DVC AP offer, what happens if we can't activate by 12/31/18?

[snoopy5386]

We are planning our 2018 DVC trip and planning on taking advantage of the DVC ticket offer before it expires at the end of this year. However with no trip set in stone yet, I'm wondering what happens to our tickets if we don't activate them by 12/31/18? Do we get a refund? A credit? Or are we just SOL and lose over 2K (4 passes)?

We don't really need and may not use the advantages of a platinum AP so part of me wants to wait and see if they offer a discount on the gold AP next year. But the deal on the platinum is so great I'll be kicking myself if they offer us nothing next year......

 

[Syndrome]

Just purchased our DVC discounted AP's today .
Expiration is listed , 12/31/2030 .

From my "Reservations, Tickets and Passes" .
Tickets and Passes
Disney Platinum Plus Pass
Age: 10 and older
Expires: Tuesday, December 31, 2030

Also, it was just announced at the DVC Members meeting , that they will be extending the DVC 25% off, Ticket/AP offer through the end of 2018.
I don't think you will need to "rush" and purchase AP's just to get the discount , quite yet. It appears you can wait until the end of 2018 now.
I only purchased ours today as we have a trip coming up in January. Otherwise, I could have waited.
Looks like you have time , from what was reported from the members meeting.
HTH .....

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

We are planning our 2018 DVC trip and planning on taking advantage of the DVC ticket offer before it expires at the end of this year. However with no trip set in stone yet, I'm wondering what happens to our tickets if we don't activate them by 12/31/18? Do we get a refund? A credit? Or are we just SOL and lose over 2K (4 passes)?

We don't really need and may not use the advantages of a platinum AP so part of me wants to wait and see if they offer a discount on the gold AP next year. But the deal on the platinum is so great I'll be kicking myself if they offer us nothing next year......

You would receive the value paid towards a new AP purchase. You might even be able to use it towards a ticket purchase but I'm not certain on that.

 

[kboo]

You would receive the value paid towards a new AP purchase. You might even be able to use it towards a ticket purchase but I'm not certain on that.

In which case, there's no downside to waiting to activate the ticket, right?

 

[supersnoop]

In which case, there's no downside to waiting to activate the ticket, right?

Other than the time value and opportunity cost of the money you spent. When you finally redeem the pass after expiration, it will be worth what you paid when you bought it, so you’ll miss out on any interest that money could have earned. You’d have given Disney an interest-free loan.

 

[miTnosnhoJ]

In which case, there's no downside to waiting to activate the ticket, right?

You get to apply what you paid to a new offer.
The downside would be that you may miss the 13 month for 12 deal or the Platinum Plus for the price of a gold deal. But deals are like buses. There is always another one coming.

 

[snoopy5386]

You get to apply what you paid to a new offer.
The downside would be that you may miss the 13 month for 12 deal or the Platinum Plus for the price of a gold deal. But deals are like buses. There is always another one coming.

The current offer ALSO includes 13 months for the price of 12? I thought that ended.

 

[anitatina]

Just purchased our DVC discounted AP's today .
Expiration is listed , 12/31/2030 .

From my "Reservations, Tickets and Passes" .
Tickets and Passes
Disney Platinum Plus Pass
Age: 10 and older
Expires: Tuesday, December 31, 2030

Also, it was just announced at the DVC Members meeting , that they will be extending the DVC 25% off, Ticket/AP offer through the end of 2018.
I don't think you will need to "rush" and purchase AP's just to get the discount , quite yet. It appears you can wait until the end of 2018 now.
I only purchased ours today as we have a trip coming up in January. Otherwise, I could have waited.
Looks like you have time , from what was reported from the members meeting.
HTH .....

Will the prices increase next year, though? I don't follow price hikes for Disney tickets, but it seems increases happen relatively frequently in which case I would try and purchase before the hike.

 

[supersnoop]

The current offer ALSO includes 13 months for the price of 12? I thought that ended.

