Annual Pass Renewal Problem

[scrappydawg]

My wife and I took Friday off to take our nearly-two year old son to Disneyland. We have annual passes that were expiring in early August, so I renewed the passes a few days beforehand to get the $20 discount.

When we showed up at the entrance to California Adventure the cast member told us our passes had been voided. We explained that we had just renewed them online but the passes were still valid, as they didn't expire until August. She told us to stand off to the side and wait for her manager to come speak with us. (By the way she was VERY rude and later I had wished that we had gotten her name to complain).

After about twenty minutes of waiting a manager finally came and told us that the passes are automatically voided as soon as you renew and that we need to use our new passes (which of course won't be arriving for at least another week or so). She told us that she would "make an exception" for us and make the passes valid for today only. Gee thanks.

Now I understand that they don't want the annual passes to be abused and have people use the older ones (that are still valid by date) when the actual APers use the new passes, but you'd think that the computer system would at least still accept the old passes for a reasonable amount of time (until the new passes arrive, maybe).

I hope I don't sound whiny, I think it's just a bad policy. It's the last time I'll renew online though.

One bright spot is that when we went to the Annual Pass center in Disneyland to see if they could give us new passes (they couldn't) they gave us a pass to go to the front of the line on any attraction (except TSMM and Nemo, of course). We used it for Peter Pan.

[»PW]

That's odd. Just a few weeks ago, the same thing happened to me, but the CM at the entrance just looked at the pass and let us go through.

I guess it depends on the CM you go to. If that happened to me, I'd just walk over to another CM to see how he or she handles it instead of waiting for a manager.

[wolfy]

It happens every time you go within a few days of renewing on line. We've had it happen twice now. Had no problem though, the entry CM just got a lead to bypass the void and we entered.

[WheresMickey]

Sorry to hear what happened. Good information to know though.

[SCUBAbe]

we just renewed at the park and still got the $20.00 discount.

I think one year that did happen to my mother when she renewed by mail once I seem to remeber we went to guest relations and just picked up her pass there though.

[sediment]

So, a good advice for renewers: if you're going to the park soon, renew there and not online.

Now for Disney: just flippin' renew the AP's electronically!! That's why there is a magnetic strip on the back, because there is electronic verification for such things. Someone going to change their appearance that much in a year?? I can understand requiring a new picture every four orr five years, maybe more frequently for the kiddies, but sheesh.

[Legally Brunette]

That's good to know. We go often and our visits are unpredictable so better go in person in the event we get the urge to go before our new passes arrive.

[TikiRoomLiz]

I guess one reason that the pass becomes void is that every time you renew they issue you a whole new AP number. So, if you do it online your old pass obviously won't have the new number.

[pattimelt]

For Future Reference:

If you renew your annual pass by mail, your current pass does not become void until it gets processed at the Guest Services Building. When you mail that form in, that mail goes to the Guest Services Building, and we have to open the mail, sort all of it, and then process all of it--and sometimes, there's a lot more mail than we can process in one day.

If you renew ONLINE: the renewal will be in the system within 24 hours, barring any computer problems with the online servers.

So. if you are renewing, and you have plans to come to the park BEFORE you think you will receive your new annual pass, please call 714-781-4400 and ask a cast member there if your pass has been renewed. If it has, then we can put a note in the file authorizing you to get a courtesy pass and get you in the park without a problem. If it has not been processed, the pass you have will still work until it's processed.

[sediment]

Hey, you can't post official and important helpful information here!
Speculation and rumors only, please.

[Grandicorney]

This really seems like an annoyance that Disney should fix. My brother had to deal with it for about two weeks when he renewed his pass online and we'd get stuck at the gates for anywhere from almost no delay to 2-3 minutes while waiting a supervisor to approve entry.

The old pass should be valid until the expiration date, why on earth would it expire early because you renewed it???

[akfandisney]

For Future Reference:

If you renew your annual pass by mail, your current pass does not become void until it gets processed at the Guest Services Building. When you mail that form in, that mail goes to the Guest Services Building, and we have to open the mail, sort all of it, and then process all of it--and sometimes, there's a lot more mail than we can process in one day.

If you renew ONLINE: the renewal will be in the system within 24 hours, barring any computer problems with the online servers.

So. if you are renewing, and you have plans to come to the park BEFORE you think you will receive your new annual pass, please call 714-781-4400 and ask a cast member there if your pass has been renewed. If it has, then we can put a note in the file authorizing you to get a courtesy pass and get you in the park without a problem. If it has not been processed, the pass you have will still work until it's processed.

Great information:

Happen to me on a Renewal online pass. But I had older Cast member at Grand Calif. gate. I came out toll the castmember that I Renew online and my pass have not come in the mail. let me in [CM said this happen all the time with online renews] and stop by Guest service and pick up a courtesy pass.

Have say some time you will get a new castmember that do not know or have all the information of the job there are doing.

Like what happen if you get a guest with good date AP pass and renews online.
Over time you pick-up I like call it ( corks of the system or job)

I have One thing may fix this this. On the Invoice print that Old pass will not work and you need call or stop by guest service window at Disneyland or DCA and pick up a Courtesy pass. If your new AP pass have not come in the mail. Courtest park pass are only one day pass.

Think about it, Is that your New AP have been process and in the mail and the AP place at Disneyland Can not make a new one.

My old progam days I allway Play (What if ? user do this) then write the code that bring the user back to the right place.

[Craigroy8287]

That is just sad. I would have been very angry. Especially to the rude lady at the entrance. I hate rude CM's.

[Cuddles McHenry]

Apparently , this is a hot topic! I think this would be a great time for us to discuss the feelings that this subject has stirred in each of us....

[scrappydawg]

For Future Reference:

If you renew your annual pass by mail, your current pass does not become void until it gets processed at the Guest Services Building. When you mail that form in, that mail goes to the Guest Services Building, and we have to open the mail, sort all of it, and then process all of it--and sometimes, there's a lot more mail than we can process in one day.

If you renew ONLINE: the renewal will be in the system within 24 hours, barring any computer problems with the online servers.

So. if you are renewing, and you have plans to come to the park BEFORE you think you will receive your new annual pass, please call 714-781-4400 and ask a cast member there if your pass has been renewed. If it has, then we can put a note in the file authorizing you to get a courtesy pass and get you in the park without a problem. If it has not been processed, the pass you have will still work until it's processed.

Thanks for the information, Pattimelt!

I would have renewed at the park had I known we'd be going so soon. It was a spur of the moment thing.