park entry when buying an AP?

[Pomlover2586]

Dh and I are planning to purchase APs on our next visit. How does park entry work if you are buying an AP, but dont have a ticket to get into the AP purchase area in the Main Street bank? If it helps, we are planning to pay the monthly option, not all at once- so buying a day ticket and applying it toward the AP cost isnt what we were planning to do.

 

[bumbershoot]

How does park entry work if you are buying an AP, but dont have a ticket to get into the AP purchase area in the Main Street bank?

I don't even think that whole setup exists anymore.

If there's no way to get it set up before you go, just go to a ticket sales booth outside the park. To take the picture now you just find a random photopass person and have them do it.

 

[mirage0306]

Yeah, you don't even have to go inside to buy it. Just go to a ticket booth outside and then when you enter, have the photo pass photographer by the front take your picture. That takes two minutes.

 

[TheLanes]

And no matter what, you have to pay for the first day at that time (cash or credit card), and then do the monthly payments for the rest. The benefit to this is that you can enter the park on a blockout day (if you are buying a pass with blockout days) for that first day, and then your blockout days start the 2nd day for the rest of the year.

 

[Pomlover2586]

Wow! Can you tell its been a while since weve had APs? DH and I havent been to Disneyland in 3 years! Thanks so much for the update!

 

[mikedoyleblogger]

Dh and I are planning to purchase APs on our next visit. How does park entry work if you are buying an AP, but dont have a ticket to get into the AP purchase area in the Main Street bank? If it helps, we are planning to pay the monthly option, not all at once- so buying a day ticket and applying it toward the AP cost isnt what we were planning to do.

That method doesn't exist anymore. You purchase APs two ways now, both of which grant you immediate access to the parks:

1. At the ticket booths, where they will give you your permanent card right there. You can use it immediately, and simply need to go to a photo shop or find a Photopass photographer to have your photo taken for the computer system (there are no more photos on the APs, themselves) ; or
2. Online or at the Disney hotels, where you get an e-ticket voucher. You can use the voucher for immediate access at an entry gate--they will give you a paper day ticket in exchange, with the requirement that later in the day you exchange the ticket for your actual AP at a ticket booth. Or you can simply go directly to a ticket booth with your voucher. Either way,after you get your card, you get your photo taken for the system as described above.

You also keep the same card when you renew. Disney no longer replaces them every year.

 

[Epek]

You also keep the same card when you renew. Disney no longer replaces them every year.

I just renewed and got a new card. However, I think you're right about this for the future. I got my and DH's AP's in August and then DS's in Oct. His card looked different than ours on the back. The other day, we renewed ours and got new cards that look more like ds's. I wonder if when it's time to renew his, he'll get to keep it?

OP- just so you know, we purchased our AP's online 2 months before going, got the cards the night before we went into the parks at the ticket booths, and they didn't become active until entering the parks. We started paying right away, but the year of validity didn't begin until we got there. Oh, and you pay the amount of a day ticket, then a day or so later they take your first monthly payment.

 

[mikedoyleblogger]

I just renewed and got a new card. However, I think you're right about this for the future. I got my and DH's AP's in August and then DS's in Oct. His card looked different than ours on the back. The other day, we renewed ours and got new cards that look more like ds's. I wonder if when it's time to renew his, he'll get to keep it?

OP- just so you know, we purchased our AP's online 2 months before going, got the cards the night before we went into the parks at the ticket booths, and they didn't become active until entering the parks. We started paying right away, but the year of validity didn't begin until we got there. Oh, and you pay the amount of a day ticket, then a day or so later they take your first monthly payment.

I bet it was because your old card didn't have an RFID chip. The chips make the new cards cost more. (That's why transit systems that use RFID cards--like here in Chicago and in L.A. as well--make you pay a few dollars to purchase the cards before you can use them.) That's probably why Disney doesn't want to replace them annually, since it costs more money to do so now. (The fact that APs are now so horrendously expensive notwithstanding.)

 

[kitayama]

I bet it was because your old card didn't have an RFID chip. The chips make the new cards cost more. (That's why transit systems that use RFID cards--like here in Chicago and in L.A. as well--make you pay a few dollars to purchase the cards before you can use them.) That's probably why Disney doesn't want to replace them annually, since it costs more money to do so now. (The fact that APs are now so horrendously expensive notwithstanding.)

I didn't know the passes had RFID chips in them...
I have a Premier pass that works at WDW as well and it has one (I can even see the bump where it is located), but my son only has a Premium pass and I don't think it does have a RFID chip in it... I can not see chip in his card like I can in the rest of my Family's cards.

 

[TheLanes]

Which also means you don't want to punch holes in the card to hang a lanyard on. It will possibly kill the chip.

I bet it was because your old card didn't have an RFID chip. The chips make the new cards cost more. (That's why transit systems that use RFID cards--like here in Chicago and in L.A. as well--make you pay a few dollars to purchase the cards before you can use them.) That's probably why Disney doesn't want to replace them annually, since it costs more money to do so now. (The fact that APs are now so horrendously expensive notwithstanding.)

