So you are considering an annual pass! Now what?
When I ran the numbers and discovered annual passes would easily save us over $1000, I was thrilled! I also had some serious questions. Those poor Disney cast members that answer the help line…I swear, they must have been placing bets on how many times I’d call in! Don’t be afraid to call several times to verify information- my first phone call, the cast member gave me some wrong info!
When does my pass period start? It doesn’t start until you take your certificate to Will Call at a Disney park, or to Guest Services at Disney Springs. If you activate your pass on May 19th, then guess what? You have until May 19th of the following year. For us out of staters, this works! I mean, I’m not driving to Orlando for giggles, the next time I go will be the start of our vacation! Just be sure not to activate your pass on May 19th if you don’t plan on actually entering a park until May 23rd, because you’ll be losing valuable days.
How can I book my fastpasses? Remember that wrong information I was given? I was told on my first call that I could not book fastpasses until I activated my Annual Passes. Drive to Orlando AND lose a month on my annual pass, just to book fastpasses? No. No Thanks. I also couldn’t stomach the thought of not being able to book until the first day of my vacation. I called back a different day to verify what I was told and this cast member said “Oh, no no no no! When are you planning on going? Let me take care of you!” Unfortunately, I wasn’t ready to get my passes then. So when I called back the THIRD time for this question, ready to buy, I again verified that I could book my fastpasses 30 days in advance. The castmember asked my dates and set me up in the system, so when my 30 days hit, I will be right there with everyone else, desperately fighting over 7 Dwarfs Mine Train and Flight of Passage!
I have a Disney Visa! Good for you. No seriously, there are some great perks. However, there are no discounts on passes or tickets. You could earn your 1% in points, but I had something better….
Can I pay for my annual pass with Disney Giftcards? YES! A thousand times yes. I used the Target trick to save 5% on my AP costs. Also, trust me- go ahead and combine all those cards before you use them. You can put up to $1000 on each card. When you call to get an Annual Pass, the agent you speak to can take up to two forms of payment before having to transfer you to a ticket specialist. If you are like me, you don’t want to be on the phone any longer than you have to be. Plus, hearing the shock and gratitude in someone’s voice when they realize you don’t have $1700 in $50 gift cards is well worth it.
Do I get magic bands? Yes! And no. Yes, you will get magic bands for no additional cost. However, you won’t get them until about two weeks after you activate your passes. So, if you are like me and are an out of state AP holder (and you don’t stay on property!), you’re out of luck for your first trip. However, you can always buy a band or use one from a previous trip.
Kristin says
This may be a stupid question but where/how do I activate my annual pass?