When will AP return?

[Zuzu03]

I was there last week and tried to upgrade from Gold to Platinum due to an upcoming trip during the December blackout period. I was told by 3 guest services employees at three different locations that Disney is not allowing upgrades to AP at this time and has gone so far as to disable the ability of guest services to perform that function. I'm bummed to say the least and this will definitely change how I do the parks during my trip.

Literally would have been better off letting mine expire and not renewing then. Mine isn't up for renewal until May 14th. Hubby can get his Plat Plus back maybe - that's crazy!

 

[pixieprincess925]

Literally would have been better off letting mine expire and not renewing then. Mine isn't up for renewal until May 14th. Hubby can get his Plat Plus back maybe - that's crazy!

Well, the good news is that from the reports I'm hearing - they would let him renew to Gold or platinum instead of the platinum plus. (no renewals to platinum plus because the water parks are still closed). Unfortunately, that doesn't leave you in a good spot. I feel your pain. Headed down December 16 for 4 days (blackout starts December 18). Now the question is - do I buy 2 days worth of tickets for 3 of us? or just skip parks those other 2 days?

 

[Zuzu03]

I'm thinking the same thing. Do I buy just regular tickets for myself if his get reinstated or just tough it out until mine expire? This will be the first Christmas we DON'T go if I don't go ahead and bite the bullet. Ugh. If you're already going, I would probably do it, lol.

 

[AvidDisReader]

I was at WDW last week and we tried to convert a 7 day pass for my 9 yo grandson to an AP. They said not allowing now and not sure when they would start allowing. The CM put a note in their system so I could renew as AP if they are allowed again. We are going in March as a one on one trip (all his other older cousins have already had a one on one trip). In the past Disney would only allow you to convert if it was done prior to the original ticket expiring. So hopefully, We will be able to get this done, but it is anybody's guess if they will even be selling AP's in March.

 

[hauntedcity]

I was at WDW last week and we tried to convert a 7 day pass for my 9 yo grandson to an AP. They said not allowing now and not sure when they would start allowing. The CM put a note in their system so I could renew as AP if they are allowed again. We are going in March as a one on one trip (all his other older cousins have already had a one on one trip). In the past Disney would only allow you to convert if it was done prior to the original ticket expiring. So hopefully, We will be able to get this done, but it is anybody's guess if they will even be selling AP's in March.

We are in a similar boat. We visited in October on a 6-day pass, and wanted to convert to an AP for a June trip. The Cast Member didn't note anything on our account, unfortunately, but she BELIEVED that conversion to AP would be allowed after the original ticket expired. Fingers crossed. I'm now in that weird situation where I want to make park reservations for June, but buying passes instead of upgrading to AP will be MUCH more money.

 

[BWV Dreamin]

I booked many park reservations for our 14 day stay next spring. I was able to book them because we have NE tickets linked. I don’t plan on using these NE tix but rather am waiting to buy a new gold AP. If this is not available, is there any penalty in cancelling the park reservations?

 

[HappyDisneyWife]

It was extended and I renewed but dropped from a Platinum Plus to a Theme Park Select, because I had no idea how long they were going to be closed and didn't want to take a chance losing the 15% renewal. His Plat Plus expired in July and he didn't renew

Have you ever used/activated your renewed pass? If not, it might be easiest to call & cancel that one, and just buy a new pass instead (since they’re finally allowing that for those who qualify- which my girls do not, since theirs expired last year ).

I was there last week and tried to upgrade from Gold to Platinum due to an upcoming trip during the December blackout period. I was told by 3 guest services employees at three different locations that Disney is not allowing upgrades to AP at this time and has gone so far as to disable the ability of guest services to perform that function.

I am sorry to hear that! I called MS just a few days ago (so, not at GS in the parks) to renew my current DVC Gold. She asked me what I wanted- gold or plat. I stuck with gold, but she offered me the choice. From what you and others have said, it seems they are looking at upgrades quite differently from renewals.

 

[HappyDisneyWife]

I booked many park reservations for our 14 day stay next spring. I was able to book them because we have NE tickets linked. I don’t plan on using these NE tix but rather am waiting to buy a new gold AP. If this is not available, is there any penalty in cancelling the park reservations?

Nope. None at all The only catch would be if you also have resort reservations... bc the “pool” for park reservations is different btw reg ticket guests and AP guests (so you couldn’t easily switch from one ticket type to another), but it doesn’t matter if you’re a resort guest (you can hold either ticket type)

 

[Sandisw]

Have you ever used/activated your renewed pass? If not, it might be easiest to call & cancel that one, and just buy a new pass instead (since they’re finally allowing that for those who qualify- which my girls do not, since theirs expired last year ).

I am sorry to hear that! I called MS just a few days ago (so, not at GS in the parks) to renew my current DVC Gold. She asked me what I wanted- gold or plat. I stuck with gold, but she offered me the choice. From what you and others have said, it seems they are looking at upgrades quite differently from renewals.

Yes, they are treating an upgrade much different if wanting to upgrade without it being a renewal.

