Has anyone else had any problems with unactivated Gold Annual Passes?

[greatbigbeautifultomorrow]

Posting this for my dad, as he is, understandably very frustrated.

He is a DVC member, as is the rest of my family. He and I both had Gold APs that we renewed in February 2020 at the end of our trip. We did it in person in one of the parks and the cast member had said that they won’t activate until the next time we step foot in the parks. And on the MDE account, it had them there and said they wouldnt expire until 2030.

My dad is high risk and with the pandemic, we hadn’t gone on vacation. I had thought that the APs were still fine as we hadn’t gone to the parks and the expiration date still said 2030; nothing about the passes had changed on MDE.

As my dad got more comfortable with the idea of going back for a family vacation, we researched, got familiar with the current processes, etc. of the parks since we had last been. We booked all of our park reservations.

Flash forward to now, we went to EPCOT this morning. Got in line for the magic band/card/finger scan, and the cast member informs us that we need to activate our passes. Oops, well, no biggie.

We go to Guest Services and I bring up the app, and the cast member informs us that they can’t activate our passes and we would need to upgrade them. My dad explains what I previously reiterated here and the cast member says that our only options would be for them to refund us it and we could purchase a one-day ticket to the park we were at. Or, we could pay the difference between the now non-existent Gold AP and the Sorcerer AP and have our tickets become Sorcerer APs.

Feeling like we were stuck between a rock and a hard place, we chose the second option and paid the difference. I was primarily confused but figured there must have some kind of rule change between now and when we originally bought them in 2020. (Did they change it from being when you first step foot in the park as the first moment of AP activation? Is it that its from the date or purchase regardless of when you first enter the park?) I mainly just wished they would have said something or there would have been some kind of alert that our unactivated 2020 Gold APs wouldn’t work/were worthless. Especially because if they didn’t work, why were we able to book park reservations?

My dad, on the other hand, is rather heated. He emailed Guest Relations about it to share his feelings on the whole situation.

Has anyone else had this happen with their unactivated Gold APs? Or unactivated APs in general?

Just curious if it was just us.

Thanks!

 

[Phatscott25]

I don't know for certain, but my understanding is since the Gold Pass hasn't been around for longer than a year, it's gone. Meaning all of the active Gold passes are no longer "in circulation" so the only thing they can do is upgrade them to the nearest compatible pass which is Sorcerer. If you think about it, a renewal is always back-dated to the expiration date of the previous pass anyway which I'm sure was 2020 meaning it would have expired in 2021 if activated.

It's a bummer, but I wouldn't call your renewal certificates "worthless" since I'm sure it's value was applied to your Sorcerer pass purchase.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

Ask the CM to speak with a manager to activate it as a Sorcerer pass. There should not be any additional charge. That is the protocol. (Ok - I see you paid the difference. Take the receipt and information to a guest service. Somebody should be able to give you a refund. I'd try a different one than Epcot I guess).

In April I used an old old DVC AP voucher which was activated as a Incredi-pass or whatever it is now. I'm losing track of the names they change so often! The clerk at the window wasn't positive what to do but spoke with the supervisor. Same thing the last time I activated a voucher for that same type of pass as they've been gone for years.

 

[CarolMN]

Ask for them to speak with a manager. The Gold AP should be activated as a Sorcerer pass. There should not be any additional charge.

Except it was a renewal, not a new pass, and the renewal was purchased in 2020. I agree with @Phatscott25. If the renewal voucher was not used, then it is worth whatever $$ was paid for the renewal. You can't get a new pass for it.

 

[Sandisw]

Renewals are a continuation of the old pass but the vouchers given still have to be activated, which is why you can use them for park reservations.

Since it’s been more than a year from when your old pass expired and these were never activated, they become worth the value toward another pass.

Unfortunately, what you were told only would have applied if these were brand new Gold AP vouchers, and not Gold renewal vouchers. So, paying the difference is what happens in these cases.

They have changed things recently that when renewals are done, they actual do issue the pass that has the real dates that pass is active.

