When will AP return?

[Sandisw]

Guilty as charged! Sorry about that, I got too excited about finally being able to finally be able to purchase at least some form of tickets for our trip next Septembe/October.

No worries! I found out when I posted a while ago and whoops! Lol

 

[mara512]

I repeat my question. I am just asking for the contact information for WDW AP division . I am looking to receive at least verification that if I purchase my tickets now, will I be able to upgrade to annual pass if available before I ever use my tickets. I am inclined to think annual passes will be available before my February trip but I need to purchase tickets 60 days prior to trip in order to make dining reservations. I have read several posts that people have been told by Disney employees that upgrades will be allowed.

You do not need ticket to make a dining reservation.

 

[Leahc117]

Can someone tell me how to trade park passes for annual passes (if/when they’re back)? We are new to DVC and have a mid April trip planned. I want APs - what should I do instead? Should I reserve something now?

 

[EM Lawrence]

Can someone tell me how to trade park passes for annual passes (if/when they’re back)? We are new to DVC and have a mid April trip planned. I want APs - what should I do instead? Should I reserve something now?

If APs are on sale when you take your trip, you can visit any guest services window and tell them you want to upgrade your tickets to an AP. They will charge you the difference between what you paid for the tickets and the cost of the AP. You will need to do this by the last date that your ticket is valid, and your AP start date will begin on the first day that ticket was used.

 

[Sandisw]

If APs are on sale when you take your trip, you can visit any guest services window and tell them you want to upgrade your tickets to an AP. They will charge you the difference between what you paid for the tickets and the cost of the AP. You will need to do this by the last date that your ticket is valid, and your AP start date will begin on the first day that ticket was used.

To add, if you want to be able to advantage of an AP discount on shopping and dining, do it at the start of the trip

 

[notatallmagic]

For those who have been successful purchasing passes, any idea what the price is for a Platinum Pass?

 

[bakerworld]

We're going to try to see if we can upgrade our tickets to an AP because I've read on multiple forums people have been able to purchase APs. Our previous APs expired December 2019 and we hadn't meant to purchase any tickets until May 2020 - which, of course, didn't happen. With our upcoming trip in November, one planned for March, May and anticipated in October I figure it's worth a 20 minute way at MS to inquire. A call to MS told us we should try before we use any part of the current tickets.

 

[kboo]

For those who have been successful purchasing passes, any idea what the price is for a Platinum Pass?

It was $899 + tax for a new Platinum pass with DVC discount.

 

[BlackTea]

Kboo, thanks for your detailed information, and sorry for my late response. Actually on Friday, right I posted here, I dialed the AP line again, after holding for 10 minutes, one lady connected me to a help desk line. There another 30 minutes hold, I eventually talked to a very helpful CM. She told me the team selling AP was actually overwhelmed, and as of Friday (10/16), they were processing people on the list with an entry date of 10/1, so your understanding about your position in the queue is correct, and she also confirmed my call in date is 10/6, and saying could be another week before they reach me. So just another information to share with you guys, and as of now (Monday), they might be processing dates around 10/3? she also mentioned they work during weekends too..

 

[kboo]

Kboo, thanks for your detailed information, and sorry for my late response. Actually on Friday, right I posted here, I dialed the AP line again, after holding for 10 minutes, one lady connected me to a help desk line. There another 30 minutes hold, I eventually talked to a very helpful CM. She told me the team selling AP was actually overwhelmed, and as of Friday (10/16), they were processing people on the list with an entry date of 10/1, so your understanding about your position in the queue is correct, and she also confirmed my call in date is 10/6, and saying could be another week before they reach me. So just another information to share with you guys, and as of now (Monday), they might be processing dates around 10/3? she also mentioned they work during weekends too..

Oh wow. I'm sorry to hear that, but at least you won't be hanging around waiting for a call back. I hope they got all the bugs out of the way for the people calling 10/1, and later callers will get processed more quickly! Admittedly mine was a mess.

 

[Castillo Mom]

Kboo, thanks for your detailed information, and sorry for my late response. Actually on Friday, right I posted here, I dialed the AP line again, after holding for 10 minutes, one lady connected me to a help desk line. There another 30 minutes hold, I eventually talked to a very helpful CM. She told me the team selling AP was actually overwhelmed, and as of Friday (10/16), they were processing people on the list with an entry date of 10/1, so your understanding about your position in the queue is correct, and she also confirmed my call in date is 10/6, and saying could be another week before they reach me. So just another information to share with you guys, and as of now (Monday), they might be processing dates around 10/3? she also mentioned they work during weekends too..

Thanks for the update! It just goes to show that the CMs are doing the best they can under the circumstances and that we need to be patient and kind.

