Is the Passholder Card Required For AP Discount?

cwis

DIS Veteran
Joined
Feb 3, 2016
Hello everyone,

My wife just upgraded her ticket to an AP. This is the first she is a WDW annual passholder, she's definitely excited about this!

Today at our resort, she went shopping, and decided it was time for ice creams. When checking out, the CM requested that she showed her plastic “annual passholder card”, because the entitlement in her MB was supposedly not enough to let her know she could have the AP discount. This is the first time she was asked for the passholder card, which she left in the room. My wife was puzzled because this was the first time ever such requirement were made to her: all the shops and restaurants were perfectly fine with scanning her MB (the only policy they enforced strictly was that they required her to show her ID). She had left the passholder card in the room and, fortunately for the ice cream, the CM made a “one-time exception”.

What's your experience with this? Should she always carry her annual passholder card with her at all times to benefit from the discounts? Or was the clerk uninformed about WDW policies?

What's weird about this is that, when she upgraded her ticket to an AP at a Guest Relations window, she was not given the passholder card. Later, she learnt those card existed, and she asked for one at the AP booth in DHS, because it made for a lovely memory. She never thought it could be of some use!
 
Always carry it. It is required for all discounts, plus your ID. It is your "discount" card. It is your only true ticket. If MDE is having issues or your MB malfunctions ... you have no way in to a park without it (I know from experience).

They should have given her an AP card and an AP Booklet that lists all her discounts.
 
From page 2 of AP Booklet

ANNUAL PASS CARD NEEDED TO RECEIVE BENEFITS


Photo from Inside the Magic of booklet and card.

12092290_10153036175880981_513258563_n-400x200.jpg


Digital copy of AP Booklet

http://secure.cdn1.wdpromedia.com/m...2017WDWPassholderBenefitsGuidebookDigital.pdf
 



Thanks for the link! She actually received the booklet though we failed to read the fine print that says that the annual card was needed to enjoy the benefits.

It's unfortunate the Guest Relations at AK did not gave her the passholder card at the first place, I'm sure they could have done it. It would have been a lot easier than to learn it the hard way!
 
Thanks for the link! She actually received the booklet though we failed to read the fine print that says that the annual card was needed to enjoy the benefits.

It's unfortunate the Guest Relations at AK did not gave her the passholder card at the first place, I'm sure they could have done it. It would have been a lot easier than to learn it the hard way!

Could have and should have ... that was a fail on their part.

I was asked for my AP card everytime I wanted to use my discount just last week. Sure she was actually getting an AP discount without the card?

Have always been asked for it and my ID. Last trip was first time MB worked for parking, previously I was asked for the card and ID.
 
I was asked for my AP card everytime I wanted to use my discount just last week. Sure she was actually getting an AP discount without the card?

Yes she was given the discount. We've been dining at the Garden Grills, Tiffin's and the Mara, and some shopping before that at the AKL resort shop. I'm sure there was a discount because my wife kept the receipt, and we have a joke that we need to make enough spending to cover the AP upgrade cost. ;-)
 


What's your experience with this? Should she always carry her annual passholder card with her at all times to benefit from the discounts? Or was the clerk uninformed about WDW policies?
We have always had to show our AP and a photo ID when using the AP discount. I can't understand why guest relations is always surprised when you ask for the card. It should be automatically given to people who get an AP.
 
Thanks for all your feedback.

We just made some shopping in the AKL shop in Jambo. The cast barely looked the Annual Passholder card and applied the discount without checking anything nor requesting an ID.

I assume this is one more area of “the only consistent thing to expect at Disney's is the inconsistency.”
 
Thanks for all your feedback.

We just made some shopping in the AKL shop in Jambo. The cast barely looked the Annual Passholder card and applied the discount without checking anything nor requesting an ID.

I assume this is one more area of “the only consistent thing to expect at Disney's is the inconsistency.”
Yes-very similar to the Resort Check at attractions during PM EMH-all depends on how conscientious the CM is..
 
