Question about Anakeesta Annual Pass Buddy

Going to Gatlinburg for a week with the family in about a month and was looking into our options for visiting Anakeesta. It looks like the annual pass is about the same price as two one-day tickets. I saw on their website that you can get a free buddy pass too but it is not valid on your first visit. So my question is, could I purchase an annual pass for myself and go up by myself on say, Monday, and then use my buddy pass the next day to bring another family member?

Has anyone tried this successfully? If not, does anyone have any money-savings tips for visiting?