DVC Discount/Park Passes/Need Expert Opinions!

[rombar]

Hopefully someone here can give me guidance on these questions. I have a partially used 7 day park hopper plus pass (no plus features have been used yet). I think I've used a couple of regular park days so far.

If I turn this pass in for the value that is left and take advantage of the $100 DVC discount for annual passes can I use the water parks before I turn the pass in? Somewhere I heard that if you use the water park features first then you can't turn in the rest of the pass - is that true? Or will I get much less value on the pass if I use them? These passes originally cost $308 dollars and I can't figure out what is left (or value) without actually going to guest relations at Disney - I'm just trying to figure out if I can use the water parks/then upgrade to the annual pass. Expert opinions please?

 

[DebbieB]

I believe if you use the plusses you can only redeem it for a premium AP.

 

[jel0511]

If you use any of the plus features and then try to turn in a PHP to upgrade, you must upgrade to a PAP, not a regular AP. The value you have left is a pro-rata cost of what you've used. So, for instance you have 3 days left, you'd get a credit of 3/7th's of the price you originally paid. If you've use any plus options, you can't upgrade to a regular AP.

 

[rombar]

Thank you!!!!! Now why couldn't Disney tell me this?! Now I just have to decide if I want to stick with what I have left or upgrade.....

 

[CarolMN]

You really need to be specific with your terminology when dealing with Disney on these types of ticket transactions.

Upgrades must be done within 7 days of the first use of the pass. If you use any of the plus options, the only upgrade that is allowed is to a Premium Annual Pass.

If it has been more than 7 days since the first use of the pass, you can ask for a dollar credit for the remaining value of your PHP pass and apply it to the purchase of either an AP or a PAP. In this case, it doesn't matter if the plus options have been used or not. However, Disney will not give you any credit for the value of unused plus options. If it's been more than 7 days since the first use of the pass, it would be best to use the plus options before you turn the pass in for credit.

Here is more detail regarding upgrading tickets:

Upgrading WDW Tickets

Best wishes -

 

[Sherri]

If I have a five day hopper pass that does not expire with a plus feature and upgrade to a premium annual pass, will I still not get dollar credit for the plus day even though I would be upgrading to a premium pass?
Is there a number to call prior to going that I can call to find out exactly what my passes are worth to avoid confusion when getting there?
Any info. would be great! Thanks- Sherri

 

[Cinderpals]

Hi!

I'm glad that I have a PAP, so I wouldn't hesitate recommending it to another DVC member. Of course, we'll have a lot of opportunity to visit water parks and Disney Quest. We have so many trips planned before they run out this year. It's just nice to be able to walk into the Waterparks, stay for 1-2 hours and leave. Same with Disney Quest. We can make a lot of short trips, fitting it in where we need to. We can go everyday during our whole stay to the Water Parks/Disney Quest, and not feel like we have to stay all day because we bought the admission for the day. I like that flexibility especially with two children 3yrs and 11yrs.

 

[CarolMN]

If I have a five day hopper pass that does not expire with a plus feature and upgrade to a premium annual pass, will I still not get dollar credit for the plus day even though I would be upgrading to a premium pass?
Is there a number to call prior to going that I can call to find out exactly what my passes are worth to avoid confusion when getting there?
Any info. would be great! Thanks- Sherri

Sherri - If you ask to upgrade to a PAP within 7 days of the first time you use the PHP pass, you will get credit for the entire purchase price of the PHP pass. The PAP year will start on the day you first used the PHP pass. (Note that this is true only if you purchased the pass from Disney. If you purchased from a discount broker, you will only get credit for the amount the broker paid to Disney).

There isn't any place you can call to find out what your passes are worth. You have to have the ticket scanned somewhere on site.

You can only upgrade one pass for each PAP purchased. In other words, you can't apply the value of more than one pass to the purchase of only one PAP.


If it has been more than 7 days since you first used the PHP pass, then you can't upgrade. However, you can get a dollar credit for the remaining value of your PHP that can be applied towards the purchase of either an AP or a PAP. The credit is approximately equaly to the number of unused major park days divided by the total number of major park days on the ticket. For example let's say you have a 5 day PHP pass with 2 unused days and 1 unused plus option. 2/5 = 40% You would get a credit equal to 40% of what you paid for the ticket (except if you bought from a discount broker - see note above). Disney does not give you any credit for unused plus options in this case. Better to use it before you turn it in for the AP/PAP if you can.

Hope that helps - Click on the link I posted in my earlier post for more information.

Best wishes -

 

[Sherri]

CarolMn: Thanks so much for your help. I was thinking if the weather is nice when we get there that we may use the water park then go and get the annual premium passes. Another thought was selling them on my own (which was the original plan prior to finding out that Disney would give you the unused dollar amount). I was trying to sell them through my work swap and shop, but people could not believe how much I was asking for them. I have four passes with three days lef on each and two plus days (actually one of the plus days comes in form of a seperate ticket we were issued from blizzard beach since it was storming and closed most of our visit). But I was asking $725.00 for all of that. I thought it was a good deal for someone. Obviously they haven't been on the website to see the new prices. I'll keep hoping to get a taker at work, but if not it is nice to know that I can sell back to Disney in order to get our PAP.
Can I do this at Downtown Disney? Can I buy the Dining discount with that as well, or do I have to order that in advance? I'm a bit confused because I have read conflicting things about having the AP or PAP for check in. I don't know what one has to do with the other. Maybe i'm reading to many boards and getting my info. mixed up (lol). But with just three weeks to go from today, it's time to start planning.

 

[CarolMN]

...(snip)...., but if not it is nice to know that I can sell back to Disney in order to get our PAP.
Can I do this at Downtown Disney?

Yes - at either one of the Guest Relations offices. There is one in the MarketPlace and one on the West Side (near the entrance to PI).

Can I buy the Dining discount with that as well, or do I have to order that in advance? I'm a bit confused because I have read conflicting things about having the AP or PAP for check in. I don't know what one has to do with the other. Maybe i'm reading to many boards and getting my info. mixed up (lol). But with just three weeks to go from today, it's time to start planning.

AFAIK, you can call and order the DDE while you are at WDW (after you buy the AP/PAP) They will fax a confirmation to your hotel. You can use that in lieu of the actual card on this trip. The actual cards (you get two) will be mailed to you.

I have read reports that you can call DDE from the DD GR office, and get the confirmation faxed to there so if you buy your PAPs at DD, I'd sure go ahead and do the DDE there as well if the timing works out. You'll have to call for the DDE while the Dining people are there - I'm pretty sure that the Guest Relations offices are open later in the evening than the Dining offices. If the DDE office isn't open when you get the Aps/PAPs, you can always order the DDE later and have them fax the confirmation to your hotel.

Wish I were going in three weeks!

Best wishes -

 

[Sherri]

Thank you for all of your help. We were hoping to take advantage of the dining discount immediatly, so hopefully it will all cooridinate.
We are staying at the BWV (our first stay as members), I am thinking that the Down town Disney is the best place for us to turn in old tickets and purchase the new ones.