Please help!!??

[The Sybah Shelstah]

I think I have found myself in a major quandry or something like that. LOL

Okay so here is the deal. I booked a room in ASMu with the AP discount because I plan on getting a PAP and had heard here and other places that you don't need it when reserving- just when you check in.

Which would be fine- BUT FOR the fact that I just now realized my flight (already paid for through expedia.com) is such that I won't be arriving until 11:12pm in Orlando (MCO). I am just now realizing that I won't be able to check in at the AP rate I have reserved without an AP and I can't possibly get an AP before then! I suppose I could if I paid full price online before I go... however... (this is where the budget part comes into play LOL) I was hoping to get a discount on it using the leftover day on my 5 day park hopper. Or perhaps even MORE of a discount since it was mentioned recently on this board that others have been able to get the FULL amount of the park hopper ticket discounted off the price of the AP (with the AP date starting when the park hopper had been purchased- which doesn't bother me in the least since I'd only be losing a month and if I make another trip in 2003 it would definitely be before Dec 25th anyway)

So how on earth do I manage that? I think I read here that the hotels cannot issue tickets? (nor upgrades on tickets?) And guest relations certainly won't be open at that time of night. So what do I do?!?
I can't just take one night off the resort reservations and stay somewhere else that night and take care of it the next day and check in at ASMu the next day because
A) I'm not renting a vehicle and only using Disney transportation for the duration of my stay. I'm using Mears roundtrip to and from the resort/airport.
and
B) checking out the next day, getting the ticket then checking in ASMu that day would mean a lot of time taken out of my time to be in the park that day!!!!

Can anyone help me figure out how to manage this? Is there a way to get a park hopper upgraded to a PAP over the phone or will they make exceptions and let me check in late that night (as planned) and let me just show them the PAP the next day after I've gotten the park hopper upgraded to a PAP when I'm at the park that next day?

HELP! ack...

 

[FoodLover]

I feel pretty confident that IF they ask to see your Annual Pass when you check in (they should, but frankly sometimes they forget), you can explain your situation and they'll allow you to come by later and show them the pass.

I'm fairly sure I've read about others doing this.

Mary
MouseSavers.com

 

[The Sybah Shelstah]

I'm not sure if I can depend on them "forgetting". Maybe if I was coming during a busy check in period but that late at night I'm probably going to be the only person checking in (haha- watch me be wrong and everyone checking in at midnight like me LOL) and they'll probably remember.
However, that is reassuring that they will probably allow me to come by and show my PAP later on. Thanks!

(oh and Mary @mousesavers.com... I love you! LOL Seriously... your website is great! )

 

[SheDaisy0088]

I have reserved my room with an Annual Pass Discount many times. I have never been asked for my pass upon check in.

 

[GAIL HAYDEN]

If you explain the situation, you should be fine. However, you are only going to get credit for the one day left on your park hopper towards your annual pass. You could have received full credit had you upgraded to an annual pass within one week of first use of the pass, then they would have back dated it( the annual) to the first use day.

From www.wdwig.com (aka Deb's site)

I have heard that I can upgrade my park hopper pass to an AP or PAP and get full credit for the original purchase price even after I have used a few days admission. Is this true?

Yes it is. If you decide within 7 days of first using a hopper pass that you want to upgrade it to an AP/PAP, you will get full credit for the price of the hopper pass towards the AP/PAP. The AP/PAP will be backdated to the date the hopper pass was first used. But beware: If you get a hopper plus pass and use one of the plus admissions before doing this, you will only be allowed to upgrade to a PAP.

 

[The Sybah Shelstah]

Thanks SheDaisy.. that would be awesome! Now I'm afraid to call in advance and ask them about this because then they might say "no" to showing it the next day and then be alerted TO ask me for the pass at check in! I think I'll just go with it... and see if they ask when I get to check in. If they do, THEN I'll explain my predicament with arriving too late to get a PAP and hope they take mercy on me and let me show it the next day.

