Walk Me Through Activating an AP (previously purchased)

[lilpooh108]

Hello,

I let my AP lapse earlier this year so that I can see the Christmas lights this year and next year.

I bought an AP from Ralphs. I've never activated an AP before that didn't involve going to the now defunct AP center.

What do I do? Can I go up to the turnstiles and simply scan and walk in?

What do I do afterwards? Can I Parkhop before getting my photo taken? Where do I get a photo taken? Any photopass photographer? How do they get my name on there?!!

Thanks.

[jennameowse]

I believe you will need to take it to a ticket booth and have it exchanged for an actual AP.

[lilpooh108]

Originally Posted by jennameowse

I believe you will need to take it to a ticket booth and have it exchanged for an actual AP.

I don't have a paper voucher...I have the actual hard plastic AP cards that they sell at the market. Is it the same for that?

[longtimedisneylurker]

APs are now made at the ticket booths. You can either go straight to the ticket booth first thing and have the AP taken care of, or you can go straight to the turnstiles with your voucher. If you choose the turnstile option, then you will get a paper ticket for entry that you will then have to turn in at the ticket booth that day to fully activate your AP. I have never tried crossing back and forth with just the paper ticket, but I assume you can. As for the picture ID issue, the pictures don't come through instantly. If you enter or re-enter a park before your picture has been taken or has appeared in the system, then you will be asked to show photo ID. You most likely will be asked to show photo ID when activating the AP at the ticket booth too, so this wouldn't be a good day to show up at the park without an ID. If you have had an AP anytime in the last year or even longer, there's a good chance your picture will still be in the system and will just get attached to the new AP and you won't have to get your picture redone. If you do need to get your AP picture taken, you can ask any park photopass photographer to do it for you.

[lilpooh108]

Originally Posted by longtimedisneylurker

APs are now made at the ticket booths. You can either go straight to the ticket booth first thing and have the AP taken care of, or you can go straight to the turnstiles with your voucher. If you choose the turnstile option, then you will get a paper ticket for entry that you will then have to turn in at the ticket booth that day to fully activate your AP. I have never tried crossing back and forth with just the paper ticket, but I assume you can. As for the picture ID issue, the pictures don't come through instantly. If you enter or re-enter a park before your picture has been taken or has appeared in the system, then you will be asked to show photo ID. You most likely will be asked to show photo ID when activating the AP at the ticket booth too, so this wouldn't be a good day to show up at the park without an ID. If you have had an AP anytime in the last year or even longer, there's a good chance your picture will still be in the system and will just get attached to the new AP and you won't have to get your picture redone. If you do need to get your AP picture taken, you can ask any park photopass photographer to do it for you.

Thanks! I'm honestly too lazy to stop for a photopass photographer. I hope my picture is in the system and I'll be sure to ask at the ticket booth.

[Jkpark]

I just activated AP tickets two weeks ago. Our last ones expired in September and they were able to use those same pictures. We got to the ticket booth about 7:10 and it took longer than I would have liked. We were 3 people back but didn't finish until 7:40. Still got RSR FPs but plan ahead. It wasn't even crowded that day.

[lilpooh108]

Originally Posted by Jkpark

I just activated AP tickets two weeks ago. Our last ones expired in September and they were able to use those same pictures. We got to the ticket booth about 7:10 and it took longer than I would have liked. We were 3 people back but didn't finish until 7:40. Still got RSR FPs but plan ahead. It wasn't even crowded that day.

That's too bad. I wish I could just walk right in. I really hate getting delayed right when you get to the park. What a buzzkill

[DLmama]

Hi there! I just activated my AP this past weekend. I bought the hard plastic vouchers at Safeway before the price increase. I took it to the ticket booth, they gave me my AP, I took that to the turnstile with my ID. Took a photo with the photo pass photographer near the Mickey floral and all was done.

[blynn]

We activated our APs on December 1. We had paper vouchers and went to the DL turnstiles where the CM gave us a regular paper ticket. After spending some time in DL we went out to a ticket booth where we showed ID and they took down other info and we received our plastic APs and were told to get our pictures taken as soon as possible (our first time for APs). We then went into DCA and into the camera center just to the right inside of the entrance where they took our pictures (no wait). Later that afternoon we crossed back over to DL and our pictures were already in the system. So you can go into the park before going to the ticket booth if you want to. We did and it was no problem.

[Crittsmom]

I *thought* the pictures stay in the system for 2 years, so you may not have any problems.

[longtimedisneylurker]

Originally Posted by Crittsmom

I *thought* the pictures stay in the system for 2 years, so you may not have any problems.

Apparently there can be glitches. August 2011 we were told there were no pictures on file and we had to get new ones. Our last passes had expired only four months before. This was fairly soon after they stopped printing the pictures on the APs though, so maybe there was some sort of problem transitioning.

[Mousequake]

Just a quick question about purchasing APs online-- if I purchase online, does my year start from the day I buy the tickets, or from the first day I actually enter the park?

[longtimedisneylurker]

Originally Posted by Mousequake

Just a quick question about purchasing APs online-- if I purchase online, does my year start from the day I buy the tickets, or from the first day I actually enter the park?

The day you actually enter the park. Be aware though that the vouchers have expiration dates. When I bought mine back in May, it had to be redeemed by 12/31/12. I haven't heard what the current voucher expiration date is. You don't lose the entire value of the AP if you try to redeem after the expiration, but you will usually only get whatever you actually paid for the AP applied to the current price if it is different and then have to pay the difference.

[Mousequake]

Originally Posted by longtimedisneylurker

The day you actually enter the park. Be aware though that the vouchers have expiration dates. When I bought mine back in May, it had to be redeemed by 12/31/12. I haven't heard what the current voucher expiration date is. You don't lose the entire value of the AP if you try to redeem after the expiration, but you will usually only get whatever you actually paid for the AP applied to the current price if it is different and then have to pay the difference.

I'm not understanding the difference in the options you can order online, then-- what's the difference between ordering the annual pass itself versus the annual pass gift voucher?

[longtimedisneylurker]

Originally Posted by Mousequake

I'm not understanding the difference in the options you can order online, then-- what's the difference between ordering the annual pass itself versus the annual pass gift voucher?

There are two purchase options on the Disney website. I have done both ways. If you choose the annual pass, then you have to fill in specific personal information for who that pass is for and the print-out shows that person's name on it. Also, you can choose the monthly payment option for this type of pass if you live in California. If you choose the annual pass gift voucher, then you don't at time of purchase have to designate any specific person that the pass belongs to. I believe you also don't have the monthly payment option with this pass. In neither case do you receive an actual AP card. You still have to take the print-out (voucher) to the ticket booth and have your AP processed.