Annual Passholder Ticket/Pandora Conundrum

[melflip8]

Hey All!

I'm going to try to make this as NON confusing as possible. I am a current SILVER FL Resident Annual Passholder, my pass is due to renew on Aug 8th.

We were able to score a reservation at Fort Wilderness from Aug 5 to 8th, however our passes are blacked out which means even though I WILL be renewing/upgrading my pass, I cannot make a Fastpass reservation for Pandora cause I don't have a valid ticket.

I called Disney today and they said I would have to buy a Gold Annual Pass today for the FULL price, not even renewal price and that I cannot renew/upgrade till June 9th, and at that point Im afraid the Pandora Fastpasses will be gone. Someone help?

 

[LuvtheGoof]

Can you buy a 4 day ticket now to make your FP+, and then use that towards your renewal later? Would be cheaper if they would let you do that.

 

[melflip8]

Can you buy a 4 day ticket now to make your FP+, and then use that towards your renewal later? Would be cheaper if they would let you do that.

Hmm, I guess I can do that and go to Guest Relations to see if they would honor that....I was also thinking of just having friends put a Fastpass in my name and swap it over?

 

[LuvtheGoof]

Hmm, I guess I can do that and go to Guest Relations to see if they would honor that....I was also thinking of just having friends put a Fastpass in my name and swap it over?

They won't be able to add you for a FP+ if you don't have valid tickets. The system does check. I don't know if they can put it in their name, and then swap it to your later. Not sure how or if that works.

 

[AndrewsJ]

Hmm, I guess I can do that and go to Guest Relations to see if they would honor that....I was also thinking of just having friends put a Fastpass in my name and swap it over?

Please explain exactly what you mean by putting in your name and swapping it over.

 

[disney4life2008]

Hey All!

I'm going to try to make this as NON confusing as possible. I am a current SILVER FL Resident Annual Passholder, my pass is due to renew on Aug 8th.

We were able to score a reservation at Fort Wilderness from Aug 5 to 8th, however our passes are blacked out which means even though I WILL be renewing/upgrading my pass, I cannot make a Fastpass reservation for Pandora cause I don't have a valid ticket.

I called Disney today and they said I would have to buy a Gold Annual Pass today for the FULL price, not even renewal price and that I cannot renew/upgrade till June 9th, and at that point Im afraid the Pandora Fastpasses will be gone. Someone help?

That seems like a lot to do just for pandora. Why don't you just take advantage of evening extra magic hours at animal kingdom during your stay?

 

[jlsHouston]

Please explain exactly what you mean by putting in your name and swapping it over.

I give one of my many magic bands to the person who wants to use my fp that I am not going to use? I've done this with a grandkid and a daughter before.

 

[AndrewsJ]

I give one of my many magic bands to the person who wants to use my fp that I am not going to use? I've done this with a grandkid and a daughter before.

Was the band used that day for park entry? Some say it must be used for entry while others swear that it doesn't. We've used a family members FP that doesn't want to ride with no issue but that family member entered the park with the band that day. I am just curious to see what the OP had in mind.

 

[jlsHouston]

Was the band used that day for park entry? Some say it must be used for entry while others swear that it doesn't. We've used a family members FP that doesn't want to ride with no issue but that family member entered the park with the band that day. I am just curious to see what the OP had in mind.

Yes I was in the park with them that day. It was one of those give up the FP to 7DMT deals for a grandkid situation where the daughter was able to get herself and a grandkid a FP but not the other grandkid, so I gave him my MB and he went on with his mom and sister.

 

[correcaminos]

Hey All!

I'm going to try to make this as NON confusing as possible. I am a current SILVER FL Resident Annual Passholder, my pass is due to renew on Aug 8th.

We were able to score a reservation at Fort Wilderness from Aug 5 to 8th, however our passes are blacked out which means even though I WILL be renewing/upgrading my pass, I cannot make a Fastpass reservation for Pandora cause I don't have a valid ticket.

I called Disney today and they said I would have to buy a Gold Annual Pass today for the FULL price, not even renewal price and that I cannot renew/upgrade till June 9th, and at that point Im afraid the Pandora Fastpasses will be gone. Someone help?

It is true you cannot renew/upgrade until 60 days before the AP expires.

There were still plenty of options up to a couple days ago for my June trip. They didn't all disappear for AK until today (been stalking it). I wouldn't fear losing quite now, but unless you buy new tickets you cannot do anything with your AP until then. Though IIRC you could upgrade your CURRENT AP to the Gold, but there is no proration on that. You would have to pay the full price difference to do that. You can upgrade that one at any time. That may have to be done in person though.

 

[LAKid53]

When we upgrade from the old Seasonal Pass (now Silver and Gold) to annual pass, we just had to pay the difference between the two passes. And we continued to be charged just the monthly payment of the Seasonal Pass.

I'd renew your Silver Pass at the 60 day mark. And then a few days later, call and see if you can over the phone, upgrade to Gold, just paying the difference. But have monthly payments for Silver.

