No reason to renew AP before it expires?

[cruisehopeful]

My AP expires in a couple weeks. I wasn't going to renew, but now I am feeling sad about it expiring because I wasn't able to go the last 3 times I planned on going for the day. I was looking at prices of renewing vs. just getting a new one when I visit sometime and there doesn't seem to be any renewal discount. I have signature and from what I can tell, I can renew for $999. or I can just buy a new one whenever for $999. Is that correct? Wondering why anyone would renew before their pass expires rather than extend their pass by waiting until their next visit and getting a later expiration date.

 

[SOCALMouseMommy]

You are correct. However from my understanding if you have some grandfathered-in benefits (like included parking on lower level passes) you want to renew before it expires or you will loose those benefits.

 

[LilyJC]

With the signature AP, photo pass is grandfathered in if you purchased your last pass before the change occurred. If you don’t renew, you will lose that perk. If the photo pass is something you care about it’s definitely worth considering a renewal....

 

[SOCALMouseMommy]

With the signature AP, photo pass is grandfathered in if you purchased your last pass before the change occurred. If you don’t renew, you will lose that perk. If the photo pass is something you care about it’s definitely worth considering a renewal....

When did that change occur out of curiosity?

 

[Skyegirl1999]

When did that change occur out of curiosity?

July of last year? It was shortly after Maxpass debuted.

 

[Winnowill]

July of last year? It was shortly after Maxpass debuted.

Yes. Right after I decided to let my Signature Pass expire.

 

[LilyJC]

When did that change occur out of curiosity?

July of last year? It was shortly after Maxpass debuted.

Yes. Right after I decided to let my Signature Pass expire.

Phew, glad someone had the answer. Now that my kids are getting older time is flying like crazy, and I couldn’t remember if it was last year or the year before. Now if they’d just bring back the 13 month deal....

 

[cmwade77]

Here are the advantages to renewing before it expires:

• You don't have to have another down payment for your pass if you are on monthly payments. (Now this can also be a disadvantage, as you end up with a slightly higher monthly payment, just depends on what you prefer)
• If you have parking or photopass included on your pass levels that are below Signature+, you will be able to retain those benefits
• You know you are locked in for another year at the current price (prices may change at any time and we all know they will be skyrocketing before Galaxy's Edge opens)

As for when they removed Photopass from the Signature pass, it was the same day that MaxPass came out.

Overall, we are thinking we will let our passes expire in August and then get new ones around December so we can upgrade them to Premier passes and have a good chunk of the pass still on monthly payments before we go to Disney World in January.

 

[ParkHopper1]

Unless you go very frequently, I always let my AP expire then just get a new one next trip. While there may be some renewal discounts, not paying for time that I did not use it delaying the expiration date was much more of a savings in the long run. Overs a 5 year period I probably only pay for 4 actual AP's.

 

[Whistlebee]

Just keep your actual AP card. Once you’ve had an AP they always consider it a renewal when you get another one and will charge you $20 if you don’t bring your old card....even if it’s been years!

 

[tarheelalum]

Just let it expire. No need to pay on a pass if you are not going. Just get a new one next time you go.

 

[starshine514]

Just keep your actual AP card. Once you’ve had an AP they always consider it a renewal when you get another one and will charge you $20 if you don’t bring your old card....even if it’s been years!

Yeah, they tried to charge me $20 when I redeemed my daughter's voucher last October. I argued it was a new AP and they didn't charge for it. If you ask me, it's ridiculous. It's a piece of plastic, like a gift card. I do get that it costs employee time to issue a replacement card (for lost cards). However, it doesn't take any longer when an AP is being issued. I also get environmental concerns, but there are far worse things that are contributing to my carbon footprint than an extra plastic card.

 

[Whistlebee]

I know. I think it’s crazy too! They tried charging me as well and we hadn’t had a pass for a couple of years. Why would I ever think I needed to save my expired pass for 2 years and bring it with me? They waived the fee for me as well. I do save my cards now tho.

