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Pirate Princess
10-30-2006, 08:53 AM
I believe it was Darkbeer who stated that you can get into DL on your first day of owning an AP even if it is a blackout day.
My question is: Can you leave the park and be let back in if it's a blackout day? Can you hop from park-to-park if it's a blackout day?

(27 more days!!!)

Boo's Mommy
10-30-2006, 08:55 AM
Yes! absolutely, we "activated" our So-Cal Select AP's 2 sundays ago and had no problems whatsoever going back and forth between the 2 parks!

Hope you have a great time!

Pirate Princess
10-30-2006, 09:02 AM
Wow! Thanks for the quick response (AND the great news!!!)
I am getting too excited... it may be time for my first countdown in my sig line.

hlbtimes2
10-30-2006, 09:14 AM
I recomend you keep your receipt on you for the day. I upgrade my hopper in March, mid trip on a blackout day. Because I upgrade a partially used ticket, my ap was back dated to the first day I used the hopper. I didnt have any problems using it to get in to DCA, but at DL the CM was very rude. I had to dig thru my bag and find my receipt showing that I had indeed just upgraded that day.

Pirate Princess
10-30-2006, 09:35 AM
Thanks for the tip. I will definitely be saving my reciept!

ghoofie
10-30-2006, 09:41 AM
Also, I renewed my AP on a blackout day. The receipt/ticket they gave me did not have a barcode on it for fast passes. I was going to get my new permanent card later in the day..so I left DL, went to DCA where there was noone in line and got my permanent card, which also worked at both parks for the rest of the blackout day.

pisces
10-30-2006, 09:59 AM
Just make sure you get a handstamp when you leave. Of course save your receipt. But, the handstamp is really important!

I'm thinking of uprading to an AP....and using as my first day Dec. 31 !!!!!

Pirate Princess
10-30-2006, 10:28 AM
Also, I renewed my AP on a blackout day. The receipt/ticket they gave me did not have a barcode on it for fast passes. I was going to get my new permanent card later in the day..so I left DL, went to DCA where there was noone in line and got my permanent card, which also worked at both parks for the rest of the blackout day.

Where can you get a perm AP in DCA? I thought you could only do that at the bank in DL. I'd love to hear about a new, and possibly shorter line, place to do this!

Darkbeer
10-30-2006, 10:34 AM
Where can you get a perm AP in DCA? I thought you could only do that at the bank in DL. I'd love to hear about a new, and possibly shorter line, place to do this!

Sounds like the poster already had their photo on file. DCA has a printer, but does not have the camera equipment to take your photo. Those are only available at the Bank of Main Street (and the Plaza Pavillion if there is need for a second location due to large crowds).

jeffat2
10-30-2006, 04:58 PM
if you want to upgrade your ticket to a ap that is block out that day ,how do you get into the park? {does this make sence the way I wrote it }
Jeff

Darkbeer
10-30-2006, 05:08 PM
if you want to upgrade your ticket to a ap that is block out that day ,how do you get into the park? {does this make sence the way I wrote it }
Jeff

Well, I think I understand, but I am going to give two answers, just in case I don't totally understand.

If you are talking about using a one-day ticket or ParkHopper and then upgrading, you just use the ParkHopper or ticket to enter Disneyland and go to Main Street. Disney only allows still valid ParkHopper and Tickets to be upgraded, so you need to use it one one of the days it is valid (or the same day if it is a one day ticket). If you bought a DCA only ticket, you need to go to the ticket booths and pay for the upgrade. They will then print a voucher to take to the Bank of Main Street.

If you currently have an AP and want to upgrade to a higher cost AP due to the fact it is a Blockout day, the best thing to do is go to Guest Services, which is located to the left of the Disneyland turnstiles. They will collect the difference and issue you a new AP while you wait.

jeffat2
10-30-2006, 05:30 PM
I am still lost Darkbeer , If you already have to have a ticket to get in ,what is the point to being able to upgrade on a blocked out day .Lets say I want to upgrade my two day hopper to a socal pass on a Sat. I would have to already be in the park on Sat to do the upgrade . Some people make it sound like they are getting in the park to upgrade with out admission. By the way Thanks for all your past help Jeff

Darkbeer
10-30-2006, 05:46 PM
Let's say you wanted to go on Friday and Saturday with your 2 day ParkHopper, then get a SoCal AP.

