Does anyone think it's weird...

[MinnesotaChill]

that annual passes are paper and the regular MYW passes are plastic? I cannot figure out how a paper ticket that is used over and over again for a year is going to last. What on earth could the reasoning be? I mean they print out room keys on plastic for stays of one day. How expensive could the plastic cards be?

Or do I have some sort of temporary annual pass?

 

[Chuck S]

Actually, it isn't paper, it is a polymer of some type (Tyvek?). Very durable, I've only had to have an AP replaced once because it was damaged by being absolutely soaked. We've had APs for many years.

 

[dianeschlicht]

WE think that is wierd too, but we have never had any trouble with them getting damaged. Still, they sometimes malfunction and have to be replaced. Both of us have had to nget new ones at different times this trip.

 

[jekjones1558]

I agree that APs should be plastic. My current AP has had to be replaced twice (a real pain when the lines at the gate and guest relations are long) and it never got wet, maybe a little bent. I vote for plastic!

 

[emememem]

Another vote for plastic. We've had to replace ours(4 of them) many times due to becoming demagnitized, and once for getting wet.....

 

[CarolA]

I have never had a problem with my AP, but my room keys have become demagnitized several times so I think that for me the "Paper" works better!

 

[byoung]

We had to replace ours once.

 

[Donna]

I've always wondered this too. It always made more sense to me to make the hoppers and room keys out of the cheaper material since they're used for a short length of time and make the APs like our DVC cards, a hard plastic that will last awhile. That being said, have you ever tried to tear your pass (an old one, lol) in half? it's practically impossible to rip.
Anything with a magnetic strip will have problems from time to time. One time, on one of my trips, i had so many problems with that , that they actually extended my AP to cover my next trip which was within 60 days. They could see that I had to have it replaced every single day and time i tried to use it. I thought that was really nice of them to do.

 

[TDC Nala]

I think both kinds get demagnetized. I had to replace an annual for damage once (in 4 1/2 years of having them) because it got wet at Typhoon Lagoon and my friend tried to iron it. I've had them get wet before and work once they dried out, so it must have been the iron...

 

[gamomof2]

We had asked our DVC guide on our last trip if our room key (aka Key to the World) could serve as room key, DDE card, AP and anything else purchased directly from Disney. He said to put that on the comment card we receive and that it was a good idea. Right now our room key always reads our name, dates of stay and DVC member. We thought on the line that says DVC member it could go as such:

DVC/AP/DDE/DDP

One key, lighter lanyard, easier for us.

 

[DebbieB]

I've had AP's since 1998, each used around 20 days, and never had to replace one. Demagnetizing can occur with either type, both have a magnetic strip. I know someone whose kept demagnetizing because of the magnetic snap on her purse, took awhile to figure that out. I heard the reason they are not plastic is because AP's are replaced frequently due to loss or forgetting to bring it. All you have to do is show ID and they give you another one.

 

[jdvm]

I carry our annual passes (six of 'em) in my billfold and iIm glad they're thin. I'm glad I don't have to carry six "credit card" sized pieces of plastic around with me. We live in Celebration and so they get a good work-out during the year. I travel a lot and pass through tons of metal detectors and we've never had a serious problem. Of course, there was the time I was in New York on business (with the passes) and the rest of the gang wanted to go to the parks.......

 

[JodyTG]

My DD had to have her AP replaced at Epcot the third time it was used. It was a total pain.