Maingate & park hopping vs. base ticket & FP+ reservations . . .

[lacy1101]

For those of you who have gone to the parks on your DCP's maingate passes, how did you make out not being able to reserve fastpasses until you entered the park? For our October trip, I'm trying to decide which is more important on a couple of days: 1) Using our daughter's maingate and being able to park hop; or 2) using one of our base tickets so we can reserve fastpasses ahead of time?

For example, on our DHS day, should we go in on our daughter's maingate so that we can hop to EP later (and take our chances with FP from the kiosks once we enter both parks), or should we forget about hopping (maybe use a separate day for EP) and use one of our base tickets so we can reserve FP before we go?

 

[mynameisnobody]

I know this isn't exactly answering your question but I wanted to give our experience. When my oldest daughter did the program in Spring 2013. I knew we would be making more than a couple week long trips while she was there so I just bought annual passes. This worked out great and left her maingate passes for her friends that visited. I'll probably do the same if my youngest daughter gets selected for Spring 2015.

 

[jobro912]

I also bought an Annual Pass so he could use his Maingates in case any friends came down.

 

[mynameisnobody]

And I'm definitely buying Annual Passes again for next year. My youngest daughter will be in the program starting Feb 2. It actually works best because the CP does not have a lot of admissions on the Maingate anyway.

 

[polymerpig]

I am actuallly interested if anyone has any thoughts on the OP's original question, as we will be in this same situation the week before Christmas. What FP+s are usually left by the time you enter the park using a Maingate? Thanks.

 

[Traveliz]

I am actuallly interested if anyone has any thoughts on the OP's original question, as we will be in this same situation the week before Christmas. What FP+s are usually left by the time you enter the park using a Maingate? Thanks.

The cast members and actually link their main gates and their guest passes now to the my Disney experience so they can get fast passes seven days in advance. I know it's not 30 days or 60 days but we have done pretty good with my daughter.

Liz

 

[polymerpig]

Oh great! Good to know - thanks. Better than nothing.

 

[jce2]

Actually it is now 60 days if they link their maingate to MDE and have a hotel reservation

 

[polymerpig]

Thanks. Good to know, but she just tried to do it and it says it is not available at this time...try back later for instructions on how to do it. I did an online "help chat" with a CM and she said it is not available yet, keep checking back. If you know of CMs who have linked maybe they are part of a test group?? CM said it was definitely coming soon.

 

[Traveliz]

Both my daughter and her boyfriend who are CM's (5 plus years) and my niece who is a CP linked their maingates last Monday. They did it through the My Disney Experience. My niece actually did it first and said it was super easy. We were all at Epcot and my daughter linked hers while standing in line for something.

Liz