First Time Annual Pass Purchase

[choirboy501]

Hey folks, I'd like to ask a few questions about purchasing a Disneyland Annual Pass.

I'm currently planning two trips to Disneyland in the next 18 months - one for 4-5 days in October 2018, and for several days before and after 2019 D23 Expo during August 2019, as well as evenings during the Expo. I figure this is enough days to make it worth purchasing an Annual Pass for the first time ever.

My understanding is that an AP is not activated until its first use at the parks, regardless of purchase date. So, I should be able to buy an AP now at its current price, and activate it during my visit in October. I'm sure this would prevent me from using any AP discounts, like for discounted MNSSHP advance tickets at the AP holder price.

I suppose my main question is - is an increase in ticket and AP prices expected between now and October? I know there was one in February, will there be another? When would it be expected? And, am I correct in my belief that if I purchase an AP at its current price, I'm locked in regardless of activation date during the year? I won't be charged an upcharge at activation if the price changes? And, the dates of the pass are one calendar year, so activation in October would cover park visits for 12 months from date of activation (October 2019)?

Thanks for your help!

 

[Deadp00l]

That is correct; if you are buying an AP Voucher online or at a Disney Store, then it will not be activated until you walk through the gates (must switch out the vouchers for the actual Annual Pass first at the ticket booth beforehand though). Now buying the AP at the ticket booth, I am not sure as I never did that before.

I doubt there will be another increase from now until October, that would be outrageous... but hey, it's Disney so who knows.

You are locked in at its current price, no surprise up charge at activation, but make sure of the expiration date at the bottom to activate the pass!

Activation in October 2018 would cover your D23 Expo days in August 2019 (not sure if there's that promo still going where you get 13 months after activation... so potentially November 2019).

Where do you plan on buying your AP and what kind?

 

[msteddom]

There very well could be a price increase between now and October. Disney has already announced that they are planning a restructuring (my word, not their’s) of the AP program. One can only assume that this is in anticipation of Star Wars Land. I wouldn’t be surprised in the slightest if there was a price increase along with the changes.

 

[longtimedisneylurker]

There very well could be a price increase between now and October. Disney has already announced that they are planning a restructuring (my word, not their’s) of the AP program. One can only assume that this is in anticipation of Star Wars Land. I wouldn’t be surprised in the slightest if there was a price increase along with the changes.

Agreed. Also, they have done two price increases in the same calendar year before. I believe 2015 was the last time.

The annual pass is not active until use. The voucher does have an expiration date; I have heard that the current expiration date is 12/31/2018, so an October visit will work fine for you. The value paid doesn't expire but if you try to activate after the expiration date you will have to pay any price increase since the purchase of the voucher.

You don't actually have to turn in the voucher at the ticket booth before entering the park. You can go straight to the gate with a voucher that was purchased online. You will have to visit the ticket booth before the end of the day to complete the annual pass processing though since at the gate you will only receive a day ticket for immediate use.

You can't get discounts on pre-paid items like Halloween party tickets, but you can usually book annual pass hotel rates without an active pass. I think you just need to have the pass in hand at check-in.

 

[tarheelalum]

I think it's very possible there will be another AP price increase this year. But if you follow this and other forums you will know a few days before the price inciease takes effect. So you'll be able to buy your passes online at the current price. If it does happen that will likely be just before the time Star Wars opens the following year. You have 1 year from the date of purchase to activate your annual pass.

 

[longtimedisneylurker]

You have 1 year from the date of purchase to activate your annual pass.

I have been trying to figure out if this is true. I was told by an AP phone line CM last week that if I were to purchase my annual pass voucher that day, it will expire on 12/31/2018 which obviously isn't a full year from date of purchase. 1 year from the date of purchase would be much more useful to me.

 

[agamble]

Last year the Halloween Party had very few discounts for APs. I wouldn't put off buying a ticket at today's price and structure to possibly save a few dollars on a Halloween ticket. It is possible that by October the Deluxe AP as we know it will no longer be offered, and that its replacement will be even more expensive. If you know you are going, buy your tickets as soon as you can.

 

[cruisehopeful]

I suppose my main question is - is an increase in ticket and AP prices expected between now and October? I know there was one in February, will there be another?

No expected increase, but they did post that they would restructure the APs. I read that to mean they will change them and if you don't buy what you want now, it may not be there when you do want to buy it.

