Francilien AP - buying and activating before going to the park?

[PoohLover78]

I hope someone can help me out with this. We're contemplating a trip to DLP early next year. Since we're looking at staying 3-4 days, I thought about getting an AP.

Now, some of my family members who want to go with me are a bit "cheap" and said they'd rather get the Francilien AP than the Fantasy AP (which I'll be getting to get free parking and since I most definitely want to return). There's the whole issue with the two blocked days after purchase though. Does anyone know if it is possible to buy the AP beforehand and have it activated beforehand so the two blocked days would be when the AP is first issued by Disney? Does this make sense? My family members won't return so the AP basically only needs to be good during the trip, hence it won't matter if it gets issued and activated 2 months before the trip or 6.

Would it be possible for me to buy these Francilien APs at the park and activate them right there for my family members? I most likely will make a trip before them.

Which also brings me to the point - if I buy them through CEM, will I get a voucher to exchange at the park (no problem for Fantasy, but a problem for Francilien) or will they issue and activate the AP (perfect for Francilien)? Also, what's the 20¬ charge for at CEM?

 

[Lisa_C]

I hope someone can help me out with this. We're contemplating a trip to DLP early next year. Since we're looking at staying 3-4 days, I thought about getting an AP.

Now, some of my family members who want to go with me are a bit "cheap" and said they'd rather get the Francilien AP than the Fantasy AP (which I'll be getting to get free parking and since I most definitely want to return). There's the whole issue with the two blocked days after purchase though. Does anyone know if it is possible to buy the AP beforehand and have it activated beforehand so the two blocked days would be when the AP is first issued by Disney? Does this make sense? My family members won't return so the AP basically only needs to be good during the trip, hence it won't matter if it gets issued and activated 2 months before the trip or 6.

Would it be possible for me to buy these Francilien APs at the park and activate them right there for my family members? I most likely will make a trip before them.

Which also brings me to the point - if I buy them through CEM, will I get a voucher to exchange at the park (no problem for Fantasy, but a problem for Francilien) or will they issue and activate the AP (perfect for Francilien)? Also, what's the 20¬ charge for at CEM?

First off, the person that the AP is for, MUST be present to buy onsite to exchange any prepaid vouchers/tickets if you are buying there. They need to show ID (photo) plus have their photo taken as is printed on the actual plastic.

You can buy from CEM, but I think its a voucher that is activated on first use (valid for six months from purchase), so that wouldn't work either :-/

I think there IS a way to buy via Disney, without discount, from them though. I seem to remember this being done recently and the pass is a proper plastic pass as you need to attach a passport photo with your application. I hope the poster that did this sees your post and guide you through the process. In that case, the two blackout days will not apply. BUT please check the subsequent black out days BEFORE you buy or book a trip. The only way these will not apply is if you stay onsite as the hotel easypass cancels them out, but not the two compulsory blackout days do.

 

[DLPdaft]

As lisa says, the only way to do what you want regarding the francilien annual passes is to buy them through the post from dlp, before you go (and it can take a few weeks to get them done and delivered to your home address. ThBa did it earlier this year, they wrote a thread about it, which you should find in the annual pass sticky thread at the top of the page.

 

[PoohLover78]

Thanks for the info We've already looked at the blackout dates for the Francilien and we can schedule around the blackout dates.

I've seen though that some sites offer a discount on the Fantasy AP that almost knocks down the price to the regular Francilien AP. I didn't even know there could be discounts on those since they were already cheap compared to day tickets, so we calculated with the regular prices. Besides CEM I also found Promoparcs which doesn't charge the 20¬ annual fee that CEM does, they only charge 14¬. Since Promoparcs and CEM are both mentioned here a lot, I think I will talk my family into getting a Fantasy pass from these places instead. Then we don't have to mess with sending paperwork and pictures to Disney and we'd be a bit more flexible.

We'd like to go for my mom's 65th bday and that day is blocked out by both Francilien and Fantasy - Francilien has a few additional days blocked around that day though while Fantasy only has that day blocked.

 

[Jules1212]

I think there IS a way to buy via Disney, without discount, from them though. I seem to remember this being done recently and the pass is a proper plastic pass as you need to attach a passport photo with your application. I hope the poster that did this sees your post and guide you through the process. In that case, the two blackout days will not apply. BUT please check the subsequent black out days BEFORE you buy or book a trip. The only way these will not apply is if you stay onsite as the hotel easypass cancels them out, but not the two compulsory blackout days do.[/QUOTE

Eek! After reading the getting AP's through the post thread, my take was that if you bought a Francilien or Fantasy AP then there were no blackout days at all if you were staying onsite.

I am booked into the DLH just before Christmas and the Santa Fe in February and we were going to get Francilien AP's for DH,DS and DD at the ticket office when we arrive on 18th December (after advising the hotel in advance that they will be staying with me). Does this mean that I cannot do that after all and will have to do it all by post?

 

[ThBa]

Eek! After reading the getting AP's through the post thread, my take was that if you bought a Francilien or Fantasy AP then there were no blackout days at all if you were staying onsite.

If you order a Francilien by post and you are staying onside there will be no blackout dates !

a) no normal blackout dates because you stay onside (Hotel Easy Pass)

b) no 2/3 day Francilien blackout dates, because at that time the AP is in the post to your home

Hope that helps

 

[DLPdaft]

Eek! After reading the getting AP's through the post thread, my take was that if you bought a Francilien or Fantasy AP then there were no blackout days at all if you were staying onsite.

I am booked into the DLH just before Christmas and the Santa Fe in February and we were going to get Francilien AP's for DH,DS and DD at the ticket office when we arrive on 18th December (after advising the hotel in advance that they will be staying with me). Does this mean that I cannot do that after all and will have to do it all by post?

the blackout dates don't count if staying onsite - but the 2 non-contractual dates do for the Francillien if you buy at the park - so in your case, if you wait until you buy at the park when you arrive, you can use the Francillien APs on 18th, but then not the 19th or 20th.

Buy them now, through the post from DLP direct, as ThBa did earlier this year. That way, you get fully activated Francillien APs sent to you in the post before you go to DLP, and as they are already fully activated when you get them, the first 3 days (at least) of the AP will have passed already, getting rid of the 2 non-contractual dates problem.

 

[Jules1212]

Wow! Thanks all. I had completely misunderstood that and thought I would just buy when we get there. I shall start to get all of the necessary paperwork together this weekend to buy them by post then.

Phew, potential disaster avoided! Thanks Elaine, Lisa and ThBa. You are stars!

 

[ThBa]

No problem....you are welcome



Thorsten