 

[DebbieB]

I’m surprised they allowed you to buy a new Sorcerer since they are no longer selling new.

 

[Lehuaann]

They have changed things recently that when renewals are done, they actual do issue the pass that has the real dates that pass is active.

I’m not sure what this means. Are you forced to activate/use the renewal, and they no longer sit in your account as a voucher?

 

[starry_solo]

I’m not sure what this means. Are you forced to activate/use the renewal, and they no longer sit in your account as a voucher?

Correct re: use. It automatically activates upon expiration of the old pass, which was renewed into a new one with an expiration date one year after the old one expired.

 

[Sandisw]

I’m not sure what this means. Are you forced to activate/use the renewal, and they no longer sit in your account as a voucher?

Yes. When you renew, they verify that you are eligible and then what you are given is the actual pass with the dates it is valid.

For example, if you have a pass that is to expire November 1st, 2022 and called today to renew, they will give you a new pass with the dates November 1st, 2022 to November 1st, 2023.

They no long give you vouchers like they used to do.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

Except it was a renewal, not a new pass, and the renewal was purchased in 2020. I agree with @Phatscott25. If the renewal voucher was not used, then it is worth whatever $$ was paid for the renewal. You can't get a new pass for it.

Ah - thanks. I didn't process in my head that it was a renewal since they were told it wouldn't activate until they entered a park. In that regard then it seems lucky that any credit was given. Is that normal or only because of the pandemic when AP's were given credits/extensions etc.?

I'd have to think about it more but my timing must have always been such that I renewed in the 30 days after the pass expired. I've never been given a voucher - just a new card and expiration date.

 

[The_MT]

This is the same scenario I was in except mine was a Platinum Pass renewal that expired in March 2022 before I was able to use it due to rescheduling my trip twice. Guest Services allowed me to pay the difference to apply the amount I had paid for the renewal towards a new Incredi-pass and included the Memory Maker at no additional cost since it would have been included in the Platinum Pass. I was so happy that they allowed me to get a new annual pass since sales are paused for everyone!

 

[The_MT]

Ah - thanks. I didn't process in my head that it was a renewal since they were told it wouldn't activate until they entered a park. In that regard then it seems lucky that any credit was given. Is that normal or only because of the pandemic when AP's were given credits/extensions etc.?

I'd have to think about it more but my timing must have always been such that I renewed in the 30 days after the pass expired. I've never been given a voucher - just a new card and expiration date.

If you buy a park ticket from Disney (not including special event tickets or partially used multi-day tickets) and you don't use it before it expires or is invalid, Disney will give you a refund or allow you to apply the amount paid toward another ticket. This is always the case.

 

[MICKIMINI]

If you buy a park ticket from Disney (not including special event tickets or partially used multi-day tickets) and you don't use it before it expires or is invalid, Disney will give you a refund or allow you to apply the amount paid toward another ticket. This is always the case.

I believe it is a credit for what you paid for the ticket towards a new ticket.

 

[Sandisw]

Ah - thanks. I didn't process in my head that it was a renewal since they were told it wouldn't activate until they entered a park. In that regard then it seems lucky that any credit was given. Is that normal or only because of the pandemic when AP's were given credits/extensions etc.?

I'd have to think about it more but my timing must have always been such that I renewed in the 30 days after the pass expired. I've never been given a voucher - just a new card and expiration date.

When you renew in person, they would activate it many times right there.

But renewals by phone were vouchers, that were activated when you got to the park..but still just extended the old pass.

The vouchers had expiration of 2030 which meant if you didn’t end up actually making it, it could be used toward a new pass but with you paying the difference.

When they started the Sorcerer Pass, they changed it and vouchers were only good for a pass for one year and after that. If you didn’t activate it was only the value and not eligible toward another pass.

I think with the gold renewal vouchers, having the 2030 expiration was the reason they were allowed to still get the Sorcerer pass paying the difference

Now, even when you call, it’s an activated pass verses a voucher which means it will be use or lose.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

When you renew in person, they would activate it many times right there.

But renewals by phone were vouchers, that were activated when you got to the park..but still just extended the old pass.