If you bought a SoCal AP on Friday, you would have been blocked out on Saturday.

By buying the ParkHopper first, you get to go both days, then upgrade to a SoCal AP at no extra cost.

Another example, someone who lives in the official SoCal zip codes, such as someone living in Temecula spending a few days at the resort and staying in at a hotel (maybe meeting friends who live elsewhere). They can buy a multi-day ParkHopper and on the last day, upgrade to an AP for future visits.

Basically by buying a ParkHopper first, you are avoiding Blockout fees for the first visit (ParkHoppers are only good for 14 days from first use).

pisces
10-30-2006, 06:12 PM
If you already have to have a ticket to get in ,what is the point to being able to upgrade on a blocked out day .Lets say I want to upgrade my two day hopper to a socal pass on a Sat. I would have to already be in the park on Sat to do the upgrade . Some people make it sound like they are getting in the park to upgrade with out admission. By the way Thanks for all your past help Jeff

Keep it simple: Just remember these two things--

1. You have to buy the AP before your Park Hopper expires.

-and-

2. They can't block you on the first day you use the AP.

jeffat2
10-30-2006, 06:24 PM
pisces, On #2 they cant block you on your first day.my question is how did you get into the park on a blocked out day to get the ap
Jeff

Darkbeer
10-30-2006, 06:30 PM
pisces, On #2 they cant block you on your first day.my question is how did you get into the park on a blocked out day to get the ap
Jeff

You can buy an AP voucher at any of the Main Entrance Plaza Ticket Booths, or many other places, such as Disney Stores, Grocery Stores, Disneyland.com, etc....

The policy of the first day not being a blockout day is to allow folks to buy any AP year round. You take the paid voucher to the turnstiles, where they scan the barcode and allow you into the park. Then, before you leave the park that day, you need to go to the Bank of Main Street to turn in the voucher and have your photo taken and AP issued.

The policy of the First Day not being a Blockout allows Disney to up-sell folks to AP's year round, and is mainly a financial decision to help AP sells.

pisces
10-30-2006, 06:33 PM
Park Hoppers, or I guess the Premium Annual Pass..... will let you bypass blocked days.

When those, above, expire.....and you need one more day....in many cases, it's cheaper to upgrade to the AP, rather than just buying a single-day Park Hopper.

For instance: My Parkhopper is pretty much going to expire after December 30, yet I'll probably want to go on the 31st. So, I'll upgrade to the AP before the Park Hopper expires.....to get in that one day.

Ok, now it's complicated. It was so simple before , the way I had it, above, in the prior post.

jeffat2
10-30-2006, 07:19 PM
The way I am now understanding is if I want to go to Dl on Nov 23rd I could get a voucher for a Socal on the 23rd go to the park, then on Nov 24 I could get a upgrade voucher for a delux.{both days are blocked out except for hoppers and pap} but why go thru all that ,why not just buy a park hopper to begin with? then just upgrade to a ap.Sorry sometimes I am a little dense.I went back to post #1 and I miss understood the poster .Why would you not first buy a hopper { no block out days at all} then upgrade to which ever Ap. that is equal to or more than the hopper price. Pisces are you saying that your hopper expires on Dec 30th and then on the 30Th you upgrade to a Delux AP you can still go in on the 31st even though its blocked out?

Malcon10t
10-30-2006, 08:06 PM
The way I am now understanding is if I want to go to Dl on Nov 23rd I could get a voucher for a Socal on the 23rd go to the park, then on Nov 24 I could get a upgrade voucher for a delux.{both days are blocked out except for hoppers and pap} but why go thru all that ,why not just buy a park hopper to begin with? then just upgrade to a ap.Sorry sometimes I am a little dense.I went back to post #1 and I miss understood the poster .Why would you not first buy a hopper { no block out days at all} then upgrade to which ever Ap. that is equal to or more than the hopper price. Pisces are you saying that your hopper expires on Dec 30th and then on the 30Th you upgrade to a Delux AP you can still go in on the 31st even though its blocked out?
The only difference between your 2 scenerios is doing the upgrades is you would get the 10% dining. But is it worth the hassle? Not really. Most of us would get teh park hopper and upgrade after the blackout days.

