Activating Annual Pass at Disney Springs

[Laura's Dad]

We purchased an annual pass voucher from Sam’s just after the announcement of the latest AP price increase. We have linked it to MDE for our upcoming December trip. We plan on arriving on December 6th and not going to a park. It is our daughter’s birthday and we have restaurant reservations at Olivia’s (her choice) followed by a boat ride to Disney Springs to see the Christmas tree trail and a surprise birthday cake at Amorrette’s. We have an early morning at AK the next morning and would like to activate the AP while at Disney Springs. I have heard of and experienced long waits at the Disney Springs help center. Which of the following would b e the best way time wise to activate the AP.

1. Try to activate it at the Disney Springs help center around 6:30 on a Friday night

2. Drive to Epcot after dinner and activate the AP at Epcot the drive to Disney Springs and meet the rest of our party at Disney Springs

3. Get in line at the AK early at the AK and wait at the turnstiles while my wife activates her AP before park opening

Any suggestions or advice would be appreciated.

 

[Robo]

We purchased an annual pass voucher from Sam’s just after the announcement of the latest AP price increase. We have linked it to MDE for our upcoming December trip. We plan on arriving on December 6th and not going to a park. It is our daughter’s birthday and we have restaurant reservations at Olivia’s (her choice) followed by a boat ride to Disney Springs to see the Christmas tree trail and a surprise birthday cake at Amorrette’s. We have an early morning at AK the next morning and would like to activate the AP while at Disney Springs. I have heard of and experienced long waits at the Disney Springs help center. Which of the following would b e the best way time wise to activate the AP.

1. Try to activate it at the Disney Springs help center around 6:30 on a Friday night

2. Drive to Epcot after dinner and activate the AP at Epcot the drive to Disney Springs and meet the rest of our party at Disney Springs

3. Get in line at the AK early at the AK and wait at the turnstiles while my wife activates her AP before park opening

Any suggestions or advice would be appreciated.

Order of preference:
2.
1.
3.

 

[Laura's Dad]

Will the fact that they’ve opened a separate ticket center at Disney Springs help in activating an AP there?

 

[rteetz]

Will the fact that they’ve opened a separate ticket center at Disney Springs help in activating an AP there?

That is where they send you to go now instead of the Guest Services center.

 

[Laura's Dad]

That is where they send you to go now instead of the Guest Services center.

Is it faster?

 

[rteetz]

Is it faster?

I don't have specific expereince with it but I would imagine they are better equipped for specific ticket needs.

 

[TCRAIG]

Is it faster?

I used it last year for ticket help - waited at least 30 minutes but at least there’s chairs to sit while u wait

 

[Boardwalk III]

We did The Disney springs AP activation in July late on a Friday evening (after 9pm) and it was a nightmare. First, we did not realize it was a separate place from guest services so we were in the guest services line for 15 minutes and then we’re told we had to go to the other ticket center across the way. Got there and although guest services had already sent our names over it was at least another 30 minute wait. So about 45 minutes in total and we had to miss our plans for cocktails as we had a dinner reservation at 10. We usually activate ours at the back entrance of Epcot because we usually stay at Boardwalk but this time we were staying at Grand Floridian and also arriving at AK for 7 AM EMH opening so didn’t want to risk taking the time to do it that morning. So I urge the Epcot option as well!

 

[chicagodisfan]

Any tips for the best way to activate them at Disney Springs? This is pretty much exactly our plan for our early December trip (although planned for an early start the next day at the Studios instead of AK) and we don’t really have another park option the night before. Is there a time that is better? We won’t be getting in until around 6:00 pm, staying at POR for that one night and planning to take the boat over. I didn’t realize that there was a separate ticket center at Disney Springs now, so thank you for that information!

 

[Meriweather]

So there is a separate place to activate them now?
Someone mentioned it is across from guest services.......we need to activate them the evening of arrival. Before or after dinner better? It will be a Saturday evening.

 

[Disneylvr1971]

Just did this a couple of weeks ago. Went to DS guest services and they informed us there was a new ticket center just to the left of the building. We waited approximately 5 minutes. There were only 2 other customers there. This was during the day on a Sunday.

 

[vinotinto]

When did the new ticket center at DS open?

 

[DavidNYC]

Glad I came here today - just told someone where to go next week . . . am I understanding correctly that the new ticket center is right next to guest services at DS so if I sent someone to guest services, they'll be pretty much in the right location? Definitely don't want to send someone halfway accross DS just find out they have to go somewhere else!

 

[erionm]

When did the new ticket center at DS open?

Early April 2019

 

[vinotinto]

Early April 2019

We just missed it. We activated our APs on Saturday March 30th. There was a line to sign in and then we got texted when they got to us-about 90ish minutes later. And it took about 20 minutes to get our APs activated and TiW card because they printed something wrong. All in all, I wasn’t impressed and I’m glad it’s now a separate, dedicated building. That can only improve things.

 

[Laura's Dad]

I think they just about face each other. It is just down towards Blaze Pizza from the main entrance from the Guest Relations entrance.

 

[Brave teacher]

We went to the new ticket center in Disney Springs in June on a Friday around lunch. We were the only people in there. We were in the same boat...needing to activate our AP vouchers. Our friends that went later that evening to do the same thing had a similar experience.

If you are looking at GS in Disney Springs, walk past it on your left. It will be in the building on your left right before the bathrooms. Pretty much directly across from D'luxe Burger.

 

[osufeth24]

I activated my AP in Disney Springs this April. I walked right in pretty much. I went to Guest Services first, they told me to head to the ticket center there and they put my name in the system, so by the time I walked over, I was already in queue, but didn't need to wait any.

 

[Pooh2]

We activated at the new ticket center in DS in June.
The wait was only a few minutes.

We gave him our magic bands (that had been mailed to our home) to attach to the annual pass but when we arrived the next morning at AK, our magic bands did not work.

We used our annual pass card to enter the park then had to stand in a long line at guest services on our way out of the park to get it straightened out.

We had a few more random times that the magic band did not work and they just did something on the ipad at the gate.