Linking APs to MDE

[LadyLuck24]

We're thinking of buying APs this year as we have two longer trips planned and may take a shorter one. We have never purchased APs before. a few questions:
1) where is the best place to buy them? Was just going to buy online through Disney.
2) i need to link these tickets to my MDE account in the next few days, because our FP+ window opens soon. I seem to remember an issue where if you order your tickets for "will call" (ie to be picked up once you get to your hotel or a park), you don't have access to a ticket number and therefore can't link to MDE in order to do fast passes. Or is the issue that if I select to have the tickets mailed to me, I can't see the ticket number in order to link it? I can't remember from my last trip. Does this ring a bell to anyone?

Thanks for any tips. I wasn't able to find this info anywhere on here.

 

[elizablake]

1. I bought them online through Disney.
2. I was logged in to MDE when I purchased them. It took about 24 hours for them to show up for some reason. I had to assign them to a person (link them) before I could make FP reservations. 5-7 days later I received vouchers in the mail for the passes. If the APs don't automatically show up, you can use the vouchers to link the passes.

 

[LadyLuck24]

Thanks Elizablake!

 

[Jon84]

We phoned, and as we wouldn't be able to have MBs delivered being in UK (I want my slider!!!) they gave us our reference to link to MDE, it worked within 24 Hours, maybe even within a couple of hours.

 

[MsThumper]

I buy ours online through Disney.

Last time I purchased ours, I selected "will call" as the delivery method. I was able to use the confirmation number to link them in MDE with no problem. This year, we renewed our APs instead of buying them new, and they just showed up in MDE, I guess because they were a renewal.