Interesting AP experience this past weekend

[kelmac284]

Thanks redboxcar that was exactly my point. Sure I was a little dissapointed because it was an inconvenice but like the others said I know that we can "get around it" by just having the others pay me back. It was just honestly a hassle. My mom was paying for most of the trip so she either had to give me cash or pay me back. It is fine if I had KNOWN this in advance then she could have gotten enough cash but there were a few times on the larger meals that I just had to put it on my card and she had to write me a check when we got home.

Not a HUGE deal as I know I will get it back but when you hadn't planned on that in the beginning it was a bit of a pain.

If you have a joint checking acct too then it is no big deal and you can just use your card if say your spouse was going to pay but in my case my husband and I don't. So anytihng I bought he had to pay me back as well. Confusing I know but it is just the way we happen to do things.

And you are right I was letting people know because honestly I was NOT aware that it was a policy that only the carholder could use the discount. I have NEVER had it questioned before and thought that if I "allowed" my family to use it it was ok. So honestly I didn't know till now.

So that is why I posted because I was sure there were probably others like myself who had never had it questioned so I wanted THOSE people to know that it will no longer fly and to be prepared.

I think the same holds true with the fast passes. Not that I am that thrilled about the change because for my family it will be a big inconvenience but I think it would be worse had you gone to the park collected a bunch of passes and expected it to be the way it was then go later to find out you can't use it.

My mom and I both have bad knees and there are many times where we collect a pass and end up on the other side of the park for a meal or what have you and don't want to have to go ALL the way back to make a time. It is nice to have the flexibility to go at a later time when we are back in that area.

Also makes it easier to leave for a nap or what have you and actually be ABLE to ride stuff later in the day.

I know that is a different thread but my point was just knowing in advance makes it easier to plan ahead.

 

[Eeee-va]

I'm sorry about the negative experiences! I have read that CMs can get into trouble if they're caught allowing someone else to use the discount. Disney probably loves the data they get from finding out which AP holder purchases which merchandise, so that might be why the rule is in place.

 

[pixiewings71]

I totally understand what the OP was saying, however our experience is it has always been this way. Only the AP holder is allowed to use the discount associated with the AP. I can see how it might be an inconvenience for some (like the OP) but for us it's never been an issue.

 

[redboxcar]

I kept track of some of the experiences I had from Leap Day regarding this issue...

• At Cafe Orleans, used Deluxe AP for whole table (2 of us), paid in full using gift card. No questions asked.
• At Blue Bayou, used Deluxe AP for whole table (2 of us), paid $15 gift card, paid balance using NON-passholder's debit card. No questions asked.
• Purchased merchandise at the scroll shop (forgot what it's called at Sleeping Beauty's Castle). CM asked if we had a pass, I told her I had one, but my friend was buying the scroll. She said we could use it as long as we paid cash. Paid cash, no further questions asked.
• Purchased merchandise at Disney Clothiers. Offered my pass, she asked for my ID, but would not accept my friend's card. I then said I could pay with a gift card, she said that was fine.
• At Jolly Holiday Bakery, my friend ordered, I gave my AP and paid in full with gift card. No questions asked.
  [*]One CM told us that they want to take away the discount from AP holders in general due to the level of abuse (letting other people use their discount) - which is why they are being more strict about it. However, she did say that as long as we paid cash or gift card, no one would know.

In general, I see that they have really tightened up about the usage - however, my experience was that all CMs were willing to turn a blind eye (and some even encouraged it!) if paying with a gift card or cash.

One CM even suggested that my friend purchase a gift card at the beginning of the trip (say, $100) and give it to me to hold and use as payment for things she wanted during the trip. Even though I had gift cards prepared, they were mine, not hers (though it seems to have worked out to her benefit)...

 

[Minuet888]

Wow this didn't happen to us, I recently went to Disney land with my hubby, son, and my two cousins and their one year old baby.
We have the passes (hubby son and me) my cousins do not.
We split up the care (I went in their car so they got free parking, I wasn't even driving, I just sat in the back and handed Steve my pass (I'm a female) and they let us through without paying.
When we had meals together I paid the entire bill with my discount and they didn't ask to see anyone else's pass but mine. It was the same at quickservice/counter service. Also at merchanside stands, I was purchasing something and Lisa was behind me with something I said here, hand that here I can get a discount on it (this all happened right in front of the cast member) and nothing happened.
To me this is just weird because it's never happened to me. Even when it's just the three of us (Hubby son and me) they never ask to see all of our passes.
With annual passes at other parks and attractions guests usually get a one time admission ticket for their friends to use who go with them or something, Disney doesn't do this so they are still making money off the friend coming in with the pass holder. They are still spending money with the pass holder discount or not, so that's why it isn't looked at as such a big deal.

