AP for out of state visitors

[3DisMunchkins]

Questions for those of you with AP's who fly in each trip.
I have 5 day hoppers for our upcoming trip in July and am considering upgrading to Deluxe AP's when we arrive (on or after Saturday black out day). I know we'll go at least once next summer and may be able (hopefully) to sneak in a trip in November for my girls 13th birthdays. Have you found the blackout days to be an issue for you, or do you just plan around them? Am I correct that I'll get the full current value for 5 day hoppers applied to AP cost even if purchased through LMT? In your opinion, have you found the AP's to be worth it for only 2 possibly 3 trips?
thanks!

 

[figment_jii]

The last reports I saw (this thread) indicated that you should get the full value (gate price) of the ticket to be applied towards the cost of the Deluxe AP. Now, there is no officially stated policy (that I've seen), so this could change at any time. The general advice is to plan on only getting credited the amount you paid for the ticket so you don't underestimate the amount needed to upgrade. If they credit you gate price, then that's a bonus.

When I had a Deluxe AP, we did find that the summer blockout (Saturdays) were kind of in the way, but we ended up sleeping in, touring the hotels/DTD, having a leisurely meal, watching fireworks from the Esplanade, and calling it a day early. This could also be a good day to do something outside of Disney (e.g., Beach, Knott's Berry Farm, Universal, etc.). In terms of value, don't forget to factor in the shopping and dining discounts (which can help with the costs). I think you can make an AP worthwhile with 2 or 3 trips, but it depends on how long you go for.

 

[SMD]

Check the blockout calendar now for November and see if you think there's going to be a set of dates that work for you. As far as next July, you can assume that the blockouts will be similar, and the blockout calendar by next July should be available by the time you'd upgrade, but ask yourself if flights or hotels are significantly cheaper during a week with some blocks, would you be ok going for say, 5 nights, but only getting 3-4 park days? Only you can decide what your dealbreakers might be of it it's worth it.

As far as ticket value, DLR does not price bridge as a rule. You can only assume that you will get the value that you paid for parkhoppers. There have been lots of cases of basically pixie dust where people have received a higher value than they paid a reseller. Disney knows what you paid for a ticket, or at least the know the sale price that the ticket is coded for. You have no way of telling what Disney's value on a ticket is until they scan it when you go to upgrade. One thing you'll want to do is ask LMT if the tickets you're buying are upgradeable. Many deeply discounted tickets, such as some convention rates are not upgradeable.

 

[3DisMunchkins]

One thing you'll want to do is ask LMT if the tickets you're buying are upgradeable. Many deeply discounted tickets, such as some convention rates are not upgradeable

Oohh...didn't think about that. I'll see if I can find out. thanks!

The general advice is to plan on only getting credited the amount you paid for the ticket so you don't underestimate the amount needed to upgrade.

Good point!! We'll hope for pixie dust but be happy either way!

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

. One thing you'll want to do is ask LMT if the tickets you're buying are upgradeable. Many deeply discounted tickets, such as some convention rates are not upgradeable.

Oohh...didn't think about that. I'll see if I can find out. thanks!
!

The tickets from LMT are not convention rates or anything similar - they are just regular tickets sold by a broker. Lots of reports of upgrades. 3 people in my family upgraded them to Deluxe AP's in January - including me. We received gate price credit.

Regarding the Deluxe - I debated a bit but just decided to work around the blackout dates. If I were there on a blackout date I'd likely just plan a resort/DTD day.

 

[Meriweather]

We always get APs. We don't fly in, but drive 6 hours.
The black out dates have never been an issue for us. We plan around them.
Never go on Sats. Weekends are always so busy anyway

 

[whoever]

I've been on a pretty much non-blacked out AP (until last year when they discontinued my Premium Annual Pass and I dropped to a Signature). We did the rest of the family on 3 Deluxe passes (Victoria was under 4 when we started the trip that activated those passes), and when they expired went back to whatever duration hoppers we were doing. The black out days did impact our trips, but only by a day or so here/there. I can't remember the specifics, I think we either had to start one trip a day later than we wanted to, or end a trip a day sooner, I can't honestly recall. It wasn't a big deal for us and how we vacation. Now that the prices are going sky high, I might not renew my pass when it expires in 30 days.

 

[Disney_Alli]

We're out of country AP holders and just made sure to plan this trip to start on Saturday so we can hit the ground running on Sunday. Our first trip with the passes was after the Saturday block-outs ended in August so they didn't impact us at all.

 

[Gretchen1973]

We are out of state who fly in every time. I just always look at the calendar and pick dates that work for us. So far it hasn't been an issue.

 

[Sun_soakin]

We upgraded LMT tix this year and got the current value for the tix...no pixie dust was involved, it's just how it has always worked unless you have conference or comp tix.
We have deluxe APs and don't mind the blackout days...this time of year when the Saturdays are blocked it's a good time for a pool/resort/dtd day

ETA- we aren't out of state but do have a 5 hr drive

 

[ADisneyFamilyof5]

We had APs a couple years ago. That year, we spent 17 days in the park over 3 trips. We are out of state, so we fly or drive 16 hours. We bought discounted park hoppers and then upgraded at the ticket booth. The full price of the park hopper was applied to the APs, not the price we paid. We prefer to go off season, so we never ran into a problem with block out dates. If you have the flexabiltity, I would choose to work around block out dates. But if go during a Saturday block out, it might be nice to have a relax day to sleep in, swim and go to DtD.

