Who is the "upgrading ticket to DVC AP" GURU??? HELP!!

[edk35]

I have questions. Yesterday a news release stated that Military can get a great deal on park passes. Here it is: 2009 Special Ticket Offer for Military

Walt Disney World has rolled out a special ticket deal for military guests, valid 1/4/09-12/23/09. Each qualifying Military Service member* will receive a complimentary 5-Day "Disney's Armed Forces Salute Ticket" with Park Hopper and Water Park Fun & More Options. To receive the FREE ticket, visit any theme park Guest Relations window and show proper ID.

In addition, up to 5 guests of the Military Service member can purchase a $99 (plus tax) "Disney Armed Forces Salute Companion" ticket. This is a 5-Day Base Ticket. Companions can add on Park Hopper and/or Water Park Fun & More Options for $25 (plus tax) per option, which is half the regular price.

Guests can pre-purchase the companion tickets (in the form of an exchange voucher) at Shades of Green or at a military base, TAX-FREE! The exchange voucher is then taken to a theme park Guest Relations window, where it is exchanged for the actual ticket.

The companion tickets can be purchased at the theme park Guest Relations windows, but if you do this, you must pay tax.

*This offer is available to anyone on active duty in the US Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, National Guard or Reserve, and retired military. Activated members of the National Guard and Reservists must present active duty orders in addition to valid military ID. You must have been active for any length of time between 1/1/08 and 12/23/09. Dept of Defense (CIA, FBI, Secret Service) and Coalition Forces are excluded.

Entire party must be present at time of purchase, except that spouse and military dependants can receive the companion discount without the military service member being present, if they can show proper dependent military ID. Offer available once per service member during the offer period.

Tickets expire 12/23/09. No Expiration Option cannot be added to these tickets. Complimentary tickets cannot be upgraded in any way. Companion tickets may be upgraded to Premium, Annual or Seasonal Passes. (Seasonal Pass upgrade requires proof of Florida residency.) No other upgrades, such as adding additional days, will be available.

Of course the day this comes out.....I had just purchased 5 DVC AP vouchers the day before for our up and coming Jan. trip. grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr. SO then I started thinking if we got these companion tickets...and upgraded them to DVC AP's and saved our vouchers for another year......how much credit would we get towards that AP??? Would the same system work where you use the ticket first then get current gate price for a 5 day base ticket value first before upgrade....OR do we just get 99 bucks towards the upgraded AP???

Anyone want to attempt this one???? Maybe the GURU can help. PLEASE!!!

 

[robandkelly13]

I hope they do this next year, considering we already have AP's for this year. It is always our luck, everything we buy goes on sale the next day. I feel your pain on this one.

 

[CarolA]

Post this on the Theme Parks board. There's a CM who knows the ins and outs there.
However, based on my last experience with trying to "work the system" Don't count on it LOL!

 

[kristenrice]

OOPS! I didn't read your question right the first time. I did not see the part about the companion passes being eligible to be upgraded to an AP, PAP, or seasonal pass.

I would *think* that the companion tickets could be upgraded to AP's along the same line as upgrading any other ticket....use it first, then upgrade. I know that it is a "discounted" ticket, similar to a pass bought from UCT, so one would think that after you use it once, you could get full, face-value for an upgrade. If that is the case, here are your numbers:

Original purchase price of ONE companion pass: $105.44 (incl. tax)
Face value of 5-day base ticket: $236.43
Cost of DVC AP: $392.99

So, you'd pay the $105.44 plus an additional $156.56 to upgrade bringing your total cost to $262.00, a savings of about $131.

Now, make the family pass a park hopper for $25 (as advertised)...you'll do even better!

Purchase price of ONE companion pass with park hopping: $132.06
Face value of 5-day pass with park hopping: $289.68
Cost of DVC AP: $392.99

This way, your AP will cost you $235.37, a savings of $157.62!

Wow! If this is actually doable, you're coming out WAY ahead, but it is still not enough compensation for the service you provide to our country. Thank You!

 

[CarolA]

A LOT depends on how these are coded. At this price they are almost "give away" and I know you can't "upgrade" tickets you get from Hilton Hhonors for example because they don't have a price coded on them. That's the real unknown here.

So that complimentary ticket probably has no value if you try to upgrade it. (Of course they say that you can't upgrade it)

As for the others... who knows? As my expereince showed Disney can see how much you paid for it, if they tell the CM's that these are not to be "bought to gate" then...

In the past, Disney did not "bring to gate" so this loophole is fairly new.

 

[appleorchard]

The companion passes are definitely upgradable to an AP, according to the info Disney put out. However, my questions are: can we combine our DVC discount with with upgrade discount? I have an idea this may fall under "combining discounts" and won't be allowed. So unless the face value is more than the $99 we pay for the ticket, it won't pay us to upgrade it to an AP--we can get the same deal through Disney.
Hoping someone can clarify the AP questions in the next few days.

 

[edk35]

OOPS! I didn't read your question right the first time. I did not see the part about the companion passes being eligible to be upgraded to an AP, PAP, or seasonal pass.

I would *think* that the companion tickets could be upgraded to AP's along the same line as upgrading any other ticket....use it first, then upgrade. I know that it is a "discounted" ticket, similar to a pass bought from UCT, so one would think that after you use it once, you could get full, face-value for an upgrade. If that is the case, here are your numbers:

Original purchase price of ONE companion pass: $105.44 (incl. tax)
Face value of 5-day base ticket: $236.43
Cost of DVC AP: $392.99

So, you'd pay the $105.44 plus an additional $156.56 to upgrade bringing your total cost to $262.00, a savings of about $131.

Now, make the family pass a park hopper for $25 (as advertised)...you'll do even better!

Purchase price of ONE companion pass with park hopping: $132.06
Face value of 5-day pass with park hopping: $289.68
Cost of DVC AP: $392.99

This way, your AP will cost you $235.37, a savings of $157.62!

Wow! If this is actually doable, you're coming out WAY ahead, but it is still not enough compensation for the service you provide to our country. Thank You!

WOW WOW WOW......gosh I wish now I had not bought our DVC AP's. Well I did it online for the vouchers on Sat. I think it was and then this big announcement comes out. I might crunch numbers and see if we can just get these tickets and upgrade to AP's and then save our vouchers for another year. Do I really want to spend more money though????

 

[daisyduck123]

 

[melissac]

Question if you buy campanion passes on base, when you go to exchange them do you need to show military ID. I'm only thinking this because what would stop someone from having a friend or relative purchase them at a base then giving them to someone to use that really shouldn't or for that matter someone purchasing them on base and then selling them on ebay. Just thought I'd throw out that senario.

 

[appleorchard]

The military member or dependent must be present when the voucher received from the base is exchanges for the actual tickets. Sadly, this is keeping us from using the discount for our Dec visit with our kids and grandkids; they're arriving two days before us for time with the "other" grandparent. Since we won't be there until two days later, we can't use the discount for them.

 

[edk35]

Question if you buy campanion passes on base, when you go to exchange them do you need to show military ID. I'm only thinking this because what would stop someone from having a friend or relative purchase them at a base then giving them to someone to use that really shouldn't or for that matter someone purchasing them on base and then selling them on ebay. Just thought I'd throw out that senario.

I believe we all have to be there together at the ticket window when these are exchanged.