Trying to renew AP - Question

[Sherry E]

Well, they may have done away with the grace period with the last price increase, but you used to be able to get the discount for up to so many days if your AP kept your original expiration. In your case I'd probably just go to the ticket booth. They can easily look up your old AP and reuse your picture. I'd rather have the new extra days on the expiration date if I'm only letting it lapse a month. But that's just me.

Very true -- the extra days are a key factor. I didn't want the November expiration date, which is why I let it lapse in the first place. December is best for me, so I wanted to get the AP started in December so I could get on track with the right month!

I thought the same thing -- about the grace period and keeping the same expiration date. I have (in recent years) just been automatically renewing the AP each year without a lapse, and I hadn't dealt with the grace period situation yet, but I thought I remembered reading that there was one. I guess they did away with it because both the online CM and the phone CM -- even though they contradicted each other about certain things -- seemed to be in agreement that now that my AP is expired (by a whopping 5 days), the whole process begins anew, with no discount -- just as if I were getting an AP for the very first time. I thought to myself, "You mean they can't reuse my info that's already in their system? My AP just expired!"

I wouldn't be shocked if I was given misinformation. That seems to be a continuing trend on the phone lines at DLR these days!

 

[GeneralTso]

No new card when I renew my Premium pass every January. Photo pops up on screen at the gate.

 

[starry_solo]

There is no grace period for the AP anymore. Once you let it expire, you can't get the old expiration date back, even if you're within 30 days (so no renewal discount either).

 

[Gisele]

They still take your photo but it is not printed on the card. It is linked to the card and shown on a screen when the pass is scanned. The same as they do with multi-day passes now

Ah....I see. Thank you for the explanation. I still really like my idea though for the retinal scan.

 

[grnflash]

When my AP lapsed, I went to the ticket booth, they asked if I'd had an AP before, they looked up the address on my ID and transferred everything. I got a new AP and I didn't have to retake the picture.

Yep. We let our AP's lapse for almost 4 months. When we went again, we entered on 4 day hoppers, converting them to AP's on the last day. The ticket CM asked if we had our old AP's on us (we didn't) so she gave us new cards but said to bring them back next time even if they have lapsed. They just start up the old card again with a new expiration date. And they still had our photos on file which she linked to our new AP's no problem.

 

[KatrinaVanTassel]

I've been thinking about this a little more. We're going on Friday 12/12 and it's sure to be very busy. The park open at 8 but since we're driving down from LA we probably won't get their that early. Traffic and all.
Which option will be the easiest?
a. Purchase AP online. Go to ticket booth to activate, etc.
b. Purchase 1 day ticket online. Return to ticket booth later in the day to purchase AP.

When I last did option b I was shocked at how long it took. Not a streamlined process at all.

 

[SMD]

I've been thinking about this a little more. We're going on Friday 12/12 and it's sure to be very busy. The park open at 8 but since we're driving down from LA we probably won't get their that early. Traffic and all.
Which option will be the easiest?
a. Purchase AP online. Go to ticket booth to activate, etc.
b. Purchase 1 day ticket online. Return to ticket booth later in the day to purchase AP.

When I last did option b I was shocked at how long it took. Not a streamlined process at all.

I'd say options A and B are pretty equal. It's not that hard to make an 8am opening. If you leave at 7am, you should be at the parking lot by 8am, with the majority if the traffic being at the parking lot itself, not on the way down there. If you leave between 8am-9am, it will take more than an hour to get there. If you're planning to be later, you might as well just get your AP at the beginning of your day and get it over with.