Upgrade To Annual Pass Now Or Wait Until The Next Trip?

[Tatebeck]

We recently bought into DVC, but already had a trip booked for February, including 5 day dated tickets. We are trying to decide if we want to upgrade to the annual pass before/during our trip in Feb or to wait until our next trip. We don't have another planned yet as it will be a few weeks before final closing, then a few more weeks until we get we get access to our DVC points/account. That puts us around the time of our trip so we are debating what to do. I'll explain our situation, then you tell me what you guys would do!

We are coming into a lot of points. September is our use year. Total of 660 points per year, but some of them have been stripped for 2023/24. Between 2023 and 2024 we will have around 680 points to use for the first 1.5 years or so after closing and our February trip. So we will definitely be back soon-ish, but not sure exactly when. Could be summer, might wait until just before Halloween or next Christmas in early December. We have a young niece and a bunch of friends with young kiddos, and we are ready for kids of our own, which is why we bought in. Having passes would make it easier to zip down with any of them if they wanted to go themselves or even book with us using our points.

But our points are all resale, though planning on adding enough direct later to get the benefits, be able to book at future resorts, and get access to the sorcerer pass. Could be soon after our Feb trip depending on incentives, etc. Thinking maybe Poly tower (I know it looks like it will be the same association already), or even Riviera or Aulani. Maybe even a 50 point add on for Disneyland Hotel as we have family in the LA area. Our home resorts are BWV, BLT, and AKV so we already have great coverage.

Upgrading our tickets now for the two of us would cost us around $1,400 more than our current tickets. Waiting for our next trip after possible sorcerers pass access would be $2,000. It would cost us $600 more but would start our annual pass months later, possibly even 6 or 9 months later giving us access for longer, at the cost of our flexibility to book the rest of this year whenever we wanted if we just bought in now. Thoughts?

 

[thanxfornoticin]

If you're not already DVC 'blue card' owners, what AP are you looking at right now? Isn't the highest level, most expensive one (Incredi-pass) the only one available to you at this time, until you buy those direct points you've mentioned? Is that what you'd be looking to upgrade to for $1400? Sorry, just confused a bit by the sequence of events you're describing above. But I will tell you to beware - once you have DVC points and an AP (which you will likely renew!!), the trip planning just seems to get more frequent!! Welcome Home.....

 

[Tatebeck]

If you're not already DVC 'blue card' owners, what AP are you looking at right now? Isn't the highest level, most expensive one (Incredi-pass) the only one available to you at this time, until you buy those direct points you've mentioned? Is that what you'd be looking to upgrade to for $1400? Sorry, just confused a bit by the sequence of events you're describing above. But I will tell you to beware - once you have DVC points and an AP (which you will likely renew!!), the trip planning just seems to get more frequent!! Welcome Home.....

Yes, it would be the incredi-pass if we upgraded now

 

[thanxfornoticin]

I think if it were us, and we knew for sure we were going to purchase enough direct points for 'blue card' benefits (and we find the APs to be the biggest benefit we get from direct ownership), we'd wait to purchase the Sorcerer Pass in the future. You might be spending $1400 you don't need to spend, and can put towards your future Sorcerer Pass. The only concern I might have, and that concern is less and less every day - we never would have expected Disney to discontinue selling the new APs like they did during Covid. They only allowed renewals. If that were to happen again (which I sure hope it doesn't), you could miss out - but I have to think the chances of that are quite low. Good luck!

 

[Brian Noble]

We don't have another planned yet

I am a big believer in only buying tickets for trips that I know I am going to take. If you don't have another for-sure trip planned, there is no reason to upgrade. On top of that, there isn't much reason to upgrade before you actually get there in February.

 

[Tatebeck]

I am a big believer in only buying tickets for trips that I know I am going to take. If you don't have another for-sure trip planned, there is no reason to upgrade. On top of that, there isn't much reason to upgrade before you actually get there in February.

I should say that we most definitely will be back soon-ish, we just cant book until we get access to our points!

