Can you still book extra FPs using a party ticket?

[anomamatt]

But for the past two years of Parties, the umbrella didn’t work and those booking using the Party tickets on a secondary Profile could only book 30 days out.

Huh. I know I had a related issue with a DAH ticket and booking FPs on it (I had to temporarily bring over a ticket to umbrella it), but my recollection is that the umbrella worked for MNSSHP for Aug 2017. But maybe I mis-remember that one too.

 

[hiroMYhero]

@anomamatt - The no-umbrella : only 30 day window began with the 2016 parties and continued on for last year. It appears Disney is trying to “magically enhance” event tickets and their FP booking abilities.

 

[lambdabeta]

@hiroMYhero I am confused. If you only had party tickets last year could you book FP's? I could not and I was within the 30 day window. It seems people were able to do it if they booked it with their regular tickets. However some got deleted like you said in your earlier post. Does that mean people were using some kind of work around of the MDX system last year to get FP's?

 

[hiroMYhero]

@hiroMYhero I am confused. If you only had party tickets last year could you book FP's? I could not and I was within the 30 day window. It seems people were able to do it if they booked it with their regular tickets. However some got deleted like you said in your earlier post. Does that mean people were using some kind of work around of the MDX system last year to get FP's?

Party tickets which were linked to those who were not listed on onsite reservations could only be booked using a 30-day window. The “umbrella” function for 60-day booking - which works for those offsite with regular tickets who are grouped with onsite guests - did not apply to anyone (offsite or phantom) holding a Party ticket.

There were reports last year from Party guests and this year from DAH guests that they could book FPs using their event tickets. It really has been inconsistent in who can or cannot book FPs using event tickets. And, also inconsistent as to how Disney runs the FP System checks to determine # of regular ticket entitlements in conjunction with an event ticket entitlement versus # of booked FP days.

The best thing to do is follow the Party threads as it gets closer to FP booking for your Party date.

 

[lambdabeta]

Party tickets which were linked to those who were not listed on onsite reservations could only be booked using a 30-day window. The “umbrella” function for 60-day booking - which works for those offsite with regular tickets who are grouped with onsite guests - did not apply to anyone (offsite or phantom) holding a Party ticket.

There were reports last year from Party guests and this year from DAH guests that they could book FPs using their event tickets. It really has been inconsistent in who can or cannot book FPs using event tickets. And, also inconsistent as to how Disney runs the FP System checks to determine # of regular ticket entitlements in conjunction with an event ticket entitlement versus # of booked FP days.

The best thing to do is follow the Party threads as it gets closer to FP booking for your Party date.

Thank for the answer. I think I get it. Like most things Disney it seems hit or miss.

 

[Shanti]

On a related note, upon entering MK early (4-6pm) for a party, how do you make sure they admit you strictly via your party ticket, and not via your regular park tickets, when using only your Magic Band?

 

[dbavis]

following because i'm curious of the answer to @Shanti 's question also. In terms of the question of booking FPs for party days, I'll mention that i just wrestled with this for a Disney After Hours event. When we added the DAH night, I was able to book another day's worth of FPs, which we did for 7-10 the night of the party. A few days later, I got an email telling me that I had too many FPs booked for the number of ticket entitlements that i had and, if i didn't clear a day, the system was going to clear the last day for which i had FPs planned. I called and talked with someone and they added something to my account that let me keep everything i had booked. I think this is one of those YMMV situations and i got a cast member that dealt with it in a way that works well for us.

 

[hiroMYhero]

On a related note, upon entering MK early (4-6pm) for a party, how do you make sure they admit you strictly via your party ticket, and not via your regular park tickets, when using only your Magic Band?

You enter through the Party entrances - look for the signage - where the touch points are programmed to deduct a valid party entitlement.

 

[IrishNYC]

Did guest services tell you why the party FP's were preventing you from booking other FP's?

Because I had a 5 day base ticket and 1 party ticket. I had 5 days of FPs booked, and that counted as my 5 days. Party tickets are not supposed to be eligible for FPs but they haven't closed that loophole. That's why it worked when I booked those last, but then when I wanted to add additional regular ticket Fps it wouldn't let me.

 

[lambdabeta]

Because I had a 5 day base ticket and 1 party ticket. I had 5 days of FPs booked, and that counted as my 5 days. Party tickets are not supposed to be eligible for FPs but they haven't closed that loophole. That's why it worked when I booked those last, but then when I wanted to add additional regular ticket Fps it wouldn't let me.

THANK YOU! Finally a straight answer. You are the first person to actually tell me what I suspected all along. I kept reading last year on the MVMCP thread that you could make FP's with a party ticket with no clarification. Everyone said there would be no problem as long as they were between 4-6 pm. Then when I tried it I couldn't because I had a party ticket we bought last minute for the end of our trip. We had already made FP's with our regular tickets before buying the party ticket. Now it all makes perfect sense. It explains why some people could book FP's with a party ticket and some could not.

 

[Nikki G]

Last year we had no park tickets, only MVMCP tickets. I was able to book FP+ during the 4-6pm window 60 days out with no problem, likely because I didn't have any other park day tickets to wrestle with. I even got an email from Disney telling me my fast pass window was opening. This year we will have 5 park days plus the party so I'm not sure we will have the same success. I will have to remember the tip to book the party day FP+ last after all the others and try not to touch anything after that. At least the ride lines for the party are shorter anyway so it's not quite as big of a deal.

 

[123SA]

Wow. This is confusing.

So...I have 10 day tickets, 1 set of DAH linked, 1 set of DAH for a different date that I didn't link yet. Both are during the middle of the trip on days I will not use a regular ticket.

I was assuming I could prebook FP for the time period before DAH begins. AT the very least, I thought if I pre-booked NO fastpasses, I could use my party ticket that day to book FP...but it seems like any of these strategies could put my last days of FP (hopefully Slinky & FOP) in jeopardy.

My 60 day mark in June 5th...not sure what to do.

 

[lambdabeta]

Last year we had no park tickets, only MVMCP tickets. I was able to book FP+ during the 4-6pm window 60 days out with no problem, likely because I didn't have any other park day tickets to wrestle with. I even got an email from Disney telling me my fast pass window was opening. This year we will have 5 park days plus the party so I'm not sure we will have the same success. I will have to remember the tip to book the party day FP+ last after all the others and try not to touch anything after that. At least the ride lines for the party are shorter anyway so it's not quite as big of a deal.

You obviously found the loophole. You got lucky in booking just on a party ticket. I didn't buy my party ticket until less than a month from the party which is probably why I couldn't book FP's. It seems if you bought them before your 60 day window you could book FP's. Have fun on your trip this year.

 

[hiroMYhero]

Wow. This is confusing.

So...I have 10 day tickets, 1 set of DAH linked, 1 set of DAH for a different date that I didn't link yet. Both are during the middle of the trip on days I will not use a regular ticket.

I was assuming I could prebook FP for the time period before DAH begins. AT the very least, I thought if I pre-booked NO fastpasses, I could use my party ticket that day to book FP...but it seems like any of these strategies could put my last days of FP (hopefully Slinky & FOP) in jeopardy.

My 60 day mark in June 5th...not sure what to do.

You can book for all 11 or 12 days.

If you receive an emailed Warning, delete those DAH FPs and that will protect all your FPs for regular park days.

 

[anomamatt]

You obviously found the loophole.

Booking FPs using party tickets is not a loophole.

You got lucky in booking just on a party ticket.

This has always worked and is what I always recommend. Move the party tickets to a phantom and book FPs. They won't get cancelled. There is an algorithm in the FP system that checks tickets versus FP days booked that, when there are multiple tickets per profile, will incorrectly ignore party tickets (and this is the problem with why people can lose FPs).

I didn't buy my party ticket until less than a month from the party which is probably why I couldn't book FP's. It seems if you bought them before your 60 day window you could book FP's.

Why do you think when you bought the party ticket matters?

 

[123SA]

Does phantom mean make a new person in my MDE account? So I have person A B C D E with 10 day tickets, F G H I J with DAH August 4th, person K L M N O DAH AUG 11th?


And, I thought the DAH tickets could not be reassigned...but I have a reassign link available in my account next to the DAH tickets (not the park hopper tickets). Does that mean I could reassign them from person A B C D E to the new set of people in my account?

 

[123SA]

You can book for all 11 or 12 days.

If you receive an emailed Warning, delete those DAH FPs and that will protect all your FPs for regular park days.

So, your thought is I don't need to worry about them being deleted as long as I pay attention to my emails?

 

[lambdabeta]

Booking FPs using party tickets is not a loophole.

If you read what @IrishNYC posted you would see they said you aren't supposed to be able to book FP's on party tickets. This was in response to my question as to what they were told by CM's when the party FP's were preventing them from booking other FP's.

This has always worked and is what I always recommend. Move the party tickets to a phantom and book FPs. They won't get cancelled. There is an algorithm in the FP system that checks tickets versus FP days booked that, when there are multiple tickets per profile, will incorrectly ignore party tickets (and this is the problem with why people can lose FPs).

So if you have to game the system to get it to work then it is a work around. I don't think the system is ignoring party tickets. I think it is incorrectly allowing people to book FP's on them in the first place.

Why do you think when you bought the party ticket matters?

Why do you think it doesn't?

 

[hiroMYhero]

So, your thought is I don't need to worry about them being deleted as long as I pay attention to my emails?

Yes but for your DAH#2 ticket, use the phantom method that @anomamatt is advocating.

 

[anomamatt]

If you read what @IrishNYC posted you would see they said you aren't supposed to be able to book FP's on party tickets. This was in response to my question as to what they were told by CM's when the party FP's were preventing them from booking other FP's.

If you care to go read the 2017 party threads, there are plenty of emails from CMs saying you are supposed to be able to book FPs on party tickets. The Disney Mom's bloggers (ugh, I dislike using them to prove anything WDW-related) have posts saying this as well. Finally there are reports of guest services CMs correcting the erroneously deleted FPs. One report leads you to deciding this isn't supposed to be allowed? Well, OK then.

So if you have to game the system to get it to work then it is a work around. I don't think the system is ignoring party tickets. I think it is incorrectly allowing people to book FP's on them in the first place.

Game the system? OK then, glad you have it all figured out. Regardless of what you want to believe, it is ONLY a problem when you have a regular ticket + a party ticket on the same profile. The party ticket gets ignored when the system counts entitlements. If you only have a party ticket, the system is FINE and the FPs stick. No one loses a FP unless you have multiple tickets. MDE is a mess of a system and this is just one example where the system is doing something incorrect.

Why do you think it doesn't?

Because I have bought party tickets and DAH tickets immediately before an event and booked FPs. It has nothing to do with when you buy the ticket.