question about annual passes

[knnyrobb]

We have a vacation booked for Sept. We got in on the free dining plan. We are also going back in Nov. I ran the prices and it would be cheaper if we get annual passes instead of buying tickets for both times. I have a couple of questions though... how easy is it to upgrade to a season pass now that we have paid for our first trip? And also .. do the 365 days start when you purchase the passes or is it a calendar year? One more thing...will it effect the special dining promotion we have? Thanks in advance for your answers :wave:

 

[LordHelmut]

You should be able to stop by any Guest Relations window, they will be happy to assist with applying your ticket purchase towards the season pass. The start date of the season pass will be the first day of your tickets (if already started) or the date of purchase (if in person)

There are AP discounts that vary by season, day, day of week, cloudy/windy/sunny days. For the 1st trip, you may not find anything better deal-wise than what you have, however it would be a good idea to look around for what benefits the AP does offer (room discount/shopping/free parking.....)

We generally try to get an AP when we are going to do the vacation in late Sept = Oct of the first part of the year and then again just before expiration in the next. Of course this also leads to looking at your wife and saying things like , hey, want to drive 15 hours to goto Disney this week ?

 

[knnyrobb]

Thanks. I think it would be the best idea for us. Save us money in the long run and then also we have the passes for a year! I see more trips in our future... :sohappy:

 

[Carolyn1717]

Your annual pass become effective the first day you use it not the day you purchase it.

 

[Nemo14]

I'd be curious about how that would effect your free dining plan though. :shrug:

 

[Rob562]

I'd be curious about how that would effect your free dining plan though. :shrug:

You can book the Free Dining promotion, and then after you check in you can upgrade your ticket to an Annual Pass. I'll actually be doing exactly this in September. We booked the Free Dining package with 8-day MYW tickets, which is what my friends will need on the trip.

I've heard differing opinions from CMs online about whether to upgrade at the start or the end of your trip (because of the Dining Plan credits on your reservation), and whether or not to get the ticket portion "extracted" from your room key at the hotel before bringing it to Guest Relations at the park to get it upgraded to the AP. (Some say it's easier on the park-based GR CM to upgrade an already-separated ticket, others say it's no problema t all for them to do so)

I think I'm going to play it by ear in September. After checking into our hotel, I'll first stop at the hotel's Guest Service desk and ask if they're able to extract the ticket from the card without messing up our dining credits. If they can, I can then take that separate ticket to the park to upgrade.
If they can't, I'll then ask the same thing at the park GR. If *they* can't, I'll just use the 8-day ticket like normal until the end of our trip, and on our last day I'll have it upgraded.

-Rob

 

[coltow]

You can book the Free Dining promotion, and then after you check in you can upgrade your ticket to an Annual Pass. I'll actually be doing exactly this in September. We booked the Free Dining package with 8-day MYW tickets, which is what my friends will need on the trip.

I've heard differing opinions from CMs online about whether to upgrade at the start or the end of your trip (because of the Dining Plan credits on your reservation), and whether or not to get the ticket portion "extracted" from your room key at the hotel before bringing it to Guest Relations at the park to get it upgraded to the AP. (Some say it's easier on the park-based GR CM to upgrade an already-separated ticket, others say it's no problema t all for them to do so)

I think I'm going to play it by ear in September. After checking into our hotel, I'll first stop at the hotel's Guest Service desk and ask if they're able to extract the ticket from the card without messing up our dining credits. If they can, I can then take that separate ticket to the park to upgrade.
If they can't, I'll then ask the same thing at the park GR. If *they* can't, I'll just use the 8-day ticket like normal until the end of our trip, and on our last day I'll have it upgraded.

-Rob

I plan to upgrade as well and are on DDP for 1st trip. We have dinner our first night at Ohana so we are just going to walk over to TTC when we are done to see if we can do it at the beginning or if we need to do it after using all the dining credits. Maybe JPVONDRAKE has a better answer for us though. I didn't realize that if they could extract the park tickets from room key so maybe I'll try that too.

 

[knnyrobb]

Thanks everyone that has helped. I had no real idea of how to do it. This will be the first time for us getting annual passes. It just made more sense since we are going twice and it would be cheaper with the passes. And then maybe we could go some other time also! I am sure my hubby and kids could be easy talked into a small Disney trip sometime during the year.

 

[devoy1701]

I'm pretty sure that SEASON passes are only available to Florida Residents....because their proper name is actually the Florida Resident Seasonal Pass.

Annual Passes are available to all...correct me if i'm wrong...

EDIT: I only say this because the OP made a comment about updrading to a Season Pass but I noticed his location says Tennessee...

 

[knnyrobb]

I'm pretty sure that SEASON passes are only available to Florida Residents....because their proper name is actually the Florida Resident Seasonal Pass.

