Annual Pass, do I qualify??

[bill-dfw]

Hi all...

Is there a way that a non-Florida resident, but a DVC member, can get an annual pass? It seems we should since we actually own property in Florida.

If there is a way to do it, I'd REALLY appreciate you letting us know how!

Thank you!

[PamOKW]

Anyone can buy an Annual Pass. Only FL residents can purchase the FL Resident Only Annual and Seasonal Pass.

Being a DVC member does not bring with it any Florida Resident status....in fact, the paperwork specifically prohibits using a DVC resort as a residency address. Remember, owning property and being a resident are not the same thing.

[JillU-DVC]

ANYONE can purchase an Annual or Premium Annual Pass - no need to be a Florida resident.

HOWEVER, you MUST be a Floriday Resident to get any of the resident discounts, including the Resident discount on the Annual Pass.

Hope this helps!!

[Granny]

Anybody can get an Annual Pass. I think you are asking about the Florida Resident Annual Pass. You can't get the Florida discounted annual pass unless you have Florida residency.

Our interest in DVC does not qualify us as Florida residents.

All us non-Floridians sure wish it did work that way, but alas, it doesn't. Sorry. :(

You may hear others suggest ways to "beat the system", but none of them are legitimate except living in Florida and establishing residency.

[Granny]

Pam & Jill....I guess we were all typing responses at the same time.

At least our answers were consistent! :)

[PamOKW]

LOL!!! And what have we been doing over the last three days?!!? :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

[Granny]

Originally posted by PamOKW
LOL!!! And what have we been doing over the last three days?!!? :rolleyes: :rolleyes: You mean between error messages when trying to get on this site? :D

I wonder why my boss thinks my productivity is so much better this week? :confused:

[ohiominnie]

We're in Ohio and have Annual Passes. People up here get wind of that and they think we're nuts! But we go down to WDW for more than 8 days a year, so it pays for itself!

ohiominnie :p

[Rock'n Robin]

another Ohioan with an annual pass. We took a quickie trip last December and saved lots of $$ on a room at the Poly (points booked for this summer).
You can get a discount on an AP if you are a Disney Club member--check out the prices on this site with and without discounts, and see if the membership cost makes it worth your while.
Robin M.

[bill-dfw]

Where are the passes for sale??? Do you know the cost??

[Terry S]

Here is a link to all the tickets and their prices with and without Disney Club Discount. http://www.wdwinfo.com/wdwinfo/tickets.htm You can get them at the Disney Store, at WDW Guest Relations or by calling WDW. We normally get the Regular Annual Pass not the Premium. The Premium includes the waterparks.

[Werner Weiss]

When we visited WDW and stayed at BWV in November 2001, I decided it would be worthwhile to buy annual passes. We've never had annual passes before.

Prior to going, I looked into whether there would be any advantage to buying our passes (or pass vouchers) in advance, either at the Disney Store or online. It turned out there is no advantage -- neither a better price, nor greater convenience.

So after we had checked into our 1BR suite at BWV, we walked over to the International Gateway entrance to Epcot. We presented a credit card and our Disney Club card to the CM in the ticket booth. She showed us our choices. We decided on regular annual passes because we would not make sufficient use the extra features of the premium annual passes (such as water park admission) over a 12-month period. We saved around $15 on each of the two passes with our Disney Club card.

I asked if we could get the free extra 100 days that Florida residents were getting at the time. She said no. So, as Illinois residents, we paid more and we received a shorter term pass than if we were Florida residents. And DVC owners pay the same as anyone else.

We filled out short applications (and we may have shown our Illinois drivers licenses, I don't recall). A few minutes later we had our annual passes and we were inside Epcot.

See:
Ticket Prices (http://www.wdwinfo.com/wdwinfo/tickets.htm)
Disney Club ("")

[Granny]

Originally posted by Werner Weiss
Prior to going, I looked into whether there would be any advantage to buying our passes (or pass vouchers) in advance, either at the Disney Store or online. It turned out there is no advantage -- neither a better price, nor greater convenience.
There could be a price advantage of buying in advance.

If you buy now, you can lock in your price before Disney's annual rite of admission price hikes! True, you have to pay now as well so you can't draw interest on your money, but with today's interest rates, that's peanuts.

So you lock in the price now, but you don't start your one year of admissions until you activate with your first park visit.

