How to convert unused MYW to unused DVC AP

[DVCkidsMOM]

I've upgraded unused tix in person before FPP...
We will be using our APs for entry during our FD trip, leaving me with unused 2day MYW tix. I will convert/upgrade the MYW tix to DVC APs; however, FPP requires me to have tix before I can make FPP rezzies so the old 'wait until we get there' plan no longer works.
I won't be there 60 days prior to the trip for which I will need a new DVC AP. I can be there about 700 days prior to the trip for which I will need new DVC AP. Has anyone successfully done this?
But:
Every time we have upgraded to annual passes, however; the expiration date automagically changes to one year after the date of original purchase rather than date of first use. I spent 6 hours total (includes hold/wait time) on the phone last time to fix this, so I am worried. Suggestions?

 

[bumbershoot]

I can be there about 700 days prior to the trip for which I will need new DVC AP.

Do you really mean 700 days?

Every time we have upgraded to annual passes, however; the expiration date automagically changes to one year after the date of original purchase rather than date of first use. I spent 6 hours total (includes hold/wait time) on the phone last time to fix this, so I am worried.

You need to upgrade to a DVC AP *voucher*, not an actual AP.

Robo has been talking about this recently on the Theme Parks board, and it's the voucher you want, not an actual AP.

 

[DVCkidsMOM]

Do you really mean 700 days?



You need to upgrade to a DVC AP *voucher*, not an actual AP.

Robo has been talking about this recently on the Theme Parks board, and it's the voucher you want, not an actual AP.

Yes, I do mean about 700 days - 2 years - between WDW trips due to kids in college etc.

May I get a voucher when applying an unused (fromFD package) MYW pass that's already linked n MDE? Is it theoretically possible and, if so, how can I do this with the best possible chance of success? How do I know it's a voucher rather than pass upgrade? How do I know that it's not the "magical" type of pass that can change expiration dates?

I am very afraid that I would get an upgraded pass with which we've had serious expiration date issues - even when verifying expiration date at the time of upgrade. (I've been reading Robo's explanations for a while...) Somehow, changes to one family member's MDE account can revert expiration dates for the entire family to one year from original purchase. It's very frustrating - so frustrating that I'm considering keeping the unused 2d FD MYW passes until we arrive at WDW more than 2 years later - this would shut us out of any more than 2d of hard-to-get FPPs, but avoids the fixing expiration date mess...
I really want the unused voucher if I can avoid both the no more than 2d FPP pitfall and the expiration date change pitfall. I can't be the only AP holder who is saving a FD MYW pass for future, can I?

Please, has anyone applied an unused FD MYW pass toward the purchase of a voucher successfully? Details, please.

 

[Marionnette]

Yes, I do mean about 700 days - 2 years - between WDW trips due to kids in college etc.

May I get a voucher when applying an unused (fromFD package) MYW pass that's already linked n MDE? Is it theoretically possible and, if so, how can I do this with the best possible chance of success? How do I know it's a voucher rather than pass upgrade? How do I know that it's not the "magical" type of pass that can change expiration dates?

I am very afraid that I would get an upgraded pass with which we've had serious expiration date issues - even when verifying expiration date at the time of upgrade. (I've been reading Robo's explanations for a while...) Somehow, changes to one family member's MDE account can revert expiration dates for the entire family to one year from original purchase. It's very frustrating - so frustrating that I'm considering keeping the unused 2d FD MYW passes until we arrive at WDW more than 2 years later - this would shut us out of any more than 2d of hard-to-get FPPs, but avoids the fixing expiration date mess...
I really want the unused voucher if I can avoid both the no more than 2d FPP pitfall and the expiration date change pitfall. I can't be the only AP holder who is saving a FD MYW pass for future, can I?

Please, has anyone applied an unused FD MYW pass toward the purchase of a voucher successfully? Details, please.

