Buying annual passes but waiting to activate. How long can I wait?

[tarheelalum]

We recently moved away from our beloved SoCal to the land of Hell Fire aka: Arizona. We hope to go back to Disneyland for Halloween or around Thanksgiving. We will be going for a week this year and another week in 2019. We plan on purchasing the signature passes with max pass. In the past whenever I'd buy passes I'd just buy them at the ticket booth and turn around and go use them but I vaguely remember people talking about buying passes and just sitting on them for a while before they actually used them. They said their one year pass didn't start until they activated them at the ticket gate. I suppose they did this because they were expecting the ever common price increase and were looking to save a buck.

So that brings me to my question. Have any of you ever did this? Can I buy annual passes with max pass today, at the current rates, and activate them this October, November, or December of this year without penalty? If so does anyone know how long I can sit on them? Is it until the end of the current year or 12 months from the date of purchase I can wait to activate them? Or is none of this true and I must use them right away? But if I can wait, and buy them today, but next month the price goes up 200 bucks, will I have to pay the 200 dollar charge that occurred after I purchased the passes when I show up in October? I fear larger than normal price increases and/or adverse changes are coming for annual passes so I'd really like to get them now but only if I can wait to activate them when I want to use them without any penalty later this year.

Anyone have any experience with this?

 

[smartlabelprint]

I'd buy your ticket. But I don't think you can purchase maxpass until you go to the ticket window. I was wrong. But when I was thinking about buying an AP with maxpass (because I was afraid of a price increase) maxpass wasn't available as an add on. This leads me to believe that for now that's all the think they can get out of you for a MP and it won't be going up. Now, it may go up like you mention with a complete reconfiguration of passes. I hope they make a pass only good for non-CA residents. It would assure them multiple trips from us! But they don't and the Deluxe went up too much for us. We'll be going else where next year.

Look on the ticket when the expiration date is? That is usually first use.

https://disneyland.disney.go.com/passes/signature/purchase/

It is my understanding when you purchase an AP you don't pay extra when there is a price increase as long as it's used by the first use date.

 

[starry_solo]

Also, you might consider getting the signature plus as it includes the Max Pass and the two weeks at Christmas for only $150 more ($75 more if you get the Signature + Max Pass)

Then you don't have to worry about black out dates at all!

 

[azdisneylover]

We purchased our deluxe APs last February and didn't activate them until October. We got in on the 13 months, so ours expire in November. We added Maxpass then and paid with gift cards. Like smartlabelprint said about the deluxe increase, we will not be renewing our passes either.
PS Welcome to AZ. Hope you brought your sunscreen and water bottle. May I suggest Dutch Bros for a Mocha Freeze?

 

[tarheelalum]

We purchased our deluxe APs last February and didn't activate them until October. We got in on the 13 months, so ours expire in November.

So let me ask when you activated the passes in October, had they discontinued offering people the 13 month offer at that time? I'm curious about that just in case they alter (or discontinue) the signature pass some how between now and when I activate them. If so will I get todays current benefits of the signature pass and max pass that I'm paying for now, or will I get what the signature pass and max pass is then which may possibly have a reduction in benefits, block out days, no parking benefit.. etc..?

 

[longtimedisneylurker]

So let me ask when you activated the passes in October, had they discontinued offering people the 13 month offer at that time? I'm curious about that just in case they alter (or discontinue) the signature pass some how between now and when I activate them. If so will I get todays current benefits of the signature pass and max pass that I'm paying for now, or will I get what the signature pass and max pass is then which may possibly have a reduction in benefits, block out days, no parking benefit.. etc..?

Can't speak to the 13 month aspect, but I did have a premium pass before they discontinued those. I bought premium pass vouchers ahead of an expected price increase. That was the price increase during which Disney discontinued them and changed the passes to Signature and Signature Plus. When I took my premium pass vouchers months later to redeem them, they activated the passes as Signature Plus which was the level of pass equivalent in benefits. So if they were to eliminate a pass type or rename a pass type, I'm guessing Disney will try to match the pass voucher to an equivalent level of benefit pass. However, if they don't change the name, say you buy a Signature pass and then redeem it months later for a Signature level pass but they have added black out days or altered benefits associated with the pass, that's what you get, as would anyone else who has that level of pass active.

 

[tarheelalum]

Can't speak to the 13 month aspect, but I did have a premium pass before they discontinued those. I bought premium pass vouchers ahead of an unexpected price increase. That was the price increase during which Disney discontinued them and changed the passes to Signature and Signature Plus. When I took my premium pass vouchers months later to redeem them, they activated the passes as Signature Plus which was the level of pass equivalent in benefits. So if they were to eliminate a pass type or rename a pass type, I'm guessing Disney will try to match the pass voucher to an equivalent level of benefit pass. However, if they don't change the name, say you buy a Signature pass and then redeem it months later for a Signature level pass but they have added black out days or altered benefits associated with the pass, that's what you get, as would anyone else who has that level of pass active.

