Best place to have Annual Passes activated?

[Shellyb84]

Guest Services

 

[Robo]

Where in Disney Springs did you do the AP exchange? World of Disney?

There are two Guest Relations locations in DS:

One is in the area of and near World of Disney and Ghirardelli Chocolate,
and the other GR is directly in front of Disney Quest.

 

[Shellyb84]

We went to the one in front of Disney Quest.

 

[Dan Murphy]

Where in Disney Springs did you do the AP exchange?

There are two locations. One at the Disney Quest building, outside. The other on the West Side in the building with the Photopass photography, Arribas Brothers, behind Ghirardelli Ice Cream.

 

[Robo]

Have a great trip!

 

[huey578]

Hi all,

Though our family is a bunch of Disney veterans, we're newbies to APs. Do you have any suggestions on which park/guest services is the best place to have your annual passes activated? We'll be visiting in mid-June, so I know there will be crowds everywhere. Any thoughts on going to TTC vs a specific park vs Disney Springs? We're hoping to visit a park for a few hours after activation, so I lean towards a park. Does Guest Services open before the parks do?

Thank you!

We've done it at DTD/Disney Springs last 3 times since that's our first stop on day one. No issues.

 

[Ptarmigan6]

Thank you all so much!

 

[Davey Jones II]

So you can buy APs in advance, and they mail you the voucher? When can you make FP+ reservations? 60 days before your on-site hotel reservation? Then you activate APs at WDW, the day of your first usage?

I know, too many questions. But we've never used APs, and they are one possibility we are looking at in the future.

 

[Robo]

1. So you can buy APs in advance,
2. and they mail you the voucher?
3. When can you make FP+ reservations? 60 days before your on-site hotel reservation?
4. Then you activate APs at WDW, the day of your first usage?

I know, too many questions. But we've never used APs, and they are one possibility we are looking at in the future.

1. Yes.
2. You can do that, but there is no NEED to have them mail you a voucher.
You can activate the AP without ever having the voucher in your hand.
The AP order information will be in your computer file.
3. Yes. (Or 30 days in advance, if you have no on-site reservation.)
4. You can activate the AP at WDW, but that can be on a day that you go into a park or not.
(The activation is done at any Guest Relations, but it does not involve going into a park.)

 

[CMNJ]

So you can buy APs in advance, and they mail you the voucher? When can you make FP+ reservations? 60 days before your on-site hotel reservation? Then you activate APs at WDW, the day of your first usage?

I know, too many questions. But we've never used APs, and they are one possibility we are looking at in the future.

Yes if you buy in advance you get a voucher that allows you to make FP when your window opens (60 days with onsite reservation or 30 days without one). You can activate it either at a park or Disney springs guest services (but the day it is activated will be the first day of your AP regardless of if you step foot in a park that day.)
Eta just saw robo posted at the same time

 

[Robo]

Yes if you buy in advance you get a voucher that allows you to make FP when your window opens (60 days with onsite reservation or 30 days without one). You can activate it either at a park or Disney springs guest services (but the day it is activated will be the first day of your AP regardless of if you step foot in a park that day.)

Eta just saw someone posted at the same time

I'm not "someone."
I'm "anyone."

 

[mrzrich]

No need to have a voucher mailed. You can print it, or save the email on your phone.

 

[PeasandCarrots]

Hi all,

Though our family is a bunch of Disney veterans, we're newbies to APs. Do you have any suggestions on which park/guest services is the best place to have your annual passes activated? We'll be visiting in mid-June, so I know there will be crowds everywhere. Any thoughts on going to TTC vs a specific park vs Disney Springs? We're hoping to visit a park for a few hours after activation, so I lean towards a park. Does Guest Services open before the parks do?

Thank you!

From my personal experience Disney Springs was the quickest (only one person in front of us) and Magic Kingdom was horrid (we waited over 1 hour and that wasn't during peak season).

 

[Wood Nymph]

From my personal experience Disney Springs was the quickest (only one person in front of us) and Magic Kingdom was horrid (we waited over 1 hour and that wasn't during peak season).

We had to activate our AP's in 2014. We stopped at the MK to do it, took one look at the incredibly long line, then walked to the bus stop and took the first bus to an Epcot resort. A Boardwalk bus pulled up minutes later and we walked to the International Gateway to a very short line. It was a lot faster than the crazy MK line.

 

[Davey Jones II]

Yes if you buy in advance you get a voucher that allows you to make FP when your window opens (60 days with onsite reservation or 30 days without one). You can activate it either at a park or Disney springs guest services (but the day it is activated will be the first day of your AP regardless of if you step foot in a park that day.)
Eta just saw robo posted at the same time

Thanks to you and Robo for the info. But if you don't have an onsite reservation, how would they know when you're coming to WDW?

 

[Robo]

Thanks to you and Robo for the info. But if you don't have an onsite reservation, how would they know when you're coming to WDW?

It doesn't matter.
It's simply that non-WDW resort guests can make FP+ reservations NO EALIER THAN 30 days in advance.

WITH a WDW Resort reservation, time limit extends to 60 days before arrival/check-in date.

(BTW, a LOT of guests go to WDW without staying at an on-property WDW Resort.)