Disney-initiated upgrade from Gold to Sorcerer pass

[CheeseheadDave]

This was odd... Earlier this year, I reinstated the annual passes that I had cancelled during 2020. We're heading down next week for the first time since January of 2020, so we haven't activated the APs yet.

The other day my wife got a call from WDW asking if we'd like to have our Gold passes "upgraded" to Sorcerer passes instead. This wouldn't work for us since most of next week are blackout dates for the Sorcerer pass, so we declined. The agent then countered with an offer to give us four day park hoppers to cover the days that would have been blacked out. I thought, "whatever" and took the offer.

Now I'm thinking... We're going to be there for five days. I wonder if there's anything that would stop me from extending the four-day hopper to a fifth day and not activating our APs at all this trip and saving that for a future trip next year?

Has anyone gotten this offer, and would my plan work?

 

[lorenae]

This was odd... Earlier this year, I reinstated the annual passes that I had cancelled during 2020. We're heading down next week for the first time since January of 2020, so we haven't activated the APs yet.

The other day my wife got a call from WDW asking if we'd like to have our Gold passes "upgraded" to Sorcerer passes instead. This wouldn't work for us since most of next week are blackout dates for the Sorcerer pass, so we declined. The agent then countered with an offer to give us four day park hoppers to cover the days that would have been blacked out. I thought, "whatever" and took the offer.

Now I'm thinking... We're going to be there for five days. I wonder if there's anything that would stop me from extending the four-day hopper to a fifth day and not activating our APs at all this trip and saving that for a future trip next year?

Has anyone gotten this offer, and would my plan work?

How does it appear in your MDE account? My guess is since they are ‘comped tickets’ that you can’t do it. Plus, there is no gold pass any longer so next time you might get a lesser pass.

 

[erionm]

This was odd... Earlier this year, I reinstated the annual passes that I had cancelled during 2020. We're heading down next week for the first time since January of 2020, so we haven't activated the APs yet.

The other day my wife got a call from WDW asking if we'd like to have our Gold passes "upgraded" to Sorcerer passes instead. This wouldn't work for us since most of next week are blackout dates for the Sorcerer pass, so we declined. The agent then countered with an offer to give us four day park hoppers to cover the days that would have been blacked out. I thought, "whatever" and took the offer.

Now I'm thinking... We're going to be there for five days. I wonder if there's anything that would stop me from extending the four-day hopper to a fifth day and not activating our APs at all this trip and saving that for a future trip next year?

Has anyone gotten this offer, and would my plan work?

Generally, comp tickets can't be upgraded.

 

[starry_solo]

This was odd... Earlier this year, I reinstated the annual passes that I had cancelled during 2020. We're heading down next week for the first time since January of 2020, so we haven't activated the APs yet.

The other day my wife got a call from WDW asking if we'd like to have our Gold passes "upgraded" to Sorcerer passes instead. This wouldn't work for us since most of next week are blackout dates for the Sorcerer pass, so we declined. The agent then countered with an offer to give us four day park hoppers to cover the days that would have been blacked out. I thought, "whatever" and took the offer.

Now I'm thinking... We're going to be there for five days. I wonder if there's anything that would stop me from extending the four-day hopper to a fifth day and not activating our APs at all this trip and saving that for a future trip next year?

Has anyone gotten this offer, and would my plan work?

Unlikely the plan would work as the other posters have said. The workaround by Disney (for those members who already booked during the now-blackout time period) was to give them comp tickets for that period of time.

 

[Sandisw]

While the CM asked you if you wanted to upgrade to Sorcerer, all passes have to be that because Gold doesn’t exist.

But, they know that those with Thanksgiving 2021 trips who booked them before the change, would be stuck with block out days.

What you were given was a way to allow you to still visit the parks and have it set ahead of time vs. an issue once you are there.

But, I agree, you are being given comp tickets and most likely not be able to upgrade them.

 

[cvjw]

Couldn’t you just buy a one day ticket and then save your annual pass for next year. That could be cheaper than activating the annual passes for one day that isn’t covered by the comp tickets.

 

[Sandisw]

Couldn’t you just buy a one day ticket and then save your annual pass for next year. That could be cheaper than activating the annual passes for one day that isn’t covered by the comp tickets.

The purpose though of the comp tickets is to make up for the fact that they switched the block out dates with the new Sorcerer Pass after someone purchases the Gold pass. I would think that the comp tickets are there and can be used only once the pass has been changed/activated to the Sorcerer pass.

 

[Maistre Gracey]

The purpose though of the comp tickets is to make up for the fact that they switched the block out dates with the new Sorcerer Pass after someone purchases the Gold pass. I would think that the comp tickets are there and can be used only once the pass has been changed/activated to the Sorcerer pass.

But once they were comped, and knew the procedure….
That seems a stretch to continue the comp passes after the fact.

 

[cvjw]

The purpose though of the comp tickets is to make up for the fact that they switched the block out dates with the new Sorcerer Pass after someone purchases the Gold pass. I would think that the comp tickets are there and can be used only once the pass has been changed/activated to the Sorcerer pass.

Do you know for sure the comped tickets can only be used once the pass is activated? That seems like a very long stretch for Disney’s lacking IT system. Seems like once the comped tickets are linked to the MDE account and park reservations were made, the OP would be good to go.

 

[CheeseheadDave]

How does it appear in your MDE account? My guess is since they are ‘comped tickets’ that you can’t do it. Plus, there is no gold pass any longer so next time you might get a lesser pass.

It still says "DVC Member Gold Pass Exchange", but there are now also "4 Day Park Hopper" tickets in there with an 11/27/21 expiration date.

 

[CheeseheadDave]

Do you know for sure the comped tickets can only be used once the pass is activated? That seems like a very long stretch for Disney’s lacking IT system. Seems like once the comped tickets are linked to the MDE account and park reservations were made, the OP would be good to go.

It looks like the intent was that we activate the pass once we're down there to use right away, then the comped tickets would cover the 24th - 27th that would have been blacked out.

 

[CheeseheadDave]

Couldn’t you just buy a one day ticket and then save your annual pass for next year. That could be cheaper than activating the annual passes for one day that isn’t covered by the comp tickets.

My only concern about that is, remember back when people were upgrading their park tickets to APs and were losing their park reservations? I'd hate to have that happen to us.

 

[Sandisw]

Do you know for sure the comped tickets can only be used once the pass is activated? That seems like a very long stretch for Disney’s lacking IT system. Seems like once the comped tickets are linked to the MDE account and park reservations were made, the OP would be good to go.

No. That is why I said “ I would think”. But who knows.

Park reservations were already made with the gold Voucher so there would be no attaching to those tickets.

My point was more that these were given to people as a good will gesture because the passes and block out dates changed so it is possible there is something about them that requires activation.

When my DD gave us some of her comp tickets when she worked for Disney, I had to stop at GR first before they were eligible for us to use even though I attached to MDE. So, I think it all depends on how the tickets are coded.