AP/Blockout pass same day

[Trevor85]

I was planning on going next Friday, August 6th, so I decided to get another annual pass. The SoCal one. That day would normally be blocked out for me but a friend told me that because I'm buying the AP on that day that you still get in without buying the block out pass. Can anyone confirm or deny this?

 

[sonnyjane]

Well, kind of. What you need to do is buy a regular ticket that will get you into the parks, then upgrade it to an AP inside of the park before you leave that day. That way, you will have an AP, but they will let you be in the parks that day even though it is blocked.

 

[Trevor85]

Oh, didn't know you could do that. Thought you could only upgrade from AP to better AP, not a regular pass to an AP.

 

[Disney Dreams]

Oh, didn't know you could do that. Thought you could only upgrade from AP to better AP, not a regular pass to an AP.

Nope. You can upgrade from a one day park ticket to an AP. You want to do exactly what sonnyjane advised. Buy a 1 day Park Hopper (if you want to go to both Parks on the blockout day you are there) and then upgrade before the end of the day.

VERY important: If you leave the Park for the final time on that day and do not upgrade for whatever reason (ran out of time, forgot, etc....) you cannot use that one-day ticket to upgrade after that day. You MUST upgrade while your ticket is still valid.

- Dreams

 

[Trevor85]

Just found this on mousesavers.com so I guess either method would work.


If you buy a restricted Annual Pass (such as the Southern California Annual Passport, which has many "blackout dates"), but you plan to start your trip on one of the blackout dates, the blackout will not apply on the day you purchase the pass. So if you go to Disneyland on a Saturday and buy an Annual Pass that is normally not valid on Saturdays, you will still be able to use it that day at both parks.

 

[dleyel]

Last year I took DS on his birthday to get his free ticket and apply it to renewing his SoCal pass. Since the rest of us were blocked out that day, we weren't planning to go into the park. The CM at the ticket booth did ask if he was going to go in that day. So I don't think you need to buy a 1 day ticket first. My whole family is planning to go next Saturday with our GAD vouchers and renew our passes, so I hope it still works that way to save us some time.

 

[CMHusband]

Well, kind of. What you need to do is buy a regular ticket that will get you into the parks, then upgrade it to an AP inside of the park before you leave that day. That way, you will have an AP, but they will let you be in the parks that day even though it is blocked.

You don't need to do this two step process. You can go into the park on any block out day when you buy or renew (or upgrade) to an AP. They can print out the renewal AP at the ticket booths (if your picture is on file) then they will give you a special "exception pass" that lets you into the park.