New Disney World AP Pay and get less?

[Tess]

Had to go back through my emails for the receipt but I renewed my Platinum in Jan for $1080. Incredi-Pass renewal rate is 1104 + tax and no PhotoPass lol.

Ditto--just renewed our Platinum Passes (we were within our 60 day window) and that was the rate for each. I also had 7 day PH which I had purchased in November 2020 to make reservations for October 2021. I had no issues using the value of those PHs to pay for a portion of our AP renewals.

 

[Nick6300]

You’re right, the $1080 was after tax, not before. My mistake. I choose not to include the $99 photopass charge in comparing. It isn’t included in the new pass, I know. But we never used it, so it was valueless too me anyway. So for me, it’s a little over $100 increase. But I do see Florida residents had previously gotten a discount on the platinum pass. Looks like that isn’t the case for the new Incredi pass?

Hmm, I guess I figured it out. The sorcerer pass is $400 less than the Incredi pass & only blacks out the 2 weeks at Christmas & New Years. Not a bad trade off for $400, IMO. As a non DVC out of state passholder, I wish I could get that deal.

It would be great if out of state AP holders had tiered rates too. I'd take some blackouts during holidays/peak times for a discount, if offered. It especially feels expensive when you had the FL AP the last time, and going to the new rate as an out of state AP. Like coming out of a cool pool and jumping right into a hot tub.

 

[Nick6300]

Did anyone else look into the Water Park and Sports add on? Am I reading this right? $99 with give you access to all (water parks, midget golf, etc.), but only one day each?!? I'm only interested in adding the water parks... Guessing there is no longer a water park annual pass option

I didn't see an AP for water parks when I looked online yesterday. I wanted to compare it to the $99. Seems like it was $100-200 (low $100s I think). It's now about $69+tax like $74 for 1 water park visit.

I didn't think about any limitation such as you couldn't go to BB and then not do Wintersummerland on same day. I would have thought you could go unlimited times just like you can park hop.

 

[Marionnette]

I think that Twitter poster is wrong. Others have said Disney is going to honor what we actually bought. They’re different products and no reason they can’t activate the gold with the gold dates and photo pass.

I think at some point they will no longer be able to activate an old-style voucher for an AP type that no longer exists. New blackout dates can very well be created for those old-style APs so that they align with the new-style APs once currently active APs expire. The current AP admission calendar goes thru August 31, 2022 and will probably update on September 8th of this year so that any grandfathered AP vouchers redeemed after that day will have the same block out dates as the new APs. Any that are activated between now and Sept. 8th will have the old block out dates, which will only extend thru Sept. 7, 2022.

What Carlye tweeted makes sense to me.

 

[jdrasin]

He is so out of touch. Someone needs to clue him in that a lot of people who have WDW APs make multiple, on property trips every year. We are not DL. Between what he is doing to APs and what they have done with on site perks, he’s causing many of these people to reconsider. That could be a big mistake in the long run. Disney has been a generational company, where parents take their children, who in turn take their children, etc. If you get a generation that goes to the competition instead, that pool of first time guests will start to dry up due to lack of emotional connection.

I have an AP, and live close enough to do day trips, but 99.9% of the time, I book a minimum of 2-3 nights (and most of the time 10-11 nights) on property, multiple times per year. I buy Disney food and merchandise (high end stuff like jewelry, not just a tee shirt). If I choose not to renew my pass next year, they lose all of that revenue, not just the price of an AP. I can’t be the only AP that spends a substantial amount of money there above and beyond the price of the pass itself.

In no way am I disagreeing with your sentiment of long-term value vs short-term gain, but I am sure they have very good analytics on exactly how AP members travel and spend vs. non-AP members.

 

[SoCalDisneyFan2708]

Maybe I missed it, but does anyone know if you get a physical plastic card with this new AP? With Disneyland's new Magic Key AP's there is no card, just on your phone

 

[CarlyMur09]

I think at some point they will no longer be able to activate an old-style voucher for an AP type that no longer exists. New blackout dates can very well be created for those old-style APs so that they align with the new-style APs once currently active APs expire. The current AP admission calendar goes thru August 31, 2022 and will probably update on September 8th of this year so that any grandfathered AP vouchers redeemed after that day will have the same block out dates as the new APs. Any that are activated between now and Sept. 8th will have the old block out dates, which will only extend thru Sept. 7, 2022.

What Carlye tweeted makes sense to me.

