Annual Pass Validity?

[MICKEY'S DREAMERS]

Does the Annual Pass expire 1 year after the day of purchasing or 1 year after the day of the first use for Park Entrance?
In other words, if I buy (at TTC) an Annual Pass 8/7/2003, and make the first entrance to a park on 8/12/2003, what will be the last day that I can enter a Park using this Pass? Thanks

 

[geffric]

Your pass will not be activated until you use it. So it does not make any difference when it was purcahsed but when you activate it on 8/12/2003. Therefore it is good until 8/11/2004

 

[GAIL HAYDEN]

If you purchase an annual pass and get the voucher, it activates the first day"trade" it in for the actual pass. I "traded my voucher and activated mine on 9/16/02 and it expires, according to the back of it, 9/16/03.

If you purchase an actual pass (you buy these at the gate or DD) the time starts ticking from the moment of purchase, not first use.

 

[MICKEY'S DREAMERS]

looks like the two answers are different ????
Can anybody clarify?

My idea is to buy the ticket at TTC (while passing near WDW for other reasons) but not to use it until a few days after.
I'll buy the Annual Pass in advance at TTC only if I am 100% sure that the year will start only when I use it...

Otherwise I have to change my plans.
Thanks

 

[wdwguide]

Originally posted by MICKEY'S DREAMERS
looks like the two answers are different ????
Can anybody clarify?

My idea is to buy the ticket at TTC (while passing near WDW for other reasons) but not to use it until a few days after.
I'll buy the Annual Pass in advance at TTC only if I am 100% sure that the year will start only when I use it...

Otherwise I have to change my plans.
Thanks

I don't think that you can purchase vouchers at WDW itself, so if you went to the TTC, you would get an actual AP that would be valid immediately. If you order the AP online or buy it at the Disney Store, you will get a voucher, which you can then exchange for an actual AP at Walt Disney World. In this case, the clock wouldn't start ticking until you do the exchange.

It's easiest to just buy the AP when you get there. Doing the whole voucher thing doesn't really save you any time, all it does is guard you against unexpected price increases.

 

[CarolMN]

Just posting to agree with wdwguide.

If you buy an annual pass at the TTC (or anywhere on-site or at the MCO Disney Stores, or several other Florida locations), you will get the actual, activated pass. If you buy it on 8/7/2003, it will expire at the end of the day on 8/7/2004.

Where can I buy tickets?

I also agree that there is little (IMHO, no) advantage time-wise to buying a voucher and trading it in later for an actual pass. Buying a voucher protects you from interim price increases and allows you to prepay for your ticket. It doesn't save time at the ticket windows!

WDWguide gave you good advice - just buy your AP on the first day you plan to use it.

Enjoy your trip(s)!

 

[BibbidiBobbidiBOO]

Once you purchase or exchange for the actual ticket, your year will begin. I don't think TTC sells vouchers.
On another note, our SP expires a year later on the same day we bought it. So we really are getting an extra day. 5/31/03-5/31/04. It says it is good "through" that date. I thought it would expire on the 30th. Is this the way it has always been?

 

[seashoreCM]

That's the way it has always been, the AP expires at midnight a year later on the same day of the month it was activated.

In most cases you really don't get a whole extra day. Chances are, you bought the pass/redeemed the voucher in the middle of the day, so you get just the remainder of that day plus 365 more whole days (366 if your year spans a Feb. 29).

If you renew an AP using the discount (as opposed to buying a new one outright undiscounted) the anniversary date stays the same. You don't get the extra day or fraction of a day.

Disney hints:
http://members.aol.com/ajaynejr/disney.htm

 

[Whitegloves]

I understood that buying the passes (vouchers) in advance was cheaper than buying them at the ticket windows?
In any case, we got ours and used our DC discount also.

 

[CarolMN]

Originally posted by Whitegloves
I understood that buying the passes (vouchers) in advance was cheaper than buying them at the ticket windows?
In any case, we got ours and used our DC discount also.

You can get a DC discount on annual passes at the gates. (It is the only type of WDW major park pass that does not require an advance purchase to get the DC discount). There is no price advantage to buying an AP/PAP in advance (unless Disney raises the price between the time you buy the voucher and the time you actually visit).

 

[GAIL HAYDEN]

Originally posted by MICKEY'S DREAMERS
looks like the two answers are different ????
Can anybody clarify?

My idea is to buy the ticket at TTC (while passing near WDW for other reasons) but not to use it until a few days after.
I'll buy the Annual Pass in advance at TTC only if I am 100% sure that the year will start only when I use it...

Otherwise I have to change my plans.
Thanks

I certainly can understand the confusion of two different answers, mine was taken from this website: http://wdwig.com/apass.htm#faq and personal experience.

Hope this helps.

 

[BibbidiBobbidiBOO]

In our case, we bought SP vouchers at a military base for a discounted rate and no tax , so there was a big advantage.
If you can save money buying in advance, it is worth it IMHO.(we saved about $80+ on the 4 passes-enough for a character meal!)

 

[GoldenOldie]

Originally posted by MICKEY'S DREAMERS
...My idea is to buy the ticket at TTC (while passing near WDW for other reasons) but not to use it until a few days after.
I'll buy the Annual Pass in advance at TTC only if I am 100% sure that the year will start only when I use it...

Otherwise I have to change my plans...

You'll have to change your plans. The AP you purchase at WDW will be active from the moment you buy it on 8/7/2003. There's no way you can avoid that there.

If you don't want it to start until 8/12/2003, you have two options. You can either wait until that day to purchase the AP or you can purchase a voucher in advance (407-WDISNEY, disney.com, or from a non-Florida Disney Store location). That voucher will become an activated AP on the day you exchange the voucher running for one year from that date.

 

[GAIL HAYDEN]

Originally posted by GoldenOldie
You'll have to change your plans. The AP you purchase at WDW will be active from the moment you buy it on 8/7/2003. There's no way you can avoid that there.

If you don't want it to start until 8/12/2003, you have two options. You can either wait until that day to purchase the AP or you can purchase a voucher in advance (407-WDISNEY, disney.com, or from a non-Florida Disney Store location). That voucher will become an activated AP on the day you exchange the voucher running for one year from that date.

Thanks for the back up Golden Oldie.

 

[GoldenOldie]

Originally posted by GAIL HAYDEN
Thanks for the back up Golden Oldie.

When you're right, you're right.