And I think Pisces is going to upgrade to a PAP.

pisces
10-30-2006, 09:06 PM
And I think Pisces is going to upgrade to a PAP.

Am I that transparent?

Eventually I will...maybe do the PAP. The free-parking would be nice.

I don't think I'll have the money for anything but the basic AP, at first.

Malcon10t
10-30-2006, 09:12 PM
Am I that transparent?

Eventually I will...maybe do the PAP. The free-parking would be nice.

I don't think I'll have the money for anything but the basic AP, at first.
OK, I may be confused. Your Park Hopper expires 12/30, and you say you will upgrade it to a AP so you can go on 12/31. If you upgrade on 12/30 to anything other than a PAP, you will be blocked out on 12/31. If your hopper expires on 12/30, you can't use it to upgrade on the 31st. Last year, my son had an 8 day hopper that we upgraded on its last day, 12/31 to a deluxe. Because of that, he was able to use it on 12/31.

Pirate Princess
10-30-2006, 09:15 PM
The way I am now understanding is if I want to go to Dl on Nov 23rd I could get a voucher for a Socal on the 23rd go to the park, then on Nov 24 I could get a upgrade voucher for a delux.{both days are blocked out except for hoppers and pap} but why go thru all that ,why not just buy a park hopper to begin with? then just upgrade to a ap.Sorry sometimes I am a little dense.I went back to post #1 and I miss understood the poster .Why would you not first buy a hopper { no block out days at all} then upgrade to which ever Ap. that is equal to or more than the hopper price. Pisces are you saying that your hopper expires on Dec 30th and then on the 30Th you upgrade to a Delux AP you can still go in on the 31st even though its blocked out?

I am the first poster and here is why I don't want to buy a park hopper first and then upgrade. The only day I cannot get in during my trip is Sunday.. the FIRST day of my DL stay. Why would I want to wait in line to get a park hopper... then wait in another line later to upgrade... then wait in another line to get my pic taken? Instead I buy my So Cal Select AP on Sunday... I get in on that blackout day because it's my first day with an AP with only a two line wait.. instead of three. Sunday is still a part of T-Day vacation... I'd rather avoid any extra lines on holidays... or any day for that matter.

pisces
10-30-2006, 09:24 PM
I do the Park Hopper thing, because I get good deals on 'em at the front desk of the GCH...so I want to take advantage of that.

I've really never planned on going the AP route, but for the fact that my stays seem to be getting longer and longer, and it turns out you now need the AP for Candlelight.

So......I'm sort of forced to get one.

In a perfect world, I'd just live off Park Hoppers, if I could.

Darkbeer
10-30-2006, 09:39 PM
Why would I want to wait in line to get a park hopper... then wait in another line later to upgrade... then wait in another line to get my pic taken?

Note, no matter what you do, you will have to wait in two lines...

One to buy your ticket/ParkHopper/AP voucher that morning at the Main Entrance Plaza(unless you buy it in advance).

Two, after using the admission media to enter the park, everyone has to go to the Bank of Main Street.

If you didn't buy an AP voucher, they will calculate the price difference and collect the money there, then everyone has to show and ID and provide personal info like your address and DOB. Then your photo is taken by the same CM. In a minute or so, they will hand you your new AP.

There is no real time savings, maybe a few seconds at the Bank of Main Street if they don't have to process a second payment. But everyone waits in the same line (Upgrading or just processing).

Darkbeer
10-30-2006, 09:42 PM
Note, if you get a discounted ParkHopper, there is no real savings towards upgrading to an AP. The discounted ParkHoppers are coded, and the Bank of Main Street can tell what you paid for the ParkHopper, and will only give you credit for the amount paid towards an AP.....