Upgrading MYW tix to APs while in Disney

[Mommy2TwoMickeys]

Me, My DH, and 2 DS' have a 6 day base ticket for our upcoming trip in September(not part of a package, we bought tix separately since I used my RO Travel Agent Discount). We are now debating if we should upgrade while there to APs. I have a few questions before I decide though:
1. Do we have to upgrade right away?
2. If we don't upgrade right away, say we use 2 of the 6 days of tix, will only 4 of the 6 days credit go toward the APs?
3. If we don't upgrade right away, will our AP date be from the first day of my used 6 day base ticket or from the day I upgrade to APs?
4. Will I be eligible to get my DVC AP discount?

Thanks!

 

[Julylady]

I just did this same upgrade in July. We had purchased 9-day hoppers that I knew we wanted to convert to APs since we have decided to do a 3-day precruise stay in April. I read a lot on these boards and thought I knew just what to do, but almost was tripped up.

I was told that they are to bridge the tickets from the current value of the ticket to cost of the AP, but that some agents try to bridge from what you paid for the ticket which might be less than the current value (mine were). I was also told that you had to have used at least one day of the MYW ticket, but also have at least one day left.

I stopped the morning of our 3rd day at the Guest Relations at Hollywood Studios. My Mom was with me since she was upgrading her ticket as well, but we went to two separate agents. I handed my Agent my DVC card and my Driver's License. All went well until my Mom's agent told her that the expiration date for the Annual Pass would be the date the MYW ticket was purchased (in our case January 7th), rather than the date the ticket was first used (July 19). I asked my agent if that was true and he told me it was from the date of first use, not purchase. It seems like the default in the system is the date of purchase and that the agent has to over-ride with a different date. At least that was true on July 21.

So before you go make sure you know the current costs of both tickets so you know how much they are to charge you. And make sure you ask them to confirm the expiration date of the new annual pass. If anything doesn't seem right, I was advised you should just gather up your things and walk away. Some agents don't know how to do these upgrades properly.

 

[Robo]

Me, My DH, and 2 DS' have a 6 day base ticket for our upcoming trip in September(not part of a package, we bought tix separately since I used my RO Travel Agent Discount). We are now debating if we should upgrade while there to APs. I have a few questions before I decide though:
1. Do we have to upgrade right away?
2. If we don't upgrade right away, say we use 2 of the 6 days of tix, will only 4 of the 6 days credit go toward the APs?
3a. If we don't upgrade right away, will our AP date be from the first day of my used 6 day base ticket
3b. or from the day I upgrade to APs?
4. Will I be eligible to get my DVC AP discount?

Thanks!

1. No. You want to USE your original tickets at least one time BEFORE you upgrade.
2. No. After you use any of the ticket, you will get the FULL new, unused value of the original ticket.
3a. Yes.
3b. No.
4. Short answer: Yes, you can purchase the DVC AP.
Long answer: There is no DVC discounted AP.
It is a special DVC AP that costs less than a regular AP.
(Kind of a "distinction without a difference" to guests, but it means something different to Disney ticket bookkeeping.)

 

[AlixaLock]

Thanks for starting this thread ... hope you don't mind a brief hijack! Would any of this advice change if your tickets were part of a Disney package? We have 10-day hoppers with the water-park and more option and I'd like to convert to APs ASAP upon arrival so that I can purchase a Tables in Wonderland card. We are also eligible for Florida Resident pricing on our Annual Pass, and I'm assuming that also is allowed in this scenario. I'm assuming that once I've been through the gate once, my package is active and eligible.

Thanks in advance and sorry for the slight drift!

 

[vicki_c]

Yes, it works the same with packages but you may not know the exact price you paid for your tickets and will get in credit towards the upgrade. Because that can be buried in the price of the whole package and Disney sometimes manipulates the prices of different components of packages to come up with a total number they want. But it still works to upgrade.

 

[AlixaLock]

Yes, it works the same with packages but you may not know the exact price you paid for your tickets and will get in credit towards the upgrade. Because that can be buried in the price of the whole package and Disney sometimes manipulates the prices of different components of packages to come up with a total number they want. But it still works to upgrade.

Thank you!

 

[Robo]

I'm assuming that once I've been through the gate once, my package is active and eligible.

The "going through the gates once" is not to make the package "active and eligible" for upgrade.

It is to allow your "discounted" ticket "become worth" the current WDW gate price for a new full-price ticket of the same kind as you have... in the upgrade transaction.
Tickets bought as part of a WDW Resort package are considered to be "discounted" tickets.

You can upgrade to any other ticket or AP for which you are eligible.

 

[smilerjones]

Thanks for starting this thread ... hope you don't mind a brief hijack! Would any of this advice change if your tickets were part of a Disney package? We have 10-day hoppers with the water-park and more option and I'd like to convert to APs ASAP upon arrival so that I can purchase a Tables in Wonderland card. We are also eligible for Florida Resident pricing on our Annual Pass, and I'm assuming that also is allowed in this scenario. I'm assuming that once I've been through the gate once, my package is active and eligible.

Thanks in advance and sorry for the slight drift!

Also wanted to chime in, I read that if you have used a water park day of your tickets before you upgrade you have to upgrade to the premium AP vs regular AP, not sure if this makes a difference to you but Its good to know.

 

[Robo]

Also wanted to chime in, I read that if you have used a water park day of your tickets before you upgrade you have to upgrade to the premium AP vs regular AP...

True.

 

[AlixaLock]

The "going through the gates once" is not to make the package "active and eligible" for upgrade..

Thank you for the confirmation, much appreciated. I kinda mis-spoke. By "active and eligible" I just meant that my package starts that day and that I've done online check-in and am heading to the park for lunch and I think it will be a good time to do the upgrade before even heading to the Contemporary.

Also wanted to chime in, I read that if you have used a water park day of your tickets before you upgrade you have to upgrade to the premium AP vs regular AP, not sure if this makes a difference to you but Its good to know.

Very good to know! That is my plan, I hadn't actually considered the water park part of the ticket! Thanks!