AP's and check-in

[jprocket]

I changed our October and December reservations to receive the discount AP rate for both trips. We will be purcahsing new AP's for the October trip as our current passes expired at the end of June and we did not renew since we would not be back until Oct because of a new baby. In the past, if we did not have active passes, we would show the voucher at check in the first day if we arrived too late to get to a park to activate the passes. The reservation agent said that he believed they were no longer allowing this but that we would need a valid pass at check in to be eligible for the rate. Is this the new policy or can we still show the voucher if we arrive too late to activate our passes on the first day?

[TheRustyScupper]

1) They are cracking down!
2) A voucher used to be acceptable.
3) Now, most resorts demand the actual AP.
4) Without the AP in-hand, you revert to full rack rate.

5) This has ALWAYS been the written policy.
6) But, some resorts were lax in the execution.
7) To be safe, have the AP in-hand at check-in.

[TennesseeTink]

So does this mean I have to go to a park first to activate my AP before I can check in? I've never had an AP before. I was going to purchase it from a Disney Store just before we leave for our October trip and activate it at the front desk. Now what?!

[Beckybalz]

In April I stayed at the AKL with an AP discount and in July I stayed at Saratoga with an AP discount - neither resort asked to see my annual pass...which in a way kind of bothered me because it seemed like anyone would be able to get an AP discount.

[TheRustyScupper]

So does this mean I have to go to a park first to activate my AP before I can check in? I've never had an AP before. I was going to purchase it from a Disney Store just before we leave for our October trip and activate it at the front desk.

1) You can activate
. . . at Guest Service at MK, AK, MGM, Epcot
. . . at Guest Services at Downtown Disney
2) You cannot activate
. . . at the Resort Front Desk
. . . at the resort Concierge Desk

NOTE: WDW is clamping down, because of the abuses. People say they have an AP, but do not. People show a voucher, but then do not activate the AP - some don't do parks during that visit. Either way, Disney loses hotel room money.

[TennesseeTink]

Thanks for the info! :thumbsup: I would much rather stop by Downtown Disney to activate my AP than go to a theme park before I check into my resort. Makes much more sense in regards to our plans for that day.

[J.T.Toad]

Dear jprocket

As a previous posted had stated things have changed due to abuse.

Here is what I would do if I were in your shoes. As I have been in there 3 times before. That is checking in the poly with only an AP voucher in hand. Never had I been refused.

Depending on the time of your arrival

1.First I would take the chance and see if you can check in with your voucher. Chances are they might not even ask for an AP. If they do show them your voucher. If they don't accept it I would ask to see the manager so you could plead your case. When asking to see the manager and in pleading your case, be friendly and respectfuland most of all don't argue. Ask the Manager if you could stop back the following day with APs in hand. I have always found that the Management at the Poly has been very accommodating.

2. Assuming that you got nowhere with Item No 1. I would ask Bell services to hold your luggage. Then either walk down to the dock and take a little boat ride to the MK or take a Monorail ride to the MK. Then have your passes activated. Make this ride part of your Poly experience.

Good luck
JT

[kakn7294]

This thread scares me. We're planning a trip for possibly Aug of 2008 with AP's. We will be first-time AP holders and they will not have been activated when we arrive via Magical Express to our resort - probably POFQ. What happens then? Am I going to have to waste time going to a theme park to activate those passes so I can check-in at my resort? That's just crazy since there's no theme park really close by to activate them. It's making me reconsider the AP.

[BigRedDad]

I think this is ridiculous, to an extent. What the resorts should do is tell the person/group checking in that there room will temporarily be raised to the rack rate until the show the AP. This would allow AP holders with a voucher to not have to go to a Park or DTD to activate it before check-in. Then, later that day or the next day, they can just go back to the front desk to remove the temporary increase.

Making a policy where someone has to take DME, then jump on another bus to go to a park, wait for another bus to return to the resort just to check-in is insane. There are more efficient ways to enforce the policy without causing aggravation to honest guests. They can also change how they sell AP's by not providing a voucher, but a post dated activation date.

[wjrhw]

In January of this year I only had a voucher when we checked in at the Wilderness Lodge and they did not ask to see anything. Last week at POP, they asked to see the annual pass. When I was about to unfold it from cover it came with, he saw the cover and said that's good enough. So he never saw the pass, just a cover.

It seemed like he was uncomfortable asking to see the pass, so it is likely something they are being told enforce now.

[CanadianWDWFan]

I can understand why this is now done. We have only been asked once for our AP and we showed a voucher. But that was in July 2006. In fact the only time that a CM demanded that I show her our AP pass was to buy our passholders' pin. :D

Since reading similar threads earlier, I have been wondering, what if you arrive to check-in late at night when everything is closed?

[blondeinbrandon]

I would think if you arrive too late to activate it they would allow you to show it the next day. They are cracking down, but they are still very friendly. If you only have a voucher just ask nicely if you come back and show that it was activated. The problem with cracking down is that the hotels are going to have to be geared up to activate the passes. This would negate any issue of vouchers.

[J.T.Toad]

The more I read other posters on this mater the more I am begining to think that we our makeing something out of nothing. Like I said in an early post I have checked in 3 times useing the ap discount with vouchers in hand and only once was I ever asked to provide the ap. I showed the clerk the vouchers, she only glanced at them and proceded with my checkin. I have never heard of anyone being refused the ap discount while checking in with a voucher.

I certainly wouldn't worry about it, and I would not take the time to have them validated pryor to checkin.

JT

[Tick-Tock]

Since reading similar threads earlier, I have been wondering, what if you arrive to check-in late at night when everything is closed?

I contacted the hotel beforehand and let them know there was no way we could activate the voucher (we were arriving about midnight and nothing was open, and there was no way to do it beforehand). They said they would put a note in the computer and it wouldn't be a problem. Even if they're cracking down, I'm sure this procedure would still work.