Annual Passes are available to all...correct me if i'm wrong...

EDIT: I only say this because the OP made a comment about updrading to a Season Pass but I noticed his location says Tennessee...

My mistake. I said annual pass to begin with...then said season by accident

 

[devoy1701]

My mistake. I said annual pass to begin with...then said season by accident

I was just making sure! I didn't want you or anyone else being confused just incase you did mean Seasonal...:wave:

 

[swordsman_24]

Disney Dining Experience

Don't miss out on signing up for the Disney Dining Experience card. Its available to AP holders and can be used to save significant money off of many of the table service restaurants around property. It can be used for everyone at your table (up to 8 people I think) and can save about 20% off your food cost per meal. Its a great deal and is good for a year after purchase. (It is active as soon as you buy it versus the AP which is starts its year when you redeem your voucher)>

 

[Rob562]

Don't miss out on signing up for the Disney Dining Experience card. Its available to AP holders and can be used to save significant money off of many of the table service restaurants around property. It can be used for everyone at your table (up to 8 people I think) and can save about 20% off your food cost per meal. Its a great deal and is good for a year after purchase. (It is active as soon as you buy it versus the AP which is starts its year when you redeem your voucher)>

Yeah, I plan on getting the DDE card in addition to the Free Dining. I have two other trips planned that won't have the DDP, and though it won't get much use on THIS trip, it'll be nice to have for breakfasts in the food court and non-Plan extras.
So that's one reason I'm hoping that I *can* get the AP at the start of the trip...

-Rob

 

[hansel1]

What is the deal with the park hoppers + water parks extras on tickets if you want to upgrade to an AP?

I have been informed that if you use one of your water park days you can only upgrade to a Premium AP. Is this correct?

If I upgrade to an AP prior to using my water park days, will I lose the water park days on my MYW tickets?


In january disney has offered free PH, with water parks & more upgrades. The answer to these questions will affect whether or not we will upgrade to an AP or go ahead and purchase an AP with the hopes that a discount will come out for January.

 

[NEmickeyfan]

I am a first time annual pass holder...Since I am planning multiple trips this next year, it will save me a bundle on park fees. Sort of offsets the increased airfares.

Annual passes start on the day they are purchased if you do not buy in advance.

If you buy in advance, they start on the day of their first use.

I would appreciate it if someone would let me know how/when/where to get the Disney Dining Experience Card. Thanks!

 

[Rob562]

What is the deal with the park hoppers + water parks extras on tickets if you want to upgrade to an AP?

I have been informed that if you use one of your water park days you can only upgrade to a Premium AP. Is this correct?

If I upgrade to an AP prior to using my water park days, will I lose the water park days on my MYW tickets?


In january disney has offered free PH, with water parks & more upgrades. The answer to these questions will affect whether or not we will upgrade to an AP or go ahead and purchase an AP with the hopes that a discount will come out for January.

Under *normal* conditions, your first two statements are correct.
-If you have a MYW + WP&M and the WP&M options are UNUSED, they will credit you for the price you paid and apply it toward either a regular AP or a Premium AP. But if the price of the MYW ticket is worth more than the AP (which can happen in some combinations), you don't get a refund.
-If you have used even one of the WP&M options, they will only upgrade it to a Premium AP.

Either way, you lose those WP&M options (unless you upgraded to the Premium).

But it gets a bit trickier with a discounted ticket that came from Disney. Most times when Disney gives you something for free (like complimentary passes due to a Guest Service issue), it has a zero dollar value.
But, the ticket you'd get under that promotion *might* operate like a discounted ticket you get from an outside vendor like Maple Leaf or TicketMania. i.e. if you use the ticket for its first THEME PARK entry and *then* go to upgrade it, due to the quirks of the ATS system, you lock in the gate price for what the gate price is for the full ticket irregardless of the discount you received. So, after your first use, the ticket *may* become worth a MYW+WP&M+PH. At which point it would be upgradable under the first two situations.

But unfortunately, I don't have a definite answer on whether this "loophole" would apply to a promo ticket received from Disney. They may still see the upgrades as being worth $0...

-Rob

 

[KingStefan]

This is complicated enough that I think JPVonDrake could be of great help. I'm going to PM him.

 

[JPVonDrake]

To Confirm...

Guests are able to upgrade or modify their Magic Your Way Tickets anytime within 14 days of first use, regardless of whether the No Expiration Option is purchased. After 14 days from the date of first use, no ticket modifications or upgrades may take place. These policies include Magic Your Way Tickets sold as part of a Walt Disney World Vacation Package.

When upgrading Magic Your Way Tickets, any entitlements used on the original ticket must be included on the new, upgraded ticket. This means that if the original ticket visited more than one park on any single day, the new ticket must still include the Park Hopper Option. If the original ticket visited a Water Park, Pleasure Island or DisneyQuest, then the new ticket must still include the Water Park Fun & More Option.

