APs and check in???

[rain]

I am planning on purchasing APs for my next trip. If I understand correctly, even if I purchase them online beforehand they do not activate until I use them the first time. Will I be able to check into the resort with the inactive AP before I go to the park or will I have to go to a park first and activate the pass before i check in.

[Goofeygal]

As long as you have the vouher with you they will accept that. I have done it once in the past.

[Gusgus]

There are oodles of threads here on Intercot debating this. The official policy is you must have your pass, not a voucher. The answers in previous threads are:

1. Voucher is fine
2. They never ask don't worry about it
3. They asked me for my pass and wouldn't give me the discount
4. The let me check in with the discount but the manager asked me to show my pass the following day
5. I talked to the manager and he said it was okay

I have been to disney over 20 times and I have only been asked once. So from my experience the chances of being asked are low. Here are some options. If you are worried another poster in another thread suggested:
Call ahead of time and ask to speak to the Resort manager. Describe your situation and they will most likely make some kind of arrangements

Option 2
If you are arriving late and can't make it to a park to turn in your voucher Downtown Disney has a guest services that can do it

[like2workout]

i bought an annual pass over the phone for the first time in march of this year. i checked in with no problem, and had no pass to show them. i can't remember if they gave me something to take to the park the next day, but i do know they told me to go to the booth at the parks where you actually buy a ticket, and that's where i got my annual pass and had it activated for the first time. it was a very smooth process and the girl at the hotel check-in and the guy at the park window were both very helpful and knowledgeable about what to do.

[Aggie97]

We have checked into our resort (with an AP discount on the room) with only our vouchers. :mickey:

[PetefromRI]

We've never been asked to show a voucher or AP when checking in.Don't even worry about it.

[DizneyRox]

Gusgus is the only correct answer... Disney policy is you MUST HAVE AN ACTIVATED PASS AT CHECK-IN. WIthout one, you may be declined the AP rate at which point you'r going to pay rack rate for the room. Rake rate is very high...

[TheRustyScupper]

1) The Policy Manual says AP in-hand (activated).
2) No-AP, No-discount.
3) However, sometimes, based upon the CM or manager
. . . they don't even ask
. . . they say a voucher is enough
. . . they allow promise to show an AP the next day

NOTE: The reason they do not want to accept a voucher is that there is no guarantee that you will activate it DURING THAT STAY. You may not do parks, or use an old ticket. That rips off WDW. This was a common occurrence.

[ibrowse17]

We stayed at the WL last week using an AP discount. They never asked to see my AP while checking in. When I asked if they needed to see it, the lady said no. The only time I had to show my AP was when I rented a Sea Racer:thumbsup:

[bmj721]

While I truly can appreciate the Disney policy of having the AP in hand at the time of check-in or no discount, I also have a problem with it due to the fact that after we're all bussed in with Magical Express and queued up for who knows how long for various things, then I have to leave all the family at the resort lobby and hop on a bus to DTD so I can stand in line again to activate my voucher, so that I can return to the resort by bus again to stand in line again to check in to our room, all the while my DH, 2 DS's and elderly mother-in-law are waiting in the lobby, because we don't have a room, because I don't have an activated AP. I think there are a few bugs that need to be tweaked. I, for one, plan to not do the above in 4 months. I was encouraged to read what you all had to say.
:mickey: