Understanding Annual Passes

[AngiTN]

So the smart thing to do would be to go on Undercover Tourist and buy whichever type of ticket offers the best discount and then bridge to an AP once you get to WDW? Although, are FP+ allotments based on your linked ticket or the number of nights you have booked at a resort? If the best discount is on a 5 day ticket and we're staying 7 nights then would we not be able to make FP+ reservations for all the days by getting that ticket initially?

That is correct. Your FP are limited to the number of park days on the ticket.

Thank you! What's their shipping time frame?

They are like etickets, they email you the ticket number and I entered them last night on mde and assigned to each person. easy peasy. was nervous about lack of actual ticket but it was easy! they give you the option to turn in the vouchers for tickets but Its best to link them asap .

To point out, yes they are e-tickets but you don't get the number for MDE on the same day you purchase them. There is a delay of 2, 3 days between purchase and receiving the MDE code, so give yourself enough time for that, don't do it on day before you want to book FP. Also, you CAN get tickets if you want (no MB for some reason) by taking the voucher they email at the time of purchase to a ticket counter. Then those could be linked to MDE, or whathaveyou, to book FP

 

[momtwoboys]

yes! I ordered saturday and tuesday got the numbers to enter! pretty quick!

 

[stratus]

So another question occurs to me. Regarding renewing an AP, how quickly do you need to renew your AP? Is it the same year as your original AP? Same Month? Same week?

 

[erionm]

So another question occurs to me. Regarding renewing an AP, how quickly do you need to renew your AP? Is it the same year as your original AP? Same Month? Same week?

The renewal window opens 60 days prior to your current passes expiration date and extends through 30 days after.

 

[hakepb]

So another question occurs to me. Regarding renewing an AP, how quickly do you need to renew your AP? Is it the same year as your original AP? Same Month? Same week?

From Disney's website:
"You can renew your Annual Pass up to 60 days before and 30 days after the pass expiration date. Keep in mind that your renewed Annual Pass will expire one year from your Anniversary Date, regardless of when you actually renew."

For a number of guests, it works better to let the pass expire and then buy a new pass on their next trip months later... You just have to run the math on both scenarios.

 

[mickeyluv'r]

For #2- why you'd convert a regular ticket to an AP, it sometimes happens that buying a vacation package (through WDW) is the best deal offered for your travel dates, as in one that includes regular park tickets over buying tickets from an outside vendor.

Everyone staying in one WDW hotel room has to book the same package entitlements (tickets and dining plan). If you only travel to WDW with your nuclear family, then it may never occur to you to do otherwise. If you go to WDW with friends or extended family, vacations get more complicated.

Further, Disney also often offers bounceback offers. You initially buy 7-day regular tickets for the first trip (say June 2010), then decide to book a return trip that is less than a year out (say May 2010). It depends on the prices. In the past, an AP cost much less than buying two regular tickets.

*******

Bridging gets debated on the DIS. For me, the transactions haven't gone smoothly or easily. The two times I converted a regular ticket into an AP were both time consuming hassles. I think I saved about $20, but IMO, it wasn't worth the time or the hassle. I lost close to an hour both times.

 

[momtwoboys]

For #2- why you'd convert a regular ticket to an AP, it sometimes happens that buying a vacation package (through WDW) is the best deal offered for your travel dates, as in one that includes regular park tickets over buying tickets from an outside vendor.

Everyone staying in one WDW hotel room has to book the same package entitlements (tickets and dining plan). If you only travel to WDW with your nuclear family, then it may never occur to you to do otherwise. If you go to WDW with friends or extended family, vacations get more complicated.

Further, Disney also often offers bounceback offers. You initially buy 7-day regular tickets for the first trip (say June 2010), then decide to book a return trip that is less than a year out (say May 2010). It depends on the prices. In the past, an AP cost much less than buying two regular tickets.

*******

Bridging gets debated on the DIS. For me, the transactions haven't gone smoothly or easily. The two times I converted a regular ticket into an AP were both time consuming hassles. I think I saved about $20, but IMO, it wasn't worth the time or the hassle. I lost close to an hour both times.

I'm so sorry to hear that the upgrading was a disaster! I hope that doesnt happen to us, but I will be ready to know the correct price and savings or I will just say no thanks and just use the 7 day hoppers as planned and worry about the next year's tickets after. That stinks!!

 

[hakepb]

I'm so sorry to hear that the upgrading was a disaster! I hope that doesnt happen to us, but I will be ready to know the correct price and savings or I will just say no thanks and just use the 7 day hoppers as planned and worry about the next year's tickets after. That stinks!!

It's not the fastest thing in the world (especially in the older days, paying with a gazillion Disney Gift cards )
I always wait for a slower afternoon to upgrade. You only need to upgrade right away if you need an AP dining discount right away.

 

[momtwoboys]

we arent interested in the TIW at all, so no need to upgrade on day 1 but we cant wait more than day 2 into the trip because we will be antsy to get in the parks! and want the year use date to be beneficial to our next trip

 

[DWillowBay]

Can someone tell me the renewal rate for a Platinum Pass (not Plus)? Thanks!