The earliest you will be able to make FP+ selections will be about the time the 60 day period before your pass expires starts...

Purchasing a 4 day ticket, even at Florida Resident rates, isn't going to be cheap. And that time is blacked out for Florida residents, so you'd be paying non-resident prices.

ETA: Don't get a friend to make a FP+ reservation for you and then "borrow" their MB. If they are an AP, but don't have a resort reservation, they can't make a FP+ reservation more than 30 days out. Plus, if something happens at the FP+ entry, you'll have a BIG problem. I switched times on an existing FP for PoTC. When I touched my MB to the entry point, the touch point turned blue (never a good sign) and the CM told me I had no FP left. I whipped out my phone, showed him the FP in my MDE accoint and he let me through. Pandora is going to be packed this summer. What if the ride goes down for an extended period of time? Or some other snafu occurs?

 

[correcaminos]

When we upgrade from the old Seasonal Pass (now Silver and Gold) to annual pass, we just had to pay the difference between the two passes. And we continued to be charged just the monthly payment of the Seasonal Pass.

I'd renew your Silver Pass at the 60 day mark. And then a few days later, call and see if you can over the phone, upgrade to Gold, just paying the difference. But have monthly payments for Silver.

The earliest you will be able to make FP+ selections will be about the time the 60 day period before your pass expires starts...

Purchasing a 4 day ticket, even at Florida Resident rates, isn't going to be cheap. And that time is blacked out for Florida residents, so you'd be paying non-resident prices.

ETA: Don't get a friend to make a FP+ reservation for you and then "borrow" their MB. If they are an AP, but don't have a resort reservation, they can't make a FP+ reservation more than 30 days out. Plus, if something happens at the FP+ entry, you'll have a BIG problem. I switched times on an existing FP for PoTC. When I touched my MB to the entry point, the touch point turned blue (never a good sign) and the CM told me I had no FP left. I whipped out my phone, showed him the FP in my MDE accoint and he let me through. Pandora is going to be packed this summer. What if the ride goes down for an extended period of time? Or some other snafu occurs?

You can upgrade (or downgeade) APs over the phone the first day. No need to wait.

Though I just realized something @melflip8 , your dates are inside your current pass. Upgrading to Gold at renewal will still leave you without a usuable ticket until Aug 8. You need to upgrade your current pass, not buy a new one, but I have been told it has to be done in person. You may be out of luck on it unless you go after your renewal.

 

[LAKid53]

You can upgrade (or downgeade) APs over the phone the first day. No need to wait.

Though I just realized something @melflip8 , your dates are inside your current pass. Upgrading to Gold at renewal will still leave you without a usuable ticket until Aug 8. You need to upgrade your current pass, not buy a new one, but I have been told it has to be done in person. You may be out of luck on it unless you go after your renewal.

Good point. I'd call now and see if they'd upgrade the current pass over the phone. Might still be cheaper than purchasing non-resident tickets and then applying them to an upgraded pass. Or less risky than using someone else's MB. You never know, the CM might just say yes...

 

[melflip8]

Sorry all! I didn't get alerted that I had so many responses. For the swap name thing, I was going to add my friends to my hotel reservation and then when I'm in my renewal window (June 8) go into MM+ and change the guest names on the FastPasses to my name, instead of theirs - so the FP would be on my Magic Bands

The big question here is - do we think if I wait 1 day - book my Fastpasses on June 8 for August 7 if all Pandora Fastpasses will be gone?

 

[AndrewsJ]

Sorry all! I didn't get alerted that I had so many responses. For the swap name thing, I was going to add my friends to my hotel reservation and then when I'm in my renewal window (June 8) go into MM+ and change the guest names on the FastPasses to my name, instead of theirs - so the FP would be on my Magic Bands

The big question here is - do we think if I wait 1 day - book my Fastpasses on June 8 for August 7 if all Pandora Fastpasses will be gone?

Sorry all! I didn't get alerted that I had so many responses. For the swap name thing, I was going to add my friends to my hotel reservation and then when I'm in my renewal window (June 8) go into MM+ and change the guest names on the FastPasses to my name, instead of theirs - so the FP would be on my Magic Bands

The big question here is - do we think if I wait 1 day - book my Fastpasses on June 8 for August 7 if all Pandora Fastpasses will be gone?

Things like this ruin it for the rest of us. Disney will catch on eventually and stop allowing the "change party" option of FP+. I really wish posts like yours would be deleted and those who choose to skirt the rules banned from the forums.

 

[Kingoglow]

Things like this ruin it for the rest of us. Disney will catch on eventually and stop allowing the "change party" option of FP+. I really wish posts like yours would be deleted and those who choose to skirt the rules banned from the forums.

Weren't you the one that ask the OP for an explanation of what they meant? You should be so upset when they respond to your question. I believe the OP's vacation planning technique affects us in any way.