Disney is adding new requirements for guests to prove they are Annual Passholders in order to receive dining discounts.
One of the perks offered for Annual Passholders is a dining discount (available at specific locations). Soon, dining guests will be required to show proof of their pass validity via the My Disney Experience app. This new process may end up being necessary for Passholder discounts on merchandise as well.
Our sources said the reason for the change is that expiration dates are no longer printed on the physical Annual Passholder cards.
We’ll post more updates on this change for Annual Passholders as we receive further information.
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This has already been rolled out to DVC members at the first of the year. The affiliation is shown via MagicMobile cards added to Apple Wallet and Android Pay.
It wasn’t really “rolled out”, there are no more physical cards for DVC.
I have zero issues with this. They were doing this at various locations when my family and I were there in April.
Went though that this year already with DVC discounts. Adding to the wallet on phone made it easier to show.
I have been a passholder since 2017. It has never been automatically printed on my cards. The cast members at the Epcot ticket windows just write it on the card with a permanent marker. I then get them or a cast member at my hotel to put a piece of tape over the date to prevent it from being rubbed off.
I’ve been asked to show my AP via the app for dining & shopping discounts regularly for the past few months.
This happened to us a few weeks ago at Sanaa. Our server requested that we show our Annual Pass in MDE and said it was a new policy. Since then, we have used our discount at plenty of table service restaurants and shops and not been asked again to show the app.
With all the money they charge for this upgrade the computers to recognize the validity. They do on the dang reservation services we have to use now.
about 50% of cast members were asking for the my Disney app validation for Annual Pass and DVC discounts last time I was at WDW at the end of April’22. I don’t recall them asking when I was there in Jan’22, but it’s already a thing as of last month, especially for sit down dining discounts. Note you can also show your AP/DVC status on your phone by going to your wallet, selecting your pass, then selecting the three dots at the top right, scroll down to your name, affiliation (DVC, AP listed here) and a QR code which is linked to your pass ID. I don’t remember if any of the cast members scanned the QR code, mostly they just wanted to see your Name and Affiliation.
Already had this happen at Karamell-Küche a couple of weeks ago. I had my passholder card and my phone was almost dead, but the cast member at the register insisted that I couldn’t get the discount unless I powered up my phone and showed him my expiration date in the app. No scanning or swiping the card, no scanning my Magic Band. It was really jarring.
Dumb question here, and maybe I’m just using logic, but these AP cards are RF cards, like Magic Bands. The restaurants all have the handheld devices that read said cards and bands when you bill to the resort. So why can’t these devices read the band/card for the guest’s membership validity? We know the hand devices can read bands/cards for resort validity for extended evening hours. Is it a case that the device’s software in restaurant just can’t call up the AP credentials? If so, sounds like a programming problem to me, and one that’s solvable on Disney’s end.
I can verify this as I was required to do it last week when I was down there.
Been this way for DVC as well since Jan 1.
Yes, that was previously reported as they did away with physical cards.
This mobile app proof has been in place for at LEAST 2 months now. This is not new. You normally are asked for purchases, Dining is a purchase.
Slow news day.
I have never been asked to show the app, neither have our reporters who shop and dine in the parks seven days a week.
tables in wonderland was great. then came chapek and his gang. but hey, when all you do is count beans, then what does a “guest/customer” really mean to you? making their own kind of magical hell where you must have your head glued to your phone like at work while on supposed vacation.