 

[Grumpy~N~Dopey]

I agree that you should not allow someone to use your Annual pass, but I have encountered a few CM's that have really gone overboard trying to enforce this!! My whole family has had AP's for several years, all of us premium due to days we tend to travel... one time I had one of my children with me and I was buying her a souvenir, I gave the CM my annual pass and asked my daughter to get cash out of my backpack, which was on my back. she got the $ and handed it to the CM... the Cm refused to take it and said that my daughter had to show her her AP to get the discount. My daughter was about 10 at the time! my partner at that time was on the other side of the park with my daughters AP. I then took the cash out of my daughters hand that had come out of my backpack on my back and tried to pay with myself handing the CM the cash and was refused again!!!! Finally 25 min. later and after having managment called I was able to pay for my purchase!
i think your own children that are with you should be able hand cash to a CM for a purchase!! where do the CM's think they get that money? yeah out of my hand!!

 

[cyclenut]

The AP discount rules have been the same for years, although I admit that enforcement is sometimes spotty. CM are told to enforce the rules but not all of them do. Some realize that for a family, the enforcement of the rule just makes things more inconvenient, but doesn't change the fact that the discount will be issued. Disney is not getting any more (or less) money from the transaction and the guest is inconvenienced.

My DD has a premium and occasionally goes with others families that don't. She shows her pass and sometimes they give her discount to the group and sometimes they don't.

What Disney is trying to avoid is the case where one member of the family buys the premium and everyone else buys the So Cal and the one person with the preimum is the kid. This happens a lot. This gives the maximum flexiblity where the kid can go whenever and the family still gets the discount when they go together. That isn't how Disney intended the AP program to work. The discount is supposed to go the passholder, not the family of ... or the friends of ... the passholder.

 

[cmwade77]

I guess not only the fast passes use has changed but also how you use your AP discount. I know in the past they were pretty lax about it and I have had friends with a premium let me use their discount and when we went on group trips and had one big check they would take 1 pass but now it has changed and not in a good way if you ask me.

I have a premium and my mom wanted to buy herself and me a shirt at DTD and they wouldn't let her pay using my discount. Then she said fine I will just give you the cash and the lady said that we couldn't exchange cash in front of her either. I mean to me that is crazy because it is my mom not a stranger but then it got even worse when we ate. It has ALWAYS been that you could use your AP discount at meals for several people in your family well THAT was fine but then they wanted ME to pay! So I thought that was pretty stupid. If we are a family what difference does it make if my husband or mom pays???

Then my husband was going to pay for something and they wouldn't even let HIM pay and we have the same last name!

I think this is going to be a problem down the road when spouses can't even use the discount.

Anyway just my observation for those who have done it in the past. They are WAY stricter about it now!

Actually, the policy has always been that the discount is only for the pass holder, some CMs are more strict than others about it.

Honestly though, don't abuse the system, it will end up ruining it for everyone and those discounts are very nice to have.

 

[DebbieB]

At WDW, I've been asked for photo ID to match my AP to get the discount.

 

[ethanwa]

I get asked for photo ID for my pass ALL of the time.

When its me and my wife and two young kids, I just pay for everything (my wife doesn't have a pass). Since we are all in the same bank account, credit cards, etc, it's easiest for me to just pay.

I can understand the issues if you have older kids though, or extended family.

 

[Pilotdog]

Hi this is my first post, but I've read this site for a couple of years. I'm from Orange County and have been going to DL since before I can remember.
We were there yesterday. It was me, DS8 (both with PAP), my sister (DAP she works Saturdays) and her son13 (PAP). This is our first time with the upgraded passes before we had So Cal AP, but the boys want to go in summer and some Saturdays.
Yesterday my sister was always able to use her son's PAP discount. My sister only uses cash. When asked for an ID see told them that is was her son's pass and was never given a hard time they just said ok. My sister always handed the cash over herself. At the Golden Horseshoe DN was at the table with my DS who got food at Bengal BBQ. When the CM asked my sister for ID and she said it was her son's pass the CM said that was find if they had the same last name so she showed her ID and was able to use his pass for the discount. I wonder if there were a lot of complains about not being able to use your child's discount and Disney made a change. After all it is the parent who bought the pass in the first place and kids don't work so all of their money comes from their parents anyway. Anyway this is how it went for us yesterday.