I can understand that, but we already have park reservations and everything made for our trip (Nov 26-Dec 3), and as I stated in my earlier post, we can't activate it earlier than that as we're in quarantine due to a COVID case (we were supposed to go down this coming weekend). Do we wait to see what happens or do we need to call beforehand and try to get something in place now? It wouldn't be such a big deal for us if it weren't for one person in our group already having an activated pass and going down for only part of the trip, so if we can't do the first two days as planned, she loses about half of her trip.

 

[DavidNYC]

My Silver pass expires in November 4th which means i should be able to upgrade 60 days prior which would put me at the window prior to this rollout.

What would be the benefit of me renewing prior? I'm subject to the old blockout dates but still get the upgrade to 4 reservations at a time that Pirate gets?

I wouldn't count on this. While you can process your renewal 60 days in advance - I would think it's far more likely than not that all passes effective after the published date will be new ones.

EDIT - I saw a few others saying Disney is renewing in advance at the old levels. I'm frankly surprised they're doing this considering how they pretty much take every non-customer friendly path they can . . ..

 

[DavidNYC]

I purchased a Platinum voucher before the price increased in 2019 specifically for use in 2021/22 for the 50th. I will not be going this year as things other than covid have happened. I suspect as a non Florida resident that the exchange would be to Incredipass level. I will be upset if they do not include the photo pass but will still come out ahead of today’s pricing if that’s the only added price once I do go to redeem it. Once I do get to use it,I will be through with Disney World for a good long while. Even if I wasn’t upset with change it really is just too overwhelming. And it’s not just Disney-it’s everywhere. I’m going to focus on making my home a safe retreat for my sanity

If you have a voucher for Platinum they pretty much have to contractually honor the benefits they advertised when you purchased it (or at the very least offer a refund). They will almost certainly include Photopass on your current voucher but you won't have it when you have to renew this one.

 

[DavidNYC]

I think at some point they will no longer be able to activate an old-style voucher for an AP type that no longer exists. New blackout dates can very well be created for those old-style APs so that they align with the new-style APs once currently active APs expire. The current AP admission calendar goes thru August 31, 2022 and will probably update on September 8th of this year so that any grandfathered AP vouchers redeemed after that day will have the same block out dates as the new APs. Any that are activated between now and Sept. 8th will have the old block out dates, which will only extend thru Sept. 7, 2022.

What Carlye tweeted makes sense to me.

They're going to need to give more time than that. If you have a voucher for a silver pass and they have a silver pass schedule on their website, they cannot unilaterally change your ticket to a new product with different benefits than what they are advertising (at least without offering you a refund since that's not what you purchased). They may choose that as they extend the blackout calendar to bring it more in line with the other calendars but if you have a silver voucher right now - you will get the blackout dates for a silver voucher as long as they're published on the website much in the way Disney is still honoring 20 year old tickets with the no expiration option which went away long ago. Adding more blackout dates after they've published them for a purchased product is a legal no-no.

 

[Airb330]

I think at some point they will no longer be able to activate an old-style voucher for an AP type that no longer exists. New blackout dates can very well be created for those old-style APs so that they align with the new-style APs once currently active APs expire. The current AP admission calendar goes thru August 31, 2022 and will probably update on September 8th of this year so that any grandfathered AP vouchers redeemed after that day will have the same block out dates as the new APs. Any that are activated between now and Sept. 8th will have the old block out dates, which will only extend thru Sept. 7, 2022.

What Carlye tweeted makes sense to me.

Maybe in a few years, but post 9/8 they certainly can keep track of all of this. The Disney system has been able to track old non-expiring tickets for years now. It isn't an IT limitation (for once!) I agree with you, the future blackout dates for Silver/Gold vs Pirate/Sorcerer will probably match up. For 2021, they dont and they'll need to honor what was published when we bought it. Disney legally needs to honor the APs, I am pretty sure. Her twitter post seems to conflict a lot of information others have been told already.

I can understand that, but we already have park reservations and everything made for our trip (Nov 26-Dec 3), and as I stated in my earlier post, we can't activate it earlier than that as we're in quarantine due to a COVID case (we were supposed to go down this coming weekend). Do we wait to see what happens or do we need to call beforehand and try to get something in place now? It wouldn't be such a big deal for us if it weren't for one person in our group already having an activated pass and going down for only part of the trip, so if we can't do the first two days as planned, she loses about half of her trip.

I wouldn't put too much stock in the twitter post. I would still call to be on the safe side.

