Announcing the Return of WDW Annual Passes for DVC Members!

Out of curiosity, I checked the queue this morning. It's less than a minute and the Incredi-Pass is still available. 

If Disney would just let people buy passes like they used to this whole mess could have been avoided. Limited quantities available, going fast, might sell out at any moment! just creates a rush. The demand was there. They didn't need to try to inflate it. *Sigh* Why can't they just go back to how things were before Covid? haha

So I just got this email about the newly purchased AP:



No where does it say to validate the AP at guest relations. Hmmm.

I can just imagine scanning my band to get in, and the castmember saying "ok, you're in the queue to validate your AP.  Please stand over here while you wait."

I was able to make park reservations on MDE. It shows up the same as when I have purchased tickets in the past. Why would there be a problem? I am a first time passholder. Did they require a trip to Guest Services in the past?

I am also confused, for a different reason.

Background: I am a first-time passholder (i.e., Incredi-Pass, like the squirrel above). I have already made our normal Christmas DVC reservation, beginning in 2023 and ending in 2024. I have no park reservations, no current park tickets beyond the passes, and no other DVC reservations.

I have received two e-mails. The first, from Walt Disney World Reservations, is headed "Walt Disney World Vacation Confirmation! (#------------)." The message included the statement; "Once you receive your pass certificate, you must exchange it for a valid pass prior to first use at one of the following locations: any Walt Disney World theme park or water park ticket window, or any Guest Relations location. You will need to show a valid photo ID to pick up your pass."

The second e-mail was from Disney Destinations. It was headed "Passholder fun, benefits and magic!" A much friendlier communication, it started "Welcome to Passholder Magic" and provided links to "Benefits", "Perks", "The Park Holder Buzz", and "Park Reservations," Where things got weird was that the top of each page so linked began:

"Welcome, [my name]
"Disney Incredi-Pass

"Expires December 31, 2024

"View Passes of Family & Friends (1)"

My name and the existence of DW's additional pass were correct, but:

1. Why in e-mail #2 was there no mention of the "pass certificate"?
2. Where did the expiration date come from, absent any post-purchase park action on my part?
3. May we elect to use the passes in 2023?
4. Will the expiration date be set earlier if we want to use the passes in 2023 (e.g., when we start our Christmas DVC trip)?
5. Must I still go through the rigamarole with the pass certificate and the trip to a park ticket window or guest relations?

My (uninformed) guesses:

1. "Garsh, Mickey..."
2. "Garsh, Mickey..."
3. Yes
4. Yes
5. Yes

In any event, I am glad to get the passes, and I found the embedded information on a 30% discount on selected dates for Halcyon packages interesting.

So far, all of my Florida resident media (AP or otherwise) has had to be activated in person at a ticket counter (or alternative such as GR in DS).

I can’t help with most of your questions, but as to #2, I think that the annual pass must be used for the first time before the stated expiration date.  So if your plans change and you don’t go to WDW until 2025, you no longer have an annual pass.  Instead, you have  credit towards a ticket purchase equal to the value you paid Disney here in 2023.  This is to stop you from buying 25 passes in 2023 and then using them over the next 25 years to avoid future rate increases.

We are going in early June, sandwiching a Carnival cruise.   We weren't planning to go to the parks, but we might now!