 

[JenniBarra]

When I went in February '02, we took a red eye flight to get FL, so we were at tht hotel before we had been to the parks. I had an AP voucher and that was acceptable for checking in.

 

[The Sybah Shelstah]

Thanks!
But unfortunately I don't have an AP voucher. The only way I could do that is if I purchased an AP in advance and I can't do that since I want to get a discount on it using leftover day on my park hopper.

 

[Poohnatic]

Originally posted by The Sybah Shelstah
Thanks!
But unfortunately I don't have an AP voucher. The only way I could do that is if I purchased an AP in advance and I can't do that since I want to get a discount on it using leftover day on my park hopper.

You can special order the AP's and PAP's at your local Disney Store. Be aware that it can take as long as two weeks, but they usually show up within the week (cutoff from corporate to get it in the mail is Tuesday-they go out with paychecks). Granted, you won't get a discount by trading in your leftover day. From what I understand, getting passes in advance is now cheaper than getting them at the parks-not sure what the difference on the annuals are, tho.

The vouchers can then be turned in at Guest Services at any of the parks or Downtown Disney's Guest Services...the clock doesn't tick on them until you go to Guest Services. You can show the voucher at check in, but it's likely that they'll ask you to come back and show the validated AP/PAP during your stay.

Good luck. If you decide to order through the Disney store route, a manager can take care of ordering it for you.

Suzanne

 

[Pumbaa_]

I have never been asked for any verification of either FL residency (parents) or AP. Not to say they won;t, but I have never been asked.

IF they do, explain your time and that you will show it to them the next day. Good Luck!

 

[mad4themouse]

I'm not speaking from personal experience but I do remember reading on some message board (maybe not DIS), that if you do not have your AP at checkin, nor do you have a voucher, what the CM can do is check you in at the prevailing rack rate but with a note on your file that you will be returning the next day with an activated AP to get your reduced rate. The rate would be applied to your entire stay.

If that is the case, you should still be able to check in at the late hour you'll be arriving and get your AP the following morning, using your partially-used Park Hopper to reduce your cost for it.

I don't think that you should have a problem checking in this way but you really should call Disney to get the straight scoop. It seems like you're doing an awful lot of worrying over this and it may be for nothing. No one is going to "flag" your reservation and give a mother with kids in tow a hard time at checkin, especially when she's traveling alone and at it's late.

Believe me, there are WDW people who read these boards and know what goes on. If they wanted to be hardnosed about checking for APs they would do it. They really don't care if they get your money thru an AP or rack room rate, as long as they get your money.

Try to relax and enjoy anticipating this trip. I'm sure it's all going to turn out fine.

 

[The Sybah Shelstah]

Thanks for the reassurances, I really appreciate it!
I do believe the worrying was for nothing. Now that I have made up my mind that I won't rent a vehicle and won't be doing anything offsite (ie: US/IOA/etc.) and getting a PAP- there really is no reason for me to just go ahead and get it through disneyworld.com (since I can't find any other place for a discounted price on a PAP? If you know of one- let me know!) and that way I'd have my paperwork to show I have paid for a PAP already (did that last time with the park hoppers and got our tickets at the gate at MK when we got there with our printouts in hand) and I could just save the left over days on the park hoppers. We'll use them someday- and since they are good forever, it might just be best for us to all have the same amount of days (1 day each- 2 adults and 2 children) left on our park hoppers anyway.

Won't be the first time I've worried over nothing though. Such a worrywart.. I hate that about me! My mother says I came by it honestly though (haha) because her mom was the same way. *sigh*

Thanks again everyone!

 

[Deb & Bill]

"They really don't care if they get your money thru an AP or rack room rate, as long as they get your money."

You know, that really isn't quite fair to those of us who actually purchase the AP or PAP for all the family members and who then can't get the discount because non-AP or PAP holders got them all. - I know, I know, life isn't fair.