It doesn't matter whether the ticket has already been linked in MDE as long as it is linked to the person who will be using the AP. If it isn't linked to the person who is getting the AP, then the unused ticket can be reassigned before making the transaction. I just did this in September with a MYW ticket I got when staying on a *free* dining package. It had no effect on the other guests I have in MDE but if it is a huge concern, then wait until the final day of your visit to do the upgrade.

If you want a voucher instead of an activated AP (I actually renewed my DVC AP), you have to specifically ask for a voucher. Currently, a voucher can be exchanged anytime in the future for an actual AP. Whether that will remain true 700+ days from now is anyone's guess. When you redeem the voucher, it will have an expiration date which is 365 days from the date that you get your AP. I know that you want assurances that everything will work out just fine because it's a ton of money to drop, but we can only go by what rules Disney applies right now.

I have never seen any changes to other family members' MDE accounts as a result of me doing a ticket upgrade. Although I had read about problems with *free* dining credits when people upgraded their passes in the early days of MDE. I'm confused as to what you're talking about wrt "changes to one family member's MDE account can revert expiration dates for the entire family to one year from original purchase"? I've just never seen a reference to that happening.

 

[DVCkidsMOM]

DD opened her own MDE account - I had controlled the entire family prior to her wanting her own account for a school trip. Somehow that transaction changed not only the expiration of her AP, but the entire family's APs. I can't explain how or why, but it did happen and it did take hours to sort out due to multiple MDE accounts being involved. (Best to keep family on one account, it seems)
If I have a voucher, wouldn't WDW be likely to honor that unused voucher in the future? How could they choose to stop taking pre-paid pass vouchers? I could see them not selling them, but not honoring those already in existance? YIKES...

 

[Marionnette]

DD opened her own MDE account - I had controlled the entire family prior to her wanting her own account for a school trip. Somehow that transaction changed not only the expiration of her AP, but the entire family's APs. I can't explain how or why, but it did happen and it did take hours to sort out due to multiple MDE accounts being involved. (Best to keep family on one account, it seems)
If I have a voucher, wouldn't WDW be likely to honor that unused voucher in the future? How could they choose to stop taking pre-paid pass vouchers? I could see them not selling them, but not honoring those already in existance? YIKES...

I can understand not wanting to mess with ticket upgrades after going through what you went through. That sounds like a nightmare! But it's more of a Disney IT hiccup than it is a common occurrence. Yet, I completely see how you wouldn't want to risk deal with something like that again! Unfortunately, there are no guarantees that if it happened once that it cannot happen again.

When it comes to the voucher, Disney will honor the voucher for exchange to an AP as long as they still sell that AP when you present the voucher for exchange. But things could be different if they no longer sell that type of AP. For instance, if you present a voucher for a DVC Gold AP and they no longer sell DVC Gold APs but sell something like a "DVC Super-de-Duper Plus" AP instead, they very well could choose to allow you to apply what you paid for the DVC Gold AP voucher toward the purchase of the "DVC Super-de-Duper Plus" AP or any other ticket that they sell that costs at least what you paid for the voucher for the defunct AP. I'm not saying that this will happen, but there are no guarantees that it will not happen. Anytime that you make an investment in Disney tickets for long-range plans, you run the risk that they may change things up. I have some unused Pleasure Island tickets that prove that.

For the most part, I have found their GR to be very accommodating. I had purchased DVC PAP vouchers a couple of years ago when they offered a very good deal to members. They had an expiration date on them. Our plans were to visit in December of that year. But by October, it was evident that my husband was going to need open-heart surgery. There was no way that we were going to be in Disney before those vouchers expired. When we finally got back to Disney last year, I was hoping to pay the difference between what I had spent on the vouchers and what the current price was for the APs. But the CM handling the transaction processed the vouchers and didn't charge me anything extra. That seemed like a pixie dust moment. After all, the vouchers had a "redeem by" date on them and I had missed the date by almost 10 months.

 

[DVCkidsMOM]

Good points. THanks for the input. I never even thought about the new Gold etc. system...