Disney Premier Passport question

[ethanwa]

My Premier Passport is about to expire in Jan 2013.

Can I renew this online or through the mail? Or do I HAVE to renew it in person?

Ethan

 

[Califgirl]

My Premier Pass expired last month. I never even got a renewal notice. Therefore, I expect that we have to actually buy the pass in person. (Remember there are no discounts of any kind, not even a renewal discount.)

 

[starry_solo]

I have the opposite experience. My wife and I upgraded our Premium passports to Premiers at WDW. They were due to expire this September. The CM noticed we had only used ours a few times and extended our due date to April of 2013.

Ah, but only at WDW or DLR? That is, did you get a brand new printed passport with the new expiration date? If not, it probably only got extended at WDW (and not DLR) since they are on two different systems.

 

[starry_solo]

My Premier Passport is about to expire in Jan 2013.

Can I renew this online or through the mail? Or do I HAVE to renew it in person?

Ethan

In person. You can't buy it online at all, only in person

 

[lilpooh108]

I believe they apply what you actually paid for your current pass to your upgrade. There are no discounts of any kind for a Premier Passport.

I asked this same question to Cheshire Figment, a tickets CM at WDW. He said that WDW bridges prices.

I don't know who to believe, but I agree with you that DLR does not bridge prices (ie. you only get credit for what you paid).

I have an unactivated SoCal AP bought at 2011 prices....I don't want to activate it at DLR earlier than I have to (ie prior to my WDW trip) in order to upgrade to Premier while at WDW.

Wish I had a definitive answer!!!!!

 

[lcasa]

Boy I'll be happy for you lilpooh108 but unhappy for me if that's true - they told me at DLR that I'd have to pay the full 850 regardless of what I paid for my AP so I didn't get a voucher for myself before they sold out at the old prices.
Guess I should have called WDW too....

Let us know what happens!

 

[got2travel]

I don't know specifically about upgrading a DL AP to a Premier AP at WDW.

BUT

When at WDW, I purchased discounted multi-day park hoppers at early 2011 prices from Undercover Tourist (additional discount). When I upgraded these park hoppers to a WDW AP, I was given full credit for the current cost of WDW park hoppers. My pre-price increase cost and UT discount did not factor in at all.

So, I'm thinking that they would give you credit for the current DL AP price, not what you actually paid for it. This is just my opinion, but I would think you could follow the same logic when upgrading to a Premier.

I did eventually upgrade my WDW AP to a Premier on my next trip to DL. They could not validate anything from the ticket. They had to call a supervisor to validate the cost of a WDW AP so they would know how to calculate my cost.

 

[starry_solo]

I asked this same question to Cheshire Figment, a part time tickets CM at WDW. He's not the be all end all of tix answers, but he said that WDW bridges prices.

I don't know who to believe, but I agree with you that DLR does not bridge prices (ie. you only get credit for what you paid).

I have an unactivated SoCal AP bought at 2011 prices....I don't want to activate it at DLR earlier than I have to (ie prior to my WDW trip) in order to upgrade to Premier while at WDW.

Wish I had a definitive answer!!!!!

Yes they bridge prices but those are all for WDW (that is, someone buys WDW tickets and upgrades to a WDW AP). Please let us know what happens when you try to upgrade your So Cal AP pass. P.S. Doesn't the unactivated voucher expire soon?

 

[yoyoyo]

Ah, but only at WDW or DLR? That is, did you get a brand new printed passport with the new expiration date? If not, it probably only got extended at WDW (and not DLR) since they are on two different systems.

Yes, they were brand new, and the expiration on them are April 2013. I would imagine we would have no problems getting into DLR with them. (hopefully, we're going in 3 weeks)

 

[starry_solo]

Yes, they were brand new, and the expiration on them are April 2013. I would imagine we would have no problems getting into DLR with them. (hopefully, we're going in 3 weeks)

You will probably have to start at guest services first to make sure they are activated in their system. I got a premier AP at DLR and had to go to guest services to get them activated in WDW's system

 

[bumbershoot]

I asked this same question to Cheshire Figment, a part time tickets CM at WDW. He's not the be all end all of tix answers, but he said that WDW bridges prices.

I don't know who to believe, but I agree with you that DLR does not bridge prices (ie. you only get credit for what you paid).

I have an unactivated SoCal AP bought at 2011 prices....I don't want to activate it at DLR earlier than I have to (ie prior to my WDW trip) in order to upgrade to Premier while at WDW.

Wish I had a definitive answer!!!!!

But I don't think that's going to happen with a Disneyland AP. To bridge prices at WDW, you have to use the WDW ticket to enter at least one time, and THEN upgrade. That AP isn't going to get you into the gates.

Now if you had an old WDW ticket instead of that AP, and you went in the gates witih the ticket, they would then bridge the price you paid to the current gate price, and your upgrade would be Premiere - current WDW ticket price.

Don't think it's going to work the same with a Disneyland AP.

 

[disneegrl4eva]

I have an unactivated SoCal AP bought at 2011 prices....I don't want to activate it at DLR earlier than I have to (ie prior to my WDW trip) in order to upgrade to Premier while at WDW.

Wish I had a definitive answer!!!!!

uuuuuhhhh...this has me wondering...if someone bought an AP at last years price so before the current pricing took affect....how long does one have to activate it before it is no longer valid???? I cant imagine you can keep it unactivated for a long time...

 

[BryANDJessMom]

I bought mine last may before the price increase. I was told it had to be activated this calendar year..

 

[SuzanneSLO]

I believe they apply what you actually paid for your current pass to your upgrade. There are no discounts of any kind for a Premier Passport.

