Hi Bill!
Welcome to planDisney. I'm so glad you stopped by with this question! I'm also thrilled to hear you're considering joining the Annual Passholder family. I'm in my second year as a Passholder, and I've loved being able to visit the parks more frequently while enjoying some
great discounts on dining and merchandise.
As you know,
theme park reservations are still required for Annual Passholders on most days. Once you purchase your
Disney Incred-Pass and confirm that it's linked to your My Disney Experience Account, you'll have instant access to begin making theme park reservations. I did just that before my activation date last year, and again when I renewed my pass this spring. I had a June family trip planned so I secured the necessary theme park reservations in early April, even though my renewed pass wouldn't be active until the end of May.
Advance dining reservations can be made 60 days prior, and only require eligible admission or theme park reservations for in-park dining. If you are staying off-site you can make dining reservations day by day as you reach 60 days out. If you have a Disney Resorts Collection hotel reservation, you can book dining for your length of stay, up to 10 days, at the 60-day mark. Keep in mind that if you book a
discounted resort stay using an eligible Annual Passholder special offer, you will need to activate your pass before you check in. You can do this at the main entrance of any of the theme parks or at the Disney Ticket Center at Disney Springs before visiting the resort's front desk.
The last piece of the puzzle is your
Lightning Lane passes. If your first visit will be on or after July 24, 2024, you can purchase Lightning Lane Multi Pass or Lightning Lane Single Pass for each day you have a theme park reservation. Prior to that date, Disney Genie+ Service will continue to be available for purchase at midnight on the day of your visit/theme park reservation, subject to availability.
Disney Resorts Collection hotel guests can begin purchasing Lightning Lane Multi or Single Pass 7 days before their check-in date while off-site guests can plan 3 days ahead of their ticket/theme park reservation. Keep in mind that pre-planning will not be active before the official launch date. As an Annual Passholder, you'll need to purchase selections each day as you reach the 3-day advance window. If you have an eligible resort stay you can plan for your length of stay (up to 14 days).
Though we haven't seen this new system in action just yet, I reached out to a Cast Member who confirmed that your theme park reservation and linked Annual Pass will give you the ability to purchase and pre-plan for eligible visits when the system launches. Just note that these purchases are non-refundable, but you should be able to modify your selections, subject to availability. To ensure a smooth process be sure your Annual Pass and any resort reservations are properly linked to your
My Disney Experience Account before purchasing.
I hope this helped, Bill. Come back and see us again soon!
Magic and memories,
Amy