RFID NEWS...I Trust You More Than Disney...

[Peepster]

I just got off the phone with a CM at Disney concerning tickets for our "rent-a-child" on our October trip.

We are AP holders and DVC'ers and will be ordering an 8 day ticket for her.

We want to have our AP's switched to RFID but we were just there and had them activated and we were not going to fly down from the Midwest just to switch to RFID prior to our Oct. trip.

We were told the short switchover period is for FL residents only. Is this what you folks are hearing? I was told they would switch ours to RFID whenever we got there in October.

I asked "What about our "rent-a-child"? Will she have an RFID ticket also or will we have to go in a regular entrance with her. (And the one good thing about RFID, IMHO, is that she's counting on Snow White "remembering" her...which RFID certainly would "help") The CM went away for a moment and came back and said she would no longer have a paper ticket, it would be hard plastic and equipped with RFID.

So, has anyone here heard that, too? Or has my chain been yanked once again?

Any input would be greatly appreciated. These boards and you people are the very best, indeed! Just like everyone else here we're trying very hard to make this a very special trip for a very special little girl!

Thanks.
Auntie Peep

 

[jackieinJuneau]

I am also going in Oct, but am not an annual pass holder. I bought 10 passes for my husband and myself and what we got in the mail was a platic card with a charactor on it that has an RFID in it. It's my understanding that they are going to convert all other ticket media to the RFID. So if you have paper tickets I think they would be swapped just like your AP's. We are staying on sight and I have my fiingers crossed that by Oct the system will be working with the Magic Bands and the new fasspass system but we'll see. We are staying on rented DVC points and its my understanding that the card I have will be rolled into my key to the world card or magic band so I will only have one type of ticket.

 

[Colleen27]

I haven't heard anything about the switchover being limited to FL residents, and usually my sources (nothing insider, just a couple of Disney-specialist TA friends) would give me a heads up on something like that. Everything I've heard and read is that the switchover at the Odyssey building is for all AP holders, to ease the burden on guest services during the period in which they expect a high volume of those transactions. AP holders who don't visit during the roll-out period will be able to accomplish the same thing at guest services, but the anticipation is that demand would be overwhelming if only guest services were handling the change from the start.

And yes, any ticket you buy now (from Disney, not sure if this applies to third-party sellers like Undercover Tourist yet as they might have stock to go through before they get the new media) will be the RFID enabled plastic. My daughter and her BFF got the RFID tickets while I was stuck in the slow lane with my paper AP.

 

[dadddio]

My understanding is that the special switchover period was set up to allow them to take care of the huge amount of local passholders that they expected to want to be changed to RFID right away. After this period, you will still be able to switch to RFID, however. It will just be done at the normal Guest Services offices.

 

[milmore104]

I haven't heard anything about the switchover being limited to FL residents, and usually my sources (nothing insider, just a couple of Disney-specialist TA friends) would give me a heads up on something like that. Everything I've heard and read is that the switchover at the Odyssey building is for all AP holders, to ease the burden on guest services during the period in which they expect a high volume of those transactions. AP holders who don't visit during the roll-out period will be able to accomplish the same thing at guest services, but the anticipation is that demand would be overwhelming if only guest services were handling the change from the start.

And yes, any ticket you buy now (from Disney, not sure if this applies to third-party sellers like Undercover Tourist yet as they might have stock to go through before they get the new media) will be the RFID enabled plastic. My daughter and her BFF got the RFID tickets while I was stuck in the slow lane with my paper AP.

Ok I have to ask where is the Odyssey building in Epcot? I am headed to WDW on 4/8 and would love to have our AP's switched over. Thanks

 

[Gorechick]

The Odyssey building is on the left as you are heading from Future world toward World Showcase on the Mexico side. It is a large round building, you can't miss it.

 

[Suellen]

I'm heading over later today to have mine switched. I'm wondering if they will switch the kids over for me or if they have to be there?

 

[conniehar90]

So, do you think they will only switch over the AP's at the Oddysey or would they also do it at Guest Services? We have two in our party with AP's and 2 with regular paper tickets. I was planning on going to DTD on our first day and would love to change them all and not have to wait in 2 lines!

 

[LaurenT]

I'm heading over later today to have mine switched. I'm wondering if they will switch the kids over for me or if they have to be there?

I can't answer that, but I'll be there in May with just DH. I'd like to switch DD10's over too, save me another wait in line...
Would you post back when you find out? I've asked here already and I don't think anyone really knows yet (since today is the first day).

