Can I buy DVC APs for my family in person?

[wrighter]

I know I can only purchase the DVC APs at a theme park ticket counter or Guest Relations in Downtown Disney. My question is: Can I purchase them for my family of four if they are not with me?

 

[Chuck S]

I think for adults 18+ they have to be in person AND present a photo ID with the same address. You could purchase vouchers for them, but they'd still have to activate them personally.

 

[Cheshire Figment]

I think for adults 18+ they have to be in person AND present a photo ID with the same address. You could purchase vouchers for them, but they'd still have to activate them personally.

This is definitely the policy.

 

[wrighter]

I think for adults 18+ they have to be in person AND present a photo ID with the same address. You could purchase vouchers for them, but they'd still have to activate them personally.

This is my concern. I really, really, REALLY hope not! A couple of years back I was able to purchase for my family of four by myself and at a resort concierge desk no less! It was so easy. We have a surprise Christmas trip coming up, and arrive late in the day on Christmas. Had not intended on dealing with trekking to a park to get the APs.

Being the dutiful DVC member that I am - how did I decide to deal with this? Why - I'm taking an extra trip to WDW next month! Lol! With a friend, just for the weekend, and so I can get our APs for the Christmas trip.

Can you even imagine how dejected I'm going to be when I cannot pick up DHs?! And I have to send him to the ticket counter during the Christmas madness?!

Please, please, PLEASE Disney Angels - say it ain't so!!!

 

[wrighter]

This is definitely the policy.

Is there no way around this?

Honestly, if DH's name is on the AP, and he is the only one who will be allowed to use it, fingerprint, etc - why does he have to be present to pick it up?

 

[Chuck S]

Is there no way around this?

Honestly, if DH's name is on the AP, and he is the only one who will be allowed to use it, fingerprint, etc - why does he have to be present to pick it up?

Cheshire Figment is a ticketing CM. If anyone would know the policy it would be him.

The reason for the policy is likely this: If you could purchase a discounted AP with your husband's ID, without him being present, what would stop you from allowing the friend that is going with you, for instance, to use the first time in the turnstiles? Since this is a discounted AP, Disney keeps pretty tight controls of the purchase requirements, much like FL resident tickets are also tightly controlled.

The AP has to be picked up in person, with ID, by the adult that will use it. You can purchase a voucher for hi on your trip, but he will HAVE to trade that voucher for the AP in person at either DtD or a park.

 

[wrighter]

Cheshire Figment is a ticketing CM. If anyone would know the policy it would be him.

The reason for the policy is likely this: If you could purchase a discounted AP with your husband's ID, without him being present, what would stop you from allowing the friend that is going with you, for instance, to use the first time in the turnstiles? Since this is a discounted AP, Disney keeps pretty tight controls of the purchase requirements, much like FL resident tickets are also tightly controlled.

The AP has to be picked up in person, with ID, by the adult that will use it. You can purchase a voucher for hi on your trip, but he will HAVE to trade that voucher for the AP in person at either DtD or a park.

Sigh. I guess I understand the concept of the policy. Sometimes it just really stinks that all the cheaters in the world make it so hard for the honest people, you know? All I wanted was to be able to arrive on Christmas Day, enjoy my evening with my family, and go the parks the next morning without having to go to fight the crazies at the ticket counter.

Boooooo. Boooooo to the cheaters!!!!!

 

[Chuck S]

Don't forget that they will also have to be sure the AP gets linked to his magic band.

 

[bumbershoot]

I know I can only purchase the DVC APs at a theme park ticket counter or Guest Relations in Downtown Disney.

Why not order online or upgrade from a ticket? We upgraded from a ticket at Gr inside Ak. And picked up the APs from the DVC special (ordered online last year) at Gr outside Epcot.

 

[Daddio]

Sigh. I guess I understand the concept of the policy. Sometimes it just really stinks that all the cheaters in the world make it so hard for the honest people, you know?

You're very right. If it wasn't human nature to try to get something for nothing, we could just enter the park without turnstiles, knowing of course, that we'd sent in our money.

