staying onsite and then offsite questions

[renae3]

I am thinking about spending 2 nights onsite with my family. We would love to stay a whole week onsite, but financially it just isnt possible. I thought a couple of nights would be fun for the kids and wouldn't break the bank. If I did this, how does fast pass work? Do I get it just for the 2 days or can I get it for the whole week? Do I get my tickets through Disney or can I get them from a place like undercover tourist. If I get them from UT, can I still get fast pass 60 days before? I am very confused and any help is greatly appreciated!!

 

[MAO]

My understanding is thus: Fast Pass + works 60 days before your known *onsite* reservation. 30 days before your *off site* reservation, you'll be able to make Fast Pass + choices. Disney knows about your onsite reservation, obviously, so it can open Fast Pass + up to you 60 days prior. Disney would, also obviously, not know about any off site reservations hence the 30 day limitation (assuming you've got a ticket with enough days on it linked in to MDE, is my understanding. Otherwise, there would be people making Fast Pass + reservations in the hopes that they would be there that day, even prior to them actually having a hotel reservation or ticket in hand.)

Undercover Tourist, Maple Leaf Tickets, Disney, and probably other ticket sellers are fine. I'd double (and triple) check any agency other than those three, but the 60 day Fast Pass + is based on your resort reservation existing as well as you having a ticket with enough days on it for the days you're trying to make Fast Pass + reservations for.

No doubt someone else will correct me if I have this wrong, but you need:
Tickets for family members 3 years of age or older, for however many days you want to make Fast Pass + reservations.
Onsite reservations will allow you to make Fast Pass + reservations 60 days prior to those days of the onsite reservation.
Offsite reservations are, technically, irrelevant to Fast Pass + reservations - at that point, if you have a ticket associated with MDE, then 30 days from whenever you sit down at the computer the Fast Pass + system should allow you to make reservations for that day.

I just checked - I have an onsite reservation for October of this year, but it's letting me set up a Fast Pass + reservation for March through April 4th which would only be useful, at this point, if I had an offsite reservation. Since I don't, I shall cancel out. But 60 days prior to my October onsite reservation, I shall definitely be trying to make Fast Pass + reservations for that trip.

So, basically, yes. Order tickets from Undercover Tourist; enter the details into MDE once you get them; make your Disney onsite reservation; 60 days prior to the onsite reservation make your Fast Pass + reservations and 30 days later make any other Fast Pass + reservations. Then ENJOY your trip!

 

[supersnoop]

Try to find the "throwaway room" thread on the theme park forum. My understanding is that the on-site stay is the threshold for making fp+ at 60 days, but the system will allow you to make reservations based on the number of ticket days, even if your on-site stay ends before your tickets do.

 

[PrincessMomofTwo]

Try to find the "throwaway room" thread on the theme park forum. My understanding is that the on-site stay is the threshold for making fp+ at 60 days, but the system will allow you to make reservations based on the number of ticket days, even if your on-site stay ends before your tickets do.

This is true. I have an offsite reservation and then two days of onsite reservation. I was able to make FP+ reservations 60 days out for all the number of days on my ticket including the days I'm onsite and offsite.

 

[100AcreWood]

But you only get the magic bands if you buy tickets through Disney or do you get magic bands just for staying onsite?

 

[MAO]

It's my understanding that you get the free magic bands with an onsite reservation. I don't believe that a ticket purchase would result in a magic band being sent to you - so, by all means, feel free to use Maple Lear or Undercover Tourist.

 

[Monykalyn]

magic bands are from onsite reservations-not tied to tickets as they serve as room keys as well (if you have a ticket linked then they serve as park entry as well)

 

[Princess Disney Mom]

We did this one year to save money and it worked great. We took the ME from the airport to Pop Century for two nights. We enjoyed EMH and the resort. Then we got a rental car and switched to the Doubletree in DTD for several days. Then returned the rental car and back to Pop Century for one night and ME back to the airport. This way the kids got the Disney resort experience and we saved money.