Purchase AP on a blockout day

[lordog]

Hello
My family is exchanging their GAD vouchers for a Deluxe AP on Saturday, June 5 which is a blockout day. Will they still let them in that day AND have the ability to park hop?

Thanks!

 

[Califgirl]

Yes and Yes.
Enjoy your trip.

 

[nunzia]

I don't know if I'm reading this right. If they upgrade their GAD vouchers to AP on a blockout day, they need to do it at the last park they are in. Once they leave that park they will be blocked out and not able to get into another park sicne they are blocked out. My db&sil just did this last Saturday..a blockout day. My DH and I bought our Blockout day ticket so were able to get in both parks as normal, but the CM told my db&sil to not buy their APs if they were still entering and exiting parks as they would fall under the blockout restrictions.

 

[Califgirl]

Sorry, I didn't realize GAD would be different. You can certainly purchase an AP on a block out day and be able to park hop with no problem. I wonder why they care how you initially got into the park?

 

[blackjackdelta]

I read it as they care about the ticket you currently hold when you try to re-enter the park since the GAD ticket is now surrendered when you purchased the AP.

Jack

 

[3Minnies1Mickey]

Califgirl, I'm confused too.

You can upgrade a PH to an AP on a block out day and still have PHing priveledges, why not a GAD ticket? Maybe the CM at the ticket booth was confused? Or maybe they couldn't upgrade until after they entered the park, and not when they exchanged the voucher?

 

[amamax2]

Well, now I am even more confused.

The GAD Voucher is good for one park only, not park hopping. So how can you wait to upgrade to an AP "from the last park you visit" if you can only visit one park? It seems that there is then no way to park hop on a block out day.

This is what we had planned to do: trade our GAD voucher for the one-day ticket and go to DCA on an AP block-out day. After being there a few hours, upgrade our one-day ticket to an AP and then go to DL. I have read on these boards and in Mousesavers newsletters that you can use the AP on a block-out day if that is the day of purchase. We did not plan to hop back to DCA that day.

So, is our plan NOT going to work? It sounds like the pp bil was not able to do this, or was the problem they wanted to park hop after upgrading and were not allowed to do so, but they could go to one park after upgrading?

Thanks for any clarification!

 

[bumbershoot]

The CM in question was either acting on a brand new policy, or they were wrong.

I know which one I'm going for, as it has ALWAYS been a courtesy offered that if you buy an AP, upgrade to an AP, or even upgrade from a lower level (a so cal) to a higher (the other so cal or a deluxe) level AP, you can go in and hop even on a blockout day.

 

[amamax2]

Thanks bumbershoot!

That is what I had read over and over, so was surprised to hear the pp's experience.

 

[nunzia]

I hrear what you're saying, but how could they extend the courtesy? I mean, how would the ticket booth know that you'd just gotten your AP and let you in on a Blockout day?
I'm really confused too. My B&SIL were going to upgrade their PH (not with a GAD voucher) to a deluxe AP since they are taking their grandkids in January and I told them that if they were going more than once in a year it was cheaper than buying PH twice. Then I told her she should go upgrade it on Friday (last day there was Sat, a blockout day) so she could do her souvenir shopping and get her discount. When she went to do this in DCA AP area, she was told not to do it until she was in her last park of her visit since the day was Blockout and if she left a park she wouldn't be able to get into another park again. She then told me the other cast members applauded the one who told my B&SIL this like she had done a good informative thing. So..confusion reigns in the land of Disney.

 

[bumbershoot]

Usually you upgrade when you are IN a park, so you obviously can stay in there. And they can see when you've used it, if you've been in a park before that day, so they should override the system if it wants to say you're blocked.

I find it disturbing that CMs *applauded* like that, it would have caused me to go to city hall and complain immediately. Because that's just not cool.

If a policy has changed, it's changed. No applauding needed, just tell people. Applause makes it sound like some CMs have sticks in uncomfortable places, don't agree with the policy, and are just making things up.

 

[Eeee-va]

I can't speak from experience whether you can hop or not when you upgrade. I guess it COOOOOULD be that they changed the policy now that you can upgrade in both parks. (It used to be that you could only get APs in DL so they had to let you hop.)

If it is a problem in any way, your family can always do it the round-about way (which is in some ways your best option if your family is staying at the parks more than one day). Use your GAD to upgrade to a 3-or-greater-day hopper, use your Magic Morning, and when that's done, upgrade to an AP on a non-blackout day.

(Even if they're just there for one day, they can use their GAD to upgrade to a hopper, then upgrade their hopper when they're in their last park for the day. I know it's a pain but it would work.)

 

[nunzia]

Usually you upgrade when you are IN a park, so you obviously can stay in there. And they can see when you've used it, if you've been in a park before that day, so they should override the system if it wants to say you're blocked.

