? On Annual Passes

[Poohbear88]

What type of benefits do you get if you purchase annual passes? Discounts?

Also If I buy passes today and I don't use until summer are they affect of day of purchase or first day you use them?

Thanks for the info

[Fangorn]

Annual Pass discounts vary from year to year. When you purchase one, you'll get a booklet with all the then current discounts. Typically, the AP will get you a 10% discount on merchandise and at some restaurants. Some places have very specific restrictions and times. Frequently, there will be AP discounts for resort rooms. Those also vary by time, and by resort. You also get free parking at the Parks. At least for now.

As for when the clock starts ticking, that is when the AP is "activated", not when you purchase it. It used to be the first day you used it, but I discovered in December that the clock now starts when you activate the pass, not when you use it for the first time. Since you can only activate a pass while on Disney property, this generally isn't a big deal, but it could be. In our case we "lost" 1 day use on our passes because we activated them at Disney Springs the evening we arrived, but didn't actually use them until the next day. The CM went out of her way to make sure I knew that would happen.

Steve

[faline]

If you purchase annual passes to activate at some future date, be sure to ask when the vouchers you purchase will expire. The last time we purchased vouchers they did have an expiration date on them - the date was quite some time in the future but you never know when Disney will change things again!!

[Basket Mommy]

One of the newest perks with APs is the inclusion of Photopass pictures. I only know that because I called Sunday to order my husband a Gold Pass. Reading the description online made me think that with the new APs we wouldn't need to buy Memory Maker. I asked the Cast Member if that was the case and he confirmed that with new APs you get all your pictures and they do not expire for 365 days vs. the 14 days like Memory Maker. So that's a HUGE value.

[ThanxForNoticin]

Annual Pass discounts vary from year to year. When you purchase one, you'll get a booklet with all the then current discounts. Typically, the AP will get you a 10% discount on merchandise and at some restaurants. Some places have very specific restrictions and times. Frequently, there will be AP discounts for resort rooms. Those also vary by time, and by resort. You also get free parking at the Parks. At least for now.
Steve

I have a question about the free parking with the AP. If you want to drive to one of the parks, but won't have the pass activated for the first time until you get to guest relations for that park, how do you prove you have it for free parking? Or do you not get free parking if it's not activated?

[Fangorn]

Once you activate the pass, it'll have your name and the dates the pass is valid printed on the back. If the pass is not active, you don't get free parking. However, I'm pretty sure that you can pay for parking, go activate your pass at the gate and then go to Guest Services at that park, show them your parking receipt and AP and they'll refund the parking fee. At least that's what they used to do.

Steve

[Butters]

I feel like I should know this but we will be going in August and it will be our first non-DVC reservation in a while. If I order my AP in the next few months will I be eligible to book an AP discount room for my trip? I won't be in FL until the trip so I won't be able to activate my pass.

[Basket Mommy]

You should be able to do that. I know you have to show the pass at check-in to prove you have one, but I'm not sure if the voucher number will work for check-in or not. You won't get a hard plastic AP until it's activated in a park.

[DizneyRox]

A few years back, they made a push to validate an ACTIVE annual pass at check-in. Not sure if that's still a priority. Disney is very big on making sure people are eligible for any discounts offered.

[Cass&KenziesMom]

Try showing them your voucher card for parking if you will activate at a park. (We did.) You may luck out like we did. All we did was show them that we had vouchers for APs and they let us through without paying the parking fee.