AP rate at DLH-do I need AP at check in?

[smiley_face2]

I had always heard that you could upgrade the last day and avoid the blockout days! After all, you bought a hopper, which had no blocked days and came with MM. Obviously they can't take the MMs away (though you don't have to worry about that when you stay at the resort) so I don't see why they should revoke the rest of the hopper perks, but I'm no expert. I just know I've read about people buying hoppers and upgrading later for the specific purpose of avoiding paying for block-out days.

I bought APs in Oct. I had the voucher but not the actual ap when we checked in to DLH. I had to show it and get my ap validated right away, though they never asked me to show that I'd done so. When I returned to DLH in Nov, they asked to see my ap again.

If you know you'll be going to the park on block-out days, it is probably smart to get a premium ap. Someone posted how much merchandise and food you'd have to buy in order to realize a savings with a premium over a deluxe pass. It was something like $1200. I guess I could figure it out, LOL--cost of premium minus cost of deluxe would be 10% of how much? But then you also get an extra 5% off of food, so I'm not really sure what the figure is. Anyway, for me, I can't justify it. For others, it's probably a great thing. If you go often, it would be worth it, but for someone like me who only goes a few times a year (most years only once) and never on block-out dates, it would not be something that paid for itself. There are generally coupons and AAA discounts I can use for the places I go. Also, I found that if I asked every time if I got an ap discount, I sometimes scored. I got 10% off merchandise in a few places (though most said no) and House of Blues gave me 20% off a shirt purchase with my deluxe ap! I wasn't really trying to cheat, I just couldn't keep track of what discounts came with my ap! The website lists merchandise but the ap booklet does not.

We did exactly this in July, got 5 day hoppers, and on the Saturday which was going to be a block out day for the passholders, but also our last day on the hopper, we got the deluxe passes. We had used the mm already, and they only charged us the difference, not the $40 more for being in the park on a blockout day. We did this in Disneyland itself, not at a booth outside, I think this is the key here....It sounded like Burnside Mommy upgraded outside the park at the ticket booth. If it were me, I would contact guest services about this and point out how unfair it is! the person at the ticketbooth could have told you (Burnside mommy) to go inside the park, to the "bank" on mainstreet to do the upgrade and saved you a lot of money! Make a fuss, I can't see why they would not help you out! after that, we had checked out of HoJo's and moved to The Disneyland Hotel where we did have to show our passes for the discount, even though we have had them before. old one expired july 07, we got the new ones july 08, maybe the system did not recognise it as an old passholder but a new one.
You have to do a little simple math to figure out if the difference in price between the deluxe and premium (about $100.) would be worth it... If you plan on spending a thousand dollars on things, then that would cover it, an extra 5% off meals, you'd have to spend about $2000. to cover it, or a combination of the two....

 

[Snow Brite]

I wonder if the reason why some people are not asked to show their AP at check-in is because DLR Reservations can look in their master system before the guest ever arrives and confirm that the person booking the room indeed does have an AP. Maybe they only really need to see the ones (the vouchers) that haven't been fully activated yet? I am just pondering out loud - I don't know if that theory holds any water!

This is not true at all, the reservationists do not have any access to the annual pass database. Good guess though!

The FD clerk is supposed to ask for your AP at check in and input the number on the back of the card into the reservation. If they do not do so, then most likely they will be talked to about it the next day, so it is important. However, if the guest has not yet purchased their annual pass, has only the online receipt or wants to purchase it with one of the few discounts (like DVC or a renewal special offer) and has to go through the Main Gate booths to do so, then the Front Desk clerk will ask the guest to return prior to checkout to show their AP and have that info input into the guests reservation to secure the discount. Does anyone actually go through the reservations, looking for ones that do not have the information input prior to the massive 11am checkout by the computer of all guests without a late checkout? No idea, but it seems unlikely. Since it is up to the individual FD clerk to input that information for those reservations, I doubt that DL would charge guests more after checkout.

 

[Sherry E]

This is not true at all, the reservationists do not have any access to the annual pass database. Good guess though!

The FD clerk is supposed to ask for your AP at check in and input the number on the back of the card into the reservation. If they do not do so, then most likely they will be talked to about it the next day, so it is important. However, if the guest has not yet purchased their annual pass, has only the online receipt or wants to purchase it with one of the few discounts (like DVC or a renewal special offer) and has to go through the Main Gate booths to do so, then the Front Desk clerk will ask the guest to return prior to checkout to show their AP and have that info input into the guests reservation to secure the discount. Does anyone actually go through the reservations, looking for ones that do not have the information input prior to the massive 11am checkout by the computer of all guests without a late checkout? No idea, but it seems unlikely. Since it is up to the individual FD clerk to input that information for those reservations, I doubt that DL would charge guests more after checkout.

