Blackout Exception for Renewal of SoCal Select AP?

[twitch]

Our SoCal Select pass is good through August 24th. We are about to conclude our first year, and are planning to renew it for another year. I think I understand that it's eligible for renewal starting 40 days out -- July 16th?

If I renew in person, am I likely to get a blockout exception pass? Or should I just renew over the phone?

 

[disneychrista]

I think you only get the exception when you first buy the pass not when you renew.

 

[SMD]

You can get it when you renew, as long as you renew at the ticket booth.

 

[ashley0139]

Our SoCal Select pass is good through August 24th. We are about to conclude our first year, and are planning to renew it for another year. I think I understand that it's eligible for renewal starting 40 days out -- July 16th?

If I renew in person, am I likely to get a blockout exception pass? Or should I just renew over the phone?

Yep, you can get one, just ask for it when you renew at the ticket booth that day.

 

[paintingoncelluloid]

Thanks for asking this question, OP, because I had no idea this was possible! I have a follow-up question, if I can piggyback: if a pass expires at the end of August 2017, but is renewed in mid-July 2017, does the renewed pass expire in August or July of 2018? (It's only my second year with an AP and I'm still learning the ropes!)

 

[ashley0139]

Thanks for asking this question, OP, because I had no idea this was possible! I have a follow-up question, if I can piggyback: if a pass expires at the end of August 2017, but is renewed in mid-July 2017, does the renewed pass expire in August or July of 2018? (It's only my second year with an AP and I'm still learning the ropes!)

August (disregarding the 13 month extension if this applies to you).

 

[paintingoncelluloid]

August (disregarding the 13 month extension if this applies to you).

Thanks!

 

[twitch]

Thanks for the help on this!

Just confirming that, in fact, on July 31, 2017, we were able to renew our SoCal Select pass (exp. 8/24) at the ticket booth and receive a Blockout Exception Pass.

 

[longtimedisneylurker]

Thanks for the help on this!

Just confirming that, in fact, on July 31, 2017, we were able to renew our SoCal Select pass (exp. 8/24) at the ticket booth and receive a Blockout Exception Pass.

I have another question for you. I saw on another thread that you also added max pass when you renewed. Did you renew ahead of your date, and does the max pass then become immediately active from when you renew until your expiration date next year?

 

[twitch]

I have another question for you. I saw on another thread that you also added max pass when you renewed. Did you renew ahead of your date, and does the max pass then become immediately active from when you renew until your expiration date next year?

Yes. It became immediately active, and is supposed to be active until my new expiration date. I was also able to include it on the monthly payment plan.

 

[paintingoncelluloid]

Yes. It became immediately active, and is supposed to be active until my new expiration date.

What wild timing -- I just got off the phone with a cast member to ask this very question (about when MaxPass becomes active if you add it when renewing a pass). She told me the opposite of what you experienced, that MaxPass wouldn't be active until the next year of my pass begins. I'm glad to see that that isn't necessarily the case -- thanks for sharing!! It definitely seems like going to the ticket booth to renew in person is the way to go.

 

[twitch]

What wild timing -- I just got off the phone with a cast member to ask this very question (about when MaxPass becomes active if you add it when renewing a pass). She told me the opposite of what you experienced, that MaxPass wouldn't be active until the next year of my pass begins. I'm glad to see that that isn't necessarily the case -- thanks for sharing!! It definitely seems like going to the ticket booth to renew in person is the way to go.

It worked for us yesterday. It remains to be seen if MP will expire on Aug 24, 2017 or 2018. I specifically asked the CM (Yolanda), and she assured me that it would be good through the entire year+.

 

[SMD]

I renewed and went back up to Signature and didn't get a blockout pass. Then I went on the day the pass expired, which should technically also be the first day of the new AP, and not blocked. They said I was blocked and my higher discounts don't kick in until the next day. My photos didn't unlock until the next day too, but that wasn't really an issue. I thought it was a little dumb that the odds favored the house on this one and they can't manage to unlock the new benefits on the crossover day. They did eventually give me a blockout for that day. After that, I'd assume MP would be the same, that it doesn't kick in until th pass rolls over.