 

[karen4546]

We bought APs in December 2018 (Platinum). We renewed over the phone to GOLP Ap (we bought AKV direct in May 2019). We had two trips that got canceled and our renewal which was actually a certificate on our account had not been activated.

We had a trip 9/26-10/2. MK was our first park and so we went to guest services and they activated our certificates and I asked what the new expiration would be and they said 9.26.2021 I was hoping to have a "new" expiration and so I was happy with that. I asked if I had to pay the difference and they said "no, it's on Mickey".

Thanks Mickey !

We were hoping to upgrade our grandson's tickets to an Gold annual pass (he and our daughter live with us) on our canceled trip for May 2020 but that obviously didn't happen. His tickets are still on his account, but his next trip is December 2020. Anyone think I will be able to upgrade his tickets then? Do I need to call and have them put a note on his/our account?

It seems a waste to not be able to use the value of the ticket to upgrade.

 

[Sandisw]

We bought APs in December 2018 (Platinum). We renewed over the phone to GOLP Ap (we bought AKV direct in May 2019). We had two trips that got canceled and our renewal which was actually a certificate on our account had not been activated.

We had a trip 9/26-10/2. MK was our first park and so we went to guest services and they activated our certificates and I asked what the new expiration would be and they said 9.26.2021 I was hoping to have a "new" expiration and so I was happy with that. I asked if I had to pay the difference and they said "no, it's on Mickey".

Thanks Mickey !

We were hoping to upgrade our grandson's tickets to an Gold annual pass (he and our daughter live with us) on our canceled trip for May 2020 but that obviously didn't happen. His tickets are still on his account, but his next trip is December 2020. Anyone think I will be able to upgrade his tickets then? Do I need to call and have them put a note on his/our account?

It seems a waste to not be able to use the value of the ticket to upgrade.

I think you will be able to upgrade if sales are back on. Right now, no one seems to have been able to get them to do that except in one instance where everyone else had one.

Maybe of that is your case, you will get lucky and they will allow it.

 

[kboo]

We bought APs in December 2018 (Platinum). We renewed over the phone to GOLP Ap (we bought AKV direct in May 2019). We had two trips that got canceled and our renewal which was actually a certificate on our account had not been activated.

We had a trip 9/26-10/2. MK was our first park and so we went to guest services and they activated our certificates and I asked what the new expiration would be and they said 9.26.2021 I was hoping to have a "new" expiration and so I was happy with that. I asked if I had to pay the difference and they said "no, it's on Mickey".

Thanks Mickey !

We were hoping to upgrade our grandson's tickets to an Gold annual pass (he and our daughter live with us) on our canceled trip for May 2020 but that obviously didn't happen. His tickets are still on his account, but his next trip is December 2020. Anyone think I will be able to upgrade his tickets then? Do I need to call and have them put a note on his/our account?

It seems a waste to not be able to use the value of the ticket to upgrade.

I have *heard* that you would be able to do that, but only at the parks (which I seem to recall was the old way anyway?), so long as you hadn't used your last day on the ticket. We were going to do that with our 4yo to get our APs in sync (we have an unexpiring 5-day ticket for her as well) but then the pandemic came along and we managed to all get on sync anyway. It seems unlikely that we will ever use that ticket for our 4yo now, so maybe I'll save it for our niece when we go together SOMEDAY.

 

[BlackTea]

Quick updates, Disney just called me and now I got AP!!
A few notes,
1) Actually only my wife and two kids qualified for new APs, as mine expired in Dec. 2019, but they made the exception to allow me to get one too!
2) My entry date is 10/6, and it took them 16 days to call back, so if you are planning a Christmas vacation, you might want to action quick.
3) The lady on the phone couldn't take gift cards, and eventually she had to connect me with their ticketing service to get it done, and I had to insist a little bit for this to happen, and was put on hold for around 15 minutes.

 

[Drewferin]

I just received my call back from the Disney VIP AP department. This call back only took 13 days which I guess isn't to bad considering some others on this forum.

I was requesting to be allowed to upgrade my Gold APs to Platinum APs for our 8 night Riveria stay over my daighters bday and Christmas. The woman was very polite and put me on hold a couple times but couldn't do anything for me in the end. I guess an AP upgrade is technically canceling a Gold AP and applying the credit toward a new Platinum AP. Since new APs aren't being sold they can't help me. Our checkin date is now 56 days away and I have no resolution. I'll be getting a followup email on Sunday as my case is reviewed. I asked for a manager or director to call me back but I was informed that nobody higher then the VIP AP Supervisors place customer phone calls... Frustrated and sad Disney for once in their lives will not take my money!!

 

[ScubaCat]

I just received my call back from the Disney VIP AP department. This call back only took 13 days which I guess isn't to bad considering some others on this forum.

