How to Start the Annual Pass?

[WRLeGrand]

I am hoping I will not have a problem if I don’t have the credit card I used. I do have confirmation and ID and it is loaded in My Disney Experience. I purchased in November, our credit card was hacked in December so I have a new card. I am going to activate in February.

That is funny (not so funny actually), the same exact thing happened to me! We purchased on our Chase Disney card and I was notified over the weekend of suspicious activity. I am going to have an entirely different number!!

This entire process seems a little much to me, to be honest. But I am hoping for the best!

 

[StageTek]

This thread has been very helpful. I am thinking of buying an AP before the prices go up this year but won't use it until my Sept (2018) trip. Thanks!

 

[EpcotNerd]

Hmm I think I need some clarification. I purchased our AP's last month for our February trip. When on the phone purchasing, they walked me through putting them into my MDE account. The cast member on the phone told me that we can go right to the gates and our first magic band tap to enter a park will activate our APs. She also recommended that at some point we go to to Guest Services to get our AP card for discounts. She said that these were two separate events. I didn't see anyone say this in this thread so I wanted to make sure what she told me was true.

 

[Robo]

Hmm I think I need some clarification. I purchased our AP's last month for our February trip. When on the phone purchasing, they walked me through putting them into my MDE account.
1. The cast member on the phone told me that we can go right to the gates and our first magic band tap to enter a park will activate our APs.
2. She also recommended that at some point we go to to Guest Services to get our AP card for discounts.
3. She said that these were two separate events.
4. I didn't see anyone say this in this thread so I wanted to make sure what she told me was true.

1. Nope.
2. Yup. BEFORE going to the first park gate would be a good time, as you need
to get your AP activated there before entering.
3. Sorta. But, that's really not the issue of importance. You'd do both at the same booth.
4. It's not.

 

[EpcotNerd]

Thanks so much for clarifying that! One more question... if we were to go to guest relations to get our AP booklet/card on a Friday but not go inside a park until Saturday, does the annual pass start Friday or Saturday? Is it when you check in with guest relations? Or when you tap your magic band for your first park visit?

 

[erionm]

Thanks so much for clarifying that! One more question... if we were to go to guest relations to get our AP booklet/card on a Friday but not go inside a park until Saturday, does the annual pass start Friday or Saturday? Is it when you check in with guest relations? Or when you tap your magic band for your first park visit?

The expiration date is set based on the activation date at either a Park Ticket Window or Guest Relations Location.

 

[Robo]

Thanks so much for clarifying that! One more question... if we were to go to guest relations to get our AP booklet/card on a Friday but not go inside a park until Saturday, does the annual pass start Friday or Saturday? Is it when you check in with guest relations? Or when you tap your magic band for your first park visit?

The AP is activated on the date that you, well, activate it.

Unlike with a conventional ticket, entering a park (or not) does not affect the AP activation date.

 

[gmar1210]

Question. If I order AP today, do they immediately mail out magic bands or are those sent as soon as you activate the card? Will they ever give you magic bands at park when you activate your pass on your first day?

 

[Robo]

Question. If I order AP today,
1. do they immediately mail out magic bands
2. or are those sent as soon as you activate the card?
3. Will they ever give you magic bands at park when you activate your pass on your first day?

1. Nope.
2. Nope.
You must wait until after the trip that you first activate the AP, and then you can customize the AP's MB in your MDE account. It will be sent to you within a couple of weeks, or so, after that.
3. Nope. (But, you can purchase a MB on that trip, if you like, and use it until you get the one that "comes with" the AP.)

 

[bookbabe626]

Does anyone know if they'll ship the AP MBs to Canada once we customize them? We have to pick up regular MB at the resort when we check in, since they won't ship those, but will they ship the AP ones?

 

[geppettoman]

What about year two if you renew, Does the pass have to be reactivated after a renewal. Example I have an annual pass and will use it in Feb and July. When I renew, I will not go back until the following year. Will the renewed pass go inactive or remain activated????

 

[gatormom2tots]

We activated ours at Disney Springs, no credit card asked, and a very painless process.

 

[Robo]

What about year two if you renew, Does the pass have to be reactivated after a renewal. Example I have an annual pass and will use it in Feb and July. When I renew, I will not go back until the following year. Will the renewed pass go inactive or remain activated????

A "renewal" will begin on the day that your original pass expired.
(That's what makes it a "renewal.")

If you will not be going back to WDW for at least 2-3 months after your original AP expires,
it may very well be that you should not renew it at all, but instead, let the original AP expire
and just buy a whole new AP when you return to WDW.
That way, the new AP will be valid for a full year after you have activated it.

 

[geppettoman]

Robo?????will my renewal keep my annual pass as active or will I have to go to ticket office on my next trip after renewal to deactivate???

 

[Robo]

Robo?????will my renewal keep my annual pass as active or will I have to go to ticket office on my next trip after renewal to deactivate???

It will stay active starting on the day your current AP expires (I said that above) but, you will still need to stop by a ticket booth or guest relations to pick up the "AP ID Card" that will be valid for the upcoming year.

 

[tjlamphere]

If this has been posted before, please merge (I looked and did not see it)

We have purchased the Platinum Annual Pass. We will be traveling in February for our first trip, but I am still fairly unsure about how to actually start/initialize the AP. Do I basically just show up to a Guest Service location on the day we want to enter? Do I need to bring anything with me?

Thank you in advance for the help!

All of these suggestions are very good. We activated our Annual Passes at Disney Springs on Nov. 1....we had an experienced CM and a CM trainee...they were both AMAZING !!!! They activated our passes, then directed us to go to a store and buy MB, then come back and have the passes linked to the MB...and with our stroke of luck, when we went back to Guest Relations, we got those two CMs again....just luck of the draw. The actually took us into a side room, had us sit down (my DW had a broken foot and was wearing a boot) and they took a lot of time to work us through everything. I cannot say enough about the excellent CMs that took care of us that afternoon....they were the BEST !!!

 

[gmar1210]

Curious, do they ever run specials on annual passes for Florida residents. I vaguely remember a special where they gave you an extra month for free.

 

[Robo]

Curious, do they ever run specials on annual passes for Florida residents. I vaguely remember a special where they gave you an extra month for free.

They did that for all APs.
The latest promo was just within the last couple of years.

 

[gmar1210]

They did that for all APs.
The latest promo was just within the last couple of years.

Ah ok. So you can probably answer this. If I activate and use my ap on 2/1/18, does it expire on 2/1/19 or at the end of 2/19.

 

[Roguez]

Does anyone know if they'll ship the AP MBs to Canada once we customize them? We have to pick up regular MB at the resort when we check in, since they won't ship those, but will they ship the AP ones?

No. Unfortunately they do not send any MBs to Canada. The AP MBs are the same as the resort ones.