They're going to need to give more time than that. If you have a voucher for a silver pass and they have a silver pass schedule on their website, they cannot unilaterally change your ticket to a new product with different benefits than what they are advertising (at least without offering you a refund since that's not what you purchased). They may choose that as they extend the blackout calendar to bring it more in line with the other calendars but if you have a silver voucher right now - you will get the blackout dates for a silver voucher as long as they're published on the website much in the way Disney is still honoring 20 year old tickets with the no expiration option which went away long ago. Adding more blackout dates after they've published them for a purchased product is a legal no-no.

Agree with you @DavidNYC.

 

[Lehuaann]

I think at some point they will no longer be able to activate an old-style voucher for an AP type that no longer exists. New blackout dates can very well be created for those old-style APs so that they align with the new-style APs once currently active APs expire. The current AP admission calendar goes thru August 31, 2022 and will probably update on September 8th of this year so that any grandfathered AP vouchers redeemed after that day will have the same block out dates as the new APs. Any that are activated between now and Sept. 8th will have the old block out dates, which will only extend thru Sept. 7, 2022.

What Carlye tweeted makes sense to me.

We have multiple 1-9 day MYW tickets in MDE (no start or block-out dates, 2030 exp), and the system recognizes them as such. So I know they can easily separate/retain the original entitlements in the system, especially for legal reasons.

However, I am NOT liking that one of my APs went from a voucher to an “exchange.”

 

[gottalovepluto]

I wouldn't count on this. While you can process your renewal 60 days in advance - I would think it's far more likely than not that all passes effective after the published date will be new ones.

EDIT - I saw a few others saying Disney is renewing in advance at the old levels. I'm frankly surprised they're doing this considering how they pretty much take every non-customer friendly path they can . . ..

Do you mean the normal 60 days before expiration renewal or allowing people outside of even that window to renew?

 

[Marionnette]

Maybe in a few years, but post 9/8 they certainly can keep track of all of this. The Disney system has been able to track old non-expiring tickets for years now. It isn't an IT limitation (for once!) I agree with you, the future blackout dates for Silver/Gold vs Pirate/Sorcerer will probably match up. For 2021, they dont and they'll need to honor what was published when we bought it. Disney legally needs to honor the APs, I am pretty sure. Her twitter post seems to conflict a lot of information others have been told already.

What were the block out dates on the day that you purchased your voucher? I know that they can vary from calendar year to year but if you bought a voucher in early 2020, it didn't include any block out dates more than 365 days beyond the purchase date. That's why I think that they could just adjust the block out dates post-9/8. It would suck for those who bought vouchers with the expectation to use during Thanksgiving and I would hope that they will honor those dates. But Disney hasn't been customer-centric lately.

 

[Moneypenny]

We have multiple 1-9 day MYW tickets in MDE (no start or block-out dates, 2030 exp), and the system recognizes them as such. So I know they can easily separate/retain the original entitlements in the system, especially for legal reasons.

However, I am NOT liking that one of my APs went from a voucher to an “exchange.”

View attachment 601190

I just checked and my gold pass certificates are also now listed as an "exchange".

 

[karen4546]

My Gold pass is set to expire in September. I needed to make park reservations when I booked my trip many many months ago and the less than helpful DVC member said she would transfer me to AP renewal - blah blah blah and an hour later the AP renewal said they could not sell me a renewal that much in advance and said i needed to purchase tickets -okay. I purchased 2 five day tickets so that i could make park reservations.

I emailed services and Patrick Sandberg replied and we talked over the phone and he said that in October my husband and I would be able to take to value of our 5 day tickets and put it towards the Gold pass renewal. SUPER!!

Well, now there is no more Gold AP and so I emailed Patrick again to ask about how our situation would work.

He said that our renewal would be be processed with the value of the 5 day tickets but we would be renewed to the Sorcerer pass. He said the renewal rate as of today had not been published. I mentioned that I can just renew with DVC member services and keep the tickets on my account and use them for renewal next year and he said that ANYONE WITH A RENEWAL CERTIFICATE WILL BE RENEWED TO THE CURRENT PASS EQUIVALENT.

so, my daughter's renewal certificate on her account will be renewed to the Sorcerer pass (he did say she most likely WOULD NOT have to pay any additional for the Sorcerer renewal rate because it was "grandfathered" in. I said the so called equivalent to the Gold Pass does not include the memory maker and he said that it would be available for purchase. ugh

I told Patrick that I am by no means upset with him. I was just disappointed that the new passes ARE NOT equivalent to the old passes because they do not include the memory maker.