I have always been asked for my card, never has a CM said that my MB was sufficient.
 
As above, always asked for the card AND the ID to check the name... although the name on the back of my AP is written on in Sharpie and its only my first name so it wouldn't be difficult to counterfeit. I'd prefer it to be linked to a MB with a photo for them to check, just like a DAS if they needed to.

With the additional discount this summer we saved an absolute fortune over a 2 week trip! So glad we get Florida Resident discount and monthly payment plans for the family's AP's!
 
This is the first time she was asked for the passholder card, which she left in the room.

It's unfortunate the Guest Relations at AK did not gave her the passholder card at the first place, I'm sure they could have done it.

These two things don't make sense together. Sounds like she did have it but didn't bring it.
 
We have always been asked for our card, and ID when asking about or using the AP discounts.
 
These two things don't make sense together. Sounds like she did have it but didn't bring it.

Sorry if I did not made myself clear. When she upgraded to an AP, she was not given the passholder card (and didn't even know there was a card, since it would have made sense for the MB to carry all the information needed).

Later, she found out (on the internet) that such card existed, and asked for one (at an AP booth in HS). All along, we've made shopping and dining, without anyone requesting the passholder card.

Yesterday, we were hanging at the pool. Since she was never asked for the passholder card, she did not carry it with her when she went to the resort shop; this was the first time she was asked for it to have a discount.

I posted my question on this board after that: we wondered if this cast member was over-zealous, or if it was standard WDW policy (which turns out it was; we should not have been able to get so many AP discounts without showing the card).
 
Last year when we activated our AP's, DH was given a Passholder card, but my card was not a passholder card. I didn't notice it until later in the day. I just made sure that DH was with me whenever I wanted to get an AP discount, so he could make the purchase. This year when we got our AP's I made sure we both got Passholder cards.

Sometimes we are asked for it, sometimes not. As a pp said, at Disney, they are consistently inconsistent.
 
Interesting - I've ALWAYS been asked for my AP discount card and ID when making a purchase.

Not only that but one occasion where I was actually checking out and my DD (a teen at the time) added a few more cash area items (silly little things) to my purchase pile at the last minute and the CM wouldn't let me process them until she saw that my DD had an AP as well. <Insert eye roll here>
 
Last year when we activated our AP's, DH was given a Passholder card, but my card was not a passholder card. I didn't notice it until later in the day. I just made sure that DH was with me whenever I wanted to get an AP discount, so he could make the purchase. This year when we got our AP's I made sure we both got Passholder cards.

Sometimes we are asked for it, sometimes not. As a pp said, at Disney, they are consistently inconsistent.

Just so you know, you can always request the passholder card later. I know for sure the AP booth inside the parks gives them (you have to show your ID and MagicBand), and I'm pretty sure Guest Relations is also able to do it.

Interesting - I've ALWAYS been asked for my AP discount card and ID when making a purchase.

Not only that but one occasion where I was actually checking out and my DD (a teen at the time) added a few more cash area items (silly little things) to my purchase pile at the last minute and the CM wouldn't let me process them until she saw that my DD had an AP as well. <Insert eye roll here>

That's so un-professionnal and un-Disney. I assume you were going to pay for all the purchases, why bother ask your DD? Nowhere does it says all the party needs to have an AP to have the benefits. What if, for whatever reasons, she wanted an AP but you could not afford it?
 
Interesting - I've ALWAYS been asked for my AP discount card and ID when making a purchase.

Not only that but one occasion where I was actually checking out and my DD (a teen at the time) added a few more cash area items (silly little things) to my purchase pile at the last minute and the CM wouldn't let me process them until she saw that my DD had an AP as well. <Insert eye roll here>
Ridiculous and I would have complained to a manager.

We always carry the card as we have been asked several times to show it when making purchases with the discount.
 

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