Help with Annual Pass

[Sthronds]

Last week I ordered a Southern CA Annual Pass Select and it came in the mail yesterday. I anticipated some instructions on how to validated it but I didn't receive anything with the pass. Is that it? Do I just use that to get into the park or do I need to check in somewhere? If anyone has any experience with this I would appreciate the help. Thanks in advance!

 

[cmwade77]

Basically, if you added parking be sure ot show that voucher when you go to park, they will stamp the voucher indicating that it has been used for parking already. Then once inside Disneyland go to the Bank of Main Street (aka Annual Passport Processing Center) and redeem it there for your hard plastic card with your picture on it. Disneyland has not yet gone to the finger scan system that Disneyworld has, so yes you still need a pass with your picture on it. Also ID will be required at the processing center and possibly the parking structure and upon inital entry into the parks. For shortest wait times process the pass early, park opening is a great time, or if you luck out and they open Main Street up before park opening (I believe this is done when Disneyland opens at 9 AM, but I am not sure) this would be a great time to do this.

 

[albianne]

Does that mean if we order our Deluxe passes in the mail from Disney that we then have to go and have our pics taken also, if so what is the advantage of buying ahead of time if you still have to stand in line to activate or would we only have to stand in line once instead of twice. If we arrive at the park at 8:00 PM for our very first visit will there be anyone there to activate and take pics at that time of day?

 

[JDarling]

As long as the parks are open, there will be someone there to activate your pass. You will only have to stand in line once (at the picture center) if you buy in advance. You'd have to stand in line twice (in the ticket line and then in the picture line) if you bought at the parks.

 

[Eeyorecln]

We upgraded our Parkhoppers to AP's while there. I would recommend getting Parkhoppers and upgrading after for the EE morning, my boys loved it and rode the Matterhorn 4 times with no wait! I also noticed the line for the AP center getting longer in the evenings( I think because of people upgrading on their last day on the way out) We went around noon and waited about 5 min. Most people were at lunch. This worked well for us.

 

[Sthronds]

Ok, let me see if I have this straight. I validate it at the Bank of Main Street when I get there and will get a hard card with my pic on it. I did not do parking so that's not an issue. One more question. What do I use for fast passes? The card the give me or the little paper one that came in the mail.. . I know I must sound silly but I have lived in CA all my life and never had an annual pass. This is my first one and I am terribly nervous about it! Thanks for all the great help though. I can see I'm not alone in my questions either!

 

[Califgirl]

You use your AP (the hard card) to get fast passes. It has a bar code on it that will read at the fast pass machines.
When you upgrade your ticket, or validate your ticket, they take the paper ticket and don't give it back.

 

[Sthronds]

Ok, last question (I hope!). Do I have to validate the ticket first thing or can I do it later in the afternoon?