 

[theluckyrabbit]

A CM friend told me that they started being more consistent about charging for replacement cards because certain guests were "losing" their cards repeatedly. Disney can't know whether these guests are just careless, unlucky, or selling/giving copies of their AP to family members or friends. Apparently, it got really bad before there were clear photos at the turnstiles., and even with the photos, not all fraud gets caught. My friend said they will sell you a replacement card a few times, but after that getting a replacement will be much more difficult. We've never experienced this and try to be extra careful since the warning.

 

[tarheelalum]

I know. I think it’s crazy too! They tried charging me as well and we hadn’t had a pass for a couple of years. Why would I ever think I needed to save my expired pass for 2 years and bring it with me? They waived the fee for me as well. I do save my cards now tho.

For the sky high prices they charge for annual passes now, it is absurd that they would try to charge you an extra 20 bucks for a piece of plastic that probably costs them less than 5 cents.

I'm curious did you buy your pass online and go to the gate with the receipt? Or did you go to the ticket booth to buy your pass and they tried to charge you there?

 

[starshine514]

A CM friend told me that they started being more consistent about charging for replacement cards because certain guests were "losing" their cards repeatedly. Disney can't know whether these guests are just careless, unlucky, or selling/giving copies of their AP to family members or friends. Apparently, it got really bad before there were clear photos at the turnstiles., and even with the photos, not all fraud gets caught. My friend said they will sell you a replacement card a few times, but after that getting a replacement will be much more difficult. We've never experienced this and try to be extra careful since the warning.

I understand if you keep losing your card and getting replacements that they would charge for them, but when I'm buying a new AP, I'm not forgetting my old card - it expired a long time ago. And I'm not renewing my AP and getting a discount (which would somehow make it seem a little more reasonable to charge for the new card). Why would anyone ever think to bring back an old expired AP when purchasing a new one?

That said, the cards are becoming less important. I actually forgot DD13's AP last trip (she hadn't gone for the prior trip and I forgot to add it back in my bag) and we just used the app for park entry and FPs for her (we have MaxPass on them). If I'd forgotten everyone's AP (like I did once for Sea World (they replaced them for free btw)) then I may have been tempted to pay for one replacement for discounts and AP popcorn refills.

 

[Ryan120420]

Just keep your actual AP card. Once you’ve had an AP they always consider it a renewal when you get another one and will charge you $20 if you don’t bring your old card....even if it’s been years!

Not in my experience. I had the same AP card from 2014-17, I let my AP lapse in August 2017 and didn't get a new AP until January 2018.

They gave me a new AP card no questions asked. I think you got a bad Cast Member.

 

[Whistlebee]

For the sky high prices they charge for annual passes now, it is absurd that they would try to charge you an extra 20 bucks for a piece of plastic that probably costs them less than 5 cents.

I'm curious did you buy your pass online and go to the gate with the receipt? Or did you go to the ticket booth to buy your pass and they tried to charge you there?

Renewed at the gate.

 

[Whistlebee]

Not in my experience. I had the same AP card from 2014-17, I let my AP lapse in August 2017 and didn't get a new AP until January 2018.

They gave me a new AP card no questions asked. I think you got a bad Cast Member.

This was from about 2 years ago. But, we got passes again last month and had the same experience! Had my expired passes this time tho. I was prepared, lol.

 

[gottalovepluto]

This was from about 2 years ago. But, we got passes again last month and had the same experience! Had my expired passes this time tho. I was prepared, lol.

Same experience in Dec. Absolutely ridiculous they want you to hold on to a piece of plastic from years ago. We decided to upgrade on a whim and my father had an ap that had expired like 3 years prior and the CM wasn’t going to issue him one and then acted like she was doing us a favor by issuing him one at the end (which apparently she was now that I read this but after our upgrade from hell experience that just added to our frustration/anger). The entire ticket->AP upgrade system has needed to be scrapped and re-worked for some time.