Switching from PHP to AP before leaving Disney - Moderator, please move to best board

[DznyDreams]

If there is a better place to post this, please move it.

I remember reading about this several years ago, and I'd like to know if it is still done:

Some folks have reported being able to apply the full amount they paid for their park hopper passes to the cost of an annual pass if they did so BEFORE leaving Walt Disney World. The AP would be backdated, making it good for 1 year from the date they first used their originally-purchased regular park hopper pass.

Example: Say I have a 4-day hopper and began using it on Sunday, Oct 17th. By Friday, Oct. 22nd, it's time to go home, and I've used all the days on my hopper pass. However, I decide that an AP would be a nice investment, so I purchase (at Downtown Disney Guest Services, I assume) an AP. I give the CM my originally-purchased park hopper pass, and he/she deducts the price I paid for that pass from the total cost of the AP. He/she also backdates my new AP, making it good for one year from Oct. 17th, which is the 1st day I used the originally-purchased park hopper pass.

Make sense? Anyway, like I said, I know that I've read about folks doing this in the past, and I was wondering if it is still possible. Anyone know? THANKS!

 

[ksoehrlein]

I believe that it is. Any Guest Relations window should be able to help you with this. If you arrive at the parks extra early one day, for example, you could take care of it at the GR window near the ticket booths before your entry to the park.

Good luck, and have a great trip!

 

[jcanary]

I do believe though that if you use any of your plusses you then have to buy the AP that has the extra parks on, etc, I think it's a PAP.

 

[GoldenOldie]

Originally posted by DznyDreams
...Some folks have reported being able to apply the full amount they paid for their park hopper passes to the cost of an annual pass if they did so BEFORE leaving Walt Disney World. The AP would be backdated, making it good for 1 year from the date they first used their originally-purchased regular park hopper pass.

It must be done within 7 days of the first use of the ticket at any gate location.

Example: Say I have a 4-day hopper and began using it on Sunday, Oct 17th. By Friday, Oct. 22nd, it's time to go home, and I've used all the days on my hopper pass.

Once the close of business comes on the last admission day left on your pass, you cannot upgrade it. The day after you've used the last admission your ticket will have no value even if it is within the 7 day window. You may be able to find a CM who will override this policy but don't count on it.

There is only one ticket that Disney allows to be upgraded after it has been completely used up: a Florida resident's Play 4 Days ticket. They allow a 30 day window after the promotion ends to upgrade the Play 4 Days to an AP, PAP, or SP even if all four admissions had been used months ago. In this case, they continue to backdate the expiration to the date of first use.

Bottom line: as long as you are doing the transaction within 7 days of the first use of the ticket and the ticket has not been completely used up, then you can do the upgrade at any Guest Relations location (not Guest Services). You are correct in that the date of the AP will be backdated to the day you first used an admission.

jcanary is correct on the use of pluses prior to upgrading. However the OP asked about a 4 day PH so that shouldn't be a factor.

 

[tar heel]

We did this once. On our first day, we bought one AP b/c we had the resort discount. At that time, I asked about our deadline for upgrading the rest of the family's passes, how much it would cost, etc. Nothing was said about a requirement that there still be days on the tickets. When we upgraded, we had pluses left but no park days. Interestingly, we also gained some days when we upgraded. We had first used the tickets on like May 27 and our APs expired on June 1. I know that was just a fluke, but we took advantage of it and were there on June 1 the following year.

 

[GoldenOldie]

Originally posted by tar heel
...Nothing was said about a requirement that there still be days on the tickets. When we upgraded, we had pluses left but no park days.....

As I said, there has to be admissions left and there were.

The backdating is something that does tend to get messed up on many occasions. Glad to hear that it came out in your favor.

 

[DznyDreams]

Originally posted by GoldenOldie
. . .Once the close of business comes on the last admission day left on your pass, you cannot upgrade it. . .

So since we'll be using our newly-purchased 4-day (regular) park hopper within a time span of 5 days, we should be able to upgrade to an AP and receive credit for our original park hopper purchase as long as I make the switch BEFORE the parks close on the last day we use our tickets. Do I have it right?

Now, will you direct me to the exact place I'll need to go in case I'm in Epcot on the last day of ticket use? What about the Magic Kingdom location as well? (I no longer like to nail down which park I'm in every minute of the day before leaving home, so I could be in either of these locations since we like to end our WDW vacations in either of these 2 parks.)

THANK YOU EVERYONE for the help!

 

[GoldenOldie]

Originally posted by DznyDreams
So since we'll be using our newly-purchased 4-day (regular) park hopper within a time span of 5 days, we should be able to upgrade to an AP and receive credit for our original park hopper purchase as long as I make the switch BEFORE the parks close on the last day we use our tickets. Do I have it right?

Yes you do assuming that the last day you use the ticket is prior to the normal 7th day window.

Now, will you direct me to the exact place I'll need to go in case I'm in Epcot on the last day of ticket use? What about the Magic Kingdom location as well?

You will go to Guest Relations. There is a Guest Relations office inside each park (Epcot next to Spacechip Earth, MK is City Hall on Main Street) and there are Guest Relations windows outside of each park gate (Epcot and MK are both to the right of the gates. International Gateway at Epcot is the ticket booth outside the gate).

 

[DznyDreams]

THANKS, GoldenOldie! You're the best!