Annual passes

[live4christp1]

Looking at purchasing annual passes this year for an October trip and a May 2019 trip (and whatever else we can squeeze in).

If I go ahead and purchase online what all do I get initially? Do we get magic bands or use existing magic bands?

Can I go ahead and link them to MDE and make FP selections when we get to our window without them being activated?

What have been some of your favorite perks of being an annual pass holder?

Any special events?

Thanks!
Cristy

 

[Robo]

Looking at purchasing annual passes this year for an October trip and a May 2019 trip (and whatever else we can squeeze in).

1. If I go ahead and purchase online what all do I get initially?

2. Do we get magic bands or use existing magic bands?

3. Can I go ahead and link them to MDE and make FP selections when we get to our window without them being activated?

1. If you order via your MDX, the AP certificates (non-activated APs) will show up automatically in your MDX account.
(Otherwise, you can manually put the AP certificate numbers into your MDX account.)
2. You can use your current (or upcoming) resort (or purchased) MBs for your first trip with the AP.
After you have ACTIVATED your APs at WDW, after you return home from that first trip, you will see a message in your MDX to "customize" the new AP MagicBands.
Do so, and the AP MBs will be sent to you, ready for your next trip.
(ALL of your MBs will still continue to work at WDW.)
3. Yes.

 

[CAS239]

Best perks imo are:
-free parking
-discounts on food and merchandise
-invites to special events like movie screenings and new ride/land previews when they do them

Robo covered all your questions. Just with your AP magic band, you have to activate the pass in person, then your AP band will pop up ready to be customized. So if you have older bands you can use them for your first trip

 

[live4christp1]

Thanks Robo! We will most likely be staying off property. The free parking and photo downloads being the biggest swaying points to APs versus two separate 5 day sets of tickets. (Plus that gives me an opportunity to visit a few more times over the course of the year as time permits).

 

[live4christp1]

Best perks imo are:
-free parking
-discounts on food and merchandise
-invites to special events like movie screenings and new ride/land previews when they do them

Robo covered all your questions. Just with your AP magic band, you have to activate the pass in person, then your AP band will pop up ready to be customized. So if you have older bands you can use them for your first trip

Thank you!

 

[Quellman]

Remember you can activate your annual pass at any Parks or Disney Springs Guest Services. You cannot activate at a hotel. If you activate the first morning after you already paid for parking, take your parking receipt with you to guest services, they should refund it. When you go to activate it make sure you bring a photo ID and whatever method of payment you used.

I like to activate it the day before 1st use just to minimize wait times in the morning at the parks. But if people really are going to use all 365 days, they may need to wait until the morning of.

 

[CAS239]

Remember you can activate your annual pass at any Parks or Disney Springs Guest Services. You cannot activate at a hotel. If you activate the first morning after you already paid for parking, take your parking receipt with you to guest services, they should refund it. When you go to activate it make sure you bring a photo ID and whatever method of payment you used.

I like to activate it the day before 1st use just to minimize wait times in the morning at the parks. But if people really are going to use all 365 days, they may need to wait until the morning of.

This is changed now finally. You can activate it the day before but the year won't start ticking until you enter the park

 

[Quellman]

This is changed now finally. You can activate it the day before but the year won't start ticking until you enter the park

Great news! Hopefully it will make guest services lines a bit shorter in the morning.

 

[erigby]

I'm planning on upgrading my 7day ticket to an AP during my trip this July. Does anyone know how quickly memory maker activates? Is it automatic once you get an AP, like day of?

 

[Robo]

I'm planning on upgrading my 7day ticket to an AP during my trip this July. Does anyone know how quickly memory maker activates? Is it automatic once you get an AP, like day of?

Immediately.

 

[loves to dive]

Great news! Hopefully it will make guest services lines a bit shorter in the morning.

You can also go to any ticket booth. I've found these have less lines than GS does.

 

[MischaOz]

This is my first year as AP and I absolutely love it. We’re from Wisconsin, so hoping to get 3 trips out of it. I love the free parking as we stay off site, as well as the photos. I never paid for Memory Maker, so it is awesome having that included. I also like the merchandise discount. And park hopping! For me, some of the enjoyment is mental, if that makes sense. It is just fun being able to go through the passholder entrance! The little perks make you feel special (just got my Flower & Garden magnet at Epcot!). Maybe that feeling wears off with time, but for now, I’m loving it!!

 

[CarrieR]

I'm planning on upgrading my 7day ticket to an AP during my trip this July. Does anyone know how quickly memory maker activates? Is it automatic once you get an AP, like day of?

Not only that, but it backdates. So if your trip starts on Sunday, but you don’t make it to GR to upgrade until Tuesday, all of your PP pix dating back to Sun will be watermark-free ... as long as they properly backdate the first day of your AP.

 

[Robo]

Not only that, but it backdates. So if your trip starts on Sunday, but you don’t make it to GR to upgrade until Tuesday, all of your PP pix dating back to Sun will be watermark-free ... as long as they properly backdate the first day of your AP.

AFAIK, it backdates up to a year.

 

[erigby]

Not only that, but it backdates. So if your trip starts on Sunday, but you don’t make it to GR to upgrade until Tuesday, all of your PP pix dating back to Sun will be watermark-free ... as long as they properly backdate the first day of your AP.

yess that's what I was hoping for. Thank you so much!

 

[Fangorn]

AFAIK, it backdates up to a year.

This has been my experience. Had a trip in May without AP. Ended up planning 2 more unexpected trips in Aug and Dec, and got an AP. Pictures from May (which had already disappeared from my Photo Pass account) magically reappeared once the AP was activated in August.

Steve

 

[CarolynFH]

Not only that, but it backdates. So if your trip starts on Sunday, but you don’t make it to GR to upgrade until Tuesday, all of your PP pix dating back to Sun will be watermark-free ... as long as they properly backdate the first day of your AP.

AFAIK, it backdates up to a year.

This has been my experience. Had a trip in May without AP. Ended up planning 2 more unexpected trips in Aug and Dec, and got an AP. Pictures from May (which had already disappeared from my Photo Pass account) magically reappeared once the AP was activated in August.

Steve

I've recently noticed that the photos in my AP PhotoPass account expire 1 year + 30 days after they were taken - so when you activate your first AP, I wouldn't be surprised to see photos taken up to 1 year + 30 days ago magically reappear!

 

[CarrieR]

AFAIK, it backdates up to a year.

I had an AP that expired in April (2017). Then in August, I had a hopper 7 or 8 days, I don’t remember - that had first use on Saturday. We took some photopass pics on Saturday. On Sunday, I upgraded the hopper to an AP, but the CM erred and did not backdate the pass to Saturday. The Sunday+ photos are unlocked, but the Saturday are still watermarked (as are the photos of my F&F between the April expiry and new August AP.) YMMV.

 

[Naughty Nurse]

HI...what if it is your first time getting an annual pass...and you do not have any previous magic bands (no idea where they are)....what happens with regards to arm bands when you first activate your annual pass?

 

[TinkLoverSam]

HI...what if it is your first time getting an annual pass...and you do not have any previous magic bands (no idea where they are)....what happens with regards to arm bands when you first activate your annual pass?

You use the card they give you until you customize your AP band and have it shipped to you.