Annual Passes Resume April 13 (DVC) April 20 (General Public)

[loves to dive]

Thanks for all the answers about Google Pay, I know in the past I would just show my card but it's been a year and everything changed. I did get a physical card. I plan on buying a few things tomorrow so that will be the test. I know you can use it on shopdisney. I was discussing Google Pay with hubby before the trip, I think someone mentioned it here on the boards so I was semi-aware of it and knew I didn't want it. Now that I'm having to use my ATM card until I get a new CC sent to me, I really don't want to use it. I don't use my checking account on line for anything.

 

[honeymo78]

Thanks for all the answers about Google Pay, I know in the past I would just show my card but it's been a year and everything changed. I did get a physical card. I plan on buying a few things tomorrow so that will be the test. I know you can use it on shopdisney. I was discussing Google Pay with hubby before the trip, I think someone mentioned it here on the boards so I was semi-aware of it and knew I didn't want it. Now that I'm having to use my ATM card until I get a new CC sent to me, I really don't want to use it. I don't use my checking account on line for anything.

Current AP cards don't show expiration date. They will either have 2022-2023 on them, if your pass doesn't expire until sometime later this year, or 2023-2024 if you got your pass this year. Depending on the CM, they will need to confirm your pass is not expired, which someone's card may not do. I'm guessing an expired AP doesn't still show up in your Google or Apple wallet, which is why you may be asked to show that.

 

[Kitty & Covs Covs]

I bit the bullet and upgraded our trip in June to annual passes. We’re out of state so the price was vomit inducing, but I’m glad we did it. We’ll make it worth it, at least for one year.

I had a package with a deluxe resort, so the CM had to separate my tickets from the resort reservation and rebook the resort. To save money, I had her downgrade us to Pop—that saved us literally a thousand dollars ($690 versus $1700). I got money back on my credit card there that will offset the cost of the passes, but she couldn’t use the resort credit to offset the passes as part of one transaction.

I called the ticketing number at 5:45p ET and everything was wrapped up by 6:30p ET.

I know nothing about being a pass holder but I’m excited to learn! Do I get a car magnet in the mail?!

 

[PPFlight75]

Finally got my daughters AP to match the rest of us! I was told I may need to rebooked her park passes but I’ll check tomorrow. An hour and a half wasn’t too bad!

 

[Ms Bibbidi]

.

 

[Kristi391]

Ok, so I upgraded a 4 day hopper to the incredipass this morning and it is showing up in MDE but I never got a confirmation email. Will I need one to get the plastic card at guest services?

 

[Lehuaann]

 

[Lehuaann]

Ok, so I upgraded a 4 day hopper to the incredipass this morning and it is showing up in MDE but I never got a confirmation email. Will I need one to get the plastic card at guest services?

They will scan your MagicBand.

 

[Ms Bibbidi]

.

 

[jesskeys91]

Does anyone know if you add the photo pass add on, does that mean you will have to do the add on every year you renew or do you get to choose each year if you want it or not when you renew? Like if I want it this year but not next year will that be an option?

 

[Cfabar1]

I found the virtual cue system amazingly smooth....

wait time was extremely long... logged on around 7:15 AM, was able to purchase around 1:40 PM.

Was grateful once you're in, you're in. I purchased my upgrade to Sorcerer, and then was able to log out and log into my family's account and upgrade passes that way too.You don't have to restart the cue all over again.

I wonder how sales compare with what Disney anticipated.... amazing we made it almost entirely through the day with all 4 types still available.

 

[Lehuaann]

Does anyone know if you add the photo pass add on, does that mean you will have to do the add on every year you renew or do you get to choose each year if you want it or not when you renew? Like if I want it this year but not next year will that be an option?

PhotoPass is an add-on option, as is Water Parks and Sports. You are not required to continue these options at renewal.

 

[jerry557]

With this kind of insane demand...forget about complaining about prices. In fact, I'm sure someone high up in corporate will use this to say "See! The price is too low!"

Just 3 years ago before COVID you can get these passes at any time with no hassle. No wait. No problems. I have no idea why demand for these passes all of a sudden shot to the moon in such a short period of time when really not a whole lot has changed in the parks since then.....other than getting more expensive and perks vanishing (Fastpass).

Sure you can easily make the argument if you are DVC or Florida resident that its worth it. But I wonder if people buying these incredi-passes out of state will fully utilize them. I would think you need maybe 2-3 trips to make it worth it. Then you got to throw the plane tickets in the mix too, which keep going up in price. These are not cheap vacations.

 

[Sakura1017]

Does anyone know whether new annual passes will be mailed out? First-time WDW passholder!

Me Too. I'm a first time pass holder and did the Incredible pass. I was hoping passes would be mailed out but I didn't even see it as an option when I was purchasing. Though I was doing it very quickly on my cell phone at work. I was planing on calling them next week waiting for the sales to calm down.

 

[Sakura1017]

Phone Call was the way to go!!!! After all the waiting since 6am the website going down. I repeat called 123 times in only about 45 min period at 9:30am got through on the 123rd time only a 5 min wait spoke to a vacation agent and bought two Incredi-passes all in an elapsed time under and hour and my computer and phone were still 30 mins wait out still then randomly my phone which was 15 mins behind my computer jumper ahead proving that the queue didn't follow a set order as I had friends that had only jumped in the cue at 7am waiting much shorter times. Finally a first time AP holder.

Do they mail out your passes or do you have to show the certificate at the park?

