Upgrading to Annual Passes

[cwnhokie]

We went to Disney last May and bought 10 MYW hoppers with no expiration option. From what I understand we can apply the cost of the unused days to a annual pass. Would the annual pass start from the day we purchase it or would it start from the day we bought our original tickets. I'm trying to decide if it would be worth it to upgrade for room discounts, free parking, etc. And if I would be able to talk DH into making another trip!

 

[CarolMN]

As long as the MYW tickets are unused, the year of admission for the AP would start on the day you do the upgrade.

Best wishes -

 

[rcraw45425]

That's not what they told me about the old hoppers with no expy. I tried to upgrade to AP's and they said that the AP's would backdate to the first day the ticket was used, in my case approximately 6 months prior to when I tried to update. I just kept them, then purchased vouchers for our next trip. We got conflicting inf over the phone in regards to that but when I tried at guest services that's what they told me.

 

[cwnhokie]

I have used them. We used 4 days in May and have 6 days left. So they will probably expire in May then?

 

[SnackyStacky]

Upgrading is applying the FULL price of your admission to a new piece of admission. This can only be done with unused admission, OR within 14 days of the first use of the ticket.

A dollar credit is giving the guest a prorated credit if it's been more than 14 days since the date of the ticket's first use and the ticket has the non-expiration option.

There's a difference because backdating is ONLY done when UPGRADING. And at that, it's only done within the first 14 days of a USED piece of admission.

That's not what they told me about the old hoppers with no expy. I tried to upgrade to AP's and they said that the AP's would backdate to the first day the ticket was used, in my case approximately 6 months prior to when I tried to update. I just kept them, then purchased vouchers for our next trip. We got conflicting inf over the phone in regards to that but when I tried at guest services that's what they told me.

You were given correct information. What the cast member didn't explain was the difference between upgrading and getting a dollar credit.

Cwnhokie - the Annual Passes will expire the day that you get the dollar credit for your partially used Magic Your Way ticket. So if you go in December, and get your Annual Pass then, the Annual Pass would expire in December of 2006.

Make sense?

 

[tnkrbell]

As long as the MYW tickets are unused, the year of admission for the AP would start on the day you do the upgrade.

unfortunately this is not true. We upgraded our play 3 days pass to an annual and it starts and ends from the date we bought the original pass.
sorry to be the barrer of bad news!

 

[cwnhokie]

I am completely confused!

 

[WillCAD]

Think it over guys.

Suppose you buy a MYW pass with no expiry and keep it for 13 months - then you go to trade it in for credit towards a new AP. Would the AP expire a month before you buy it? Nope.

Unused or partially used passes with no epiry can be traded in for credit toward the purchase of a new AP (I have done this myself, personally, me, right there at the Epcot ticket windows). When you trade in an old pass for credit, your new AP begins on the day you buy the AP - it is not backdated to the day you bought the trade-in pass.

For complete info on trading in passes, look here:
http://allearsnet.com/pl/ticket.htm#credpass

 

[rcraw45425]

All I'm saying is that the girl at the guest services window at MK told me specifically, if you upgrade this to an AP it will expire in October (this was in April). I took her at her word.

 

[WillCAD]

All I'm saying is that the girl at the guest services window at MK told me specifically, if you upgrade this to an AP it will expire in October (this was in April). I took her at her word.

That girl gave you an incorrect answer.

If you should ever get an answer that you know is incorrect from a CM, simply move on to another CM, or ask for a supervisor.

 

[rcraw45425]

Dang! We checked in at the GF that day, then rode over to MK to change over, she was adamant, and the only CM working. DH looked at me with that, "I thought you knew what you were talking about" look and chewed me out for wasting the time to go over there and do that. That makes me mad. We made a trip back in July, bought tix for he and DD8 (DD10 and I already have APs. THis time I have vouchers waiting for them at will call. At least this way it will give me 8 months between the renewals, don't have to renew them all at once. Though I may just let mine and DD10's expire, then repurchase in April. I can still access the website with DH's pass and use it for Switching our existing April Reservation over to BR when it's time if no AP rates are released. Let me go try to finish packing!

 

[CarolMN]

unfortunately this is not true. We upgraded our play 3 days pass to an annual and it starts and ends from the date we bought the original pass.
sorry to be the barrer of bad news!

There are different rules for the special Florida "Play for" passes. The OP is not a Florida resident and cannot purchase the "Play for" passes.

