AP voucher question

[freediverdude]

Calling all AP experts, hehe. Well here's the story: My old annual pass expired on January 29th, 2005. So in February, I renewed the pass online through the Disney World website, and subsequently received the voucher in the mail. I paid the renewal price, not the brand new pass price. Ok, with me so far? hehe. Ok so on Sunday, April 17th, 2005 I go to one of the ticket windows at the Transportation and Ticket Center to turn the voucher into the real pass. The person at the ticket window says that my anniversary date will remain the same, and the pass will expire January 29th, 2006. Or, that if I wanted to, I could pay another $47 I think it was, to purchase a new pass, and have it expire on April 17th, 2006. I chose keep the January date and not pay any more money. But the more I thought about it, what if I had waited until January 29th or 30th, 2006 to bring the voucher back? Would they have then told me that my $394 was gone?? Something doesn't seem quite right. Any opinions? I find it hard to believe that they could stick with their "anniversary date" rule if the person waited a year to bring the voucher back. Not very good public relations there with this rule, if the voucher is brought back way later.

 

[MickeyFlirt]

You are supposed to renew within 30 days of the expiration date and the AP dates back to that date not the day you buy it or get it activated. This is something new and I was became aware of it on allearsnet. Anyway yes from my understanding if you had waited until Jan. 29, 2006 you would have lost the money. It would have been just like you had an AP and just never used it. A CM at Disney said if you aren't planning a close trip it is best not to renew and just buy new AP later instead. We always renew a couple days before our date, but we go all the time.

 

[freediverdude]

Yes, I did renew within 30 days, but I find it hard to believe that, in our hypothetical situation, that they could have the guts to tell someone who walked up with a $394 unused voucher that they couldn't give them anything. That's just not right. It's not like they had an annual pass and just didn't use it all year, they had a voucher that couldn't have been used at the turnstyles. I just don't agree with that policy. Ya know, what if something had happened to prevent them from coming to Disney World, laid up in the hospital for a long time, or whatever. I lost 2 1/2 months on mine as it was, cause I couldn't make it over there right away. That's probably like $75 worth of the pass I didn't get to use. Sorry to put it this way, but that's just Disney stealing money from people who can't get there right away, even possibly stealing it all.

 

[freediverdude]

Nobody else even has an opinion on this? I would think a lot of people would be unhappy about this. But I guess if everyone doesn't mind just sitting back and getting taken....

 

[rt2dz]

I understand how you feel, but we (my family) have been well notified--repeatedly--since the change in policy. It's on the pass, website, in the Mickey Monitor, on the web sites (allears, mousesavers, disney's, etc), in guide books, on the protective sleeve, told us when renewed/purchased, on renewal notices. I personally feel that if you didn't use it, you made a informed decision--or at least willingly ignored the information. Ours expire in Sept. this year, but we won't be back until Dec next year. We won't be renewing (waist of a year) and just repurchase when we get there then.

 

[betterlatethannever]

Nobody else even has an opinion on this? I would think a lot of people would be unhappy about this. But I guess if everyone doesn't mind just sitting back and getting taken....

Getting taken??!!

Its a renewal of you anual pass. You know it will expire on January 29,2006.

I think the CM was giving you a break by offering you the opportunity to get a new AP.

I worked out the numbers a few years ago. If you vary the times you go to WDW (and go a few times a year, every year) and there is more than two months from when your AP expires and your next trip, buy a new AP. I am not usre if this still holds up with the new pricing. Its based on the savings you get with a renewal vs a new AP


Ed

 

[meandtheguys2]

YOu didn't pay for a new pass. You paid for a renewal. I am certain that this information is in writing. Perhaps next time you will read the small print, before you pay.

 

[DebbieB]

From the AP website:

"We recommend that you renew in person at any Walt Disney World® Theme Park ticket window since your renewal year starts on your Pass anniversary date. Keep in mind that your renewed Pass will expire one year from your Anniversary Date regardless of when you actually renew."

If you would have brought it back on January 29 2006, the best they could have done for you is to apply the value toward the new AP price. If you want a new date, you have to buy a new AP. I never renew my passes. For example, mine expired last May and my next trip was not until December. I bought a new one in December and it expires December 2005. My trip this year is Nov 26 to Dec 2, so I will get the trip in before expiration. Then I'll buy a new one the next time.

 

[freediverdude]

Well regardless of when and where someone knows about the policy, and how many places the policy is posted to inform people, that doesn't make the policy right and fair. If you even calculate what I paid against a brand new annual pass, I didn't even get $394 divided by brand new annual pass price worth of days. I still stick by my assessment that if you bring in a voucher, you should not lose those days, because you didn't have the choice to go through the turnstyle on those days. All renewal should mean is that you paid to purchase another annual pass within 30 days of the expiry of the old one. You shouldn't have to rush to Disney World the same day you purchase a voucher (not that you can, cause of mail times), just because the clock is already ticking on days you don't even have a valid ticket for, that's not right. Disney is stealing those days, whether they disclose it and everybody says, "oh they disclose it, you should read the fine print" or not. Just because they tell everyone what they're doing doesn't make what they're doing fair.

 

[DebbieB]

You get a discount on the renewal because it starts on your anniversay date. If you don't want the new pass to start on the anniversary date, then you buy a new AP. You can't expect to get the renewal discount and also get new AP rules.

 

[LisaS]

All renewal should mean is that you paid to purchase another annual pass within 30 days of the expiry of the old one.

