Bridging Parksavers tickets to AP - is this correct?

[DizDaD7]

So, we DON'T need to use the tickets first (5 day MYW tickets), before adding a day on or upgrading to AP's? But, we have to add the day on there at DW, we cannot do it from home before we go, correct? And, the current tickets will be "priced" at whatever the current 5 day MYW ticket cost is at that moment, right? (doesn't matter what we paid). Just trying to get this straight, because I have heard conflicting answers on all this.

I know there have been threads of this happening in your favor, but I'm not risking it...Im going to use them 1st then just upgrade once inside...Safer for me

 

[Rash]

We recently just did this....We bought the 7 day PH and alas saved roughly $300 for or family of 4...I got the confirmation instantly & linked them to MDE a week or so after that. The key here is that We will use them to enter into MK, & then immediately head over to city hall to upgrade to the DVC Gold.....I know some have said that you don't need to activate them 1st, but I'm not taking any chances.......

PLEASE report back here after you upgrade successfully.

 

[DizDaD7]

PLEASE report back here after you upgrade successfully.

No Prob...Will do

 

[ravenclawtrekkie]

So, we DON'T need to use the tickets first (5 day MYW tickets), before adding a day on or upgrading to AP's?

No, but you can if you want to.

But, we have to add the day on there at DW, we cannot do it from home before we go, correct?

Correct.

And, the current tickets will be "priced" at whatever the current 5 day MYW ticket cost is at that moment, right? (doesn't matter what we paid).

If the cast member doing the upgrade does their job right, yes. Do the math ahead of time so you know. Everyone should do this regardless of when they upgrade.

 

[Rash]

No Prob...Will do

When will you be doing this?

 

[Robo]

It doesn't matter if someone reports that it did or did not work on X date at Y location.
(It's nice that they do report, but it won't change anything when another guest does an upgrade.)
Upgrading or price bridging is not "new territory" or something odd or unusual.
It's just a standard procedure that can work perfectly fine when done correctly by a competent CM.
But, like anything else, if you happen to get an incompetent or poorly trained CM,
you may have to go to another location and get the deed done.

Don't think for a moment that it CAN'T be done. It can.
Just be forewarned that it's possible that the CM you happen upon might get the numbers wrong.

Your best defense is knowing beforehand, to the penny, what your upgrade should cost.
If you are quoted the wrong figure, you'll know that a miscalculation has taken place and you need to ask
for the correct amount before accepting the deal.

If you need help determining the correct amount,
just ask for the info on these boards.

All of this info has been true for years.
As I said, I've been keeping track nearly daily for well over a decade.

 

[Minniekins]

No. If the cast member doing your upgrade knows what they're doing, they'll see a very obvious indicator that your ticket wasn't purchased at gate price and will perform a simple computer function to bring it to gate price. This has to be done whether or not the ticket has been used. If they don't know what they're doing, they'll fail to do that step and you won't get the right price.

One of my co-workers tried to charge someone $128 to add park hopper to a partially used ticket the other day. I had to stick my head over to her side and tell her how to fix that.

Thanks, ravenclawtrekkie! Is this a change in what the CM's are seeing on their computer these days as compared to what they used to see? I'm just confused I guess because the advice was always to enter the park first before trying to upgrade or add any days, that the ticket wouldn't reflect current gate price and you'd lose the discount if that was the case. I usually try to stay current and read the tickets threads and don't recall anything with this, to me at least, new way of bridging without needing to be used first. I've definitely read about needing to use the tickets first in the last 5-6 months when we were discussing the WDW tickets before the price increase. I hate being confused, lol.

 

[Accident]

I'm not really sure where the use it first came from myself. I've told people to do it just because inside the park guest relations is an air conditioned room instead of standing outside talking through a hole in a bullet proof window at someone

 

[ravenclawtrekkie]

Thanks, ravenclawtrekkie! Is this a change in what the CM's are seeing on their computer these days as compared to what they used to see?

I know for a fact it's been this way for at least one year, because that's how long I've been doing my job.

Other than that, all I know for sure is that I believed the "use it first" advice when I went in for Core training and asked about it, and my trainers looked at me like I was nuts.

 

[DisOrBust]

So let me understand. If I buy a discounted PH and upgrade it to an AP the price for the PH will be "brought " up to the gate price and then "brought" up to the AP price. So how are you saving anything

 

[TinkLoverSam]

So let me understand. If I buy a discounted PH and upgrade it to an AP the price for the PH will be "brought " up to the gate price and then "brought" up to the AP price. So how are you saving anything

the amount you are credited towards your ap will be the current gate price for your tickets not what you paid so you save whatever the difference is between what you paid and what the current gate price is.

 

[cigar95]

So let me understand. If I buy a discounted PH and upgrade it to an AP the price for the PH will be "brought " up to the gate price and then "brought" up to the AP price. So how are you saving anything

Another way to say what Sam just said is that you don't have to pay for that first "brought up" - which is your original savings. So you get to keep those savings. You just have to pay for the second one, which is the current difference in price for the two tickets.