Bottom line according to Patrick: NO MORE GOLD APs and renewal certificates will be for the new pass equivalent.

 

[Lehuaann]

My Gold pass is set to expire in September. I needed to make park reservations when I booked my trip many many months ago and the less than helpful DVC member said she would transfer me to AP renewal - blah blah blah and an hour later the AP renewal said they could not sell me a renewal that much in advance and said i needed to purchase tickets -okay. I purchased 2 five day tickets so that i could make park reservations.

I emailed services and Patrick Sandberg replied and we talked over the phone and he said that in October my husband and I would be able to take to value of our 5 day tickets and put it towards the Gold pass renewal. SUPER!!

Well, now there is no more Gold AP and so I emailed Patrick again to ask about how our situation would work.

He said that our renewal would be be processed with the value of the 5 day tickets but we would be renewed to the Sorcerer pass. He said the renewal rate as of today had not been published. I mentioned that I can just renew with DVC member services and keep the tickets on my account and use them for renewal next year and he said that ANYONE WITH A RENEWAL CERTIFICATE WILL BE RENEWED TO THE CURRENT PASS EQUIVALENT.

so, my daughter's renewal certificate on her account will be renewed to the Sorcerer pass (he did say she most likely WOULD NOT have to pay any additional for the Sorcerer renewal rate because it was "grandfathered" in. I said the so called equivalent to the Gold Pass does not include the memory maker and he said that it would be available for purchase. ugh

I told Patrick that I am by no means upset with him. I was just disappointed that the new passes ARE NOT equivalent to the old passes because they do not include the memory maker.

Bottom line according to Patrick: NO MORE GOLD APs and renewal certificates will be for the new pass equivalent.

This is an unfortunate situation for those who purchased tickets expecting to upgrade.

But just plain wrong for those who purchased AP certificates/vouchers expecting MM (or Thanksgiving).

 

[Duck143]

This is an unfortunate situation for those who purchased tickets expecting to upgrade.

But just plain wrong for those who purchased AP certificates/vouchers expecting MM (or Thanksgiving).

I have 4 un-activated Platinum AP vouchers (exp 2030) do CM's refer to these as renewals or certificates or vouchers? We don't have current AP's on our MDE account, so I don't view them as renewals. Our APs were canceled during the cancellation period in 2020 and our next trip will be with purchased 8+ day PH tickets. I have linked the vouchers to our MDE and now they say that they are Platinum Pass Exchange (before this week, they were just called Platinum Pass) I would like these to stay the way they were purchased (incl MM and no black outs)

 

[dvc lover 1970]

Bob Chapek does not sit in his office, ruling with absolute authority, and coming up with every change the company makes. He's the patsy chosen to reveal those changes because he has a punchable face. And it appears to be working.

The buck stops with Chapek, he is the captain of the Disney ship. He has forgotten that Disney is built on customer service. All giants fall. Universal is looking more and more appealing. If Universal studios was smart, they would purchase land in TX and build a disney style resort there, utilizing the old school disney base. They would probably take a huge chunk out of Disney. This push in AP prices is really the final straw for me. I will never add on any more DVC points, not yet ready to sell what I have, but I am ready to vacation in other places. I will wait for Chapek to go. There is already a petition out to get rid of him so I guess I am not the only one who feels this way.

 

[karen4546]

I have 4 un-activated Platinum AP vouchers (exp 2030) do CM's refer to these as renewals or certificates or vouchers? We don't have current AP's on our MDE account, so I don't view them as renewals. Our APs were canceled during the cancellation period in 2020 and our next trip will be with purchased 8+ day PH tickets. I have linked the vouchers to our MDE and now they say that they are Platinum Pass Exchange (before this week, they were just called Platinum Pass) I would like these to stay the way they were purchased (incl MM and no black outs)

agree, but i didn't "buy tickets expecting to upgrade". I have a current Gold AP and the only way the CMs would let me make park reservations was to buy the new tickets-which btw was wrong information because they do let you renew early if you have resort booked-information I learned after the fact.

My issue is not with the Gold going to Sorcerer, it is with the pass not having the Photopass included in the price. I don't like all the add ons... water park, memory maker, lightning lane, paid Genie+ etc (well the cost for the water park add on is not a bad price, but we rarely go to the water park).