And, am I correct in my belief that if I purchase an AP at its current price, I'm locked in regardless of activation date during the year?

Yes. Print out a copy of your voucher, though. I purchased one before the system lost my info. It said they could find it by my ID and credit card at the main ticket booth. I had a copy of the voucher, too, so that is what I used.

And, the dates of the pass are one calendar year, so activation in October would cover park visits for 12 months from date of activation (October 2019)?

That is how it worked for me.

 

[DizneyMommy]

Prices have been raised twice in one year in the past, it is not unusual. I believe the second increase was August the last time it happened. My pass expires in August and I got caught in it, I remember being so annoyed because I waited when I could have done it the week before while I was there. I started renewing right on my 40 days after that.

Did a little googling... 2015, 2012, 2010, 2004 all had 2 increases. One around Jan and one around Jun/Aug/Octover

 

[starry_solo]

I have been trying to figure out if this is true. I was told by an AP phone line CM last week that if I were to purchase my annual pass voucher that day, it will expire on 12/31/2018 which obviously isn't a full year from date of purchase. 1 year from the date of purchase would be much more useful to me.

The voucher itself will expire but the value of it won't . So if on 1/1/19, Disney raises the prices of APs, you'll get the value of the voucher and pay the difference.

 

[longtimedisneylurker]

The voucher itself will expire but the value of it won't . So if on 1/1/19, Disney raises the prices of APs, you'll get the value of the voucher and pay the difference.

Yes, I understand that part. I was just questioning the previous poster's comment that if I was to for example buy my AP voucher today the voucher expiration would be 4/18/19 instead of 12/31/18. I would love if it were true because I would rather activate sometime in January 2019 than by 12/31/18, but that's not the info I got from the CM I spoke to unfortunately. While the value paid would still be available as a credit, if there were price increases or even an elimination of the type of pass purchased then there would be no benefit to purchasing an AP voucher ahead because it won't lock in any benefits, i.e. price or pass type.

 

[tarheelalum]

Yes, I understand that part. I was just questioning the previous poster's comment that if I was to for example buy my AP voucher today the voucher expiration would be 4/18/19 instead of 12/31/18. I would love if it were true because I would rather activate sometime in January 2019 than by 12/31/18, but that's not the info I got from the CM I spoke to unfortunately. While the value paid would still be available as a credit, if there were price increases or even an elimination of the type of pass purchased then there would be no benefit to purchasing an AP voucher ahead because it won't lock in any benefits, i.e. price or pass type.

It sounds like you got the exact opposite answer I received from Disney. Unfortunately this is all too common with Disney customer service. And come to think about it in the event their is a problem when I try to redeem the passes in the future, I have no documentation to support my claim that Disney's CS misinformed me. I think I'm going to email Disney customer service and ask them. That way the answer I get is on paper and if something adverse comes up when I try to redeem the vouchers, I have some documents to show to support what I've been told.

We should both email them and then compare what we get. I'll email them later today and let you know as soon as I get something.

 

[longtimedisneylurker]

It sounds like you got the exact opposite answer I received from Disney. Unfortunately this is all too common with Disney customer service. And come to think about it in the event their is a problem when I try to redeem the passes in the future, I have no documentation to support my claim that Disney's CS misinformed me. I think I'm going to email Disney customer service and ask them. That way the answer I get is on paper and if something adverse comes up when I try to redeem the vouchers, I have some documents to show to support what I've been told.

We should both email them and then compare what we get. I'll email them later today and let you know as soon as I get something.

Yeah, I tried that one already. I received an e-mail back thanking me for my interest in AP ticketing options and directing me to call the AP phone line (which I had already done) or use online chat (which has not been working any of the times I have checked over the last couple of weeks) if I want answers to such specific questions. I will be interested to hear if you get a more useful response. I'm definitely aware of the inconsistency of answers from Disney customer service hence my curiosity expressed on these boards if anyone has an AP voucher in hand with an expiration date so I could get a definitive report since the expiration date will be included on the voucher.

To be complete, the answer I got back during the phone call was that the voucher "has to be used by the end of the year" and I asked for clarification specifically questioning if she meant 2018 and pointing out tickets currently have a date of 12/31/2019, and the CM said APs are different and repeated that they needed to be redeemed by the end of this year. Now it could be the voucher has to be used within one year as in 365 calendar days and that CM is not understanding or explaining clearly or I'm misinterpreting, but it seemed like the same answer to me even when I asked for clarification.

