Upgrading Annual Pass

[shonadamson]

Me and my family bought Gold Annual Passes last January before the Pandemic. Me and my wife are both teachers and go to Disney world with our two children either over the summer or during spring break. Our school district for the past ten years has had spring break the second week of March. Even with knowing this I was still nervous about buying a gold pass, not knowing when our school district was going to put spring break. So we had decided to go over spring break in 2020 and then in summer 2020. Well, as you know, spring break did not happen. We decided to then go over the summer and do the second trip over spring break 2021. Well, of course they moved the dates of spring break to the last part of March into April. Those dates are of course blacked out. Well, Ok that's not great, but we can upgrade the tickets, because that is what the Disney rep told us when we originally bought the tickets. Now they are saying they will not upgrade annual passes and that we would need to buy 5 day tickets for our vacation. Is there any alternative? I have written guest services and I am waiting for a response. Any advice. I am so disappointed about this.

 

[hcortesis]

Our Gold annual passes expired last month. Disney extended them to this July. We are back in October and then December and since December has black out dates, we needed to renew and upgrade to the Platinum pass. Did it no problem with a DVC agent two days ago. We won't activate them till we arrive in October but we have been able to make park reservations for October and December. Try again. You will be fine

 

[starry_solo]

Call DVC Member Services?

 

[shonadamson]

OK I will try that next. Thank you.

 

[Sandisw]

I have heard you can upgrade when renewing, but not just upgrade. Not sure that makes sense to me.

Give MS a call first and if you have no luck, call the AP line. Before the suspension, things like this were no problem.

 

[shonadamson]

OK, so I called MS, and they told me they couldn't do it, but I could do it in person at guest services. This doesn't give me confidence that this will happen. i have already called the AP line, and they told me they couldn't do it. I don't know what to do from here. Do I just trust MS and upgrade at the time? I think that is my only choice. What does everyone think? This has me worried.

 

[hcortesis]

I don't get it. You bought your Gold Annual pass last January 2020, we bought ours last February 2020. Not sure when yours got extended to but ours were extended to this July. I'm sure yours is close. I called this past week and renewed and upgraded. Ah, maybe I've got it. We have room reservations for October and December. Do you have anything reserved? Maybe that's why they renewed and upgraded us because I told them I wanted to make park reservations.

 

[supersnoop]

OK, so I called MS, and they told me they couldn't do it, but I could do it in person at guest services. This doesn't give me confidence that this will happen. i have already called the AP line, and they told me they couldn't do it. I don't know what to do from here. Do I just trust MS and upgrade at the time? I think that is my only choice. What does everyone think? This has me worried.

AP upgrades typically need to be done in person, but they are very routine. I'd be upset if I couldn't make park reservations in advance, but you should have ever confidence that they will be able to upgrade your pass.

 

[Carlnne]

I am in the same boat. I did a dvc "chat" and asked that question. I was told I could def upgrade at guest services when I get there. She even recommended going to the one located at Disney Springs. I screen shotted that conversation for proof and intend to go to guest services on April 3. (I was able to make park reservations with my gold pass)

 

[shonadamson]

I have been told a couple of different things. Annual Pass services told me it is not possible. DVC told me I could do it in person. This makes me very nervous to go there in person relying on DVC member services being correct.

 

[Matty B13]

I have been told a couple of different things. Annual Pass services told me it is not possible. DVC told me I could do it in person. This makes me very nervous to go there in person relying on DVC member services being correct.

You could get two/three/four different answers at the parks as well, really just matters if the CM knows how to do it.

 

[PalDisFam]

I am in the same boat. I did a dvc "chat" and asked that question. I was told I could def upgrade at guest services when I get there. She even recommended going to the one located at Disney Springs. I screen shotted that conversation for proof and intend to go to guest services on April 3. (I was able to make park reservations with my gold pass)

Were you able to upgrade your pass? I am having the same issue trying to upgrade our to gold.

 

[Sandisw]

Were you able to upgrade your pass? I am having the same issue trying to upgrade our to gold.

Just going to share when I visited in March, I went to GS at Epcot to see if I would be allowed to upgrade my gold ticket to platinum pass since I may be going during a black out date. I was told no, not at this time because I had already used it. She did say that I could have done it when I renewed it back in January.

Since the trip is not a definite it was not a big deal, but did want to share my experience. Obviously, other may have different experiences.

 

[PalDisFam]

Just going to share when I visited in March, I went to GS at Epcot to see if I would be allowed to upgrade my gold ticket to platinum pass since I may be going during a black out date. I was told no, not at this time because I had already used it. She did say that I could have done it when I renewed it back in January.

Since the trip is not a definite it was not a big deal, but did want to share my experience. Obviously, other may have different experiences.

Thank you for the update. I hope to have better luck this weekend.

 

[pepperandchips]

Thank you for the update. I hope to have better luck this weekend.

Wondering if you had success. I’m now in the same boat with a silver pass that I need to upgrade for a planned summer trip.

 

[PalDisFam]

Wondering if you had success. I’m now in the same boat with a silver pass that I need to upgrade for a planned summer trip.

I did not have any luck. I tried 2 different GS cast members in Epcot and HS. I hope the policy changes soon with the increased capacity.

 

[pepperandchips]

I did not have any luck. I tried 2 different GS cast members in Epcot and HS. I hope the policy changes soon with the increased capacity.

Argh I was afraid of that. Did you just have to buy tickets? I think that’s what we may end up settling for.

 

[PalDisFam]

Argh I was afraid of that. Did you just have to buy tickets? I think that’s what we may end up settling for.

We are just going to plan our trips around it this year. We have theme park select tickets, in our case we are planning a week long trip in July. So at least we can visit AK and Epcot during our stay. Its the reason we went TPS tickets over Silver initially thinking we could upgrade if we got the bug to go to MK or HS during our stay.

Every GS cast member can give you a different answer. Good luck!