 

[erionm]

Can someone tell me the renewal rate for a Platinum Pass (not Plus)? Thanks!

http://allears.net/pl/apass.htm

 

[cigar95]

we arent interested in the TIW at all, so no need to upgrade on day 1 but we cant wait more than day 2 into the trip because we will be antsy to get in the parks! and want the year use date to be beneficial to our next trip

Not sure I understand your last phrase (after the TiW part), which makes me wonder if we haven't answered your questions properly.
If the AP is just about park admission for you, then it doesn't matter which day you do the upgrade, and you can also do it in the middle or end of the day. Hence if you want to enter the parks right at rope drop, just stop by a GR window some later time when it's convenient - such as when you're walking from Britain to France, take a short detour to the least-busy guest relations booth in all of WDW.
No matter which day you do the upgrade, the expiration date will still be based on the first day you use the ticket.
I'll make one other suggestion - *don't* do the upgrade at Epcot GR next to Innoventions. You're more likely to have an international program host(ess) who is less experienced and more likely to be unaware of the bridging process. Other than that, your chances of getting a properly-trained ticketing CM will be more or less the same at any GR window.

 

[j2thomason]

Not sure I understand your last phrase (after the TiW part), which makes me wonder if we haven't answered your questions properly.
If the AP is just about park admission for you, then it doesn't matter which day you do the upgrade, and you can also do it in the middle or end of the day. Hence if you want to enter the parks right at rope drop, just stop by a GR window some later time when it's convenient - such as when you're walking from Britain to France, take a short detour to the least-busy guest relations booth in all of WDW.
No matter which day you do the upgrade, the expiration date will still be based on the first day you use the ticket.
I'll make one other suggestion - *don't* do the upgrade at Epcot GR next to Innoventions. You're more likely to have an international program host(ess) who is less experienced and more likely to be unaware of the bridging process. Other than that, your chances of getting a properly-trained ticketing CM will be more or less the same at any GR window.

I have another suggestion about when and where to do your upgrade. I have found that guest relations at Disney Springs is always less crowded than in the parks and very helpful. You could probably go there on your arrival day, if you didn't want to waste a park day, and get them to help you with it.

 

[momtwoboys]

I was just saying we wont need TIW. our tickets wont be used yet at all prior to our first park day.the clock starts ticking on ticket use so we want the 17 or 18th be our firstpark day and then upgrade then. we could make use of the MM too. I think I got it, everyone is so helpful! we will be doing this either at AK or MK lets hope we get a knowledeable CM!

 

[momtwoboys]

I have another suggestion about when and where to do your upgrade. I have found that guest relations at Disney Springs is always less crowded than in the parks and very helpful. You could probably go there on your arrival day, if you didn't want to waste a park day, and get them to help you with it.

but if we will have the clock start ticking we might as well enter a park right? if the date of the year will start on 17th we might as well head in ! we arrive Akl at 11:30am if we want to have the year end april 18th we will hold off on using and upgrading by a day. I think we got it we did use Disney springs for ap's back in 2000!

 

[cigar95]

I was just saying we wont need TIW. our tickets wont be used yet at all prior to our first park day.the clock starts ticking on ticket use so we want the 17 or 18th be our firstpark day and then upgrade then. we could make use of the MM too. I think I got it, everyone is so helpful! we will be doing this either at AK or MK lets hope we get a knowledeable CM!

Gotcha - just wanted to be sure you were aware that if it's more convenient to do it on the 20th or 21st, you're not losing anything by waiting. (If you're planning to eat somewhere that offers a passholder discount, you can save few bucks by doing the upgrade before that meal. But that's one of the few advantages to upgrading early.)

 

[DemonLlama]

Interesting to read.

We bridged my daughter's ticket as her Christmas present during our December trip last year to an AP, as she's going to school in Sarasota.

Our package tickets activated on December 16 when we entered the parks.

When I look in MDE, though, her anniversary date is set on the day we bridged, Dec. 18:

So apparently she scored an extra two days when it shoud've been set to Dec. 16?

 

[cigar95]

So apparently she scored an extra two days when it shoud've been set to Dec. 16?

Yup, you got a present. Will she be around during those extra days to take advantage?
I don't think I've ever been at WDW on the last day of my pass, so a present wouldn't help me.

 

[AngiTN]

I was just saying we wont need TIW. our tickets wont be used yet at all prior to our first park day.the clock starts ticking on ticket use so we want the 17 or 18th be our firstpark day and then upgrade then. we could make use of the MM too. I think I got it, everyone is so helpful! we will be doing this either at AK or MK lets hope we get a knowledeable CM!

For what it's worth, having an AP has no bearing on the MM. You'll get the photos no matter when you upgrade. When you upgrade to the AP they go from being "locked" to "unlocked" for downloads, all of them, the ones taken before you got the AP included. Even includes pictures taken on trips during the entire year, in case you had any other trips this year, or late last year

 

[momtwoboys]

awesome! we never bought MM because we barely take any pictures. but if included I bet I would take a few more! talking to hubby and he really wants to hit up the parks on arrival day april 17 and not wait. so yeah we will be upgrading to AP's on that date.