 

[longtimedisneylurker]

Yes. It became immediately active, and is supposed to be active until my new expiration date. I was also able to include it on the monthly payment plan.

What wild timing -- I just got off the phone with a cast member to ask this very question (about when MaxPass becomes active if you add it when renewing a pass). She told me the opposite of what you experienced, that MaxPass wouldn't be active until the next year of my pass begins. I'm glad to see that that isn't necessarily the case -- thanks for sharing!! It definitely seems like going to the ticket booth to renew in person is the way to go.

It worked for us yesterday. It remains to be seen if MP will expire on Aug 24, 2017 or 2018. I specifically asked the CM (Yolanda), and she assured me that it would be good through the entire year+.

Hmm...so I guess we won't know how it really goes until your renewal date rolls around. I was curious because I know that if you upgrade your pass, Disney says the new level and any associated benefits don't kick in until the first day of the new pass. I was concerned that adding max pass on a renewal might somehow screw things up, and that it would in fact expire on the original expiration date and not the new renewed pass expiration date. That would really tick me off. I don't particularly care if I get the benefits before the actual renewal date since I am more likely to renew online and not return until the new start date anyway.

The thing that does tick me off about Disney though is that they tell you that if you upgrade, that your new benefits won't kick in until the date of the upgrade, but I have noticed that if you downgrade during your renewal window, you immediately are converted to the lower level pass and subject to whatever limitations that imposes. Technically I haven't tested out how true this is, but when I renewed last year from a Signature Plus down to a Signature my online account through all portals, computer and app, showed me as having a Signature pass with blockout dates, etc. a full 2 1/2 weeks before my original expiration date. For me this didn't matter, but I can see situations when it might for some, so it annoys me that they "penalize" you in this way for renewing early.

 

[paintingoncelluloid]

A quick update: this past Sunday I upgraded my SoCal AP to a Deluxe AP at the ticket booths. I was able to enter the park because the Deluxe was not blocked out that day -- when my pass got scanned at the turnstiles it buzzed red, but the cast members were able to see on their screens that I had upgraded, and they checked the date on my receipt to make sure that I had upgraded on Sunday specifically.

I also added MaxPass to my AP for the upcoming year. The cast member at the ticket booth told me it would work in the parks immediately, but it was never actually available to me on Sunday and doesn't show anywhere in my app. (I was able to pull regular FastPasses at the machines with no problems.) I assume MaxPass will kick in on September 1 when my new pass year begins.

 

[twitch]

Hmm...so I guess we won't know how it really goes until your renewal date rolls around. I was curious because I know that if you upgrade your pass, Disney says the new level and any associated benefits don't kick in until the first day of the new pass. I was concerned that adding max pass on a renewal might somehow screw things up, and that it would in fact expire on the original expiration date and not the new renewed pass expiration date. That would really tick me off. I don't particularly care if I get the benefits before the actual renewal date since I am more likely to renew online and not return until the new start date anyway.

The thing that does tick me off about Disney though is that they tell you that if you upgrade, that your new benefits won't kick in until the date of the upgrade, but I have noticed that if you downgrade during your renewal window, you immediately are converted to the lower level pass and subject to whatever limitations that imposes. Technically I haven't tested out how true this is, but when I renewed last year from a Signature Plus down to a Signature my online account through all portals, computer and app, showed me as having a Signature pass with blockout dates, etc. a full 2 1/2 weeks before my original expiration date. For me this didn't matter, but I can see situations when it might for some, so it annoys me that they "penalize" you in this way for renewing early.

I can confirm that we had no problems with MaxPass today, after our renewal date. As a reminder, we renewed our SoCal Select pass early (on a block out date) and got an exception pass for entrance. At the same time we renewed it, we also added MaxPass (annual). MP became immediately active. I asked the CM at the time to make sure that it would be good for the year+. Anyway, today we confirmed that our MP is still good.

Just one data point. YMMV.

 

[SMD]

Technically today is the last day of last year's pass. Hopefully MP still works tomorrow.

 

[twitch]

Technically today is the last day of last year's pass. Hopefully MP still works tomorrow.

Oh. Whoops.

You're right.

It'll be a few weeks before I can update again. Sorry!