So in essence I'm not buying the benefits of the pass (that I like) but basically just the name of the pass. If they greatly reduced the number of days or other benefits like parking of the signature pass that would really stink. Worst case scenario I guess I could use the value of my passes and upgrade to whatever pass that has the benefits that the signature pass has now. But one of the reasons that I wanted to purchase the pass now was in hopes of locking in the benefits of the signature pass. This is definitely something to think about. Thank you for bringing it up.

 

[longtimedisneylurker]

So in essence I'm not buying the benefits of the pass (that I like) but basically just the name of the pass. If they greatly reduced the number of days or other benefits like parking of the signature pass that would really stink. Worst case scenario I guess I could use the value of my passes and upgrade to whatever pass that has the benefits that the signature pass has now. But one of the reasons that I wanted to purchase the pass now was in hopes of locking in the benefits of the signature pass. This is definitely something to think about. Thank you for bringing it up.

My thinking right now is that that the only way to buy ahead and lock in the highest level of benefits that Disney is currently offering is to buy the Signature Plus pass. Even so, that's no guarantee since they can always change the black out days and terms and conditions on those as well.

 

[tarheelalum]

My thinking right now is that that the only way to buy ahead and lock in the highest level of benefits that Disney is currently offering is to buy the Signature Plus pass. Even so, that's no guarantee since they can always change the black out days and terms and conditions on those as well.

That might be the best choice. I don't like going at Christmas time due to the awful crowds and it will cost me 150 dollars more today. But I think later this year they are going to really stick it to us with the price increases. Thanks!!

 

[azdisneylover]

So let me ask when you activated the passes in October, had they discontinued offering people the 13 month offer at that time? I'm curious about that just in case they alter (or discontinue) the signature pass some how between now and when I activate them. If so will I get todays current benefits of the signature pass and max pass that I'm paying for now, or will I get what the signature pass and max pass is then which may possibly have a reduction in benefits, block out days, no parking benefit.. etc..?

Yes, they discontinued the 13 month promo two days after we purchased our passes. I was nervous that, even though it was on the email stuff (I printed everything and brought to window), we were fine and got the 13 months and didn't have the price increase either. The girl had to get another person to handle us because she didn't know what to do. When the seasoned CM was setting up our APs, I told her I wanted to add maxpass to the passes and she said that was fine. Paid adding maxpass with giftcards. She told me when we were going to renew, to do it at the windows and not online, because it would be easier with maxpass. Since the major price jump, we are not renewing.

 

[azdisneylover]

That might be the best choice. I don't like going at Christmas time due to the awful crowds and it will cost me 150 dollars more today. But I think later this year they are going to really stick it to us with the price increases. Thanks!!

They stuck it to us already with $110 more for deluxe AP and took away any renewal discount. So, with another increase, I imagine there will be a few more people not renewing.

 

[tarheelalum]

They stuck it to us already with $110 more for deluxe AP and took away any renewal discount. So, with another increase, I imagine there will be a few more people not renewing.

True. Some people think the higher end passes could go up another 2 or 3 hundred more before June. It will make it very tough for families to buy passes if that happens.

 

[cmwade77]

True. Some people think the higher end passes could go up another 2 or 3 hundred more before June. It will make it very tough for families to buy passes if that happens.

Actually, I would imagine before the end of the year there will be no lower level passes left, only something to replace Signature, although I would imagine that it will have blackout dates similar to the current Deluxe pass and then something to replace Signature+, both will be about $200 more than they currently are and then there will be the Premier pass. I would also suspect that monthly payments will either go away completely or be changed to 6 payments, paid for the first 6 months the pass is valid and no payments in the last 6 months to increase the monthly cost and further reduce the number of passholders. I would also suspect that all current passholders will be able to renew at their current level for one, maybe two more years and then be forced into the new system.

 

[cmwade77]

They stuck it to us already with $110 more for deluxe AP and took away any renewal discount. So, with another increase, I imagine there will be a few more people not renewing.

Yeah, think about this for the Signature+ pass, that means the price really went up $210, since they no longer get the $60 renewal discount and it had a $150 increase.

 

[azdisneylover]

Yeah, think about this for the Signature+ pass, that means the price really went up $210, since they no longer get the $60 renewal discount and it had a $150 increase.

Yikes! That does hurt.