AP renewals?

[MissM]

So, our Florida Resident Annual Pass renewal is coming up August 11th. And obviously, this is the first renewal for us in the post RFID/MagicBand era so I'm wondering how it will work.

Will our existing cards and/or bands be updated (and continue to work) or do we need entirely new ones?

If we need new ones, and I renew online (rather than in the park) will they send me new RFID cards and/or bands? What about the Gold discount pass cards?

To add further confusion to the issue, we were part of the AP MagicBand test so we got them before the wide release. When they did the full AP release, they sent one for Love but not me. So he has two; one from the test and one from the formal AP rollout. I only have the test one. (Though we both have two RFID cards! LOL)

Just trying to figure out how it works these days and what to do if we wind up not going again before the renewal date. Will I have media to get in?

Thanks for any info!

 

[cw1982]

I'm not sure about the timing for getting new bands, etc, but in the meantime your band that you got during testing should work as long as it is linked to your MDE account, since any band linked to your account will work interchangeably.

 

[Sans Souci]

I renewed this morning, as mine expires on August 13. I got an "e-certificate" to print and bring to any ticket window, along with the credit card used to make the purchase and a valid driver's license. I am guessing that is where I will get my RFID card and the Gold card. I hope this helps you somewhat!

 

[lostpro9het]

Will our existing cards and/or bands be updated (and continue to work) or do we need entirely new ones?

When we renewed our regular AP last October all our existing bands we had linked continued to worked.

 

[MissM]

Good info, thanks guys!

 

[ToTBellHop]

Any tickets linked into your MDE account will work on any Magic Band you own.

 

[wdwmagic]

Yep the AP renewal is very nice now. No need to get any new media. Once you renew anything linked in your MDX account continues to become valid. No need to stop by at Guest Relations or pick anything up. The whole process can be done online.

 

[Sans Souci]

Yep the AP renewal is very nice now. No need to get any new media. Once you renew anything linked in your MDX account continues to become valid. No need to stop by at Guest Relations or pick anything up. The whole process can be done online.

Does the parking/discount card automatically update, too? I wish they would make this information readily known. Because when I renewed yesterday, they emailed me an e-certificate that instructed me to pick up my media at any ticket window with the e-cert, valid DL, and CC used to make the purchase.

 

[MissM]

Yep the AP renewal is very nice now. No need to get any new media. Once you renew anything linked in your MDX account continues to become valid. No need to stop by at Guest Relations or pick anything up. The whole process can be done online.

Wow, that IS easy. I saw the online renewal but I wasn't sure how to wrangle the multiple RFID cards/MagicBands we had with doing it that way but sounds super simple. Thanks!

 

[sjhym333]

I just renewed and got an e-ticket that I redeemed at the ticket booth. I got a new AP Card and then later in the day I got notification for a new MagicBand. The new ticket was automatically put on MDE and both MagicBands work.

 

[MissM]

I just renewed and got an e-ticket that I redeemed at the ticket booth. I got a new AP Card and then later in the day I got notification for a new MagicBand. The new ticket was automatically put on MDE and both MagicBands work.

LOL So you can continue to use your existing bands but they ALSO send new ones too? Alright, well I guess they want Passholders to have a wide collection of them just like people booking resort stays!

 

[Rob562]

LOL So you can continue to use your existing bands but they ALSO send new ones too? Alright, well I guess they want Passholders to have a wide collection of them just like people booking resort stays!

Well, the long-range system inside the Bands do have a shelf-life. I've heard the battery will last about 2-3 years before it stops working (and is non-replaceable), though anything you have to tap the Band to a reader (entrance gate, FP+, kiosk, etc) will continue to work indefinitely.

I've also heard that the more a Band is around the long-range readers and interacting with them, the faster the battery drains, so a frequent AP-holding Guest visiting the parks all the time might only get 1-2 years from the battery in their Band.

-Rob

 

[Biggen]

LOL So you can continue to use your existing bands but they ALSO send new ones too? Alright, well I guess they want Passholders to have a wide collection of them just like people booking resort stays!

And here is where the system is screwed up. New AP holders DO NOT get magic bands shipped to them until they activate the passes at the parks first. So basically your first trip to the parks will not include magic bands.

Disney has a bit of waste going on with magic bands. Resort guests and AP holders will also get two sets of magic bands. Seems a bit ridiculous to send out two sets of bands to certain individuals yet the bands can't purchased online for the average guest or even if an AP holder wants to buy them ahead of time for their first visit.