want to renew it in March only to have to renew it AGAIN in June???

I hope this makes sense and I hope someone knows the answer to this. And by the way I realize that from June to March is more than 6 months but I was just using that as an example. We MAY take a trip in October and if that were the case I would get a new one then and that would be within the 6 months.

Anyway again I hope this all made sense and I hope someone knows the answer. Thanks!

 

[skiingfast]

We figure if we are going to come to the parks twice within a calendar year then it is a pretty nice savings, so we get the Deluxe and come when there are no blockout days. I think I read that the 10% merchandise discount at DLR for deluxe APs has been extended again..that's an added little bonus

Have you got your Backstage Pass yet? I also don't like in CA and got mine a few days ago. Anyway, inside it does confirm the Merchandise Discount will go through to the end of 2011.

 

[skiingfast]

However I heard on here that they will sometimes consider your AP a renewal up to 6 months after you don't renew. Is this true?

I mean the whole point of letting mine lapse is to start the date over so I have a longer window to use it. Why on earth would I want to renew it in March only to have to renew it AGAIN in June???

I'm not totally sure, but when you renew you can get a discount, or at least beat the price increase. But I don't think if you let it lapse you will have to renew if you are in a 6 month window still and want another.

 

[kelmac284]

Yeah I know if you renew you get 20 bucks off but what I had heard was that they were trying to force people to renew using their "old" expiration date eventhough it was up to 6 months AFTER they were supposed to renew. Why would ANYONE do this?? I mean then you are paying basically full price minus only the 20 bucks and have less than an entire year to use it. Plus if it is after the price increase as you said you have to pay that anyway so discount or not it works out the same.

That is why I wanted to change my date because to me the 20 dollar savings was not worth renewing in June and then only getting 1 use out of it in March. IF we end up going in Oct then I will renew then but like I said if NOT then if I would have renewed at my normal time then it would have been a waste if that makes sense.

So my thinking was if I waited till next March then I would have a year from THAT date and I would use it at that time and then probably in the summer of 12 and possibly that fall and def the following march because that is when we go on our annual trip. So it is a much better time for me to get it. I would get more trips out of it.

 

[sonnyjane]

Yeah I know if you renew you get 20 bucks off but what I had heard was that they were trying to force people to renew using their "old" expiration date even though it was up to 6 months AFTER they were supposed to renew.

.

I have never, ever heard that, so I think you're okay

 

[miry]

The AP is good for one year from the first day it is activated in the parks, not the day it is purchased, so if you buy it Nov. 1st, 2011 but don't use it in the parks until Dec. 1st, 2011, your year will be up to (and including) Dec. 1st of 2012.

DebbieB (and OP), that means you can buy your AP online ahead of time and then activate it at the parks and you will avoid waiting in line that first day of your visit. You just take your voucher straight to the turnstiles and they will exchange for a card that you'll take to the AP center at some point to get an AP. And again, the AP will expire one year from your first day of the visit, not one year from the day you buy it!

So if I'm understanding correctly, I could get an AP now and not activate it until I come to the parks in December 2011 and it will still be valid until December 2012?

If I do that do I get some sort of AP ID number or something that we could use for booking hotel rooms and World of Color picnic meal discounts that we would use when we arrived but would need to purchase prior to the AP being "activated"?

Lastly, what is a Backstage Pass?

Thanks so much!

 

[skiingfast]

So if I'm understanding correctly, I could get an AP now and not activate it until I come to the parks in December 2011 and it will still be valid until December 2012?

If I do that do I get some sort of AP ID number or something that we could use for booking hotel rooms and World of Color picnic meal discounts that we would use when we arrived but would need to purchase prior to the AP being "activated"?

Lastly, what is a Backstage Pass?

Thanks so much!

Yes your AP doesn't get activated until you use it in December. But there is no advatage to buying it this early.

A. you can't get the WoC meal discount until it's active.
B. You can't reserve it(WoC picnics) until 30 days out.
C. You can always reserve a hotel with the AP rate by calling and asking for the APH rate, but you need the pass at check in to get the discount.

Backstage Pass is a pulication for AP holders. It comes by mail and can be viewed on the AP site.

 

[nunzia]

Have you got your Backstage Pass yet? I also don't like in CA and got mine a few days ago. Anyway, inside it does confirm the Merchandise Discount will go through to the end of 2011.

aahhh..THAT's where I saw it..I couldn't remember, but yes, it was Backstage Pass

 

[kelmac284]

Thanks Sonnyjane. Hopefully that will be the case. I just know that a few people on here mentioned that this happened to them when they went to get new passes (they were told they had to renew rather than get a new one) and I thought that was weird. While I could see for some they may want to keep their orig date and IF they gave them the discount and the old price I suppose for some that might be worth it and they might not care about losing some time but to me the whole point of letting it lapse is so I could start over. So hopefully it won't be an issue.

I know my mom let her's expire (orig her's expired in June like mine) and then she got a new one in March on our last trip. So I guess I will just have to see when I go.

 

[KCmike]

Why do they only allow people with certain zip codes in CA to pay monthly for their annual passers? What effect would it have on them to allow people outside the state/certain zip codes if your paying for whatever pass you want?

 

[skiingfast]

Why do they only allow people with certain zip codes in CA to pay monthly for their annual passers? What effect would it have on them to allow people outside the state/certain zip codes if your paying for whatever pass you want?

It's not to stop people further away. The payment plan is to encourage the locals who are the generators of most DLR revenue to get passes and come more often. Just like having special 2 or 3 days summer tickets.

 

[azdoughboy]

What constitutes "activating"? I'm considering an AP but we're not going until august. Can I use the AP for hotel discounts and locking in MNSSHP passes...can I do that without "using" my AP?


BC

 

[skiingfast]

What constitutes "activating"? I'm considering an AP but we're not going until august. Can I use the AP for hotel discounts and locking in MNSSHP passes...can I do that without "using" my AP?


BC

An AP or ticket is activated when you first enter the park with it.

For the AP discount you can get it by reserving and asking for the APH rate, but you will need it inhand when you check in.

For anything on the internet, like WoC picnis and Halloween ticket it needs to be activated.

 

[rivey]

to the person who asked
[/QUOTE]However I heard on here that they will sometimes consider your AP a renewal up to 6 months after you don't renew. Is this true?[/QUOTE]

the answer is no. this is not true.