 

[followthatmouse]

With this kind of insane demand...forget about complaining about prices. In fact, I'm sure someone high up in corporate will use this to say "See! The price is too low!"

Just 3 years ago before COVID you can get these passes at any time with no hassle. No wait. No problems. I have no idea why demand for these passes all of a sudden shot to the moon in such a short period of time when really not a whole lot has changed in the parks since then.....other than getting more expensive and perks vanishing (Fastpass).

Sure you can easily make the argument if you are DVC or Florida resident that its worth it. But I wonder if people buying these incredi-passes out of state will fully utilize them. I would think you need maybe 2-3 trips to make it worth it. Then you got to throw the plane tickets in the mix too, which keep going up in price. These are not cheap vacations.

Jerry, I think APs became must haves when many of us missed out due to changed availability during, or just after Covid. We were passholders each year that we had at least a three week stay. There were two years where we had more than one stay during a calendar year. We found that according for admission prices, discounts for merchandise, photopass, food and other benefits made the Passes worthwhile.

We used them and we are most definitely out of state. We are international visitors who like to spend longer, less frequently. We didn’t buy them every year, though. Whether the new system means that APs are available rarely, thus almost forcing holders to rollover year after year just to be safe, or whether the old system returns remains to be seen.

 

[champagne&disney]

Me Too. I'm a first time pass holder and did the Incredible pass. I was hoping passes would be mailed out but I didn't even see it as an option when I was purchasing. Though I was doing it very quickly on my cell phone at work. I was planing on calling them next week waiting for the sales to I wouldn’t expect anything in the mail. You go to a ticket window at any park or at Disney Springs and activate it and get your AP card.

Do they mail out your passes or do you have to show the certificate at the park?

I wouldn’t expect anything in the mail. You go to a ticket window at a park or the DS location to verify your identity and get the AP card. Everything is digitized now in MDE so there is no need for anything in the mail.

 

[sdk1231]

I bit the bullet and upgraded our trip in June to annual passes. We’re out of state so the price was vomit inducing, but I’m glad we did it. We’ll make it worth it, at least for one year.

I had a package with a deluxe resort, so the CM had to separate my tickets from the resort reservation and rebook the resort. To save money, I had her downgrade us to Pop—that saved us literally a thousand dollars ($690 versus $1700). I got money back on my credit card there that will offset the cost of the passes, but she couldn’t use the resort credit to offset the passes as part of one transaction.

I called the ticketing number at 5:45p ET and everything was wrapped up by 6:30p ET.

I know nothing about being a pass holder but I’m excited to learn! Do I get a car magnet in the mail?!

Congrats! You will get lots of magnets. Do not put them on your car while you're on WDW property - they'll get swiped!

 

[AnnaKristoff2013]

Does anyone know if you add the photo pass add on, does that mean you will have to do the add on every year you renew or do you get to choose each year if you want it or not when you renew? Like if I want it this year but not next year will that be an option?

You get the option every year. I’ve renewed mine with photopass once already and had to select it as an option to keep it.

 

[kylenne]

With this kind of insane demand...forget about complaining about prices. In fact, I'm sure someone high up in corporate will use this to say "See! The price is too low!"

Just 3 years ago before COVID you can get these passes at any time with no hassle. No wait. No problems. I have no idea why demand for these passes all of a sudden shot to the moon in such a short period of time when really not a whole lot has changed in the parks since then.....other than getting more expensive and perks vanishing (Fastpass).

Sure you can easily make the argument if you are DVC or Florida resident that its worth it. But I wonder if people buying these incredi-passes out of state will fully utilize them. I would think you need maybe 2-3 trips to make it worth it. Then you got to throw the plane tickets in the mix too, which keep going up in price. These are not cheap vacations.

500 or so days with them not being on sale at all will do that. Many out of state APs let lapse during the closures and missed the last small window to purchase. I let mine lapse last year due to my work schedule making it impossible to freely take time off the way I used to. Now that that’s changed with my new role, and the potential for remote back on the table, I have the flexibility to go when I feel like it again. Direct flights are plentiful and dummy cheap from NYC to MCO, JetBlue had like 3 flash sales in the last couple of months alone and I frequently fly on points. As a JB CC holder I earn more than I can spend tbqh.

And tbh I spend on very little else for fun—a subscription to my favorite online game, my Alamo season pass, a Broadway show or Yankees or NYCFC game once in a blue moon. A lot of what I do locally is free or cheap (our local city ID card for residents gets us free memberships to a lot of museums). Travel is what I prioritize and this is my favorite place to go. We were already talking about a land/sea vacation next year and my partner had a 4 day ticket she’s been rolling over for a couple of years now, so getting the AP back for me made sense. Having it before allowed me to take smaller, solo weekend trips between the big 8-10 day ones with my partner (her pto is limited compared to mine). Trips that would otherwise not really be practical because of how comparatively expensive 3-4 day tickets are. My AP more than paid for itself in resort and dining/merch discounts (RIP Tables in Wonderland). Those little weekend trips are really not much in the scheme of my budget and are really, really fun. I’m already thinking about at least 2, it’s been several years since I’ve done the Halloween party I love so much, and I still haven’t been for FARTS or Festival of the Holidays.

If you don’t see the value in it, that’s perfectly fine, but plenty of people clearly still do, including myself. I don’t go with kids or a big family so the price increases have not hit us as hard. I miss the perks, of course, but I still enjoy going. If I don’t or can’t anymore, I’ll stop, and you won’t catch me complaining on message boards and blaming other guests for corporate policies I don’t like. I’ll just focus on my other hobbies lol.