Welcome to the Disney Parks Moms Panel, Amy! I’ve been an Annual Passholder for two years now, I don’t think I will ever be able to give it up! The discounts on food, merchandise, experiences and more make my Park Hopping ability 365 days a year look like a steal!
You can
purchase your Annual Pass online through your My Disney Experience account at any time. After that, you should see it (UN-activated) in your tickets section. You will be able to glean the Annual Passholder discount on room reservations (when applicable) before activation, but you’ll need to stop by a Walt Disney World Resort ticket window to have it activated so you may show it to a Cast Member upon check-in. You'll be able to activate the pass in 2019 with no problem. Since you made your room reservation before purchasing your pass, have your room confirmation number handy after you purchase your AP and alter your reservation to apply
special offers for AP holders. As for the other merchandise and reservation discounts, I recommend you make reservations as you normally would, and immediately after activating the pass in person, call up the corresponding reservation phone numbers and have your discounts applied. For pay-in-advance options like
Mickey’s Backyard BBQ, you’ll be able to retroactively get a refund on a portion of the price due to your AP standing.
Otherwise, try to save up your Disney shopping wishlist until after you have activated your pass in person. That will be when all the discount fun begins. If I can help you understand more about the amazing benefits from an Annual Pass, please let me know. You’ve got a friend in me! ~ Lindsey P.