G. What are the rules for Renewal Annual Passes (and what About Renewal Vouchers)?
To renew any sort of Annual Pass it must be done within 30 days of either side of the expiration date. Note that upgrading or downgrading of any annual product may be done at the special renewal rate.
Normally this is done at any park (including water park or TTC) ticket booth or any Guest Relations Office (including DTD). It cannot be done at a Resort.
If you renew prior to the expiration date, the new pass will not be valid until the expiration date of the old pass. If you renew after the expiration date the effective date will be backdated. If you do an upgrade at renewal time, and the renewal/upgrade is prior to the expiration date of the old Pass, the new Pass will not be effective until the old one expires. In any event, using the renewal rate will have the new pass expire on the same date the next year. (See Post #19 for the expired special 15 month promotion.)
If you have a MYW ticket you may upgrade that ticket to a WSP, SP, AP or PAP at the renewal rate just as any other upgrade as long as you are within the renewal window. The rules for expiration date stay the same as any other renewal.
Note that, by definition, an Renewal of a Pass can only be done at a WDW Ticket Window or Guest Relations Office.
If you are not at WDW you get a voucher at the renewal rate sent to you. However, this can be a multi-edged sword.
If you renew within one year after the expiration date of your current pass it will be just the same as if you renewed at WDW with the expiration date one year from the date of the old pass. If you will be activating the voucher more than a month or two away you might find that it would have been better to pay the full price and have the anniversary date changed.
While a voucher for purchase of an AP is valid forever and may be exchanged without penalty after several years the rules for a renewal are different.
As stated above, with a renewal voucher used within a year from expiration it will not change the expiration date. However, if it is used more than a year from the expiration date the value will only be what you paid for the voucher toward the current gate price of a new AP. so you will have to pay more on redemption.