I was requesting to be allowed to upgrade my Gold APs to Platinum APs for our 8 night Riveria stay over my daighters bday and Christmas. The woman was very polite and put me on hold a couple times but couldn't do anything for me in the end. I guess an AP upgrade is technically canceling a Gold AP and applying the credit toward a new Platinum AP. Since new APs aren't being sold they can't help me. Our checkin date is now 56 days away and I have no resolution. I'll be getting a followup email on Sunday as my case is reviewed. I asked for a manager or director to call me back but I was informed that nobody higher then the VIP AP Supervisors place customer phone calls... Frustrated and sad Disney for once in their lives will not take my money!!

That's a bummer. I requested the partial refund on the 4 month extension so our passes would expire in November specifically so I could renew as platinum. Amazingly (and after some hassle) it worked out. Looks like my hunch was correct, that they won't let you upgrade unless it's during a renewal (or new pass purchase with recent cancellation).

The good news is that it's still 2 months away, so maybe things will change and they'll allow upgrades sometime soon. I'd keep checking...

 

[Drewferin]

I just received my call back from the Disney VIP AP department. This call back only took 13 days which I guess isn't to bad considering some others on this forum.

I was requesting to be allowed to upgrade my Gold APs to Platinum APs for our 8 night Riveria stay over my daighters bday and Christmas. The woman was very polite and put me on hold a couple times but couldn't do anything for me in the end. I guess an AP upgrade is technically canceling a Gold AP and applying the credit toward a new Platinum AP. Since new APs aren't being sold they can't help me. Our checkin date is now 56 days away and I have no resolution. I'll be getting a followup email on Sunday as my case is reviewed. I asked for a manager or director to call me back but I was informed that nobody higher then the VIP AP Supervisors place customer phone calls... Frustrated and sad Disney for once in their lives will not take my money!!

Pixy dust power

Magic just happened. I got a 3rd call back in an hour and they UPGRADED our APs to Platinum!!!! Woot, woot, Riveria here we come over xmas! Stay positive and polite to the VIP AP supervisors!! I had the lady laughing at my "What, Disney won't take my money for once??!?!".

 

[CarolynFH]

Pixy dust power

Magic just happened. I got a 3rd call back in an hour and they UPGRADED our APs to Platinum!!!! Woot, woot, Riveria here we come over xmas! Stay positive and polite to the VIP AP supervisors!! I had the lady laughing at my "What, Disney won't take my money for once??!?!".

We are in the same situation - big family trip booked for December blackout dates, want to upgrade our DVC Gold APs to Platinum. We finally bit the bullet and bought 6-day tickets so we could make park pass reservations to match our kids' and grandkids' (good thing we did, too, because some days are sold out already).

Unfortunately we'll be on the road for a bit, so I can't put in the call today and wait for the callback. I'll just have to hope that Disney is getting ready to allow upgrades to current APs that are not in their renewal window, so they let you do it early!

 

[IAmDis]

I'm jealous of any of you getting APs, so feel blessed! Unfortunately, I've never held a WDW AP before, only DLR, and I was living abroad at the time of my Feb expiration not expecting to be even in the country at all this year. Once Covid came, got sent back home here to the US where life happened, got a new job, moved here to Florida a month ago and do DVC now, all of which I've wanted to happen anyway at some point in my life, but sadly stuck with tickets only. Just buying cheap FL resident deals for now. Got my big Christmas staycay at Poly coming up so I'm pumped about that, just hoping and praying they offer up APs in time for Xmas holidays, with all the gift giving and marketing needs that should be happening. I feel like APs will be on sale here very soon, whether it's a modified Gold or whatever, I'll take it. I still make it to the Resorts for meals and stuff, Disney Springs dinners, etc., but idk, the Resorts and Springs doesn't feel the same knowing I can't freely go to the parks using an AP, idk, it's an odd feeling. Feel like an outsider.

It is what it is with Covid. It's affected everyone's life for the good and the bad, so I do understand sometimes in life things aren't perfect, and feel blessed I'm in good health and lucky enough to move my entire life to somewhere new and exciting like WDW during a global crisis to start a new life adventure, so def not complaining!

I always pictured me moving to Florida and getting my Disney fix, going to the parks all the time during the week, hop over for dinner, and really feeling like I'm living here now like my old CA life was at Disneyland. I did hit up MK my first full day as a FL resident, so that was cool, but everything just feels like I'm on just a longggg vacation now. Doesn't feel like home yet until I can get to the parks more often. I do have my Universal Pass, but it's not Disney and never will be. I'm tired of watching Vloggers all day on Youtube able to go to the parks and reserve days and go for like 1 hour near closing and just walk around, grab food, etc. Damn vloggers, livin the life and they don't even know it. I'm soooooo jealoussssss!