Annual Passes Resume April 13 (DVC) April 20 (General Public)

[kylenne]

Are there any hidden or not well known benefits of being an AP?

A lot of people don’t realize discounts are available at some third party Disney Springs shops, not just the Disney owned ones. MAC Cosmetics and L’Occitane are the big ones for me.

Our next trip is set for Jan. 2024, so I don't think I'll be able to test that expiration date.

But here's the screenshot from the WDW app:

View attachment 755290

You made me check mine and sure enough

 

[Llama mama]

Mine says Dec. 31, 2099!

Mine too

 

[disney-inspired]

That last part sure sounds like the amount paid can be used to purchase another pass or ticket - it specifically says that is the only thing you can do with it.

Ah, good catch - misread that last line.

 

[AnnaKristoff2013]

A lot of people don’t realize discounts are available at some third party Disney Springs shops, not just the Disney owned ones. MAC Cosmetics and L’Occitane are the big ones for me.


You made me check mine and sure enough
View attachment 755295

M&M store gives a 10 percent AP discount at Springs.

 

[10CJ]

Oh yes; I am well aware there is conflicting information. Lots of people trying to interpret things. Using similar terms like "one year" and "expiration" and "activate" for very different meanings. It is a pea soup fog of confusion. But, I am very clear on what I am doing because I very carefully ask the CMs the right questions and clarify any ambiguities. I am getting exactly the same straight information from the CMs at Guest Relations. But, I am putting down the baton on this discussion because it is Disney's responsibility to clarify misunderstandings. So, if people are not clear, I strongly advise them to call the passholder line with their specific questions. You wouldn't want to think a pass is not active and just a voucher if the time is running. I also heard that 2030 date is just the date to keep it in the system. Even on some of those passes, it just turns into a credit one year after purchase. Call (407) 939-7277 for the passholder line to clear up any questions.

So, this made me go and look at the voucher I have. It was bought pre-covid and used to have a 2030 expiration date on it. However I do not see a date on it now. It is a Platinum Pass. Now I am concerned that it is no longer a valid voucher, ugh.

 

[Kristi391]

Question about the passholder entrance to the parks. My 7 year old niece, who does not have an AP, will be traveling with me this summer, so I will have to go through a regular entrance, not the AP entrance with her, correct? Or do they let kids go through with their parent/guardian, kind of like TSA pre-check?

Thanks in advance.

Kristi

 

[jerry557]

Another fun thing about having an AP is that when you tap in at the tapstile, Mickey lights up purple for a moment before turning green. Love this!

And, yes, what @HopperFan said--many people in the AP entrance line are just as inept at tapping in as anyone else. And of course there can always be problems anyway, no matter how experienced someone is. I've had trips where they had to call over someone every single time I tapped into a park. I have no idea why. Same finger, same MB, same AP--but not working for me.

Anyway, everyone, enjoy your new APs! I'm so happy they made them available again.

Yeah usually the passholder line isn't any better than any other lines. They don't move people through any faster. They still have to scan. They still have to use the fingerprint. And it can still fail and hold everyone up. In fact, I've seen that line go longer or slower at times.

90% of the time I don't use that line. I don't really even view it as a "perk." They would need to add more AP-only lines for it to really make any difference.

 

[Deadp00l]

So, this made me go and look at the voucher I have. It was bought pre-covid and used to have a 2030 expiration date on it. However I do not see a date on it now. It is a Platinum Pass. Now I am concerned that it is no longer a valid voucher, ugh.

I have those vouchers too; the app showed that it originally had an expiration year of 2030 and then it briefly showed December 31st, 2099. Now there's no expiration date.

Just go to the website on the computer and you should see "Expires: December 31, 2099".

By the way, has anyone verified what the actual expiration date is on these pre-covid vouchers? I'm sure [legally] it's still 2030 (since that's the agreement upon purchase) but I would love for it to be 2099.

 

[PalmettoPath]

Yeah usually the passholder line isn't any better than any other lines. They don't move people through any faster. They still have to scan. They still have to use the fingerprint. And it can still fail and hold everyone up. In fact, I've seen that line go longer or slower at times.

90% of the time I don't use that line. I don't really even view it as a "perk." They would need to add more AP-only lines for it to really make any difference.

Must be time of year. The line is pretty much always much faster and shorter for us. Last month, the line was dead at MK, literally no one in the AP line but us. It is shorter now than before covid. So either we've been super lucky for 10 years as AP owners, or it's time of year when we go (March, August and December). So our experience with the AP line is vastly different than yours. But if that were the case and it's long, you just pick the shortest line anyway. We also never see AP holders fumbling with how to use the biometrics and so on, which is what really slows down the general entrance a lot.

 

[loves to dive]

Question about the passholder entrance to the parks. My 7 year old niece, who does not have an AP, will be traveling with me this summer, so I will have to go through a regular entrance, not the AP entrance with her, correct? Or do they let kids go through with their parent/guardian, kind of like TSA pre-check?

Thanks in advance.

Kristi

They let family members go through with you. I have had my son and DIL go through with me.

Yeah usually the passholder line isn't any better than any other lines. They don't move people through any faster. They still have to scan. They still have to use the fingerprint. And it can still fail and hold everyone up. In fact, I've seen that line go longer or slower at times.