 

[pixieprincess925]

I am sorry to hear that! I called MS just a few days ago (so, not at GS in the parks) to renew my current DVC Gold. She asked me what I wanted- gold or plat. I stuck with gold, but she offered me the choice. From what you and others have said, it seems they are looking at upgrades quite differently from renewals.

Yes, hopefully you won't want to upgrade your Gold pass later - they won't currently allow it. If I had know that, I would have purchased the platinum renewal instead!

 

[kucanhead]

So I just spent an hour on the phone with a CM trying to get on the new AP purchase list. However, she said I wasn't eligible because even though I requested a partial refund in July for my passes that "expired" at the end of May, the new extended expiration date would have been October 25th, and I was still in the renewal window. We're not going until mid-June 2021 and again early June 2022, so a renewal doesn't help me.

Has anyone else received this response? I guess I can try again in a few weeks when the new renewal window theoretically expires.

 

[kanerf]

I was there and October and purchased a renewal upgraded to Platinum.

 

[Sandisw]

So I just spent an hour on the phone with a CM trying to get on the new AP purchase list. However, she said I wasn't eligible because even though I requested a partial refund in July for my passes that "expired" at the end of May, the new extended expiration date would have been October 25th, and I was still in the renewal window. We're not going until mid-June 2021 and again early June 2022, so a renewal doesn't help me.

Has anyone else received this response? I guess I can try again in a few weeks when the new renewal window theoretically expires.

Since you didn’t cancel the AP, but took the extension, you are not currently eligible to buy a new AP yet,

They are only allowing people who canceled it or it expired during the closure,

So, right now, you are only eligible to renew, which, as you mentioned, does not work for you,

New APs are not being sold to most people.

 

[kucanhead]

Since you didn’t cancel the AP, you are not eligible to buy a new AP yet,

I didn't realize there was a difference between cancelling and requesting a refund. What's the difference between the two? I thought when I requested the refund I was cancelling the APs and getting money back for the period of closure instead of extending the expiration date.

 

[eeyoresmom]

I'm so confused. Is Disney allowing renewals of the Gold pass? DD's pass expires in early Feb but we want to book a long weekend over Presidents Day. We won't go if she has to purchase regular tickets.

 

[Sandisw]

I didn't realize there was a difference between cancelling and requesting a refund. What's the difference between the two? I thought when I requested the refund I was cancelling the APs and getting money back for the period of closure instead of extending the expiration date.

There was a difference, You had the option to cancel the pass outright for the remaining time and getting a refund for all of it..

For example, my pass expired October 6th. I could have canceled it, it would have ended August 11th..I believe that was the date...and then gotten a refund from closure to October 6th.

The partial refund did not cancel the pass, but simple refunded you the funds for the closure, but your pass remained active until its original expiration.

Or, as you said, you had the option of an extension. To cancel the pass, you had to let them know by mid August.

So, there were 3 options to choose from. Right now, they are only allowing people who actually canceled passes outright...or they expired prior to the opening date to purchase a new pass,

Anyone who extended passes or took only a partial refund are not yet eligible for new. Only allowed to renewed

 

[Sandisw]

I'm so confused. Is Disney allowing renewals of the Gold pass? DD's pass expires in early Feb but we want to book a long weekend over Presidents Day. We won't go if she has to purchase regular tickets.

Yes, current pass owners are allowed to renew their passes. Someone cannnot buy a new pass or upgrade current passes or multiday ticekts to new APs

 

[eeyoresmom]

Yes, current pass owners are allowed to renew their passes. Someone cannnot buy a new pass or upgrade current passes or multiday ticekts to new APs

Thank you so much!

 

[kucanhead]

There was a difference, You had the option to cancel the pass outright for the remaining time and getting a refund for all of it..

For example, my pass expired October 6th. I could have canceled it, it would have ended August 11th..I believe that was the date...and then gotten a refund from closure to October 6th.

The partial refund did not cancel the pass, but simple refunded you the funds for the closure, but your pass remained active until its original expiration.

Or, as you said, you had the option of an extension. To cancel the pass, you had to let them know by mid August.

So, there were 3 options to choose from. Right now, they are only allowing people who actually canceled passes outright...or they expired prior to the opening date to purchase a new pass,

Anyone who extended passes or took only a partial refund are not yet eligible for new. Only allowed to renewed

My passes were set to expire May 29th, during the closure, and I requested a refund in early July. In my case, a partial refund should have been the same as a cancellation since there was no portion left post reopening. The CM did confirm that I requested a refund, but I haven't seen any money yet, and I just checked the Disney World app and it shows the passes as expiring on 10/25 and eligible for renewal. Perhaps my refund request was never processed.

Since my passes expired prior to the reopening date, doesn't that mean I should be eligible anyway? Do I just have to wait until I'm out of the renewal window, or does the fact that the expiration was extended disqualify me?

 

[bakerworld]

Because we'd read on multiple forums that people were able to purchase AP's I called MS and they told me to ask at the GS when we got to WDW. We asked at WDW GS and they told us to call MS. The CM at GS did confirm they've activating APs but they don't know how they are acquiring them. I could've made her call a manager, etc. but geez-o-man I'm on vacation. So screw it. It means WDW gets less park days from me but really Disney makes more $$ from me sitting beside the pool then parking.