Upgrading to an AP...

[DisneyBride94]

We are headed down to Disney in late September. We are staying for 7 days, 8 nights.

Last year we booked a MYW package and have 3 or 4 left over hopper admissions per person (non-expiring type, plus options, I think we have 3 or 4 options left over).

This year I think we booked 3-day park admissions (non-hopping, non expiring) as part of our package... (we also have free dining, if that matters to anyone. )

I have heard that we could upgrade the park admissions from our current trip to an AP.... but here's the question--can we use our left over hopper passes form LAST year towards, along with our current MYW addmissions, toward the price of an AP? That's what I'm trying to figure out.

Thanks in advance, anyone can help! Our final payment is due today.

:wave:

 

[Chape19714]

That's a pretty interesting question/situation. I would say to check with Guest Relations, they seem to be the experts on that stuff. You may only be able to upgrade 1 of them, but you never know. I would definately give it a try!

 

[colliera]

Admission Media exchange

We are headed down to Disney in late September. We are staying for 7 days, 8 nights.

Last year we booked a MYW package and have 3 or 4 left over hopper admissions per person (non-expiring type, plus options, I think we have 3 or 4 options left over).

This year I think we booked 3-day park admissions (non-hopping, non expiring) as part of our package... (we also have free dining, if that matters to anyone. )

I have heard that we could upgrade the park admissions from our current trip to an AP.... but here's the question--can we use our left over hopper passes form LAST year towards, along with our current MYW addmissions, toward the price of an AP? That's what I'm trying to figure out.

Thanks in advance, anyone can help! Our final payment is due today.

:wave:

Generally any admission media from previous trips value can be used toward the purchase of an upgrade admission, provided the MYW ticket isn't one that expires 14 days after first use. As I understand it you are saying these are the non-expiring kind - one set park hopping and one set non-parkhopping.

In many instances the value of the ticket is less than the cost of entrance to a park by today's prices. So, just using the old ticket is to your advantage. But since you are contemplating upgrading to an AP it sounds like you are planning more visits than what your current tickets will allow. The more you can walk past the turnstiles the better.

If you can use the MYW that are part of your future package is questionable. However, I have heard schemes that allow the AP to add a dinning plan. I wouldn't think free dinning plan would be part of that though.

The current break even MYW non-expiring, parkhopping equal to an new AP cost is around 10 1/2 days, (10-day MYW $443.04 v. AP $462.21.) Next year the AP renewal will be close to equal to a 10-day MYW if renewal prices hold.

You will also have to decide if you need any of the "plus" options: water parks, Pleasure Island, or Disney Quest. If you do then the plus added to the MYW would be 6 plus experiences. If you don't need that many then the slight discount the AP gets on these tickets would do.

As an AP holder you qualify for the Disney Dining EXPERIENCE. (Note this is different from the Disney Dining Plan. It is a 20% discount on meals and AND beverages at many park and resort food outlets.) It is an additional charge of $60 but the holder can include a larger party of guests. Most places are the sit down type resturant. But it is not the FREE plan you currently have.

I usually stay twice a year for 7-8 days per visit so that's 14-16 days at a cost of $22-28 per day. I tend to favor the sit down resturants so I know the DDE has more than paid for itself over and over.

I would think that the future MYW package with free dinning would be worth keeping and then applying the past ticket values to an AP for future visits IF you anticipate visiting 10-11 more days within the period of the APs year. I don't think this exchange can be done anywere except at Guest Relations at the parks. How they would determine WHEN the AP year starts is a question that would need to be addressed. You wouldn't what it to be active the same time your upcoming visit MYW passes are in effect.

 

[JPVonDrake]

First let me say that Colliera's post was excellent and 100% correct. Let me just clarify a few points...

All Magic Your Way Tickets are non-refundable and non-transferable. Multiple MYW tickets cannot be combined in to a single upgraded ticket. All ticket upgrades must be made in person at a Guest Relations Window at Walt Disney World. Ticket upgrades cannot be made by phone or mail.

Guests are invited to upgrade or modify their existing Magic Your Way Tickets anytime within 14 days from the date 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 upgrade may take place.

The only exception to this 14-day upgrade window policy is the Florida Resident 3-Day Play Pass. Florida Resident Guests are encouraged to upgrade their Florida Resident 3-Day Play Pass to a Florida Resident Seasonal, Annual or Premium Annual Pass anytime within 6 months of first use, regardless of whether the No Expiration Option is purchased. Additionally, within this same upgrade window, Florida Resident Guests may upgrade their Florida Resident 3-Day Play Pass to include additional days or options. Keep in mind, when upgrading to the 4-, 5-, 6- or 7-Day Florida Resident Magic Your Way Tickets, it may be necessary to also add the No Expiration Option, if the first use was more than 14 days ago. After 6 months, no ticket modifications or upgrades may take place.

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 from a MYW ticket to an Annual/Seasonal/Premium Pass, the expiration date will be one year from the original ticket's first usage, not the date of the upgrade. 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.

NEW - Guests with pre-purchased Magic Your Way Tickets who wish to upgrade their tickets will receive the current gate price value of their ticket when upgrading. This new policy also includes tickets purchased prior to the most recent price change. This does not however change the 14 day upgrade window on partially used MYW Tickets.

Guests who purchase select tickets in advance outside the state of Florida receive an Advance Purchase Savings. When upgrading their tickets, Guests will retain that savings. Guest who purchase select tickets from authorized Wholesalers (i.e. AAA, Mapleleaf, etc.) will also retain that savings when upgrading.

 

[AEfx]

NEW - Guests with pre-purchased Magic Your Way Tickets who wish to upgrade their tickets will receive the current gate price value of their ticket when upgrading. This new policy also includes tickets purchased prior to the most recent price change. This does not however change the 14 day upgrade window on partially used MYW Tickets.

Wow, that's pretty incredible. It should help alleviate some of the upset people over the recent price increases.

Since I bought my MYW ticket with advance purchase savings I won't see as much of a discount if I upgrade to an AP (since there is no AP savings on AP's, LOL), but it still will be nice to get the difference between buying one before the price increase and one after, if I choose to do that.

If I'm reading you correctly, if you purchased at gate prices before the increase you will get credit for the gate price post-increase, and if you bought it with advance purchase you will upgrade you get credit for the new advance purchase price and be able to buy the new ticket at the current advance purchase price (even though you can only upgrade at the gate).

Sounds like a pretty nice policy to me. Rewarding people for stocking up. I've been on the fence about upgrading my MYW to an AP (I'm a member of the "I live 12 states away but I still get an AP every other year" club), and had resigned myself that if I do it I'd loose the benefit I gained by buying before the increase. I think it's about $12 or $13 difference between an 8-day MYW PH before and after - not a huge difference, but enough to make me feel better about upgrading.

As always, thanks for giving us such great info, JPVD!

AEfx