Annual Pass and Travel Agents

[WDW_Emily]

I am thinking about getting an annual pass because I will be going to Flordia 3-4 times this upcoming year (February, April, June, and possibly October). I am currently booked for the princess weekend through a travel agent who informed me that he cannot applied any discounts on the Disney website because we are booked through Run Disney. With that being said I have a couple of questions before i purchase my Annual Pass.

1. The pass does not activate until I use it in the park correct? If I bought it now and didn't use it until February, I would have 12 months after February?
2. Would there be any way my TA could add AP discounts? If not, would it be better to just update my 5 day hopper to an AP the day I arrive? What are the pros and cons?
3. There is no payment plan or discounts on an AP for non-florida residents correct?

 

[Tuvalu]

1. Yes, a new AP becomes “active” the first time it is used to enter a park. It is valid for 365 days after first use. If an AP is renewed, the original activation date remains the same.

2. Add AP discounts to what? Your room? No. You have already received the RunDisney discount on your current package and no other discount is allowed. Additionally, an AP discount on a room is not a blanket discount...it is a separate booking category and not all rooms are eligible. Since you already have tickets as part of your package, it makes sense financially to upgrade to an AP the day you arrive, as you can apply the 5 day hopper towards the cost of the AP.

3. Correct, there is no payment plan for non-FL resident APs. Or discount.

 

[Monty]

To be very clear: If you purchase an AP on-line, you do not actually receive an AP. You receive a voucher which can be redeemed for an AP on arrival at the parks or at GR. So, your AP is active from the day you exchange your voucher for it. If you exchange at GR and then don't use it to enter the parks, it still expires on the anniversary date of the date you activated it, NOT first use.

"First use" only applies to Magic Your Way park tickets, which expire 14 days after first being used to enter a park. People often confuse the difference between the two.

 

[Phonedave]

3. Correct, there is no payment plan for non-FL resident APs. Or discount.

DVC discount, but then I doubt the OP is DVC if they are looking for discounts on a cash room.

-dave

 

[Tuvalu]

DVC discount, but then I doubt the OP is DVC if they are looking for discounts on a cash room.

-dave

Forgot about DVC, thanks for the reminder.

 

[WDW_Emily]

DVC discount, but then I doubt the OP is DVC if they are looking for discounts on a cash room.

-dave

Not DVC Just a teacher from Massachusetts trying to get the most for my money

 

[Phonedave]

Not DVC Just a teacher from Massachusetts trying to get the most for my money

Just to clarify, I didn't mean that as "someone trying to save money clealy cannot afford DVC" - but re-reading it, i can see how it could come off that way.

What I meant was, if somebody is looking at cash rooms, they they most likely do now have DVC, becuase if they did they would be using their points, not cash, for rooms.

As a teacher, look into if your union membership allows you to buy at a dicounter such as Tickets At Work. I know the NJ teachers union (NJEA) has a bunch of dicounts for its members (my wife is a teacher too). Most of the time you cannot get an AP though a discounter, but somtimes the discounts on regular admission may make it cheaper than an AP.



-dave

 

[DisneyJoe]

FYI, if you have an AP and an AP discount is available for your travel dates, a travel agent can book it for you. Discounts cannot be combined though.