DVC Annual Pass renewal question

[MarkinMA]

Question around a DVC annual pass renewal. Both my boys and I have annual passes that are though DVC. When we got them originally, we got the vouchers and needed to go to guest relations to have them activated and get the actual cards, and I had to show my member card and ID to get them activated (due to the discount).

They are up for renewal now - but one of my boys is going with some other friends in a month (without me - sad face). If I renew his pass, will they need to go to guest relations to do an activation? I won't be with them, so no member card or ID (the parents of his friend aren't members). It's a December trip - so the card won't need to be updated, will the renewal just happen on the magic band? or will they be standing at guest relations mad at me and having to fork over money for a five day ticket with an unactivated annual pass?

We are planning another trip in April, and I will buy a new AP for that trip for me (to get the extra months) but was going to renew his for this trip - but then I'm worried about this...My other option is to get him a new, non-DVC AP (for a lot more money) that will cover both trips, but would like to simply do the renewal if it will all work out.

Thanks for the help!

 

[Accident]

The best thing I can say is maybe. I renewed my non-dvc but switched my out of state to a florida resident renewal and did not need to activate it.

look under the contact us section on disney's website, there is a number that is specific to annual passholders you can call.

He should be able to activate it on his own if he needs to. no id is needed for 17 and younger. does he have an AP card already with his name on the back, just bring that you'll want it for discounts anyway. pack up a copy of the receipt and add a short letter saying he's there without you, if there is any issues with him activating his DVC AP they should call you with a number that hopefully matched the mde account. he can't activate your aps but he can get his.

worst case senario to me is he needs to call you and you do an online ticket purchase and then complain to disney all day that you had to do this while he's off doing his thing with friends.

 

[ravenclawtrekkie]

I had to turn away someone in this exact situation today because the kid's DVC-owning parents were at home in New York. I even talked to his parents on his cell phone, which I am not supposed to do, to explain why.

All DVC renewals are "renewal certificates" (at least that I've ever seen) and we have to see the DVC card and the ID of the person whose name is on it (who must also be present) to actually turn the certificate into a renewal of the pass.

If the person the pass is for is under 18, they don't need ID of their own, but the other stuff is non-negotiable. DVC is a unique can of worms with complications that tourist and even Florida APs don't have.

 

[CarolynFH]

Maybe you could buy him a hopper for the number of days needed for this trip, then upgrade it to a DVC AP in April. You could buy the hopper from UT or one of the other discounters - that would save a few $, anyway.

 

[Marionnette]

Maybe you could buy him a hopper for the number of days needed for this trip, then upgrade it to a DVC AP in April. You could buy the hopper from UT or one of the other discounters - that would save a few $, anyway.

That wouldn't work. An upgrade can only be done 60 days prior to the expiration or 30 days following the expiration of the AP. If the son were to get a hopper from UT and use it next month, he would only have until the 14th day following its first day of use to do the upgrade. April will be too late.

 

[MarkinMA]

Thanks everyone for your help - sounds like I can't take the option I thought - just upgrade the DVC AP. Once the AP is DVC, could I pay for the 'regular' AP upgrade - still saves a few $$ over buying a new 'regular' AP. Or because this one is a DVC AP, it will only upgrade that way?

At any rate - it is what it is...it still comes out a few bucks cheaper to do a 'regular' new AP than the two trips of tickets...but when I look at the cost and think "Wow, I'm paying this...but it really could/should be that..." It sting a little.