MYW Ticket Purchase for Blackout Dates - Upgrade to Gold Pass

[jmcdonnell04]

Sorry for another upgrade question but the moderator suggested I post my question here.
I need your help. Please let me spell out what I am trying to accomplish and see if this possible. Recently as in 3 weeks ago, I booked a trip to Disneyworld to see the Osborne Lights one last time and booked a 1 BR at SS. I was hoping for a Premium Pass discount but was surprised by the AP price hike and now our trip is during the blackout dates.

1. Purchase a 5-Day Magic Your Way Pass for $ 400 and go to the parks for those 5 days.
2. Once I go thru the gate on the 5th day, I go to the Guest Services and upgrade my ticket to a Gold AP
3. I will pay the difference in prices. $ 549 DVC Gold Pass minus $ 400 ticket price so I pay $ 149 + tax.
Can I do this?
Do I have the sequence correct?
Do I roughly have the upgrade price correct?
Thank you for your assistance

 

[gap2368]

I think that is right but I would do it before you use your last day ticket so they can not say you can not upgrade since you use your last day

unless there is a resin why you want to wait that long I would do it the sooner

 

[nuzmom]

Are you saying that you'll be using the 5-day ticket during the blackout dates? If so, I don't believe that ticket can be upgraded to the DVC Gold Pass, but only the Premium or Premium Plus.

I'm interested in what others say as we are in a similar situation - we typically purchase DVC Annual Passes, was totally surprised at the change to blackout dates, have a vacation (pre) booked during those blackout dates, and am now shocked at the APs we would need to purchase (we currently have APs that expire on Dec 14th!) I went ahead and purchased 8 day hoppers but am still kicking around upgrading while there (for a trip next fall).

 

[jmcdonnell04]

I think that is right but I would do it before you use your last day ticket so they can not say you can not upgrade since you use your last day

unless there is a resin why you want to wait that long I would do it the sooner

I want to buy the cheaper Gold Pass because I can avoid the future blackout dates in 2016/7 but my trip is during the first blackout date so I wanted to use the MYW tickets for as long as possible.

 

[jmcdonnell04]

THank you Nuzmom, I have sent an email to guest relations and posted it on the theme park boards. I will share what I find out. Sorry to hear you are in the same position. Things will work out.

 

[hiroMYhero]

I'm not sure about the pricing but your sequencing is correct. We used to do this for DL SoCal APs. We would use regular tickets for entrance during the block out days and then upgrade to the lowest-priced APs on our last day.

The value of your 5-day tickets will be applied to the Gold AP. It doesn't matter when you used your 5-day tickets, you can upgrade to your choice of APs.

 

[jmcdonnell04]

bump

 

[nuzmom]

I'm still wondering the same thing - I would LOVE to use our annual pass until expiration, then a park hopper during some December blackout dates, and then upgrade to DVC AP on final day at parks. Hoping someone gets an official response soon.

 

[hiroMYhero]

Any valid ticket or MYW ticket can be upgraded to an AP. It doesn't matter if it were used during a blockout time period; the "value" is applied towards the AP and the AP start date is the first day that the ticket was used, not the day that the upgrade took place.

 

[nuzmom]

Any valid ticket or MYW ticket can be upgraded to an AP. It doesn't matter if it were used during a blockout time period; the "value" is applied towards the AP and the AP start date is the first day that the ticket was used, not the day that the upgrade took place.

Thanks hiroMYhero - is this correct... my DVC PAP expires on Dec 14, 2015. I can use it, then use a park hopper for the following 8 days. Then, on my last day, go through the gate, up to the GS window, and "renew" my DVC PAP by applying my "used" 8 day park hopper towards it. The DVC Gold Pass will have an expiration date of Dec 14, 2016.
Or, can the park hopper only be applied towards new passes?
Either way, as long as the park hopper can be upgraded to the DVC AP on the last day, it's definitely a "work around" the blackout dates. True?

 

[jmcdonnell04]

I talked to DVC member services and the rep who had ticketing experience said I am able to buy my 5 day ticket for use during the December blackout dates and on the last day go to Guest Services and upgrade to a GOLD pass.

