Planning for next years' AP?

[Klayfish]

So we're here in WDW now using up the last days of our current AP. We agreed that we're going to give our wallet a break for a little while and not renew. We're going to wait almost exactly one year and then do the exact same thing we did this year. Bookend two very long summer trips (summer 2017 and summer 2018) with a bunch of holiday trips in the middle. We've already picked our summer 2017 dates and I'm booking our rental house today. But here's my question...

Our first day in the parks will be June 30th, 2017. Since we don't stay on property, we can usually book FP+ 30 days in advance. So that would be the end of May. However, we wouldn't want to actually buy our AP then, because if I'm right the one year clock on your AP starts from your date of purchase. Anyone know how this would work?

 

[Accident]

So that would be the end of May. However, we wouldn't want to actually buy our AP then, because if I'm right the one year clock on your AP starts from your date of purchase. Anyone know how this would work?

The AP doesn't start from date of purchase unless your buying it on property. If you buy it online, you get a voucher that you need to activate at any ticket or guest relations window. You can immediately make FP+ and the renewal date is when you pick up your actual AP on your first visit.

Edited to add: I forget how free parking works for that first day just make sure you get a receipt, I think the ticket window re-reimburses you but ask when you activate the AP.

 

[Klayfish]

Ahh, good to know. Last year, we came down with a 10 day pass and decided on a whim to upgrade to AP, so we bought on property. The AP was made retroactive to our first day using the ticket. So we assumed it would be the same thing buying now. That's what we get for "assuming". The discount they offer for renewing now is nothing to sneeze at. So if we renewed now we could just hold onto the voucher for a year and then "activate" it then? How would it know how far in advance we can book FP+? Since we won't have a Disney hotel in our MDE itinerary, it will just presume we're not staying on property and only allow us to book 30 days out?

And yes, you're right, they do reimburse parking. Last year, it was something like day 5 or 6 of our trip when we upgraded and they refunded all of our parking (thankfully we still had the receipts).

Another piece of our own ignorance is I didn't know we got free Photopass downloads with an AP. A few weeks ago, I bought MemoryMaker for the trip we're on right now. Guess I need to go to Guest Relations today to see if I can get a refund.

 

[kayteekt]

Your AP starts from the day you activate it, not the date of purchase.

 

[CarolynFH]

....The discount they offer for renewing now is nothing to sneeze at. So if we renewed now we could just hold onto the voucher for a year and then "activate" it then? ....

Unfortunately, no, the renewal would start the day your current AP expires. So renewing now would not work if you're not planning to return within the coming year. You could buy a voucher now for a new AP, though, and hold on to it until your trip in June 2017. That way, if (more likely when) the price for a new AP increases between now and then, you'll already have the voucher and won't have to pay the new price.

 

[Accident]

So if we renewed now we could just hold onto the voucher for a year and then "activate" it then?

i'm not 100% sure on how renewals work so I defer that to someone that has recently renewed.

Another piece of our own ignorance is I didn't know we got free Photopass downloads with an AP. A few weeks ago, I bought MemoryMaker for the trip we're on right now. Guess I need to go to Guest Relations today to see if I can get a refund.

I had a memory maker removed for another reason by calling but it took a long time to get to the right person that could refund it. Technically it's not refundable but good luck!