First time staying off-site/Annual Pass questions

[jgh]

Hi, we are going to Disney in June for a week with my husband's family and they have organized lodging for us.

So...for the first time EVER, we are doing a Disney trip staying off-site!

We are planning on purchasing Annual Passes for this trip, so we can take advantage of the Park-Hopper option on that as well as free parking (we are also going to try to go back in November, January and February, so that worked out well).

First, I know even with Annual Passes we can make our FP+ reservations 30 days out. I know you can link your tickets to your account to do FP+, but how do you link your Annual Pass? In other words, how does it know what days you are allowed to do a FP+ for?

Should we wait and purchase our Annual Passes when we get to Disney, or purchase them online before hand? Will we need to get some sort of Annual Pass card? (We've never gotten Annual Passes before, only bought tickets). Does the Annual Pass run from the day your buy it to the next year, or from the first time you do it to the next year? (For example - If we buy our passes in February but don't use them until June, will they expire in February 2016 or June 2016?)

Last, when we went and stayed at Animal Kingdom Lodge 2 weeks ago they were able to link a credit card to my Magic Band, and we payed around the parks with that at pin number. Even though I am not staying on Disney property, can I get my card linked to my band again? Do I do this at guest relations?

This is all so confusing!

 

[HopperFan]

If you buy your AP on arrival you will not be able to make advance FP+. No matter if it's an existing AP or new voucher, you can only make FP+ 30 days out. But the AP or voucher have to be linked to your MDE.

Purchase your AP and if you buy outside of Disney you get it from will give you a voucher with a number on it that allows you to input in the MDE. Then the system will know exactly what you have. I have not bought a new from Disney, only new tickets and if ordered through their site it auto loaded on our MDE.

Once at park you turn in your voucher for your hard ticket AP and it will be active from first day of use. Your AP MagicBands will be offered after you use your AP for first time. They will include your AP Discount Card. You will have for next trip. For now just show them your AP and ID for discounts and parking.

NO offsite guests can charge with their MagicBands at this point. Maybe down the road.

You can also consider getting a Tables in Wonderland Dining Discount card. Discounts up to 10 people and with your group may be worth it. $100 per year (13 mos) and saves 20% on food and alcohol at lots of places and some counter. If your group is larger than 10 and you think worth it your DH can get a card for $50 and you can discount 20 people. BUT you must pay the bill and get reimbursed from them later. http://tablesinwonderland.com/

 

[jgh]

If you buy your AP on arrival you will not be able to make advance FP+. No matter if it's an existing AP or new voucher, you can only make FP+ 30 days out. But the AP or voucher have to be linked to your MDE.

True. I didn't even think of that.

Purchase your AP and if you buy outside of Disney you get it from will give you a voucher with a number on it that allows you to input in the MDE. Then the system will know exactly what you have. I have not bought a new from Disney, only new tickets and if ordered through their site it auto loaded on our MDE.

Great, thanks! We purchased our tickets for our January trip on the Disney website and didn't have any trouble. I will plan on doing that with our passes too.

Once at park you turn in your voucher for your hard ticket AP and it will be active from first day of use. Your AP MagicBands will be offered after you use your AP for first time. They will include your AP Discount Card. You will have for next trip. For now just show them your AP and ID for discounts and parking.

Do you do this at the ticket booths or in Guest Relations?

NO offsite guests can charge with their MagicBands at this point. Maybe down the road.

Drats.

You can also consider getting a Tables in Wonderland Dining Discount card. Discounts up to 10 people and with your group may be worth it. $100 per year (13 mos) and saves 20% on food and alcohol at lots of places and some counter. If your group is larger than 10 and you think worth it your DH can get a card for $50 and you can discount 20 people. BUT you must pay the bill and get reimbursed from them later. http://tablesinwonderland.com/

I'll talk to the family about this. Thanks! We will technically have 40 or so coming to Orlando, no clue how many are going to Disney, Universal, etc!

 

[staceyeileen]

First, I know even with Annual Passes we can make our FP+ reservations 30 days out. I know you can link your tickets to your account to do FP+, but how do you link your Annual Pass? In other words, how does it know what days you are allowed to do a FP+ for?

