How does an AP Gold Pass get converted to the new AP Structure

[juncker]

We purchased a couple of AP's a few years ago that we have on our My Disney account. They are currently listed as "Gold Pass", that expire 12/31/2020. We haven't used these yet.

The question is, what tier would these tickets be in the new system?

 

[thanxfornoticin]

I believe if it’s still a valid pass, when you activate it, you’ll get the same benefits and restrictions of the Gold Pass. It won’t translate into a new pass category. You should still get MM and have no blackout over thanksgiving. But it’s curious it’s listed as expired. Hope that’s not a problem.

 

[Marionnette]

We purchased a couple of AP's a few years ago that we have on our My Disney account. They are currently listed as "Gold Pass", that expire 12/31/2020. We haven't used these yet.

The question is, what tier would these tickets be in the new system?

The Gold Pass is the equivalent of the Sorcerer's Pass in the New AP system, with some differences. The Sorcerer's Pass does not include MM and its block put dates no longer include the weeks before and after Easter. New block out dates include Thanksgiving weekend.

There have been conflicting reports as to the way Gold Pass vouchers will be redeemed after September 7th. Some are saying that a Gold Pass voucher will just become a Sorcerer's Pass with none of the benefits or block outs of the Gold Pass. Some are saying that PhotoPass will be added for free but you will still get a Sorcerer's Pass with Sorcerer's Pass block out dates. A few are pushing to have Disney honor the "no block outs" for Thanksgiving 2021 since those were the terms when they purchased their Gold vouchers. So far, Disney passholder reps are not budging on that.

 

[drusba]

The gold pass you have does not change in any way and is good until it expires.

The issue then becomes renewal or purchase of a new pass. The new passes announced effective September 8 have only one that a DVC member can buy, the Sorcerer's Pass. It is essentially the same as the gold pass but changes the block-out dates from the Christmas weeks and Easter weeks to the Christmas weeks and four days around Thansgiving. In also takes away photo-pass, which now will cost you an extra $99.

You will be able to renew the gold to a Sorcerer's pass. The renewal price before tax will be $749 compared to the $611 for the gold has cost in the last year or so. The price of a new Sorcerer's will be $899 compared to the gold which has been $719. When you factor in the cost of photo-pass, what you are basically getting is the same pass you had before, with the modified block-out dates and costing 38% more when you factor in the cost of adding-photo-pass.

 

[Disney102015]

This is probably an obvious “no” but I’ll ask anyway - is there any way to currently buy a DVC gold pass, before the new Sorceror pass becomes available? (This wouldn’t be a renewal, but a new purchase.)

 

[Marionnette]

This is probably an obvious “no” but I’ll ask anyway - is there any way to currently buy a DVC gold pass, before the new Sorceror pass becomes available? (This wouldn’t be a renewal, but a new purchase.)

Yeah. That would be a "No". You cannot purchase a new AP right now and will only be able to buy the new versions on September 8th.

ETA: If you have a Gold voucher, you can redeem it before Sept. 8th and you will get a Gold AP with MM and the regular Gold block out dates around Christmas and Easter.

 

[ngl]

Yeah. That would be a "No". You cannot purchase a new AP right now and will only be able to buy the new versions on September 8th.

ETA: If you have a Gold voucher, you can redeem it before Sept. 8th and you will get a Gold AP with MM and the regular Gold block out dates around Christmas and Easter.

Following up on this - just had our Gold Passes renewed last month but we have not redeemed them yet to start the one year tolling. We were supposed to take our first trip to WDW the weekend prior to Tgiving 2021 and start the one year clock. If I understand this correctly, if we wait until Nov until redeem it will basically be a Sorcerer's Pass with different blockouts? Thanks for any explanation on this.

 

[Sandisw]

Following up on this - just had our Gold Passes renewed last month but we have not redeemed them yet to start the one year tolling. We were supposed to take our first trip to WDW the weekend prior to Tgiving 2021 and start the one year clock. If I understand this correctly, if we wait until Nov until redeem it will basically be a Sorcerer's Pass with different blockouts? Thanks for any explanation on this.

First, did you actually renew a gold pass that was active? Or, were you eligible for the recovery offer and allowed to purchase a new gold AP that will be activated when you go?

True renewals start from the day the old one expires, no matter when you activate

If it is a new pass, and you are not activating until after September 8th, it appears that the pass you will be given will be the Sorcerer pass, with photo pass included and won’t be charged anything. But it will block out Thanksgiving 2021.