 

[agamble]

An AP is good for 365 days from the day you activate it. The vouchers are not APs and are good until 12/31/18. That means you can activate them any day between the day you buy it and 12/31/18. After that the voucher expires. Disney honors the value of the old voucher though, but they do not have to honor the AP itself. So if you buy the voucher for the current $729 but don't activate it until April you will have a prepaid ticket value of $729 that you can exchange at a ticket booth for that much money in ticket value. You will not necessarily get the Deluxe AP though. If they get rid of it altogether you would be out of luck because you chose not to activate the ticket, so you would only get the value. They may discontinue the current AP names and rename them so as to rework how the AP system works in the future. The other thing we don't know about the AP changes is how it will affect blockouts. You want to go during D23. What if the new passes are blocked during those days?

 

[tarheelalum]

Yeah, I tried that one already. I received an e-mail back thanking me for my interest in AP ticketing options and directing me to call the AP phone line (which I had already done) or use online chat (which has not been working any of the times I have checked over the last couple of weeks) if I want answers to such specific questions. I will be interested to hear if you get a more useful response. I'm definitely aware of the inconsistency of answers from Disney customer service hence my curiosity expressed on these boards if anyone has an AP voucher in hand with an expiration date so I could get a definitive report since the expiration date will be included on the voucher.

To be complete, the answer I got back during the phone call was that the voucher "has to be used by the end of the year" and I asked for clarification specifically questioning if she meant 2018 and pointing out tickets currently have a date of 12/31/2019, and the CM said APs are different and repeated that they needed to be redeemed by the end of this year. Now it could be the voucher has to be used within one year as in 365 calendar days and that CM is not understanding or explaining clearly or I'm misinterpreting, but it seemed like the same answer to me even when I asked for clarification.

I must say that is surprising that they wouldn't give you a straight answer in email. You know they know the answer so I have to say that is pretty sketchy on Disney's part and it sounds like they don't want to be pinned down. They told me the exact opposite when I posed them the same question eariler this year. I'll email them and see if I can wrestle an answer out of them without having to call.

 

[longtimedisneylurker]

I must say that is surprising that they wouldn't give you a straight answer in email. You know they know the answer so I have to say that is pretty sketchy on Disney's part and it sounds like they don't want to be pinned down. They told me the exact opposite when I posed them the same question eariler this year. I'll email them and see if I can wrestle an answer out of them without having to call.

I'm much more surprised they would tell you one year from date of purchase for a voucher expiration. I think maybe whoever it was thought they were answering the question how long is the pass good once redeemed. The expiration on the vouchers is usually 12/31/something. Tickets are all the way out to 12/31/2019 for expiration right now. It's too good to hope that AP vouchers would be out that far what with all the changes expected soon so I suppose it was just wishful thinking on my part. I figured it wouldn't hurt to check. It probably won't roll over to a later expiration date until after the next round of AP changes.

 

[tarheelalum]

No they knew exactly what I was asking. They said I could buy the voucher online that day and then wait 12 months to redeem the voucher for the pass, if that particular pass was still available, and that pass would be good for 1 year from the date of redemption. They may have been inaccurate as to their answer but understood what I was asking completely.

 

[OctoberDisney]

Can I ask a similar question?

If I purchase the voucher now for a Deluxe AP and the AP program gets restructured between now and our trip (June), would I be able to downgrade passes if there was one that still worked for our upcoming trips but actually costs less?

I hope that makes sense.

Thanks

 

[longtimedisneylurker]

Can I ask a similar question?

If I purchase the voucher now for a Deluxe AP and the AP program gets restructured between now and our trip (June), would I be able to downgrade passes if there was one that still worked for our upcoming trips but actually costs less?

I hope that makes sense.

Thanks

No. You can't downgrade to something that costs less. Fwiw, I sincerely doubt that your scenario would happen; my expectation is that prices will stay fixed or go up but benefits will decrease.

 

[Ryan120420]

Annual Pass vouchers purchased online are valid for redemption for 365 days from the date of purchase and once redeemed the Annual Pass will be valid for 365 days from date of redemption.


Disney stopped the fixed date expiration dates on Annual Pass vouchers back in 2016.



I purchased an Annual Pass voucher back on 1/20/2018 and it said I had until 1/20/2019 to make my first visit.