This was our experience in 2010 as well. We had an active DL AP purchased before the price increase and every indication we were given is that we would get a credit towards the Premier equal to what we paid, not the value if we purchased the DL AP that day. We ended up stopping by DL on the way to WDW to upgrade to Premier so I can't say for sure if this is correct if upgrading from a DL AP at WDW.

For the PP with a DAP that has not been activated, I would suggest you post on the WDW board to get an answer to your question about the value given when upgrading to the Premier.

If you can't get a good answer, I would expect you will get the $$ you paid and consider it pixie dust if the value is bridged to the current purchase price.

Best of luck. -- Suzanne

 

[disneegrl4eva]

I bought mine last may before the price increase. I was told it had to be activated this calendar year..

OP you are going to DL this year as in 2012 right???

 

[lilpooh108]

uuuuuhhhh...this has me wondering...if someone bought an AP at last years price so before the current pricing took affect....how long does one have to activate it before it is no longer valid???? I cant imagine you can keep it unactivated for a long time...

My AP specifically says activate by 12/31/2012. We bought it knowing that we'd activate it end of this year, since our current SoCal APs just expired.

It was cheaper to buy a new un activated AP at 2011 prices than to renew during our 9/2012 renewal period.

To the other posters re WDW bridging prices---Yes I've done the UT WDW tix upgrade before to WDW APs and the pricing was taken directly out of their system---so I do doubt whether they'll give me "full credit" for my pre-increase SoCal AP.

I'm still debating whether to upgrade at all to Premier. I definitely would if it was certain that I would get the current SoCal AP gate price at WDW...I'll report back if I do.

 

[disneegrl4eva]

My AP specifically says activate by 12/31/2012. We bought it knowing that we'd activate it end of this year, since our current SoCal APs just expired.

It was cheaper to buy a new un activated AP at 2011 prices than to renew during our 9/2012 renewal period.

To the other posters re WDW bridging prices---Yes I've done the UT WDW tix upgrade before to WDW APs and the pricing was taken directly out of their system---so I do doubt whether they'll give me "full credit" for my pre-increase SoCal AP.

I'm still debating whether to upgrade at all to Premier. I definitely would if it was certain that I would get the current SoCal AP gate price at WDW...I'll report back if I do.

oh good...just what you were saying earlier made me think that maybe you werent going to go before end of the year so glad to hear you could get and use the pass

 

[taaren]

I asked this same question to Cheshire Figment, a tickets CM at WDW. He said that WDW bridges prices.

I don't know who to believe, but I agree with you that DLR does not bridge prices (ie. you only get credit for what you paid).

I have an unactivated SoCal AP bought at 2011 prices....I don't want to activate it at DLR earlier than I have to (ie prior to my WDW trip) in order to upgrade to Premier while at WDW.

Wish I had a definitive answer!!!!!

My AP specifically says activate by 12/31/2012. We bought it knowing that we'd activate it end of this year, since our current SoCal APs just expired.

It was cheaper to buy a new un activated AP at 2011 prices than to renew during our 9/2012 renewal period.

To the other posters re WDW bridging prices---Yes I've done the UT WDW tix upgrade before to WDW APs and the pricing was taken directly out of their system---so I do doubt whether they'll give me "full credit" for my pre-increase SoCal AP.

I'm still debating whether to upgrade at all to Premier. I definitely would if it was certain that I would get the current SoCal AP gate price at WDW...I'll report back if I do.

I'd like to hear about it, too. Probably just academic but still good to know, since we can get the DVC Member WDW Premium AP for $399, then just wait til our next DLR trip and get a DL Deluxe AP and have them overlap by a few months and come out ahead.

I think this has been covered before, but you'd have to activate your DLR AP in order to even have a shot at the price bridging, so is your plan basically to pop over to DLR immediately before your trip to activate by going through the turnstiles once, then take the activated SoCal AP to WDW to see if they'd upgrade it?

 

[mommy2mrb]

I am planning on getting the Premier pass next March - have two trips to DLR in March 2013, one to WDW for Thanksgiving 2013 and then hopefully DLR again Feb 2014! got to get my money's worth

first question - is there a specific ticket booth at DLR to purchase it?

second question - when we go to WDW, do I have to guest services again to get it activated for WDW and then back to DLR if we go in 2014? I'm a bit confused about all of that

thanks for any input!

 

[lilpooh108]

I'd like to hear about it, too. Probably just academic but still good to know, since we can get the DVC Member WDW Premium AP for $399, then just wait til our next DLR trip and get a DL Deluxe AP and have them overlap by a few months and come out ahead.

I think this has been covered before, but you'd have to activate your DLR AP in order to even have a shot at the price bridging, so is your plan basically to pop over to DLR immediately before your trip to activate by going through the turnstiles once, then take the activated SoCal AP to WDW to see if they'd upgrade it?

We're also DVC members, and since we were considering getting the DVC PAP I thought about just getting the Premier.

For us...we have to pay $115 for our SoCal parking anyway. So I figure with the SoCal AP gate price of $329 it would look like this

$329 (SoCal AP, assuming we get full credit)
$115 (DLR parking)
$399 (What I would have paid for a DVC member PAP)
$843

which is only a little bit less than the cost of the Premier (this is called Fuzzy Disney Math)

I asked Cheshire Figment for specifics...but he hasn't responded yet.

Yes, I plan on running over to DLR to activate our APs if somehow I can confirm that we'll get gate pricing for the SoCal APs. At this point, though, I'm leaning towards abandoning this plan since there is so much uncertainty.

I don't really want to activate our SoCal APs until end of Dec 2012 in order to "catch" the Christmas season in 2013. The price increases are making it cost prohibitive for my family of 6 to buy APs exactly on time every year. We might start staggering our renewal dates.