 

[hakepb]

I know for a fact it's been this way for at least one year, because that's how long I've been doing my job.

Other than that, all I know for sure is that I believed the "use it first" advice when I went in for Core training and asked about it, and my trainers looked at me like I was nuts.

Was your trainer Chip or Dale?



(Sorry, I couldn't resist a bad joke to start the weekend)

 

[Robo]

So let me understand.
1. If I buy a discounted PH and upgrade it to an AP
2. the price for the PH will be "brought " up to the gate price
3. and then "brought" up to the AP price.
4. So how are you saving anything

1. MYW ticket, upgraded to AP.
2. Yes.
If you paid $200 for the original ticket, but the current gate price is $225,
you will be credited $225 for your ticket in the upgrade transaction.
(You saved $25.)
3. No. The AP price is just the current AP price.
4. You will get to "keep" the $25 savings you got on the original MYW ticket purchase.

 

[NoMoneyThanks2Disney]

I know for a fact it's been this way for at least one year, because that's how long I've been doing my job.

Other than that, all I know for sure is that I believed the "use it first" advice when I went in for Core training and asked about it, and my trainers looked at me like I was nuts.

Um, so ravenclawtrekkie, I'm gonna need your work schedule for September, so I don't have upgrade anxiety. LOL! Seriously though, thank you so much for all your information.

 

[Rash]

Yes - thank you ravenclawtrekkie, and all others, for your help on this.

 

[AngiTN]

Parksavers currently has a 5 day + 2 day free ticket which is about $75 less than gate price for a 7 day. I am interested in purchasing 4 of those and upgrading to a DVC AP, but want to be sure that the following statements are true:

- Guest services at Disney will see the ticket as a 7 day ticket.
- I will pay the difference between the current gate price of the 7 day ticket and the the cost of the DVC AP.
- I won't need the physical ticket when upgrading as long as it shows in my MDE account.
- My wife and I will need to physically be at guest services to do this, but our kids will not.
- If I purchase the Parksavers tickets now and link them to my MDE account before Dec 31, 2016, I will still be able to bridge them to the DVC AP in April 2017 even if I don't use them until then. (The Parksavers site says that the tickets expire Dec 31, 2016, but I'm pretty sure tha just refers to redeeming or linking to MDE).
- The AP start date would be the date I first use the tickets (before upgrading). So if I use the tickets on April 1, 2017, then go to GS on April 3, 2017 and upgrade to the AP, the AP would be valid from April 1, 2017 to April 1, 2018.

Also - is there a way to upgrade an unused ticket to an AP voucher? It would be great if I could buy the Parksaver tickets now, upgrade them to an AP, and not use the AP until April 2017 and have the the start date be April 2017. Hope that makes sense.

TIA

The only time the expiration date matters is if you plan to pick up physical tickets. If you use the e-ticket, linked via MB, they do not expire. Or maybe they do have an expiration date that is like 5 years out, I forget now. But I know for certain it's not the same as the expiration date on the ticket voucher.
All the rest is correct. I used PS tickets to upgrade DD's ticket to an AP and to renew DGD and DH's tickets just last month. Knock on wood, we've had excellent CM on all our upgrade/bridgings. Maybe the bad ones are getting fewer? Or we've just gotten lucky.
And I did bridge DGD's ticket to renew her AP without her present. I did however, have her MB. They needed that to see her tickets. So bring the kids MB with you. Maybe they can do it without them but it sure made it easier on them to have the MB

As for the last question, I think you must do it in person so I don't think you can upgrade to the voucher on the phone (if that's what you are talking about doing)

Are the parksaver tickets even up-gradable? There are some tickets that can not be used to upgrade to an AP or even add extra days. Also the expiration dates listed on those do in fact usually mean first use by. I would make sure you have confirmation you can even upgrade them before buying.

Positive they are upgradable.

please please please let me get to a guest services CM that can upgrade my tickets easily! I will worry over this till April 17th ....

As said above, I've done 5 upgrades/bridging and not encountered a problem yet. I think the problem ones are fewer than the non-problem ones.

 

[Madame]

I posted this on another thread but I asked about upgrading & expiry of PS tix & was e-mailed this response...

 

[taiko225]

The only time the expiration date matters is if you plan to pick up physical tickets. If you use the e-ticket, linked via MB, they do not expire. Or maybe they do have an expiration date that is like 5 years out, I forget now. But I know for certain it's not the same as the expiration date on the ticket voucher.

FYI, I had just linked a park saver 4+3 days PH ticket yesterday to MDE. There is an expiration date (used by date) and it is 2030 which is way longer than what they stated on the site. (In case anyone want to stock up some for future use...)

 

[AngiTN]

I posted this on another thread but I asked about upgrading & expiry of PS tix & was e-mailed this response...
View attachment 178583

Again, to clarify, this expiration date applies to picking up the tickets in person. The voucher expires then but not the ticket itself. As PP noted, the ticket linked to MDE expires in 2030