We would all prefer that it would work as you describe, but unfortunately that's not an option. Disney is up front about that fact as well. Disney offers two options: 1) RENEW your AP which costs you less but it means keeping your original anniversary date; 2) wait until you are going back to WDW and buy a NEW AP and pay full price, but have a longer time to use it.

Unfortunately the option you (and many of us) would prefer does not exist.

 

[kandmwedding]

Sorry, freediverdude, I totally disagree with you. Disney offers you a discount for renewal based on the premise that you'll take advantage of those days for the following year. If you renew and get a voucher, and then get an annual pass a year or two down the line Disney is losing money. Had you simply bought an annual pass two years down the line you would likely have been charged a significant amount more than the amount you paid for that voucher (based on inflation). Why should Disney allow you to save your discounted voucher for several years from now when the price has risen considerably? You see it as Disney stealing money from you, I see your idea as you stealing money from Disney.

 

[ArielsMommy]

We usually let our passes expire because it is cheaper to get new ones from AAA than to pay the renewal price through Disney. It's only a few $$ but we do get a new expiration date each time and then there are fewer wasted days. JMO

 

[MickeyFlirt]

I have to say that even though I would love to be able to renew at the renewal price and have my AP expire from the first day of activation. I do not see anything unfair about it. Disney lets you renew at a disounted price with the expectation that you will actually go to Disney that year and yes more than one time. Disney sells aps b/c they won't you at Disney and they offer renwal discounts b/c they want you at Disney agin the next year not 5 yrs later. I am sorry but I don't find anything wrong with the system or anything unfair about it. I feel like if I renew an AP and don't use it that is my own fault and not Disney. They don't try to keep this information from anyone it is disclosed all over the place and the C's usually explain this to you I first seen it on allears, but when I renewed mine the CM told me all about this.I don't mean to sound rude.

 

[freediverdude]

Well that's not the way it worked up until a couple of years ago. And now all of sudden everyone's like " well that's the system now, it's fair". Disney sold me a voucher for an ANNUAL pass, not a 9 1/2 MONTH pass. Renewal just means that i agreed to go ahead and give them the money for another one closely following the expiration of the last one. And it's a very slight discount, maybe 10%, which they also gave under the old rules of starting the pass at activation. Disney did not lose any money to me on inflation by my waiting 2 1/2 months to turn in the voucher, I'm sorry, that's quite a stretch. Ever heard of the time value of money? Disney has my money at the time of voucher purchase, and can invest it until they have to give me the pass, they're not losing anything folks, even after years, because their investments make more than inflation. Disney used to make it from the date of activation, but then they figured out a way to steal days from people and make more money by going with this anniversary date scenario. You know that's why the bean counters did this, I know that's why the bean counters did this, and Disney knows that's why the bean counters came up with that, so let's not kid ourselves here. Disney knows for sure they've stolen 2 weeks from every person who renews online or by phone at their anniversary date or later, because it will take that long just for the voucher to show up in the mail, even if you rush to Disney the very day you receive it. Disney is counting on that for their profits, plain and simple, so that the person has to renew at the same date next year instead of a little later. Just another way to get a little bit more out of us with nothing in return. That's all i'm gonna say, if you guys wanna get ripped off and like it, then go right ahead.

 

[LisaS]

Disney sold me a voucher for an ANNUAL pass, not a 9 1/2 MONTH pass.

They sold you an annual pass. You chose not to use it for the first couple of months. If Disney sold you an annual pass and then closed for reburishment for 2-1/2 months, that would be unfair. But that wasn't the case. Disney has been open for business the entire time but you chose not to go.

I know that renewals worked differently in the recent past. Disney changed the policy. It was because of this change in policy that we opted to buy a new AP instead of renewing the old one. I liked the old policy better, but that policy is no longer in effect, so you have to look at the two options you have and decide what works best for you.

 

[LisaS]

Renewal just means that i agreed to go ahead and give them the money for another one closely following the expiration of the last one. And it's a very slight discount, maybe 10%, which they also gave under the old rules of starting the pass at activation.

"Renewal" means whatever Disney says it means. It's their product and they determine the policy and the price. In this case renewal means that the expiration date of your renewed AP is one year from the expiration date of your old AP. If you don't like their definition of renewal, then don't buy the product.

 

[betterlatethannever]

When did the policy change? There might have been an uproar back then.

I've had an AP since 2001 and I don't remember it being any different.

Was it the policy that your year started when you activated the renewal voucher?

If so, that really was a perk for an AP holder.

Ed

 

[DrTomorrow]

Sorry, d00d, you don't get it.

Disney makes a bit more money from people - like yourself, in this case - who don't take the time to understand their options. Ignorance - at least when it comes to Disney pricing - is costly.

They sold you a voucher - at a lower rate - with the same expiration date (plus 1 year) as your old AP. That's a renewal - there's no gap in your passholder privileges. You could have paid more - paid the "new" AP price - and had the option when to activate it. It's simple: you pay for that right (or you get a discount for waiving it). If you didn't take the time to figure out what was best for you - sorry, it ain't Walt's fault. (As an aside, I bet this is happening a lot with the new MYW until folks get a handle on the options).

As for ripping you off - nope. It's like buying a ticket online for a 2:00 PM movie, then showing up at 2:45 and complaining that they ripped you off because you missed the first part of the movie.

There's a strong sense of personal responsibility on these forums (yeah ) - I don't think you'll get much sympathy.

Be well!

 

[DebbieB]

I think the rule did change around 2000, it's been alot more than 2 years. I bought my first AP in 1998, I think I bought a renewal once or twice. After the rule changed, I starting waiting to buy new AP's.