Annual Pass

[Tdisney]

Does your annual pass start when you purchase them or when you first use them in the parks ?

Thanks

 

[DisDreamsAshley]

Our started when we first actually used them. We made sure to ask about it when we purchased them since it was months before our first trip with them.

 

[nuzmom]

They most definitely start on the day you activate them by visiting guest services at any park. They are good for 1 year plus a day. For instance, you can purchase the pass "voucher" (from any source other than a GS window) on 3/8/2014 but not use it until 1/14/2015. You can use it to enter the parks for a year plus enter on 1/14/2016.

I think if you purchase at a GS window, it become activated immediately, but I am not certain of this.

 

[richmo]

When you first use it. You'll essentially be getting a voucher that you need to activate at a Guest Relations upon arrival.

 

[Robo]

There needs to be a clarification on this.

Unlike regular tickets that DO "self-activate" when you enter the park with them the first time...

AP tickets will be activated "manually" when a guest goes to a
Guest Relations or ticket booth to pick up a new "live AP" for the first time.

That means that if a guest goes to pick up a new AP on, say, Dec. 22, 2014, but does not enter a theme park with it until, say, Dec. 26, 2014, the AP will still have become "active" on Dec. 22, 2014 and will be valid until (and on) Dec. 22, 2015...
regardless of the date the AP was first actually USED to enter a park.

 

[nuzmom]

There needs to be a clarification on this.

Unlike regular tickets that DO "self-activate" when you enter the park with them the first time...

AP tickets will be activated "manually" when a guest goes to a
Guest Relations or ticket booth to pick up a new "live AP" for the first time.

That means that if a guest goes to pick up a new AP on, say, Dec. 22, 2014, but does not enter a theme park with it until, say, Dec. 26, 2014, the AP will still have become "active" on Dec. 22, 2014 and will be valid until (and on) Dec. 22, 2015...
regardless of the date the AP was first actually USED to enter a park.

Whoops - totally forgot that they are actually ACTIVATED when you visit guest relations (whether you then enter the park or not). Thanks for the clarification!!!
I'll go and edit my post.

A follow-up question - is it true that if you purchase your AP at a guest relations window at WDW, it is an activated pass and not a voucher?

 

[erionm]

A follow-up question - is it true that if you purchase your AP at a guest relations window at WDW, it is an activated pass and not a voucher?

You can purchase either an active AP or an Exchange Certificate (aka voucher) at WDW. The Exchange Certificate can be exchanged at a later date and the actual pass will start up exchange.

 

[MakiraMarlena]

They start on the day you "activate" them. so since I bought one and activated it at GS on December 8 2013 it expires today, December 8, 2014. I bought it on December 8 2013 intending to use it in the park that day, so it was active as soon as I bought it.

If you want to purchase a voucher for future activation and you are doing so at WDW itself, you probably ought to specify that you want a voucher to use in the future.

It doesn't have anything to do with when you first use it to enter a park - you have to have it activated before you enter a park with it.

If you purchase a renewal, no matter when you purchase it, it starts on the date your previous pass ended. I purchased a renewal a couple of weeks ago, it will be "activated" on December 11 or 12, 2015, but since it is a renewal it will still expire on December 8, 2016.