Has anyone traded up their TIX to AP?

[MIC-KEY]

Is it worthwhile to trade in your existing tickets for the AP tickets? How many of you have done so and has it paid off? How do you do this? I think I have read that you need to use ONE DAY on your passports and then go to Guest Relations for full credit for an AP ticket? What happens if you have booked the 4/3 offer? Wonder how much they credit you toward the AP ticket? Thanks for any info you can share.

 

[Karlzmom]

I took the 8 day we bought for DH straight to the Guest Services at DHS and they simply. swapped it out for the AP

 

[rt2dz]

If you use your ticket at least once, they will credit you full gate value of whatever ticket it is (the 4/3 deal does not require an actual 7 day ticket, and then you can add hopper or no expiration or both or neither). If you do not use the ticket at least once, you are credited whatever you paid for the ticket, or in cases where not purchased directly from Disney, whatever the ticket broker paid for the ticket.

The best way to upgrade to APs under the 4/3 deal is to purchase a 7 day ticket and add no expiration. You get the free days, which isn't much, but then you get a decent discount on the no expiration option since it goes up for every day on the ticket and you're getting 3 of those days for free. With the extra days not being much, but the no expiration going up considerably, I wouldn't go over 7 days in that case. Use it once as I state before, and you'll get full gate value. You'll wind up with ~$75 discount on your AP. If I remember the math right.

We do it all the time. DH gets a sizable discount on tickets through his HR department so we purchase there and upgrade to APs every other trip. As far as it being worthwhile, that will depend on each and every person. For us, we go once a calendar year and I make sure two trips are on each AP--as they are good for one year from activation or first use of an upgraded ticket. An AP is the least expensive ticket media when you go more than 11 days in that year, assuming hoppers. Each of our trips are 10 days.

 

[MIC-KEY]

Thanks, RT2DZ.
Question......with the 4/3 offer, I believe both persons on the reservation have to buy the same passport, correct? I am going with friends and know they will not want to buy the no-expiration tickets? But I do see your math.

I am assuming then that you do not purchase packages from Disney.....due to your DH's HR offer. That makes sense.

DH and I are planning to be in Disney for 9 nights in the fall and 6 nights in Dec....so I thought if I upgraded to AP in March when I am there with friends,and DH did in the Fall, we would save $ and perhaps get some AP promos we might use?

Thanks for any suggestions or comments!

 

[MIC-KEY]

Question===are APs Park Hoppers? I would assume......but.....

 

[rt2dz]

APs include hopping.

We generally don't buy packages, but we did in October and are using the 4/3 deal in June. The October offer was the best thing out there for our dates (beat the AP rate) and same with June. I just save the tickets for the next time we need them--of course, running the upgrade numbers I may still buy under DHs discount and keep saving those tickets. I'm sure he'll switch companies someday anyhow and then I won't have such a great discount.

APs are the way to go--your cheapest admission media. Especially for you. You just need to stick with whatever ticket everyone in your group has and then *after you use it*, upgrade it at guest relations. Hey, a $10 discount is a $10 discount. Then if you get a good AP discount on a room, all the better!