AP Renewal Certificate

[DisneyCowgirl]

I am a direct member and have a gold pass through that membership. It expires November 30, 2021. I have trips booked after that but cannot make park reservations. In the past, I was able to buy the renewal certificate that allowed me to make park reservations. Will they allow me to buy the renewal certificate today? Anyone have recent experience with this?

I am on hold again with MS after waiting over an hour only to be disconnected as soon as a person answered the phone.

As an aside--over an hour on hold as a regular thing (this has been the case every time I have called) is unacceptable. At least improve the quality of the recording of the hold music if I'm going to have to wait that long.

 

[T-i-double-guh-er]

I think they have gone back to only allowing renewal 60 days before expiration, which sucks with the park pass system.

Edit: Here is a current conversation in a different subform: https://www.disboards.com/threads/well-that-was-a-hard-no-on-early-ap-renewal.3851414/

 

[karen4546]

I am a direct member and have a gold pass through that membership. It expires November 30, 2021. I have trips booked after that but cannot make park reservations. In the past, I was able to buy the renewal certificate that allowed me to make park reservations. Will they allow me to buy the renewal certificate today? Anyone have recent experience with this?

I am on hold again with MS after waiting over an hour only to be disconnected as soon as a person answered the phone.

As an aside--over an hour on hold as a regular thing (this has been the case every time I have called) is unacceptable. At least improve the quality of the recording of the hold music if I'm going to have to wait that long.

You can renew early but the wait will be long.
renewed last week. I wanted to renew so that I did not have to pay the new Sorcerer renewal rate(whatever that is) and to make sure I got the MM add on free.

 

[thanxfornoticin]

If they allow you to renew early, having the renewal certificate should allow you to book park reservations. It could also be worth the wait for another year of MM - really sorry to see that go. Hope you get through soon and hope they can help you with renewal.

 

[Sandisw]

You can renew early but the wait will be long.
renewed last week. I wanted to renew so that I did not have to pay the new Sorcerer renewal rate(whatever that is) and to make sure I got the MM add on free.

Wow. They told me last week I could not because I was not within the 60 days. Two phone calls and an email resulted in no.

Glad you snuck it in.

 

[karen4546]

Wow. They told me last week I could not because I was not within the 60 days. Two phone calls and an email resulted in no.

Glad you snuck it in.

Wow. They told me last week I could not because I was not within the 60 days. Two phone calls and an email resulted in no.

Glad you snuck it in.

lol @Sandisw you are the one that said I can do it. I didn't "sneak" in, I had a reservation at RR. I stuck it out because I tried to renew in April. I had an October trip booked and could not make park reservations. I called MS and the CM said no but transferred me anyway-that CM said no and so i had to buy 2-5 day tickets to make the park reservations. I emailed member services and I SHOULD have been able to renew early (original exp. 9/26/21) because I had a resort booked...

anyhoo, when the new passes came out, I was adamant about renewing my Gold AP because I did not fee I should have to pay for the renewal price on the current (Sorcerer) pass-even though I did not know exactly the cost difference but I know it doesnt include the MM.

After many hours on hold and with CMs (5 total) I was able to use the value of the tickets towards my DVC Gold pass renewal. I do know that when I actually "activate/use" the pass that I will be switched to the Sorcerer pass but I will get the MM free.

 

[Sandisw]

lol @Sandisw you are the one that said I can do it. I didn't "sneak" in, I had a reservation at RR. I stuck it out because I tried to renew in April. I had an October trip booked and could not make park reservations. I called MS and the CM said no but transferred me anyway-that CM said no and so i had to buy 2-5 day tickets to make the park reservations. I emailed member services and I SHOULD have been able to renew early (original exp. 9/26/21) because I had a resort booked...

anyhoo, when the new passes came out, I was adamant about renewing my Gold AP because I did not fee I should have to pay for the renewal price on the current (Sorcerer) pass-even though I did not know exactly the cost difference but I know it doesnt include the MM.