 

[bumbershoot]

We upgraded LMT tix this year and got the current value for the tix...no pixie dust was involved, it's just how it has always worked unless you have conference or comp tix.

Not always. In the last 5 years or so. When we were first going and for some years after I joined here upgrading at Disneyland did not get the price bridged. You paid the difference from what you paid for the tickets. At some point after they decided the two US parks should be the same it changed.

 

[SMD]

Not always. In the last 5 years or so. When we were first going and for some years after I joined here upgrading at Disneyland did not get the price bridged. You paid the difference from what you paid for the tickets. At some point after they decided the two US parks should be the same it changed.

If the gate price of the tickets goes up between when you buy and upgrade, DLR doesn't "bridge" that difference. I was thinking more of UT that sells deeply discounted tickets that aren't upgradeable but also some tickets that are. Or travel agents that offer a great rate, but then when people have tried to change dates they find out they were sold tickets in a convention block and can't change. I know the travel agent thing isn't really an issue at DLR and mostly happens at WDW. While it seems like most resellers are selling DLR full value tickets at a discount price, it's always possible that when someone goes to upgrade, the deal they got was not on a full value ticket, and they'll pay more than they're expecting. That doesn't mean getting full value is actual price bridging taking place.

 

[Winnowill]

We're out of state AP holders (two Deluxe and one Signature), and we haven't had an issue with the blackout dates, though I must confess that we almost did - we were there the weekend before they started Saturday blackouts in March. By the time our passes expire in June, we'll have been 20-21 days in the parks.

 

[Nevada Jen]

We are out of state AP holders also. We have deluxe passes and I have been on the edge on upgrading. Once I did the math I realized that I probably wouldn't needs 2 blackout dates, which is about where it breaks even. Its a 6 hour drive for us. We got the passes because we knew that we would be coming back once more time before they expired. Once we had the passes, I think we found a reason to go 4 or 5 times that year! It is a little bit different if you have to fly and fly a whole family. You could easily spend in flight costs what we spend for an entire 3 day weekend trip. Still, do the math. It is very likely that two trips makes it more economical to buy deluxe passes.

 

[3DisMunchkins]

Once we had the passes, I think we found a reason to go 4 or 5 times that year!

I'm afraid you may be right!!! Luckily tickets can sometimes be found from Denver pretty cheap in the off season with enough planning! But even if not, I know we'll go next summer and upgrading on 15 July would still leave 1/2 the summer for 2018.

I've read that you will be given a voucher if you upgrade on a black out day....anyone have 1st hand experience with this?

Thanks All!

 

[SMD]

I'm afraid you may be right!!! Luckily tickets can sometimes be found from Denver pretty cheap in the off season with enough planning! But even if not, I know we'll go next summer and upgrading on 15 July would still leave 1/2 the summer for 2018.

I've read that you will be given a voucher if you upgrade on a black out day....anyone have 1st hand experience with this?

Thanks All!

Yes, about month ago. Just make sure you confirm that you'll be going back into the parks before you start the upgrade. The APs will expire 1 year after 1st use, not 1 year after the date you upgrade. So if you enter on the 15th, but don't upgrade until the 16th, the 15th will still be your expiration date.

 

[agamble]

I'm afraid you may be right!!! Luckily tickets can sometimes be found from Denver pretty cheap in the off season with enough planning! But even if not, I know we'll go next summer and upgrading on 15 July would still leave 1/2 the summer for 2018.

I've read that you will be given a voucher if you upgrade on a black out day....anyone have 1st hand experience with this?

Thanks All!

https://www.disboards.com/threads/r...ing-ap-on-blockout-day.3571961/#post-57193041 Look at this recent thread about upgrading on a blockout date. We also did this three years ago and plan to do it at the end of this month.

Generally the blckout dates don't bug us. With the Deluxe it is Saturdays starting in March and going through late August and then mostly holidays and the two weeks at Christmas. The nice thing is if you have a regular ticket you may not want to go in for a partial day on the day you arrive or leave. But with the AP you won't feel bad about being the in the park for half a day.

The last time we had an AP we went only 4 times. We went in June for 5 1/2 days and then in May for 6 days. Those were our two trips that make the cost "worth it." With two week long trips the cost of the AP was more than covered compared to buying 5 day hoppers for two years, plus we got the extra days. Then we also went one day to see Halloween and two days for Christmas. We would have liked to have gone at least one more time, but my husband had just started a new job.

We're going to try to get a trip in each month of our 13 month pass this time, but we'll see how it goes. Currently we're doing one day in May, a week in late June, the last weekend of July until August 1, and then the last weekend of September ending on October 1. So I'm off to a good start.

 

[3DisMunchkins]

https://www.disboards.com/threads/r...ing-ap-on-blockout-day.3571961/#post-57193041 Look at this recent thread about upgrading on a blockout date. We also did this three years ago and plan to do it at the end of this month.

Great thread...I knew I had seen it somewhere. Do you know if the discounts will work right away?

edited...Just saw the question and response on previous thread. Thanks Again!