I find it disturbing that CMs *applauded* like that, it would have caused me to go to city hall and complain immediately. Because that's just not cool.

If a policy has changed, it's changed. No applauding needed, just tell people. Applause makes it sound like some CMs have sticks in uncomfortable places, don't agree with the policy, and are just making things up.

Well, I don't think it was hot and holler applauding. I got the impression that they were rooting on a new trainee.
But still..I remember this same dilemma when I was going to upgrade my PH to an AP, and never could find a definative answer. I don't see why Disney can't have solid policies posted somewhere and then stick to them. When I was considering this, also around a blackout day, I asked the same question on the boards and it seems like answers were all over the place then too. So I scoured the Disney site and FAQs and nothing. This seems to come up enough that Disney should have a solid policy posted in their FAQ section.

In my case, I just made sure I upgrade on a non blockout day to be safe.

 

[amamax2]

OK, I am at DL right now.

When I traded in our GAD vouchers for a one-day one park ticket, I asked the person at the ticket booth in the Esplanade about upgrading to an AP and then being able to park hop today (a blockout day).

He said that yes, absolutely you get to use the AP and park hop the day of purchase on a blockout day.

We immediately went into DCA and to the AP processing center to upgrade. When we were finished getting pictures, etc etc, I asked the woman helping me if we could park hop even though it was a blockout day. She said, oh that's right, I forgot you had a block out today, and proceeded to give us blockout tickets (or whatever you call them) for the day so that we could park hop. She also said absolutely you get to park hop on day of purchase if it is a blockout day.

Finally, we left to go eat at La Brea Bakery and when we came back, I gave the CM at the gate my AP and said "Do you need to see my blockout ticket?" and he said, "No, I can see you just bought the pass today, so you are good."

So I don't know what happened with the pp (reading back, were they wanting to upgrade on Fri but use it the next day on a Sat blockout?), but this was our experience today.

HTH!

 

[lordog]

Thank you so much! That is the answer I was looking for! I appreciate all the responses everyone!

 

[nunzia]

OK, I am at DL right now.

When I traded in our GAD vouchers for a one-day one park ticket, I asked the person at the ticket booth in the Esplanade about upgrading to an AP and then being able to park hop today (a blockout day).

He said that yes, absolutely you get to use the AP and park hop the day of purchase on a blockout day.

We immediately went into DCA and to the AP processing center to upgrade. When we were finished getting pictures, etc etc, I asked the woman helping me if we could park hop even though it was a blockout day. She said, oh that's right, I forgot you had a block out today, and proceeded to give us blockout tickets (or whatever you call them) for the day so that we could park hop. She also said absolutely you get to park hop on day of purchase if it is a blockout day.

Finally, we left to go eat at La Brea Bakery and when we came back, I gave the CM at the gate my AP and said "Do you need to see my blockout ticket?" and he said, "No, I can see you just bought the pass today, so you are good."

So I don't know what happened with the pp (reading back, were they wanting to upgrade on Fri but use it the next day on a Sat blockout?), but this was our experience today.

HTH!

GREAT! That is very good news and much clarifying.. Thank you

 

[nunzia]

OK, I am at DL right now.

When I traded in our GAD vouchers for a one-day one park ticket, I asked the person at the ticket booth in the Esplanade about upgrading to an AP and then being able to park hop today (a blockout day).

He said that yes, absolutely you get to use the AP and park hop the day of purchase on a blockout day.

We immediately went into DCA and to the AP processing center to upgrade. When we were finished getting pictures, etc etc, I asked the woman helping me if we could park hop even though it was a blockout day. She said, oh that's right, I forgot you had a block out today, and proceeded to give us blockout tickets (or whatever you call them) for the day so that we could park hop. She also said absolutely you get to park hop on day of purchase if it is a blockout day.

Finally, we left to go eat at La Brea Bakery and when we came back, I gave the CM at the gate my AP and said "Do you need to see my blockout ticket?" and he said, "No, I can see you just bought the pass today, so you are good."

So I don't know what happened with the pp (reading back, were they wanting to upgrade on Fri but use it the next day on a Sat blockout?), but this was our experience today.
HTH!

To clarify on this..they were looking into upgrading on Friday, but the CM told them that since the next day was a blockout to wait, and THEN to also wait until last park to avoid the hopping on a blockout day issue. I'm glad this has been cleared up and it can be done.

 

[amamax2]

To clarify on this..they were looking into upgrading on Friday, but the CM told them that since the next day was a blockout to wait, and THEN to also wait until last park to avoid the hopping on a blockout day issue. I'm glad this has been cleared up and it can be done.

Sounds like the usual where a few CMs don't know what they are doing. I deliberately asked over and over because I wanted to see if I would get different answers....sorry your friends had that problem - it does seem weird based on the reactions I got - no one even batted an eye when asked and the CM at the ticket booth in the Esplanade seemed surprised when I told him there was some confusion over the issue.