Just another thought.

[Minnie*Mouse]

Do annual passes have a photo ID? I mean, what if two couples pay for an annual pass and share it? What's to stop people from doing this?

I'm not thinking of doing this, just asking...

M*M:)

[ohiominnie]

M*M,
The first time you use your AP you have to put your first two fingers into a special finger reader. This measures bone length and width of those two fingers. Each time after that you are required to put your fingers into the machine and it will compare them to the first reading. We were told that this is actually more accurate than fingerprinting. Don't know that as a fact, that was just from the CM at Guest Services.

ohiominnie :p

[dianeschlicht]

Yes, the biometric readers are fool proof. No one could share a pass.

[PamOKW]

Just adding the kabosh on sharing an AP....if the finger reader fails, you must produce a photo ID. Your name is also on the pass so it would be more difficult for a male/female to attempt to share.

[DebbieB]

I believe it also says on the pass that if you are caught using it fraudulently it will be confiscated. So try explaining to the original owner that their pass was taken away! :eek:

[CaptainClapper]

An Annual Pass is a great idea if you plan to visit the Parks more than 7 times in a year, based on the one-day admission price. Not only do you break even there, but you're also entitled to a myriad of discounts and other perks! For example, last year, I got a room at Port Orleans (what do they call that now....Riverside or something??!!) for $94/night with my Annual Pass!

You may also want to consider joining the Disney Club BEFORE purchasing the Annual Pass (www.disneyclub.com). With Disney Club membership, you'll receive 10% off the pass (any of the passes actually). The savings there will pay for the price of DC membership and offer even MORE savings (ie. 10% off all Disney Stores and selected stores in Downtown Disney; huge discounts at hotels and restaurants across the country, etc.).

Hope this helps!! :)

[Granny]

Originally posted by CaptainClapper
You may also want to consider joining the Disney Club BEFORE purchasing the Annual Pass (www.disneyclub.com). With Disney Club membership, you'll receive 10% off the pass (any of the passes actually). The savings there will pay for the price of DC membership and offer even MORE savings (ie. 10% off all Disney Stores and selected stores in Downtown Disney; huge discounts at hotels and restaurants across the country, etc.).
CaptainClapper....first of all, welcome to the DIS Boards!

I just checked the DC discount on passes on Debs Unofficial WDW site and she listed the AP as $369 regular, or $354 with the DC discount. This is about 4% savings. It's still $15, and if you buy two you've almost covered the cost of joining. And you're right...there are a lot of other discounts as well that go with it.

The DC discount also seemed to be about 3-4% on hopper tickets as well. Not big bucks but better than no discount.

[Geyser Gazer]

Is there a website with annual pass resort rate deals or do you need to keep calling CRO to find out whats available. Also, I presume that you dont need to have an active annual pass to make reservations but would need to present at check in for any special rates. Am I thinkin' right?

[Terry S]

Geyser Gazer... You are correct you don't need the AP when making the reservation, just upon check in. As far as a site for AP room rates, there really isn't one. Mary generally will post a couple of examples on mousesavers.com when she finds out about annual pass rates. Your best bet is to call CRO.

[CaptainClapper]

Guy-Granny...

Hmmm...I checked the Dis pricing too and you're exactly right about the mere 4% savings through Disney Club on Annual Passes. Last year, I saved 10% when I purchased two tickets so I'm not sure how that happened!! Either way, thank you for the clarification. This way, whomever asked this question in the first place will not be in for a 6% surprise!

Techie question for you: how did you get the icon underneath your name? Is that fancy html stuff or can you paste it in somewhere?

[Granny]

Originally posted by CaptainClapper
Techie question for you: how did you get the icon underneath your name? Is that fancy html stuff or can you paste it in somewhere? I'm no techie, believe me.

There were step by step instructions for changing your avatar (that's what they call that doo-hickey under your name) on the Technical Support site on these boards. But when I went to go fetch the link for you, I was unable to connect to the page.

You can still go to that site by clicking on "The DIS Discussion Forums" at the top of this page. Then scroll down almost to the bottom of the DIS sites and you will see the Technical Support site.

I think they lost some pages temporarily after the boards went down. You can ask questions there and receive help, I'm sure.

[CaptainClapper]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Granny
[B]I'm no techie, believe me.