 

[SMD]

Unless they've added it in the last 90 days, DLR APs don't contain RFID.

 

[Ryan120420]

Disneyland Annual Passes DO NOT have an RFID chip inside them.


I recently got a new AP printed on the 27th and used my iPhone flash light to look for an micro chip and antenna. Nothing to be found.

 

[mikedoyleblogger]

My bad. Then it really is just DLR being cheap in not wanting to replace the cards annually. Not surprised, though.

 

[BirdyGirl85]

So since this thread was posted in fairly recently, I figured it was ok for me to post here with some questions I had about APs.

I have never purchased Disneyland APs before. I was thinking of getting APs for me and my husband, but since we live in San Francisco, we would probably be going three times within this next year. So I was thinking of getting a Premium AP for me (so we could get free parking) and a Deluxe AP for my husband. (That's ok right? I mean I'm sure they can't make us both buy Premium APs.)

So my question is, I know we both pay the $96 deposit the first day, but when do we make our first monthly payment? On the same day? Do you give them your account information and they just take the payment out monthly? Just wondering how that works, thanks!

 

[Fantaluminishes]

So since this thread was posted in fairly recently, I figured it was ok for me to post here with some questions I had about APs. I have never purchased Disneyland APs before. I was thinking of getting APs for me and my husband, but since we live in San Francisco, we would probably be going three times within this next year. So I was thinking of getting a Premium AP for me (so we could get free parking) and a Deluxe AP for my husband. (That's ok right? I mean I'm sure they can't make us both buy Premium APs.) So my question is, I know we both pay the $96 deposit the first day, but when do we make our first monthly payment? On the same day? Do you give them your account information and they just take the payment out monthly? Just wondering how that works, thanks!

I bought mine last month. They applied my 4-day hopper price towards the PAP, and then took my CC for the monthly payments. I was charged a few days later.

 

[Ryan120420]

So since this thread was posted in fairly recently, I figured it was ok for me to post here with some questions I had about APs.

I have never purchased Disneyland APs before. I was thinking of getting APs for me and my husband, but since we live in San Francisco, we would probably be going three times within this next year. So I was thinking of getting a Premium AP for me (so we could get free parking) and a Deluxe AP for my husband. (That's ok right? I mean I'm sure they can't make us both buy Premium APs.)

So my question is, I know we both pay the $96 deposit the first day, but when do we make our first monthly payment? On the same day? Do you give them your account information and they just take the payment out monthly? Just wondering how that works, thanks!

Your first payment will be deducted usually on the same day, or the first business day after purchase.

 

[whistlinmickey]

So I was thinking of getting a Premium AP for me (so we could get free parking) and a Deluxe AP for my husband. (That's ok right? I mean I'm sure they can't make us both buy Premium APs.)

My spouse and I did exactly this. It worked great to save a little bit on the price of the Deluxe AP and still get parking privileges and the higher discounts that come with the Premium AP. However, when we did it this way, Disneyland Resort still sold blackout tickets for days that the Deluxe AP holders couldn't normally enter. Now that they no longer provide that option, you just need to carefully look forward on the AP blockout calendar to make sure none of those dates conflict with one of your planned visits or that you are prepared to upgrade the Deluxe AP to a Premium AP on a day that is blocked out and you still plan to visit.

 

[cats mom]

My bad. Then it really is just DLR being cheap in not wanting to replace the cards annually. Not surprised, though.

If not replacing the card yearly is supposed to be a cost saving measure it didn't work with mine. I've only had it since January, but on recent trips CM's could never get it to scan for discounts, meaning they had to type in the whole long number every time. I got tired of exasperated sighs and/or holding up lines, so I went to the ticket booth and got a new one the other day.

I wonder how this change will go over with DTD merchants who offer AP discounts? Not that many of them checked the exp date carefully anyway, but at least they had the option before. Now people can easily flash an expired card and the merchant will have no way of knowing if it's valid or not.

 

[dedwards]

Quick question

when i purchase my annual pass on a blackout day do i get to go inot both parks that day?

 

[SMD]

If not replacing the card yearly is supposed to be a cost saving measure it didn't work with mine. I've only had it since January, but on recent trips CM's could never get it to scan for discounts, meaning they had to type in the whole long number every time. I got tired of exasperated sighs and/or holding up lines, so I went to the ticket booth and got a new one the other day.

I wonder how this change will go over with DTD merchants who offer AP discounts? Not that many of them checked the exp date carefully anyway, but at least they had the option before. Now people can easily flash an expired card and the merchant will have no way of knowing if it's valid or not.

A number rubbed off mine within the first 5 times I used it. And it sits on a bookshelf when not at the parks, so it's not like it was my wallet. My name is smudged and grey. I have a feeling it will need to be replaced before the end of my current year.