When you call they do verify that your membership is eligible because they have actual access to the system, then they now transfer you by phone to ticketing who issues the actual ticket.
In person, instead of calling DVC, they ask that you must prove you are still eligible..showing an expired card won’t work..by showing the new digital card of DVC Y. Since your DH didn’t have that, the required an updated screenshot of the temporary card right off the website.
Plus CMs at ticketing don’t have the same access to a membership account to know if you are eligible for the Sorcerer Pass.
The reason those not eligible last year were given them is because the ticketing department simply saw DVC on any card and issued them without understanding that white card holders should not be sold the pass.
So, it makes sense that when renewing my in person that you do need to have your digital card and ID in order ti renew.