~ David

 

[wrighter]

Don't forget that they will also have to be sure the AP gets linked to his magic band.

With everything going down with the MBs right now, we want nothing to do with them. Our plan was to see how well (or poorly!) the legacy FP system was running while we were there. I figure we can always add the MBs later if need be - but I'm really not looking forward to navigating our first Christmas at WDW while simultaneously navigating our first MBs. It's going to be crazy enough with MB glitches.

 

[dianeschlicht]

Is there no way around this?

Honestly, if DH's name is on the AP, and he is the only one who will be allowed to use it, fingerprint, etc - why does he have to be present to pick it up?

Why not order them online with the DVC discount and use the vouchers to link to your Magic bands? That way, all you will have to do on arrival is exchange for the real passes and make sure they have stayed linked. I think all of us are going to be in the same boat as far as spending time getting passes squared away this year.

 

[wrighter]

Why not order online or upgrade from a ticket? We upgraded from a ticket at Gr inside Ak. And picked up the APs from the DVC special (ordered online last year) at Gr outside Epcot.

It's my understanding that even if I order online, DH would still have to present himself at a ticket counter or GR prior to entering the parks. My whole goal was to avoid that stop during the busy Christmas week. Between the crowds and the MB insanity, we just wanted to arrive and enter, as usual.

Normally our arrival time is early enough that trekking from AKV to a park to do this wouldn't be a horrible imposition. But because we're traveling on Christmas, and want to be home Christmas morning for the kids, we arrive much later in the day. No real option but to head out late at night to get it done, or deal with it before entering the park the next morning.

Bah humbug. Just going to have to find a way to make it a "fun change of plans!"

 

[Chuck S]

As far as Magic Bands, my understanding is that for December trips you will be issued magic bands upon check-in if you have not pre-customized them. Surely most of the glitches will be worked out by then considering how many months of testing they have done with the system. Of course, computers can go down. There have been a couple of occasions over the years where the resort systems have failed and the KTTW card charging and ticket system has gone down as well.

 

[bumbershoot]

It's my understanding that even if I order online, DH would still have to present himself at a ticket counter or GR prior to entering the parks. My whole goal was to avoid that stop during the busy Christmas week. Between the crowds and the MB insanity, we just wanted to arrive and enter, as usual.

But you said specifically "at a theme park ticket counter or Guest Relations in Downtown Disney". I wasn't sure you knew you could go to ANY Guest Relations.

DH could go straight in if you just bought him a ticket and then later in the day upgraded to the DVC AP while inside the park.


When we got (upgraded to) our very first APs in 2010 all adults had to be there. So I don't know how you got active APs for another adult a couple years ago.

 

[rlovew]

I know I can only purchase the DVC APs at a theme park ticket counter or Guest Relations in Downtown Disney. My question is: Can I purchase them for my family of four if they are not with me?

You can purchase the tickets but you cannot activate them. You will have to go back to guest relations with their IDs to activate them once they arrive at Disney. When I picked up my DVC voucher from last fall in the spring they gave me DHs as well since they were linked together but made sure I knew that he would have to rbing the ticket back to GR and get it activated himself. I asked if I had to take the ticket and keep track of it until he returned and they told me yes.

 

[wrighter]

When we got (upgraded to) our very first APs in 2010 all adults had to be there. So I don't know how you got active APs for another adult a couple years ago.

Apparently it was during a very brief period of time where they actually sold the DVC APs at the concierge desks at the resorts. I had no idea at the time that it hadn't always been done like that - it was the first time we'd ever purchased APs of any kind. I was with DH at a conference at WDW, but we were coming back in a few weeks with the kids. So one day while he was at a meeting, I just went to the concierge desk and bought all four of ours. I needed my DVC member card, of course, and ID. But otherwise I walked out with everything I needed.

This was in October of 2011 I think? That sounds about right. Like I said, I thought this was the way it was always done. It wasn't until this time around needing the DVC APs that I realized how lucky I'd been!