So I guess that some of the Front Desk CM's just 'forget' to get the AP info and others are more on the ball. That's what it sounds like. Last time we went to PPH, the girl at the desk forgot to give us our parking pass (that was a first), and she did not explain about MM's (which they usually do) and she didn't ask me if I wanted my debit card attached to both room keys or just MY room key (which they are supposed to ask), so she was not totally on the ball. It seemed like she forgot half of her check-in speech that they always give! If any others are like that at the front desk, then those are probably the ones forgetting to ask to see the AP!

 

[bumbershoot]

I wonder if the reason why some people are not asked to show their AP at check-in is because DLR Reservations can look in their master system before the guest ever arrives and confirm that the person booking the room indeed does have an AP.

Well, it was hubby whose card was paying, and he was the one who checked us in; they didn't even see me for 12 hours (and didn't check my AP), so I don't think that's it. But it was me who made the reservation, and only I had the AP at that time.

Last time we went to PPH, the girl at the desk forgot to give us our parking pass (that was a first), and she did not explain about MM's (which they usually do) and she didn't ask me if I wanted my debit card attached to both room keys or just MY room key (which they are supposed to ask), so she was not totally on the ball. It seemed like she forgot half of her check-in speech that they always give!

Yep, on our visit they didn't give us any info about MM until in the evening when they did the picture for the Big Kahuna thing, and gave us our folder. That folder had the sheet of info, including MM info, and they didn't go through the information for hubby letting him know he could go right then. Then again, hubby was TELLING the dude we were checking in mega-early so we could do MM that morning, so it wasn't needed, but it was odd to get the basic info at the end of our first day there.

BUT - since it was a Saturday when we were upgrading to AP's, and it was a blockout day, he charged us an extra $40 per person (times 4!) because we were there on a Saturday. He didn't tell us this at the window, it was when we went into the park to do pictures that they told us why it was so expensive. We figured $200, were charged $360. I *thought* that if you upgraded ON the blockout day/last day, you were fine?! That $160 really hurt!

Also, he didn't tell us (and we didn't see it in the brochure left in our GCH room) but the Deluxe doesn't give the 10% discount in stores?

I'm wondering now if just one of us should upgrade to a Premium for the store discount, and is the food discount higher too? 15 not 10%?

Oh - and we DO eat a lot of character meals (usually 4 breakfasts plus Blue Bayou), and we typically buy $200 or so of souvenirs if not more, so the discount would be nice.

That's just not right, the amount they charged. And the "bank" should have refunded you. Contact them!!!!!

Deluxe gets 10% off most food and that's it.

Premium gets 15% off most food and 10% off most merchandise.

All APs get a 10% discount at a rather long list of DTD places, NOT including World of Disney, but including Haagen Dasz and Jamba Juice and Lego Store, if I recall correctly.


Contact them. This is either NOT right (my vote is for a CM without a clue), OR it's a complete departure from their usual way of doing things, and the official information has to be gotten out.

 

[pixiewings71]

We just got back today.

We had 5 day park hoppers through AAA. On our last day (last hours even!) we decided to upgrade to a Deluxe (four of us anyways). Since we started our park hoppers on Dec 9, they backdated them - fine. BUT - since it was a Saturday when we were upgrading to AP's, and it was a blockout day, he charged us an extra $40 per person (times 4!) because we were there on a Saturday. He didn't tell us this at the window, it was when we went into the park to do pictures that they told us why it was so expensive. We figured $200, were charged $360. I *thought* that if you upgraded ON the blockout day/last day, you were fine?! That $160 really hurt!

Also, he didn't tell us (and we didn't see it in the brochure left in our GCH room) but the Deluxe doesn't give the 10% discount in stores?

I'm wondering now if just one of us should upgrade to a Premium for the store discount, and is the food discount higher too? 15 not 10%?

Oh - and we DO eat a lot of character meals (usually 4 breakfasts plus Blue Bayou), and we typically buy $200 or so of souvenirs if not more, so the discount would be nice.

Oh no, they totally did this wrong!!!! You upgraded at the ticket booths? You should have just scanned your ticket and gone inside....but even so, we upgraded on a Saturday in July at the ticket booths and we were able to get in without paying the blackout fee!! Please contact DL and see what they can do for you, you guys got gyped!!

I wonder if the reason why some people are not asked to show their AP at check-in is because DLR Reservations can look in their master system before the guest ever arrives and confirm that the person booking the room indeed does have an AP. Maybe they only really need to see the ones (the vouchers) that haven't been fully activated yet? I am just pondering out loud - I don't know if that theory holds any water!

No, we had our AP's for a while when we did both the GCH and the PPH, we had to show our AP's both times.....the time at the PPH was sucky, we checked in at about 1 am and I had to dig around in my bag for an AP to show them. LOL