What I posted is true for the "regular" MYW tickets. I did miss that the OP's MYW tickets were partially used. What SnackyStacky (and WillCad) posted is correct.

Best wishes -

 

[cwnhokie]

So I'm getting excited that what I'm hearing is that they will start the day I upgrade them. I have some more questions for you experts if you have a momment. If I want to apply the dollar credit and get APs, do I have to actually be in Florida and go to one of the guest relations to do that? And if that is the case, how could I get an AP discount for a room? Which is one of the main reasons that I would do it. Do you know if it is better to use an AP rate or a AAA rate? Thanks for the help.

I actually ran all of this by DH last night and he didn't flip out like I thought he would, he actually was interested and agreed that another trip might be a good idea in the coming year!

 

[SnackyStacky]

If I want to apply the dollar credit and get APs, do I have to actually be in Florida and go to one of the guest relations to do that? And if that is the case, how could I get an AP discount for a room? Which is one of the main reasons that I would do it. Do you know if it is better to use an AP rate or a AAA rate? Thanks for the help.

Unfortunately, you have to be at Walt Disney World in order to process an upgrade or to receive a dollar credit from partially used admission.

With the new Best Rate program - you need to have a voucher or an annual pass in order to receive the discount. Unfortunately, that's just one of the limitations to Best Rate.

One thought: if, after you got an annual pass, you were to consider renewing it - you could buy ONE brand new annual pass right now. Select the $3 shipping option on the Disney site, and get the voucher to book your best rate room. Then, when it's time to renew, you can use the credit from your old admission towards the renewal. You could use the rest of your family's partially used admission towards annual passes once you arrived on property.

 

[cwnhokie]

ok, now what about this scenerio...I have the MYW tickets for myself, DH, and DS4. Other DS will be turning 3 in a couple weeks, so we need to buy him a ticket or AP anyway. But I have to use an adult AP for best rate correct? So can I buy one AP now and then use on of our adult MYW to apply dollar credit to his kid AP? Gosh sometimes I think being an informed consumer is much more confusing!

 

[SnackyStacky]

ok, now what about this scenerio...I have the MYW tickets for myself, DH, and DS4. Other DS will be turning 3 in a couple weeks, so we need to buy him a ticket or AP anyway. But I have to use an adult AP for best rate correct? So can I buy one AP now and then use on of our adult MYW to apply dollar credit to his kid AP? Gosh sometimes I think being an informed consumer is much more confusing!

Yes, this can be done.

As long as you're going to an Annual Pass.

I'm not positive, but I believe if you were doing a MYW:MYW transaction, the new ticket would have to cost MORE than the old ticket. But since a child's annual pass is more expensive than any of the MYW combinations, you should be okay.

 

[jennwdw]

If my tickets are part of a package can I then upgrade them to an annual pass once I check in but before I use any park tickets???

 

[SnackyStacky]

If my tickets are part of a package can I then upgrade them to an annual pass once I check in but before I use any park tickets???

You can absolutely do that. Actually, you can upgrade them at ANY point within the first 14 days of use.

So if you use it, and 3 days later get the annual pass, you'll get full credit from the ticket. If you do that though, the annual pass would be backdated to the first day you used your ticket.

 

[iluvepcot]

This is probably off topic a bit, but with some experts here already, I thought I would post here. I have an AP to renew. My renew date is by Oct 28 but we are not going to have our next trip until next summer. After next summer we may be down several times the following year. If I renew by Oct 28, will my start date be from Oct 28 on or do I get a voucher that will not be activated until I use it next summer? The later would be great, then I could renew now and keep it for the year I would need to use it.

 

[CarolMN]

This is probably off topic a bit, but with some experts here already, I thought I would post here. I have an AP to renew. My renew date is by Oct 28 but we are not going to have our next trip until next summer. After next summer we may be down several times the following year. If I renew by Oct 28, will my start date be from Oct 28 on or do I get a voucher that will not be activated until I use it next summer? The later would be great, then I could renew now and keep it for the year I would need to use it.

If you renew your pass, the "start date" will be Oct 28. Given your circumstances, it will be better to just buy a new AP next summer.

Best wishes-

P.S. Disney used to give you vouchers for the renewals so you could do what you would like to do. That policy was changed a few years ago. Now the renewals just extend your pass for another year - no "gap", even if you renew after your date.