What’s your guess on AP return date?

[Bjaiken77]

Unfortunately, I have to play this game with a trip this October. We are spending close to two weeks at WDW in May 2022, so an AP definitely makes sense. However, I have to decide when to pull the trigger on individual day tickets so that I can make park reservations if they are going to keep dragging out the return of APs. If you had to guess, when do you think they are going to return? What would you do if you were in my situation?

 

[zavandor]

I think they'll be back as soon as they lift capacity limits. It is just a matter of staffing at the moment. I would say there are good chances for August or September. Certainly for the start of the 50th.

 

[MainStreetMouse]

We are in the exact same position. (15 days). We bought a one day ticket so that we could reserve Oct 1st at the Magic Kingdom.

We would get the annual passes but since they are not available are considering visiting other Orlando attractions instead of buying multi day tickets this trip. Perhaps a Halloween night at the Magic Kingdom and Universal as we have never been to either of these.

 

[aokeefe]

I hoping by the end of the summer....... My WDW planning mode is in full hypothetical circles between AP and borrowing restrictions. I need clear answers soon!

 

[ray3127]

I'd buy tickets for October, assuming the cost of the tickets is less than the cost of an AP. Book your October park days. Then when APs return you can upgrade your tickets to APs.

In speaking with my DVC guide 2-3 weeks ago I asked about APs. He said there's no official announcement, but to search the rumors online. My guide is a straight shooter and would never steer me that way without knowing something. Most rumors have APs coming back by August 15.

I know rumors are just rumors, but what are your options? You're going to need tickets for October anyway, might as well get that done. I can't imagine park passes for May getting full anytime soon, so you have time on that trip.

If your October tickets cost more than APs, then it gets a little tougher.

 

[CarolMN]

Agree with @ray3127. Buy your tickets now & make the park reservations now before your choices become limited. Upgrade when you arrive. And we all hope the rumors re 8/15 come true!!!

 

[LPnerd]

I think they'll be back as soon as they lift capacity limits. It is just a matter of staffing at the moment. I would say there are good chances for August or September. Certainly for the start of the 50th.

I'm seeing and hearing on youtube ( the good ones), that annual passes may not come back at all, maybe they have come up with a better idea?

 

[zavandor]

I'm seeing and hearing on youtube ( the good ones), that annual passes may not come back at all, maybe they have come up with a better idea?

At DLR they have explicitly said they're going to find a new programme, why not say the same for WDW if that is true? Moreover, they are selling them at the moment, just only as renewals or recovery, something they're not doing at DLR.
Everything points to AP coming back.

 

[kanerf]

I think they may try some trial balloons, such as contacting people who had them and did not renew and see what the interest is a much higher rate that current APs.

 

[WIll C]

As I mentioned in another thread, I just recently got a survey from them about my AP and the value I thought it had. I'm sure they are looking at bringing it back in some form. It may be more restricted on who can buy them but I'm sure something will come back.

 

[Bjaiken77]

Are you sure you can upgrade to an AP when they come back? We are in July now, so if they just announce it soon, that’d be perfect. But my concern is park availability. Right now, it’s open. However, that will tighten up as it gets closer to the October dates.

 

[ray3127]

Are you sure you can upgrade to an AP when they come back? We are in July now, so if they just announce it soon, that’d be perfect. But my concern is park availability. Right now, it’s open. However, that will tighten up as it gets closer to the October dates.

I am currently eligible to purchase a recovery AP. I spoke with VIPassholder support to inquire and got the callback to purchase, and both people I spoke with told me I could apply my current tickets to the APs.

(We are holding off because our visit is over NYE, and we want to upgrade to Gold at the conclusion of our trip, which is a loophole they've previously allowed/encouraged... not exactly your situation, except for upgrading our current tickets to APs)

While I can't say with certainty that they will allow you to apply your October tickets to an AP purchase, that is how it has always worked, and based on my interactions outlines above I believe it will continue to be the case.

If they don't bring back APs, will you still go in October? If the answer is yes, then I'd just get the tickets and book my park passes. If the answer is no, then I understand waiting it out.

 

[Maistre Gracey]

Nothing is confirmed going forward.

That said, it seems as though everyone qualifies for a recovery AP. Apparently it’s just the effort to go through the process.

Im betting AP’s continue… with a healthy price increase.

 

[ray3127]

That said, it seems as though everyone qualifies for a recovery AP. Apparently it’s just the effort to go through the process.

Why do you say this? We had APs due to expire in June 2020. That's why we qualify (according to the people we talked to at Disney).

Are others able to get APs if they didn't have affected passes? I haven't read/heard of such cases.

 

[CarolMN]

it seems as though everyone qualifies for a recovery AP. Apparently it’s just the effort to go through the process

It may seem that way, but plenty of people have been turned down.

A price increase won't surprise me, though. Tickets prices in general have gone up a least once a year for as long as I can remember.

 

[CraigInPA]

That said, it seems as though everyone qualifies for a recovery AP. Apparently it’s just the effort to go through the process.

I was told that I didn't qualify because my AP's ended 3 days before they shut WDW down. So, not "everyone qualifies".

 

[Bjaiken77]

If they don't bring back APs, will you still go in October? If the answer is yes, then I'd just get the tickets and book my park passes. If the answer is no, then I understand waiting it out.

That’s a good point. I still will go, but I might not spend as many days in the park without an AP. We have BooBash tickets one night, for example. We may just do that whereas we’d go during the day if we had an AP.

 

[kes601]

Nothing is confirmed going forward.

That said, it seems as though everyone qualifies for a recovery AP. Apparently it’s just the effort to go through the process.

Im betting AP’s continue… with a healthy price increase.

You only qualify if you cancelled or they expired during the closure.

 

[houseofduck]

We also do not qualify for a recovery pass. Our passes expired in September 2019. I've been making and canceling DVC reservations for months with the hopes that APs will return. We won't go without them. We ended up purchasing Universal APs and will sit Disney out this year.

 

[Brett Wyman]

I think by the end of 2021, assuming no new restrictions due to the Delta variant(and I doubt Desantis would allow any anyway), everything will be back that is going to come back. But I also think some things will never come back as they were. But may come back in new forms. It seems like AP is safe though since so many people have active passes and have been allowed to renew. WDW didn't flat out cancel them like DL did.