Two Part Question: What does an AP look like??

[Kims09]

Hi everyone!

I wasn't sure where to put this question, but since the 2nd part of my question is more budget related, I placed it here.

First part: I purchased AP's for my family for the first time in February. We purchased at the resort we were staying at. When the CM saw them when she printed them, she said they didn't print like they were supposed to and that if I were to have any trouble using them I should just pull out my receipt of purchase. Well, over the course of our trip, we did have a few issues using the APs. I was able to gain entry to the parks easy enough, but every time we tried to use the AP for discount purposes, the transaction always took longer because CMs said the pass didn't look like an AP.
Our APs look like any other KTTW/room key so that each individual in my family had two passes that looked identical. One was the key to our room and one was our AP. We put a "P" on the corner to differentiate between the two.
So my question is that I'm really curious about is what does a AP look like? We're going back to WDW in October. I'm trying to figure out if it's worth my time and effort to see if I can get our APs reissued.

My second question is related to the first and will help with my quest to determine if getting reissued APs is worth my time. We are also DVC members, Disney Visa holders, AAA members, as well as now AP holders. Is there any easy one-stop website to see a comparison of the discounts between these various things?

Thanks for your help!

 

[Traveliz]

Regular (or APs not bought at resorts) look like the paper tickets...made out of Tyvek. Many people complain worrying about their sturdiness but I have had APs for years and like the Tyvek ones just fine.

The AP availability at the resorts is relatively new.

You can compare ticket costs at mousesavers I believe and allears.
Liz

 

[Disney845]

As a previous poster indicated, mine (also not issued at one of the resort hotels, but at the guest services window at a theme park) are a standard "paper" ticket. The current ones we have (issued last fall) have a disney character on the face of the card with confetti and says Celebrate, while the backside has letters/numbers indicating the pass "number", the person's name, some wording about the pass, miscellaneous scanning info, etc.

 

[timmac]

Regular (or APs not bought at resorts) look like the paper tickets...made out of Tyvek. Many people complain worrying about their sturdiness but I have had APs for years and like the Tyvek ones just fine.

The AP availability at the resorts is relatively new.

You can compare ticket costs at mousesavers I believe and allears.
Liz

The tyvek tickets are actually far sturdier than the "cards" room keys are on, which can crack or break. It takes a lot to wreck on to the tyvek ones.

 

[bumbershoot]

CMs are probably more used to the resort-printed APs now. They were brand new when you got them.

The ones issued outside of the resorts look just like "paper" tickets.



I think that the discount with those various cards is basically 10%, isn't it?

 

[daisyduck123]

I think that the discount with those various cards is basically 10%, isn't it?

Regular APs - 10% off in gift shops
Premium APs - 20% off gift shop merchandise

 

[DawnM]

Ours kept demagnetizing. We have always had issues with them and we DO NOT keep them with our cell phones or credit cards.

We had the hard plastic APs when we lived in SoCal and had the Disneyland APs. They were far sturdier IMHO. I was told by a CM when I asked that WDW won't use them because they are more expensive to make and WDW has far more people. Not sure how true that is, but that is what I was told.

Dawn

The tyvek tickets are actually far sturdier than the "cards" room keys are on, which can crack or break. It takes a lot to wreck on to the tyvek ones.

 

[bumbershoot]

Ours kept demagnetizing. We have always had issues with them and we DO NOT keep them with our cell phones or credit cards.

We had the hard plastic APs when we lived in SoCal and had the Disneyland APs. They were far sturdier IMHO. I was told by a CM when I asked that WDW won't use them because they are more expensive to make and WDW has far more people. Not sure how true that is, but that is what I was told.

Dawn

I had constant problems with my Disneyland AP for the two years I had them.

And they won't replace them easily. My magnetic stripe worked differently than the barcode, and because one still worked, they refused to replace it. It was a HUGE pain.

The WDW AP worked all 10 days we used it. We'll have to see what happens in September when we go to use them again!



But the stripe issue is the stripe, not the thing it's on, or so people like Robo have said. Disney uses cheap magnetic stripes.

 

[txvjc]

Honestly I would just go get new tyvek ones when you get there...it takes like a minute at any ticket booth...all you have to do is show an ID for each adult and just give them the kid's names...there's no charge for it...I go through about 4 passes a year (not from them being worn out..just me losing them/leaving them at home...they are near indestructible...i've washed and dried a couple of them and they were still usable)

 

[DawnM]

How odd. We had ours (DL) for years and years (over 8) and never had a problem and used them far more often.

The WDW ones give us at least one cause for replacement per visit for at least one of us.

Dawn

I had constant problems with my Disneyland AP for the two years I had them.

And they won't replace them easily. My magnetic stripe worked differently than the barcode, and because one still worked, they refused to replace it. It was a HUGE pain.

The WDW AP worked all 10 days we used it. We'll have to see what happens in September when we go to use them again!



But the stripe issue is the stripe, not the thing it's on, or so people like Robo have said. Disney uses cheap magnetic stripes.

 

[undertheradar]

Do WDW APs have photos on them like the DL APs?

 

[txvjc]

Do WDW APs have photos on them like the DL APs?

no...your picture is never taken...it just uses the biometric scan like regular tickets

 

[undertheradar]

So there is the problem.....

 

[Kims09]

I have a feeling I'll just take my chances with the passes that I have. Thanks everyone for your responses

 

[Fire14]

Do WDW APs have photos on them like the DL APs?

My Premier Ap doesn't have my pic on it. It's in system at DL but not printed on actual AP

 

[SandrA9810]

The old AP's from th 80's and 90's used to have your picture on it. They've done away with it now.

It only takes a minute to replace the passes at guest relations, we used to replace ours three or four time from loosing them. Only one year did I manage to use the same pass all year.

Now I wish they would do like Seaworld, for $5 I was able to upgrade to a plastic card. But they use a bar code, not a magnetic strip. I used that for about 2 years with no problems, almost on an every other day basis. And the five bucks went to their wildlife fund.