 

[🍀TwinsMom]

So long as you leave one day free of your day tickets, you can always go to MK guest services and bridge the cost of those tickets towards the Incredipass. Basically, the $600ish you paid in day tickets gets credited towards the $1400ish Incredipass and you just pay the difference. The AP will be effective as of the first day of the activation of your day tickets for that February trip. As well, you'll be there during the new round of promotions. If they're good and you decide to buy direct on site, they load your points within hours of signing the papers (at least for us it worked that way,) and you could call DVC and bridge the day tickets to the Sorcerer pass. I wouldn't necessarily get an AP until you're down there and know you're going to be back sooner than later.

 

[MerlinandtheMouse]

Also consider if you really want to go during Christmas/New Years week or Thanksgiving weekend. If you’re planning a trip during that time then you’ll need the incredi-pass anyway so no need to wait for your blue card benefits. But if you can work around those weeks then I’d agree with what others are saying and just wait until you get there for your February trip and make (or don’t make) a decision before the end of your trip!

Also very much agree with @thanxfornoticin, we took 3 spontaneous-ish trips this year alone because of our AP, and we only got it in April! We’ve already used most of our 2025 points hahah good thing we’re buying some resale right now (and maybe direct in the next few months).

 

[Tatebeck]

We found the sorcerer pass would be fine for us. We would never want to go during Thanksgiving, it's my wife's favorite holiday and the family has a huge get-together every year. For Christmas we would rather go earlier in the month when points are cheaper and wouldn't really want to be gone for the actual Christmas dates anyway

 

[Sandisw]

I would wait and get the Sorcerer when you are eligible to do so.

 

[fumanchu2488]

Similar question and didn't want to do a new thread.

We are a family of 4. We have 3 sorcerers pass' that expire in May and we need to buy tickets for our now 3 YO for our trip in April. We don't have another trip on the books yet, but may be looking at late March/April 2025.

My question is, do they still have the 'upgrade to an AP' option on your MDE app during the trip/after the trip? Me, DW and DS AP expire in May so we have time, but not sure if they still offer that upgrade and when that expires. I remember pre-COVID I would get a notice and have a few days after the end of the trip to upgrade. Is that still the case?

 

[Sandisw]

Similar question and didn't want to do a new thread.

We are a family of 4. We have 3 sorcerers pass' that expire in May and we need to buy tickets for our now 3 YO for our trip in April. We don't have another trip on the books yet, but may be looking at late March/April 2025.

My question is, do they still have the 'upgrade to an AP' option on your MDE app during the trip/after the trip? Me, DW and DS AP expire in May so we have time, but not sure if they still offer that upgrade and when that expires. I remember pre-COVID I would get a notice and have a few days after the end of the trip to upgrade. Is that still the case?

You will need to upgrade your 3 year olds pass to an AP before you use the last day of it. You will need to call or go to GR once it’s been used.

Your other passes can be renewed up to 60 days after but they will have a start date of May 2024. That requires in person or a call to MS.

In your case, if the best trip is not going to be until March 2025 at the earliest, I would not renew and just buy new vouchers and activate next year.

They will then start new on your actual trip. Just be sure you buy them within the year as vouchers must be activated within 12 months or you must pay the difference if the price has gone up.

 

[keishashadow]

We would never want to go during Thanksgiving, it's my wife's favorite holiday and the family has a huge get-together every year. For Christmas we would rather go earlier in the month when points are cheaper and wouldn't really want to be gone for the actual Christmas dates anyway

Same

however, the sorcerers pass used to include the weekend after Thanksgiving (and skip Easter dates).

we now skip coming down on the Friday after Thanksgiving due to the blackout dates.

Did find that it was quite challenging grabbing two different four night reservations that are wrapped around a cruise during the 1st and 2nd weeks of December, 12/24. WL studio was quite challenging, even AKVJ standard studio (not to be confused with the value that I will WL), surprisingly difficult too…despite walking and picking up other’s cast off dates.

it’s been a good five years, if not longer, since we booked early December. Certainly don’t remember the level of competition for studios, even at WL, never an issue to book ASAP the 1st eligible day.

Back on topic

OP - I’d like wait until the month after your pass does expire, then buy the voucher for the Sorcerer’s pass and bank it in your MDE. You can always upgrade it if you wind up needing the blackout dates.