Could you help me with my AP questions?

[Tinks]

I need to buy APs for my family. Our trip begins Wednesday, June 30th. We are flying Southwest from Chicago to MCO and arrive in Orlando around 4:30 p.m.

Do I buy the passes here at my local Disney store and activate them when we hit the parks Thursday morning? (maybe Wed. night if we are up to hitting the parks!) Remember, we check in Wednesday.....

or

Do we buy the passes at the airport's Earport store which are already activated. Who has done this? Is the store easy to find and will it take long to get to the store and get the passes?

Which would you do? I'm trying to make this as painless as possible!

Thanks for your help! This is our first (and hopefully not last) time to buy APs!!!

 

[WhispyPixie]

The store in the airport is very very easy to locate. And the choice is up to you. We like getting ours at the Parks.....

 

[SnackyStacky]

While it's true there are no financial advantages (e.g. discounts) to purchasing in advance, I personally prefer to buy them before hand. It's one less expense I have to think about after landing in Orlando!

Having said that however, if you're going to go to the parks on Wednesday night, I'd buy them at the Earport store. If you're not going until Thursday morning, I'd buy them beforehand and activate them on your way into the parks. Why start the clock ticking one day sooner if you're not going to use them?

Have a fantastic trip!

Edited to add:

Here's a photo of the Earport Store:
http://www.orlandoairports.net:/goaa/images/shops/ear_port_LS.jpg

Here's a map of the main terminal level with shops and services. The store is on Level 3 - that's the level that you're on as soon as you get off the monorail.
http://www.orlandoairports.net:/goaa/images/diagrams/shopping_dining_services.jpg

 

[Terk-1]

I would probably pre-purchase them at your local Disney Store. This way you have proof of the passes when you go to check in. Then just head to guest services at any of the parks to get them activated. This way you don't have to make any stops in the airport and can head straight to your resort.

 

[debster812]

You may not have time to purchase them at your local TDS. When I went to get mine, 2 weeks before we left, the manager told me that they don't stock the vouchers, and have to order them, and that they could take up to 3 weeks.

What we ended up doing was going to Guest Services at DTD and purchasing them there. Our arrival day was a planned no park day, so it worked out well for us.

Debbie

 

[Dalpal]

If you are a AAA member they are a little less expensive. and you can order them on line if you want. I like to go and pick them up myself.

 

[steveanddonna]

we like to buy ours at the Disney Store (can't speak for all area stores, but Oak Brook store always has vouchers in stock - we've never been told we'd have to wait for them) if we don't have time to buy on-line. This way you have the vouchers in hand and you don't activate them until you actually hit the parks. We buy ours every two years, staggering our trips to make it worthwhile if we are not planning multiple trips in a particular year.

 

[SnackyStacky]

Originally posted by Dalpal
If you are a AAA member they are a little less expensive. and you can order them on line if you want. I like to go and pick them up myself.

As far as I know, there is no AAA discount on Annual Passes unless you are a Florida Resident.

 

[tjkraz]

Originally posted by debster812
You may not have time to purchase them at your local TDS. When I went to get mine, 2 weeks before we left, the manager told me that they don't stock the vouchers, and have to order them.

Same thing happened to me last fall. After I made a REALLY funny face, the employee called over someone else, who promptly opened a drawer right under the cash register that must have had 500 AP vouchers sitting in it.

 

[Luv2Roam]

The Disney Store we use to live near in Omaha, NE did not keep APs in stock. They say it takes three weeks, just in case. But it usually only took one.
At this time I would just wait until you arrive in Orlando and buy them. That would just be one less thing to worry about losing or forgetting on your trip down.

 

[perpetualplanner]

Last year the Orland Park store also had them in stock if that helps. It's where I got mine - no problem at all.

 

[DonnaSue]

Do the vouchers expire? I mean, do I have to activate them within a certain time frame or just "whenever"? (Does that make sense?)

Donna

 

[SnackyStacky]

Originally posted by DonnaSue
Do the vouchers expire? I mean, do I have to activate them within a certain time frame or just "whenever"? (Does that make sense?)

Donna

Vouchers never expire. Never. Never ever.

 

[Tooneric]

We just got ours at the local Disney store with the Disney Visa. Just one less thing to have to do there, and with 4 adult price AP's, I could use the $16 in Disney points.

 

[Tinks]

Wow, everyone, thank you for your responses!

I talked it over with my DH and I think we are leaning toward hitting the Earport and buying them there...mostly because they are already activated and ready to go---one less stop.

Has anyone purchased their passes at the Earport? Do they need to scan your fingerprint or something? or can I send DH to buy them while we get the luggage? Specifically, DH wanted to know approx. how much time it takes to get and/or activate a pass.

Thanks again. This board is the best!

 

[dgaston]

I bought my first AP at the Earport store-- took maybe 10 minutes for the CM to type in the info. The first finger scan will happen when you use it at a turnstile to enter a park.

I activated my second voucher (purchased at the Disney Store when Disney Visa had double points) at Epcot Guest Relations. That also took about 10 minutes -- there was another guest in front of me.

HTH

 

[Tinks]

Thanks, dgaston, that was just the information I was looking for. Was it easy to find the Earport store? I am counting on it being easy to find!

 

[B'rer Karen]

It's really easy to find. IIRC you have to go past it when you get off of the monorail and head towards baggage claim.