Of course, as mentioned earlier, people have been told two different things snd to be honest, we won’t know for sure until after September 8th, when someone with a Gold pass certificate…new or renewal…activates it in person.

 

[CarolMN]

DisneyFoodBlog.com has some info on how the new system will impact those who currently have an annual pass:

https://www.disneyfoodblog.com/2021...for-disney-world-and-there-have-been-changes/
Scroll down to find the section on "How This Impacts Current Annual Passes"

It's not "official", but I've always found their info to be reliable. Pretty sure they confirm with official sources before they post.

Anyway, I found the following statements from that page to be helpful - I have an exchange certificate for a new GOLD pass purchased under the recovery offer.

"If you have an Annual Pass that is NOT activated, like you have a certificate for a pass, this is different. To keep this pass, you need to visit the parks and activate it by September 7th. If you do that, you will keep your pass for the next year. "

"If you do NOT activate your pass by the 7th, your pass will be converted into the new Annual Pass system on September 8th. You will be given a pass that is comparable to the one you already have a certificate for, meaning you will NOT lose any of the perks included in that pass. So, if you have an unactivated pass that includes PhotoPass and the Waterparks and Sports option, you will not lose those perks. They will remain on your pass for free. Your park reservations will also not be changed or deleted."

In my situation, I would expect to exchange my certificate in October for a Sorcerers Pass plus the PhotoPass upgrade. So the Thanksgiving black out dates would apply to me. I would have to activate before 9/7 to use the pass for the Thanksgiving dates and would continue to have the Easter dates blacked out for 2022.

 

[Chuck S]

I did an online chat the other day. I have an un activated gold pass. There is no way to activate it before November 20. The chat rep said the blackout dates would be based on date of purchase, so it should be good for my Thanksgiving week trip. I have just sent an email to confirm, will let you know what the email says.

 

[sheilafri]

DisneyFoodBlog.com has some info on how the new system will impact those who currently have an annual pass:

https://www.disneyfoodblog.com/2021...for-disney-world-and-there-have-been-changes/
Scroll down to find the section on "How This Impacts Current Annual Passes"

It's not "official", but I've always found their info to be reliable. Pretty sure they confirm with official sources before they post.

Anyway, I found the following statements from that page to be helpful - I have an exchange certificate for a new GOLD pass purchased under the recovery offer.

"If you have an Annual Pass that is NOT activated, like you have a certificate for a pass, this is different. To keep this pass, you need to visit the parks and activate it by September 7th. If you do that, you will keep your pass for the next year. "

"If you do NOT activate your pass by the 7th, your pass will be converted into the new Annual Pass system on September 8th. You will be given a pass that is comparable to the one you already have a certificate for, meaning you will NOT lose any of the perks included in that pass. So, if you have an unactivated pass that includes PhotoPass and the Waterparks and Sports option, you will not lose those perks. They will remain on your pass for free. Your park reservations will also not be changed or deleted."

In my situation, I would expect to exchange my certificate in October for a Sorcerers Pass plus the PhotoPass upgrade. So the Thanksgiving black out dates would apply to me. I would have to activate before 9/7 to use the pass for the Thanksgiving dates and would continue to have the Easter dates blacked out for 2022.

what does it say about blockout dates? Will the new equivalent pass blockout dates apply?

 

[Chuck S]

I just called the pass line. Explained the situation. I was told my unactivated Gold Pass, as long as I had the park dates are already booked for Thanksgiving week, would be honored for those dates. But again, I sent an email so I have something in writing, and will let you know what the email says when I hear back.

 

[Sandisw]

I just called the pass line. Explained the situation. I was told my unactivated Gold Pass, as long as I had the park dates are already booked for Thanksgiving week, would be honored for those dates. But again, I sent an email so I have something in writing, and will let you know what the email says when I hear back.

Thats great! They really should honor it for those who purchased the Gold pass already!

 

[ngl]

I just called the pass line. Explained the situation. I was told my unactivated Gold Pass, as long as I had the park dates are already booked for Thanksgiving week, would be honored for those dates. But again, I sent an email so I have something in writing, and will let you know what the email says when I hear back.

