Hotel Express pass

Just a quick question about the hotel express pass. Last time we were there we had to take our room key to a kiosk to have a seperate card made with our picture on it to use for our express pass. Is this still the case or can you just use your room key?? Also we will have kids with us ages 6months - 10. Will each of them need to carry their room key with them to gain access??? Even the baby? Just curious so theres no confusion when we gt to the line. Thanks!

Yes, kiosk is still needed to print express pass at hotel. Yes, everyone entering a attraction entrance needs their own express pass and the will be scanned.

While each child does need his or her own Express Pass printed, when my kids were quiet young, I always put both of their Express Passes in a pouch and carried them with mine on my lanyard. Then they just scan me 3 times when we get into lines. Last year, I finally decided it was time to let them try carrying their own EP in their lanyard and wouldn't you know it my son (7 at the time) took his slytherin lanyard off in the bathroom and it wasn't until we were in line for the next ride that we realized it wasn't on his body. We went back to the bathroom immediately. It was already gone. We went to lost and found in front and someone had brought it up there already. However, they had found it IN THE TOILET so we had to reprint our EP. Which was not as huge of a hassle as I worried it might be. We're going back in June and I'll try again to let them carry their own. But if you don't want try that then I'd just put each pass in a plastic lanyard pouch and carry them all with you. That always worked out just fine for us.
I might bring some packing tape this time around and kind of laminate ours a bit too. We rode quite a few water rides in a row last year and the EPs got soaked to the point that they wouldn't scan even thru the plastic lanyard pouch. We hit the water rides pretty hard that day!!!!

great advice. Thanks for the info! Do they just check your Express pass or do you need to take out your room key as well??

escriven75 said:

my son (7 at the time) took his slytherin lanyard off in the bathroom

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I assume it was hanging in his way? For kids of that age I recommend putting the lanyard on "bandolier" style. Diagonally across the body. DS came up with that and it was fabulous. Kept it out of the way for everything, including bathroom trips.

surgefest said:

great advice. Thanks for the info! Do they just check your Express pass or do you need to take out your room key as well??

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They check EP at the rides. If you have them in a clear lanyard pouch they can generally scan the barcode through the pouch. At park entry they don't care about the EP, just the ticket. If you're there for early entrance, you use the ticket at the turnstiles and in our recent experience you flash the room keys further in the park where it becomes obvious that you need to show the room keys.

Yes, I'm sure it was hanging in the way of him taking care of business. After that incident, I put a couple of knots in both sides of it and that shortened it up quite a bit. Maybe diagonal across the body will work better...might give that a try. They are quite long for the kids.
And as far as room keys, you won't need to show that to get on any rides. You will just need to have your paper Express Pass that you print at the hotel kiosk out for the ride attendant to scan. We've never had trouble with them scanning thru the plastic lanyard pouch except when they got too drenched on all the water rides! If I recall, the park admission ticket is also a separate paper ticket (or was last year when we went at least) so I put my room keys in my wallet and don't need to take them out for anything while in the parks. And I definitely don't let my kids carry their own room keys! If I remember, I keep them from past visits when they are no longer active and let them carry old ones in their lanyards....especially since if you ask BEFORE they print them at check-in then they will let you choose what character you have on your room key. I think I still have last year's room keys in my purse somewhere!!

Just curious. Do you have to supply your own lanyard or do you get one at the hotel with your EP/room key?

canadiankim said:

Just curious. Do you have to supply your own lanyard or do you get one at the hotel with your EP/room key?

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You have to supply your own lanyard.

We use our HHN ones or ones from Margaritaville.....but you can pick them up anywhere

Good to know Schumigirl! Looks like a trip to the local Dollarama to pick some up. I guess I can also get them in the parks - themed to Harry Potter etc?