Question about AP discounts

[dolewhipdreams]

**Updated question in Post #1 from 8/20/18**

Hello fellow DVC members! I'm excited to say that because we officially became members about 30 minutes ago (eek!).

Anyway I have a question about the AP discounts. Right now I hold a platinum annual pass but I know as a DVC member I can get a Florida Gold Pass. My question is this- since I'm switching pass types, would I have to get a new Gold Pass or could I 'renew' my platinum pass for a gold pass and pay the renewal price on the gold pass? Or would I need to pay the price of a new gold pass?

 

[gillep]

Hello fellow DVC members! I'm excited to say that because we officially became members about 30 minutes ago (eek!).

Anyway I have a question about the AP discounts. Right now I hold a platinum annual pass but I know as a DVC member I can get a Florida Gold Pass. My question is this- since I'm switching pass types, would I have to get a new Gold Pass or could I 'renew' my platinum pass for a gold pass and pay the renewal price on the gold pass? Or would I need to pay the price of a new gold pass?

As long as you are within your renewal window you can renew to any pass level and get the renewal price, so yes, you can renew your platinum pass to a gold pass and pay the renewal rate as long as you are within the renewal period.

 

[BillPA]

WELCOME HOME

 

[dolewhipdreams]

As long as you are within your renewal window you can renew to any pass level and get the renewal price, so yes, you can renew your platinum pass to a gold pass and pay the renewal rate as long as you are within the renewal period.

Thank you!!

 

[wishicouldgomoreofte]

Hello fellow DVC members! I'm excited to say that because we officially became members about 30 minutes ago (eek!).

Anyway I have a question about the AP discounts. Right now I hold a platinum annual pass but I know as a DVC member I can get a Florida Gold Pass.

Welcome Home!
Just a correction---DVC membership does not get you any Florida specific discounts. You have to qualify for those by living in Florida.
You may have misspoken and meant DVC Gold Pass. Wanted to make sure you understand.
Many happy trips ahead for you!

 

[dolewhipdreams]

Welcome Home!
Just a correction---DVC membership does not get you any Florida specific discounts. You have to qualify for those by living in Florida.
You may have misspoken and meant DVC Gold Pass. Wanted to make sure you understand.
Many happy trips ahead for you!

Ahhh yes I misspoke I just meant Gold Pass. I did not realize there were two separate versions.

If I understand the Gold Pass correctly, it has the exact same benefits as my Platinum pass but just with a few blackout dates, right?

 

[wishicouldgomoreofte]

Ahhh yes I misspoke I just meant Gold Pass. I did not realize there were two separate versions.

If I understand the Gold Pass correctly, it has the exact same benefits as my Platinum pass but just with a few blackout dates, right?

I had to look that up. Looks like you are correct. From member website re blackout dates:
The following blockout dates apply to the Disney Gold Pass: March 24 ‒ April 6, 2018; December 20 – 31, 2018; January 1 – 3, 2019; and April 13 – 26, 2019.
They have not yet released Dec 2019 blackout dates.

 

[dolewhipdreams]

I had to look that up. Looks like you are correct. From member website re blackout dates:
The following blockout dates apply to the Disney Gold Pass: March 24 ‒ April 6, 2018; December 20 – 31, 2018; January 1 – 3, 2019; and April 13 – 26, 2019.
They have not yet released Dec 2019 blackout dates.

Thank you!

 

[Disneykate605]

Welcome home! Very exciting time for you!

 

[dolewhipdreams]

As long as you are within your renewal window you can renew to any pass level and get the renewal price, so yes, you can renew your platinum pass to a gold pass and pay the renewal rate as long as you are within the renewal period.

Sorry to drag up an old post, but I went to renew my pass with a Gold Pass online and it's trying to charge me the full new price ($589) instead of the renewal price ($500). Do I have to do this over the phone to make sure I get the renewal price instead of the new price?

 

[gillep]

Sorry to drag up an old post, but I went to renew my pass with a Gold Pass online and it's trying to charge me the full new price ($589) instead of the renewal price ($500). Do I have to do this over the phone to make sure I get the renewal price instead of the new price?

I have only ever called so I am not sure exactly what you can and cannot do online. I would just check to make sure that you are signed in online to see if that helps.

 

[CarolynFH]

Sorry to drag up an old post, but I went to renew my pass with a Gold Pass online and it's trying to charge me the full new price ($589) instead of the renewal price ($500). Do I have to do this over the phone to make sure I get the renewal price instead of the new price?

We’ve always had to call - I’ve never been able to see a way to renew online, especially when I had a Platinum pass and wanted to renew at Gold level.