The system won't know when you're planning on coming, nor does it really care. This is the same as if you had purchase a multi-day ticket and were staying off-site. Multi-day tickets aren't tied to specific dates either. It will let you book FP+ 30 days out. So for example, I'm an AP holder and when I log in TODAY I can book FP+ through Feb 20. Tomorrow I will be able to book Feb 21, and so on. I believe you can hold fast passes for a max of 7 days over the next 30 day period.

Last, when we went and stayed at Animal Kingdom Lodge 2 weeks ago they were able to link a credit card to my Magic Band, and we payed around the parks with that at pin number. Even though I am not staying on Disney property, can I get my card linked to my band again? Do I do this at guest relations?

This was already answered, but no you can't charge anything to your magic band. Would be nice! However, do still bring the magic bands that you have from your last on-site stay with you on your next off-site trip. You'll be able to use them to enter the parks and for scanning at FP+ entrances. You'll be offered a new set of magic bands once you activate your AP, but you won't get those until after your first AP trip.

 

[erionm]

Do you do this at the ticket booths or in Guest Relations?

You can activate your AP at either of those.

 

[HopperFan]

True. I didn't even think of that.

(1) Great, thanks! We purchased our tickets for our January trip on the Disney website and didn't have any trouble. I will plan on doing that with our passes too.


(2) Do you do this at the ticket booths or in Guest Relations?


Drats.


(3) I'll talk to the family about this. Thanks! We will technically have 40 or so coming to Orlando, no clue how many are going to Disney, Universal, etc!

(1) I shared because DS just bought AP from AAA discounted and he got a voucher, came home, linked to MDE and immediately got FP+ (he bought a couple weeks before a trip.)

(2) Either. I've done at GR even at DTD, he did at Ticket booth at MK. Difference is that if no AP, you will have to pay to park and request a refund inside OR go to DTD GR before going to parks if in your schedule. And remember if there are multiple cars going to parks and your family all has AP, split up and get more cars in for free.

(3) The TIW may still be a value for your family since you have future trips planned. All you really need to spend is $500 in 13 mos to break even and at Disney that isn't hard to do. It also allows us to order drinks at dinner knowing the price will come down.

 

[Random Ninja]

Hi, we are going to Disney in June for a week with my husband's family and they have organized lodging for us.

So...for the first time EVER, we are doing a Disney trip staying off-site!

We are planning on purchasing Annual Passes for this trip, so we can take advantage of the Park-Hopper option on that as well as free parking (we are also going to try to go back in November, January and February, so that worked out well).

First, I know even with Annual Passes we can make our FP+ reservations 30 days out. I know you can link your tickets to your account to do FP+, but how do you link your Annual Pass? In other words, how does it know what days you are allowed to do a FP+ for?

You link Annual Passes just like regular tickets. If you purchase from Disney, they'll already be linked. If you buy from an authorized resaler, you'll get a voucher that you can put the number into MDE to link the pass. APs not staying onsite can make FP+ reservations 30 days for up to 7 days. Once you make 7 days of FP+, you'll have to wait until you've used a day to make more.

Should we wait and purchase our Annual Passes when we get to Disney, or purchase them online before hand? Will we need to get some sort of Annual Pass card? (We've never gotten Annual Passes before, only bought tickets). Does the Annual Pass run from the day your buy it to the next year, or from the first time you do it to the next year? (For example - If we buy our passes in February but don't use them until June, will they expire in Febbruary 2016 or June 2016?)

Don't wait to purchase passes until you get there. You won't be able to make advanced FP+ reservations if you wait. There's no benefit to waiting, there are drawbacks like having to pay for parking an then waiting to get it refuned. Bot sure about when you get magic bands or the card since I've had an AP since before MBs. The AP year runs from the date of activation, AKA when you use it, to the following day the next year. Technically, they're good for 366 days.

Last, when we went and stayed at Animal Kingdom Lodge 2 weeks ago they were able to link a credit card to my Magic Band, and we payed around the parks with that at pin number. Even though I am not staying on Disney property, can I get my card linked to my band again? Do I do this at guest relations?

This is all so confusing!

You can only link a credit card to your account when staying at a resort. There have been rumors that that feature is coming to APs as well, but it's still a rumor at this point.

Have a magical trip!