Problem with DVC Gold Pass activation

[tb1972]

We had difficulty this week with my daughter's renewal. Her pass expired in July but I bought a renewal certificate but did not activate it until Sunday, Nov. 18th. However, we just noticed her pass expires July of 2019! Has any one else had this issue? The DVC CM said once you have a annual pass expiration date that you're stuck with it forever no matter when you activate. Anyone else have this issue and how did you deal with it?

 

[CarolMN]

The CM is correct. This was changed a few years ago. A renewal just extends your pass for one year.

We just buy new passes (and forego the renewal discount) if there will be several months before we visit again after our APs expire.

 

[bashuck]

It has always been this way. We live far away so we can only squeeze in 3 visits per pass (once at activation, then 6 months away and then right before it expires), and then go 6 months without a pass and then buy a new one as opposed to renewing.

 

[JETSDAD]

A renewal just keeps it going from the expiry of the existing AP. We don't use renewals, even though it would be nice to save that money, because there is always a gap between the end of our AP and when we'll next visit.

 

[D-Trick]

To retiterate what others have said, the renewal discount price is so you will keep your existing AP going. It’s not a prepayment for a future redeemable AP.

My wife and I too usually forego the AP renewal to give ourselves a vacation from Disney vacations.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

It has always been this way. We live far away so we can only squeeze in 3 visits per pass (once at activation, then 6 months away and then right before it expires), and then go 6 months without a pass and then buy a new one as opposed to renewing.

Well, it actually hasn't always been that way but it's been that way for long enough to come close to being "always".

Way back you could renew and the start date changed to the date you renewed. I miss those days. Sigh. I'm not positive when it change but think it was still that way in the late 90's and maybe into the early 2000's.

OP - as mentioned, a renewal extends the expiration date of the pass you are renewing by 1 year. Often it's more advantageous to purchase a brand new pass and start the dates anew. You actually aren't forever married to the dates of your existing pass because you can just buy a new one. You are married to those dates if you want to do a renewal.

 

[jerseygal]

Is it correct that the AP renewals then work better for locals?

 

[Deb & Bill]

Is it correct that the AP renewals then work better for locals?

Probably, unless you are a person with multiple trips per year.

 

[tb1972]

I guess I didn’t read the fine print before buying a renewal pass. We’ve gone back and forth between pass levels in the past so I don’t believe those were renewals. Anyway, I suppose DD’s July expiration will be fine. We had a Nov trip for a week and will go again a week in March. 14 days in the parks is still better than purchasing tickets.

 

[bashuck]

Well, it actually hasn't always been that way but it's been that way for long enough to come close to being "always".

Way back you could renew and the start date changed to the date you renewed. I miss those days. Sigh. I'm not positive when it change but think it was still that way in the late 90's and maybe into the early 2000's.

OP - as mentioned, a renewal extends the expiration date of the pass you are renewing by 1 year. Often it's more advantageous to purchase a brand new pass and start the dates anew. You actually aren't forever married to the dates of your existing pass because you can just buy a new one. You are married to those dates if you want to do a renewal.

My daughter is 8, so as it relates to Disney 'always' started in 2010

 

[supersnoop]

I guess I didn’t read the fine print before buying a renewal pass. We’ve gone back and forth between pass levels in the past so I don’t believe those were renewals. Anyway, I suppose DD’s July expiration will be fine. We had a Nov trip for a week and will go again a week in March. 14 days in the parks is still better than purchasing tickets.

You can get the renewal pricing even when changing pass types, but it still just extends your expiration date one year.

 

[Mrs.Milo]

Just wondering.....so could that July 18 renewal pass be traded in and applied to a new AP that would start now by paying the difference for the current rate?

 

[D-Trick]

Just wondering.....so could that July 18 renewal pass be traded in and applied to a new AP that would start now by paying the difference for the current rate?

Disney does not prorate APs, meaning you cannot...

1. ...apply its value to a new pass with a new refreshed end date. The full value is tied to the existing end date. Nor can you...
   
2. ...upgrade an AP at the half way mark and only pay half the difference of the upgraded price. You must pay the difference in full. Nor can you...
3. ...prorate the value to apply toward something else.

 

[drusba]

As to historical AP's. When you renewed AP's any time before June 2000, the start date of the renewal was whenever you first used it, but there was no DVC discount on AP's at the time (that did not begin until 2005).

 

[OKWJan]

You can use the renewal certificate to upgrade to a new annual pass and pay the difference without any problem at all. We do it all the time, and recommend it when people are way past their renewal date.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

You can use the renewal certificate to upgrade to a new annual pass and pay the difference without any problem at all. We do it all the time, and recommend it when people are way past their renewal date.

Yes, you can get the credit for it but what you can't do is use it for the renewal and then later ask to pay the difference to the new and change the date of the pass. It's important the order you do it in.