 

[erionm]

Sorry to drag up an old post, but I went to renew my pass with a Gold Pass online and it's trying to charge me the full new price ($589) instead of the renewal price ($500). Do I have to do this over the phone to make sure I get the renewal price instead of the new price?

ONLY FL Resident and Tourist (no discount) Annual Passes can be renewed online.

 

[dolewhipdreams]

I have only ever called so I am not sure exactly what you can and cannot do online. I would just check to make sure that you are signed in online to see if that helps.

We’ve always had to call - I’ve never been able to see a way to renew online, especially when I had a Platinum pass and wanted to renew at Gold level.

ONLY FL Resident and Tourist (no discount) Annual Passes can be renewed online.

Thanks all! Looks like I'll be giving DVC a call today

 

[DisneyDad77!]

I have a question, we recently bought our first contract Resale. It looks like I have an option to buy AP Platinum Passes for $729 each as a Florida resident. Do I qualify for that because I now have a timeshare interest in Florida and even so if it is Resale? I am logged in and able to purchase them online now but I don’t want to do that if they will revoke them when we arrive for a trip because I don’t have Florida ID? Sorry I am super confused

 

[CarolynFH]

I have a question, we recently bought our first contract Resale. It looks like I have an option to buy AP Platinum Passes for $729 each as a Florida resident. Do I qualify for that because I now have a timeshare interest in Florida and even so if it is Resale? I am logged in and able to purchase them online now but I don’t want to do that if they will revoke them when we arrive for a trip because I don’t have Florida ID? Sorry I am super confused

No, sorry, our DVC ownerships don’t qualify us for Florida resident benefits. It’s specified somewhere in your documents or the DVC documents.

 

[drusba]

You need to actually be a Florida resident to buy the Florida discount passes. Owning property in Florida does not make you a Florida resident. You need to actually reside there. That generally requires residing in Florida for at least 30 consecutive days with the specific intent to remain there as a permanent resident after that 30 days. The DVC official documents provide that any time spent in a DVC vacation home cannot be used to show you are a Florida resident or your intent to be a Florida resident. Those provisions, as a matter of law, establish that you cannot claim any intent to be a permanent resident of Florida, as needed to show you have been there long enough to be a resident, based on any time spent in a DVC resort, e.g., even if you have enough points to stay all year long in a DVC resort and actually do so, you still cannot claim Florida residency based on that stay.

 

[DVCismyhappyplace]

I have a question, we recently bought our first contract Resale. It looks like I have an option to buy AP Platinum Passes for $729 each as a Florida resident. Do I qualify for that because I now have a timeshare interest in Florida and even so if it is Resale? I am logged in and able to purchase them online now but I don’t want to do that if they will revoke them when we arrive for a trip because I don’t have Florida ID? Sorry I am super confused

Resale DVC members purchased after 4/4/16 do not qualify for any annual pass discount. Unless you were grandfathered in or have the minimum required direct points, you will not be able to purchase the gold pass, nor will you be eligible for a discount on the platinum pass.

The website may let you purchase, but when you go to guest relations to activate, they will ask to see your membership card and verify your eligibility in the system. If you are a resale owner who purchased after the cutoff date, they will apply the price you already paid for the gold pass to an annual pass or other ticket, but will not issue the gold pass or discounted Platinum pass to you.

 

[intertile]

If I buy a dvc good pass now at the current rate, if I activate it in January am I subject to new black out dates? Or the traditional ones they have always had? Christmas, news year's, spring break, and easter

 

[drusba]

If I buy a dvc good pass now at the current rate, if I activate it in January am I subject to new black out dates? Or the traditional ones they have always had? Christmas, news year's, spring break, and easter

If you purchase the DVC gold pass now and then do not activate until Jan or after, you will be subject to whatever black-out dates exist during the year that begins with the date you activate the pass. You should note that the gold pass has thus far had black out dates only for the Christmas break season (it is always more than just Christmas week, more like 14 to 15 days) and the Easter weeks (Sat that is eight days before Easter to Fri after Easter). Black-out has not applied to any other spring break weeks, but the dates change annually because Easter changes annually.

It is doubtful they will modify the gold pass to have additonal black-out dates, at least for the near future. The equivalent of the DVC gold pass is the Florida gold pass. For Florida residents there is then an even lower cost option, the Silver Pass, which, like the gold pass excludes Easter time and Christmas break but also blocks out much of the summer (early June to before mid-Aug), a time Disney considers more busy than the non-Easter spring break weeks. Thus, it appears unlikely black-out dates may be added to the gold pass unless Disney decides to eliminate the silver pass.