A month at Disney? Could I be so lucky?

[BRC6C]

Well, after weeks of thinking about it we're about to make some final decisions, but it looks like we're going to spend a month at WDW this summer! We are looking into renting a vacation home for the month and will drive one way and take the auto train the other way (we live in the DC area). DS13 and I will be there the whole time and DH will come for a chunk of it.

Our basic plan is to get annual passes, I think we will spring for the water park add on. We will likely spend at least part of almost every day in the parks. We have gone before for 3 weeks, so this isn't completely new territory for us. DS and I volunteered at GKTW over MLK week-end and plan to volunteer there regularly over the month.

Of course I have a few questions/requests for you all!

1) Anyone have specific vacation homes they have used and loved?

2) Anyone taken the auto-train recently? What should I know?

3) I would love to build in some challenges for us, suggestion? I'm looking for ways to get us to see and do things in different ways.

4) How do magic bands work with APs now? Last time we had APs you didn't automatically get a magic band. Note: we have a bunch of magic bands each, but I'm starting to worry about battery life.

5) What's the deal with FP+ with annual passes?

6) Goes with 4&5 I guess, should we pre-purchase the annual passes or buy them on-site?

 

[HopperFan]

4) You will get a new MB AFTER you activate (use) your AP. So you would not get in advance.
5) AP get FP+ 30 days in advance if offsite.
6) You can't book FP+ until you buy an AP and link to your MDE, so waiting means no FP+ until then.

 

[BRC6C]

4) You will get a new MB AFTER you activate (use) your AP. So you would not get in advance.

Hmmm, do they mail it? That might mean we don't have them for the whole trip... Oh well, guess we have to just hope the old ones keep working!

 

[HopperFan]

Hmmm, do they mail it? That might mean we don't have them for the whole trip... Oh well, guess we have to just hope the old ones keep working!

Once you use your AP to enter park you should be able to go on to MDE and customize them. They will arrive pretty quickly after that so maybe your DH can bring them if they arrive home before one of his visits.

Your old ones should be fine, bring a couple. Anything you touch Mickey to Mickey - tickets, FP+ and PP scans will be fine (offsite you won't be doing gates, hotel doors, charging or DDP). That part of the RFID chip should work many many years. It's the battery operated part they worry about dying and that is what the photos on rides see. You can scan yourself at most so mostly just 7DMT that has no scanner.

 

[Tink415]

If staying offsite APs can make 7 days of FP+. Then once a day has expired you can make another day of FP+.

 

[CAS239]

Yea as Tink stated..the only thing you'll have to constantly do is make FastPasses. As an AP we can only have 7 days worth of fast passes in a 30 day period. So you'll make your first 7 fast passes for the days, then when you use the first day you'll go ahead and select the FP's for your 8th day.

 

[Accident]

Hmmm, do they mail it? That might mean we don't have them for the whole trip... Oh well, guess we have to just hope the old ones keep working!

If you are upgrading a ticket to an AP, you can't get them until after you upgrade and yes they mail them. If you purchased an AP on the website and have the voucher (or it's linked to your account), you can customize and get your magicband right now and book your fast passes. Just link your AP to MDE and the magicbands should appear to get now.

 

[lovethattink]

I always get our AP at park. So I'm not sure how this will work. Can you make FP+ reservation with a voucher? Or will they mail you the actual AP cards?

 

[Keels]

I always get our AP at park. So I'm not sure how this will work. Can you make FP+ reservation with a voucher? Or will they mail you the actual AP cards?

Yes. You enter the barcode on the voucher into MDE and you can start making FP+s immediately. You still have to go to a ticket booth on arriving at WDW to pickup for AP hard card. I wasn't able to order my "free" AP MagicBand until AFTER I converted the voucher into an AP card at Disney.

OP, since you'll know the address of your vacation home, you can also have your AP MagicBands sent to the vacation home. They will arrive in about 5 days after you customize them.

 

[Dan Murphy]

Anyone taken the auto-train recently? What should I know?

Here is a very long running thread from the Transportation forum.

http://www.disboards.com/threads/all-about-the-autotrain.402667/

 

[HopperFan]

Yes. You enter the barcode on the voucher into MDE and you can start making FP+s immediately. You still have to go to a ticket booth on arriving at WDW to pickup for AP hard card. I wasn't able to order my "free" AP MagicBand until AFTER I converted the voucher into an AP card at Disney.

OP, since you'll know the address of your vacation home, you can also have your AP MagicBands sent to the vacation home. They will arrive in about 5 days after you customize them.

Our experience as well. 3 APs here, 2 different time frames. Never got option to customize AP MB until after we used our APs.

 

[BRC6C]

Thanks for all the help so far! We will plan to pre-purchase AP vouchers to make thr first 7 days of FP+ and then hope we can get mail wherever we're staying!

I have opened the auto train thread and will work on that over the next few days (weeks?)

I'm thinking of doing my first ever trip report for this adventure, we shall see!!

 

[Accident]

I always get our AP at park. So I'm not sure how this will work. Can you make FP+ reservation with a voucher? Or will they mail you the actual AP cards?

This is the official page about it: https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/faq/passholders/magic-band-customization/

 

[BRC6C]

Thanks all, back to school today so I'll check the links later on! Now I'm wondering if we should buy multi-day passes and use those to make FP+ and then upgrade them at the park... so many things to think about!!

 

[BRC6C]

Thanks for the link Bryan! I checked it quick before morning duty . Looks like buying it I can get FP+ but then will have to wait on the magic bands.

 

[Accident]

Thanks for the link Bryan! I checked it quick before morning duty . Looks like buying it I can get FP+ but then will have to wait on the magic bands.

when I re-read it, I missed things seemed to be in an order..

Are you staying at a disney resort? you would get a magicband from that before you get there.

 

[JennyMP03]

A month! I am so jealous. Enjoy, OP!