 

[Robo]

The Odyssey building is on the left as you are heading from Future world toward World Showcase on the Mexico side. It is a large round building, you can't miss it.

 

[Robo]

I just got off the phone with a CM at Disney...

We were told the short switchover period is for FL residents only.

You say you don't trust "Disney" but, you actually mean (correctly) that you don't trust the "phone CM"
information.

Many "phone CM's" have less-than-zero knowledge of actual park operations.
They don't work at the park, they don't have any info supplied to them about park operations,
and many of them have never even actually visited a WDW park.

So, you were right to distrust the info that you were given on the phone.

Any AP holder can now trade-in her/his "old" AP for a new plastic RFID AP at the Odyssey in Epcot.

 

[cvjw]

I can't answer that, but I'll be there in May with just DH. I'd like to switch DD10's over too, save me another wait in line...
Would you post back when you find out? I've asked here already and I don't think anyone really knows yet (since today is the first day).

I upgraded my DS's regular DVC AP to the special DVC PAP in October, and he was not along for the trip. The CM never even questioned where he was - she just upgraded all of the AP's at one time.

 

[HelenParr]

Agree with Robo. All APs can be switched.

We renewed APs on Sunday at Downtown, and the (seemingly competent) CM said "you can have these swtiched over to RFID starting Wednesday". But we were heading home to snowy New England a day too early, on Tuesday. I mentioned we'd next be back in June, and look forward to switching to the hard card. CM speculated (and she made clear it was not set in stone but possible) that our timeline means we might skip the card because the bracelets will be ready for APs by June.

I asked for a new AP sleeve holder, but they have none. CMs said that Disney did not bother making them thinking they would not be needed (bracelet isn't going to fit in the sleeve ). They have lame, tiny white envelope instead.

 

[marius97]

I just got off the phone with a CM at Disney concerning tickets for our "rent-a-child" on our October trip.

I'll bite...what is a "rent-a-child"?

 

[wendyt_ca]

I'll bite...what is a "rent-a-child"?

I was wondering the same lol.

 

[LaurenT]

I upgraded my DS's regular DVC AP to the special DVC PAP in October, and he was not along for the trip. The CM never even questioned where he was - she just upgraded all of the AP's at one time.

Well, that sure sounds like they'd do the same for me then - if I'm just switching it over from Tyvek to RFID...
Thanks!

 

[RSWA2]

I was wondering the same lol.

Me too!...maybe it's their niece or nephew?

 

[LaurenT]

I just got off the phone with a CM at Disney concerning tickets for our "rent-a-child" on our October trip.

We are AP holders and DVC'ers and will be ordering an 8 day ticket for her.

We want to have our AP's switched to RFID but we were just there and had them activated and we were not going to fly down from the Midwest just to switch to RFID prior to our Oct. trip.

We were told the short switchover period is for FL residents only. Is this what you folks are hearing? I was told they would switch ours to RFID whenever we got there in October.

I asked "What about our "rent-a-child"? Will she have an RFID ticket also or will we have to go in a regular entrance with her. (And the one good thing about RFID, IMHO, is that she's counting on Snow White "remembering" her...which RFID certainly would "help") The CM went away for a moment and came back and said she would no longer have a paper ticket, it would be hard plastic and equipped with RFID.

So, has anyone here heard that, too? Or has my chain been yanked once again?

Any input would be greatly appreciated. These boards and you people are the very best, indeed! Just like everyone else here we're trying very hard to make this a very special trip for a very special little girl!

Thanks.
Auntie Peep

LOL...
I assume your "rent-a-child" is a relative or friend's kid....
As to your questions, her 8 day ticket will already be RFID (unless you're getting it from UT or another discounter...then I'm not sure).
Your APs will be convertible at any GS by the time you get there in October. Right now they are processing them in the building in Epcot to handle the initial burst of locals. Anyone with an AP can go to the Odyssey Bldg in Epcot to have it done, but I believe the purpose of doing it that way is to cut down on the lines at regular GS that would clearly form from all the locals who are right there and will turn out within the first month or so.

 

[Lyndarella]

We have paper APs that we used in December. Do we HAVE to exchange them or can we eliminate that step and just get in the regular line? We will be there in May and October.

 

[doconeill]

We have paper APs that we used in December. Do we HAVE to exchange them or can we eliminate that step and just get in the regular line? We will be there in May and October.

Right now, you don't HAVE to replace them, and just use the old turnstiles. However, eventually the plan is for all RFID at the entrances, and in order to use FastPass+ and other features of MyMagic+, you will need to switch them.