Hiya Bill,
Welcome to planDisney! When I was in graduate school in Florida, I couldn’t wait to become an annual passholder. I loved the idea of being able to visit Walt Disney World more often (and get
discounts on my favorite snacks), and I was so excited when I finally became one by upgrading my tickets.
As the Cast Member told you at the ticket counter, Walt Disney World allows you to
upgrade by applying the value of theme park tickets to an annual pass as long as your tickets still have remaining days left on them (the tickets must be partially or completely unused). If your tickets are eligible, you can upgrade on the
My Disney Experience mobile app, in person at the
Ticket Center at Disney Springs, or at a ticket counter. You can also call a Cast Member in
Existing Tickets if that is easier! I personally prefer to call or use my mobile app to take advantage of my passholder perks as soon as I arrive.
I hope this was helpful, Bill. Before I let you go, I wanted to share something we learned when we tried to upgrade our tickets once. If you want to upgrade to a Disney Pixie Dust pass, you cannot have used your park hopper passes on a date that is blocked out for the Pixie Dust pass. So, for example, let’s say you used your park hopper pass on a weekend during your last trip. Since Pixie Dust passes are blocked out on weekends (and peak periods), you cannot upgrade your tickets to a Pixie Dust pass. Please come back and see us if you need anything else!
Happy Planning,
Ashley F.