 

[hiroMYhero]

Thanks hiroMYhero - is this correct... my DVC PAP expires on Dec 14, 2015. I can use it, then use a park hopper for the following 8 days. Then, on my last day, go through the gate, up to the GS window, and "renew" my DVC PAP by applying my "used" 8 day park hopper towards it. The DVC Gold Pass will have an expiration date of Dec 14, 2016.
Or, can the park hopper only be applied towards new passes?
Either way, as long as the park hopper can be upgraded to the DVC AP on the last day, it's definitely a "work around" the blackout dates. True?

I believe it's only for new APs. We would let our So Cal DL APs expire and would upgrade back to AP after a park visit, or we would renew our APs, buy tickets to enter during block out days and then use the tickets to upgrade to the next AP level.

So using regular tickets for the blocked out days and then upgrading to AP, your new AP will be dated as a December 15th start date.

 

[FanofDis]

I am getting very confused... I have a trip planned for Dec. 13th - 20th (2015). It looks like the blackout dates for the Gold Pass starts Dec. 17th. If I purchase a MYW (hopper) ticket (8 day) and upgrade the last day (Dec. 19th - with one day left on pass), can I then upgrade to the Gold, or would I have to purchase the Platnum pass?

 

[hiroMYhero]

I am getting very confused... I have a trip planned for Dec. 13th - 20th (2015). It looks like the blackout dates for the Gold Pass starts Dec. 17th. If I purchase a MYW (hopper) ticket (8 day) and upgrade the last day (Dec. 19th - with one day left on pass), can I then upgrade to the Gold, or would I have to purchase the Platnum pass?

Gold. It doesn't matter if you are in the park using a regular ticket during an AP block out period, that ticket can be upgraded to any available AP.

 

[nuzmom]

Wouldn't FanofDis need to upgrade on the 20th (if going to the park that day), not the 19th? If not, how would they enter the park on the 20th?

 

[hiroMYhero]

Wouldn't FanofDis need to upgrade on the 20th (if going to the park that day), not the 19th? If not, how would they enter the park on the 20th?

Yes, you're correct! Fan said "last day" so I wasn't counting his/her days of ticket usage... maybe they are not in the parks on the 20th??

 

[Skywise]

I'm in a similar situation - Going to be at WDW between 12/31 and 1/4 with my sister. My sister is a florida resident (I'm not) and we're planning on going to WDW again something late spring/early summer so the original APs seemed like a good deal but the gold pass is a bit weird with the blackout date of 12/31 and 1/1. So I could buy her a 3-day pass (not going in on the 31st and 4th) with parkhopper for about $350 and then upgrade to a gold pass on 1/2 or later for about an extra $200?

(If it turns out that way?)

 

[MyKidzMick]

I'm in a similar situation - Going to be at WDW between 12/31 and 1/4 with my sister. My sister is a florida resident (I'm not) and we're planning on going to WDW again something late spring/early summer so the original APs seemed like a good deal but the gold pass is a bit weird with the blackout date of 12/31 and 1/1. So I could buy her a 3-day pass (not going in on the 31st and 4th) with parkhopper for about $350 and then upgrade to a gold pass on 1/2 or later for about an extra $200?

(If it turns out that way?)

Yes, she will just pay the difference between the ticket and the AP level that she chooses. If she upgrades on 1/02, she'll be fine.

 

[FanofDis]

My last day in park would be 12/19, so before I left I would upgrade to Gold Annual pass. That way, it would cover our trip in summer 2016. As I understand it, we wouldn't be entitled to the Memory Maker for the 12/13 to 12/20 trip but I'm OK with that.

 

[lockedoutlogic]

My last day in park would be 12/19, so before I left I would upgrade to Gold Annual pass. That way, it would cover our trip in summer 2016. As I understand it, we wouldn't be entitled to the Memory Maker for the 12/13 to 12/20 trip but I'm OK with that.

Just curious if anybody has done this since the recent rapings...err I mean "ticket adjustment due to guest desires" announced In October...and can report back?

Was there any difficulties or loss of "value"?

I wouldn't think so...but I'm a skeptic. I'm in the rare position...as in Never
Had to do this before...of having to navigate blackout dates.

Thanks.