Annual Pass first timer question

[cjnix29]

We are contemplating buying annual passes when they go on sale. Do we have to activate them before we can make park reservations? Our trip isn't until December, and I want to maximize our passes. So I don't want to have to activate them before we attend, and if I buy them in September, it will give us less time to use them.

 

[StageTek]

No, you don't have to activate them before you can make park reservations.

I got my AP in February 2020 and have not activated it yet. But I have park reservations for my Sept trip and my December trip.

 

[cjnix29]

awesome! Thanks so much!!

 

[Fangorn]

When you buy an Annual Pass, you actually are purchasing a voucher, not the Pass itself. The voucher acts as valid ticket media for things like park reservations in Disney's systems. When you arrive at WDW, you have to go to either a Guest Services window or a ticket booth and exchange the voucher for the true Pass. After that, the first time you enter a park activates the Pass and starts the clock.

Steve

 

[gharter]

When you buy an Annual Pass, you actually are purchasing a voucher, not the Pass itself. The voucher acts as valid ticket media for things like park reservations in Disney's systems. When you arrive at WDW, you have to go to either a Guest Services window or a ticket booth and exchange the voucher for the true Pass. After that, the first time you enter a park activates the Pass and starts the clock.

Steve

When you buy an Annual Pass, you actually are purchasing a voucher, not the Pass itself. The voucher acts as valid ticket media for things like park reservations in Disney's systems. When you arrive at WDW, you have to go to either a Guest Services window or a ticket booth and exchange the voucher for the true Pass. After that, the first time you enter a park activates the Pass and starts the clock.

Steve

Agree. To clarify, we have not ever received a physical voucher. It loads into MDE for use for park passes, etc. We have had to show a drivers license for the adults in our group when activating our AP and everyone with an AP must be there for activation.

 

[Lass70]

I just went to the GS window and upgraded my current tickets for APs. So I now have the hard card. The CM linked all of them and gave me our cards to receive our discounts, etc. Never had an AP before. MDE still just shows my 5-day tickets. It says I don't have valid admission when I try to make a park reservation past the 5-day ticket window. Is there something special I need to do to activate the pass? Or does it take a little while to process it? I just got it about 4 hours ago.

 

[Marionnette]

I just went to the GS window and upgraded my current tickets for APs. So I now have the hard card. The CM linked all of them and gave me our cards to receive our discounts, etc. Never had an AP before. MDE still just shows my 5-day tickets. It says I don't have valid admission when I try to make a park reservation past the 5-day ticket window. Is there something special I need to do to activate the pass? Or does it take a little while to process it? I just got it about 4 hours ago.

MDE can sometimes take a day to update but your AP should show in the app. At least mine did when I activated my voucher back in April.

As for the park reservations, an AP can only have a total of at most 5 park reservations at a time (4 for Pirate. 3 for Pixie Dust) unless they are staying in a Disney Resort Hotel. In that case, you should be able to have park reservation for every day of your stay which has not been blocked out.

 

[Lass70]

It shows up as an active card under Magic Bands and Cards in MDE, but doesn't show up as an AP and I can't make park reservations with it yet. I'm going to HS tomorrow, so if it doesn't work by then, I'll stop by GS.