We purchased APs through Shades of Green a few months back. I was under the impression that they are "gate ready" meaning they would automatically activate when we tapped in to our first park. However, today I viewed the passes in the app and I'm getting a message that says "NOT VALID FOR ADMISSION - Must Show ID at Ticket Window Before Using". I would like to take care of this the day before our first park day at Disney Springs, but don't want the countdown to begin until the enter the park the following day. The reason is because I have a return trip booked for a year later on the back end of the AP and want the last day of our trip to be the day before expiration.
My question is, can I get the AP verified at DS the day before, without it counting as my first day of AP usage?