When upgrading to Annual product, if the Guest's original ticket included the Water Park Fun & More Option, and any part of that option was used, then the Guest may only upgrade to the Premium Annual Pass.

If you choose to upgrade to a 4-Park Annual Pass (and the Water Park Fun & More Option was purchased but never used) the full original value of your ticket would be applied to the 4-Park Annual Pass. You would not be able to retain just the Fun & More entitlements separately as this option is not sold separately from a MYW Ticket.

All upgrades to Annual product, must be preformed at a Guest Relations Window at one of the 4 main Theme Parks or at Downtown Disney Guest Relations. Resort Lobby Concierge does not have the means to upgrade to Annual Product.

If the Magic Your Way Ticket was purchased as part of a vacation package, it is best to have your ticket both extracted and upgraded at Guest Relations, not at a Resort. Also note there are no longer Guest Relations Windows located at TTC, you must visit Magic Kingdom.

PLEASE NOTE, although Theme Park Ticket Sales Windows can normally upgrade Magic Your Way Tickets, they CANNOT properly extract a MYW ticket from a vacation package, you must go to a Guest Relations Window to prevent the loss of your package entitlements.

When upgrading to Annual Product, if any entitlement on the Magic Your Way Ticket was used your new Annual Pass expiration date will be one year from the original ticket's FIRST USAGE. If the Magic Your Way Ticket was never used, your expiration date will be one year from the date the upgrade was preformed. Walt Disney World Guest Relations can sell new Annual Product Vouchers, but cannot upgrade an existing ticket to a voucher, they must upgrade to an active ticket.

Guests with pre-purchased Magic Your Way Tickets who wish to modify their tickets on-site will receive the current gate price value of their ticket when upgrading. This means that Guest Relations Cast Members will bridge any price differences that exist between the Guest's original ticket and the current gate price of that exact ticket. The Guest is only responsible for paying for the cost of the additional days and/or options.

This above policy is in effect for tickets priced with Advance Purchase Savings, Wholesale Rates, and/or Ticketing purchased prior to the most recent price change. This does not include ticket specials such as free ticket upgrades on vacation packages or Disney advertised "limited time" pricing specials.

Tickets can only be upgraded in person, and upgrade requests cannot be made by phone, postal mail or email. Pre-Magic Your Way Tickets are not upgradeable, but remain valid until their existing entitlements are used.


* Annual product is defined as 4-Park Annual, Premium Annual, or Florida Resident Seasonal Pass.

 

[coltow]

So,

Guests are able to upgrade or modify their Magic Your Way Tickets anytime within 14 days of first use, regardless of whether the No Expiration Option is purchased. After 14 days from the date of first use, no ticket modifications or upgrades may take place. These policies include Magic Your Way Tickets sold as part of a Walt Disney World Vacation Package.

All upgrades to Annual product, must be preformed at a Guest Relations Window at one of the 4 main Theme Parks or at Downtown Disney Guest Relations. Resort Lobby Concierge does not have the means to upgrade to Annual Product.

If the Magic Your Way Ticket was purchased as part of a vacation package, it is best to have your ticket both extracted and upgraded at Guest Relations, not at a Resort. Also note there are no longer Guest Relations Windows located at TTC, you must visit Magic Kingdom.

PLEASE NOTE, although Theme Park Ticket Sales Windows can normally upgrade Magic Your Way Tickets, they CANNOT properly extract a MYW ticket from a vacation package, you must go to a Guest Relations Window to prevent the loss of your package entitlements.

When upgrading to Annual Product, if any entitlement on the Magic Your Way Ticket was used your new Annual Pass expiration date will be one year from the original ticket's FIRST USAGE. If the Magic Your Way Ticket was never used, your expiration date will be one year from the date the upgrade was preformed. Walt Disney World Guest Relations can sell new Annual Product Vouchers, but cannot upgrade an existing ticket to a voucher, they must upgrade to an active ticket.

I'm just trying to make sure I inderstand this correctly.

1. I must go to Guest Relations at a park not ticket window or resort.
2. Because I'm on a "package," GR will extract my park ticket from my room keybn . I will then have AP and room key with DDP still on it.
3. It doesn't matter if ticket was used or not, GR can upgrade either way

 

[JPVonDrake]

I'm just trying to make sure I inderstand this correctly.

1. I must go to Guest Relations at a park not ticket window or resort.
2. Because I'm on a "package," GR will extract my park ticket from my room keybn . I will then have AP and room key with DDP still on it.
3. It doesn't matter if ticket was used or not, GR can upgrade either way

1 correct

2 correct

3 if the ticket was used, its first use must have been within the last 14 days to upgrade.