 

[kelmac284]

Once again just for clarification I just wanted to say that the ONLY reason I posted is this was NOT to complain but to let people know that it has tightened up. As I said I have had a deluxe AP for over 6 years as has most of my family and we have NEVER had this problem. Also now that the pictures are gone I will admit it is MUCH more of a hassle getting out your ID EVERY time you have to use your pass, even when I was using it myself. I usually carry a backpack and having to hold it open so all my stuff doesn't fall out and getting out my wallet, ID and then my debit card which is a completely different part of my wallet is a pain. Oh and the AP of course which is usually in my lanyard around my neck.

I don't know how many times fumbling with all that sutff I either almost left something or dropped it. I honestly wish they would let the vendors have the pics on their computers like the front gates but that's a whole other issue LOL.

But THIS post was just to let those who were not used to this know. As I mentioned I was NOT aware that you couldn't let your family use your discount since I have been doing it for years and I figured there were probably others who were unaware as well. That is the ONLY reason for the post.

And frankly I never considered it abuse in the past because like the fast passes no one ever said anything and since I did NOT know it was not allowed I didn't know I was abusing anything???

And I will say again that I do agree that letting friends or people NOT part of your immediate family use it is probably not cool and I have NEVER let a friend use mine and only once used someone elses because again back then I didn't know it was a problem. I was prepared to buy the item and she just offered it and the cm took it so I didn't even know it was not allowed???

But I still feel that not letting your own children or spouse use it is a little extreme. EVENTHOUGH we don't have joint accounts we still share our money and as people have pointed out the children don't have their "own" money. I bet most kids IF they have money at all it was probably given BY the parents in the first place. And the parents PAID for their passes most likely as do the spouses. So to me it is a little over the top.

I can totally see non family members but I will be interested to see how this goes.

 

[jetskigrl]

I have been told on multiple occasions by CMs that my husband or I can pay for our daughter's purchases when she is using her pass for the discount. But only as long as she is a minor (since we are financially responsible for her anyway) and she must be the one presenting the items to the cashier. I can't take her pass and purchase something without her there, but I can pay for something that she is buying. We have never had a problem doing it this way.

We have been told that my DH cannot use my pass for discounts though since he is an adult. The name on the pass has to match the name on the CC. So if my DH is paying for a meal, he can use my DD's pass for the discount (many times she is already at the table and they still take it) but he cannot use my pass. If my pass is presented, we need to use the CC with my name on it.

Oh...for the record, my DD and I both have premium passes and my DH and DS have Deluxe (that is why my DH uses DD's pass for food discounts).

 

[Pilotdog]

Oh I did tell the CM at Bengal BBQ that I wish the APs still and our pictures on them because showing our ID is a pain. She said that it was a pain for them as well, but that they were told that at some point they would be able to see our pictures on their computers / cash registers.

 

[pixiewings71]

Ok, to confirm, parking is free for ANY car as long as the AP holder that has free parking on their pass is IN the car. It doesn't matter if it's one of the kids or the person not driving, you just have to be in the car. DBF has a PAP, the girls and I have DAP's, we used his AP for parking with no issues every time. Previously I had a DAP with parking added, I did not have to drive I simply had to be in the car for the free parking.

The dining/merchandise discount is to be given to the AP holder only. If you're paying cash or using a gift card then simply hand them to the person with the best discount and let them pay. If you are buying food, again, have everyone give cash to the AP holder and then have them pay, everyone at the table gets the discount as long as the person with the AP makes the payment. Friday night DBF was unable to find his cc (he'd left it in the room after checking into the hotel, silly guy lol) to pay for dinner, the CM at Village Haus let me pay but only after confirming via our ID that we indeed live together. DD15 had a CM ask for her ID, but since she's only 15 she doesn't have one.......I really do NOT like that photos are not on the AP's anymore, it makes it 100 times more difficult when you have to pull out your ID as well, especially for kids who do not have ID! That is extremely frustrating!