Interesting. I called the ticket line and they told me the opposite! We have unactivated Gold pass (fully paid for in renewal) and had park dates booked for Tgiving week. I was told if we do not activate prior to Wed Sept 8 we would lose those dates. We live 1.5 hrs or so away (depending on traffic) so we are literally taking a trip over there this weekend just to activate the pass as we plan on being there all Tgiving week so just don't want to take a chance. I wondered same if people are not local how could they activate? Hope you get a better response!

 

[brazzledazzler]

The Gold Pass is the equivalent of the Sorcerer's Pass in the New AP system, with some differences. The Sorcerer's Pass does not include MM and its block put dates no longer include the weeks before and after Easter. New block out dates include Thanksgiving weekend.

There have been conflicting reports as to the way Gold Pass vouchers will be redeemed after September 7th. Some are saying that a Gold Pass voucher will just become a Sorcerer's Pass with none of the benefits or block outs of the Gold Pass. Some are saying that PhotoPass will be added for free but you will still get a Sorcerer's Pass with Sorcerer's Pass block out dates. A few are pushing to have Disney honor the "no block outs" for Thanksgiving 2021 since those were the terms when they purchased their Gold vouchers. So far, Disney passholder reps are not budging on that.

We have our family vacation in spring break and now our passes won’t cover it. This is b.s.!!

 

[Sandisw]

We have our family vacation in spring break and now our passes won’t cover it. This is b.s.!!

The only black out dates with the Sorcerer pass that are different than Gold is that you can not use them for Thanksgiving but you CAN use them during weeks surrounding Easter. So, in that sense, for those of us traveling next April, they will work when the Gold pass will not!

 

[brazzledazzler]

The only black out dates with the Sorcerer pass that are different than Gold is that you can not use them for Thanksgiving but you CAN use them during weeks surrounding Easter. So, in that sense, for those of us traveling next April, they will work when the Gold pass will not!

I actually am calling and emailing Disney about this. We have 4 family trips that are now during the block-out period for Silver/Pirate APs (holiday weekends and spring break). We recovered our APs this summer and booked all our DVC trips. For them to not honor the original block out dates for 2022 would be a terrible disservice.

I mean, we're talking trips in November, January, Feb, and March. We just joined DVC in July, and our UY just started on Sept 1. I am beyond freaking out over here.

 

[Sandisw]

I actually am calling and emailing Disney about this. We have 4 family trips that are now during the block-out period for Silver/Pirate APs (holiday weekends and spring break). We recovered our APs this summer and booked all our DVC trips. For them to not honor the original block out dates for 2022 would be a terrible disservice.

I mean, we're talking trips in November, January, Feb, and March. We just joined DVC in July, and our UY just started on Sept 1. I am beyond freaking out over here.

I thought you were talking about a DVC pass, and not the FL resident pass. But, definitely think people who purchased passes prior to the announcement should be grandfathered in for at least the dates that were associated with that pass for the remainder of 2021 and into 2022 based on current calendars. Or, be entitled to a full refund on the pass if they will not honor the dates as they bought with the expectation they would be usable for XYZ!!

 

[Chuck S]

I actually am calling and emailing Disney about this. We have 4 family trips that are now during the block-out period for Silver/Pirate APs (holiday weekends and spring break). We recovered our APs this summer and booked all our DVC trips. For them to not honor the original block out dates for 2022 would be a terrible disservice.

I mean, we're talking trips in November, January, Feb, and March. We just joined DVC in July, and our UY just started on Sept 1. I am beyond freaking out over here.

Verbally via my calling the Pass line last night, I was told as long as I had the park reservations linked...that the Gold Pass, which got through Guest Recovery a few months ago and plan to activate November 20, would work for Thanksgiving week. I have also emailed for verification. If it says that they will not honor it, I plan to email Bob Chapek. He may not care, or he may have a minion look at it, but at least I can voice my displeasure, explain that I'm not asking for anything special, only what was sold to me, and see what happens. Please post here a summary of what info you receive.

 

[Disneykate605]

We usually travel to Disney for Thanksgiving and have a gold pass. I purchased a gold pass renewal about a month ago (I was able to purchase the renewal because the last day of this year's trip was not covered by our current annual pass). The way I see it, I should be covered by Gold pass blackouts until the end on November 2023 ( when our gold pass renewals will end) and when I renew at that time I will need to buy one of the new passes. I'm looking at it as I bought a Gold pass and Disney sold me a gold pass. I think they should honor all renewal certificates that they sold.
I guess we will see what happens!