There were step by step instructions for changing your avatar (that's what they call that doo-hickey under your name) on the Technical Support site on these boards. But when I went to go fetch the link for you, I was unable to connect to the page.

-------------
Thank you for trying to find the link for me! Thank you also for adding a brand new million-dollar word to my vocabulary!!! I'm going to see what I can find on "AVATARS" now!! :)

[DebbieB]

Last year, I saved 10% when I purchased two tickets so I'm not sure how that happened!!

Did you buy them during the gift pass promotion at the end of 2000? That's when I got mine. They gave you new passes for the renewal price, which is about 10% off. It ended around Dec 2000 and they didn't offer it again.

[CaptainClapper]

Originally posted by DebbieB


Did you buy them during the gift pass promotion at the end of 2000? That's when I got mine. They gave you new passes for the renewal price, which is about 10% off. It ended around Dec 2000 and they didn't offer it again.


That sounds familiar!! I just remember saving a considerable amount because of the Disney Club! It's too bad they're not still doing that! Thanks!!

[SINK]

Hey, our whole family got AP on our last trip out (Dec 01), since the breakeven point is around 8 days. So, we are planning to come "HOME" for Thanksgiving.

We are about 26 miles away from Disneyland, and have purchased AP here as well (a lot cheaper than WDW), but I just love WDW. That's what I called vacation.

I regretted not having purchased AP at WDW while attending a conference in Nov 01. That would of saved a ton from what I've paid in buying multi-days hopper passes the two previous trips made in Nov 01.

Just do it, it will "force" the family to go "HOME" again.

[Deb & Bill]

Just wondering, what if someone has a prosthetic hand/arm or two. Does this cause problems with the biometric scanner? Just a weird question that came into my head.

[Minnie*Mouse]

The annual passes are per individual??? If our family of 4 decided to get annual passes we would each have to scan in order to use them? I'm impressed by this sophistication, but must admit that I've never seen anyone using this type of pass upon admission. There must be a special entrance for people w/annual passes. All I ever see are people inserted their KTTW cards or such into the slot at the entrance.

Great info. and I'm glad that Disney is using this technology. It' prevents, 'certain people' from abusing the system.

:) M*M :)

[Chuck S]

M*M

You really don't notice people using the biometric scanners unless you watch for them. They are the silver box on top of the regular turnstiles. You insert your AP just like your KTTW and place your fingers into the scanners. It usually doesn't take any longer than a regular KTTW admission. Mom's in a wheelchair, and they usually don't require her to reach over into the scanners (the CMs can override the scanners), after she goes through the w/c gate, I enter through the turnstiles, using the scanner.

[DebbieB]

Kids are not required to be scanned. I'm not sure what the age is when they have to do it. Regarding the prostetic hand, they may just be required to show ID and get waived through. My Mom has a problem with her hands (arthritis) and alot of times it rejects. Most of the time the CM just pushes a button and lets her through, sometimes she was asked for ID.

[SINK]

We have two child APs (ages 3-9) and they don't need to "stick their fingers in the reader"

[colleen mcmaster]

I bought APs from TDS and plan to activate them in Feb. I didn't ask for a DVC discount when I bought them. Is there a DVC discount and can I ask to use it when I activate the passes? Or is it too late to get the discount since we already paid for them? Also, do we need to show any ID for our kids APs? Thanks.

[DebbieB]

There is no DVC discount for annual passes, just Ultimate Park Hopper (Length of Stay). Disney Club offers about 5% on all passes except one day. Kids do not require ID.

[Terry S]

M*M, just confirming what Chuck S already said, before I had an AP I never really saw anyone use one before either, once I got mine, I then saw a lot of people use them, I just didn't realize they were using them before. The pass it self is just the paper pass like the one day pass. (The people who have the pass on their hotel card have a nice plastic pass to use, AP's are just cheap paper) It takes less then a minute to stick your fingers in the reader on top of the ticket turnstile. You could have seen someone doing it and mistaken it for someone putting thier ticket in.

[minnie56]

We live in Canada, but have a condo in Florida.As we pay U.S property taxes, we are considered Florida residents, although not year round.We have Florida drivers licences (only good in the State of Fla or we would have to relinquish our Canadian ones) and therefore are able to buy annuals with Florida Resident promo's/discounts as well as Disney Club discounts.But anybody can buy Annual Passes.Factoring in hotel discounts etc.... they're a good deal!:)