deluxe AP question

[alicia1506]

hey all,

so as you know i originally had a dilemma about the 14 day park hopper passes vs the deluxe AP.

after much consideration and back and forth between me & my man, we decided to do 1 x AP for the benefits and 1 x 14 day hopper. plus, if we go back next year, the AP will still be valid, so really... great savings all around.

so i asked my TA for 1 x 14 day hopper and 1 x deluxe AP. no can do she says. APs are for american residents only.

umm. what?????

i was under the impression that we could get APs? can anyone shed some light on this for me???

also, if we buy the AP, are we better off buying it at the gate so that our first day of use is the first day it's valid? i heard a rumour that if you buy an AP in june, but don't use it til nov, the 365 days it's valid for are counted from june, not from the first day of use in nov.

also, is there a risk that we can't qualify for one??

i was under the impression that you only had to be a resident for the Southern California Annual Pass, not for the Deluxe Annual Passport...

any info would be hugely appreciated, as this is the same TA that told me the 14 day passes weren't hopper passes

 

[Kangarucci]

My experience was in 2004. I bought it online and when we arrived in Anaheim I had to activate in in Disneyland and get my photo taken for it. I think that it was only valid after activation at DL.

 

[Aust]

I've recently bought 2 deluxe AP's for DL - mine I bought online in February I think - had no issues, you put in your address etc so the computer knew I was in Australia.

I tried to buy my husband's online a couple of weeks ago, but had trouble getting my credit card to work, I emailed Disney and they said there was an issue with our bank being compatible with their system. So I rang up and bought it over the phone - no problems, told the CM I was in Australia, paid with credit card over the phone with no problems, and it arrived in the post yesterday.

Like you as far as I am aware the only location restriction is the Southern California one, not deluxe etc.

As for activation - my husband's is already activated as I bought it over the phone and they sent him the actual card. I know this means he's 'wasting' from now till September, but we bought it for the discounts and convenience of us both being able to get discounts, not to be able to go more than the one trip.

And mine is in e-ticket form, it won't be activated until we get there in September, and I'm pretty sure it says on it that it's valid for 1 year from the date of activation. I'm at work now but I'll check the paperwork when I get home. And I have until 31st Dec to activate it.

 

[aussietravellers]

I bought mine online too. The DL pass that is, I got the premium pass. I bought it online, printed up the voucher, then on our first day headed in the gate and to the AP area to have photo taken and get the card (which I did first thing, so there wasn't a queue, but you can do it any time that day).

Like the others with the voucher, the date of the AP did not start until we arrived at the park and had my first entry. The AP voucher however was not valid for a year, so before you buy, check the voucher expiry date
I used an australian address. Also I was able to go to the DL website and log into the AP area, check AP prices etc, using the number on the AP voucher. Some have mentioned this doesn't work, but it did for us.

We also bought Premier passes (the WDW & DL pass), that we could only buy in person.

 

[alicia1506]

thanks everyone for these responses.

i will buy my 14 day pass now,and then buy carlo's AP closer to the time.

or maybe i'll get the AP since it seems from the info i've gotten on the forums that when the AP pays for something, in order to get the discount, it needs to be their name on the reservation, or their name on the credit card etc. and since i do most of the purchasing when we go shopping/into stores etc...

or maybe we'll just buy all our food/drinks/souvenirs/merchandise with cash

 

[alicia1506]

can anyone shed any light on how long the internet voucher (when buying the AP online) is good for, as i know a PP stated the voucher does have a use-by date....

i'd hate to buy in advance and then find out it has to be redeemed before we'll even be leaving...

 

[alicia1506]

omg. just realised we're down to 33 weeks and 3 days.

eek!!!!

i gotta get my butt in gear & start some hardcore planning.

 

[aussietravellers]

The expiry date seems to be a set date, I can't remember how long mine had exactly. I bought it a week before we went and the voucher expired about a year later (but not exactly a year).

Yes, if you buy the pass, you need to be the one paying the bill, paying for the tour etc to get the discount. However if you are paying by cash or gift card then they don't worry so much. But if paying by credit card, the name on the credit card needs to match the AP holders name.

My DS went into a store to buy something (a vinylmation actually) and was paying with cash as he was spending his own money. I gave him my AP and I was just near by looking at some TShirts. They weren't going to let him use it and he pointed to me and I waved and said yes it's mine and they let him pay. But at the Disney Store at DTD, they would not even let him do that! So we had to go to another register and I did the whole transaction. That was the only problem we had, everything else though I guess I either room charged (so same name as the AP), paid cash or my credit card.

So you will always have to be at the dining table for the food discounts, but your DBF can pay with cash or gift card, they won't know whose cash it is. Same with any souvenirs or tours you book, you will have to go and pay or use your credit card.

 

[Aust]

I bought my AP online on 22/12/11, and the voucher has to be redeemed by 31/12/12.

The AP itself expires one year from date of first entry to DL.

 

[aussietravellers]

I think prices are set to go up soon (if they haven't just gone up), might be a good idea to get the AP sooner rather than later, before the prices go up

If they have just gone up, then no rush.