The vouchers had expiration of 2030 which meant if you didn’t end up actually making it, it could be used toward a new pass but with you paying the difference.

When they started the Sorcerer Pass, they changed it and vouchers were only good for a pass for one year and after that. If you didn’t activate it was only the value and not eligible toward another pass.

I think with the gold renewal vouchers, having the 2030 expiration was the reason they were allowed to still get the Sorcerer pass paying the difference

Now, even when you call, it’s an activated pass verses a voucher which means it will be use or lose.

Where I find it confusing is that the OP said they renewed in person so my expectation is what you outlined if done in person.

 

[Sandisw]

Where I find it confusing is that the OP said they renewed in person so my expectation is what you outlined if done in person.

I got a renewal voucher in January when I was there and activated it in March When my other pass expired. So, it’s not always an activated pass.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

I got a renewal voucher in January when I was there and activated it in March When my other pass expired. So, it’s not always an activated pass.

And did you have to then visit GS before entry or were you then able to just enter the park like the OP was originally set up to do?

 

[Sandisw]

And did you have to then visit GS before entry or were you then able to just enter the park like the OP was originally set up to do?

Yes I had to go to GS to change it into my actual pass.

I have always had to do that as I have only gotten vouchers.

I have one now that was issued in May when they messed up a ticket I had in my account. So, next March when I actually am up for renewal, I will have to go to GR again to activate it as it is the renewal voucher.

 

[New Mouse]

Posting this for my dad, as he is, understandably very frustrated.

He is a DVC member, as is the rest of my family. He and I both had Gold APs that we renewed in February 2020 at the end of our trip. We did it in person in one of the parks and the cast member had said that they won’t activate until the next time we step foot in the parks. And on the MDE account, it had them there and said they wouldnt expire until 2030.

My dad is high risk and with the pandemic, we hadn’t gone on vacation. I had thought that the APs were still fine as we hadn’t gone to the parks and the expiration date still said 2030; nothing about the passes had changed on MDE.

As my dad got more comfortable with the idea of going back for a family vacation, we researched, got familiar with the current processes, etc. of the parks since we had last been. We booked all of our park reservations.

Flash forward to now, we went to EPCOT this morning. Got in line for the magic band/card/finger scan, and the cast member informs us that we need to activate our passes. Oops, well, no biggie.

We go to Guest Services and I bring up the app, and the cast member informs us that they can’t activate our passes and we would need to upgrade them. My dad explains what I previously reiterated here and the cast member says that our only options would be for them to refund us it and we could purchase a one-day ticket to the park we were at. Or, we could pay the difference between the now non-existent Gold AP and the Sorcerer AP and have our tickets become Sorcerer APs.

Feeling like we were stuck between a rock and a hard place, we chose the second option and paid the difference. I was primarily confused but figured there must have some kind of rule change between now and when we originally bought them in 2020. (Did they change it from being when you first step foot in the park as the first moment of AP activation? Is it that its from the date or purchase regardless of when you first enter the park?) I mainly just wished they would have said something or there would have been some kind of alert that our unactivated 2020 Gold APs wouldn’t work/were worthless. Especially because if they didn’t work, why were we able to book park reservations?

My dad, on the other hand, is rather heated. He emailed Guest Relations about it to share his feelings on the whole situation.

Has anyone else had this happen with their unactivated Gold APs? Or unactivated APs in general?

Just curious if it was just us.

Thanks!

If you feel like it, you could easily win a court case and Disney would likely settle. That's clear cut bait and switch.

 

[WilsonFlyer]

If you feel like it, you could easily win a court case and Disney would likely settle. That's clear cut bait and switch.

I'm not sure I follow your logic. You explicitly purchased a renewal that ran from Jan 2020 thru some date in Jan 2021. I'm not sure where the 'bait and switch' lies. Ya lost me. I'll grant you I haven't read and parsed every sentence in this thread, but from where I sit, I think they did him a favor/good-will in affording him credit towards anything. My thought would be to be thankful for what you got. You weren't owed it.