Upgrade to AP

[bee]

Sorry if this has been asked before as I am still a bit confused regarding the option to upgrade to APs. I know that you can upgrade to an AP after entering the park with a "normal" ticket by paying the difference at Guest Services. Does this apply for any normal ticket? For instance if I do a package with a resort and a ticket can I upgrade this ticket? What if I buy a discounted multi-day ticket from somewhere that's not Disney? Also, will the AP anniversary date be the date I purchased the original ticket or the day I upgraded? Thanks, all!

 

[durangojim]

Sorry if this has been asked before as I am still a bit confused regarding the option to upgrade to APs. I know that you can upgrade to an AP after entering the park with a "normal" ticket by paying the difference at Guest Services. Does this apply for any normal ticket? For instance if I do a package with a resort and a ticket can I upgrade this ticket? What if I buy a discounted multi-day ticket from somewhere that's not Disney? Also, will the AP anniversary date be the date I purchased the original ticket or the day I upgraded? Thanks, all!

You can do it with any ticket except those that are purchased as part of a convention. I've done it many times over the past 10 years with tickets purchased from UndercoverTourist and Disney only makes me pay the difference between what the retail cost is, and not what I paid. The catch is that you have to have used the ticket to enter the park before you upgrade. It's super easy and usually takes about 10 minutes at Guest services.

 

[bee]

You can do it with any ticket except those that are purchased as part of a convention. I've done it many times over the past 10 years with tickets purchased from UndercoverTourist and Disney only makes me pay the difference between what the retail cost is, and not what I paid. The catch is that you have to have used the ticket to enter the park before you upgrade. It's super easy and usually takes about 10 minutes at Guest services.

Thanks for clarifying! Is the expiration date the day I upgrade or the day I originally purchased?

 

[sissa216]

It should be the day the ticket is first used.

 

[arko]

It should be the day the ticket is first used.

that is correct

 

[draybook]

What's with having to use it first?

 

[bee]

What's with having to use it first?

From another topic, posted by @Rob562:
"And as a side note, it's generally suggested that you *use* tickets to enter a park before upgrading them. That way you a) make sure you get the current gate-price value in the upgrade, and b) to lock in the date that they'd back-date the newly upgraded AP to be and make it more obvious what it should be."
(http://forums.wdwmagic.com/threads/upgrade-park-ticket-to-annual-pass-when-does-it-expire.852607/)

 

[draybook]

From another topic, posted by @Rob562:
"And as a side note, it's generally suggested that you *use* tickets to enter a park before upgrading them. That way you a) make sure you get the current gate-price value in the upgrade, and b) to lock in the date that they'd back-date the newly upgraded AP to be and make it more obvious what it should be."
(http://forums.wdwmagic.com/threads/upgrade-park-ticket-to-annual-pass-when-does-it-expire.852607/)

Ok, but is there a disadvantage to doing it at DtD before you hit the parks? Right now our idea is to check into POFQ around 9-10pm and then zip over to DD to do the upgrade there. Should we just wait until the next morning and do it at the parks? Also, if you use them, won't that knock off one day's worth of pricing from the difference?

 

[sissa216]

Ok, but is there a disadvantage to doing it at DtD before you hit the parks? Right now our idea is to check into POFQ around 9-10pm and then zip over to DD to do the upgrade there. Should we just wait until the next morning and do it at the parks? Also, if you use them, won't that knock off one day's worth of pricing from the difference?

The benefit to using it first comes if you're using tickets that you purchased before a price increase. If you upgrade before you use them, you'll pay the difference between what you paid and the current cost of the AP. However, if you upgrade after you've entered the park, you'll pay the difference between the current cost of the length of your ticket and an AP.

If you're upgrading tickets that are part of your package, it shouldn't really make a difference. I can't think of any advantage of doing it one way or another- but I may be overlooking something.

As for the last part, it doesn't work that way. If you have a 10 day ticket, and have used 6 days, you'll pay the difference between a 10 day ticket and the AP, not the difference between a 4 day ticket and an AP. It is determined by the overall original value of your ticket, not what remains.

However, with that in mind, the upgrade must take place when there is at least 1 day remaining on the ticket. The moment you enter the park on the last day, the ticket is empty and can't be upgraded.

 

[durangojim]

Ok, but is there a disadvantage to doing it at DtD before you hit the parks? Right now our idea is to check into POFQ around 9-10pm and then zip over to DD to do the upgrade there. Should we just wait until the next morning and do it at the parks? Also, if you use them, won't that knock off one day's worth of pricing from the difference?

Like other's have said, it depends on where you bought the original ticket from. If you bought a ticket at a $30 discount and then upgrade at DTD before you actually used the ticket, you will only get credit for what you paid, not what the full retail price is. If you go through one of the park gates then you get credit for the current gate price, not what you paid. For a family of four that's $120, so for us it's worth it.

 

[draybook]

Our tickets were part of the bounce back offer from last September, so I'm guessing that our plan to upgrade on arrival should be fine?

 

[durangojim]

Our tickets were part of the bounce back offer from last September, so I'm guessing that our plan to upgrade on arrival should be fine?

Yes, there's no advantage to upgrading before or after you're in the park since you got them from Disney.

 

[draybook]

Yes, there's no advantage to upgrading before or after you're in the park since you got them from Disney.

Fantastic, you're a gentleman and a scholar!

 

[dadddio]

It should be the day the ticket is first used.

As long as the ticket still has remaining days, it doesn't matter when you do the upgrade.

 

[dadddio]

Yes, there's no advantage to upgrading before or after you're in the park since you got them from Disney.

This is actually not completely accurate. If the tickets are purchased from WDW Ticket Operations at full price whether at the parks or guest relations or online or by phone, they cannot be price bridged. There is no benefit to using these once prior to bridging.

However, if they are obtained as part of a package from WDTC, then they can be bridged. Therefore, it is in your best interest to use these tickets once prior to bridging.

 

[draybook]

This is actually not completely accurate. If the tickets are purchased from WDW Ticket Operations at full price whether at the parks or guest relations or online or by phone, they cannot be price bridged. There is no benefit to using these once prior to bridging.

However, if they are obtained as part of a package from WDTC, then they can be bridged. Therefore, it is in your best interest to use these tickets once prior to bridging.

What's the difference in those two things? Our tickets are directly from the bounce back folks that we booked with before checking out last year.

 

[dreamfinder]

As long as the ticket still has remaining days, it doesn't matter when you do the upgrade.

Not true. It needs to be done within 14 days of first use, as well as ensuring that the ticket still is valid for admission.

What's the difference in those two things? Our tickets are directly from the bounce back folks that we booked with before checking out last year.

WDTC is technically buying the tickets to bundle into your package. (At least I believe that is the case) So they could have potentially been sold to WDTC at a discounted rate, the same way that they do when selling bulk tickets to a reseller like Undercover Tourist.

 

[draybook]

I know that when I called the reservation line and asked what the difference was they told me the price, so I'm assuming it will stay the same between now and September.

 

[dadddio]

Not true. It needs to be done within 14 days of first use, as well as ensuring that the ticket still is valid for admission.

You are correct. Tickets must be upgraded within 14 days of first use. I was replying to someone's comment that it should be done on the first day that the ticket is used and I was lazy in my answer.

 

[dadddio]

I know that when I called the reservation line and asked what the difference was they told me the price, so I'm assuming it will stay the same between now and September.

You might be right.

The last increase was in February. They generally only do one increase a year, but it isn't uncommon for their to be two in a year. Of course, the price increases usually happen in Summer. the last several times that there has been an increase early in the year, it has been followed by another increase in summer.