That promo has ended.

 

[supersnoop]

Will the prices increase next year, though? I don't follow price hikes for Disney tickets, but it seems increases happen relatively frequently in which case I would try and purchase before the hike.

That’s kind of the point. If you don’t activate by the end of next year, you’ll have to pay the price increase.

 

[anitatina]

That’s kind of the point. If you don’t activate by the end of next year, you’ll have to pay the price increase.

I was referring to the poster who mentioned you can wait until end of 2018 to buy the tickets since the promotional pricing has been extended. Since it's a percentage off discount, the cost of purchasing will be less if OP buys now (or before price increase) versus waiting until room is secured next year. At least I would buy the tickets before February when the most recent years' increases have occurred.

 

[KAT4DISNEY]

I was referring to the poster who mentioned you can wait until end of 2018 to buy the tickets since the promotional pricing has been extended. Since it's a percentage off discount, the cost of purchasing will be less if OP buys now (or before price increase) versus waiting until room is secured next year. At least I would buy the tickets before February when the most recent years' increases have occurred.

It's actually questionable if that info about the offer being extended is correct.

 

[anitatina]

It's actually questionable if that info about the offer being extended is correct.

Good to know!

 

[Syndrome]

Yes, the discount extension through 2018 was announced at the DVC member meeting, but there is still nothing official "on Paper" .
Many people who attended the meeting said they announced they were extending the DVC ticket promotion through 2018 .


I don't even know if the activation date is accurate, that DVD is listing with the promo ......
I purchased our DVC discounted Platinum Plus AP's the other day, and when they linked up to my MDE account, they clearly said "expiration Tuesday, December 31, 2030 "

 

[miTnosnhoJ]

Will the prices increase next year, though? I don't follow price hikes for Disney tickets, but it seems increases happen relatively frequently in which case I would try and purchase before the hike.

It makes a lot of sense to purchase before the hike.

I am trying to decide whether to renew, or to purchase a new AP now, and activate it next December.

I currently have the 13 month gold, which I upgraded to platinum plus for free, with the same end date. It expires in April 2018. So I could renew the Platinum Plus next year. That would give me 2 trips, or about 13 days, on my AP. (December and March)
Or I could skip the renewal and buy a new Platinum Plus (before current deal expires), which I would activate in December, and possibly get three trips out of (December - March - December - about 20 days).
It depends on the renewal pricing, but it is probably better for me to buy the new pass rather than renew.
If I throw Universal into the equation, then buying a new AP makes even more sense. I could front load a trip to Universal in December, then initialize the DIsney AP, and get three trips out of it.

I am trying to discern what Disney is trying to achieve with the AP promotions:
1) Are they trying to promote TRIAL of the AP. This theory would say that they are trying to get a lot of people who have never had an AP to try it, with the hopes that they will buy at full price in the future.
2) Are they trying to promote LOCK-IN. This theory says that people with an AP are much more likely to stay in the Disney Bubble. We would like to go to see Universal and Harry Potter at some point, but Universal can run $1000 per day for 2 people who just buy tickets, and much more if you stay in their hotels to get their fast pass equivalent. So if you already own a Disney AP, it seems psychologically more difficult to spend that money when I’ve already paid for the parks and water parks at Disney. Not to mention having already paid for lodging.

Depending on the marketing aim of the AP, we will see what kind of future deal Disney offers.

Note: I will have the same issue as the OP. If I end up not going in December, I could miss the activation window and just apply the price to a future purchase.

 

[Matty B13]

I purchased our DVC discounted Platinum Plus AP's the other day, and when they linked up to my MDE account, they clearly said "expiration Tuesday, December 31, 2030 "

We also just purchased the Platinum Plus AP's and the expiration was December 31, 2030. So maybe it doesn't expire till then, maybe not, might be worth a call to Ticketing to find out. We are activating our passes in April so we don't have to worry about the expiration dates. Hope this helps other though.