After many hours on hold and with CMs (5 total) I was able to use the value of the tickets towards my DVC Gold pass renewal. I do know that when I actually "activate/use" the pass that I will be switched to the Sorcerer pass but I will get the MM free.

The word "sneak" was meant to be in jest! They tried to tell me that it had stopped at the beginning of August and that no one had been allowed! I know better. It really isn't' a huge deal because I just wanted to save myself the money.

The new Sorcerer will actually work better anyway as we may be going around Easter! Am happy you did spend the time to work it out!!!

 

[Liquidice]

It sounds like the "official" policy has changed, although maybe there are exceptions to that.

For future reference, I assume when I go to book my next trip outside of my AP date, I won't be able to buy a certificate (unless they resume certificate sales tomorrow once the new passes are available)

Assuming I can't buy a certificate though, does anyone know if I can buy park tickets and then exchange them for an AP renewal in person? The tickets would allow me to make my Park Pass reservations and then I could use the value of those tickets towards a Sorcerer Pass renewal? I know you can do this when you're buying a new AP, but wasn't sure if it applied to the AP renewal.

If you can't do this, then I'm not sure how you'd be able to make Park Pass reservations unless DVC resumes the AP certificates.

 

[Sandisw]

It sounds like the "official" policy has changed, although maybe there are exceptions to that.

For future reference, I assume when I go to book my next trip outside of my AP date, I won't be able to buy a certificate (unless they resume certificate sales tomorrow once the new passes are available)

Assuming I can't buy a certificate though, does anyone know if I can buy park tickets and then exchange them for an AP renewal in person? The tickets would allow me to make my Park Pass reservations and then I could use the value of those tickets towards a Sorcerer Pass renewal? I know you can do this when you're buying a new AP, but wasn't sure if it applied to the AP renewal.

If you can't do this, then I'm not sure how you'd be able to make Park Pass reservations unless DVC resumes the AP certificates.

Yes, they have continued to allow you to apply a ticket to an AP renewal. I did that last January. As of what I was told, they are currently back to the 60 days prior to expiration for renewals. The policy to let people renew outside of the window when you had a trip booked was stopped...although, I have a feeling we are going to see it be allowed after tomorrow.

So, if one doesn't want to wait until 60 days out, then buy the ticket, make your reservations, and renew when you get onsite...unless the online system changes and allows for you to upgrade to Sorcerer that way. We have always upgraded multiday tickets in person.

 

[karen4546]

The word "sneak" was meant to be in jest! They tried to tell me that it had stopped at the beginning of August and that no one had been allowed! I know better. It really isn't' a huge deal because I just wanted to save myself the money.

The new Sorcerer will actually work better anyway as we may be going around Easter! Am happy you did spend the time to work it out!!!

oh i know you meant no offense. lol

 

[karen4546]

I thought this envelope was our memberships cards but it is an "exchange certificate". Anyone else get these in the mail?

 

[indylaw99]

I thought this envelope was our memberships cards but it is an "exchange certificate". Anyone else get these in the mail?

That is what is showing up in my account still despite us calling Member Services and them telling us repeatedly that our passes renewed when we called them at the end of August (before our old passes expired). At this point, I am skeptical and worried that we are not going to end up actually being renewed properly under what we paid for.

 

[karen4546]

That is what is showing up in my account still despite us calling Member Services and them telling us repeatedly that our passes renewed when we called them at the end of August (before our old passes expired). At this point, I am skeptical and worried that we are not going to end up actually being renewed properly under what we paid for.

Our passes expire this month but we don't go back until 10/10/21. I know I am renewed and that I will get the new pass aka Sorcerer plus the MM conversion instead of the Gold Pass.

I just have never received plastic cards as renewal certificates when we renewed in the past. I had ordered new Blue cards for the hubs and I and that is what I thought was in this envelope.