Ticket question

[Sadfeet]

My dad's neighbors son in law works for Disney. they are telling my dad that he can get us free passes for four days. The guy would met us outside Epcot the first day and then we could get into the parks for f
Three more days without him having to be there. I have always heard that the CM had to be there to get you into the pRk everyday. Has this changed?

I do NOT want to do this. I don't want to deal with waiting around for a stranger to do us a favor. My dad was supposed to buy us the Fl. Four day passes as a birthday gift. I was planning on upgrading those to the weekday pAsses that are good for a year. Even if this free four day CM pass thing works I won't be able to upgrade them will I?

Seriously my dad is so cheap sometimes it is embarrassing. "heh let me buy you these passes for a gift, no let me get them for free from some guy I've Never met and then expect you to be amazed and grateful that I got these for free by making you wait around and mooch off a stranger. Grrr. I would rather pay for what I want myself.

 

[WDSearcher]

It sounds as though the CM is signing you in the first day and then giving you Comps for the remaining days. This is perfectly legal and the only inconvenience is that you do have to meet him the first day. And honestly? Unless the guy doesn't show, it's probably more of an inconvenience to the CM than it is to you.

No, you will not be able to upgrade the free tickets you get from the CM. The day he signs you in, you'll get one-day PH tickets. The comps will either be one-day PHs as well, or they could be one day / one park tix (if the CM is using tickets he received from working a special event or singing in Candlelight or whatever). But all will be comps of some form, which means that from an upgrading standpoint, they have no value.

I don't see why it's such a big deal that your dad wants to go the "free ticket" route if it's available to him. If you're so bothered by "waiting around and mooching off a stranger", then just buy your own FL four-day pass and upgrade it. Or buy your own pass and have your dad upgrade it as your birthday present. Personally, I think it's nice of the CM to offer to get total strangers into the park. And either way, it's not your money paying for the pass. I'd be grateful that someone was willing to pay for four days of WDW for me!

 

[Sadfeet]

Thanks for the info.

I KNOW it is an inconvienance for the CM. The CM didn't offer the tickets, his mother in law did. According to his daughter that lives local the mother is a pain in the rear and I have a good idea that the CM would give us his tickets even if he had other plans for them just to get her off his back.

I also can't stand around waiting. I have something going on with my circulatory system that makes my feet swell and bleed under the skin when i stand or walk for more then a few minutes at a time. Yes I'm being seen at the Mayo clinic and all the doctors just say WTH is that? So not a lot I can do about it, just trying to live my life a little bit before it gets worse. This trip is for my 39th birthday. I am staying at the CR and planned to get into the park and get a wheel chair ASAP. My dad knows this but free anything is irresistable to him.

And if you read my post you would see I ended it by saying that I would rather just buy the tickets myself. He offered to buy them as a GIFT and now he wants to take advantage of someone he doesn't know to get this GIFT at no cost to himself but inconvience to someone with health issues and to the CM who he doesn't know.

This is just typical of him, if I told him I found an expensive toy for my DS for a fourth of the retail price he always said well let me give you the money and that will be from me. Yes, do none of the work and get all the glory. He isn't a BAD person but he is cheap, self involved and grasping. The strange thing is he doesn't even realize it. Everyone around him does though. Sigh.

 

[jandersonlj]

Not meaning to follow in your Dad's footsteps, but did you know you can get a push type wheelchair at your resort upon check-in. I don't think it costs like the ones in the park, and you would have it with you at all times. You would save money, but have to deal with it on the bus. If you are wanting a motorized one, I have heard it is cheaper to rent one from a rental company for the week opposed to getting it in the park. Again, you would have the disadvantage of dealing with it on the bus. Just wanted to throw those ideas out there. I can relate a bit with Dad; I tend to be a cheapskate too.

 

[Cheshire Figment]

First of all, any free entry ticket from a CM cannot be upgraded in any way.

A CM has two possible ways to allow people into the parks.

One is the Main Gate Pass. This allows a CM to bring in up to a certain number of guests up to a certain number of times per year. Some dates are blocked out. If the CM is not related to you, the CM must accompany you at all times in the Park. If the MGP is used, each day requires a separate entry and the CM must be present at entry.

The other is the semiannual comps. Each CM is given two tickets twice a year that they can give to anyone. These tickets are valid until used, or a specified date approximately two years after date of issue. They can be given to anyone, friend or relative. The thing is with two people and four days, it would use up the CMs complete two-year allotment.

Third, which another person mentioned, is once in a while there will be bonus tickets; these may have specific restrictions on them based on the circumstances in which they were issued.