90% of the time I don't use that line. I don't really even view it as a "perk." They would need to add more AP-only lines for it to really make any difference.

Just be aware of this. The passholder line is not always the quickest. Last week after I was able to finally get a new AP after a year of being without, I only used the PH lines once. It was just much quicker to go through the regular lines. In some cases, the regular line had no one in it while the PH line was backed up. I think a lot of new people don't realize they can use both tap points (I saw this happen in all the lines, actually told a couple in front of me they could use the one that was free while the CM was trying to help someone else) or they try to use their phones and don't know how.

 

[loves to dive]

I mentioned on Thurs. that the CM told me when I finally got my new AP that I was going to have to use Google Pay to use the discount. I can report this was so untrue. 90% of the time they didn't even ask to see the physical card, I would ask if there was a discount and they would add it. The few times they asked to see the card they did not ask to see my ID. I paid sometimes with cash and sometimes with a card but never once was Google Pay mentioned. So, have your card and ID on you and be prepared to show it but that is all. I understand for DVC that is different.

 

[porkslap]

I am confused if our passes are activated or not. We purchased APs on 4/20 and rebooked existing resort stays using the AP discount the same day. We did not previously have active APs or vouchers (we had let our APs lapse) or tickets linked in MDE. Current expiration shows as 4/19/24. Mostly I’m just trying to figure out if we’ll have to go to a ticketing window to activate, or if we can go straight to the park entrance. Thanks!

 

[tbssenterprises]

I mentioned on Thurs. that the CM told me when I finally got my new AP that I was going to have to use Google Pay to use the discount. I can report this was so untrue. 90% of the time they didn't even ask to see the physical card, I would ask if there was a discount and they would add it. The few times they asked to see the card they did not ask to see my ID. I paid sometimes with cash and sometimes with a card but never once was Google Pay mentioned. So, have your card and ID on you and be prepared to show it but that is all. I understand for DVC that is different.

I find that 50% of the time I have to show my ID (out of state drivers license) to get the discount. This annoys the crap out of me because it means I have to carry it around in the parks. I'd much prefer to keep it locked in the safe. I just want to use my magic band, if they are insistent, why can't I just show them stuff on my phone which we all know, we need to carry around.

 

[jbock]

Apologies if this has already been asked / answered - I did try searching. I just converted my 10 day tickets -> Incredipass. I've cancelled 5 reservations so I'm down to the 5 limit. I'm wondering when I can make the 6th reservation, and so on. Is it as soon as I scan in to the gate on day 1 it'll let me book a new what I'm calling "day 6" reservation, and so on with day 2 -> day 7? Or do I have to wait longer like overnight, or some other time? At least for now I'm staying off-site, I know if I stay onsite I can avoid this.

Thanks!

 

[bioprof]

I have 10 day park hoppers for December of this year. A few questions....

If I upgrade to the annual pass, is the cost the difference between what I paid and the total cost of the Incredi-pass? I'm thinking yes but wanted to double check.

 

[jbock]

I have 10 day park hoppers for December of this year. A few questions....

If I upgrade to the annual pass, is the cost the difference between what I paid and the total cost of the Incredi-pass? I'm thinking yes but wanted to double check.

Yes, I just did that a few days ago... the process was fairly easy but I had to do it over the phone.. that could be because I purchased the tickets from UT, not sure. In any event it was the price difference.

 

[mmm_texas]

I have 10 day park hoppers for December of this year. A few questions....

If I upgrade to the annual pass, is the cost the difference between what I paid and the total cost of the Incredi-pass? I'm thinking yes but wanted to double check.

That's correct, unless you got a discount on your park hoppers. You'll still get credit for the full value of the park hoppers (effectively a discount on your AP).

 

[AnnaKristoff2013]

Question about the passholder entrance to the parks. My 7 year old niece, who does not have an AP, will be traveling with me this summer, so I will have to go through a regular entrance, not the AP entrance with her, correct? Or do they let kids go through with their parent/guardian, kind of like TSA pre-check?

Thanks in advance.

Kristi

They’ll almost certainly not care and let her through with you.

 

[lanejudy]

Apologies if this has already been asked / answered - I did try searching. I just converted my 10 day tickets -> Incredipass. I've cancelled 5 reservations so I'm down to the 5 limit. I'm wondering when I can make the 6th reservation, and so on. Is it as soon as I scan in to the gate on day 1 it'll let me book a new what I'm calling "day 6" reservation, and so on with day 2 -> day 7? Or do I have to wait longer like overnight, or some other time? At least for now I'm staying off-site, I know if I stay onsite I can avoid this.

Thanks!

Assuming you are not staying at a WDW resort ... you can make a park reservation for the 6th day after your day 1 park closes for the night.

 

[lanejudy]

I am confused if our passes are activated or not. We purchased APs on 4/20 and rebooked existing resort stays using the AP discount the same day. We did not previously have active APs or vouchers (we had let our APs lapse) or tickets linked in MDE. Current expiration shows as 4/19/24. Mostly I’m just trying to figure out if we’ll have to go to a ticketing window to activate, or if we can go straight to the park entrance. Thanks!

The 4/19/24 expiration is the last chance to activate the AP. You have 1-year from purchase date to activate, then the AP will expire 1-year from first use. You'll need to stop to activate the AP for first use; this can be done at DS the day prior if that helps your planning.