 

[Sadfeet]

Not meaning to follow in your Dad's footsteps, but did you know you can get a push type wheelchair at your resort upon check-in. I don't think it costs like the ones in the park, and you would have it with you at all times. You would save money, but have to deal with it on the bus. If you are wanting a motorized one, I have heard it is cheaper to rent one from a rental company for the week opposed to getting it in the park. Again, you would have the disadvantage of dealing with it on the bus. Just wanted to throw those ideas out there. I can relate a bit with Dad; I tend to be a cheapskate too.

That is a good idea. I'm paying a lot to stay there so I don't have a problem using the resources they provide. I also doubt I'll spend much time in the parks, just wheel over for an hour at a time.

BTW I am a cheapskate too! But I only apply that to myself. I would never expect someone I don't know to go out of their way and give me something that has obvious value. Especially because it was offered by someone else who has a type of emotional power over the CM KWIM?

 

[Cheshire Figment]

The wheelchairs at the resorts are intended primarily for people who are staying at the resort and have a sudden need for a chair. They cannot be reserved in advance. And also, generally they are older chairs from the Parks that have been replaced; in other words they are not really good.

If a person needs a wheelchair their actual best choice would be to rent one from an off-site vendor; they will get a higher quality chair than is available from Disney, probably at a lower price, and it will be waiting for them at arrival at their Resort and picked up from the Resort after departure.

I would suggest going over to the disABILITIES Forum. One of the first threads is the disABILITIES FAQs. On Post #2 we have a lot of information for people with mobility problems, including suggest locations for rental of wheelchairs or ECVs.. To get directly to the disABILITIES FAQs from here just click on the link in my signature.

 

[NYDisneyKid]

First of all, any free entry ticket from a CM cannot be upgraded in any way.

A CM has two possible ways to allow people into the parks.

One is the Main Gate Pass. This allows a CM to bring in up to a certain number of guests up to a certain number of times per year. Some dates are blocked out. If the CM is not related to you, the CM must accompany you at all times in the Park. If the MGP is used, each day requires a separate entry and the CM must be present at entry.

and how would Disney know if the CM is not with said guest at all times?

 

[chartle]

and how would Disney know if the CM is not with said guest at all times?

They don't, its a simple way to say if the people you let in screw up its on you.

So its a disincentive for you to sell this access to anyone or to invite anyone you don't know.

 

[WDSearcher]

Thanks for the info.

I KNOW it is an inconvienance for the CM. The CM didn't offer the tickets, his mother in law did. According to his daughter that lives local the mother is a pain in the rear and I have a good idea that the CM would give us his tickets even if he had other plans for them just to get her off his back.

I also can't stand around waiting. I have something going on with my circulatory system that makes my feet swell and bleed under the skin when i stand or walk for more then a few minutes at a time. Yes I'm being seen at the Mayo clinic and all the doctors just say WTH is that? So not a lot I can do about it, just trying to live my life a little bit before it gets worse. This trip is for my 39th birthday. I am staying at the CR and planned to get into the park and get a wheel chair ASAP. My dad knows this but free anything is irresistable to him.

Just as an FYI ... any area where you might have to go to wait for a CM also has plenty of seating. There are benches at the turnstiles and GS areas and near the cast sign-in lanes at all four parks, so you don't have to "stand" around waiting. You can very easily "sit" around waiting.

Additionally, I think all four parks have wheelchair availability outside the turnstiles, so you can easily get your wheelchair while you wait, thereby saving you time as well as giving you relief from standing.

All the CMs I know are on-the-spot on time when signing folks in. It's usually the guests being signed in who are running late. Most guests totally miscalculate how long it will take them to get to the gate. It's not likely that you'll be the ones waiting around for the CM to show up. He'll probably be waiting for you when you arrive.

And if you read my post you would see I ended it by saying that I would rather just buy the tickets myself. He offered to buy them as a GIFT and now he wants to take advantage of someone he doesn't know to get this GIFT at no cost to himself but inconvience to someone with health issues and to the CM who he doesn't know.

This is just typical of him, if I told him I found an expensive toy for my DS for a fourth of the retail price he always said well let me give you the money and that will be from me. Yes, do none of the work and get all the glory. He isn't a BAD person but he is cheap, self involved and grasping. The strange thing is he doesn't even realize it. Everyone around him does though. Sigh.

Perhaps you should just go to WDW by yourself rather than with someone who you clearly don't seem to like very much. It sounds like you're taking this all very personally -- as if his entire motivation to getting free tickets is to totally inconvenience you and to make your health issues worse. You might have a better trip on your own.

As for the "CM who he doesn't know" -- some of my closest friends are guests I didn't know until I did them a favor as a CM. (You all know who you are ...)